Analysis of Pathogen Distribution and Antimicrobial Resistance in Bone and Joint Infections Among Young Children.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the distribution of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in bone and joint infections (BJIs) among children under four years old. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children under four years old who received inpatient treatment for BJIs at the Children's Hospital of Soochow University between January 2016 and December 2022. Results of bacterial culture and antimicrobial resistance were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 131 patients, 52 (39.7%) showed positive bacterial culture results. There were Gram-positive (G+) bacteria detected in 38 strains (73.07%), Gram-negative (G-) bacteria in 12 strains (23.08%), and fungi in 2 strains (3.85%). Thirty-one strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were detected (59.62%), including 7 MRSA strains (22.58%). The resistance rate of G+ bacteria to penicillin was 72.97%, while resistance to erythromycin and clindamycin was approximately 50%. No resistance was found against linezolid, vancomycin, and teicoplanin. G- bacteria showed a sensitivity of 100% to carbapenems, including meropenem, ertapenem, and imipenem, a resistance rate of 91.67% to ampicillin-sulbactam, and relatively high resistance rates to compound sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin/sulbactam, and piperacillin. CONCLUSIONS: Regional variations existed in the distribution of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in children under four years old with BJIs. In our hospital, the most common pathogen is S. aureus, with MRSA accounting for approximately one-fourth of all S. aureus patients. Additionally, extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing G- bacteria have been identified, underscoring the importance of careful consideration during empirical antibiotic therapy.

CircABCA13 acts as a miR-4429 sponge to facilitate esophageal squamous cell carcinoma development by stabilizing SRXN1.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal role in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers. However, the role and mechanisms of circABCA13 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are largely unknown. Here, we reported that circABCA13, a novel circular RNA generated by back-splicing of the intron of the ABCA13 gene, is highly expressed in ESCC tumor tissues and cell lines. Upregulation of circABCA13 correlated with TNM stage and a poor prognosis in ESCC patients. While knockdown of circABCA13 in ESCC cells significantly reduced cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth, overexpression of circABCA13 facilitated tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, circABCA13 directly binds to miR-4429 and sequesters miR-4429 from its endogenous target, SRXN1 mRNA, which subsequently upregulates SRXN1 and promotes ESCC progression. Consistently, overexpression of miR-4429 or knockdown of SRXN1 abolished malignant behavior promotion of ESCC results from circABCA13 overexpression in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our study uncovered the oncogenic role of circABCA13 and its mechanism in ESCC, suggesting that circABCA13 could be a potential therapeutic target and a predictive biomarker for ESCC patients.

Luminescence Enhancement and Temperature Sensing Properties of Hybrid Bismuth Halides Achieved via Tuning Organic Cations.

Bismuth-halide-based inorganic-organic hybrid materials (Bi-IOHMs) are desirable in luminescence-related applications due to their advantages such as low toxicity and chemical stability. Herein, two Bi-IOHMs of [Bpy][BiCl4(Phen)] (1, Bpy = N-butylpyridinium, Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) and [PP14][BiCl4(Phen)]·0.25H2O (2, PP14 = N-butyl-N-methylpiperidinium), containing different ionic liquid cations and same anionic units, have been synthesized and characterized. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that compounds 1 and 2 crystallize in the monoclinic space group of P21/c and P21, respectively. They both possess zero-dimensional ionic structures and exhibit phosphorescence at room temperature upon excitation of UV light (375 nm for 1, 390 nm for 2), with microsecond lifetime (24.13 µs for 1 and 95.37 µs for 2). Hirshfeld surface analysis has been utilized to visually exhibit the different packing motifs and intermolecular interactions in 1 and 2. The variation in ionic liquids makes compound 2 have a more rigid supramolecular structure than 1, resulting in a significant enhancement in photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), that is, 0.68% for 1 and 33.24% for 2. In addition, the ratio of the emission intensities for compounds 1 and 2 shows a correlation with temperature. This work provides new insight into luminescence enhancement and temperature sensing applications involving Bi-IOHMs.

Reversible Luminescent Switching Induced by Heat/Water Treatment in a Zero-Dimensional Hybrid Antimony(â ¢) Chloride.

