PNP Nanofluidic Transistor with Actively Tunable Current Response and Ionic Signal Amplification.

Inspired by electronic transistors, electric field gating has been adopted to manipulate ionic currents of smart nanofluidic devices. Here, we report a PNP nanofluidic bipolar junction transistor (nBJT) consisting of one polyaniline (PANI) layer sandwiched between two polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanoporous membranes. The PNP nBJT exhibits three different responses of currents (quasi-linear, rectification, and sigmoid) due to the counterbalance between surface charge distribution and base voltage applied in the nanofluidic channels; thus, they can be switched by base voltage. Four operating modes (cutoff, active, saturation, and breakdown mode) occur in the collector response currents. Under optimal conditions, the PNP nBJT exhibits an average current gain of up to 95 in 100 mM KCl solution at a low base voltage of 0.2 V. The present nBJT is promising for fabrication of nanofluidic devices with logical-control functions for analysis of single molecules.

Circ_0000144 facilitates the progression of thyroid cancer via the miR-217/AKT3 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is the most common malignancy of the endocrine system. Circular RNA (circRNA) is vital in the regulation of tumor progression. Circ_0000144 serves as a novel oncogenic circRNA, and miR-217 is reported to inhibit the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells by targeting AKT3 in TC. The present study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of circ_0000144 and miR-217 in the progression of TC. METHODS: Circ_0000144 expression in 32 pairs of TC tissues and different TC cell lines (including BCPAP, K1, H7H83, and TPC-1) was detected by employing a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Circ_0000144 small interfering RNA was used to establish loss-of-function models. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), BrdU (5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine) and transwell assays were utilized to verify the effects of circ_0000144 on TC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. Bioinformatics, western blotting, a luciferase reporter experiment and qRT-PCR were employed to confirm the relationships among circ_0000144, miR-217 and AKT3. RESULTS: Circ_0000144 expression was remarkably elevated in TC tissues (p < 0.001) and TC cell lines. The elevation of circ_0000144 expression was markedly linked to tumor size (p = 0.015), TNM stage (p = 0.025) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.017) of the patients. Functional studies showed that knocking down circ_0000144 repressed the malignancy of TC cells. Furthermore, miR-217 was identified as a downstream target of circ_0000144; inhibition of miR-217 could reverse the effects induced by circ_0000144 knockdown. Moreover, circ_0000144 could regulate AKT3 expression by suppressing miR-217 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Circ_0000144 exerts a cancer-promoting effect on TC cells via the miR-217/AKT3 pathway.

Recent Progress in Implantable Drug Delivery Systems.

In recent years, tremendous effort is devoted to developing platforms, such as implantable drug delivery systems (IDDSs), with temporally and spatially controlled drug release capabilities and improved adherence. IDDSs have multiple advantages: i) the timing and location of drug delivery can be controlled by patients using specific stimuli (light, sound, electricity, magnetism, etc.). Some intelligent "closed-loop" IDDS can even realize self-management without human participation. ii) IDDSs enable continuous and stable delivery of drugs over a long period (months to years) and iii) to administer drugs directly to the lesion, thereby helping reduce dosage and side effects. iv) IDDSs enable personalized drug delivery according to patient needs. The high demand for such systems has prompted scientists to make efforts to develop intelligent IDDS. In this review, several common stimulus-responsive mechanisms including endogenous (e.g., pH, reactive oxygen species, proteins, etc.) and exogenous stimuli (e.g., light, sound, electricity, magnetism, etc.), are given in detail. Besides, several types of IDDS reported in recent years are reviewed, including various stimulus-responsive systems based on the above mechanisms, radio frequency-controlled IDDS, "closed-loop" IDDS, self-powered IDDS, etc. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of various IDDS, bottleneck problems, and possible solutions are analyzed to provide directions for subsequent research.

