Dihydroxanthene-Based Near-infrared Fluorescent Probes for Monitoring Mitochondrial Viscosity in Living Cells and Mice.

Aberrant mitochondrial viscosity is closely associated with many diseases and cellular malfunctions. Thus, the development of reliable methods for monitoring mitochondrial viscosity variations has attracted considerable attention. Herein, through stepwise structural modulation of the dihydroxanthene fluorophore (DHX), we developed three NIR fluorescent probes, named DHX-V-1-3, for detecting mitochondrial viscosity. Among them, DHX-V-3 displayed the highest signal-to-noise ratio (67-fold) for viscosity with outstanding selectivity and showed excellent mitochondria targeting and immobilization ability. At the cellular level, the DHX-V-3 probe was successfully applied to image the mitochondrial viscosity in live cells upon treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or nystatin. Moreover, benefiting from its NIR emission and the increased depth of tissue imaging, DHX-V-3 demonstrated the ability to visualize the increased viscosity in LPS-treated mice.

Isolation and characterization of antioxidative monoterpenes from Cynanchum atratum roots.

One novel monoterpene rhamnoside (1) and 7 known monoterpenes (2-8) were isolated from the ethanol extract of Cynanchum atratum for the first time. Their structures were identified by comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis such as nuclear magnetic resonance, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra, optical rotatory dispersion, and acid hydrolysis. In the subsequent antioxidant assay, compound 8 exhibited obvious 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate radical scavenging activity.

Research on the mechanism of sodium separation in bauxite residue synergy preparation of potassium-containing compound fertilizer raw materials by the hydrothermal method.

Bauxite residue poses an increasingly serious ecological safety problem in the alumina industry. A novel process for removing sodium in bauxite residue synergistic preparation of potassium-containing compound fertilizer raw materials was proposed to relieve pressure on the fertilizer industry. In this paper, synthetic sodalite and katoite were used to simulate the main mineral phases of bauxite residue to determine the suitable conditions for the method, and the transformation mechanism of the process was researched by analyzing the phase structure and microscopic morphology of the samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and specific surface area detection. The results show that the ideal reaction condition is 320 g/L K2O with solid reactants at 200 °C for 1 h. The separation rate of Na in the sodalite-katoite mixture reached 93.60%, with potassium aluminum silicate and katoite being the primary phases of the product, with a mesoporous structure and easy to be absorbed by crops. The bauxite residue transformation residue consisted of katoite and kaliophilite. With a total effective K2O, CaO, and SiO2 content of 38.22%, the Na2O content was 0.54%, meeting the requirements of compound fertilizer content on the market. The transformation mechanism is a dissolution-precipitation controlled sodium-potassium ion replacement reaction. This study provides theoretical guidance for the preparation of mineral fertilizer from bauxite residue and has practical production potential, opening up a new perspective for bauxite residue resource usage in the agricultural field.

Natural Antioxidants, Tyrosinase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors from Cercis glabra Leaves.

Cercis glabra is a plant belonging to the legume family, whose flowers and barks are commonly used as food and traditional Chinese medicines. However, its leaves are usually disposed of as wastes. This research comprehensively investigated the bioactive constituents of C. glabra leaves, and two new phenolic, ceroffesters A-B (1-2) and thirteen known compounds (3-15) were isolated. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (1D NMR and 2D NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra (HR-ESI-MS), optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD). All of them were assessed for their antioxidant activities through ABTS, DPPH and PTIO methodologies, and evaluated for inhibitory activities against two enzymes (mushroom tyrosinase and acetylcholinesterase). As a result, compounds 3-6, 10 and 13 exhibited evident antioxidant activities. Meanwhile, compounds 5, 10 and 13 showed the most potent tyrosinase inhibitory activities, with IC50 of 0.64, 0.65 and 0.59 mM, and compared with the positive control of 0.63 mM (kojic acid). In the initial concentration of 1 mg/mL, compounds 3, 5 and 6 demonstrated moderate inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase with 85.27 ± 0.06%, 83.65 ± 0.48% and 82.21 ± 0.09%, respectively, compared with the positive control of 91.17 ± 0.23% (donepezil). These bioactive components could be promising antioxidants, tyrosinase and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

[Expression of Ras-Associated Protein 1 in the Vascular Endothelium of Bone Tissue with Non-Traumatic Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head].

