C-QDs@UiO-66-(COOH)2 Composite Film via Electrophoretic Deposition for Temperature Sensing.

Temperature plays a crucial role in both scientific research and industry. However, traditional temperature sensors, such as liquid-filled thermometers, thermocouples, and transistors, require contact to obtain heat equilibrium between the probe and the samples during the measurement. In addition, traditional temperature sensors have limitations when being used to detect the temperature change of fast-moving samples at smaller scales. Herein, the carbon quantum dots (C-QDs) functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF) composite film, a novel contactless solid optical thermometer, has been prepared via electrophoretic deposition (EPD). Instead of terephthalic acid (H2BDC), 1',2',4',5'-benzenetetracarboxylic (H4BTEC) acid was employed to construct a UiO-66 framework to present two uncoordinated carboxylic groups decorated on the pore surface. The uncoordinated carboxylic groups can generate negative charges, which facilitates the deposition of film on the positive electrode during the EPD process. Moreover, UiO-66-(COOH)2 MOFs can absorb C-QDs from the solution and prevent C-QDs from aggregating, and the well-dispersed C-QDs impart fluorescence characteristics to composites. As-synthesized composite film was successfully used to detect temperature change in the range of 97-297 K with a relative sensitivity up to 1.3% K-1 at 297 K.

Facile and Rapid Growth of Nanostructured Ln-BTC Metal-Organic Framework Films by Electrophoretic Deposition for Explosives sensing in Gas and Cr 3+ Detection in Solution.

Until now, it has been a challenge to prepare lanthanide metal-organic framework films on traditional substrates, like zinc plate, indium oxide (ITO), and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glasses in a rapid and facile method. In this paper, continuous and dense Ln-BTC MOFs films on unmodified low-cost substrates have been rapidly and easily fabricated though the newly developed electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method in 5 min. Moreover, the as-prepared luminescent films were successfully used for the detection of nitrobenzene (NB), trinitrotoluene (TNT) in gas phases, as well as NB, Cr3+ ions for detection in solution.

High expression of COX5B is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cytochrome c oxidase subunit VB (COX5B), a subunit of mammalian COX, takes roles in COX assembling and functions. Online database predicts high COX5B transcription may be associated with worse disease-free survival (DFS). However, the clinical implications of COX5B in breast cancer remain unclear. METHODS: We carried out immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays of 244 patients with invasive ductal breast carcinoma to detected COX5B expression. RESULTS: Our results suggest that COX5B protein level might be associated with tumor size. COX5B overexpression indicated a worse DFS (p < 0.05) in breast cancer. Furthermore, high COX5B expression may act as an independent factor for worse DFS in breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Cumulatively, our findings suggest that COX5B might serve as an important prognostic factor for breast cancer.

Loss of TIM50 suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in breast cancer.

TIM50 is an essential component of TIM23 complex and involved in protein translocating into the inner mitochondrial membrane. Here, we found that TIM50 was increased in breast cancer cells by SILAC. However, its biological functions and molecular mechanisms in breast cancer are poorly understood. To gain insight into the functions of TIM50 in breast cancer, we constructed two stably transfected cell lines and examined TIM50 expression in tissue samples. Our data showed that TIM50 expression was increased in breast cancer. The stable suppression of TIM50 expression through lentivirus-mediated shRNA was shown to inhibit the abilities of cancer cell proliferation and induce apoptosis. What is more, depletion of TIM50 could decrease mitochondrial membrane potential, which may be associated with cell viability. Taken together, our findings reveal a new role for TIM50 in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis through decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential in breast cancer cell and suggest that TIM50 might be a potential target for controlling breast cancer progression.

An Anion Metal-Organic Framework with Lewis Basic Sites-Rich toward Charge-Exclusive Cationic Dyes Separation and Size-Selective Catalytic Reaction.

Organic dye pollutants become a big headache due to their toxic nature to the environment, and it should be one of the best solutions if we can separate and reuse them. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a microporous anion metal-organic framework (MOF) with Lewis basic sites-rich based on TDPAT (2,4,6-tris(3,5-dicarboxylphenylamino)-1,3,5-triazine) ligand, FJI-C2, which shows high adsorption and separation of cationic dye based on the charge-exclusive effect. Compared to other MOF materials, FJI-C2 shows the largest adsorption amount of methylene blue (1323 mg/g) at room temperature due to the nature of the anion frameworks and high surface area/pore volume. Furthermore, motivated by the adsorption properties of large guest molecules, we proceeded to investigate the catalytic behaviors of FJI-C2, not only because the large pore facilitates the mass transfer of guest molecules but also because the high density of Lewis basic sites can act as effective catalytic sites. As expected, FJI-C2 exhibits excellent catalytic performance for size-selective Knoevenagel condensation under mild conditions and can be reused several times without a significant decrease of the activity.

