Isolation, identification, and induced differentiation of satellite cells from skeletal muscle of adult tree shrews.

A method for the in vitro isolation, purification, identification, and induced differentiation of satellite cells from adult tree shrew skeletal muscle was established. The mixed enzyme digestion method and differential adhesion method were used to obtain skeletal muscle satellite cells, which were identified and induced to differentiate to verify their pluripotency. The use of a mixture of collagenase II, hyaluronidase IV, and DNase I is an efficient method for isolating adult tree shrew skeletal muscle satellite cells. The P3 generation of cells had good morphology, rapid proliferation, high viability, and an "S"-shaped growth curve. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence staining indicated that marker genes or proteins were expressed in skeletal muscle satellite cells. After myogenic differentiation was induced, multiple-nucleated myotubes were observed, and the MyHC protein was expressed. The expression of myogenic marker genes changed with the differentiation process. After the induction of adipogenic differentiation, orange-red lipid droplets were observed, and the expression of adipogenic marker genes increased gradually with the differentiation process. In summary, satellite cells from adult tree shrew skeletal muscle were successfully isolated using a mixed enzyme digestion method, and their potential for differentiation into myogenic and adipogenic cells was confirmed, laying a foundation for further in vitro study of tree shrew muscle damage.

Heme Oxygenase-1 Is Involved in the Repair of Oxidative Damage Induced by Oxidized Fish Oil in Litopenaeus vannamei by Sulforaphane.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which could be highly induced under the stimulation of oxidative stress, functions in reducing the damage caused by oxidative stress, and sulforaphane (SFN) is an antioxidant. This study aims to investigate whether HO-1 is involved in the repair of oxidative damage induced by oxidized fish oil (OFO) in Litopenaeus vannamei by sulforaphane (SFN). The oxidative stress model of L. vannamei was established by feeding OFO feed (OFO accounts for 6%), and they were divided into the following four groups: control group (injected with dsRNA-EGFP and fed with common feed), dsRNA-HO-1 group (dsRNA-HO-1, common feed), dsRNA-HO-1 + SFN group (dsRNA-HO-1, supplement 50 mg kg-1 SFN feed), and SFN group (dsRNA-EGFP, supplement 50 mg kg-1 SFN feed). The results showed that the expression level of HO-1 in the dsRNA-HO-1 + SFN group was significantly increased compared with the dsRNA-HO-1 group (p < 0.05). The activities of SOD in muscle and GPX in hepatopancreas and serum of the dsRNA-HO-1 group were significantly lower than those of the control group, and MDA content in the dsRNA-HO-1 group was the highest among the four groups. However, SFN treatment increased the activities of GPX and SOD in hepatopancreas, muscle, and serum and significantly reduced the content of MDA (p < 0.05). SFN activated HO-1, upregulated the expression of antioxidant-related genes (CAT, SOD, GST, GPX, Trx, HIF-1α, Nrf2, prx 2, Hsp 70), and autophagy genes (ATG 3, ATG 5), and stabilized the expression of apoptosis genes (caspase 2, caspase 3) in the hepatopancreas (p < 0.05). In addition, knocking down HO-1 aggravated the vacuolation of hepatopancreas and increased the apoptosis of hepatopancreas, while the supplement of SFN could repair the vacuolation of hepatopancreas and reduce the apoptosis signal. In summary, HO-1 is involved in the repair of the oxidative damage induced by OFO in L. vannamei by SFN.

Improving upconversion luminescence intensity of BiTa7O19:Er3+/Yb3+ by polyvalent Sb co-doping.

BiTa7O19:Er3+/Yb3+/Sb phosphors were successfully synthesized by high temperature solid sintering. X-ray diffraction (XRD), fluorescence spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were used to analyze the phase structure, upconversion luminescence (UCL) features and Sb valence state, respectively. The results suggest that polyvalent Sb with Sb3+ and Sb5+ can replace the Ta5+ sites in a BiTa7O19 host to form a pure phase. Compared with BiTa7O19:0.1Er3+/0.4Yb3+, polyvalent Sb doping further improves UCL intensity by 1.2 times under 980 nm laser stimulation with a powder density of 44.59 W cm-2. This is due to the adjustment of the local lattice structure of BiTa7O19 by the polyvalent Sb. The maximum absolute sensitivity (SA) and relative sensitivity (SR) can be estimated from the UCL variable-temperature spectra as 0.0098 K-1 at 356 K and 0.0078 K-1 at 303 K using the luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) approach. The outcomes show that host local lattice adjustment using polyvalent elements is an effective way to improve luminescence intensity, and it is possible to use BiTa7O19:Er3+/Yb3+/Sb as a temperature sensor.

