Spleen volume is associated with overt hepatic encephalopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in patients with portal hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Portal shunt and immune status related to the spleen are related to the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). It is unknown whether spleen volume before transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is related to postoperative HE. AIM: To investigate the relationship between spleen volume and the occurrence of HE. METHODS: This study included 135 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent TIPS, and liver and spleen volumes were elevated upon computed tomography imaging. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to compare the difference in the incidence rate of HE among patients with different spleen volumes. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the factors affecting overt HE (OHE). Restricted cubic spline was used to examine the shapes of the dose-response association between spleen volumes and OHE risk. RESULTS: The results showed that 37 (27.2%) of 135 patients experienced OHE during a 1-year follow-up period. Compared with preoperative spleen volume (901.30 ± 471.90 cm3), there was a significant decrease in spleen volume after TIPS (697.60 ± 281.0 cm3) in OHE patients. As the severity of OHE increased, the spleen volume significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with patients with a spleen volume ≥ 782.4 cm3, those with a spleen volume < 782.4 cm3 had a higher incidence of HE (P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that spleen volume was an independent risk factor for post-TIPS OHE (hazard ratio = 0.494, P < 0.05). Restricted cubic spline model showed that with an increasing spleen volume, OHE risk showed an initial increase and then decrease (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Spleen volume is related to the occurrence of OHE after TIPS. Preoperative spleen volume is an independent risk factor for post-TIPS OHE.

Electrochemical Detection of Ammonia in Water Using NiCu Carbonate Hydroxide-Modified Carbon Cloth Electrodes: A Simple Sensing Method.

Excessive ammonia nitrogen can potentially compromise the safety of drinking water. Therefore, developing a rapid and simple detection method for ammonia nitrogen in drinking water is of great importance. Nickel-copper hydroxides exhibit strong catalytic capabilities and are widely applied in ammonia nitrogen oxidation. In this study, a self-supported electrode made of nickel-copper carbonate hydroxide was synthesized on a carbon cloth collector via a straightforward one-step hydrothermal method for rapid ammonia nitrogen detection in water. It exhibits sensitivities of 3.9 µA µM-1 cm-2 and 3.13 µA µM-1 cm-2 within linear ranges of 1 µM to 100 µM and 100 µM to 400 µM, respectively, using a simple and rapid i-t method. The detection limit is as low as 0.62 µM, highlighting its excellent anti-interference properties against various anions and cations. The methodology's simplicity and effectiveness suggest broad applicability in water quality monitoring and environmental protection, particularly due to its significant cost-effectiveness.

Variants in NLRP2 and ZFP36L2, non-core components of the human subcortical maternal complex, cause female infertility with embryonic development arrest.

The subcortical maternal complex (SCMC), which is vital in oocyte maturation and embryogenesis, consists of core proteins (NLRP5, TLE6, OOEP), non-core proteins (PADI6, KHDC3L, NLRP2, NLRP7) and other unknown proteins that are encoded by maternal effect genes. Some variants of SCMC genes have been linked to female infertility characterized by embryonic development arrest. However, so far, the candidate non-core SCMC components associated with embryonic development need further exploration and the pathogenic variants that have been identified are still limited. In this study, we discovered two novel variants [p.(Ala131Val) and p.(Met326Val)] of NLRP2 in patients with primary infertility displaying embryonic development arrest from large families. In vitro studies using 293 T cells and mouse oocytes respectively showed that these variants significantly decreased protein expression and caused the phenotype of embryonic development arrest. Additionally, we combined the 'DevOmics' database with the whole exome sequence data of our cohort and screened out a new candidate non-core SCMC gene ZFP36L2. Its variants [p.(Ala241Pro) and p.(Pro291dup)] were found to be responsible for embryonic development arrest. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments in 293 T cells, used to demonstrate the interaction between proteins, verified that ZFP36L2 is one of the human SCMC components, and microinjection of ZFP36L2 cRNA variants into mouse oocytes affected embryonic development. Furthermore, the ZFP36L2 variants were associated with disrupted stability of its target mRNAs, which resulted in aberrant H3K4me3 and H3K9me3 levels. These disruptions decreased oocyte quality and further developmental potential. Overall, this is the first report of ZFP36L2 as a non-core component of the human SCMC and we found four novel pathogenic variants in the NLRP2 and ZFP36L2 genes in four of 161 patients that caused human embryonic development arrest. These findings contribute to the genetic diagnosis of female infertility and provide new insights into the physiological function of SCMC in female reproduction.