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide in Acidic Electrolyte with Superior Performance of a Metal-Covalent Organic Framework over Metal-Organic Framework.

CO2 electroreduction (CO2RR) to generate valuable chemicals in acidic electrolytes can improve the carbon utilization rate in comparison to that under alkaline conditions. However, the thermodynamically more favorable hydrogen evolution reaction under an acidic electrolyte makes the CO2RR a big challenge. Herein, robust metal phthalocyanine(Pc)-based (M = Ni, Co) conductive metal-covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs) connected by strong metal tetraaza[14]annulene (TAA) linkage, named NiPc-NiTAA and NiPc-CoTAA, are designed and synthesized to apply in the CO2RR in acidic electrolytes for the first time. The optimal NiPc-NiTAA exhibited an excellent Faradaic efficiency (FECO) of 95.1% and a CO partial current density of 143.0 mA cm-2 at -1.5 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode in an acidic electrolyte, which is 3.1 times that of the corresponding metal-organic framework NiPc-NiN4. The comparison tests and theoretical calculations reveal that in-plane full π-d conjugation MCOF with a good conductivity of 3.01 × 10-4 S m-1 accelerates migration of the electrons. The NiTAA linkage can tune the electron distribution in the d orbit of metal centers, making the d-band center close to the Fermi level and then activating CO2. Thus, the active sites of NiPc and NiTAA collaborate to reduce the *COOH formation energy barrier, favoring CO production in an acid electrolyte. It is a helpful route for designing outstanding conductive MCOF materials to enhance CO2 electrocatalysis under an acidic electrolyte.

Br, O-Modified Cu(111) Interface Promotes CO2 Reduction to Multicarbon Products.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to multicarbon (C2+) products with added value represents a promising strategy for achieving a carbon-neutral economy. Precise manipulation of the catalytic interface is imperative to control the catalytic selectivity, particularly toward C2+ products. In this study, a unique Cu/UIO-Br interface is designed, wherein the Cu(111) plane is co-modified simultaneously by Br and O from UIO-66-Br support. Such Cu/UIO-Br catalytic interface demonstrates a superior Faradaic efficiency of ≈53% for C2+ products (ethanol/ethylene) and the C2+ partial current density reached 24.3 mA cm-2 in an H-cell electrolyzer. The kinetic isotopic effect test, in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations have been conducted to elucidate the catalytic mechanism. The Br, O co-modification on the Cu(111) interface enhanced the adsorption of CO2 species. The hydrogen-bond effect from the doped Br atom regulated the kinetic processes of *H species in CO2RR and promoted the formation of *COH intermediate. The formed *COH facilitates the *CO-*COH coupling and promotes the C2+ selectivity finally. This comprehensive investigation not only provides an in-depth study and understanding of the catalytic process but also offers a promising strategy for designing efficient Cu-based catalysts with exceptional C2+ products.

In situ growth of metal-organic framework thin films with gas sensing and molecule storage properties.

New porous metal-organic framework (MOF) films based on the flexible ligand 1,3,5-tris[4-(carboxyphenyl)oxamethyl]-2,4,6-trimethylbenzene (H3TBTC) were fabricated on α-Al2O3 substrates under solvent thermal conditions. The factors affecting the fabrication of films, such as the temperature of pre-activation and the dosage of the reagents, were investigated. Tuning the subtle factors on film fabrications, a series of MOF thin films with different morphologies and grain sizes were prepared. The morphology and grain size of the films are monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) were also used to characterize the MOF films. The results indicate that the temperature of pre-activation and the dosage of the reagents are the key parameters during the process of film formation. The properties of the films, especially the sensing and sorption behavior, have been studied by an optical digital cameral and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectra. The evidence shows that the films are sensitive to small organic molecules, such as methanol and pyridine. Meanwhile, the films can adsorb small dye molecules. Thus, the films may have potential applications in either organic vapor sensing or storage of small dye molecules.

Rational Design of Electron Transfer Kineties of CdS/Zn(impim) Dots-on-Rods for Efficient Visible-Light Reduced C-X Bond.

