Flowering time regulator qFT13-3 involved in soybean adaptation to high latitudes.

Soybean is a short-day plant that typically flowers earlier when exposed to short-day conditions. However, the identification of genes associated with earlier flowering time but without a yield penalty is rare. In this study, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using two re-sequencing datasets that included 113 wild soybeans (G. soja) and 1192 cultivated soybeans (G. max), respectively, and simultaneously identified a candidate flowering gene, qFT13-3, which encodes a protein homologous to the pseudo-response regulator (PRR) transcription factor. We identified four major haplotypes of qFT13-3 in the natural population, with haplotype H4 (qFT13-3H4) being lost during domestication, while qFT13-3H1 underwent natural and artificial selection, increasing in proportion from 4.5% in G. soja to 43.8% in landrace and to 81.9% in improve cultivars. Notably, most cultivars harbouring qFT13-3H1 were located in high-latitude regions. Knockout of qFT13-3 accelerated flowering and maturity time under long-day conditions, indicating that qFT13-3 functions as a flowering inhibitor. Our results also showed that qFT13-3 directly downregulates the expression of GmELF3b-2 which is a component of the circadian clock evening complex. Field trials revealed that the qft13-3 mutants shorten the maturity period by 11 days without a concomitant penalty on yield. Collectively, qFT13-3 can be utilized for the breeding of high-yield cultivars with a short maturity time suitable for high latitudes.

Impact of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with motor-cognitive intervention on post-stroke cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, it was explored whether the efficacy on applying transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with motor-cognitive intervention for post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) was greater than that on applying each method alone. METHODS: A total of 90 patients with PSCI admitted to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, China, from April 2021 to June 2022 were randomly divided into a tDCS group (n = 30), a motor-cognitive intervention group (n = 30), and a combination group (n = 30). All three groups received conventional rehabilitation therapy. The tDCS group was given tDCS therapy. The motor-cognitive intervention group received motor-cognitive intervention, whereas the combination group received tDCS combined with motor-cognitive intervention. The treatment duration was 4 weeks. The general data of patients were recorded before treatment. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Scale and the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) Scale were used to evaluate the cognitive function of patients in three groups before and after treatment. Further, within- and between-groups comparisons were performed to determine differences in cognitive function. RESULTS: Before treatment, there was no significant difference between the baseline scores of the three groups (P > 0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, except for the score for the LOTCA motor praxis subtest of the tDCS group, the MoCA and LOTCA scores of the three groups significantly improved compared with the corresponding scores before treatment (P < 0.05), and there was no drop-out case. After treatment, the MoCA and LOTCA scores of the three groups were compared in pairs. The results showed that except for the attention domain in MoCA, the method used for the combination group had more efficacy than those used for the other two groups (P < 0.05). Further, there was no statistical difference in efficacy between the tDCS and the motor-cognitive intervention groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of tDCS and motor-cognitive intervention is safe and can help improve the cognitive function of patients with PSCI.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in the elderly with diabetic foot ulcers: A longitudinal cohort study.

This study aimed to explore the association between metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and ulcer recurrence risk in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) through an ambispective longitudinal cohort. From December 2013 to December 2022, a total of 482 inpatients with DFUs (PEDIS grade 3 and above with a severe infection) were eligible for inclusion in this study. This was an ambispective longitudinal cohort study. All participants were followed up every 6 months for 9 years with a median of 36 months. According to whether having MAFLD or not, all subjects were placed into two groups: non-MAFLD (n = 351) and MAFLD (n = 131). The association between MAFLD and ulcer recurrence in patients with DFUs was then evaluated through multivariate Cox regression analysis, stratified analyses and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Throughout the follow-up period, out of 482 subjects with DFUs, 68 had ulcer recurrence (14.1%). Three Cox regression models were established for data analyses. In the model I (unadjusted), MAFLD was significantly associated with the ulcer recurrence rate in patients with DFUs (HR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.097-2.92; p = 0.02). Model II (adjusted model I with gender and age) (HR = 1.781; 95% CI = 1.09-2.912; p = 0.021) and model III (adjusted model II with CVD, duration of diabetes and Cr.) (HR = 1.743; 95% CI = 1.065-2.855; p = 0.027) also showed that MAFLD was significantly related to the ulcer recurrence risk in patients with DFUs, respectively. Stratified analysis indicated that subjects aged ≥60 had a greater risk of ulcer recurrence in MAFLD than in non-MAFLD (HR = 2.31; 95% CI = 1.268-4.206; p = 0.006). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that ulcer recurrence rate had a significant association with MAFLD (log-rank, p = 0.018). This study indicated a close association between ulcer recurrence risk and MAFLD in patients with DFUs, especially in the elderly (aged ≥60). Therefore, special attention should be paid to the elderly with both DFUs and MAFLD because they have a higher ulcer recurrence rate than other general populations in routine clinical practice.

