Simultaneous Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution and Degradation of Dye Wastewater without Cocatalysts and Sacrificial Agents Based on g-C3N5 and Hybridized Ni-MOF Derivative-CdS-DETA.

Inspired by energy conversion and waste reuse, hybridized Ni-MOF derivative-CdS-DETA/g-C3N5, a type-II heterojunction photocatalyst, is synthesized by a hydrothermal method for simultaneous and highly efficient photocatalytic degradation and hydrogen evolution in dye wastewater. Without the addition of cocatalysts and sacrificial agents, the optimal MOF-CD(2)/CN5 (i.e. Ni-MOF derivative-CdS-DETA (20 wt.%)/g-C3N5) exhibit good bifunctional catalytic activity, with a H2 evolution rate of 2974.4 µmol g-1 h-1 during the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), and a removal rate of 99.97% for RhB. In the process of H2-evolution-only, triethanolamine is used as a sacrificial agent, exhibiting a high H2 evolution rate (19663.1 µmol g-1 h-1) in the absence of a cocatalyst, and outperforming most similar related materials (such as MOF/g-C3N5, MOF-CdS, CdS/g-C3N5). With the help of type-II heterojunction, holes are scavenged for the oxidative degradation of RhB, and electrons are used in the decomposition of water for H2 evolution during illumination. This work opens a new path for photocatalysts with dual functions of simultaneous efficient degradation and hydrogen evolution.

Liver injury in paraquat poisoning: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Liver injury is one of the common complications of paraquat (PQ) poisoning, but whether the degree of liver injury is related to patient prognosis is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate whether liver injury was a risk factor for death in PQ-poisoned patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of PQ-poisoned patients from the past 10 years (2011-2020) from a large tertiary academic medical centre in China. PQ-poisoned patients were divided into a normal liver function group (n = 580) and a liver injury group (n = 60). Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was then performed. RESULTS: A total of 640 patients with PQ poisoning were included in this study. To reduce the impact of bias, dose of PQ, urinary PQ concentration and time from poisoning to hospital admission were matched between the two groups. A 3:1 PSM analysis was performed, ultimately including 240 patients. Compared with the normal liver function group, patients in the liver injury group were older, had a higher R value ([ALT/ULN]/[ALP/ULN]) (p < .001) and had a higher mortality rate. Cox regression analysis showed that there was no significant association between alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin levels and hazard of death, but age, PQ dose, creatine kinase isoenzyme, creatine kinase, white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage and lymphocyte percentage were associated with mortality in patients with PQ poisoning. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of liver injury within 48 h after PQ poisoning was a risk factor for mortality, and such liver injury was likely of a hepatocellular nature. Age, PQ dose, creatine kinase isoenzyme and white blood cell count were positively correlated with mortality, while creatine kinase, percentage of neutrophils and lymphocytes were inversely correlated.

Molybdate-Templated Luminescent Silver Alkynyl Nanoclusters: Total Structure Determination and Optical Property Analysis.

Two novel MoO42--templated luminescent silver alkynyl nanoclusters with 20-nuclearity ([(MoO42-)@Ag20(C≡CtBu)8(Ph2PO2)7(tfa)2]·(tfa-) (1)) and 18-nuclearity ([(MoO42-)@Ag18(C≡CtBu)8(Ph2PO2)7]·(OH) (2)) (tfa = trifluoroacetate) were synthesized with the green light maximum emissions at 507 and 516 nm, respectively. The nanoclusters were investigated and characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, electrospray ionization mass spectrum (ESI-MS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetry (TG), photoluminescence (PL), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations (DFT). The two nanoclusters differ in their structure by a supplementary [Ag2(tfa)2] organometallic surface motif, which significantly participates in the frontier molecular orbitals of 1, resulting in similar bonding patterns but different optical properties between the two clusters. Indeed, both nanoclusters show strong temperature-dependent photoluminescence properties, which make them potential candidates in the fields of optical devices for further applications.