Metabolic landscape and pathogenic insights: a comprehensive analysis of high ovarian response in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

BACKGROUND: In the realm of assisted reproduction, a subset of infertile patients demonstrates high ovarian response following controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), with approximately 29.7% facing the risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). Management of OHSS risk often necessitates embryo transfer cancellation, leading to delayed prospects of successful pregnancy and significant psychological distress. Regrettably, these patients have received limited research attention, particularly regarding their metabolic profile. In this study, we aim to utilize gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to reveal these patients' unique serum metabolic profiles and provide insights into the disease's pathogenesis. METHODS: We categorized 145 infertile women into two main groups: the CON infertility group from tubal infertility patients and the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) infertility group. Within these groups, we further subdivided them into four categories: patients with normal ovarian response (CON-NOR group), patients with high ovarian response and at risk for OHSS (CON-HOR group) within the CON group, as well as patients with normal ovarian response (PCOS-NOR group) and patients with high ovarian response and at risk for OHSS (PCOS-HOR group) within the PCOS group. Serum metabolic profiles were analyzed using GC-MS. The risk criteria for OHSS were: the number of developing follicles > 20, peak Estradiol (E2) > 4000pg/mL, and Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels > 4.5ng/mL. RESULTS: The serum metabolomics analysis revealed four different metabolites within the CON group and 14 within the PCOS group. Remarkably, 10-pentadecenoic acid emerged as a discernible risk metabolite for the CON-HOR, also found to be a differential metabolite between CON-NOR and PCOS groups. cysteine and 5-methoxytryptamine were also identified as risk metabolites for the PCOS-HOR. Furthermore, KEGG analysis unveiled significant enrichment of the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway among the metabolites differing between PCOS-NOR and PCOS-HOR. CONCLUSION: Our study highlights significant metabolite differences between patients with normal ovarian response and those with high ovarian response and at risk for OHSS within both the tubal infertility control group and PCOS infertility group. Importantly, we observe metabolic similarities between patients with PCOS and those with a high ovarian response but without PCOS, suggesting potential parallels in their underlying causes.

Entrapment of protein in nanotubes formed by a nanochannel and ion-channel hybrid structure of anodic alumina.

The nanochannel (in a porous layer) and ion-channel (in a barrier layer) hybrid structure of anodic alumina is used as a protein-trapping device. The transmembrane potential drives the electromigration of the charged proteins (FITC-labeled) into the nanochannels, but electromigration across the barrier layer is impossible due to the size-exclusion effect. As a result, the proteins can be continuously trapped in the nanochannels.

Reduction of CAII Expression in Gastric Cancer: Correlation with Invasion and Metastasis.

OBJECTIVE: Human carbonic anhydrases II (CAII) gene plays an important role in different cancer. However, its relevance to gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the expression of CAII in GC and explore its correlation with some clinicopathologic characteristics of GC. METHODS: The expression of CAII in 20 specimens of normal gastric mucosa, 38 specimens of intraepithelial neoplasia and 112 specimens of gastric carcinoma were detected by immunohistochemical techniques. Survival in GC with CAII expression was studied. RESULTS: The positive rate of CAII protein in normal gastric mucosa was significantly higher than that in intraepithelial neoplasia and gastric carcinoma (100% vs. 63.16% and 28.57%, P<0.001). The positive rate of CAII protein was significantly higher in gastric carcinoma at early stages than that at advanced stages (70.0% vs. 19.57%, P<0.001). The positive rate of CAII protein was significantly lower in gastric carcinoma with lymph node metastases than that without lymph node metastases (10.81% vs. 37.33%, P<0.05). Furthermore, the positive rate of CAII protein was significantly lower in poorly-differentiated gastric carcinoma than in moderately- or well-differentiated gastric carcinoma (15.94% vs. 31.03% or 60.00%, P<0.05). Moreover, CAII expression was not related with sex, age and tumor size. The patients with CAII-positive tumors showed a better survival rate than those with CAII-negative tumors (P=0.024, log-rank test). CONCLUSION: CAII expression was related with stages and lymph node metastases in gastric carcinoma. The reduction of CAII expression in GC might promote tumor cell motility and contribute to tumor growth and metastasis.