Particle-Polymer Union with Changeable Wettability for Constructing Bijels Using a Simple Mixing Method.

Bicontinuous emulsion gels (bijels) are nonequilibrium dispersed systems with particle-stabilized continuous fluid domains, and the internal connectivity of channels brings the possibility of efficient mass transport, endowing bijels great potential in diverse applications. Different from the common method to produce bijels, the spinodal decomposition, which needs precise temperature control and is restricted by the selection of liquid pairs, in this work, a direct mixing method was performed to construct bijels, simplifying the fabrication process. The hydrophilic rod-shaped cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC) particles were in situ combined with the hydrophobic polymer, aminopropyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-NH2), to acquire a controllable interfacial wettability of CNC. The CNC@mPDMS-NH2 complexes were adsorbed at the water-toluene interface and achieved a change of Pickering emulsion types, oil-in-water, bijel, and water-in-oil, through tuning the interfacial performance of CNC@mPDMS-NH2 complexes. A three-dimensional scanning image and curvature calculation were applied to verify the obtained bijel, further demonstrating the successful preparation of the bicontinuous structure. This work enriched the members of particles for stabilizing bijels and was considered to be scalable in manufacturing for applications on a large scale.

The role of flexible bronchoscopy in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.

PURPOSE: To explore the effectiveness of flexible bronchoscopy in pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included children with MPP admitted between 2016 and 2019 in Shanghai. Tracheobronchial manifestations, etiologic findings, therapeutic effect, and health-economic indicators were assessed in bronchoscopy (plus bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)) and non-bronchoscopy group. We used propensity-score matching and multivariable logistic regression to investigate the effect of bronchoscopy and BAL on disease recovery. RESULTS: In 900 children with MPP, 24/278 (8.6%) of those who underwent bronchoscopy had sputum plugs. Coinfection rate was four-fold enhanced by BAL (19.6% vs. 4.5%, p < 0.01) in patients with severe MPP (SMPP) and nearly doubled (10.8% vs. 5.9%, p = 0.03) in those without SMPP, compared with no BAL. Total of 224 (24.9%) patients had multilobar consolidation; after BAL, a significantly shorter lesion-resolution duration was observed on imaging (OR: 0.2, 95% CI: 0.0-0.7). However, longer fever duration (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.7-4.8), hospital stay (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.9-5.1), and higher costs were found in the bronchoscopy group than in the non-bronchoscopy group. CONCLUSIONS: Through BAL, coinfection may explain one-fifth of causes for SMPP. Bronchoscopy with BAL may increase the detection rate of pathogen and resolve pulmonary lesions in patients with multilobar consolidation. IMPACT: Flexible bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage is of great assistance in the timely detection of coinfection, sputum plug and inflammatory polyps in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP), and improves the recovery of lung damage in MPP patients with multilobar consolidation. This study provides new insights into the indications of flexible bronchoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric patients with MPP.

