Reaction-Induced Liquid Crystalline Polybenzoxazine Bearing Aromatic Amide Side Branches.

In this study, a nematic phase structure is incorporated into polybenzoxazine to increase its thermal conductivity. A simple route for the synthesis of a thermally conductive polybenzoxazine containing liquid crystalline (LC) structure by grafting oligomeric p-sulfophenylene-terephthalamide (PSTA) is offered. Benzoxazine monomer of pHBA-da is synthesized via Mannich reaction of p-hydroxy benzoic acid, p-formaldehyde, and dodecyl amine. After ring-opening polymerization, the oligomer benzoxazine of OBZ─COOH is obtained. The OBZ─COOH/PSTA mixture is prepared by mixing PSTA with OBZ─COOH. Afterward, the grafted copolymer is named OBZ─PSTA copolymer. The liquid crystalline behavior of OBZ─COOH/PSTA is studied by polarized optical microscopy and small angle X-ray scattering analysis. The results show that the OBZ─PSTA forms the LC structure during isothermal and non-isothermal curing. The LC structure displays a floral textured nematic phase. The phase formation is induced by an amidation reaction. Due to the grafts of LC PSTA, the thermal conductivity of OBZ─PSTA is 0.296 W m-1 K-1 , which is 26% greater than OBZ─COOH. The glass transition temperature (Tg ) of OBZ─PSTA is 241 °C. The 5% (Td5 ) and 10% weight loss temperatures (Td10 ) of OBZ─PSTA are 346 and 362 °C, respectively.

Synergistic Promotion of the Photocatalytic Preparation of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2 O2 ) from Oxygen by Benzoxazine and Si─O─Ti Bond.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) is considered one of the most important chemical products and has a promising future in photocatalytic preparation, which is green, pollution-free, and hardly consumes any non-renewable energy. This study involves the preparation of benzoxazine with Si─O bonds via the Mannich reaction, followed by co-hydrolysis to produce photocatalysts containing benzoxazine with Si─O─Ti bonds. In this study, a benzoxazine photocatalyst with Si─O─Ti bonds is synthesized and characterized using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The size and elemental distribution of the nanoparticles are confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The photocatalytic synthesis of H2 O2 is tested using the titanium salt detection method, and the rate is found to be 7.28 µmol h-1 . Additionally, the catalyst exhibits good hydrolysis resistance and could be reused multiple times. The use of benzoxazine with Si─O─Ti bonds presents a promising experimental and theoretical foundation for the industrial production of H2 O2 through photocatalytic synthesis.

Evaluation of myocardial viability in patients with myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury using the dual-energy CT myocardial blood pool imaging.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate myocardial viability in patients with myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury (MIRI) via dual-energy computed tomography myocardial blood pool imaging (DECT MBPI). METHODS: Between September 2017 and January 2019, we prospectively recruited 59 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) who developed MIRI after revascularization during invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Then, they received DECT MBPI, SPECT, and PET sequentially within 1 week after the onset of MIRI. A total of 1003 myocardial segments of 59 patients were recruited for this study. The iodine reduction areas and delayed enhancement areas were calculated by cardiac iodine map with SPECT rest myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) + PET myocardial metabolism imaging (MMI) as reference criteria. The paired sample t-test was used to measure the difference of the myocardial iodine value. Cohen's Kappa analysis was used to test the consistency among different observers. ROC analysis was used to calculate the myocardial viability of DECT MBPI. RESULTS: ROC showed the AUCs of DECT MBPI iodine value to identify a normal myocardium, an ischemic myocardium, and an infarcted myocardium were 0.957, 0.900, and 0.906 (p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of DECT MBPI in identifying an ischemic myocardium were 87.6%, 89.3%, and 97.9% (p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of DECT MBPI in identifying an infarcted myocardium were 88.9%, 92.2%, and 98.6% (p < 0.001). The cutoff value for DECT MBPI to differentiate between an ischemic and a normal myocardium was 0.84 mg I/mL. The cutoff value for DECT MBPI to differentiate between an infarct and a normal myocardium was 2.01 mg I/mL. CONCLUSION: DECT MBPI can be used to assess myocardial viability in patients with MIRI with high sensitivity and specificity. KEY POINTS: • Dual-energy computed tomography myocardial blood pool imaging (DECT MBPI) can evaluate myocardial viability of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). • DECT MBPI is a non-invasive and timesaving method for evaluation on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in patients with acute myocardial infarction after coronary intervention.