Recently zero-dimensional (0-D) inorganic-organic metal halides (IOMHs) have become a promising class of optoelectronic materials. Herein, we report a new photoluminescent (PL) 0-D antimony(III)-based IOMH single crystal, namely [H2BPZ][SbCl5]·H2O (BPZ = benzylpiperazine). Photophysical characterizations indicate that [H2BPZ][SbCl5]·H2O exhibits singlet/triplet dual-band emission. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that [H2BPZ][SbCl5]·H2O has the large energy difference between singlet and triplet states, which might induce the dual emission in this compound. Temperature-dependent PL spectra analyses suggest the soft lattice and strong electron-phonon coupling in this compound. Thermogravimetric analysis shows that the water molecules in the lattice of the title crystal could be removed by thermal treatment, giving rise to a dehydrated phase of [H2BPZ][SbCl5]. Interestingly, such structural transformation is accompanied by a reversible PL emission transition between red light (630 nm, dehydrated phase) and yellow light (595 nm, water-containing phase). When being exposed to an environment with 77% relative humidity, the emission color of the dehydrated phase was able to change from red to yellow within 20 s, and the red emission could be restored after reheating. The red to yellow emission switching could be achieved in acetone with water concentration as low as 0.2 vol%. The reversible PL transition phenomenon makes [H2BPZ][SbCl5]·H2O a potential material for luminescent water-sensing.

RBCK1 is an endogenous inhibitor for triple negative breast cancer via hippo/YAP axis.

BACKGROUND: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most lethal breast cancer subtypes. Due to a lack of effective therapeutic targets, chemotherapy is still the main medical treatment for TNBC patients. Thus, it is important and necessary to find new therapeutic targets for TNBC. Recent genomic studies implicated the Hippo / Yap signal is over activated in TNBC, manifesting it plays a key role in TNBC carcinogenesis and cancer progression. RBCK1 was firstly identified as an important component for linear ubiquitin assembly complex (LUBAC) and facilitates NFKB signaling in immune response. Further studies showed RBCK1 also facilitated luminal type breast cancer growth and endocrine resistance via trans-activation estrogen receptor alpha. METHODS: RBCK1 and YAP protein expression levels were measured by western blotting, while the mRNA levels of YAP target genes were measured by RT-PCR. RNA sequencing data were analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Identification of Hippo signaling activity was accomplished with luciferase assays, RT-PCR and western blotting. Protein stability assays and ubiquitin assays were used to detect YAP protein degradation. Ubiquitin-based immunoprecipitation assays were used to detect the specific ubiquitination modification on the YAP protein. RESULTS: In our current study, our data revealed an opposite function for RBCK1 in TNBC progression. RBCK1 over-expression inhibited TNBC cell progression in vitro and in vivo, while RBCK1 depletion promoted TNBC cell invasion. The whole genomic expression profiling showed that RBCK1 depletion activated Hippo/YAP axis. RBCK1 depletion increased YAP protein level and Hippo target gene expression in TNBC. The molecular biology studies confirmed that RBCK1 could bind to YAP protein and enhance the stability of YAP protein by promoting YAP K48-linked poly-ubiquitination at several YAP lysine sites (K76, K204 and K321). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed the multi-faced RBCK1 function in different subtypes of breast cancer patients and a promising therapeutic target for TNBC treatment. Video abstract.

TRIM3 facilitates estrogen signaling and modulates breast cancer cell progression.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. More than 70% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor (ER) alpha positive. Compared with ER alpha-negative breast cancer, which is more aggressive and has a shorter survival time, ER alpha-positive breast cancer could benefit from endocrine therapy. Selective estrogen receptor modulators, such as tamoxifen, are widely used in endocrine therapy. Approximately half of ER alpha-positive breast cancer patients will eventually develop endocrine resistance, making it a major clinical challenge in therapy. Thus, decoding the throughput of estrogen signaling, including the control of ER alpha expression and stability, is critical for the improvement of breast cancer therapeutics. METHODS: TRIM3 and ER alpha protein expression levels were measured by western blotting, while the mRNA levels of ER alpha target genes were measured by RT-PCR. A CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell viability. RNA sequencing data were analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Identification of ER alpha signaling activity was accomplished with luciferase assays, RT-PCR and western blotting. Protein stability assays and ubiquitin assays were used to detect ER alpha protein degradation. Ubiquitin-based immunoprecipitation assays were used to detect the specific ubiquitination modification on the ER alpha protein. RESULTS: In our current study, we found that TRIM3, an E3 ligase, can promote ER alpha signaling activity and breast cancer progression. TRIM3 depletion inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation and migration, while unbiased RNA sequencing data indicated that TRIM3 is required for the activity of estrogen signaling on the -genome-wide scale. The immunoprecipitation assays indicated that TRIM3 associates with ER alpha and promotes its stability, possibly by inducing K63-linked polyubiquitination of ER alpha. In conclusion, our data implicate a nongenomic mechanism by which TRIM3 stabilizes the ER alpha protein to control ER alpha target gene expression linked to breast cancer progression. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a novel posttranslational mechanism in estrogen signaling. Modulation of TRIM3 expression or function could be an interesting approach for breast cancer treatment. Video abstract.