Predictive models for sepsis in children with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in the bloodstream can lead to the development of sepsis; however, the severity and risk factors of the systemic inflammatory response to Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections were unclear. This study is aimed to build a model to predict the risk of sepsis in children with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of hospitalized pediatric patients diagnosed with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections was performed between January 2013 and December 2019. Each patient was assessed using the pediatric version of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (pSOFA) within 24 h of blood culture collection. A nomogram based on logistic regression models was constructed to predict the risk factors for sepsis in children with Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections. It was validated using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: Of the 94 patients included in the study, 35 cases (37.2%) developed sepsis. The pSOFA scores ranged from 0 to 8, with 35 patients having a pSOFA score of ≥ 2. Six children (6.4%) died within 30 days, who were all from the sepsis group and had different pSOFA scores. The most common organs involved in sepsis in children with staphylococcal bloodstream infections were the neurologic system (68.6%), respiratory system (48.6%), and coagulation system (45.7%). Hospital-acquired infections (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-7.2), implanted catheters (aOR, 10.4; 95% CI, 3.8-28.4), procalcitonin level ≥ 1.7 ng/mL (aOR, 15.4; 95% CI, 2.7-87.1), and underlying diseases, especially gastrointestinal malformations (aOR, 14.0; 95% CI, 2.9-66.7) were associated with Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. However, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection was not a risk factor for sepsis. The nomogram had high predictive accuracy for the estimation of sepsis risk, with an AUC of 0.85. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a predictive model for sepsis in children with Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Energy-Efficient Opportunistic Routing Algorithm for Post-Disaster Mine Internet of Things Networks.

The Mine Internet of Things (MIoT), as a key technology for reconstructing post-disaster communication networks, enables a user to monitor and control the safety of an affected roadway. However, due to the challenging underground mine environment, the MIoT suffers from severe signal attenuation, vulnerable nodes, and limited energy, which result in a low level of network reliability for the post-disaster MIoT. To improve transmission reliability and reduce energy consumption, a directional-area-forwarding-based energy-efficient opportunistic routing (DEOR) approach for the post-disaster MIoT is proposed. DEOR defines a forwarding zone (FZ) for each node to route packets toward the sink. The candidate forwarding set (CFS) is constructed by the nodes within the FZ that satisfy the energy constraint and the neighboring node degree constraint. The nodes in the CFS are prioritized based on a routing quality evaluation, which takes the local attributes of the nodes, such as the directional angle, transmission distance, and residual energy, into consideration. DEOR adopts a recovery mechanism to address the issue of void nodes. The simulation results verify that the proposed DEOR approach outperforms the ORR, OBRN and ECSOR methods in terms of energy consumption, average hop count, packet delivery rate, and network lifetime.

Surface Subsidence Monitoring of Mining Areas in Hunan Province Based on Sentinel-1A and DS-InSAR.

Monitoring the surface subsidence in mining areas is conducive to the prevention and control of geological disasters, and the prediction and early warning of accidents. Hunan Province is located in South China. The mineral resource reserves are abundant; however, large and medium-sized mines account for a low proportion of the total, and the concentration of mineral resource distribution is low, meaning that traditional mining monitoring struggles to meet the needs of large-scale monitoring of mining areas in the province. The advantages of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology in large-scale deformation monitoring were applied to identify and monitor the surface subsidence of coal mining fields in Hunan Province based on a Sentinel-1A dataset of 86 images taken from 2018 to 2020, and the process of developing surface subsidence was inverted by selecting typical mining areas. The results show that there are 14 places of surface subsidence in the study area, and accidents have occurred in 2 mining areas. In addition, the railway passing through the mining area of Zhouyuan Mountain is affected by the surface subsidence, presenting a potential safety hazard.

Phase Ia/Ib Study of the Selective MET Inhibitor, Savolitinib, in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors: Safety, Efficacy, and Biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Savolitinib has shown good tolerability and preliminary efficacy, but efficacy biomarkers require investigation. The main purpose of this study was to confirm in Chinese patients the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of savolitinib and to explore overall benefit in tumors bearing c-Met aberration. METHODS: This was an open-label, multi-center, 2-part phase I study. A starting dose of 600 mg QD was initiated in the escalation phase, utilizing a 3+3 design with repeated QD and BID dosing. In the dose expansion phase, we enrolled patients with gastric cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with documented c-met aberration into 5 cohorts to further explore biomarkers. c-Met overexpression and amplification were assessed by immunohistochemistry and FISH, respectively. RESULTS: The safety analysis set included 85 patients. Only one dose-limiting toxicity (grade 3 fatigue) was reported in the 600 mg BID dosing group. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events were nausea (29.4%), vomiting (27.1%), and peripheral edema (21.2%). Notably, in gastric cancer, response was only observed in patients with MET amplification (copy number 9.7-18.4), with an objective response rate of 35.7% and a disease control rate of 64.3%. For patients with NSCLC bearing a MET exon 14 skipping mutation, obvious target lesion shrinkage was observed in 2 of 4 patients, although PR was not achieved. CONCLUSION: The RP2D of savolitinib was established as 600 mg QD or 500 mg BID in Chinese patients. The promising response observed in patients with gastric cancer with c-met amplification and NSCLC with MET exon 14 skipping mutation warrants further investigation. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT0198555.