One-step integrated coronary-carotid-cerebral computed tomography angiography to evaluate cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE: This study aims to develop a low-radiation dose, one-step integrated coronary-carotid-cerebral computed tomography angiography (ICCC-CTA) technique to analyze the relationship between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis and evaluate the risk factors of plaque to provide an early-stage treatment to patients and reduce vascular events. METHODS: A total of 300 consecutive asymptomatic patients with cardiovascular risk factors who underwent ICCC-CTA were enrolled in this prospective study. The association between coronary and carotid-cerebrovascular atherosclerosis was assessed. The primary cardiovascular risk factors for various plaque types in cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease were evaluated using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Among 300 patients, 189 (63%) had plaques in their coronary and cerebral arteries. The presence of calcified and mixed plaques in the carotid-cerebral and coronary arteries was strongly correlated (χ2 = 20.71, P = 0.001; χ2 = 8.96, P = 0.003, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that abnormal blood glucose [OR = 1.44, 95% CI 0.12-0.62, P = 0.01] and abnormal total cholesterol [OR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.07-0.46, P = 0.01] are risk factors in all the models in the coronary artery, non-calcified plaque group. Abnormal blood glucose [OR = 1.43, 95% CI 0.11-0.61, P = 0.01] and abnormal systolic blood pressure [OR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.01-0.04, P = 0.02] are risk factors in all the models in the coronary artery calcified plaque group. Abnormal blood glucose level [OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 0.12-0.62, P = 0.01] was only a risk factor in the non-calcified plaque carotid-cerebral artery group. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm that elevated blood glucose and total cholesterol levels are associated with coronary and carotid-cerebrovascular plaques using the novel one-step low dose cerebral-carotid-cardiac CTA technique. These findings will provide insights for further studies focusing on developing low-radiation dose one-step ICCC-CTA to screen cardiovascular/cerebrovascular plaques in general population with cardiovascular risk factors. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: We developed a low-radiation dose, one-step ICCC-CTA technique to detect cardiovascular and cerebrovascular atherosclerosis. We evaluated the risk factors for plaque burden for the early treatment and reduction of vascular events. These findings supported the development of low-radiation dose one-step ICCC-CTA to screen for cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease in general population with cardiovascular risk factors.

miR-558 Reduces the Damage of HBE Cells Exposed to Cigarette Smoke Extract by Targeting TNFRSF1A and Inactivating TAK1/MAPK/NF-κB Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic smoking-related lung disease associated with higher mortality and morbidity. Herein, we attempted to investigate the function of miR-558/TNF Receptor Superfamily Member 1A (TNFRSF1A) in the progression of COPD. METHODS: GEO database was applied to filtrate the differentially expressed mRNAs and miRNAs. KEGG enrichment was used to select the meaningful pathway related to the differentially expressed genes. TargetScan was used to predict the upstream regulator of TNFRSF1A, which was further affirmed by dual luciferase assay. HBE cells were stimulated by 20 µg/mL cigarette smoke extract (CSE) to mimic the COPD in vitro. The activity, apoptosis and inflammatory factors of HBE cells were evaluated by biological experiments. The levels of proteins related to TAK1/MAPK/NF-κB pathway were measured by Western blot. RESULTS: TNFRSF1A is found to be highly expressed in COPD samples and enriched in TNF signaling pathway through bioinformatics analysis. miR-558 was verified as an upstream regulator of TNFRSF1A and negatively regulated TNFRSF1A expression. Up-regulation of miR-558 alleviated CSE-induced damage on HBE cells. The alleviative effect of miR-558 mimic on CSE-induced damage was suppressed by TNFRSF1A overexpression. The elevated expression of p-TAK1/p-p38 MAPK/p-NF-κB P65 in CSE condition was suppressed by miR-558 up-regulation. However, the results were reversed by TNFRSF1A overexpression. TAK1 inhibitor blocked the activation of TAK1/MAPK/NF-κB pathway, which was consistent with the results from miR-558 up-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Up-regulation of miR-558 relieved the damage of HBE cells-triggered by CSE via reducing TNFRSF1A and inactivating TAK1/MAPK/NF-κB pathway, affording novel molecules for COPD treatment.

