Effects of White Noise on Pain Scores and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Surgical Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Neonates experience varying intensities of pain after surgery. While white noise has been used for postoperative pain relief in infants, its effects on neonates after surgery need further exploration. PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of white noise on pain scores and salivary cortisol levels in surgical neonates. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 64 neonates scheduled for surgery were recruited and assigned by block randomization into 2 groups. The intervention group listened to white noise at 50 dB, while the control group listened to white noise at 0 dB, for 30 minutes 6 times for 48 hours postoperatively. Pain scores, measured by the COMFORTneo Scale, and salivary cortisol levels were compared. RESULTS: Although pain scores decreased after surgery in all subjects, no statistically significant difference was observed between the 2 groups (P = .937). There was a significant difference between pre- and postintervention pain scores in the intervention group only (P = .006). Salivary cortisol levels decreased after intervention in the intervention group, but there was no significant difference between pre- and postintervention levels in the 2 groups (P = .716). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Given the reduction in pain scores and salivary cortisol concentrations after white noise intervention, white noise shows potential as an adjunctive soothing measure for neonates after surgery. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Future studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and utility of white noise intervention in clinical settings.

Rational Design and Pharmacomodulation of 18F-Labeled Biotin/FAPI-Conjugated Heterodimers.

Due to the complex heterogeneity in different cancer types, the heterodimeric strategy has been intensively practiced to improve the effectiveness of tumor diagnostics. In this study, we developed a series of novel 18F-labeled biotin/FAPI-conjugated heterobivalent radioligands ([18F]AlF-NSFB, [18F]AlF-NSFBP2, and [18F]AlF-NSFBP4), synergistically targeting both fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and biotin receptor (BR), to enhance specific tumor uptake and retention. The in vitro and in vivo biological properties of these dual-targeting tracers were evaluated, with a particular focus on positron emission tomography imaging in A549 and HT1080-FAP tumor-bearing mice. Notably, in comparison to the corresponding FAP-targeted monomer [18F]AlF-NSF, biotin/FAPI-conjugated heterodimers exhibited a high uptake in tumor and prolong retention. In conclusion, as a proof-of-concept study, the findings validated the superiority of biotin/FAPI-conjugated heterodimers and the positive influence of biotin and linker on pharmacokinetics of radioligands. Within them, the bispecific [18F]AlF-NSFBP4 holds significant promise as a candidate for further clinical translational studies.

Community responses of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi to hydrological gradients in a riparian Phragmites australis wetland.

The hydrological regime is considered to be the major factor that affects the distribution of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi in wetlands. We aimed to investigate the responses of AM fungal community to different hydrological gradients. Illumina Miseq sequencing technology was used to study the AM fungal community structure in roots and rhizosphere soils of Phragmites australis in different moisture areas (dry area, alternating wet and dry area, and flooded area) in Mengjin Yellow River wetland. The rhizosphere soils and roots hosted different AM fungal communities. In roots, the AM fungal colonization and Chao1 richness in dry area were significantly higher than that in alternating wet and dry area and flooded area, but the community composition did not vary clearly under different water conditions. In rhizosphere soils, the Chao1 richness of AM fungi in flooded area was significantly higher than that in alternating wet and dry area and dry area, and the AM fungal community structure obviously differed across different areas. The redundancy analyses indicated that changes in the AM fungal community in soils were associated with altered soil properties, and the abundance of the dominant genus Glomus was mostly positively correlated with alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen in soils. This study helps us to understand the responses of AM fungal community to hydrological gradients in wetlands.

The roles of autophagy in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy with rapamycin.