Objective: To investigate the difference in the expression of Ras-associated protein 1 (Rap1) in necrotic and healthy areas of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head (NONFH) patients. Methods: Femoral head tissue samples from 30 cases of NONFH and 30 cases of traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (TONFH) were collected after hip replacement surgery, respectively. No significant difference of Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) staging was found between the NONFH and the TONFH groups ( Z=-0.769, P=0.442). In the NONFH group, 8 patients were ARCO stage IIIb, 10 were stage IV, and 12 were stage V, while in the TONFH ground, 11 patients were ARCO stage IIIb, 9 were stage IV, and 10 were stage V. There were 19 males and 11 females in the NONFH group, with an average age of 49.6 yr. (26-69 yr.), and 16 males and 14 females in the TONFH group, with an average age of 54.2 yr. (37-68 yr.). There was no significant difference in gender or age between the two groups ( P>0.05). Specimens were collected from different bone areas, including those from the necrotic areas (area A) and the healthy areas (area B) of the NONFH group, and those from the healthy areas (area B') of the TONFH group, i.e., the control group. Western blot and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) were used to analyze the different expression of Rap1, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt protein and their corresponding mRNA in the three areas of bone tissue. HE staining and immunohistochemisty staining were done in order to observe the morphological changes of each area. Results: Western blot results indicated that there was no statistical difference in the relative expression of Rap1, VEGF, PI3K, and Akt proteins ( P>0.05). The relative expressions of Rap1, VEGF, PI3K, and Akt proteins in the area A were lower than those in the area B and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). qRT-PCR results showed that the relative expressions of Rap1, VEGF, PI3 K and Akt mRNA in area A were lower than those of area B, and a statistical difference was found ( P<0.05). The relative expression of the mRNA of Rap1, VEGF , PI3 K and Akt in area B and area B' were not significantly different ( P>0.05). HE staining and immunohistochemisty staining showed that chondrocytes decreased in the necrotic area (area A) of NONFH, chondrocytes nucleus disappeared, subchondral bone trabeculae were broken, bone trabeculae thickened, and empty bone lacunae appeared. Granulation tissues composed of new capillaries and fibrous cells have proliferated and crawled around the necrotic area. Positive expressions of the Rap1, VEGF, PI3K and Akt proteins in area A were weaker than those of the normal area. In addition, there were positive expressions of Rap1, PI3K and Akt on the trabecular bone of both area A and area B at similar intensity of expression. There were strong positive expressions of Rap1, VEGF, PI3K and Akt on the intima of arterioles and venules, and on the peripheral stromal cell membrane, but the positive expression in area A was significantly lower than that in area B. However, the positive expression positions and intensity of all indicators were similar in area B and area B'. Conclusion: The necrosis in NONFH may be related to vascular endothelial damages caused by the inhibition of the Rap1-PI3K/Akt signaling pathways and the subsequent decline in the protein expression.

Design synthesis of a controllable flower-like Pt-graphene oxide architecture through electrostatic self-assembly for DNA damage biomarker 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine biosensing research.

A controllable flower-like Pt-graphene oxide (PtNF-GO) architecture was synthesized through layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) micelles were employed as the template and Pt nanoflowers with different sizes were selectively synthesized by controlling the dissolved K2PtCl4 precursor and CTAC amounts in the reaction system. The prepared PtNF-GO was applied for DNA damage biomarker 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) biosensing research. With the distinctive flower-like morphology of PtNFs and high electrical conductivity of GO, the PtNF-GO architecture shows excellent electrochemical biosensing performance towards the oxidation of 8-OHdG. A very low detection limit of 0.025 nM is obtained. Moreover, the fabricated PtNF-GO was used for the detection of 8-OHdG generated from the damaged DNA sample, which can be used to evaluate and confirm the mechanism of DNA damage, and it is of great importance in gene diagnosis, clinical and life sciences.

miR-449a enhances radiosensitivity through modulating pRb/E2F1 in prostate cancer cells.

miR-449a, a novel tumor suppressor, is deregulated in various malignancies, including prostate cancer. Overexpression of miR-449a induces cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and senescence, but its role in response to ionizing radiation and underlying molecular mechanism are still unknown. Here, we report that miR-449a enhances radiation-induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis through modulating pRb/E2F1 and sensitizes prostate cancer cells to X-ray radiation. In wild-type Rb PC-3 cells, overexpression of miR-449a enhances radiation-induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis and promotes the sensitivity to X-ray radiation. While mutant Rb DU-145 cells are resistant to the X-ray radiation despite in the presence of miR-449a. The cell cycle distribution of DU-145 cells is not significantly altered by miR-449a in the response to ionizing radiation. Furthermore, elevated miR-449a downregulates cell cycle regulator CDC25A and oncogene HDAC1. By targeting genes involved in controlling pRb/E2F1 activity, miR-449a regulates cell cycle progression and apoptosis and consequently enhances the radiosensitivity of PC-3 cells. Thus, miR-449a, as a miRNA component of the Rb pathway, promotes the radiosensitivity of PC-3 cells through regulating pRb/E2F1.