Epidemiological and etiological characteristics of 1266 patients with severe acute respiratory infection in central China, 2018-2020: a retrospective survey.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), a significant global health concern, imposes a substantial disease burden. In China, there is inadequate data concerning the monitoring of respiratory pathogens, particularly bacteria, among patients with SARI. Therefore, this study aims to delineate the demographic, epidemiological, and aetiological characteristics of hospitalised SARI patients in Central China between 2018 and 2020. METHODS: Eligible patients with SARI admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Within the first 24 h of admission, respiratory (including sputum, nasal/throat swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, thoracocentesis fluid, etc.), urine, and peripheral blood specimens were collected for viral and bacterial testing. A multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic approach was used to identify human influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, human bocavirus, human coronavirus, human metapneumovirus, and rhinovirus. Bacterial cultures of respiratory specimens were performed with a particular focus on pathogenic microorganisms, including S. pneumoniae, S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, Strep A, H. influenzae, A. baumannii, and E. coli. In cases where bacterial culture results were negative, nucleic acid extraction was performed for PCR to assay for the above-mentioned eight bacteria, as well as L. pneumophila and M. pneumoniae. Additionally, urine specimens were exclusively used to detect Legionella antigens. Furthermore, epidemiological, demographic, and clinical data were obtained from electronic medical records. RESULTS: The study encompassed 1266 patients, with a mean age of 54 years, among whom 61.6% (780/1266) were males, 61.4% (778/1266) were farmers, and 88.8% (1124/1266) sought medical treatment in 2020. Moreover, 80.3% (1017/1266) were housed in general wards. The most common respiratory symptoms included fever (86.8%, 1122/1266) and cough (77.8%, 986/1266). Chest imaging anomalies were detected in 62.6% (792/1266) of cases, and 58.1% (736/1266) exhibited at least one respiratory pathogen, with 28.5% (361/1266) having multiple infections. Additionally, 95.7% (1212/1266) of the patients were from Henan Province, with the highest proportion (38.3%, 486/1266) falling in the 61-80 years age bracket, predominantly (79.8%, 1010/1266) seeking medical aid in summer and autumn. Bacterial detection rate (39.0%, 495/1266) was higher than viral detection rate (36.9%, 468/1266), with the primary pathogens being influenza virus (13.8%, 175/1266), K. pneumoniae (10.0%, 127/1266), S. pneumoniae (10.0%, 127/1266), adenovirus (8.2%, 105/1266), P. aeruginosa (8.2%, 105/1266), M. pneumoniae (7.8%, 100/1266), and respiratory syncytial virus (7.7%, 98/1266). During spring and winter, there was a significant prevalence of influenza virus and human coronavirus, contrasting with the dominance of parainfluenza viruses in summer and autumn. Respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus exhibited higher prevalence across spring, summer, and winter. P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and M. pneumoniae were identified at similar rates throughout all seasons without distinct spikes in prevalence. However, S. pneumoniae showed a distinctive pattern with a prevalence that doubled during summer and winter. Moreover, the positive detection rates of various other viruses and bacteria were lower, displaying a comparatively erratic prevalence trend. Among patients admitted to the intensive care unit, the predominant nosocomial bacteria were K. pneumoniae (17.2%, 43/249), A. baumannii (13.6%, 34/249), and P. aeruginosa (12.4%, 31/249). Conversely, in patients from general wards, predominant pathogens included influenza virus (14.8%, 151/1017), S. pneumoniae (10.4%, 106/1017), and adenovirus (9.3%, 95/1017). Additionally, paediatric patients exhibited significantly higher positive detection rates for influenza virus (23.9%, 11/46) and M. pneumoniae (32.6%, 15/46) compared to adults and the elderly. Furthermore, adenovirus (10.0%, 67/669) and rhinovirus (6.4%, 43/669) were the primary pathogens in adults, while K. pneumoniae (11.8%, 65/551) and A. baumannii (7.1%, 39/551) prevailed among the elderly, indicating significant differences among the three age groups. DISCUSSION: In Central China, among patients with SARI, the prevailing viruses included influenza virus, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus. Among bacteria, K. pneumoniae, S. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and M. pneumoniae were frequently identified, with multiple infections being very common. Additionally, there were substantial variations in the pathogen spectrum compositions concerning wards and age groups among patients. Consequently, this study holds promise in offering insights to the government for developing strategies aimed at preventing and managing respiratory infectious diseases effectively.