Halogenated organic compounds are a kind of common environmental pollutants. Photocatalytic dehalogenation of C-halogen (C-X) bonds to C-H bonds can not only control environmental pollution but also realize important organic conversion reactions. However, the electron transfer kinetics of photocatalytic reduction of the C-X bond for semiconductor/MOF composites has remained unexplored. Herein, we successfully synthesized CdS/Zn(impim) (MOF) dots-on-rods composite photocatalyst under mild conditions. Zn(impim) MOF consists of Zn(µ-N)4 clusters and imidazole derivative ligands. Zn(impim), as a carrier, is beneficial to the dispersion of CdS nanoparticles and avoiding the agglomeration of CdS nanoparticles. The photocatalytic performance of CdS/Zn(impim) composites for the reduction of the C-X bond is much higher than that of pure CdS or Zn(impim). This high activity is due to the high electron separation efficiency of CdS assisted by Zn(impim). Under visible light irradiation, Zn(impim) is not excited due to its wide band gap of 3.26 eV. Through metal-to-ligand charge transfer of Zn(µ-N)4 clusters, Zn(impim) accepts excited electrons from CdS because the Fermi energy level of CdS is more negative by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Moreover, fluorescence spectrum and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy reveal the related electron transfer kinetics in detail. In addition, the inherent porous structure of MOFs is beneficial to the adsorption of halogenated hydrocarbons, providing a suitable environment for the dehalogenation reaction, thus improving the activity. This work can further understand the electron transfer mechanism in semiconductor/MOF composites for photocatalytic halide dehalogenation.

Definition and retrospective application of a clinical scoring system for COVID-19 triage at presentation.

BACKGROUND: A simple scoring system for triage of suspected patients with COVID-19 is lacking. METHODS: A multi-disciplinary team developed a screening score taking into account epidemiology history, clinical feature, radiographic feature, and routine blood test. At fever clinics, the screening score was used to identify the patients with moderate to high probability of COVID-19 among all the suspected patients. The patients with moderate to high probability of COVID-19 were allocated to a single room in an isolation ward with level-3 protection. And those with low probability were allocated to a single room in a general ward with level-2 protection. At the isolation ward, the screening score was used to identify the confirmed and probable cases after two consecutive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests. The data in the People's Hospital of Changshou District were used for internal validation and those in the People's Hospital of Yubei District for external validation. RESULTS: We enrolled 76 and 40 patients for internal and external validation, respectively. In the internal validation cohort, the area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics (AUC) was 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89-0.99] for the diagnosis of moderate to high probability of cases among all the suspected patients. Using 60 as cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity were 88% and 93%, respectively. In the isolation ward, the AUC was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.83-0.99) for the diagnosis of confirmed and probable cases. Using 90 as cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity were 78% and 100%, respectively. These results were confirmed in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: The scoring system provides a reference on COVID-19 triage in fever clinics to reduce misdiagnosis and consumption of protective supplies.The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.

SNHG22 overexpression indicates poor prognosis and induces chemotherapy resistance via the miR-2467/Gal-1 signaling pathway in epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Recently, an increasing number of studies have reported that dysregulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) plays an important role in cancer initiation and progression, including in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). However, little is known about the detailed biological functions of the lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 22 (SNHG22) during the progression of EOC. Here, we found that SNHG22 was significantly increased in EOC tissues and was significantly associated with a low level of differentiation. Forced SNHG22 expression promoted chemotherapy resistance in EOC cells. Knockdown of SNHG22 expression increased the sensitivity of EOC cells to cisplatin and paclitaxel. Importantly, we found that SNHG22 could directly interact with miR-2467 and lead to the release of miR-2467-targeted Gal-1 mRNA. Moreover, SNHG22 overexpression induced EOC cell resistance to chemotherapy agents via PI3K/AKT and ERK cascade activation. In summary, our findings demonstrate that SNHG22 plays a critical role in the chemotherapy resistance of EOC by mediating the miR-2467/Gal-1 regulatory axis.

Preparation of Dual-Emitting Ln@UiO-66-Hybrid Films via Electrophoretic Deposition for Ratiometric Temperature Sensing.