Novel and highly efficient transformation of carbon dioxide into 2-oxazolidinones over Al-MCM-41 mesoporous-supported ionic liquids.

A type of Al-MCM-41 supported dual imidazolium ionic liquids were constructed and efficiently used as catalysts for the synthesis of 2-oxazolidinones from epoxides, amines, and CO2. The influence of the different catalysts and reaction parameters on the catalytic behaviours was investigated. Al-MCM-41@ILTiCl5 was identified as the most excellent catalyst because it could efficiently promote the three-component cycloaddition of CO2, epoxide, and amines to form the corresponding 2-oxazolidinones in high to excellent yields (84∼96%) with excellent selectivities (98∼99.7%). In addition, the recovery and reuse performances of Al-MCM-41@ILTiCl5 were examined. The catalyst could be recovered by simple filtration and reused six times without a change in the catalytic activity. Green reaction conditions, operational simplicity, feasibility, and sustainability of the functionalized catalyst are the main highlights of the present protocol.

Novel and sustainable carboxylation of terminal alkynes and CO2 to alkynyl carboxylic acids using triazolium ionic liquid-modified PMO-supported transition metal acetylacetonate as effective cooperative catalysts.

Efficient and sustainable chemical fixation of CO2 into value-added chemicals is one of the most promising objectives in environmental chemistry. In this work, transition metal acetylacetonate immobilized onto triazolium ionic liquid-modified periodic mesoporous organosilica PMO-IL-M(x) was successfully prepared and investigated as an effective and heterogeneous catalyst in the direct carboxylation of terminal alkynes and CO2 to the desired alkynyl carboxylic acids. It was found that the catalyst PMO-IL-Sn(0.3) exhibited extraordinary catalytic performance in terms of excellent activity, stability, productivity, and excellent yields under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, the catalyst PMO-IL-Sn(0.3) could be easily recovered and reused at least six times without considerable loss in catalytic activity. This work provides a sustainable and efficient synergistic strategy for the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide into valuable alkynyl carboxylic acids.

Interconnected ordered nanoporous networks of colloidal crystals integrated on a microfluidic chip for highly efficient protein concentration.

We report a controllable method to fabricate silica colloidal crystals at defined position in microchannel of microuidic devices using simple surface modification. The formed PCs (photonic crystals) in microfluidic channels were stabilized by chemical cross-linking of Si-O-Si bond between neighboring silica beads. The voids among colloids in PCs integrated on microfluidic devices form interconnected nanoporous networks, which show special electroosmotic properties. Due to the "surface-charge induced ion depletion effect" mechanism, FITC-labeled proteins can be efficiently and selectively concentrated in the anodic boundary of the ion depletion zone. Using this device, about 10(3) - to 10(5)-fold protein concentration was achieved within 10 min. The present simple on chip protein concentration device could be a potential sample preparation component in microfluidic systems for practical biochemical assays.

Recent Advances in Catalytic Oxidation of Organic Sulfides: Applications of Metal-Ionic Liquid Catalytic Systems.

Catalytic oxidation of organic sulfides is of considerable significance in industrial chemistry and fuel industry. Therefore, numerous methods have been developed for the oxidation. Metal-containing ionic liquid-based catalysts can catalyze the selective oxidation reactions and are highly used in chemical processes, which have also been used as effective solvents, reaction media, extractants, and catalysts for the oxidation of organic sulfides including oxidative desulfurization of fuel oil. Recently, much attention is being drawn to the preparation of heterogenous catalysts based on the immobilization of metal- or nonmetal-containing ILs on diverse solid supports, which can be easily separated after the completion reaction and recycled. Therefore, there is still an increasing interest in developing new and efficient catalytic procedures for the oxidation of organic sulfides. In this review, we have outlined the recent advances in catalytic oxidation of organic sulfides including oxidative desulfurization of fuel oil. The versatilities and adaptabilities of metal-ionic liquid catalytic systems in the selective oxidation of sulfides are considered a powerful research field in these transformations.