Toxicity in Takifugu rubripes exposed to acute ammonia: Effects on immune responses, brain neurotransmitter levels, and thyroid endocrine hormones.

Exposure to ammonia can cause convulsions, coma, and death. In this study, we investigate the effects of ammonia exposure on immunoregulatory and neuroendocrine changes in Takifugu rubripes. Fish were sampled at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 96 h following exposure to different ammonia concentrations (0, 5, 50, 100, and 150 mg/L). Our results showed that exposure to ammonia significantly reduced the concentrations of C3, C4, IgM, and LZM whereas the heat shock protein 70 and 90 levels significantly increased. In addition, the transcription levels of Mn-SOD, CAT, GRx, and GR in the liver were significantly upregulated following exposure to low ammonia concertation, however, downregulated with increased exposure time. These findings suggest that ammonia poisoning causes oxidative damage and suppresses plasma immunity. Ammonia exposure also resulted in the elevation and depletion of the T3 and T4 levels, respectively. Furthermore, ammonia stress induced an increase in the corticotrophin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and cortisol levels, and a decrease in dopamine, noradrenaline, and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels in the brain, illustrating that ammonia poisoning can disrupt the endocrine and neurotransmitter systems. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the neurotoxic effects of ammonia exposure, which helps to assess the ecological and environmental health risks of this contaminant in marine fish.

Effect of winter feeding frequency on growth performance, biochemical blood parameters, oxidative stress, and appetite-related genes in Takifugu rubripes.

Tiger pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) is one of Asia's most economically valuable aquaculture species. However, winter production of this species in North China is limited by low water temperature and unavailability of high-quality feed, resulting in high mortality and low profitability. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding frequency (F1: one daily meal; F2: two daily meals; F3: four daily meals; F4: continuous diurnal feeding using a belt feeder) on the growth performance, plasma biochemistry, digestive and antioxidant enzyme activities, and expression of appetite-related genes in T. rubripes (initial weight: 266.80 ± 12.32 g) cultured during winter (18.0 ± 1.0 °C) for 60 days. The results showed that fish in the F3 group had the highest final weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, survival rate, and best feed conversion ratio. Additionally, daily feed intake increased significantly with increasing feeding frequency. The protein efficiency and lipid efficiency ratios of fish in the F3 group were significantly higher than those of fish in the other groups. Furthermore, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels increased with increasing feeding frequency, peaking in the F2 group and decreasing under higher feeding frequencies. The antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase) and digestive (trypsin, amylase, and lipase) enzyme activities of fish in the F1 group were significantly higher than those of fish in the F3 and F4 groups. Additionally, there was a decrease in orexin expression with increasing feeding frequency. In contrast, the expression levels of tachykinin, cholecystokinin, and leptin increased with increasing feeding frequency, peaking in the F4 group. Overall, the findings of this study indicated that a feeding frequency of four meals per day was optimal for improved growth performance of pufferfish juveniles cultured during winter.

Effect of acute exposure to nitrite on physiological parameters, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in Takifugu rubripes.

In the present study, we evaluated the effects of nitrite exposure on hematological parameters, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in juvenile Takifugu rubripes. The fish were exposed to nitrite (0, 0.5, 1, 3, and 6 mM) for up to 96 h. In the high nitrite concentration groups (i.e., 3 and 6 mM), the concentrations of methemoglobin (MetHb), cortisol, glucose, heat shock protein (Hsp)-70, Hsp-90, and potassium (K+) were significantly elevated. Whereas, the concentrations of hemoglobin (Hb), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions were significantly decreased. Compared with those of the control groups, the concentrations of the antioxidant enzymes, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), in the gills were considerably elevated at 12 and 24 h after exposure to nitrite (1, 3, and 6 mM), but reduced at 48 and 96 h. The increase in the antioxidant enzymes may contribute to the elimination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by nitrite during early nitrite exposure, when the antioxidant system is not sufficiently effective to eliminate or neutralize excessive ROS. In addition, we found that nitrite exposure could alter the expression patterns of some key apoptosis-related genes (Caspase-3, Caspase-8, Caspase-9, p53, Bax, and Bcl-2). This indicated that the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway and p53-Bax-Bcl-2 pathway might be involved in apoptosis induced by nitrite exposure. Furthermore, our study provides insights into how acute nitrite exposure affects the physiological responses and potential molecular mechanism of apoptosis in marine fish. The results can help elucidate the mechanisms involved in nitrite-induced aquatic toxicology in marine fish.