Construction of Ni3S4@ZIS@C3N5 photocatalyst with type II and Z-type heterojunctions by self-assembly for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

A novel ternary photocatalyst Ni3S4@ZIS@C3N5 with type II and Z-type heterojunctions was synthesized for the first time by hydrothermal and electrostatic self-assembly methods, effectively avoiding the thermal decomposition of C3N5 during the synthesis of the complex. The best ternary catalyst Ni3S4@ZIS@C3N5 is capable of achieving an optimal hydrogen evolution rate of 9750 mmol g-1 h-1, which is approximately 10.89 times as high as that of C3N5, indicating that the complex effectively enhanced the photocatalytic properties of the monomer. The coexistence of two types of heterojunctions in the complex effectively enhances photocatalytic performance, in which the monomer ZIS constructs type II scheme with Ni3S4 and Z-type scheme with C3N5, respectively. The two heterojunctions complement each other and jointly promote the rapid electron transfer from Ni3S4 and C3N5 to the ZIS surface. In conclusion, the cooperation of the two heterojunctions efficiently facilitates the migration of photogenerated carriers, thus enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogen generation performance of Ni3S4@ZIS@C3N5.

Identification and characterization of an α-1,3 mannosidase from Elizabethkingia meningoseptica and its potential attenuation impact on allergy associated with cross-reactive carbohydrate determinant.

Core α-1,3 mannose is structurally near the core xylose and core fucose on core pentasaccharide from plant and insect glycoproteins. Mannosidase is a useful tool for characterization the role of core α-1,3 mannose in the composition of glycan related epitope, especially for those epitopes in which core xylose and core fucose are involved. Through functional genomic analysis, we identified a glycoprotein α-1,3 mannosidase and named it MA3. We used MA3 to treat allergen horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) separately. The results showed that after MA3 removed α-1,3 mannose on HRP, the reactivity of HRP with anti-core xylose polyclonal antibody almost disappeared. And the reactivity of MA3-treated PLA2 with anti-core fucose polyclonal antibody decreased partially. In addition, when PLA2 was conducted enzyme digestion by MA3, the reactivity between PLA2 and allergic patients' sera diminished. These results demonstrated that α-1,3 mannose was an critical component of glycan related epitope.

Template-Free Synthesis of Two New Luminescent One-Dimensional High-Nuclearity Silver Polyclusters.

The metallophilic properties, spherical configuration, and flexible coordination of silver ions make them prone to create various coordination modes and structural features. Therefore, with the increase of the complexities of self-assembly, the effect of various synthetic conditions in the final structure of silver compounds becomes diverse and attractive. In this study, two new silver polyclusters, 16- and 21-nuclearity, protected by multiple ligands including alkynyl, trifluoroacetate, and diphenylphosphinate, were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The optical properties and thermal stability of the polyclusters were studied by solid-state ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption and solid UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra and gravimetric analysis, respectively. The formation of the two polyclusters can be fine-controlled by simply adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of diphenylphosphinate ligands to silver precursors under the same synthetic condition, leading to the different coordination modes between ligands and Ag centers. This work shows a facile and template-free method to synthesize and control the silver polycluster assembly, encouraging further development of new polyclusters with the potential for various applications.

The Efficacy and Safety of Patiromer for Heart Failure Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of patiromer, a novel potassium binder, in reducing the risk of hyperkalemia in patients with heart failure and optimizing their RAASi therapy. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analyses. METHOD: The authors conducted a systematic search in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy and safety of patiromer in heart failure patients from inception to 31 January 2023 and updated on 25 March 2023. The primary outcome was the association between the reduction of hyperkalemia and patiromer compared with placebo, and the secondary outcome was the association between optimization of RAASi therapy and patiromer. RESULTS: A total of four randomized controlled trials (n = 1163) were included in the study. Patiromer was able to reduce the risk of hyperkalemia in heart failure patients by 44% (RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.87; I2 = 61.9%), improve tolerance to target doses of MRA in patients with heart failure (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.30; I2 = 49.4%), and decrease the proportion of all-cause discontinuation of RAASi (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.98; I2 = 48.4%). However, patiromer therapy was associated with an increased risk of hypokalemia (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.12; I2 = 0%), while no other statistically significant adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION: Patiromer appears to have a considerable effect on reducing the incidence of hyperkalemia in heart failure patients and on optimizing the therapy of RAASi in those patients.

Association between serum 25(OH)D and risk of all-cause mortality in adults with prior cardiovascular disease: a cohort study from NHANES 2007-2018.