PEG1000-DAIL / Toluene Temperature-dependent Biphasic System that Regulate Homogeneously Catalyzed Oxidation of Primary Alcohols to Carboxylic Acids.

An efficient and convenient procedure for the hydrogen peroxide oxidation of primary alcohols to the carboxylic acids in aqueous media in regulated temperature-dependant; recyclable phase-separation catalytic system comprised of the PEG1000-based dicationic acidic ionic liquid and toluene under homogeneous conditions in good to excellent yield is reported.

Idiopathic adulthood ductopenia with elevated transaminase only: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic adulthood ductopenia (IAD) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease of unknown etiology that usually presents as unexplained jaundice. It is characterized by adult onset, lack of autoantibodies, inflammatory bowel disease and loss of interlobular bile ducts. CASE SUMMARY: This case presents a 27-year-old woman with elevation of transaminases and alkaline phosphatase without clinical symptoms. Five years ago, the patient had abnormal transaminases but no cholestasis. Three months before admission, physical examination revealed an increase in transaminases. Oral hepatoprotective drugs did not show any significant improvement, and she was admitted to hospital for further diagnosis and treatment. Liver biopsy confirmed IAD. After about 2 wk of ursodeoxycholic acid treatment, serological and histological examination showed a significant response. CONCLUSION: IAD is a manifestation of cholestasis, but also may be an abnormal increase in transaminase in the early stage.

[Effects of Optimizing Fertilization on N2O and CH4 Emissions in a Paddy-Cowpea Rotation System in the Tropical Region of China].

In-situ measurement of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) emissions in a typical paddy-cowpea rotation system in Southern Hainan was conducted to determine the characteristics of greenhouse gas emissions under different optimum fertilization treatments. The experiment consisted of 5 treatments:conventional farming fertilization (CON), optimized fertilization (OPT), organic-inorganic fertilization (ORG), slow-controlled optimization fertilization (SCOPT), and no nitrogen as the control (CK). The N2O and CH4 emissions were measured using static chamber-gas chromatography during the all the paddy-cowpea rotation seasons. Global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) were also estimated in this study. The cumulative N2O emission during the rice growth season was 0.19-1.37 kg·hm-2. Compared with the CON treatment, other treatments reduced N2O emission by 50% to 86%. The cumulative N2O emission during the cowpea growth season was 1.29-3.55 kg·hm-2. In addition, N2O emission increased by 14% as a result of the ORG treatment, whereas that of the remaining treatments decreased by 16% to 59%. The cumulative CH4 emissions during the paddy growth season were 4.67-14.23 kg·hm-2. The CH4 emissions following the CK, OPT, and ORG treatments were higher by 116%, 22%, and 102%, respectively, whereas that of SCOPT was lower by 29%, than that following the CON treatment. Moreover, the cumulative CH4 emission during the cowpea growth season was 0.03-0.26 kg·hm-2, and CH4 absorption occurred during the same period. With regard to the contribution rate of different periods to GWP, the cowpea growth season still had a proportion of 44.7%-54.5%, despite extremely low CH4 emission. Regarding the two greenhouse gases, N2O contributed 66.7%-77.2%. During the entire rotation system, both GWP and GHGI processed by SCOPT were significantly lower than those of the CON treatments. To sum up, the SCOPT treatment was determined to be the optimal fertilization scheme in this study and had the most significant effects on increasing production and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

[Effects of Different Fertilization Modes on Greenhouse Gas Emission Characteristics of Paddy Fields in Hot Areas].