Effects of carbon-ion beam irradiation on the angiogenic response in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells.

Radiotherapy has been focused mainly on killing cancer cells, and little attention has been paid to the process supporting tumor growth and metastasis, including the process of angiogenesis. To investigate the effects of carbon-ion irradiation on angiogenesis in lung cancer cells, we examined the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor in the tumor conditioned medium (TCM) of A549 cells exposed to carbon-ion or X-ray irradiation, as well as endothelial cell growth, invasion, and tube formation induced by TCM. No changes in vascular endothelial growth factor secretion were detected in the TCM of A549 cells exposed to carbon-ion irradiation at 2 or 4 Gy, whereas 1 Gy of irradiation significantly decreased vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor levels. Carbon-ion irradiation at 1 Gy inhibited endothelial cell invasion and tube formation. The TCM from A549 cells irradiated with X-ray promoted angiogenesis, whereas the TCM of A549 cells exposed to carbon-ion irradiation at 2 or 4 Gy had no effect. These findings suggest that carbon-ion irradiation at 1 Gy significantly suppressed the process of angiogenesis in vitro by inhibiting endothelial cell invasion and tube formation, which are related to vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor production.

Identification of apoptosis-immune-related gene signature and construction of diagnostic model for sepsis based on single-cell sequencing and bulk transcriptome analysis.

Introduction: Sepsis leads to multi-organ dysfunction due to disorders of the host response to infections, which makes diagnosis and prognosis challenging. Apoptosis, a classic programmed cell death, contributes to the pathogenesis of various diseases. However, there is much uncertainty about its mechanism in sepsis. Methods: Three sepsis gene expression profiles (GSE65682, GSE13904, and GSE26378) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Apoptosis-related genes were obtained from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database. We utilized LASSO regression and SVM-RFE algorithms to identify characteristic genes associated with sepsis. CIBERSORT and single cell sequencing analysis were employed to explore the potential relationship between hub genes and immune cell infiltration. The diagnostic capability of hub genes was validated across multiple external datasets. Subsequently, the animal sepsis model was established to assess the expression levels of hub genes in distinct target organs through RT-qPCR and Immunohistochemistry analysis. Results: We identified 11 apoptosis-related genes as characteristic diagnostic markers for sepsis: CASP8, VDAC2, CHMP1A, CHMP5, FASLG, IFNAR1, JAK1, JAK3, STAT4, IRF9, and BCL2. Subsequently, a prognostic model was constructed using LASSO regression with BCL2, FASLG, IRF9 and JAK3 identified as hub genes. Apoptosis-related genes were closely associated with the immune response during the sepsis process. Furthermore, in the validation datasets, aside from IRF9, other hub genes demonstrated similar expression patterns and diagnostic abilities as observed in GSE65682 dataset. In the mouse model, the expression differences of hub genes between sepsis and control group revealed the potential impacts on sepsis-induced organ injury. Conclusion: The current findings indicated the participant of apoptosis in sepsis, and apoptosis-related differentially expressed genes could be used for diagnosis biomarkers. BCL2, FASLG, IRF9 and JAK3 might be key regulatory genes affecting apoptosis in sepsis. Our findings provided a novel aspect for further exploration of the pathological mechanisms in sepsis.

Co-Extraction of Aluminum and Silicon and Kinetics Analysis in Carbochlorination Process of Low-Grade Bauxite.

Addressing the issue that the Bayer process is not suitable for low-grade bauxite, carbochlorination was proposed to recover aluminum and silicon from low-grade bauxite. This study focused on the behavior of aluminum and silicon during the carbochlorination process of low-grade bauxite. The impact of various process parameters on the chlorination efficiency was investigated, and the chlorination mechanism and kinetics of aluminum and silicon chlorination in bauxite were analyzed and discussed. Under optimal experimental conditions, the chlorination efficiency of Al2O3 and SiO2 reached 94.93% and 86.32%, respectively. The carbochlorination of aluminum and silicon in bauxite adhered to a shrinking, unreacted core model governed by gas diffusion within the product layer. This process can be bifurcated into two stages. Additionally, calculations were conducted to determine the apparent activation energy and reaction order of the chlorination processes involving Al2O3 and SiO2. Examining the chlorination mechanism revealed that the bauxite carbochlorination encompasses transformations among various minerals. Notably, the aluminum component prefers to participate in the carbothermal chlorination reaction over silicon.