Curcumol inhibits PDGF-BB-induced proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cells by suppressing ERK/CREB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Curcumol, possessing antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties, has been widely used in treating cancers and liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of curcumol on the progression of asthma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Curcumol was administrated to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-stimulated airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs). The proliferation of ASMCs was assessed by MTT and EdU incorporation assays. The apoptosis of ASMCs was measured by flow cytometry and Western blotting. The migration of ASMCs was evaluated by Transwell migration assay and Western blotting. The regulatory effects of curcumol on extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK)/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway was evaluated by Western blotting. RESULTS: The proliferation and migration of ASMCs induced by PDGF-BB was suppressed, and the apoptosis of ASMCs was elevated by curcumol in a dose-dependent manner. The activation of ERK/CREB pathway induced by PDGF-BB was suppressed by curcumol. CONCLUSION: Curcumol could suppress ERK/CREB pathway to inhibit proliferation and migration and promote apoptosis of PDGF-BB-stimulated ASMCs. These findings suggest that curcumol may act as a potential drug for asthma treatment.

Instability Monitoring and Numerical Analysis of Typical Coal Mines in Southwest China Based on DS-InSAR.

Most of the coal mines in Southwest China are located in mountainous areas with high vegetation coverage, and most activities are carried out under the mountains. The deformation monitoring and mechanical behavior analysis of the mining area helps reveal the typical mountain deformation and failure mechanism caused by underground mining activities and reduce the risk of mountain collapse in the mining area. In this manuscript, a research method for mountain stability in mining areas is proposed, which combines InSAR deformation monitoring with numerical analysis. Based on the high-precision deformation information obtained by DS-InSAR and the landslide range, a three-dimensional explicit finite difference numerical analysis method was used to reconstruct the landslide model. According to the layout of the coal mining working face, the variation mechanism of overlying stratum stress and the mountain slip in the coal mining process is inverted, and the mechanism of mountain failure and instability in the mining area is analysed. Based on the sentinel data, the experiment performed time series monitoring and inversion analysis of the mountain collapse in Nayong, Guizhou, China. The results show that mining activities a certain distance from the mountain will affect mountain stability, and there are specific mechanisms. From 2015 to 2017, the stress redistribution of overlying strata above the goaf area resulted in dense longitudinal cracks in the landslide body due to coal mining. The mountain is in a continuous damage state, and the supporting force to prevent collapse continues to decrease, resulting in a gradual decrease in landslide stability. Both the time series DS-InSAR monitoring results and numerical simulation results verify the actual occurrence and development of the on-site subsidence.

Characteristics of bone metabolism in postmenopausal women with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The characteristics of bone metabolism in T2DM are still controversial. This study aims to recognize bone turnover features in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM who have never been treated with anti-diabetic drugs and further explore the possible factors contributing to their impaired bone turnover. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An analytic sample of 88 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM and 152 non-diabetic control individuals were studied. All the participants were postmenopausal women. Demographics variables and clinical history were recorded. We measured lipid profile, glucose metabolism, bone turnover markers indices as well as their related hormones, serum calcium and phosphorus. Bone mineral density was detected by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We compared the differences in bone turnover markers and their regulating hormones between two groups and further analysed the factors related to bone turnover in T2DM. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, patients with T2DM had a higher level of bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), lower levels of procollagen type I intact N-terminal (P1NP), osteocalcin (OC) and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that in patients with T2DM, HbA1c was negatively correlated with P1NP and OC. For patients without diabetes, HbA1c was negatively related to BALP and OC. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with newly diagnosed T2DM may have impaired osteoblastic maturation and bone formation, which may be mainly attributed to hyperglycaemia.