Greenhouse gas emissions studies commonly focus on temperate and subtropical regions. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils in tropical areas are often neglected. Therefore, greenhouse gas fluxes in a Hainan paddy field under different fertilization regimes were studied. This research provides an accurate assessment of CH4 and N2O emissions from paddy fields in China and sound mitigation measures. Through static chamber/gas chromatography techniques, CH4 and N2O emissions, global warming potential (GWP), and greenhouse gas emissions intensity (GHGI) in late rice season under five fertilizer treatments were measured. The treatments included:control (CK), conventional treatment (CON), optimized fertilization treatment (YH), optimized fertilization combined with controlled slow-release fertilizer treatment (ZHY1), optimized fertilization combined with controlled slow-release fertilizer and organic fertilizer treatment (ZHY2). The results showed that the cumulative CH4 emissions in the CK, CON, YH1, ZYH1, and ZYH2 treatments were 175.70, 60.30, 63.00, 62.80, and 56.60kg·hm-2, and the cumulative N2O emissions were 0.78, 3.40, 1.03, 1.44, and 0.44kg·hm-2, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that soil temperature and Eh were the main factors driving CH4 emission. Compared with CK, CON, YH, and ZYH1, the yield of rice in ZYH2 treatment increased by 29.69%, 11.81%, 6.74%, and 10.36%, respectively. While GWP of ZYH2 decreased by 64.80%, 43.23%, 12.93%, and 15.15%, and GHGI decreased by 76.49%, 52.52%, 20.54%, and 23.87%, respectively. Therefore, in terms of yield and greenhouse gas emissions, optimal fertilization combined with sheep manure and slow release fertilizer treatment (ZYH2) is feasible in this region.

Highly selective amperometric glucose microdevice derived from diffusion layer gap electrode.

Although most of enzyme catalytic reactions are specific, the amperometric detection of the enzymatic reaction products is largely nonselective. How to improve the detection selectivity of the enzyme-based electrochemical biosensors has to be considered in the sensor fabrication procedures. Herein, a highly selective amperometric glucose biosensor based on the concept of diffusion layer gap electrode pair which we previously proposed was designed. In this biosensor, a gold tube coated with a conductive layer of glucose oxidase/Nafion/graphite was used to create an interference-free region in its diffusion layer by electrochemically oxidizing the interfering electroactive species at proper potentials. A Pt probe electrode was located in this diffusion layer of the tube electrode to selectively detect hydrogen peroxide generated from the enzyme catalytic oxidation of glucose in the presence of oxygen in the solution. In practical performance of the microdevice, parameters influencing the interference-removing efficiency, including the tip-tube opening distance, the tube electrode potential and the electrolyzing time had been investigated systematically. Results showed that glucose detection free from interferents could be achieved at the electrolyzing time of 30s, the tip-tube opening distance of 3mm and the tube electrode potential of 0.4V. The electrochemical response showed linear dependence on the concentration of glucose in the range of 1 x 10(-5) to 4 x 10(-3) M (the correlation coefficient: 0.9936, without interferents; 0.9995, with interferents). In addition, the effectiveness of this device was confirmed by numerical simulation using a model system of a solution containing interferents. The simulated results showed good agreement with the experimental data.

A new species of the genus Xya Latreille, 1809 (Orthoptera, Tridactyloidea, Tridactylidae) from Sichuan, China.

A new species Xya leshanensis sp. nov. of the genus Xya Latreille, 1809 from Sichuan, China is described in this paper. It is similar to Xya nitobei (Shiraki, 1913), but differs from latter by apical part of antennae joint almost as same as basal part in width; width of pronotum 1.25 times its length; hind wing long, extending over the end of abdomen distinctly; hind femur with four small yellowish-white spots on upper side; epiproct with a pair of large spines laterally directed on posterior angle, apical half narrow distinctly. Type specimens are deposited in the College of Life Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan 614004, China.

Evaluation of a two-stage antibacterial hydrogel dressing for healing in an infected diabetic wound.