ZNF213 negatively controls triple negative breast cancer progression via Hippo/YAP signaling.

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies worldwide, while the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and virulent subtype in breast cancers. Compared with luminal type breast cancers, which could be well controlled by endocrine treatment, TNBC is worse in prognosis and lack of effective targeted therapy. Thus, it would be interesting and meaningful to identify novel therapeutic targets for TNBC treatments. Recent genomic data showed the activation of Hippo/YAP signaling in TNBC, indicating its critical roles in TNBC carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Hippo/YAP signaling could subject to several kinds of protein modifications, including ubiquitination and phosphorylation. Quite a few studies have demonstrated these modifications, which controlled YAP protein stability and turnover, played critical role in Hippo signaling activation In our current study, we identified ZNF213 as a negative modifier for Hippo/YAP axis. ZNF213 depletion promoted TNBC cell migration and invasion, which could be rescued by further YAP silencing. ZNF213 knocking down facilitated YAP protein stability and Hippo target gene expression, including CTGF and CYR61. Further mechanism studies demonstrated that ZNF213 associated with YAP and facilitated YAP K48-linked poly-ubiquitination at several YAP lysine sites (K252, K254, K321 and K497). Besides, the clinical data showed that ZNF213 negatively correlated with YAP protein level and Hippo target gene expression in TNBC samples. ZNF213 expression correlated with good prognosis in TNBC patients. Our data provided novel insights in YAP proteolytic regulation and TNBC progression.

Selective Luminescence Response of a Zero-Dimensional Hybrid Antimony(III) Halide to Solvent Molecules: Size-Effect and Supramolecular Interactions.

Zero-dimensional (0D) metal halides with solid-state luminescence switching (SSLS) have attracted attention as sensors and luminescent anticounterfeiting. Herein, selective solvent molecule response and accordingly luminescence switching were discovered in 0D [EtPPh3]2[SbCl5] (1, EtPPh3 = ethyltriphenylphosphonium). More than a dozen kinds of solvent molecules have been tested to find out the selection rule for molecule absorption in 1, which is demonstrated to be the size effect of guest molecules. Confirmed by crystal structural analysis, only the solvents with molecular volume less than 22.3 Å3 could be accommodated in 1 leading to the solvatochromic photoluminescence (PL). The mechanism of solvatochromic PL was also deeply studied, which was found to be closely related to the supramolecular interactions between solvent molecules and the host material. Different functional groups of the solvent molecule can affect its strength of hydrogen bonding with [SbCl5]2-, which is crucial for the distortion level of [SbCl5]2- unit and thus results in not only distinct solvatochromic PL but also distinct thermochromic PL. In addition, they all show typical self-trapped exciton triplet emissions. The additional supramolecular interactions from guest molecules can enhance the photoluminescence quantum yield to be as high as 95%.

MicroRNA-547-5p-mediated interleukin-33/suppressor of tumorigenicity 2 signaling underlies the genesis and maintenance of neuropathic pain and is targeted by the therapy with bone marrow stromal cells.