Bioinformatics reveals diagnostic potential of cuproptosis-related genes in the pathogenesis of sepsis.

Background: Multiple modes of cell death occur during the development of sepsis. Among these patterns, cuproptosis has recently been identified as a regulated form of cell death. However, its impact on the onset and progression of sepsis remains unclear. Method: We screened a dataset of gene expression profiles from patients with sepsis using the GEO database. Survival analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) and prognosis. Hub genes were identified through univariate Cox regression analysis. The diagnostic value of hub genes in sepsis was tested in both training sets (GSE65682) and validation sets (GSE134347). To examine the association between hub genes and immune cells, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and Pearson correlation analysis were employed. Additionally, the CRGs were validated in a septic mouse model using real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: In sepsis, most CRGs were upregulated, with only DLD and MTF1 downregulated. High expression of three genes (GLE, LIAS, and PDHB) was associated with better prognosis, but only two hub genes (LIAS, PDHB) reached statistical significance. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for diagnosing sepsis showed LIAS had a range of 0.793-0.906, while PDHB achieved values of 0.882 and 0.975 in the training and validation sets, respectively. ssGSEA analysis revealed a lower number of immune cells in the sepsis group, and there was a correlation between immune cell population and CRGs (LIAS, PDHB). Analysis in the septic mouse model demonstrated no significant difference in mRNA expression levels and IHC staining between LIAS and PDHB in heart and liver tissues, but up-regulation was observed in lung tissues. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels and IHC staining of LIAS and PDHB were down-regulated in renal tissues. Conclusions: Cuproptosis is emerging as a significant factor in the development of sepsis. LIAS and PDHB, identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers for cuproptosis-associated sepsis, are believed to play crucial roles in the initiation and progression of cuproptosis-induced sepsis.

GTS-21 attenuates ACE/ACE2 ratio and glycocalyx shedding in lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by targeting macrophage polarization derived ADAM-17.

Acute lung injury (ALI) has received considerable attention in intensive care owing to its high mortality rate. It has been demonstrated that the selective alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist Gainesville Tokushima scientists (GTS)-21 is promising for treating ALI caused by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). However, the precise underlying mechanism remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the potential efficacy of GTS-21 in the treatment of ALI. We developed mouse models of ALI and alveolar epithelial type II cells (AT2s) injury following treatment with LPS and different polarized macrophage supernatants, respectively. Pathological changes, pulmonary edema, and lung compliance were assessed. Inflammatory cells count, protein content, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were analysed in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, syndecan-1 (SDC-1), heparan sulphate (HS), heparanase (HPA), exostosin (EXT)-1, and NF-κB were tested in lung tissues and cells. GTS-21-induced changes in macrophage polarization were verified in vivo and in vitro. Polarized macrophage supernatants with or without recombination a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17 (ADAM-17) and small interfering (si)RNA ADAM-17 were used to verify the role of ADAM-17 in AT2 injury. By reducing pathological alterations, lung permeability, inflammatory response, ACE/ACE2 ratio, and glycocalyx shedding, as well as by downregulating the HPA and NF-κB pathways and upregulating EXT1 expression in vivo, GTS-21 significantly diminished LPS-induced ALI compared to that of the LPS group. GTS-21 significantly attenuated macrophage M1 polarization and augmented M2 polarization in vitro and in vivo. The destructive effects of M1 polarization supernatant can be inhibited by GTS-21 and siRNA ADAM-17. GTS-21 exerted a protective effect against LPS-induced ALI, which was reversed by recombinant ADAM-17. Collectively, GTS-21 alleviates LPS-induced ALI by attenuating AT2s ACE/ACE2 ratio and glycocalyx shedding through the inhibition of macrophage M1 polarization derived ADAM-17.

Isolation of Haustorium Protoplasts Optimized by Orthogonal Design for Transient Gene Expression in Phelipanche aegyptiaca.