BACKGROUND: Serum vitamin D deficiency is common in the patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the association between serum vitamin D levels and risk of all-cause mortality in patients with CVD is controversial. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand better the association between serum 25(OH)D status and risk of all-cause mortality in patients with prior CVD. METHOD: We conducted a cohort study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2018 to investigate the association between serum 25(OH)D and the risk of all-cause mortality using multivariate Cox regression models, with further subgroup analyses and interactions smooth curve fitting to address possible nonlinearities. RESULT: A total of 3220 participants with prior CVD were included in this study, with a total of 930 deaths over a median follow-up of 5.52 years, with multivariable-adjusted serum vitamin D levels after natural log transformation (4.31-4.5 ) as a reference in COX regression, and corrected HRs and 95% CIs of 1.81 (1.31, 2.50), 1.34 (1.07, 1.66), 1.28 (1.05, 1.56),1.00 (reference), 1.10 (0.89, 1.37) for all-cause mortality, respectively. Results remained robust in the stratified analysis of interactions, but a L-shaped relationship was detected. We identified an inflection point of 4.5 after multivariate adjustment through a two-stage linear regression model and recursive algorithm. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that increasing serum 25(OH)D levels may have a L-shaped relationship with risk of all-cause mortality and that increases in serum 25(OH)D levels do not continue to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

Inhibition of ALG3 stimulates cancer cell immunogenic ferroptosis to potentiate immunotherapy.

Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has drastically improved the prognosis of certain advanced-stage cancers. However, low response rates and immune-related adverse events remain important limitations. Here, we report that inhibiting ALG3, an a-1,3-mannosyltransferase involved in protein glycosylation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), can boost the response of tumors to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Deleting N-linked glycosylation gene ALG3 in mouse cancer cells substantially attenuates their growth in mice in a manner depending on cytotoxic T cells. Furthermore, ALG3 inhibition or N-linked glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin treatment synergizes with anti-PD1 therapy in suppressing tumor growth in mouse models of cancer. Mechanistically, we found that inhibiting ALG3 induced deficiencies of post-translational N-linked glycosylation modification and led to excessive lipid accumulation through sterol-regulated element-binding protein (SREBP1)-dependent lipogenesis in cancer cells. N-linked glycosylation deficiency-mediated lipid hyperperoxidation induced immunogenic ferroptosis of cancer cells and promoted a pro-inflammatory microenvironment, which boosted anti-tumor immune responses. In human subjects with cancer, elevated levels of ALG3 expression in tumor tissues are associated with poor patient survival. Taken together, we reveal an unappreciated role of ALG3 in regulating tumor immunogenicity and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for enhancing cancer immunotherapy.

2-Methoxyestradiol ameliorates paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway.

Paraquat (PQ) is a highly effective and highly toxic herbicide that is highly toxic to both humans and animals. Pulmonary fibrosis is the primary cause of fatality in patients with PQ poisoning, there is no effective drug treatment yet. 2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME) is a natural metabolite of estradiol with anti-tumor, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-proliferative effects. Whether 2ME has the potential to inhibit pulmonary fibrosis induced by PQ is unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential effects and mechanism of 2ME on PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis. C57BL/6 mice and A549 cells were exposed to PQ to establish pulmonary fibrosis model. In vivo, Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was utilized to assess the pathological characteristics. Masson's trichrome staining was employed to evaluate the collagen deposition. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were conducted to determine the expressions of fibrosis markers. In vitro, the expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were detected using western blot and immunofluorescence to evaluated the potential inhibition of PQ-induced EMT by 2ME. And proteins associated with the TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway were measured by western blot in vivo and in vitro. The result found that 2ME can ameliorated PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis and inhibit the activation of TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that 2ME may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for treating PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

[Vitamins and Immune System Health].

Keeping the immune system healthy forms an effective way to fight infections. Past experience has shown that, in addition to effective interventions including vaccination, drug therapy, and non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI), dietary nutrition and mental health are also key factors in maintaining immune system health and combating emerging and sudden outbreaks of infections. As the main dietary nutrients, vitamins are active regulators of the immune response and exert a critical impact on the immunity of the human body. Vitamin deficiency causes increased levels of inflammation and decreased immunity, which usually starts in the oral tissues. Appropriate vitamin supplementation can help the body optimize immune function, enhance oral immunity, and reduce the negative impact of pathogen infection on the human body, which makes it a feasible, effective, and universally applicable anti-infection solution. This review focuses on the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin A, B, C, D, and E and proposes that an omics-based new systemic approach will lead to a breakthrough of the limitations in traditional single-factor single-pathway research and provide the direction for the basic and applied research of vitamin immune regulation and anti-infection in all aspects.

Synthesis of Two Neutral Silver Alkynyl Nanoclusters by a Single Divalent Tetrahedral Anion Template and a Study of Their Optical Features.

