Low power consumption grating magneto-optical trap based on planar elements.

The grating-based magneto-optical trap (GMOT) is a promising approach for miniaturizing cold-atom systems. However, the power consumption of a GMOT system dominates its feasibility in practical applications. In this study, we demonstrated a GMOT system based on planar elements that can operate with low power consumption. A high-diffraction-efficiency grating chip was used to cool atoms with a single incident beam. A planar coil chip was designed and fabricated with a low power consumption nested architecture. The grating and coil chips were adapted to a passive pump vacuum chamber, and up to 106 87Rb atoms were trapped. These elements effectively reduce the power consumption of the GMOT and have great potential for applications in practical cold-atom-based devices.

Detection and analysis of microplastics in tissues and blood of human cervical cancer patients.

Microplastics (MPs) can enter the reproductive system and can be potentially harmful to human reproductive health. In this study, 13 types of microplastics (MPs) were identified in patient blood, cancer samples, and paracarcinoma samples using Raman spectroscopy, with polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene-co-polypropylene being the most abundant polymer types. Futher, cotton was also found in our study. The diversity and abundance of MPs were higher in blood samples than in cancerous tissues, and there was a significant positive correlation between diversity (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the diversity and abundance of MPs in cancerous tissues were higher than in paracancerous tissues. The dimensional sizes of MPs in these samples were also very similar, with the majority of detected MPs being smaller in size. Correlation analysis showed that patient's age correlated with the abundance of MPs in blood samples, body mass index (BMI) correlated with the abundance of MPs in cancerous tissues. Notably, the frequency with which patients consume bottled water and beverages may also increase the abundance of MPs. This study identifies for the first time the presence of MPs and cotton in cancerous and paracancerous tissues of human cervical cancer patients. This provides new ideas and basic data to study the risk relationship between MP exposure and human health.

Therapeutic potentials of FexMoyS-PEG nanoparticles in colorectal cancer: a multimodal approach via ROS-ferroptosis-glycolysis regulation.

Improving cancer therapy by targeting the adverse tumor microenvironment (TME) rather than the cancer cells presents a novel and potentially effective strategy. In this study, we introduced FexMoyS nanoparticles (NPs), which act as sequential bioreactors to manipulate the TME. FexMoyS NPs were synthesized using thermal decomposition and modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Their morphology, chemical composition, and photothermal properties were characterized. The capability to produce ROS and deplete GSH was evaluated. Effects on CRC cells, including cell viability, apoptosis, and glycolysis, were tested through various in vitro assays. In vivo efficacy was determined using CRC-bearing mouse models and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. The impact on the MAPK signaling pathway and tumor metabolism was also examined. The FexMoyS NPs showed efficient catalytic activity, leading to increased ROS production and GSH depletion, inducing ferroptosis, and suppressing glycolysis in CRC cells. In vivo, the NPs significantly inhibited tumor growth, particularly when combined with NIR light therapy, indicating a synergistic effect of photothermal therapy and chemodynamic therapy. Biosafety assessments revealed no significant toxicity in treated mice. RNA sequencing suggested that the NPs impact metabolism and potentially immune processes within CRC cells. FexMoyS NPs present a promising multifaceted approach for CRC treatment, effectively targeting tumor cells while maintaining biosafety. The nanoparticles exhibit potential for clinical translation, offering a new avenue for cancer therapy.

Ambient Pressure Drying of Freeze-Cast Ceramics from Aqueous Suspension.

Freeze-casting has been wildly exploited to construct porous ceramics but usually requires costly and demanding freeze-drying (high vacuum, size limit, and supercooled chamber), which can be avoided by the ambient pressure drying (APD) technique. However, applying APD to freeze-cast ceramic based on an aqueous suspension is still challenging due to inert surface chemistry. Herein, a modified APD strategy is developed to improve the drying process of freeze-cast ceramics by exploiting the simultaneous ice etching, ionic cross-linking, and solvent exchange under mild conditions (-10-0 °C, ambient pressure). This versatile strategy is applicable to various ceramic species, metal ions, and freezing techniques. The incorporated metal ions not only enhance liquid-phase sintering, producing ceramics with higher density and mechanical properties than freeze-cast counterparts, but also render customizable coloration and antibacterial property. The cost-/time-efficient APD is promising for mass production and even successive production of large-size freeze-cast ceramics that exceed the size of commercial freeze-dryers.

Microplastics supply contaminants in food chain: non-negligible threat to health safety.

The occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and organic pollutants (OPs) residues is commonly observed in diverse environmental settings, where their interactions can potentially alter the behavior, availability, and toxicity of OPs, thereby posing risks to ecosystems. Herein, we particularly emphasize the potential for bioaccumulation and the biomagnification effect of MPs in the presence of OPs within the food chain. Despite the ongoing influx of novel information, there exists a dearth of data concerning the destiny and consequences of MPs in the context of food pollution. Further endeavors are imperative to unravel the destiny and repercussions of MPs/OPs within food ecosystems and processing procedures, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of the joint effect on human health and food quality. Nevertheless, the adsorption and desorption behavior of coexisting pollutants can be significantly influenced by MPs forming biofilms within real-world environments, including temperature, pH, and food constituents. A considerable portion of MPs tend to accumulate in the epidermis of vegetables and fruits, thus necessitating further research to comprehend the potential ramifications of MPs on the infiltration behavior of OPs on agricultural product surfaces.

A Petrochemical-Free Route to Superelastic Hierarchical Cellulose Aerogel.

Cellulose aerogels are plagued by intermolecular hydrogen bond-induced structural plasticity, otherwise rely on chemicals modification to extend service life. Here, we demonstrate a petrochemical-free strategy to fabricate superelastic cellulose aerogels by designing hierarchical structures at multi scales. Oriented channels consolidate the whole architecture. Porous walls of dehydrated cellulose derived from thermal etching not only exhibit decreased rigidity and stickiness, but also guide the microscopic deformation and mitigate localized large strain, preventing structural collapse. The aerogels show exceptional stability, including temperature-invariant elasticity, fatigue resistance (∼5 % plastic deformation after 105  cycles), high angular recovery speed (1475.4° s-1 ), outperforming most cellulose-based aerogels. This benign strategy retains the biosafety of biomass and provides an alternative filter material for health-related applications, such as face masks and air purification.

Smart traceability for food safety.

Current food production faces a tremendous challenge due to the growing human population. The global population is estimated to reach 9 billion by 2050 with 70% more food being required. Safe food is an important dimension of food security, and food traceability across the supply chain is a key component of this. However, current food traceability systems are challenged by frequent occurrences of food safety incidents and food recalls that have damaged consumer confidence, caused huge economic loss, and put pressure on food safety agencies. This review focuses on smart food traceability that has the potential to significantly improve food safety in global food supply chains. The basic concepts and critical perspectives for various detection strategies for food safety are summarized, including portable detection devices, smart indicators and sensors integrated on food packages, and data-assisted whole-genome sequencing. In addition, new digital technologies, such as Internet-of-things (IoTs) and cloud computing, are discussed with the aim of providing readers with an overview of the exciting opportunities in smart food traceability systems.

Feasibility of resource utilization of the refractory evaporation concentrate of gas field wastewater exhibiting high salinity: Application of UV/Fenton, desulfurization, distillation and crystallization process after pre-treatment.

The evaporation concentrate of gas field wastewater (EC-GFW) is a new type of refractory actual wastewater produced by the three-effect evaporation of gas field wastewater, exhibiting extremely high salinity and complex organic components. This study proposed a set of processes consisting of AOPs, precipitation, distillation, and crystallization for the systematic treatment of EC-GFW. In this paper, the optimal conditions for the processes after pre-treatment were investigated. The optimal operating parameters of UV/Fenton process were determined to be 180 min of reaction time, 4 of initial pH, 0.6 mol/L of H2O2 dosage, 10:1 of n(H2O2): n(Fe2+) value, and 30 W of UV power. Fenton's reagent was added in two steps (0 min and 90 min) for effective utilization. The results showed that the TOC (Total organic carbon) removal efficiency during the two-stage oxidation reached 93% with TOC in the effluent of 132 mg/L. Then, 82.3% of sulfate ions were removed by the desulfurization process using 50 g/L of CaCl2 within 10 min at a pH of 5 before distillation. It was found that the TOC in the influent of distillation played a decisive role in the quality of the effluent and purity of the crystalline salt, which was expected to be controlled lower than 132 mg/L. The final condensate could utilize to reuse, 99% of main pollutants of which have been removed, reducing the pressure of water supply on site. Simultaneously, the industrial-grade NaCl with extensive application prospect can be recovered. The harmless disposal and resource utilization of EC-GFW was achieved on a laboratory scale, providing the data support and theoretical guidance for treating EC-GFW at gas field project site.