The efficient protoplast transient transformation system in plants is an important tool to study gene expression, metabolic pathways, and various mutagenic parameters, but it has not been established in Phelipanche aegyptiaca. As a root parasitic weed that endangers the growth of 29 species of plants in 12 families around the world, there is still no good control method for P. aegyptiaca. Even the parasitic mechanisms of P. aegyptiaca and the related genes regulating parasitism are not yet understood. In this study, by comparing the factors related to protoplast isolation and transfection, we developed the optimal protocol for protoplast isolation and transfection in Phelipanche aegyptiaca haustorium. The optimal protoplast yield and activity were 6.2 × 106 protoplasts/g fresh weight [FW] and 87.85%, respectively, by using 0.5 mol/L mannitol, enzyme concentrations of 2.5% cellulase R-10 and 0.8% Macerozyme R-10 at 24 °C for 4 h. At the same time, transfection efficiency of protoplasts was up to 78.49% when using 30 µg plasmid, 40% polyethylene glycol (PEG) concentration, 24 °C incubation temperature, and 20 min transfection time. This is the first efficient protoplasts' isolation and transient transformation system of Phelipanche aegyptiaca haustorium, laying a foundation for future studies on the gene function and mechanisms of haustorium formation in parasitic plants.

Influence of fuel moisture, charge size, feeding rate and air ventilation conditions on the emissions of PM, OC, EC, parent PAHs, and their derivatives from residential wood combustion.

Controlled combustion experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of fuel charge size, moisture, air ventilation and feeding rate on the emission factors (EFs) of carbonaceous particulate matter, parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs) and their derivatives from residential wood combustion in a typical brick cooking stove. Measured EFs were found to be independent of fuel charge size, but increased with increasing fuel moisture. Pollution emissions from the normal burning under an adequate air supply condition were the lowest for most pollutants, while more pollutants were emitted when an oxygen deficient atmosphere was formed in the stove chamber during fast burning. The impacts of these factors on the size distribution of emitted particles was also studied. Modified combustion efficiency and the four investigated factors explained 68%, 72%, and 64% of total variations in EFs of PM, organic carbon, and oxygenated PAHs, respectively, but only 36%, 38% and 42% of the total variations in EFs of elemental carbon, pPAHs and nitro-PAHs, respectively.

Influence of fuel mass load, oxygen supply and burning rate on emission factor and size distribution of carbonaceous particulate matter from indoor corn straw burning.

The uncertainty in emission estimation is strongly associated with the variation in emission factor (EF), which could be influenced by a variety of factors such as fuel properties, stove type, fire management and even methods used in measurements. The impacts of these factors are complicated and often interact with each other. Controlled burning experiments were conducted to investigate the influences of fuel mass load, air supply and burning rate on the emissions and size distributions of carbonaceous particulate matter (PM) from indoor corn straw burning in a cooking stove. The results showed that the EFs of PM (EF(PM)), organic carbon (EFoc) and elemental carbon (EF(EC)) were independent of the fuel mass load. The differences among them under different burning rates or air supply amounts were also found to be insignificant (p > 0.05) in the tested circumstances. PM from the indoor corn straw burning was dominated by fine PM with diameter less than 2.1 microm, contributing 86.4% +/- 3.9% of the total. The size distribution of PM was influenced by the burning rate and air supply conditions. On average, EF(PM), EF(OC) and EF(EC) for corn straw burned in a residential cooking stove were (3.84 +/- 1.02), (0.846 +/- 0.895) and (0.391 +/- 0.350) g/kg, respectively. EF(PM), EF(OC) and EF(EC) were found to be positively correlated with each other (p < 0.05), but they were not significantly correlated with the EF of co-emitted CO, suggesting that special attention should be paid to the use of CO as a surrogate for other incomplete combustion pollutants.

Emissions of parent, nitrated, and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from indoor corn straw burning in normal and controlled combustion conditions.

Emission factors (EFs) of parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pPAHs), nitrated PAHs (nPAHs), and oxygenated PAHs (oPAHs) were measured for indoor corn straw burned in a brick cooking stove under different burning conditions. The EFs of total 28 pPAHs, 6 nPAHs and 4 oPAHs were (7.9 +/- 3.4), (6.5 +/- 1.6) x 10(-3), and (6.1 +/- 1.4) x 10(-1) mg/kg, respectively. Fuel charge size had insignificant influence on the pollutant emissions. Measured EFs increased significantly in a fast burning due to the oxygen deficient atmosphere formed in the stove chamber. In both restricted and enhanced air supply conditions, the EFs of pPAHs, nPAHs and oPAHs were significantly higher than those measured in normal burning conditions. Though EFs varied among different burning conditions, the composition profiles and calculated isomer ratios were similar, without significant differences. The results from the stepwise regression model showed that fuel burning rate, air supply amount, and modified combustion efficiency were the three most significant influencing factors, explaining 72%-85% of the total variations.