The synthesis of nanoclusters from simple structural units is usually a challenging process because of the complexity and unpredictability of the self-assembly process of these types of compounds. Herein, two new neutral 19-nuclearity silver nanoclusters based on alkynyl ligands with the formulas [(CrO4)@Ag19(C≡CtBu)8(Ph2PO2)6(tfa)3(CH3OH)2] (1) and [(SO4)@Ag19(C≡CtBu)8(Ph2PO2)6(tfa)3(CH3OH)2] (2), in which tfa = trifluoroacetate, were synthesized, and their structures were investigated by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, elemental analyses, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The surface ligands of Ph2PO2H and trifluoroacetate were assembled through hydrogen bonding, metal-aromatic interactions, and coordination bonding around 19 silver atoms as the metal skeletons of the nanoclusters. Sulfate and chromate anions, as a template within the metal skeleton of clusters through bonding with silver atoms, stabilized the structure. In addition, the UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, luminescence properties, and thermal stability of the nanoclusters were investigated.

Concurrent binding to DNA and RNA facilitates the pluripotency reprogramming activity of Sox2.

Some transcription factors that specifically bind double-stranded DNA appear to also function as RNA-binding proteins. Here, we demonstrate that the transcription factor Sox2 is able to directly bind RNA in vitro as well as in mouse and human cells. Sox2 targets RNA via a 60-amino-acid RNA binding motif (RBM) positioned C-terminally of the DNA binding high mobility group (HMG) box. Sox2 can associate with RNA and DNA simultaneously to form ternary RNA/Sox2/DNA complexes. Deletion of the RBM does not affect selection of target genes but mitigates binding to pluripotency related transcripts, switches exon usage and impairs the reprogramming of somatic cells to a pluripotent state. Our findings designate Sox2 as a multi-functional factor that associates with RNA whilst binding to cognate DNA sequences, suggesting that it may co-transcriptionally regulate RNA metabolism during somatic cell reprogramming.

The rice LRR-like1 protein YELLOW AND PREMATURE DWARF 1 is involved in leaf senescence induced by high light.

Senescence in plants is induced by endogenous physiological changes and exogenous stresses. In this study, we isolated two alleles of a novel rice (Oryza sativa) mutant, yellow and premature dwarf 1 (ypd1). The ypd1 mutants exhibited a yellow and dwarf phenotype from germination, and premature senescence starting at tillering. Moreover, the ypd1 mutants were sensitive to high light, which accelerated cell death and senescence. Consistent with their yellow phenotype, the ypd1 mutants had abnormal chloroplasts and lower levels of photosynthetic pigments. TUNEL assays together with histochemical staining demonstrated that ypd1 mutants showed cell death and that they accumulated reactive oxygen species. The ypd1 mutants also showed increased expression of genes associated with senescence. Map-based cloning revealed a G→A substitution in exon 6 (ypd1-1) and exon 13 (ypd1-2) of LOC_Os06g13050 that affected splicing and caused premature termination of the encoded protein. YPD1 was found to be preferentially expressed in the leaf and it encodes a LRR-like1 protein. Complementation, overexpression, and targeted deletion confirmed that the mutations in YPD1 caused the ypd1 phenotype. YPD1 was localized on the chloroplast membrane. Our results thus demonstrate that the novel rice LRR-like1 protein YPD1 affects chloroplast development and leaf senescence.

Paraquat promotes acute lung injury in rats by regulating alveolar macrophage polarization through glycolysis.

The present study investigates whether paraquat (PQ) regulates polarization of alveolar macrophages through glycolysis and promotes the occurrence of acute lung injury in rats. In vivo, the PQ intraperitoneal injection was used to construct a model of acute lung injury in rats. In vitro, the study measured the effect of different concentrations of PQ on the viability of the alveolar macrophages, and explored the polarization and glycolysis metabolism of alveolar macrophages at different time points after PQ intervention. Compared with the normal control (NC) group, the lung pathological damage in rats increased gradually after PQ poisoning, reaching a significant degree at 48 h after poisoning. The PQ-poisoned rat serum showed increased expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α), and M1 macrophage marker, iNOS, while the expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and M2 macrophage marker, Arg1, decreased. The toxic effect of PQ on alveolar macrophages was dose- and time-dependent. Compared with the NC group, IL-6 and TNF-α in the cell supernatant gradually increased after PQ intervention, while the IL-10 content gradually decreased. The PQ intervention in alveolar macrophages increased the expression of intracellular glycolysis rate-limiting enzyme pyruvate kinase isozymes M1/M2 (PKM1/M2), lactate, lactate/pyruvate ratio, and the polarization of alveolar macrophage towards M1. Inhibition of cellular glycolysis significantly reduced the PQ-induced alveolar macrophage polarization to M1 type. Thus, PQ induced increased polarization of lung macrophages toward M1 and decreased polarization toward M2, promoting acute lung injury. Therefore, it can be concluded that PQ regulates the polarization of alveolar macrophages through glycolysis.