Clinical Efficacy of Potato Extract for Alleviating Chemoradiotherapy-Related Leukopenia: a Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Leukopenia is the most common adverse event in chemotherapy, which natural products can prevent and treat. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of potato extract for alleviating chemoradiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients. METHODS: This was a single-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial that enrolled 184 cancer patients. The participants were scheduled to undergo chemoradiotherapy in two hospitals, where they were randomized to receive potato extract or a placebo in a 1:1 ratio for a period of 49 days. Change in leukocyte value was considered the primary outcome of this clinical trial. Secondary outcomes included tumor response rate, blood test, and quality of life score. RESULTS: The leukopenia was relieved in the potato extract group compared with the placebo group. Of note, a significant difference in leukopenia between the two groups was found after 14 days (p = 0.04). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in leucocyte levels in the potato extract group (before and after potato extract treatment; p = 0.13), but in the placebo group, the leukocyte value significantly decreased compared to before treatment (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Potato extract can alleviate chemoradiotherapy-induced leukopenia in cancer patients. These results show the potential function of potato extract as a protective agent in management of cancer chemoradiotherapy.

Gliadin interacted with tea polyphenols: potential application and action mechanism.

The effect of tea polyphenols (TPs) on noodles quality was investigated, and the interaction mechanism between catechins and gliadins was explored. With TPs addition, noodles showed the significant changes in physicochemical and sensory properties. The water absorption, tensile strength and elasticity increased by 1.35%, 4.98%, 28.51% with 0.5% of TPs, and then decreased with the increasing of TPs. According to the determinations of surface hydrophobicity, spatial structure, thermal properties, amidogen and sulfhydryl content, the structure and properties of gliadin were affected by catechins. Esterified catechins tended to disrupt gliadin structures and non-esterified catechins polymerised gliadin molecules. Furthermore, molecular docking results indicated that catechins interacted with gliadin mainly by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic action. The reactivity of catechins with gliadin was in the sequence as: epigallocatechin gallate > epicatechin gallate > epigallocatechin > epicatechin, which was based on the account of gallate and B-ring hydroxyl number discrepancy. All results suggested that catechins affected greatly on gliadin, and TPs were potentially used to improve the quality of flour products.

Correction to: Circular RNA circNHSL1 promotes gastric cancer progression through the miR-1306-3p/SIX1/Vimentin axis.

After publication of the article [1], the authors reported errors of inter-duplication in Figure 3.

Circular RNA circCCDC9 acts as a miR-6792-3p sponge to suppress the progression of gastric cancer through regulating CAV1 expression.

BACKGROUND: As a novel type of noncoding RNAs, covalently closed circular RNAs (circRNAs) are ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotes. Emerging studies have related dysregulation of circRNAs to tumorigenesis. However, the biogenesis, regulation, function and mechanism of circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unclear. METHODS: The expression profile of circRNAs in 6 pairs of GC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues was analyzed by RNA-sequencing. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the expression level of circCCDC9 in GC tissues and cell lines. Then, functional experiments in vitro and in vivo were employed to explore the effects of circCCDC9 on tumor growth and metastasis in GC. Mechanistically, dual luciferase reporter, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assays were performed to confirm that circCCDC9 directly sponged miR-6792-3p and alleviated suppression on target CAV1 expression. RESULTS: Evidently down-regulated expression of circCCDC9 was observed in both GC tissues and cell lines. Expression of circCCDC9 was negatively correlated with tumor size, lymph node invasion, advanced clinical stage and overall survival in GC patients. Functionally, overexpression of circCCDC9 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cell lines in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, whereas miR-6792-3p mimics counteracted these effects. Mechanistic analysis demonstrated that circCCDC9 acted as a "ceRNA" of miR-6792-3p to relieve the repressive effect of miR-6792-3p on its target CAV1, then suppressed the tumorigenesis of GC. CONCLUSIONS: CircCCDC9 functions as a tumor suppressor in inhibiting the progression of GC through miR-6792-3p/CAV1 axis, which has provided an exploitable biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with GC.

GINS complex subunit 4, a prognostic biomarker and reversely mediated by Krüppel-like factor 4, promotes the growth of colorectal cancer.

GINS complex subunit 4 (GINS4) is essential for DNA replication initiation and elongation in the G1 /S phase cell cycle in eukaryotes, however, its functional roles and molecular mechanisms remain unclear in many aspects. Our study was designed to investigate the clinical significance, biological function, and molecular mechanism of GINS4 in colorectal cancer (CRC). First, we confirmed that GINS4 expression was significantly overexpressed in CRC cells and tissues. The immunohistochemical results in tissue microarray from 106 CRC patients showed that a high level of GINS4 expression was positively correlated with advanced T stage, higher tumor TNM stage, and poor differentiation. The results from univariate and multivariate survival analysis models based on 106 CRC patients revealed that GINS4 might serve as an independent prognostic indicator for overall survival and disease-free survival of CRC patients. Moreover, downregulated GINS4 can inhibit growth and the cell cycle and accelerate cell apoptosis progression in vitro as well as inhibit tumorigenesis in vivo. Besides, our results also indicated that Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) can negatively regulate GINS4 expression at the transcriptional level and the KLF/GINS4 pathway might play a vital role in the growth and prognosis of CRC.