A four-step biosynthetic pathway involving C-3 oxidation-reduction reactions from cycloastragenol to astragaloside IV in Astragalus membranaceus.

Astragaloside IV is a significant chemical component derived from the medicinal plant Astragalus membranaceus. Despite the characterization of several glycosyltransferases from A. membranaceus, the complete biosynthetic pathway of astragaloside IV has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we propose a biosynthetic pathway for astragaloside IV that involves a sequence of oxidation-reduction reactions. The biosynthesis pathway from cycloastragenol to astragaloside IV encompasses four key steps: C-3 oxidation, 6-O-glucosylation, C-3 reduction, and 3-O-xylosylation. We identified a hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase AmHSD1 from A. membranaceus. AmHSD1 catalyzes the C-3 oxidation of cycloastragenol, yielding cycloastragenol-3-one, and the C-3 reduction of cycloastragenol-3-one-6-O-glucoside, resulting in cycloastragenol-6-O-glucoside. Additionally, the glycosyltransferases AmGT8 and AmGT1, previously reported by our groups, were identified as catalyzing the 6-O-glucosylation and 3-O-xylosylation steps, respectively. Astragaloside IV was successfully synthesized in transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana using the combination of AmHSD1, AmGT8 and AmGT1. These results support the proposed four-step biosynthetic pathway and suggest that AmHSD1 probably plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of astragaloside IV within A. membranaceus.

Multimorbidity patterns and the risk of falls among older adults: a community-based study in China.

BACKGROUND: Due to the high prevalence of multimorbidity and realistic health service demands for fall prevention, there is growing interest in the association between multimorbidity and falls. Our study aimed to identify multimorbidity patterns among Chinese older adults and explore the association between multimorbidity patterns and falls. METHODS: Data from 4,579 Chinese community-dwelling older adults was included in this analysis. Information regarding falls and 10 chronic conditions was collected. An exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine multimorbidity patterns. Regression models were fitted to explore the associations of individual chronic disease or multimorbidity patterns with falls. RESULTS: Among 4,579 participants, 368 (8.0%) were defined as fallers, including 92 (2.0%) frequent fallers, and multimorbidity affected 2,503 (54.7%) participants. Older adults with multimorbidity were more likely to be fallers [odds ratio (OR) = 1.3, P = 0.02] and frequent fallers (OR = 1.7, P = 0.04). Three multimorbidity patterns were identified (i.e., cardiovascular-metabolic diseases, psycho-cognitive diseases and organic diseases), and the associations between psycho-cognitive diseases/organic diseases and prevalent falls or frequent falls were found to be significant. CONCLUSIONS: The psycho-cognitive disease pattern and organic disease pattern are significantly associated with falls. Therefore, more attention should be paid to patients with psycho-cognitive diseases and timely, targeted diagnostic and treatment services should be provided in fall prevention.

Bibliometric study of the application of the chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane model in cancer research: the top 100 most cited articles.

The chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model has played a crucial role in various aspects of cancer research. The purpose of this study is to help researchers clarify the research direction and prospects of the CAM model. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on the top 100 most cited articles on use of the CAM model in tumour research, retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Tools such as Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, CiteSpace and Excel were utilized for the visualization network analysis. The 100 articles analysed were mainly from the USA, China and European countries such as Germany and France. Tumour research involving CAM model experiments demonstrated reliability and scientific rigor (average citation count = 156.2). The analysis of keywords, topics and subject areas revealed that the applications of this model ranged from the biological characteristics of tumours to molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways, to recent developments in nanotechnology and clinical applications. Additionally, nude mouse experiments have been more frequently performed in recent years. We conclude that the CAM model is efficient, simple and cost-effective, and has irreplaceable value in various aspects of cancer research. In the future, the CAM model can further contribute to nanotechnology research.