Expression profiles of interferon-stimulated gene 15 and prostaglandin synthases in the ovine lymph nodes during early pregnancy.

Lymph nodes are distributed all over the body and are part of the lymphatic system. The interferon-stimulated gene 15 kDa protein (ISG15) and prostaglandins (PGs) are involved in the establishment of pregnancy and are expressed in the uterus during early pregnancy in sheep. In this study, the ovine lymph nodes were obtained on Day 16 of the estrous cycle, and Days 13, 16, and 25 of pregnancy, and the expression of ISG15 and PG synthases, including cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1), COX-2, prostaglandin E (PGE) synthase (PTGES), and a PGF synthase (aldo-keto reductase family 1, member B1, AKR1B1) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry analysis. Our results showed that there were peaks in the expression of mRNAs and the proteins of ISG15, COX-1, COX-2, PTGES, and AKR1B1 in the lymph nodes during early pregnancy and that the COX-2 and AKR1B1 proteins were limited to the subcapsular sinus and lymph sinuses. In conclusion, the ISG15, COX-1, COX-2, PTGES, and AKR1B1 were upregulated in the maternal lymph nodes, which may be beneficial for the development of conceptus, maternal systemic immunoregulation, and anti-luteolysis during early pregnancy in sheep.

Preparation of a Pt/Active Carbon Fiber Catalyst and Its Application in the Synthesis of p-Chloroaniline with Catalytic Hydrogenation.

In this study, a Pt loaded active carbon fiber (Pt/ACF) catalyst was prepared by immobilizing Pt nanoparticles on ACF. The catalyst accelerated hydrogenation of p-chloronitrobenzene (p-CNB) to p-chloroaniline (p-CA) at lower temperature and atmospheric pressure, resulting in approximately 100% yield and selectivity. Several factors that affect p-CA yield were investigated. The nitro reduction rate reached 100% under the optimal reaction conditions, indicating excellent selectivity of the prepared catalyst. This process will overcome the environmental pollution problems associated with the traditional process, and is a green synthetic process.

Angiotensin II-induced micro RNA-21 culprit for non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is among the most complicated cancers, with an estimated 1.6 million deaths each year for both men and women. However, the proportion of lung cancer patients in developing nations has increased from 31% to 49.9% in the last two decades. There are two main subtypes of lung cancer, small-cell lung carcinoma and non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), accounting for 15% and 85% of all lung cancer, respectively. Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in smokers and nonsmokers in men and women regardless of their age. Chemicals in cigarette smoke and nicotine enter our bloodstream and can then affect the entire body and finally lead to the activation of several important, pro-survival signaling pathways. The biologically active peptide of RAAS on overstimulation enhance Ang II mediates cell proliferation, fibrosis and inflammatory effects via AT1 receptor. Very few studies highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of miRNAs with the EGFR-regulated miRNA-21.

Effect of crowding stress on the immune response in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) vaccinated with attenuated Edwardsiella tarda.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immune responses in turbot, Scophthalmus maximus, treated with 1 × 107 cfu/ml attenuated Edwardsiella tarda (0.1 ml/fish) under low density (LD; ∼5.25-5.13 kg/m2, initial to final density), medium density (MD; ∼10.41-13.95 kg/m2), and high density (HD; ∼20.53-30.77 kg/m2) conditions for 8 weeks. The results showed that there was a peak value in the percentage of sIg+ (surface immunoglobulin-positive) cells in blood leucocytes (BL), spleen leucocytes (SL), and pronephros leucocytes (PL) during the sixth week in the HD, which was delayed by week compared with the other groups. The specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody levels increased from the first week in all groups and reached a peak in the fifth week in the LD and MD groups, but in the sixth week in the HD group. The serum cortisol levels were greater in the HD group compared with the other groups in the last 3 or 4 weeks. These results show that stocking turbot at a LD obtained the most effective immunization, and thus we conclude that crowding stress may reduce the ability to deal with immune challenge.