USP7 promotes the osteoclast differentiation of CD14+ human peripheral blood monocytes in osteoporosis via HMGB1 deubiquitination.

Background: Abnormal osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation is an essential pathological process in osteoporosis. As an important deubiquitinase enzyme, ubiquitin-specific peptidase 7 (USP7) participates in various disease processes through posttranslational modification. However, the mechanism by which USP7 regulates osteoporosis remains unknown. Herein, we aimed to investigate whether USP7 regulates abnormal osteoclast differentiation in osteoporosis. Methods: The gene expression profiles of blood monocytes were preprocessed to analyze the differential expression of USP genes. CD14+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from whole blood collected from osteoporosis patients (OPs) and healthy donors (HDs), and the expression pattern of USP7 during the differentiation of CD14+ PBMCs into osteoclasts was detected by western blotting. The role of USP7 in the osteoclast differentiation of PBMCs treated with USP7 siRNA or exogenous rUSP7 was further investigated by the F-actin assay, TRAP staining and western blotting. Moreover, the interaction between high-mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1) and USP7 was investigated by coimmunoprecipitation, and the regulation of the USP7-HMGB1 axis in osteoclast differentiation was further verified. Osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) mice was then studied using the USP7-specific inhibitor P5091 to identify the role of USP7 in osteoporosis. Results: The bioinformatic analyses and CD14+ PBMCs from osteoporosis patients confirmed that the upregulation of USP7 was associated with osteoporosis. USP7 positively regulates the osteoclast differentiation of CD14+ PBMCs in vitro. Mechanistically, USP7 promoted osteoclast formation by binding to and deubiquitination of HMGB1. In vivo, P5091 effectively attenuates bone loss in OVX mice. Conclusion: We demonstrate that USP7 promotes the differentiation of CD14+ PBMCs into osteoclasts via HMGB1 deubiquitination and that inhibition of USP7 effectively attenuates bone loss in osteoporosis in vivo.The translational potential of this article:The study reveals novel insights into the role of USP7 in the progression of osteoporosis and provides a new therapeutic target for the treatment of osteoporosis.

A novel Anti-ROS osteoblast-specific delivery system for ankylosing spondylitis treatment via suppression of both inflammation and pathological new bone formation.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common rheumatic disorder distinguished by chronic inflammation and heterotopic ossification at local entheses sites. Currently available medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and TNF inhibitors, are limited by side effects, high costs and unclear inhibitory effects on heterotopic ossification. Herein, we developed manganese ferrite nanoparticles modified by the aptamer CH6 (CH6-MF NPs) that can efficiently scavenge ROS and actively deliver siRNA into hMSCs and osteoblasts in vivo for effective AS treatment. CH6-MF NPs loaded with BMP2 siRNA (CH6-MF-Si NPs) effectively suppressed abnormal osteogenic differentiation under inflammatory conditions in vitro. During their circulation and passive accumulation in inflamed joints in the Zap70mut mouse model, CH6-MF-Si NPs attenuated local inflammation and rescued heterotopic ossification in the entheses. Thus, CH6-MF NPs may be an effective inflammation reliever and osteoblast-specific delivery system, and CH6-MF-Si NPs have potential for the dual treatment of chronic inflammation and heterotopic ossification in AS.

MiR-125b and SATB1-AS1 might be shear stress-mediated therapeutic targets.

The aim of the study was to explore the potential molecular mechanism associated with shear stress on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression. This study performed RNA sequencing on AAA patients (SQ), AAA patients after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR, SH), and normal controls (NC). Furthermore, we identified the differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNA (cirRNAs) and constructed competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks. Finally, 164 differentially expressed miRNAs, 179 co-differentially expressed lncRNAs, and 440 co-differentially expressed circRNAs among the three groups were obtained. The differentially expressed miRNAs mainly enriched in 325 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Target genes associated with co-differentially expressed genes among the group of SH, SQ, and NC mainly enriched in 66 KEGG pathways. LncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions, including 15 lncRNAs, 63 miRNAs and 57 mRNAs, was constructed. CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network included 79 circRNAs, 21 miRNAs, and 49 mRNAs. Among them, KLRC2 and CSTF1, targeted by miR-125b, participated in cell-mediated immunity regulation. MiR-320-related circRNAs and SATB1-AS1 serving as the sponge of miRNAs, such as has-circ-0129245, has-circ-0138746, and has-circ-0139786, were hub genes in ceRNA network. In conclusion, AAA patients might be benefit from EVAR based on various pathways and some molecules, such as miR-125b and SATB1-AS1, related with shear stress.