Interleukin-33 (IL-33)/suppressor of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) signaling is known to promote inflammation and the genesis and maintenance of neuropathic pain. However, it remained mostly unknown how IL-33/ST2 signaling can be enhanced by neuropathic stimulations. Here, we report that the chronic constriction nerve injury (CCI)-induced increases in the expression of IL-33 and ST2 and a decrease in microRNA (miRNA)-547-5p not only in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) but also in spinal dorsal horn (SDH) ipsilateral to the CCI. We found that increasing endogenous miRNA-547-5p by the intrathecal (i.t.) infusion of agomir-miR-547-5p did not produce any effect in naive rats but blocked the CCI-induced increases in the IL-33 and ST2, and pain sensitivity. The reducing endogenous miRNA-547-5p by the i.t. delivering antagomir-miR-547-5p into naive rats caused significant changes in IL-33 and ST2 expressions in both the DRG and SDH, and pain sensitivity, which were similar to those induced by the CCI. Since increasing IL-33 by the i.t. infusion of recombinant IL-33 produced no change in the expression of miR-547-5p, and the CCI still reduced miR-547-5p expression in rats with the IL-33 knockdown, we conclude that the reduction of miR-547-5p can be an upstream event leading to the enhancement of IL-33/ST2 signaling induced by the CCI. The intravenous application of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) reduced the depression of miR-547-5p in both the DRG and SDH, and pain hypersensitivity produced by the CCI or antagomir-miR547-5p application. However, the BMSC effect was significantly occluded by the pretreatment with miR-547-5p agomir or the IL-33 knockdown, demonstrating a novel mechanism underlying the BMSC therapy.

RNF181 modulates Hippo signaling and triple negative breast cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer ranks No. 1 in women cancer incidence, while triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and the worst prognostic subtype in all breast cancer subtypes. Compared with estrogen receptor alpha positive breast cancer, which could be well controlled by endocrine therapy, TNBC is lack of mature molecular targets for medical therapy. Thus, it is urgent and necessary to discovery the carcinogenic mechanism and potential therapeutic targets for TNBC. Recent studies reveal that Hippo/YAP signaling is an important mediator for TNBC progression. Our current study investigates the role of RING finger protein RNF181 in modulation Hippo/YAP signaling. METHODS: YAP and RN181 protein level were measured by western blot, while the Hippo classical target genes were measured by real-time PCR. WST1 assay were used to measure cell proliferation, the trans-well and wound healing were used to measure the cell migration and invasion capacity. Protein stability and ubiquitin assay were used to detect the YAP protein ubiquitin and stability. The immuno-precipitation assays were used to detect the protein interactions. Immuno-staining was used to detect the protein localization of YAP and RNF181, while the ubiquitin-based immuno-precipitation assays were used to detect the specific ubiquitination manner of YAP. RESULTS: Our current study identified a novel modulator-RNF181 as a positive mediator for Hippo/YAP signaling activation in TNBC. RNF181 depletion significantly inhibited TNBC cell migration, invasion and proliferation, which effect could be rescued by YAP overexpression. RNF181 depletion decreased YAP protein level and Hippo signaling target genes, such as CTGF and CYR61, in TNBC cell lines. Immuno-precipitation assay showed that RNF181 interact with YAP and promoted YAP stability by inhibition K48-linked poly-ubiquitination of YAP in TNBC cells. Besides, public available data showed that RNF181 is elevated in breast cancer and related to poor prognosis in TNBC patients. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence to establish a non-proteolytic mechanism in modulating Hippo signaling in breast cancer. RNF181 could be an interesting marker for triple negative breast cancer prognostics and therapeutics.

RNF168 facilitates proliferation and invasion of esophageal carcinoma, possibly via stabilizing STAT1.

Oesophageal cancer ranks as one of the most common malignancy in China and worldwide. Although genome-wide association studies and molecular biology studies aim to elucidate the driver molecules in oesophageal cancer progression, the detailed mechanisms remain to be identified. Interestingly, RNF168 (RING finger protein 168) shows a high frequency of gene amplification in oesophageal cancer from TCGA database. Here, we report an important function for RNF168 protein in supporting oesophageal cancer growth and invasion by stabilizing STAT1 protein. RNF168 gene is amplified in oesophageal cancer samples, which tends to correlate with poor prognosis. Depletion RNF168 causes decreased cell proliferation and invasion in oesophageal cancer cells. Through unbiased RNA sequencing in RNF168 depleted oesophageal cancer cell, we identifies JAK-STAT pathway is dramatically decreased. Depletion RNF168 reduced JAK-STAT target genes, such as IRF1, IRF9 and IFITM1. Immuno-precipitation reveals that RNF168 associates with STAT1 in the nucleus, stabilizing STAT1 protein and inhibiting its poly-ubiquitination and degradation. Our study provides a novel mechanism that RNF168 promoting JAK-STAT signalling in supporting oesophageal cancer progression. It could be a promising strategy to target RNF168 for oesophageal cancer treatment.