Alternate Roles of Sox Transcription Factors beyond Transcription Initiation.

Sox proteins are known as crucial transcription factors for many developmental processes and for a wide range of common diseases. They were believed to specifically bind and bend DNA with other transcription factors and elicit transcriptional activation or repression activities in the early stage of transcription. However, their functions are not limited to transcription initiation. It has been showed that Sox proteins are involved in the regulation of alternative splicing regulatory networks and translational control. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on how Sox transcription factors such as Sox2, Sry, Sox6, and Sox9 allow the coordination of co-transcriptional splicing and also the mechanism of SOX4-mediated translational control in the context of RNA polymerase III.

Ultralight, Ultraflexible, Anisotropic, Highly Thermally Conductive Graphene Aerogel Films.

Graphene aerogels have attracted much attention as a promising material for various applications. The unusually high intrinsic thermal conductivity of individual graphene sheets makes an obvious contrast with the thermal insulating performance of assembled 3D graphene materials. We report the preparation of anisotropy 3D graphene aerogel films (GAFs) made from tightly packed graphene films using a thermal expansion method. GAFs with different thicknesses and an ultimate low density of 4.19 mg cm-3 were obtained. GAFs show high anisotropy on average cross-plane thermal conductivity (K⊥) and average in-plane thermal conductivity (K||). Additionally, uniaxially compressed GAFs performed a large elongation of 11.76% due to the Z-shape folding of graphene layers. Our results reveal the ultralight, ultraflexible, highly thermally conductive, anisotropy GAFs, as well as the fundamental evolution of macroscopic assembled graphene materials at elevated temperature.

Risk factors for the critical illness in SARS-CoV-2 infection: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies reported that 5 ~ 32% COVID-19 patients were critically ill, a situation that poses great challenge for the management of the patients and ICU resources. We aim to identify independent risk factors to serve as prediction markers for critical illness of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Fifty-two critical and 200 non-critical SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positive patients hospitalized in 15 hospitals outside Wuhan from January 19 to March 6, 2020 were enrolled in this study. Multivariable logistic regression and LASSO logistic regression were performed to identify independent risk factors for critical illness. RESULTS: Age older than 60 years, dyspnea, respiratory rate > 24 breaths per min, leukocytosis > 9.5 × 109/L, neutrophilia > 6.3 × 109/L, lymphopenia < 1.1 × 109/L, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio > 3.53, fibrinogen > 4 g/L, d-dimer > 0.55 µg/mL, blood urea nitrogen > 7.1 mM, elevated aspartate transaminase, elevated alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin > 21 µM, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 2 were identified as risk factors for critical illness. LASSO logistic regression identified the best combination of risk factors as SOFA score, age, dyspnea, and leukocytosis. The Area Under the Receiver-Operator Curve values for the risk factors in predicting critical illness were 0.921 for SOFA score, 0.776 for age, 0.764 for dyspnea, 0.658 for leukocytosis, and 0.960 for the combination of the four risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings advocate the use of risk factors SOFA score ≥ 2, age > 60, dyspnea and leukocytosis > 9.5 × 109/L on admission, alone or in combination, to determine the optimal management of the patients and health care resources.

Molecular basis for the genome engagement by Sox proteins.

The Sox transcription factor family consists of 20 members in the human genome. Many of them are key determinants of cellular identities and possess the capacity to reprogram cell fates by pioneering the epigenetic remodeling of the genome. This activity is intimately tied to their ability to specifically bind and bend DNA alone or with other proteins. Here we discuss our current knowledge on how Sox transcription factors such as Sox2, Sox17, Sox18 and Sox9 'read' the genome to find and regulate their target genes and highlight the roles of partner factors including Pax6, Nanog, Oct4 and Brn2. We integrate insights from structural and biochemical studies as well as high-throughput assays to probe DNA specificity in vitro as well as in cells and tissues.