The use of bioinformatics methods to identify the effects of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses on the regulation of gene expression in patients.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection is a respiratory infectious disease similar to influenza virus infection. Numerous studies have reported similarities and differences in the clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and mortality between these two infections. However, the genetic effects of coronavirus and influenza viruses on the host that lead to these characteristics have rarely been reported. Methods: COVID-19 (GSE157103) and influenza (GSE111368, GSE101702) datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Ominbus (GEO) database. Differential gene, gene set enrichment, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, gene regulatory network, and immune cell infiltration analyses were performed to identify the critical impact of COVID-19 and influenza viruses on the regulation of host gene expression. Results: The number of differentially expressed genes in the COVID-19 patients was significantly higher than in the influenza patients. 22 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the COVID-19 and influenza datasets. The effects of the viruses on the regulation of host gene expression were determined using gene set enrichment and PPI network analyses. Five HUB genes were finally identified: IFI27, OASL, RSAD2, IFI6, and IFI44L. Conclusion: We identified five HUB genes between COVID-19 and influenza virus infection, which might be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and influenza. This knowledge may also guide future mechanistic studies that aim to identify pathogen-specific interventions.

Identification of potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for sepsis based on machine learning.

Background: To identify potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of the early stage of sepsis. Methods: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sepsis and control transcriptomes were screened from GSE65682 and GSE134347 datasets. The candidate biomarkers were identified by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) analyses. The diagnostic and prognostic abilities of the markers were evaluated by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) were performed to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms and immune-related processes. Finally, the potential biomarkers were validated in a septic mouse model by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Results: Eleven DEGs were identified between the sepsis and control samples, including YOD1, GADD45A, BCL11B, IL1R2, UGCG, TLR5, S100A12, ITK, HP, CCR7 and C19orf59 (all AUC>0.9). Furthermore, the survival analysis identified YOD1, GADD45A, BCL11B and IL1R2 as the prognostic biomarkers of sepsis. According to GSEA, four DEGs were significantly associated with immune-related processes. In addition, ssGSEA demonstrated a significant difference in the enriched immune cell populations between the sepsis and control groups (all P < 0.05). Moreover, YOD1, GADD45A and IL1R2 were upregulated, and BCL11B was downregulated in the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys of the septic mice model. Conclusions: We identified four potential immune-releated diagnostic and prognostic gene markers for sepsis that offer new insights into its underlying mechanisms.

Characterization and source apportionment for light absorption amplification of black carbon at an urban site in eastern China.

The mass absorption efficiency (MAE) of black carbon (BC) could be amplified by both internal mixing and the lensing effect from non-absorbing coating, which could intensify the global warming effect of BC. In this study, a two-year-long continuous campaign with measurements of aerosol optical properties and chemical composition were conducted in Nanjing, a typical polluted city in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. Relatively large MAE values were observed in 2016, and the high BC internal mixing level could be the main cause. The strong positive correlation between the ratio of non-absorbing particulate matter (NAPM) over elemental carbon (EC) and the MAE value indicated that the coating thickness of BC largely promotes its light absorption ability. The impacts of chemical component coating on MAE amplification in autumn and winter were greater than in other seasons. Multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the MAE amplification effect by internal mixing and the coating of different chemical components. Nitrate coating had the strongest impact on MAE amplification, followed by organic matter. The effects of organic matter and nitrate coatings on MAE amplification increased with the internal mixing index (IMI). Based on the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, it was found that large decrease in the contribution of industrial emissions and coal combustion to PM2.5 from 2016 to 2017 was the main cause for MAE reduction. The novel statistical model developed in this study could be a useful tool to separate the impacts of internal mixing and non-absorbing coating.

Natural glycosidic antioxidants from Cynanchum atratum roots.

Two new rhamnosides, 18-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosylabietic acid (1) and (E)-3,5-dimethoxystilben-4'-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (2), five known glucosides (3-7) along with three others were isolated from Cynanchum atratum roots. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by physical data analyses such as NMR, UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, as well as acid hydrolysis. All of them were assessed for their antioxidant activities through 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical ion (ABTS•+), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical (DPPH•) and 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl 3-oxide radical (PTIO•) assay, with l-ascorbic acid used as the positive control. As a result, compounds 3-5 exhibited obvious antioxidant activities. These bioactive components could be promising antioxidants.