Activation of STAT1 by the FRK tyrosine kinase is associated with human glioma growth.

PURPOSE: Glioma is a highly aggressive and lethal brain tumor. Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathway are widely implicated in glioma carcinogenesis. Our previous study found that the Fynrelated kinase (FRK) gene, plays as a tumor suppressor in the development and progression of glioma. This study aimed to investigate the role of FRK in the activation pathway of STATs and its effect on the growth of glioma. METHODS: The U251 and U87 cells with stable FRK overexpression were generated by lentivirus technique. The effects of FRK on the related proteins of STAT signaling pathway were detected by western blotting. Coimmunoprecipitation was used to detect the association of FRK and STAT1. The effects of STAT1 on the proliferation of glioma cells were detected by CCK8 or Edu cell proliferation assays. The expressions and correlation of FRK and p-STAT1 in glioma tissues were detectd by western blotting or immunohistochemistry. The effect of FRK on the growth of glioma was investigated in vivo mouse model. RESULTS: The level of p-JAK2 and p-STAT1 increased after FRK overexpression, while they decreased after FRK downregulation both in U251 and U87 cells. However, FRK had no effect on STAT3 phosphorylation. FRK-induced STAT1 activation was not dependent on JAK2. FRK associated with STAT1, induced STAT1 nuclear translocation and regulated the expressions of STAT1-related target genes. STAT1 overexpression suppressed the proliferation of glioma cells. In contrast, STAT1 knockdown by siRNA promoted glioma cell growth. Importantly, down-regulation of STAT1 partially attenuated FRK-induced growth suppression. The clinical sample-based study indicated that the expression of FRK was significantly correlated with the expression of p-STAT1. FRK significantly inhibited glioma tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlighted a critical role of FRK in tumor suppression ability through promoting STAT1 activation, and provided a potential therapeutic target for glioma.

STAT1 facilitates oestrogen receptor α transcription and stimulates breast cancer cell proliferation.

Oestrogen receptor α (ERα) is overexpressed in two-thirds of all breast cancer cases and is involved in breast cancer development and progression. Although ERα -positive breast cancer can be effectively treated by endocrine therapy, endocrine resistance is an urgent clinical problem. Thus, further understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in ERα signalling is critical in dealing with endocrine resistance in patients with breast cancer. In the present study, unbiased RNA sequence analysis was conducted between the MCF-7 and MCF-7 tamoxifen-resistant (LCC2) cell lines in order to identify differentially expressed genes. The whole transcriptomic data indicated that the JAK-STAT pathway is markedly up-regulated, particularly the ISGF3 complex. As the critical effectors, STAT1 and IRF9 were up-regulated 5- and 20-fold, respectively, in LCC2 cells. The biological experiments indicated that STAT1 is important for ERα signalling. Depletion of STAT1 or inhibition of STAT1 function significantly decreased levels of ERα protein, ERα -target gene expression and cell proliferation in both the MCF-7 and LCC2 cell lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that ERα transcription is associated with STAT1 recruitment to the ERα promoter region, suggesting that transcriptional regulation is one mechanism by which STAT1 regulates ERα mRNA levels and ERα signalling in breast cancer cells. The present study reveals a possible endocrine-resistant mechanism by which STAT1 modulates ERα signalling and confers tamoxifen resistance. Targeting of STAT1 is a potential treatment strategy for endocrine-resistant breast cancers.

RNF168 facilitates oestrogen receptor ɑ transcription and drives breast cancer proliferation.