lncRNA ANRIL accelerates wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers via modulating HIF1A/VEGFA signaling through interacting with FUS.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a frequently diagnosed complication of diabetes, and remains a heathcare burden worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of DFU is still largely unclear. The objective of this study is to delineate the function and underlying mechanism of lncRNA antisense non coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and DFU mice. METHODS: The DFU mouse model was established, and EPCs were subjected to high glucose (HG) treatment to mimic diabetes. qRT-PCR or western blot was employed to detected the expression of ANRIL, HIF1A, FUS and VEGFA. CCK-8 and Annexin V/PI staining were used to monitor cell proliferation and apoptosis. Wound healing, Transwell invasion and tube formation assays were conducted to assess cell migration, invasion and angiogenesis, respectively. The association between ANRIL and FUS was verified by RNA pull-down and RIP assays. Luciferase and ChIP assays were employed to investigate HIF1A-mediated transcriptional regulation of VEGFA and ANRIL. The histological alterations of DFU wound healing were observed by H&E and Masson staining. RESULTS: ANRIL was downregulated in peripheral blood samples of DFU patients, DFU mice and HG-treated EPCs. Mechanistically, ANRIL regulated HIFA mRNA stability via recruiting FUS. VEGFA and ANRIL were transcriptionally regulated by HIF1A. Functional experiments revealed that HG suppressed EPC proliferation, migration, invasion and tube formation, but promoted apoptosis via ANRIL/HIF1A axis. ANRIL accelerated DFU wound healing via modulating HIF1A expression in vivo. CONCLUSION: ANRIL accelerated wound healing in DFU via modulating HIF1A/VEGFA signaling in a FUS-dependent manner.

Marginal reduction in surface NO2 attributable to airport shutdown: A machine learning regression-based approach.

Emissions from aviation and airport-related activities degrade surface air quality but received limited attention relative to regular transportation sectors like road traffic and waterborne vessels. Statistically, assessing the impact of airport-related emissions remains a challenge due to the fact that its signal in the air quality time series data is largely dwarfed by meteorology and other emissions. Flight-ban policy has been implemented in a number of cities in response to the COVID-19 spread since early 2020, which provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine the changes in air quality attributable to airport closure. It would also be interesting to know whether such an intervention produces extra marginal air quality benefits, in addition to road traffic. Here we investigated the impact of airport-related emissions from a civil airport on nearby NO2 air quality by applying machine learning predictive model to observational data collected from this unique quasi-natural experiment. The whole lockdown-attributable change in NO2 was 16.7 µg/m3, equals to a drop of 73% in NO2 with respect to the business-as-usual level. Meanwhile, the airport flight-ban aviation-attributable NO2 was 3.1 µg/m3, accounting for a marginal reduction of 18.6% of the overall NO2 change that driven by the whole lockdown effect. The airport-related emissions contributed up to 24% of the local ambient NO2 under normal conditions. Additionally, the average impact of airport-related emissions on the nearby air quality was ∼0.01 ± 0.001 µg/m3 NO2 per air-flight. Our results highlight that attention needs to be paid to such a considerable emission source in many places where regular air quality regulatory measures were insufficient to bring NO2 concentration into compliance with the health-based limit.

Thermal enhancing effect of upconversion luminescence in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Cs3BiSr(P2O7)2 phosphors.

A series of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped Cs3BiSr(P2O7)2 (CBSPO) phosphors with significant thermal enhancement were successfully prepared using the solid-state method and the thermal-enhancing effect was studied in detail. When the temperature increased from 303 to 723 K, the upconversion luminescence (UCL) emission intensities of 2H11/2 → 4I15/2 and 2H11/2 + 4S3/2 → 4I15/2 of Er3+ in CBSPO:0.1Er3+/0.2Yb3+ were enhanced 22.81 and 10.06 times under 980 nm laser excitation, respectively. Meanwhile, the UCL color of the sample obviously changed from orange to green with the increase in temperature. Furthermore, the UCL thermal enhancement mechanism was demonstrated, which originates from phonon-assisted transitions. In addition, the maximum absolute temperature sensitivity for CBSPO:0.1Er3+/0.2Yb3+ was calculated to be 0.01026 K-1 at 563 K via luminescence intensity ratio (LIR) technology. All the results show that the CBSPO:Er3+/Yb3+ phosphors can be used for safety warning and temperature measurement at high temperatures.