Different endometrial preparation protocols on first frozen-thawed embryo transfer outcomes after hysteroscopic polypectomy: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the optimal endometrial preparation protocol for frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) following hysteroscopic polypectomy. METHODS: This was a retrospective clinical cohort study involving 464 patients who underwent their first FET after polyp resection between January 2021 and July 2023. The cohorts were categorized into three groups: the natural cycle (NC) group (n = 139), the ovarian induction (OI) group (n = 117), and the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) group (n = 208). RESULTS: In the initial unadjusted analysis, both NC and OI cycles exhibited similar pregnancy rates but were associated with significantly higher implantation rate (56.5%, 57.1% vs 42.0%, P < 0.001), clinical pregnancy rate (73.4%, 74.4% vs 57.2%, P = 0.001), and ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR; 67.6%, 63.2% vs 51.0%, P = 0.005) compared to the HRT group. Additionally, the three groups demonstrated comparable abortion rate (7.8%, 14.9% vs 10.9%, P = 0.299). After adjusting for potential confounders in the multiple logistic regression model, the HRT protocol resulted in a 54% significantly lower OPR compared to the NC protocol (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.28-0.77; P = 0.003). Meanwhile, the OPR difference between the OI protocol and the NC protocol remained insignificant (OI vs NC: aOR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.35-1.12; P = 0.112). CONCLUSION: The ovulatory-FET scheme (NC and OI) following hysteroscopic polyp resection displayed promising clinical outcomes compared with HRT-FET scheme. The regimen without exogenous estrogen administration should be prioritized for endometrial preparation protocol after polypectomy.

Gut microbiota regulation of T lymphocyte subsets during systemic lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by disturbance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory lymphocytes. Growing evidence shown that gut microbiota participated in the occurrence and development of SLE by affecting the differentiation and function of intestinal immune cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of gut microbiota in SLE and judge its associations with peripheral T lymphocytes. METHODS: A total of 19 SLE patients and 16 HCs were enrolled in this study. Flow cytometry was used to detect the number of peripheral T lymphocyte subsets, and 16 s rRNA was used to detect the relative abundance of gut microbiota. Analyzed the correlation between gut microbiota with SLEDAI, ESR, ds-DNA and complement. SPSS26.0 software was used to analyze the experimental data. Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare T lymphocyte subsets. Spearman analysis was used for calculating correlation. RESULTS: Compared with HCs, the proportions of Tregs (P = 0.001), Tfh cells (P = 0.018) and Naïve CD4 + T cells (P = 0.004) significantly decreased in SLE patients, and proportions of Th17 cells (P = 0.020) and γδT cells (P = 0.018) increased in SLE. The diversity of SLE patients were significantly decreased. Addition, there were 11 species of flora were discovered to be distinctly different in SLE group (P < 0.05). In the correlation analysis of SLE, Tregs were positively correlated with Ruminococcus2 (P = 0.042), Th17 cells were positively correlated with Megamonas (P = 0.009), γδT cells were positively correlated with Megamonas (P = 0.003) and Streptococcus (P = 0.004), Tfh cells were positively correlated with Bacteroides (P = 0.040), and Th1 cells were negatively correlated with Bifidobacterium (P = 0.005). As for clinical indicators, the level of Tregs was negatively correlated with ESR (P = 0.031), but not with C3 and C4, and the remaining cells were not significantly correlated with ESR, C3 and C4. CONCLUSION: Gut microbiota and T lymphocyte subsets of SLE changed and related to each other, which may break the immune balance and affect the occurrence and development of SLE. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the changes of gut microbiota and provide new ideas for the treatment of SLE.

Antibiotics improve reproductive outcomes after frozen-thaw embryo transfer for chronic endometritis treatment, especially in those with repeated implantation failure.