Interaction and action mechanism of starch with different phenolic compounds.

The interaction and action mechanism of starch with different phenolic compounds were investigated. By using scanning electron microscope, nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis, phenolic compounds exhibited the significant effects on the morphology, intensity of hydrogen bond, crystalline structure and thermal stability of starch, respectively. Furthermore, according to the analysis of molecular dynamics simulation by using short-chain glucose (SGS) as model, phenolic compounds could change the spatial configuration of starch, and had the obvious effects on the formation of hydrogen bonds (including intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds) and the strength of binding free energy. Meanwhile, epigallocatechin gallate possessed the strongest capacity to change the spatial configuration of starch with the consistent hydrogen bond occupancy and the lowest binding free energy. All present results suggested that phenolic compounds might be potentially utilised for improving the quality of starch in food industry.

Circular RNA circNHSL1 promotes gastric cancer progression through the miR-1306-3p/SIX1/vimentin axis.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidences indicate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play vital roles in the development and progression of various cancers. However, the detail functions and underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in gastric cancer remain largely unknown. METHODS: The expression profile of metastasis-related circRNAs was screened by RNA-seq analysis. qRT-PCR was used to determine the level and prognostic values of circNHSL1 in gastric cancer tissues. In vitro cell wound healing and transwell (migration and invasion) and in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis assays were performed to evaluate the functions of circNHSL1. Luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and rescued assays were employed to confirm the interactions between circNHSL1, miR-1306-3p and SIX1. It's widely accepted that as a mesenchymal marker, Vimentin promotes invasion and metastasis in various cancers. Luciferase reporter assay was used to determine the regulation of SIX1 on Vimentin. In addition, In situ hybridization (ISH) was performed to detect the level and prognostic values of miR-1306-3p. RESULTS: We found that the level of circNHSL1 was significantly up-regulated in gastric cancer, and positively correlated with clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Functionally, circNHSL1 promoted cell mobility and invasion, as well as in vivo tumorgenesis and metastasis. Mechanistically, circNHSL1 acted as a miR-1306-3p sponge to relieve the repressive effect of miR-1306-3p on its target SIX1. Moreover, SIX1 enhanced Vimentin expression in the transcriptional level through directly binding to the promoter domain of Vimentin, thereby promoting cell migration and invasion. In addition, miR-1306-3p was down-regulated and negatively correlated with pathological features and poor prognosis in gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: CircNHSL1 promotes gastric cancer progression through miR-1306-3p/SIX1/Vimentin axis, and may serve as a novel diagnostic marker and target for treatment of gastric cancer patients.

Synthesis of polyhedral gold nanostars as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates for measurement of thiram in peach juice.

Rapid detection of food contaminants using novel analytical methods in combination with nanomaterials has received much attention. This study aimed to synthesize polyhedral gold nanostars (AuNS) with multi-angled corners and develop a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) method coupled with AuNS to detect pesticide residues in juice products. AuNS are multi-branched three-dimensional metal nanostructures with rough surface features which can induce surface plasmon resonance. A facile synthesis of AuNS was achieved using a two-step method and as-prepared AuNS had much cleaner surfaces than gold nanoparticles. A Raman reporter molecule (4-aminothiophenol) was used to evaluate the performance of the SERS method, yielding fingerprint-like Raman spectra and the sensitivity of the SERS method could reach 10 ppb (µg kg-1). SERS coupled with AuNS was used to detect thiram residues in peach juice and the detection limit was 50 ppb, and is 100 times more sensitive than using normal gold nanoparticles. These results demonstrate that AuNS are excellent substrates for SERS measurement, which has great potential for rapid detection of chemical contaminants in food products.