InDel marker development and QTL analysis of agronomic traits in mung bean [Vigna radiate (L.) Wilczek].

The stem color of young mung bean is a very useful tool in germplasm identification. Flowering time and plant height (PH) are known to be strongly correlated with crop adaption and yield. However, few studies have focused on elucidating the genetic mechanisms that regulate these five particular traits: young stem color (YSC), days to first flowering (DFF), days to maturity (DM), PH, and nodes on the main stem (NMS). In this study, a genetic linkage map for the F2 population was constructed using 129 InDel markers that were developed based on the sequence variations between parents. A total of 14 QTLs related to YSC, DFF, DM, PH, and NMS were detected. These QTLs were distributed on six chromosomes (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10), which individually accounted for 1.32 to 90.07% of the total phenotypic variation. Using a short and high-density linkage map for the F3 population, six of the seven QTLs which clustered at two intervals on chromosomes 3 and 10 were detected again. Further analysis found that four QTLs between InDel markers R3-15 and R3-19 controlled DFF, DM, PH, and NMS, and each QTL accounted for a large percent of the total phenotypic variation. Analysis of two separated F2:3 lines also found that the phenotype was highly corresponded to its genotype which was between R3-15 and R3-19. Phenotype and genotype analysis for 30 mung bean accessions showed that the major effect QTL qDFF3 was a key regulator for DFF. Using a map-based cloning method, the major effect QTL qYSC4 for YSC was mapped in a 347 Kb interval on chromosome 4. Candidate gene analysis showed that sequence variations and expression level differences existed in the predicted candidate gene between the parents. These results provide a theoretical basis for cloning these QTLs and marker-assisted selection. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-021-01233-0.

OsBIC1 Directly Interacts with OsCRYs to Regulate Leaf Sheath Length through Mediating GA-Responsive Pathway.

Cryptochrome 1 and 2 (CRY1 and CRY2) are blue light receptors involved in the regulation of hypocotyl elongation, cotyledon expansion, and flowering time in Arabidopsisthaliana. Two cryptochrome-interacting proteins, Blue-light Inhibitor of Cryptochrome 1 and 2 (BIC1 and BIC2), have been found in Arabidopsis. BIC1 plays critical roles in suppressing the physiological activities of CRY2, which include the blue light-dependent dimerization, phosphorylation, photobody formation, and degradation process, but the functional characterization of BIC protein in other crops has not yet been performed. To investigate the function of BIC protein in rice (Oryza sativa), two homologous genes of Arabidopsis BIC1 and BIC2, namely OsBIC1 and OsBIC2 (OsBICs), were identified. The overexpression of OsBIC1 and OsBIC2 led to increased leaf sheath length, whereas mutations in OsBIC1 displayed shorter leaf sheath in a blue light intensity-dependent manner. OsBIC1 regulated blue light-induced leaf sheath elongation through direct interaction with OsCRY1a, OsCRY1b, and OsCRY2 (OsCRYs). Longitudinal sections of the second leaf sheath demonstrated that OsBIC1 and OsCRYs controlled leaf sheath length by influencing the ratio of epidermal cells with different lengths. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis further proved that OsBIC1 and OsCRYs regulated similar transcriptome changes in regulating Gibberellic Acids (GA)-responsive pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that OsBIC1 and OsCRYs worked together to regulate epidermal cell elongation and control blue light-induced leaf sheath elongation through the GA-responsive pathway.