BACKGROUND: Rapamycin is known to induce autophagy, promote cell survival and inhibit the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the role of autophagy in the treatment of DN with rapamycin to provide the basis for the DN treatment with rapamycin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Human mesangial cells (HMC) were cultured in a constant temperature incubator with 5% CO2, at 37°C and saturated humidity. Cells were divided into 5 groups and the 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) cell proliferation assay was used to determine cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to determine cell apoptosis, while GFP-RFP-LC3 showed autophagy flow. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3-II/LC3-I and P62. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the contents of type IV collagen fiber (Col4), hyaluronic acid (HA) and laminin (LA) in the extracellular matrix (ECM). RESULTS: Cell proliferation was the lowest in the hyperglycemic group. Additionally, the hyperglycemic group displayed the lowest number of autolysosomes compared to other groups. In contrast, the rapamycin group exhibited the highest number of autolysosomes. The LC3-II/LC3-I ratio was also the lowest in the hyperglycemic group, measuring 0.53 (0.50-0.58), while the expression level of P62 was significantly higher in that group at 0.98 (0.95-1.01) compared to other groups. Upon the introduction of rapamycin, the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio was significantly increased at 2.21 (1.95-2.21), and P62 was significantly decreased 0.38 (0.38-0.39) compared to the hyperglycemic group. Both changes were statistically significant, with p-values of 0.034 and 0.010, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect Col4, HA and LA content. The study findings demonstrated significantly higher levels of glucose in the hyperglycemic group in comparison to other groups. In contrast, the rapamycin group exhibited significantly lower levels of glucose than the hyperglycemic group, yet the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycemic can inhibit the autophagic activity of HMC, promote cell apoptosis, enhance ECM accumulation, and facilitate the DN progression. In contrast, rapamycin can elicit autophagy, decrease mesangial matrix proliferation, and therefore impede DN progression.

Urinary peptidome analysis in CKD and IgA nephropathy.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a significant challenge to human health and economic stability in aging societies worldwide. Current clinical practice strategies remain insufficient for the early identification of kidney dysfunction, and the differential diagnosis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) predominantly relies on invasive kidney biopsy procedures. Methods: First, we assessed a case-control cohort to obtain urine samples from healthy controls and biopsy-confirmed CKD patients. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) was applied to detect urinary peptide and then these urinary peptide profiles were used to construct diagnostic models to distinguish CKD patients from controls and identify IgAN patients from other nephropathy patients. Furthermore, we assessed the robustness of the diagnostic models and their reproducibility by applying different algorithms. Results: A rapid and accurate working platform for detecting CKD and its IgAN subtype based on urinary peptide pattern detected by MALDI-TOF MS was established. Naturally occurring urinary peptide profiles were used to construct a diagnostic model to distinguish CKD patients from controls and identify IgAN patients from other nephropathy patients. The performance of several algorithms was assessed and demonstrated that the robustness of the diagnostic models as well as their reproducibility were satisfactory. Conclusions: The present findings suggest that the CKD-related and IgAN-specific urinary peptides discovered facilitate precise identification of CKD and its IgAN subtype, offering a dependable framework for screening conditions linked to renal dysfunction. This will aid in comprehending the pathogenesis of nephropathy and identifying potential protein targets for the clinical management of nephropathy.

Combined contribution of biochar and introduced AM fungi on lead stability and microbial community in polluted agricultural soil.

Introduction: Lead (Pb) pollution in agricultural soil has been accelerated by industrial development and human activities, and poses a major threat to agricultural ecosystems. Both biochar and arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi are considered to play an important role in remediation of Pb contaminated soil. Methods: The combined remediation effects of introduced AM fungi and biochar on soil properties, Pb availability, microbial community and functional profiles were systematically investigated in unsterilized Pb-polluted agricultural soil. Results: Results indicated that soil nutrients were significantly improved through the combined application of biochar and introduced AM fungi. The introduced AM fungi combined with biochar prepared at 400°C and 500°C promoted the transformation of Pb to a more stable state with low bioavailability. Moreover, the addition of AM fungi and biochar affected the relative abundances of dominant bacteria and fungi at the phylum and genus levels. Biochar mainly affected soil bacterial community and obviously increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Blastococcus. The interactions between biochar and introduced AM fungi mainly affected fungal community, and increased the abundance of Ascomycota and Botryotrichum. Further, PICRUSt analysis indicated biochar amendment supported stronger bacterial metabolic functional potentials. Discussion: Therefore, the combined application of biochar and Therefore, the combined application of biochar and introduced AM fungi could improve soil nutrients, reduce Pb introduced AM fungi could improve soil nutrients, reduce Pb availability, availability, and show and show a positive effect on a positive effect on indigenous microbial communities and indigenous microbial communities and metabolic functions in metabolic functions in farmland soil.