Effects of different salinities on growth performance, survival, digestive enzyme activity, immune response, and muscle fatty acid composition in juvenile American shad (Alosa sapidissima).

The effects of salinity on survival, growth, special activity of digestive enzymes, nonspecific immune response, and muscle fatty acid composition were evaluated in the American shad (Alosa sapidissima). Juveniles of 35 days after hatching were reared at 0 (control), 7, 14, 21, and 28 ppt for 60 days. At the end of the experiment, juvenile American shad presented higher survival and specific growth rate (SGR) in salinity group (7, 14, and 21 ppt) than control group (P < 0.05). The special activity of trypsin and chymotrypsin was highest in fish reared at 21 ppt, while the highest lipase special activity was obtained in control group (P < 0.05). The special activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lysozyme (LZM), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) showed significant increases in salinity group (14 and 21 ppt) compared to control group (P < 0.05). Lower muscle ash contents were detected in salinity group (14, 21, and 28 ppt) than control group (P < 0.05), while the contents of crude lipid and crude protein were significantly higher than control group (P < 0.05). The level of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) exhibited a decreasing trend, while an increased level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was detected with the increase of salinity. Among the PUFA, the content of n-3 fatty acids in muscle tissue was found to be increasing with the increasing salinity, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Results indicate that appropriate increase in salinity was reasonable and beneficial for juvenile American shad culture after a comprehensive consideration, especially salinity range from 14 to 21 ppt.

Stress and immune responses in skin of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) under different stocking densities.

Fish skin and its mucus provide the first line of defense against chemical, physical and biological stressors, but little is known about the role of skin and its mucus in immune response to crowding stress. In the present study, we investigated the stress and immune responses in skin of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) under different stocking densities. Turbot (average weight 185.4 g) were reared for 120 days under three densities: low density (LD), medium density (MD), and high density (HD). After 120 days, fish were weighed and sampled to obtain blood, mucus and skin tissues which were used for analyses of biochemical parameters and genes expression. The results showed HD treatment significantly suppressed growth and enhanced plasma cortisol and glucose levels (P < 0.05). In mucus, the activities of lysozyme (LZM), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and esterase in HD treatment were lower than LD and MD treatments (P < 0.05) In skin, HD treatment resulted in up-regulation in malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) mRNA level, and down-regulation in activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the transcriptions of glutathione-s-transferase (GST), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α), insulin-like growth factor- (IGF-) and LZM (P < 0.05). Overall, the data suggested that overly high stocking density was a stressor which caused an immunosuppression in skin of turbot. Moreover, this information would help to understand the skin immunity and their relation with stress and disease in fish.

Molecular characterization and quantification of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus).

Molecular cloning, characterization, and functional analysis of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in female turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) were evaluated. Results showed that the full-length FSHR cDNA was 3824 bp long and contained a 2202 bp open reading frame that encoded a mature protein of 733 amino acids (aa) and a signal peptide of 18 aa. Multiple sequence analyses showed that turbot FSHR has high homology with the corresponding genes of other teleosts and significant homology with that of Hippoglossus hippoglossus. Turbot FSHR has the typical structural architecture of glycoprotein hormone receptors consisting of a large N-terminal extracellular domain, seven transmembrane domains and short C-terminal intracellular domain. FSHR mRNA was found to be abundant in the ovaries, but deficient in eyes, intestine, brain, muscle, gills, spleen, stomach, heart and kidney. Furthermore, FSHR mRNA was found to increase gradually from pre-vitellogenesis to migratory nucleus stages, with the highest values observed during the late vitellogenesis stage of the reproductive cycle. However, FSHR mRNA was found to decrease dramatically during the atresia stage. Meanwhile, functional analysis with HEK293T cells continual expressing FSHR demonstrated that FSHR was specifically stimulated by ovine FSH, but not ovine LH. These results indicate that turbot FSHR is mainly involved in the stimulation of vitellogenesis, regulation of oocyte maturation as well as promotion of ovarian development via specific ligand binding. These findings open doors to further investigation of physiological functions of FSHR, which will be valuable for fish reproduction and broodstock management.