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of antibiotic treatment for chronic endometritis (CE) on the pregnancy outcome of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles and the relevant clinical risk factors associated with CE. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on 1352 patients who underwent hysteroscopy and diagnostic curettage at Nanjing Maternal and Child Health Hospital from July 2020 to December 2021. All patients underwent CD138 immunohistochemical (IHC) testing to diagnose CE, and a subset of them underwent FET after hysteroscopy. Patient histories were collected, and reproductive prognosis was followed up. RESULTS: Out of 1088 patients, 443 (40.7%) were diagnosed with CE. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses revealed that parity ≥ 2, a history of ectopic pregnancy, moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea, hydrosalpinx, endometrial polyps, a history of ≥ 2 uterine operations, and RIF were significantly associated with an elevated risk of CE (P < 0.05). Analysis of the effect of CE on pregnancy outcomes in FET cycles after antibiotic treatment indicated that treated CE patients exhibited a significantly lower miscarriage rate (8.7%) and early miscarriage rate (2.9%) than untreated non-CE patients (20.2%, 16.8%). Moreover, the singleton live birth rate (45.5%) was significantly higher in treated CE patients than in untreated non-CE patients (32.7%). Survival analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in the first clinical pregnancy time between treated CE and untreated non-CE patients after hysteroscopy (P = 0.0019). Stratified analysis based on the presence of recurrent implantation failure (RIF) demonstrated that in the RIF group, treated CE patients were more likely to achieve clinical pregnancy than untreated non-CE patients (P = 0.0021). Among hysteroscopy-positive patients, no significant difference was noted in pregnancy outcomes between the treatment and control groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Infertile patients with a history of parity ≥ 2, hydrosalpinx, a history of ectopic pregnancy, moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea, endometrial polyps, a history of ≥ 2 uterine operations, and RIF are at an increased risk of CE; these patients should be recommended to undergo hysteroscopy combined with CD138 examination before embryo transfer. Antibiotic treatment can improve the reproductive outcomes of FET in patients with CE, especially those with RIF.

Pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in pregnancies following frozen embryo transfer (FET) after transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA): A retrospective cohort study with propensity score matching analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the pregnancy and perinatal outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) in patients following transcervical resection of adhesions (TCRA) versus patients with normal uterine morphology, and to investigate the factors influencing pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing FET after TCRA. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed FET cycles from September 2014 to September 2023, comparing patients with normal uterine morphology to those with intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) treated with TCRA. Propensity score matching (PSM) adjusted for confounding factors. LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of outcomes, which were visually represented in nomograms. Model performance was assessed using calibration curves, ROC curves, and DCA, with bootstrap method for internal validation. RESULTS: Post-PSM analysis showed higher live birth rates in patients with normal uterine morphology after clinical pregnancy (75.1% vs. 61.7%, P < 0.001). No significant differences were noted in clinical pregnancy rates and perinatal outcomes between the groups. Factors influencing clinical pregnancy in FET after TCRA included basal progesterone levels, endometrial thickness, parity, infertility cause, embryo stage at transfer, number and quality of embryos transferred, IUA severity, and TCRA surgical procedures. Body mass index, basal LH levels, and day 14 HCG levels post-embryo transfer were determinants of live birth outcome. CONCLUSION: FET cycles following TCRA showed a lower rate of successful live births, but TCRA did not increase adverse perinatal outcome risks. Our study introduces an innovative predictive model for clinical pregnancy and live birth outcomes in patients undergoing FET following TCRA, addressing a significant void in existing research.

Significance and Possible Biological Mechanism for CLDN8 Downregulation in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Tissues.