Oestrogen receptor ɑ (ERɑ) is overexpressed in two-thirds of all breast cancers and involves in development and breast cancer progression. Although ERɑ-positive breast cancer could be effective treated by endocrine therapy, the endocrine resistance is still an urgent clinical problem. Thus, further understanding of the underlying mechanisms ERɑ signalling is critical in dealing with endocrine resistance in breast cancer patients. MCF-7 and T47D breast cancer cell lines are used to carry out the molecular biological experiments. Western blot is used to assess the relative protein level of ERɑ, RNF168 and actin. Real-time PCR is used the measure the relative ERɑ-related gene mRNA level. Luciferase assay is used to measure the relative ERɑ signalling activity. Chromatin immunoprecipitation is used to measure the RNF168 binding affinity to ERɑ promoter regions. WST assay and flow cytometry are used to measure the cell proliferation capacity. We use Student's t test and one-way ANOVA test for statistical data analysis. Here, we report an important role in ERɑ-positive breast cancer cells for RNF168 protein in supporting cell proliferation by driving the transcription of ERɑ. RNF168 is highly expressed in breast cancer samples, compared with normal breast tissue. In patients with breast cancer, RNF168 expression level is correlated with poor endocrine treatment outcome. Depletion of RNF168 causes decreased cell proliferation in MCF-7 and T47D cells. Besides, depletion RNF168 reduced mRNA level of ERɑ and its target genes, such as PS2 and GREB1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that ERɑ transcription is associated with RNF168 recruitment to ERɑ promoter region, suggesting that transcriptional regulation is one mechanism by which RNF168 regulates ERɑ mRNA level and ERɑ signalling in breast cancer cells. RNF168 is required for ERɑ-positive breast cancer cell proliferation and facilitate ERɑ signalling activity possibly through promoting transcription of ERɑ.

Exosomal DNMT1 mediates cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Owing to late syndromic presentation and lack of efficient early detection, most cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. Surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy are still the standard care currently. However, resistance invoked often compromises the clinical value of the latter. Expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) was analysed by gene array. Protein was determined by immunoblotting. Exosome was isolated with commercial kit. Cell proliferation was measured by CCK8 method. Annexin V-PI double staining was performed for apoptosis evaluation. Xenograft model was established and administrated with exosome. Tumour growth and overall survival were monitored. We demonstrated the upregulation of DNMT1 in both tumour and derived cell line. DNMT1 transcripts were highly enriched in exosomes from conditioned medium of ovarian cells. Co-incubation with exosomes stimulated endogenous expression and rendered host cell the resistance to cytotoxicity of cisplatin. In vivo administration of DNMT1-containing exosomes exacerbated xenograft progression and reduced overall survival significantly. Moreover, treatment with exosome inhibitor GW4869 almost completely restored sensitivity in resistant cells. Our data elucidated an unappreciated mechanism of exosomal DNMT1 in cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer, also indicating the potential of the combination of exosome inhibitor with cisplatin in resistant patients.

Rational Integration of Polypropylene/Graphene Oxide/Nafion as Ternary-Layered Separator to Retard the Shuttle of Polysulfides for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

The reversible electrochemical transformation from lithium (Li) and sulfur (S) into Li2 S through multielectron reactions can be utilized in secondary Li-S batteries with very high energy density. However, both the low Coulombic efficiency and severe capacity degradation limits the full utilization of active sulfur, which hinders the practical applications of Li-S battery system. The present study reports a ternary-layered separator with a macroporous polypropylene (PP) matrix layer, graphene oxide (GO) barrier layer, and Nafion retarding layer as the separator for Li-S batteries with high Coulombic efficiency and superior cyclic stability. In the ternary-layered separator, ultrathin layer of GO (0.0032 mg cm(-2) , estimated to be around 40 layers) blocks the macropores of PP matrix, and a dense ion selective Nafion layer with a very low loading amount of 0.05 mg cm(-2) is attached as a retarding layer to suppress the crossover of sulfur-containing species. The ternary-layered separators are effective in improving the initial capacity and the Coulombic efficiency of Li-S cells from 969 to 1057 mAh g(-1) , and from 80% to over 95% with an LiNO3 -free electrolyte, respectively. The capacity degradation is reduced from 0.34% to 0.18% per cycle within 200 cycles when the PP separator is replaced by the ternary-layered separators. This work provides the rational design strategy for multifunctional separators at cell scale to effective utilizing of active sulfur and retarding of polysulfides, which offers the possibility of high energy density Li-S cells with long cycling life.

Atypical ubiquitin ligase RNF31: the nuclear factor modulator in breast cancer progression.