Weldable, Reprocessable, and Water-resistant Polybenzoxazine Vitrimer Crosslinked by Dynamic Imine Bonds.

Traditional polybenzoxazine thermosets cannot be reprocessed or recycled due to the permanent crosslinked networks. The dynamic exchangeable characteristics of imine bonds can impart the networks with reprocessabilities and recyclabilities. This study reported a weldable, reprocessable, and water-resistant polybenzoxazine vitrimer (C-ABZ) crosslinked by dynamic imine bonds. It was synthesized through a condensation reaction between an aldehyde-containing benzoxazine oligomer (O-ABZ) and 1,12-dodecanediamine. The resulting C-ABZ was able to be welded and reprocessed due to the dynamic exchange of imine bonds. The tensile strengths of the welded C-ABZ and the reprocessed C-ABZ after three cycles of hot-pressing were 76.7, 81.3, 70.8, and 58.1 Mpa, with corresponding tensile strength recovery ratios of 74.1 %, 78.6 %, 68.4 %, and 56.1 %, respectively. Furthermore, the polybenzoxazine backbone significantly improved the water resistance of the imine bonds. After immersing in water for 30 days at room temperature, the weight gain of C-ABZ was less than 1 % with corresponding tensile strength and tensile strength retention ratio of 59.5 Mpa and 57.5 %, respectively. Although the heat resistance of C-ABZ decreased slightly with increased hot-pressing cycles, a glass transition temperature (Tg, tanδ) of 150 °C was retained after the third hot-pressing. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the C-ABZ possesses excellent comprehensive performances.

The effect of astaxanthin on the alkalinity stress resistance of Exopalaemon carinicauda.

Astaxanthin (Axn), a feed additive, can improve growth performance and enhance the environmental stress tolerance of shrimp at all growth stages. High carbonate alkalinity is considered a major stressor that affects the survival, growth, and reproduction of aquatic animals in saline-alkaline waters. In this study, a combined analysis of physiology, transcriptomics, and metabolomics was performed to explore the effected mechanism of Axn on Exopalaemon carinicauda (E. carinicauda) under alkalinity stress. The results revealed that dietary Axn can inhibit oxidative stress damage caused by alkalinity stress and maintain the normal cell structure and mitochondrial membrane potential. Transcriptomic data indicated that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under alkalinity stress and those under alkalinity stress after Axn feeding were associated with apoptosis. The metabolic data suggested that alkalinity stress has adverse effects on ammonia metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid metabolism, and TCA cycle, and dietary Axn can improve the metabolic processes in E. carinicauda. In addition, transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses showed that Axn could help maintain the cytoskeletal structure and inhibit apoptosis under alkalinity stress; a TUNEL assay further confirmed these effects. Lastly, metabolic responses to alkalinity stress included changes in multiple amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids, and pathways related to energy metabolism were downregulated in the hepatopancreas of E. carinicauda under alkalinity stress. Collectively, all these results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying alkalinity stress tolerance in E. carinicauda after Axn feeding.

PEG-crosslinked O-carboxymethyl chitosan films with degradability and antibacterial activity for food packaging.