Application of CircEIF4G2 in Screening of Cervical Lesions.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate the expression of circulating RNA EIF4G2 (CircEIF4G2) in cervical cancer and its correlation with clinicopathological features. METHODS: Cervical tissue and peripheral blood serum samples were collected from 148 patients with cervical lesions, including 30 patients with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL group), 35 patients with high squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL group), 28 patients with atypical squamous cells (ASC group), and 55 patients with cervical cancer (CC group). At the same time, cervical biopsy specimens and peripheral blood serum were collected from 40 healthy women (Normal group). RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of CircEIF4G2 in cervical tissues and peripheral blood of each group. Electron microscopy was used to observe the distribution of exosomes CircEIF4G2 in cervical tissues. Meanwhile, the correlation between the expression level of CircEIF4G2 and clinical pathological data of patients was analyzed. In vitro, HeLa cells and primary cervical epithelial cells were cultured for 24 hours. Then, the expression levels of CircEIF4G2 in the two kinds of cells were detected by RT-PCR in medium. Furthermore, primary cervical epithelial cells were co-cultured with HeLa cells to observe the effect of exosome CircEIF4G2 on primary cervical epithelial cells. RESULTS: The expression of CircEIF4G2 in the cervical tissue and serum of the normal group was significantly lower than that in the CC group (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the LSIL group and the HSIL group in the cervical tissue and serum (p < 0.05). The distribution and expression of exosomes CircEIF4G2 in each group were consistent with RT-PCR results under an electron microscope. The results of experiments in vitro showed that the expression level of CircEIF4G2 in HeLa cells was significantly higher than that in primary cervical epithelial cells (p < 0.05). The medium in which Hela cells were cultured for 24 hours was added to the culture medium of primary cervical epithelial cells. The process of exosomes CircEIF4G2 entering primary cervical cancer cells was observed by electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The increased expression of CircEIF4G2 in tissues and serum of cervical lesions may be caused by the secretion of exosomes containing CircEIF4G2 by cervical cancer cells. Therefore, CircEIF4G2 can be used as a marker for the diagnosis of cervical lesions.

In situ optical spectroscopy characterization for optimal design of lithium-sulfur batteries.

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is one of the most promising high-energy-density secondary battery systems. However, it suffers from issues arising from its extremely complicated "solid-liquid-solid" reaction routes. In recent years, enormous advances have been made in optimizing Li-S batteries via the rational design of compositions and architectures. Nevertheless, a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the practical reaction mechanisms of Li-S systems and their effect on the electrochemical performance is still lacking. Very recently, several important in situ optical spectroscopic techniques, including Raman, infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies, have been developed to monitor the real-time variations of the battery states, and a bridge linking the macroscopic electrochemical performance and microscopic architectures of the components has been set up, thus playing a critical role in scientifically guiding further optimal design of Li-S batteries. In this tutorial review, we provide a systematic summary of the state-of-the-art innovations in the characterization and optimal design of Li-S batteries with the aid of these in situ optical spectroscopic techniques, to guide a beginner to construct in situ optical spectroscopy electrochemical cells, and develop strategies for preventing long-chain polysulfide formation, dissolution and migration, thus alleviating the shuttle effect in Li-S batteries and improving the cell performances significantly.

Knockdown of LASP2 inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells.

LIM and SH3 protein 2 (LASP2) belongs to nebulin family. It has been proven that LASP2 is involved in several cancers; however, its role in cervical cancer is unclear. Herein, we showed that LASP2 was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. To knockdown LASP2 in cervical cancer cells, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting LASP2 (si-LASP2) were used. We found that cell proliferation, migration/invasion were markedly reduced after si-LASP2 transfection. A significant increase in E-cadherin expression, and decrease in N-cadherin and vimentin expressions were observed in si-LASP2 transfected cervical cancer cells. Knockdown of LASP2 caused significant inhibitory effect on the PI3K/Akt pathway. Treatment with the activator of the PI3K/Akt pathway, 740Y-P, abolished the effects of si-LASP2 transfection on cervical cancer cells. These findings suggested that LASP2 may be an oncogene through regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway in cervical cancer.

The mTOR-RUNX1 pathway regulates DC-SIGN expression in renal tubular epithelial cells.

Renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) play pivotal roles in the innate immune response in kidneys. Dendritic cell specific intracellular adhesion molecule-3 grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) functions as both the innate immune recognition receptor and the adhesion molecule. In our previous study, we found that DC-SIGN expression was induced in RTECs during renal inflammation. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we used the human renal proximal tubular epithelial cell lines (HK-2) to investigate the mechanism of TNF-α-induced expression of DC-SIGN. Our results showed that TNF-α up-regulated the expressions of DC-SIGN and Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) in a time-dependent manner and that it up-regulated DC-SIGN promoter-driven luciferase activity in a dose-dependent manner. The mTOR inhibitor rapamycin and mTOR siRNA blocked the TNF-α-induced up-regulation of DC-SIGN expression. Meanwhile, DC-SIGN expression was also inhibited by RUNX1 siRNA and its inhibitor Ro5-3335. In addition, both mTOR and RUNX1 inhibitors attenuated TNF-α-induced the increase in DC-SIGN promoter-driven luciferase activity. Finally, we found that HK-2 cells exposed to rapamycin or mTOR siRNA reduced the TNF-α-induced up-regulation of RUNX1. In conclusion, these results indicated that the mTOR-RUNX1 pathway participates in the regulation of TNF-α-induced DC-SIGN expression in RTECs.

Genomic characterization of cervical cancer based on human papillomavirus status.

OBJECTIVE: It is uncommon for cervical cancer patients to be diagnosed without a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. As prophylactic vaccines against high-risk HPV types are an ineffective preventive measure for these patients it is essential to identify differential biomarkers that may be associated with detection, prognosis and novel targeted therapies. The objective of this study was to compare the two entities, HPV+ and HPV- cervical cancers, based on TCGA public data. METHODS: We collected and analyzed clinical information of 299 cervical cancer patients as the first step, then identified differential expressed genes and conducted downstream analyses to characterize this tumor based on HPV status, including functional annotation, pathway mapping, survival analysis and comparative somatic mutation landscapes. We further inferred the likelihood of responding to traditional treatment including radiotherapy and chemotherapy. RESULTS: It was found that HPV- tumors were likely to occur at an older age and were often adenocarcinomas or adenosquamous carcinomas, and there was no significant overall survival difference between HPV+ vs. HPV- tumors. Gene expression profiles of HPV+ and HPV- tumors differed especially in ANKRD7, SERPINB3, EMX2, MEI1, RNF212, RP11-13 K12.5, RP11-325F22.2 and ZFR2 which were significantly relevant to cervical cancer prognosis. TP53, ARID5B, ARID1A, CTNNB1 and PTEN were significantly differentially mutated between HPV+ and HPV- tumors. Results of radiotherapy analyses demonstrated that CDO1, PCDHB2 and MYOD1 were different between the two subsets. In addition, RP11-299 L17.3, SLC14A2, FGF18 and OASL represented different drug-sensitivity to cisplatin between both. CONCLUSIONS: These potential biomarkers may offer insights to further personalize therapeutic decision-making to improve survival in HPV- cervical cancer patients.

Clinical characteristics and managements of severe hand, foot and mouth disease caused by enterovirus A71 and coxsackievirus A16 in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a transmissible infectious disease caused by human enteroviruses (EV). Here, we described features of children with severe HFMD caused by EV-A71 or coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) in Shanghai, China. METHODS: Severe EV-A71 or CV-A16 caused HFMD children admitted to the Xinhua Hospital from January 2014 and December 2016, were recruited retrospectively to the study. Symptoms and findings at the time of hospitalization, laboratory tests, treatments, length of stay and residual findings at discharge were systematically recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 19,995 children visited clinic service with probable HFMD, 574 children (2.87%) were admitted, 234 children (40.76%) were confirmed with EV-A71 (90/574) or CV-A16 (144/574) disease. Most (91.02%) of the patients were under 5 years. Initial clinical symptoms of EV-A71 and CV-A16 cases were: fever > 39 °C in 81 (90%) and 119 (82.63%), vomiting in 31 (34.44%) and 28 (19.44%), myoclonic twitching in 19 (21.11%) and 11(7.64%), startle in 21 (23.33%) and 20 (13.69%), respectively. Serum levels of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were significantly upregulated in severe HFMD subjects. Forty-seven children (20.08%) treated with intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) showed decreased duration of illness episodes. All children were discharged without complications. CONCLUSIONS: EV-A71 and CV-A16 accounted 40.76% of admitted HFMD during 2014 to 2016 in Xinhua Hospital. IVIG appeared to be beneficial in shortening the duration of illness episodes of severe HFMD.