Lymph node metastasis related gene BICC1 promotes tumor progression by promoting EMT and immune infiltration in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one of the most aggressive abdominal malignancies with a poor prognosis and it is urgent to find effective biomarkers for prediction. Although BICC1 expression is related to the survival, no evidence for its role in PC development has been found. METHODS: We used RNA-seq data to screen for molecular markers highly associated with lymph node metastasis. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) public databases were used to analyze the expression and prognosis of Differential Expressed Genes (DEGs) in PC. R studio was used for visualization and functional analysis. RESULTS: BicC Family RNA Binding Protein 1 (BICC1) was a lymph node metastasis-related DEGs in PC patients. Our study found that BICC1 mRNA levels in the tumor tissue were significantly higher and associated with poorer prognosis. Enrichment analysis found that BICC1 was enriched primarily in the Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) pathway. Using the ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms, we found that BICC1 was related to immune cell infiltration. As a regulator of multiple immune checkpoints, BICC1 was also involved in PC's immune response. CONCLUSIONS: BICC1 has the potential to be a new marker in association with lymph node metastasis as well as immune infiltration of PC. In addition to being a prognostic indicator, it may also be a potential therapeutic target.

Short-term triphenyltin exposure alters microbial homeostasis in the silkworm (Bombyx mori) midgut.

Triphenyltin (TPT) is a widespread synthetic chemical used in many fields and its potential risk to organisms has been comprehensively investigated using different animal models and species. Currently, little is known about the effects of TPT exposure on microbial midgut diversity, therefore we explored these effects in the lepidopterous silkworm model using 16S rDNA sequencing. In total, 5273 and 5065 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified in control and TPT-exposure group samples, ranging from 424 to 728 OTUs/sample. Alpha-diversity analyses revealed that TPT exposure induced the fluctuations of gut microbial diversity and abundance while beta-diversity analyses identified a distinct impact on major gut microbiota components. In our microbiome analyses, 23 phyla and 353 genera were recognized in the control group, while 20 phyla and 358 genera were recognized in the TPT exposure group. At the genus level, midgut microbiota were composed of several predominant bacterial genera, including Muribaculaceae, Lactobacillus, and UCG-010. In the TPT exposure group, o__Bacillales, f__Bacillaceae, and f__Caldicoprobacteraceae abundance was relatively high, while f__Oscillospiraceae, f__Fusobacteriaceae, and f__SC_I_84 abundance was relatively high in the control group. Gene function analyses in silkworm microbiota after TPT exposure showed that biosynthesis of ansamycins, fructose and mannose metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, type II diabetes mellitus, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, lipid metabolism, translation proteins, atrazine degradation, DNA repair and recombination proteins, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism were significantly increased. Collectively, our silkworm model identified gut microbial diversity risks and the adverse effects from TPT exposure, which were similar to other aquatic animals. Therefore, TPT levels in environmental samples must be monitored to prevent ecological harm.

The effects of polylactic acid bioplastic exposure on midgut microbiota and metabolite profiles in silkworm (Bombyx mori): An integrated multi-omics analysis.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a highly common biodegradable plastic and a potential threat to health and the environment. However, limited data are available on the effects of PLA exposure in the silkworm (Bombyx mori), a model organism used in toxicity studies. In this study, silkworms with or without PLA exposure (P1: 1 mg/L, P5: 5 mg/L, P25: 25 mg/L, and P0: 0 mg/L) for the entire 5th instar period were used to investigate the impact of PLA exposure on midgut morphology, larvae growth, and survival. Mitochondrial damage was observed in the P5 and P25 groups. The weights of the P25 posterior silk gland (5th day in the 5th instar), mature larvae and pupae were all significantly lower than those of the controls (P < 0.05). Dead worm cocoon rates and larva-pupa to 5th instar larvae ratios showed a positive and negative dose-dependent manner with respect to PLA concentrations, respectively. Additionally, reactive oxygen species levels and superoxide dismutase activity of the P25 midgut were significantly higher and lower when compared with controls, respectively (P < 0.05). The molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of PLA and associated physiological responses were also investigated. In the midgut metabolome, 127 significantly different metabolites (variable importance projection >1 and P < 0.05) were identified between the P0 and P25 groups and were mainly enriched for amino acid metabolism and energy supply pathways. The 16 S rDNA data showed that PLA altered microbial richness and structural composition. Microbiota, classified into 34 genera and 63 species, were significantly altered after 25 mg/L PLA exposure (P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation results showed that Bifidobacterium catenulatum and Schaalia odontolytica played potentially vital roles during exposure, as they demonstrated stronger correlations with the significantly different metabolites than other bacterial species. In sum, PLA induced toxic effects on silkworms, especially on energy- and protein-relevant metabolism, but at high concentrations (25 mg/L). This prospective mechanistic investigation on the effects of PLA on larval toxicity provides novel insight regarding the ecological risks of biodegradable plastics in the environment.