Various types of wound dressings have been used to treat complex infections in diabetes mellitus. This study is the first to evaluate the healing effects using a two-stage dressing in infected diabetic wounds. A two-stage antibacterial hydrogel dressing (two-stage dressing) was established with two time phases, an antibacterial phase and a drug release phase. We established each phase by using a swelling and rate of drug release test. These results suggested that the antimicrobial phase is activated as soon as the two-stage dressing attaches to the skin. The drugs in the drug release layer of the dressing were released to a greater extent than expected 20-36 h after attachment to the skin, likely due to extensive water absorption. Histological analysis and measurement of vascular endothelial growth factor expression through in vivo testing suggested that the benefits of a two-stage dressing include rapid antibacterial properties, sustained drug release, and promotion of wound healing through cell proliferation as compared with the traditional composite antibacterial hydrogel dressing. Further in vivo tests confirmed that separation of the antibacterial and drug-releasing properties, along with biocompatibility and rapid wound closure rates made two-stage dressings suitable for healing of infected wounds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1808-1817, 2017.

The mitochondrial genome of the German wasp Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793) (Hymenoptera: Vespoidea: Vespidae).

The mitochondrial genome of the German wasp Vespula germanica (Fabricius, 1793) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) (GenBank accession no. KR703583) was sequenced in the study. It represents the first mitochondrial genome from the genus Vespula. There are totally 163 42 bp in the currently sequenced portion of the genome, containing 13 protein-coding, two rRNA, and 18 tRNA genes and a partial A + T-rich region. Four tRNA genes of trnI, trnQ, trnM and trnY located at the downstream of the A + T-rich region were failed to sequence. At least two rearrangement events occurred in the sequenced region compared with the pupative ancestral arrangement of insects, corresponding to the translocation or remote inversion of tnnY from trnW-trnC-trnY cluster to the region of trnI-trnQ-trnM cluster and translocation of trnL1 from the downstream to the upstream of nad1 gene. All protein-coding genes start with ATN codons. Twelve and one protein-coding genes stop with termination codon TAA and T, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis using the Bayesian method based on all codon positions of the 13 protein-coding genes supports the monophyly of Vespidae and Formicidae. Within the Formicidae, the Myrmicinae and Formicinae form a sister group and then sister to the Dolichoderinae, while within the Vespidae, the Eumeninae sister to the lineage of Vespinae + Polistinae.

Enhanced anti-tumor efficacy by co-delivery of doxorubicin and paclitaxel with amphiphilic methoxy PEG-PLGA copolymer nanoparticles.

The use of single chemotherapeutic drug has shown some limitations in anti-tumor treatment, such as development of drug resistance, high toxicity and limited regime of clinical uses. The combination of two or more therapeutic drugs is feasible means to overcome the limitations. Co-delivery strategy has been proposed to minimize the amount of each drug and to achieve the synergistic effect for cancer therapies. Attempts have been made to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs simultaneously using drug carriers, such as micelles, liposomes, and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs). Here we reported core-shell NPs that were doubly emulsified from an amphiphilic copolymer methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (mPEG-PLGA). These NPs offered advantages over other nanocarriers, as they were easy to fabricate by improved double emulsion method, biocompatible, and showed high loading efficacy. More importantly, these NPs could co-deliver hydrophilic doxorubicin (DOX) and hydrophobic paclitaxel (TAX). The drug-loaded NPs possessed a better polydispersity, indicating that they are more readily subject to controlled size distribution. Studies on drug release and cellular uptake of the co-delivery system demonstrated that both drugs were effectively taken up by the cells and released simultaneously. Furthermore, the co-delivery nanocarrier suppressed tumor cells growth more efficiently than the delivery of either DOX or TAX at the same concentrations, indicating a synergistic effect. Moreover, the NPs loading drugs with a DOX/TAX concentration ratio of 2:1 showed the highest anti-tumor activity to three different types of tumor cells. This nanocarrier might have important potential in clinical implications for co-delivery of multiple anti-tumor drugs with different properties.