This study developed a kind of PEG-crosslinked O-carboxymethyl chitosan (O-CMC-PEG) with various PEG content for food packaging. The crosslinking agent of isocyanate-terminated PEG was firstly synthesized by a simple condensation reaction between PEG and excess diisocyanate, then the crosslink between O-carboxymethyl chitosan (O-CMC) and crosslinking agent occurred under mild conditions to produce O-CMC-PEG with a crosslinked structure linked by urea bonds. FT-IR and 1H NMR techniques were utilized to confirm the chemical structures of the crosslinking agent and O-CMC-PEGs. Extensive research was conducted to investigate the impact of the PEG content (or crosslinking degree) on the physicochemical characteristics of the casted O-CMC-PEG films. The results illuminated that crosslinking and components compatibility could improve their tensile features and water vapor barrier performance, while high PEG content played the inverse effects due to the microphase separation between PEG and O-CMC segments. The in vitro degradation rate and water sensitivity primarily depended on the crosslinking degree in comparison with the PEG content. Furthermore, caused by the remaining -NH2 groups of O-CMC, the films demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. When the PEG content was 6% (medium crosslinking degree), the prepared O-CMC-PEG-6% film possessed optimal tensile features, high water resistance, appropriate degradation rate, low water vapor transmission rate and fine broad-spectrum antibacterial capacity, manifesting a great potential for application in food packaging to extend the shelf life.

Macrophage-Related Gene Signatures for Predicting Prognosis and Immunotherapy of Lung Adenocarcinoma by Machine Learning and Bioinformatics.

Background: In recent years, the immunotherapy of lung adenocarcinoma has developed rapidly, but the good therapeutic effect only exists in some patients, and most of the current predictors cannot predict it very well. Tumor-infiltrating macrophages have been reported to play a crucial role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Thus, we want to build novel molecular markers based on macrophages. Methods: By non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm and Cox regression analysis, we constructed macrophage-related subtypes of LUAD patients and built a novel gene signature consisting of 12 differentially expressed genes between two subtypes. The gene signature was further validated in Gene-Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Its predictive effect on prognosis and immunotherapy outcome was further evaluated with rounded analyses. We finally explore the role of TRIM28 in LUAD with a series of in vitro experiments. Results: Our research indicated that a higher LMS score was significantly correlated with tumor staging, pathological grade, tumor node metastasis stage, and survival. LMS was identified as an independent risk factor for OS in LUAD patients and verified in GEO datasets. Clinical response to immunotherapy was better in patients with low LMS score compared to those with high LMS score. TRIM28, a key gene in the gene signature, was shown to promote the proliferation, invasion and migration of LUAD cell. Conclusion: Our study highlights the significant role of gene signature in predicting the prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy of LUAD patients, and identifies TRIM28 as a potential biomarker for the treatment of LUAD.

MicroRNA­27a­3p regulates the proliferation and chemotaxis of pulmonary macrophages in non­small cell lung carcinoma tissues through CXCL2.

The present study aimed to investigate microRNA (miRNA)-27a-3p expression in the pulmonary macrophages and peripheral blood of patients with early non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and its regulatory effect on the infiltration of pulmonary macrophages into cancer tissues and invasion of NSCLC cells. Blood specimens were withdrawn from 36 patients with NSCLC and 29 healthy subjects. NSCLC tissues and cancer-adjacent tissues were both obtained from patients with NSCLC; furthermore, certain tissue samples were used to extract macrophages. The levels of miRNA-27a-3p and C-X-C motif ligand chemokine 2 (CXCL2) mRNA were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and the levels of CXCL2 protein were measured by ELISA and western blot analysis. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to determine the interactions between miRNA and mRNA. An MTT assay was employed to examine the viability of transfected cells and macrophages and a Transwell assay was performed to assess chemotaxis. The differential expression of miRNA-27a-3p in NSCLC tissues, pulmonary macrophages and peripheral blood indicated that miRNA-27a-3p exerted different roles in these specimens. CXCL2 was upregulated in NSCLC tissues at both transcriptional and translational levels. In addition, the untranslated region of CXCL2 was confirmed to be directly targeted by miRNA-27a-3p prior to its transcriptional activation. Furthermore, miRNA-27a-3p regulated CXCL2 expression, thereby affecting the proliferation of human pulmonary macrophages. The present study highlights that miRNA-27a-3p expression in the pulmonary macrophages and peripheral blood of patients with NSCLC is downregulated, while its target gene CXCL2 is upregulated. miRNA-27a-3p may regulate the viability and chemotaxis of macrophages in tumor tissues of patients with NSCLC through CXCL2 and is expected to become a genetic marker of this disease.