Engineering novel dual-emitting metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with wide emission ranges for application as ratiometric temperature sensors is still a challenge. In this paper, two novel dual-emitting MOFs with intergrated lanthanide metals and luminescent ligand in a UiO-66-type structure, named Ln@UiO-66-Hybrid, were prepared via the combination of postsynthetic modification and postsynthetic exchange methods. Subsequently, the as-synthesized MOFs were deposited onto fluorine tin oxide substrates through electrophoretic deposition by taking advantage of the charges from the unmodified carboxylic groups of the MOFs. The as-prepared Tb@UiO-66-Hybrid and Eu@UiO-66-Hybrid films were applied to detect temperature changes. The resulting Tb@UiO-66-Hybrid film exhibited good temperature-sensing properties with a relative sensitivity of up to 2.76% K-1 in the temperature range of 303-353 K. In addition, the Eu@UiO-66-Hybrid film showed excellent temperature-sensing performance based on the energy transfer between the luminescent ligand (H2NDC) and europium ions with a relative sensitivity of up to 4.26% K-1 in the temperature range of 303-403 K.

Dual-Emitting UiO-66(Zr&Eu) Metal-Organic Framework Films for Ratiometric Temperature Sensing.

A novel dual-emitting metal-organic framework based on Zr and Eu, named as UiO-66(Zr&Eu), was built using a clever strategy based on secondary building units. With the use of polymers, the obtained UiO-66(Zr&Eu) was subsequently deposited as thin films that can be utilized as smart thermometers. The UiO-66(Zr&Eu) polymer films can be used for the detection of temperature changes in the range of 237-337 K due to the energy transfer between the lanthanide ions (Eu in clusters) and the luminescent ligands, and the relative sensitivity reaches 4.26% K-1 at 337 K. Moreover, the sensitivity can be improved to 19.67% K-1 by changing the film thickness. In addition, the temperature-sensing performance of the films is superior to that of the powders, and the sensor can be reused 3 times without loss of performance.

Downregulation of FOXP2 promotes breast cancer migration and invasion through TGFß/SMAD signaling pathway.

Cancer metastasis and relapse are the primary cause of mortality for patients with breast cancer. The present study performed quantitative proteomic analysis on the differentially expressed proteins between highly metastatic breast cancer cells and parental cells. It was revealed that forkhead box P2 (FOXP2), a transcription factor in neural development, may become a potential inhibitor of breast cancer metastasis. The results demonstrated that patients with a lower level of FOXP2 expression had significantly poorer relapse-free survival (P=0.0047). The transcription of FOXP2 was also significantly downregulated in breast cancer tissue compared with normal breast tissue (P=0.0005). In addition, FOXP2 may inhibit breast cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. It was also revealed that the underlying mechanism may include the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process driven by the tumor growth factor ß/SMAD signaling pathway. In conclusion, the present study identified FOXP2 as a novel suppressor and prognostic marker of breast cancer metastasis. These results may provide further insight into breast cancer prevention and the development of novel treatments.

Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes in Paget disease: a SEER population-based study.

The objective of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of Paget disease (PD), Paget disease concomitant infiltrating duct carcinoma (PD-IDC), and Paget disease concomitant intraductal carcinoma (PD-DCIS). We identified 501,631 female patients from 2000 to 2013 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. These identified patients included patients with PD (n = 469), patients with PD-IDC (n = 1832), and patients with PD-DCIS (n = 1130) and infiltrating ductal carcinoma (IDC) (n = 498,076). Then, we compared the clinical characteristics of these patients with those who were diagnosed with IDC during the same period. The outcomes of these subtypes of breast carcinoma were different. Based on the overall survival, the patients with PD-IDC had the worst prognosis (5-year survival rate = 84.1%). The PD-DCIS had the best prognosis (5-year survival rate = 97.5%). Besides, among patients with Paget disease, the one who was married had a better prognosis than who were not. And, according to our research, the marital status was associated with the hormone receptor status in patients with PD-IDC. Among three subtypes of Paget disease, patients with PD-IDC had the worst prognosis. Besides, patients who were unmarried had worse outcomes. And the marital status of patients with PD-IDC is associated with hormone status. The observation underscores the importance of individualized treatment.

Involvement of X-chromosome Reactivation in Augmenting Cancer Testis Antigens Expression: A Hypothesis.

Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are attractive targets for tumor immunotherapy because of their tumor-specific expression. Since more than half of confirmed CTAs are located on the X-chromosome, we asked whether there is a link between CTA expression and X-chromosomes. Recent reports have shown that reactivation of the inactive X-chromosome, known as X-chromosome reactivation (XCR), a unique phenomenon that exists in many high-risk tumors in women, can transform the expression of many X-linked genes from monoallelic to biallelic. In this review, we discuss the link between CTA and XCR with the hopes of providing some novel insights into tumor biology.