Background: The clinical role of claudin 8 (CLDN8) in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains unclarified. Herein, the expression level and potential molecular mechanisms of CLDN8 underlying KIRC were determined. Methods: High-throughput datasets of KIRC were collected from GEO, ArrayExpress, SRA, and TCGA databases to determine the mRNA expression level of the CLDN8. In-house tissue microarrays and immunochemistry were performed to examine CLDN8 protein expression. A summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) and standardized mean difference (SMD) forest plot were generated using Stata v16.0. Single-cell analysis was conducted to further prove the expression level of CLDN8. A clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats knockout screen analysis was executed to assess the growth impact of CLDN8. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted using the Metascape database. Additionally, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was implied to explore immune cell infiltration in KIRC. Results: A total of 17 mRNA datasets comprising 1,060 KIRC samples and 452 non-cancerous control samples were included in this study. Additionally, 105 KIRC and 16 non-KIRC tissues were analyzed using in-house immunohistochemistry. The combined SMD was -5.25 (95% confidence interval (CI): -6.13 to -4.37), and CLDN8 downregulation yielded an SROC area under the curve (AUC) close to 1.00 (95% CI: 0.99 - 1.00). CLDN8 downregulation was also confirmed at the single-cell level. Knocking out CLDN8 stimulated KIRC cell proliferation. Lower CLDN8 expression was correlated with worse overall survival of KIRC patients (hazard ratio of CLDN8 downregulation = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.2 - 2.4). Functional pathways associated with CLDN8 co-expressed genes were centered on carbon metabolism obstruction, with key hub genes ACADM, ACO2, NDUFS1, PDHB, SDHD, SUCLA2, SUCLG1, and SUCLG2. Conclusions: CLDN8 is downregulated in KIRC and is considered a potential tumor suppressor. CLDN8 deficiency may promote the initiation and progression of KIRC, potentially in conjunction with metabolic dysfunction.

Salvage surgery and conversion surgery for patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A narrative review.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. With the development of screening, patient selection and treatment strategies, patients' survival outcomes and living quality significantly improved. However, some patients still have local recurrence or residual tumors after receiving definitive therapies. Salvage surgery has been regarded as an effective option for recurrent or residual NSCLC, but its effectiveness remains undetermined. Furthermore, conversion surgery is a special type of salvage surgery for tumors converted from "initially unresectable" to "potentially resectable" status due to a favorable response to systemic treatments. Although conversion surgery is a promising curative procedure for advanced NSCLC, its concept and clinical value remain unfamiliar to clinicians. In this narrative review, we provided an overview of the safety and efficacy of salvage surgery, especially salvage surgery after sublobar resection in early-stage NSCLC. More importantly, we highlighted the concept and value of conversion surgery after systemic treatment in advanced NSCLC to gain some insights into its role in the treatment of lung cancer.

In Situ Preparation of Metallic Copper Nanosheets/Carbon Paper Sensitive Electrodes for Low-Potential Electrochemical Detection of Nitrite.

In the realm of electrochemical nitrite detection, the potent oxidizing nature of nitrite typically necessitates operation at high detection potentials. However, this study introduces a novel approach to address this challenge by developing a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor with a low reduction detection potential. Specifically, a copper metal nanosheet/carbon paper sensitive electrode (Cu/CP) was fabricated using a one-step electrodeposition method, leveraging the catalytic reduction properties of copper's high occupancy d-orbital. The Cu/CP sensor exhibited remarkable performance in nitrite detection, featuring a low detection potential of -0.05 V vs. Hg/HgO, a wide linear range of 10~1000 µM, an impressive detection limit of 0.079 µM (S/N = 3), and a high sensitivity of 2140 µA mM-1cm-2. These findings underscore the efficacy of electrochemical nitrite detection through catalytic reduction as a means to reduce the operational voltage of the sensor. By showcasing the successful implementation of this strategy, this work sets a valuable precedent for the advancement of electrochemical low-potential nitrite detection methodologies.

Ultra-low power carbon nanotube/porphyrin synaptic arrays for persistent photoconductivity and neuromorphic computing.