A Detailed Study to Discover the Trade between Left Atrial Blood Flow, Expression of Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels and Valvular Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: The present study aimed to explore the correlation between calcium-activated potassium channels, left atrial flow field mechanics, valvular atrial fibrillation (VAF), and thrombosis. The process of transforming mechanical signals into biological signals has been revealed, which offers new insights into the study of VAF. Methods: Computational fluid dynamics simulations use numeric analysis and algorithms to compute flow parameters, including turbulent shear stress (TSS) and wall pressure in the left atrium (LA). Real-time PCR and western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of IKCa2.3/3.1, ATK1, and P300 in the left atrial tissue of 90 patients. Results: In the valvular disease group, the TSS and wall ressure in the LA increased, the wall pressure increased in turn in all disease groups, mainly near the mitral valve and the posterior portion of the LA, the increase in TSS was the most significant in each group near the mitral valve, and the middle and lower part of the back of the LA and the mRNA expression and protein expression levels of IKCa2.3/3.1, AKT1, and P300 increased (p < 0.05) (n = 15). The present study was preliminarily conducted to elucidate whether there might be a certain correlation between IKCa2.3 and LA hemodynamic changes. Conclusions: The TSS and wall pressure changes in the LA are correlated with the upregulation of mRNA and protein expression of IKCa2.3/3.1, AKT1, and P300.

Promotion Mechanism of CaSO4 and Au in the Plasma-Assisted Catalytic Oxidation of Diesel Particulate Matter.

Plasma-assisted catalysis has been demonstrated to be an innovative technology for eliminating diesel particulate matter (DPM) efficiently at low temperature (≤200 °C). Moreover, past studies have demonstrated that CaSO4, which exists in small concentrations (<2%) in DPM and is toxic in thermal catalytic oxidation processes, actually enhances DPM oxidation during plasma-assisted catalytic processes. However, the role CaSO4 plays in this promotion of DPM oxidation still remains unclear. The present study addresses this issue by investigating the underlying mechanisms of DPM oxidation during plasma-assisted catalytic processes using graphitic carbon as a surrogate DPM material in conjunction with CaSO4- and Au-impregnated γ-Al2O3 catalysts. The results of mass spectrometry and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, which employs an in situ cell with a small dielectric barrier discharge space over the catalyst bed, demonstrate that CaSO4 can save and release O atoms contributing to graphite oxidation via the -S=O units of CaSO4 through a reversible surface reaction (-S=O + O → -S(-O)2). The results are employed to propose a formal mechanism of graphite oxidation catalyzed by CaSO4 and Au. These findings both improve our understanding of the plasma-assisted catalytic oxidation mechanisms of DPM and support the development of efficient plasma-assisted catalysts.

Decreased triiodothyronine (T3) as a predictor for prolonged mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients with cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the correlation between thyroid hormone and prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV) in adult critically ill patients having undergone cardiac surgery. METHODS: The present study refers to a retrospective, cohort study conducted at Nanjing First Hospital from March 2019 to December 2020. Patients receiving cardiac surgery and admitting to the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) in the study period were screened for potential inclusion. Demographic information, thyroid hormone and other laboratory measurements and outcome variables were recorded for analysis. Prolonged MV was defined as the duration of MV after cardiac surgery longer than 5 days. Thyroid hormones were assessed for the prognostic significance for prolonged MV. RESULTS: One thousand eight hundred ninety-six patients who underwent cardiac surgery were screened for potential enrollment. Overall, 118 patients were included and analyzed in this study. Patients fell to the control (n = 64) and the prolonged MV group (n = 54) by complying with the duration of MV after cardiac surgery. The median value of total triiodothyronine (TT3) and free triiodothyronine (FT3) were 1.03 nmol/L and 3.52 pmol/L in the prolonged MV group before cardiac surgery, significantly lower than 1.23 nmol/L (P = 0.005) and 3.87 pmol/L, respectively in control (P = 0.038). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that TT3 before surgery (pre-op TT3) had an excellent prognostic significance for prolonged MV (OR: 0.049, P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that decreased triiodothyronine (T3) could be common in cardiac patients with prolonged MV, and it would be further reduced after patients undergo cardiac surgery. Besides, decreased T3 before surgery could act as an effective predictor for prolonged MV after cardiac surgery.