UHRF1 promotes breast cancer progression by suppressing KLF17 expression by hypermethylating its promoter.

UHRF1 is an epigenetic regulator and perform pivotal functions in cell tumorigenesis. We found UHRF1 is increased in breast cancer and patients with high UHRF1 levels have poorer prognoses than those with low UHRF1 levels. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we found overexpression UHRF1 indeed promoted cell proliferation and migration, whereas its downregulation had the opposite functions. In vivo, UHRF1 also accelerated tumor growth. Mechanistically, microarrays were performed in MDA-MB-231 sh-UHRF1 and NC cells and KLF17, with rich CpG islands on its promoter region, finally caused our attention. Then, the expression of UHRF1 and KLF17 was testified negatively correlated in breast cancer cell lines and tissues. Additionally, the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration by UHRF1 depletion can be rescued by KLF17 silencing, suggesting KLF17 is downstream gene of UHRF1. The potential mechanism is that overexpression UHRF1 increased methylation of CpG nucleotides on KLF17 promoter, while UHRF1 silence decreased methylation. Collectively, our results demonstrated that increased UHRF1 can promote breast cancer cell proliferation and migration via silencing of KLF17 expression through CpG island methylation on its promoter.

Comparison of patterns and prognosis among distant metastatic breast cancer patients by age groups: a SEER population-based analysis.

To investigate the effects of age at diagnosis on metastatic breast cancer and patients' prognosis, we collected patient data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We finally identified 4932 eligible metastatic breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2010-2013, including 850 younger patients (<50 years), 2,540 middle-aged patients (50-69 years) and 1,542 elder patients (>69 years). The results revealed that in stage IV patients, elder patients were more likely to have lung metastasis (P < 0.001) and less likely to have only distant lymphatic spread (P = 0.004). Higher proportion of younger (34.9%) and middle-aged (36.2%) patients had multiple metastatic sites than elder patients (28.3%) (P < 0.001). In survival analysis, younger patients presented the best prognosis, while elder patients had the worst both in overall survival (χ2 = 121.9, P < 0.001) and breast cancer-specific survival (χ2 = 69.8, P < 0.001). Age at diagnosis was an independent prognostic factor for metastatic breast cancer patients. Moreover, patients with bone metastasis only had superior survival compared to other metastatic patients (P < 0.001). Brain metastasis only group and multiple sites metastasis group had the poorest prognosis (P < 0.05). We hope the results will provide insights into a better understanding of distant metastatic breast cancer.

Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of male breast cancer according to race: A SEER population-based study.

To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of breast cancer in the male population, 8,607 cases of patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, including white males (n = 7122), black males (n = 1111), and other males (American Indian/AK Native, Asian/Pacific Islander) (n = 374). Black male breast cancer patients were more likely to be in stages II-IV and have more advanced tumors. The rate of lymph node (LN) involvement at diagnosis was higher in black men than in whites and others. The ER- and PR-positive rates were lower in black men than in whites and others. The distant metastasis rate was higher in blacks than in whites and others. Furthermore, the overall survival (OR) rates and breast cancer-specific survival rates were significantly poorer in blacks than in whites and others (χ2 = 29.974, P < 0.001; χ2 = 7.285, P = 0.026, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, the results showed that race could also be a prognostic indicator (P < 0.001). Moreover, significant differences were also observed in OS among 1:1:1 matched white, black, and other groups (P < 0.001). Differences in outcomes may be partially explained by differences in tumor grades, LN status, and ER and PR status between the 3 groups. This study might provide insights into a better understanding of male breast cancer.

Integration of metal-organic frameworks into an electrochemical dielectric thin film for electronic applications.

The integration of porous metal-organic frameworks onto the surface of materials, for use as functional devices, is currently emerging as a promising approach for gas sensing and flexible displays. However, research focused on potential applications in electronic devices is in its infancy. Here we present a facile strategy by which interpenetrated, crystalline metal-organic framework films are deposited onto conductive metal-plate anodes via in situ temperature-controlled electrochemical assembly. The nanostructure of the surface as well as the thickness and uniformity of the film are well controlled. More importantly, the resulting films exhibit enhanced dielectric properties compared to traditional inorganic or organic gate dielectrics. This study demonstrates the successful implementation of the rational design of metal-organic framework thin films on conductive supports with high-performance dielectric properties.