Developing devices with a wide-temperature range persistent photoconductivity (PPC) and ultra-low power consumption remains a significant challenge for optical synaptic devices used in neuromorphic computing. By harnessing the PPC properties in materials, it can achieve optical storage and neuromorphic computing, surpassing the von Neuman architecture-based systems. However, previous research implemented PPC required additional gate voltages and low temperatures, which need additional energy consumption and PPC cannot be achieved across a wide temperature range. Here, we fabricated a simple heterojunctions using zinc(II)-meso-tetraphenyl porphyrin (ZnTPP) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). By leveraging the strong binding energy at the heterojunction interface and the unique band structure, the heterojunction achieved PPC over an exceptionally wide temperature range (77 K-400 K). Remarkably, it demonstrated nonvolatile storage for up to 2×104 s, without additional gate voltage. The minimum energy consumption for each synaptic event is as low as 6.5 aJ. Furthermore, we successfully demonstrate the feasibility to manufacture a flexible wafer-scale array utilizing this heterojunction. We applied it to autonomous driving under extreme temperatures and achieved as a high impressive accuracy rate as 94.5%. This tunable and stable wide-temperature PPC capability holds promise for ultra-low-power neuromorphic computing.

Ag-Catalyzed Selective C-C Bond Activation of Cyclopropenones to Access α-Alkylidene Lactones.

A novel Ag-catalyzed ring opening of unsymmetric cyclopropenones for the stereoselective synthesis of a diverse range of α-alkylidene lactones has been developed. In this protocol, two different C-C(O) bonds were distinguished, demonstrating selective C-C bond activation. This reaction features a wide substrate scope, good functional group compatibility, and high atom economy, providing a versatile and general approach to the construction of α-alkylidene lactones.

Ultrasensitive Wearable Pressure Sensors with Stress-Concentrated Tip-Array Design for Long-Term Bimodal Identification.

The great challenges for existing wearable pressure sensors are the degradation of sensing performance and weak interfacial adhesion owing to the low mechanical transfer efficiency and interfacial differences at the skin-sensor interface. Here, an ultrasensitive wearable pressure sensor is reported by introducing a stress-concentrated tip-array design and self-adhesive interface for improving the detection limit. A bipyramidal microstructure with various Young's moduli is designed to improve mechanical transfer efficiency from 72.6% to 98.4%. By increasing the difference in modulus, it also mechanically amplifies the sensitivity to 8.5 V kPa-1 with a detection limit of 0.14 Pa. The self-adhesive hydrogel is developed to strengthen the sensor-skin interface, which allows stable signals for long-term and real-time monitoring. It enables generating high signal-to-noise ratios and multifeatures when wirelessly monitoring weak pulse signals and eye muscle movements. Finally, combined with a deep learning bimodal fused network, the accuracy of fatigued driving identification is significantly increased to 95.6%.

The Role of Serine Protease 8 in Mediating Gefitinib Resistance in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation aims to explore the expression levels of serine protease 8 (PRSS8) in gefitinib-resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (PC9/GR) and elucidate its mechanism of action. METHODOLOGY: We measured PRSS8 expression in gefitinib-resistant (PC9/GR) and sensitive (PC9) NSCLC cell lines using Western blot analysis. PRSS8-specific small interfering RNA (PRSS8-siRNA), a recombinant plasmid, and a corresponding blank control were transfected into PC9/GR cells. Subsequently, Western blot analyses were conducted to assess the expression levels of PRSS8, phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), AKT, phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), mTOR, and various apoptosis-related proteins within each group. Additionally, a cell proliferation assay utilizing Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) was performed on each group treated with gefitinib. RESULT: PRSS8 expression was markedly higher in PC9/GR cells compared to PC9 cells (p < 0.05). The group treated with PRSS8-siRNA exhibited significantly reduced protein expression levels of PRSS8, p-AKT, p-mTOR, ß-catenin, and BCL-2 compared to the control siRNA (Con-siRNA) group, whereas expressions of Caspase9 and Bax were significantly increased. In the untransfected PC9/GR cells, protein expressions of PRSS8, p-AKT, pmTOR, and BCL-2 were significantly elevated when compared with the plasmid-transfected group, which also showed a significant reduction in Bax expression. The proliferative activity of the PRSS8-siRNA group postgefitinib treatment was significantly diminished at 24, 48, and 72 hours in comparison to the Con-siRNA group. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that PRSS8 contributes to the acquisition of resistance to gefitinib in NSCLC, potentially through regulation of the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