NEDD4L inhibits migration, invasion, cisplatin resistance and promotes apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by inactivating the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.

PURPOSE: This study identified the function of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 4-like (NEDD4L) on bladder cancer (BLCA). METHODS: NEDD4L expression in BLCA patients was scrutinized. The function of NEDD4L on the viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion of BLCA cells was evaluated by cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry and Transwell assays. The effect of NEDD4L on the cisplatin (DDP) resistance of the DDP-resistant BLCA cells was explored. The influence of NEDD4L on the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity in BLCA cells was tested by Western blot. Rescue experiments were implemented to verify whether NEDD4L regulated BLCA cell malignant behavior by mediating the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity via p62. The effect of NEDD4L on the growth and the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity in vivo was researched in xenograft tumor nude mice models. RESULTS: The down-regulated NEDD4L in BLCA patients was associated with unfavorable survival. NEDD4L suppressed the viability (inhibition rate 57.1%/49.0%), migration (inhibition rate 49.7%/77.1%), invasion (inhibition rate 50.6%/75.7%), promoted the apoptosis of T24/5637 cells (promotion rate 243.8%/201.9%), reduced IC 50 of DDP-resistant T24/5637 cells from 132.2/101.8 to 57.81/59.71 µM, respectively, and inactivated the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway in T24/5637 cells. p62 up-regulation partially abrogated the inhibition of NEDD4L on the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity, the malignant behavior of BLCA cells, and the DDP resistance of DDP-resistant BLCA cells. NEDD4L overexpression inhibited the tumor growth and the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity in vivo in BLCA. CONCLUSION: NEDD4L inhibits the progression of BLCA by inactivating the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. It may be an effective target for BLCA treatment.

Sericin Ser3 Ectopic Expressed in Posterior Silk Gland Affects Hemolymph Immune Melanization Response via Reducing Melanin Synthesis in Silkworm.

The transgenesis of silkworms is an important way to innovate genetic resources and silk function. However, the silk-gland (SG) of transgenic silkworms, which is the most concerned target tissue of sericulture, often suffers from low vitality, stunting and other problems, and the reasons are still unknown. This study trans engineered recombinant Ser3, a middle silk gland (MSG) specific expression gene, in the posterior silk gland (PSG) of the silkworm, and studied hemolymph immune melanization response changes in mutant pure line SER (Ser3+/+). The results showed that although the mutant had normal vitality, the melanin content and phenoloxidase (PO) activity in hemolymph related to humoral immunity were significantly reduced, and caused significantly slower blood melanization and weaker sterilization ability. The mechanism investigation showed that the mRNA levels and enzymatic activities of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine decarboxylase (DDC) in the melanin synthesis pathway in mutant hemolymph, as well as the transcription levels of the PPAE, SP21 and serpins genes in the serine protease cascade were significantly affected. Moreover, the total antioxidant capacity, superoxide anion inhibition capacity and catalase (CAT) level related to the redox metabolic capacity of hemolymph were significantly increased, while the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR), as well as the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and glutathione (GSH), were significantly decreased. In conclusion, the anabolism of melanin in the hemolymph of PSG transgenic silkworm SER was inhibited, while the basic response level of oxidative stress was increased, and the hemolymph immune melanization response was decreased. The results will significantly improve the safe assessment and development of genetically modified organisms.

Preliminary identification of soil fungi for the degradation of polyurethane film.

Polyurethane (PU) is a versatile plastic that boasts high environmental resistance. The biodegradation of PU has become a hot topic of research aimed at finding ways to potentially solve PU pollutants. Identifying microorganisms capable of efficiently degrading PU plastics is pivotal for the development of a green recycling process for PU. This study aimed to isolate and characterize PU-degrading fungi from the soil of a waste transfer station in Luoyang, China. We isolated four different fungal strains from the soil. Among the isolates, the P2072 and P2073 strains were identified as Rhizopus oryzae (internal transcribed spacer identity, 99.66%) and Alternaria alternata (internal transcribed spacer identity, 99.81%), respectively, through microscopic, morphologic, as well as 18S rRNA sequencing. The degradation ability of strains P2072 and P2073 was analyzed through measurement of weight loss, and they exhibited a degradation rate of 2.7% and 3.3%, respectively, for the PU films after 2 months' growth in mineral salt medium (MSM) with PU films as the sole carbon source. In addition, the P2073 strain exhibited protease activity in the presence of PU. To our knowledge, R. oryzae has never been reported as a PU-degrading fungus. This study provides a new perspective on the biodegradation of PU.