PODXL, negatively regulated by KLF4, promotes the EMT and metastasis and serves as a novel prognostic indicator of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Podocalyxin-like 1 (PODXL) was reported to be closely associated with the development of various cancers, yet its functional roles and molecular mechanisms remain vague. The aim of our study was to investigate the clinical significance, biological function and molecular mechanism of PODXL in gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: The level of PODXL in GC tissues was detected applying GC tissues microarray, fresh GC tissues and public database (Oncomine). The invasion, metastasis and tumorigenesis role of PODXL were performed in vitro and in vivo. The correlations between KLF4 and PODXL was determined in GC tissues microarray and fresh GC tissues, and the molecular regulatory mechanism between KLF4 and PODXL was explored in vitro. RESULTS: The high level of PODXL was detected in GC tissues with advanced T stage, lymph node metastasis, Union for International Cancer Control stage and poor differentiation. And Cox proportional hazards model revealed that PODXL can serve as an independent prognostic indicator for disease-free survival and overall survival of GC patients. Moreover, downregulation of PODXL could inhibit EMT and reduce invasion and metastasis in vitro as well as tumorigenesis in vivo. Additionally, our findings showed that PODXL may be a significant downstream target of KLF4. CONCLUSIONS: KLF4/PODXL signaling pathway assumes an irreplaceable role in tumorigenesis, invasion and metastasis of human GC and PODXL serves as an independent prognostic indicator for GC patients.

Scaled-Up Synthesis of Amorphous NiFeMo Oxides and Their Rapid Surface Reconstruction for Superior Oxygen Evolution Catalysis.

The anode oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is known to largely limit the efficiency of electrolyzers owing to its sluggish kinetics. While crystalline metal oxides are promising as OER catalysts, their amorphous phases also show high activities. Efforts to produce amorphous metal oxides have progressed slowly, and how an amorphous structure benefits the catalytic performances remains elusive. Now the first scalable synthesis of amorphous NiFeMo oxide (up to 515 g in one batch) is presented with homogeneous elemental distribution via a facile supersaturated co-precipitation method. In contrast to its crystalline counterpart, amorphous NiFeMo oxide undergoes a faster surface self-reconstruction process during OER, forming a metal oxy(hydroxide) active layer with rich oxygen vacancies, leading to superior OER activity (280 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm-2 in 0.1 m KOH). This opens up the potential of fast, facile, and scale-up production of amorphous metal oxides for high-performance OER catalysts.

Krüppel-Like Factor 4 Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis by Down-Regulating Caveolin-1 Expression.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a member of the KLF family of zinc finger transcription factors, has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene in a variety of tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms by which KLF4 inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in pancreatic cancer remain unclear. METHODS: KLF4 expression in pancreatic cancer was analyzed using public datasets (Oncomine and The Cancer Genome Atlas). The expression of KLF4, caveolin-1 (Cav-1), E-cadherin, and vimentin, and their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in pancreatic cancer tissues. The biological functions and underlying mechanisms of KLF4 expression on EMT and metastasis were also investigated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Public datasets showed that KLF4 expression was significantly decreased in pancreatic cancer and correlated with the depth of invasion and disease stage. The expression of KLF4, Cav-1, E-cadherin, and vimentin protein in pancreatic cancer tissues was closely associated with pathological grade, disease stage, and metastasis. KLF4 expression was also positively correlated with E-cadherin expression and negatively correlated with vimentin expression, whereas Cav-1 expression was negatively associated with E-cadherin expression and positively correlated with vimentin expression. Knockdown of KLF4 expression promoted EMT and facilitated pancreatic cancer cell growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) results indicated that KLF4 expression was negatively correlated with Cav-1 expression. Furthermore, down-regulating KLF4 expression increased Cav-1 and vimentin expression and decreased E-cadherin expression. Mechanistically, KLF4 could transcriptionally inhibit Cav-1 expression by binding directly to the promoter domain of Cav-1. CONCLUSIONS: KLF4 inhibits pancreatic cancer EMT and metastasis by down-regulating Cav-1 expression, suggesting that the KLF4/Cav-1 signaling pathway may be a novel diagnostic and therapeutic target.

Fire-Retardant and Thermally Insulating Phenolic-Silica Aerogels.

Energy efficient buildings require materials with a low thermal conductivity and a high fire resistance. Traditional organic insulation materials are limited by their poor fire resistance and inorganic insulation materials are either brittle or display a high thermal conductivity. Herein we report a mechanically resilient organic/inorganic composite aerogel with a thermal conductivity significantly lower than expanded polystyrene and excellent fire resistance. Co-polymerization and nanoscale phase separation of the phenol-formaldehyde-resin (PFR) and silica generate a binary network with domain sizes below 20 nm. The PFR/SiO2 aerogel can resist a high-temperature flame without disintegration and prevents the temperature on the non-exposed side from increasing above the temperature critical for the collapse of reinforced concrete structures.