The dynamics of N6-methyladenine RNA modification in resistant and susceptible rice varieties responding to rice stem borer damage.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent modification in cellular RNA which orchestrates diverse physiological and pathological processes during stress response. However, the differential m6A modifications that cope with herbivore stress in resistant and susceptible crop varieties remain unclear. Here, we found that rice stem borer (RSB) larvae grew better on indica rice (e.g., MH63, IR64, Nanjing 11) than on japonica rice varieties (e.g., Nipponbare, Zhonghua 11, Xiushui 11). Then, transcriptome-wide m6A profiling of representative resistant (Nipponbare) and susceptible (MH63) rice varieties were performed using a nanopore direct RNA sequencing approach, to reveal variety-specific m6A modifications against RSB. Upon RSB infestation, m6A methylation occurred in actively expressed genes in Nipponbare and MH63, but the number of methylation sites decreased across rice chromosomes. Integrative analysis showed that m6A methylation levels were closely associated with transcriptional regulation. Genes involved in herbivorous resistance related to mitogen-activated protein kinase, jasmonic acid (JA), and terpenoid biosynthesis pathways, as well as JA-mediated trypsin protease inhibitors, were heavily methylated by m6A, and their expression was more pronounced in RSB-infested Nipponbare than in RSB-infested MH63, which may have contributed to RSB resistance in Nipponbare. Therefore, dynamics of m6A modifications act as the main regulatory strategy for expression of genes involved in plant-insect interactions, which is attributed to differential responses of resistant and susceptible rice varieties to RSB infestation. These findings could contribute to developing molecular breeding strategies for controlling herbivorous pests.

A high-permeability method for extracting purple yam saponins based on ultrasonic-assisted natural deep eutectic solvent.

The extraction of active ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine has received considerable attentions. In this study, 16 kinds of natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) with ultrasonic were selected to extract saponins from purple yam root and the extraction mechanism was investigated. The results showed that chloride/acrylic acid (1:2; n/n) had the highest extraction yield for saponins. The optimal extraction process parameters were 24% water content, 20 mL/g liquid-solid ratio, and ultrasonic extraction for 85 min (81 °C, 600 W). The extraction rate (ER) of purple yam saponins was 0.935%, close to the fitted result of 96.5 mg/g. Molecular dynamics simulations and FT-IR results showed that the NADES may extract the saponin constituents from purple yam through hydrogen bonding. Compared with traditional extraction methods and molecularly imprinted polymer methods, NADES has a higher ER and lower cost (1.53 $/g), which provides a reference for subsequent industrial quantitative production.

Carboxymethyl chitosan modification of cobalt-zinc bimetallic MOF for tetracycline hydrochloride removal: Exploration of the enhancement mechanism of the process.

This study synthesized a carboxymethyl chitosan-modified bimetallic Co/Zn-ZIF (CZ@CMC) with strong hydrophilicity and adsorption performance via the one-pot method. Tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) was used as the model contaminant to evaluate the adsorption and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation properties of CZ@CMC. Mechanism showed that the adsorption behavior occurred through pore filling, electrostatic attraction, surface complexation, hydrogen bonding, and π-π stacking. In addition, a CZ@CMC/PMS system was constructed, which had excellent catalytic performance. The hydrophilicity and selective adsorption properties of CMC conferred a greatly accelerated CZ@CMC in catalyzing the PMS process with kobs of 0.095 min-1, in which OH, 1O2, SO4-, O2-, and Co(III) were the main ROS which quenching tests, EPR, and chemical probe experiments verified. In addition, the degradation pathways of TCH were obtained utilizing DFT and HPLC-MS and analyzed to show that the system possessed a good detoxification capacity. This work is expected to provide a green, efficient, and stable strategy to enhance the adsorption properties of catalytic materials and subsequently their co-catalytic properties.