Ultrasonic Phased Array Imaging Approach Using Omni-Directional Velocity Correction for Quantitative Evaluation of Delamination in Composite Structure.

The ultrasonic detectability of buried defects within composite materials is dependent on the anisotropy of the composite material by which the propagation property of acoustic wave in each direction is variably affected. In this study, the characteristics of acoustic waves propagating in different directions for composite materials are explored based on the full matrix capture (FMC) data using an ultrasonic phased array. The elastic constant of multidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminate is first derived based on the genetic algorithm. The characteristics of transmitted and reflected waves in higher angles are predicted by implementing the Christoffel equation, and the focal law used in post-processing of FMC data can be optimized accordingly. The imaging results of the total focusing method (TFM) using the improved focal law are compared with the results of the conventional TFM. The results suggest that the optimized TFM can effectively characterize the defect by reducing the background noise. Furthermore, since it is impractical to theoretically correct angle-dependent velocity for in situ inspection, a linear extrapolation method based on the experimentally measurable velocity at low angles is proposed to estimate the velocity profile at higher angles. The imaging results using the fast extrapolated velocity profile is then compared with the theoretical, and it has been demonstrated that while the difference between the images using the theoretical focal law and the linearly extrapolated one is barely visible, the later one is overwhelmingly advantageous to be realiszd for engineering practices.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of wild type and a pectate lyase mutant strain of Bacillus subtilis.

Transcriptome analysis for the original Bacillus subtilis K1 strain and UV mutagenic strain UW07 with high yield of pectate lyase was implemented with RNA-seq. The function of genes was annotated and metabolic pathways were classified to look for different expression genes and classify these genes into related metabolic pathways to reveal the high-yield mechanism of pectate lyase in UW07. The results showed that 397 genes were up-regulated and 617 genes were down-regulated compared with the original strain. The up-regulated genes were mainly involved in ABC transporters, two-component system, biosynthesis of amino acids, and carbon metabolism.

Boosting Anti-tumour Immunity Using Adjuvant Apigenin.

The interactions and secretions within the tumour have a pivotal role in tumour growth and therapy. Immunosuppressive cells such as regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) secrete some substances, which can result in the exhaustion of anti-tumour immunity. To stimulate anti-tumour immunity, suppression of the secretion and interactions of immunosuppressive cells, on the other hand, stimulation of proliferation and activation of natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T lymphocytes are required. Apigenin is a flavone with anticancer properties. Emerging evidence shows that not only does apigenin modulate cell death pathways in cancer cells but it also can stimulate anti-tumour immune cells to release death signals and suppress the release of tumour-promoting molecules. In this review, we discuss the interactions between apigenin and various cells within the tumour microenvironment (TME). These interactions may enhance anti-tumour immunity to improve the efficiency of anticancer remedies such as immunotherapy.

Effects of Holliday Junction-Recognition Protein-Mediated C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase/ Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 Signaling Pathway on Cell Proliferation, Cell Cycle and Cell Apoptosis in Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma.

The Holliday Junction-Recognition Protein (HJURP) was upregulated in several tumors, which was associated with poor outcome. This study investigated the effects of the HJURP-mediated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/ signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway on bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLUC). Online databases were used to analyze HJURP expression in BLUC and the correlation of HJURP to JNK1 [mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8)], JNK2 (MAPK9), STAT3, marker of proliferation Ki-67 (MKI67), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), CDK4 and CDK6. HJURP expression was detected in BLUC cells and human normal primary bladder epithelial cells (BdECs). BLUC cells were treated with HJURP lentivirus activation /shRNA lentivirus particles or JNK inhibitor SP600125. HJURP was upregulated in BLUC tissues and correlated with poor prognosis of patients (all P < 0.05). HJURP in tumor positively correlated with MAPK8 (R = 0.30), MAPK9 (R = 0.30), STAT3 (R = 0.15), MKI67 (R = 0.60), PCNA (R = 0.46), CDK2 (R = 0.39), CDK4 (R = 0.24) and CDK6 (R = 0.21). The JNK inhibitor SP600125 decreased p-JNK/JNK and p-STAT3/STAT3 in BLUC cells, which was reversed by HJURP overexpression (P < 0.05). The HJURP-mediated JNK/STAT3 pathway promoted BLUC cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis (P < 0.05). HJURP reversed the arrested G0/G1 phase of BLUC cells by SP600125. HJURP acted as an oncogene to regulate BLUC cell proliferation, apoptosis and the cell cycle by mediating the JNK/STAT3 pathway. Therefore, HJURP targeting might be an attractive novel therapeutic target for early diagnosis and treatment in BLUC.