Breast cancer causes the No.1 women cancer prevalence and the No.2 women cancer mortality worldwide. Nuclear receptor/transcriptional factor signaling is aberrant and plays important roles in breast cancer pathogenesis and evolution, such as estrogen receptor α (ERα/ESR1), tumor protein p53 (p53/TP53) and Nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB). About 60-70 % of breast tumors are ERα positive, while approximate 70 % of breast tumors are P53 wild type. Recent studies indicate that nuclear receptors/transcriptional factors could be tightly controlled through protein post-translational modification.The nuclear receptors/transcriptional factors could endure several types of modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation and ubiquitination. Compared with the other two types of modifications, ubiquitination was mostly linked to protein degradation process, while few researches focused on the functional changes of the target proteins. Until recent years, ubiquitination process is no longer regarded as merely a protein degradation process, but aslo treated as one kind of modification signal.As an atypical E3 ubiquitin ligase, RNF31 was previously found to facilitate NFκB signaling transduction through linear ubiquitination on IKKγ(IκB kinase γ). Our previous studies showed important regulatory functions of RNF31 in controlling important oncogenic pathways in breast cancer, such as ERα and p53. This review highlights recent discoveries on RNF31 functions in nuclear factor modifications, breast cancer progression and possible therapeutic inhibitors targeting RNF31.

PSMD14 stabilizes estrogen signaling and facilitates breast cancer progression via deubiquitinating ERα.

The over-activation of ERα signaling is regarded as the major driver for luminal breast cancers, which could be effective controlled via selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM), such as tamoxifen. The endocrine resistance is still a challenge for breast cancer treatment, while recently studies implicate the post-translational modification on ERα play important roles in endocrine resistance. The stability of ERα protein and ERα transcriptome are subject to a balance between E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinases. Through deubiquitinases siRNA library screening, we discover PSMD14 as a critical deubiquitinase for ERα signaling and breast cancer progression. PSMD14 could facilitate breast cancer progression through ERα signaling in vitro and in vivo, while pharmaceutical inhibition of PSMD14 via Thiolutin could block the tumorigenesis in breast cancer. In endocrine resistant models, PSMD14 inhibition could de-stabilize the resistant form of ERα (Y537S) and restore tamoxifen sensitivity. Molecular studies reveal that PSMD14 could inhibition K48-linked poly-ubiquitination on ERα, facilitate ERα transcriptome. Interestingly, ChIP assay shows that ERα could bind to the promoter region of PSMD14 and facilitate its gene transcription, which indicates PSMD14 is both the upstream modulator and downstream target for ERα signaling in breast cancer. In general, we identified a novel positive feedback loop between PSMD14 and ERα signaling in breast cancer progression, while blockade of PSMD14 could be a plausible strategy for luminal breast cancer.

Predictive value of the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio in the treatment of septic arthritis in young children: A retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Septic arthritis (SA) can cause lifelong disability in children due to joint dysfunction but there is controversy regarding the timing of surgery in SA. The C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) has emerged as a novel marker of inflammation and has been extensively used in predicting inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and systemic inflammation. Despite advancements, few studies have evaluated the role of CAR in SA. Therefore, the present study was aimed to investigate whether CAR could serve as predictive indicators for determining whether patients under four years old with SA should be managed conservatively or require surgical intervention, and to analyze its predictive accuracy. HYPOTHESIS: An increase in CAR values among patients under four years old with SA indicates the requirement of surgical intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled SA children under four years old and divided them into two groups, the surgery and conservative groups. The clinical data between the two groups were compared and multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the independent predictors of SA requiring surgery. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to determine the predictive ability of CAR in SA requiring surgery. RESULTS: A total of 82 SA children were included, with 42 children (51.3%) in the surgery group and 40 children (48.7%) in the conservative group. CAR ≥ 1.165 [OR = 12.641, 95% CI (4.264 - 37.479),p < 0.001] was an independent predictive indicator for surgery in SA children under four years old, with a predicted sensitivity of 0.714, specificity of 0.850, and AUC of 0.793 [95% (0.694-0.893)] indicating good predictive accuracy. DISCUSSION: CAR to be an independent predictive indicator patients under four years old with SA. And a CAR value ≥ 1.165 upon admission in these patients suggests the necessity for surgical intervention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, Retrospective study.