Corrigendum to "Novel Insights into the Predictors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome: Development of a Predicting Model".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/5497134.].

Toxic effects of triphenyltin on the silkworm Bombyx mori as a lepidopterous insect model.

Triphenyltin (TPT) is a widely used reagent in various industries and agriculture, but is also known to accumulate in natural ecosystems and animal tissues. Hence, the aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the toxicity of TPT in the silkworm Bombyx mori as a model insect. The results showed that TPT exposure for the entire 5th instar larval stage significantly reduced the weight of silkworm pupa and inhibited development of the silkworm midgut. Following exposure to 2 µg/kg of TPT for 4 days, differentially expressed genes in midgut were associated with enriched pathways involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids, as determined by RNA sequencing. Furthermore, the metabolic profiles of the intestinal content of silkworms exposed to 2 µg/kg of TPT for 4 days were markedly altered and differential metabolites produced by metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids were enriched as determined by non-targeted GC-MS/MS metabolomics. This study provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of TPT and emphasizes the risks posed by such pollutants released into the environment.

Ectopic expression of sericin enables efficient production of ancient silk with structural changes in silkworm.

Bombyx mori silk is a super-long natural protein fiber with a unique structure and excellent performance. Innovative silk structures with high performance are in great demand, thus resulting in an industrial bottleneck. Herein, the outer layer sericin SER3 is ectopically expressed in the posterior silk gland (PSG) in silkworms via a piggyBac-mediated transgenic approach, then secreted into the inner fibroin layer, thus generating a fiber with sericin microsomes dispersed in fibroin fibrils. The water-soluble SER3 protein secreted by PSG causes P25's detachment from the fibroin unit of the Fib-H/Fib-L/P25 polymer, and accumulation between the fibroin layer and the sericin layer. Consequently, the water solubility and stability of the fibroin-colloid in the silk glandular cavity, and the crystallinity increase, and the mechanical properties of cocoon fibers, moisture absorption and moisture liberation of the silk also improve. Meanwhile, the mutant overcomes the problems of low survival and abnormal silk gland development, thus enabling higher production efficiency of cocoon silk. In summary, we describe a silk gland transgenic target protein selection strategy to alter the silk fiber structure and to innovate its properties. This work provides an efficient and green method to produce silk fibers with new functions.

Circular RNA KIF4A Promotes Liver Metastasis of Breast Cancer by Reprogramming Glucose Metabolism.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) regulate complex functional processes and play crucial roles in cancer development and progression. It was reported that circKIF4 regulates the progression of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study evaluates the role of circKIF4 in breast cancer distant metastasis and metabolic reprogramming. Methods: RT-qPCR was performed to verify the expression of circKIF4A in breast cancer, liver metastatic tissues, and cell lines. The function of circKIF4A in metastasis was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo through a series of experiments, including cell migration and glucose intake experiments. Additionally, we conducted molecular experiments to clarify the regulatory role of circKIF4A. We then conducted a Luciferase reporter assay and an RNA immunoprecipitation assay to identify the molecular interactions between circKIF4A and miRNA. Results: circKIF4A was overexpressed in breast cancer cell lines and tissues, inhibiting its expression and suppressing breast cancer growth and metastasis. Interestingly, we observed that circKIF4A reprogrammed the glucose metabolism of breast cancer, and silencing circKIF4A greatly affected glucose uptake and lactate production in breast cancer cells. miR-335 can be sponged by circKIF4A, which affected the expression of ALDOA/OCT4 protein and regulated HK2/PKM2 expression. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the circKIF4A-miR-335-OCT4/ALDOA-HK2/PKM2 axis is critical to breast cancer metabolic reprogramming, indicating that this axis could be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of liver metastasis of breast cancer.