High ratio of Ce3+/(Ce3++Ce4+) enhanced the plasma catalytic degradation of n-undecane on CeO2/γ-Al2O3.

n-Undecane (C11) is the main component of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the printing industry, and its emission to the atmosphere should be controlled. In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge reactor coupled with CeO2/γ-Al2O3 catalysts was used to degrade C11. The effect of the chemical state of CeO2 on C11 degradation was evaluated by varying the CeO2 loading on γ-Al2O3. The C11 conversion and COx selectivity were as high as 92% and 80%, respectively, under mild reaction conditions of energy density 34 J/L and 423 K to degrade 134 mg/m3 C11 in a simulated air using 10 wt%CeO2 impregnated on γ-Al2O3. After analyses using in-situ plasma diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, it was found that most of C11 were degraded to CO2, and the main by-products on catalyst surfaces were alcohols and ketones. It was concluded from X-ray photoemission spectroscopy that the good performance of the 10 wt%CeO2/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was due to its high Ce3+/(Ce3++Ce4+) ratio as well as the oxygen vacancies. The Ce3+/(Ce3++Ce4+) ratio of CeO2 on γ-Al2O3 is crucial for the degradation of C11, providing a further roadmap for the plasma catalytic oxidation of alkanes.

Serum Exosomal microRNA Profiling in AIDS Complicated with Talaromyces marneffei Infection.

INTRODUCTION: In order to find the early diagnostic markers of AIDS combined with TM infection, we detected and analyzed the serum exosomal miRNAs of AIDS patients with or without TM infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We profiled the expression levels of miRNAs via RNA sequencing in serum exosomes from the pooled samples of 17 AIDS patients combined without TM infection and 15 AIDS combined with TM infection patients. For external validation, we validated these results using real-time quantification polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in an independent cohort of 35 AIDS patients combined without TM infection and 33 AIDS combined with TM infection patients. Finally, bioinformatics was used to predict the target genes and pathways of meaningful miRNAs. RESULTS: A total of 131 serum exosomal miRNAs including 73 up-regulated and 59 down-regulated miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed (log2FC≥1 and FDR <0.01) in the two groups. A validation analysis revealed that three miRNAs (miR-192-5p, miR-194-5p and miR-1246) were upregulated in exosomes from AIDS combined with TM infection patients. ROC analyses showed that the AUC in combined diagnosis of the three miRNAs was 0.742, and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 0.568 and 0.861, respectively. In the biological process analysis, all the 3 miRNAs were involved in transcription, DNA-templated and positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter. At the same time, the related pathways were involved in TGF-ß signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, cGMP-PKG and cAMP signaling pathway, etc. CONCLUSION: miR-192-5p, miR-194-5p and miR-1246 in serum exosomes might be a potential biomarker for AIDS combined with TM infection patients, which may be involved in TGF-ß signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, cGMP-PKG and cAMP signaling pathway, etc. Further research is needed on the biological functions and mechanisms of these miRNAs.

Thermoelectric Performance Enhancement of Film by Pulse Electric Field and Multi-Nanocomposite Strategy.

Thermoelectric (TE) film has wide potential application in low-grade waste heat recovery and TE generation due to its quick response and multifunctional integration. Multi-nanocomposite is a promising method to solve the difficulty of maintaining temperature difference and achieving a high figure of merit ZT. However, the depletion layer induced by the multi-nanocomposite typically degrades performance. This study presents a simple and convenient method to solve this problem by pulse electric field (PEF). Prototypical TE Bi2 Te3 is selected as the objective film. The strong current density effect of PEF removes the depletion layer among carbon nanotubes (CNT) and Bi2 Te3 grains. Thus, the CNT nanocomposite with PEF treatment breaks the trade-off between electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, achieving a power factor of 4400 µW m-1 K-2 which stabilizes after annealing effect to 2920 µW m-1 K-2 , a record for Bi2 Te3 films. Simultaneously, the self-assembled porosity decreases thermal conductivity via phonon scattering while still maintaining a high electrical conductivity of 3130 S cm-1 . Thus, the porosity helps maintain the temperature difference and thereby enables a sharp increase in output power. These results indicate that the combination of PEF and multi-nanocomposite is a new method to enhance TE performance, which would have a potential application in the commercial field.

MiR-137 regulates low-intensity shear stress-induced human aortic endothelial cell apoptosis via JNK/AP-1 signaling.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the role of miR-137 in low-intensity shear stress-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and cell apoptosis in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). HAECs were transfected with miR-137 mimic, miR-137 inhibitor, or the corresponding negative control and then exposed to pulsatile shear stress in a parallel-plate flow chamber at 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 dyn/cm2 for 3 h. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect mRNA expression of miR-137 and SDS22. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to verify the direct interaction between miR-137 and SDS22. The internal morphology of cells and cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining observed under a transmission electron microscope. Meanwhile, the protein expression of oxidative stress-related, apoptosis-related, and activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/activator protein-1 (AP-1) signaling-related genes were analyzed by western blotting. Low strength shear stress (0-5 dyn/cm2) caused a negative change of HAEC surface and internal morphology in an intensity-dependent manner, and these changes were gradually weakened when shear stress was increased more than 5 dyn/cm2. Furthermore, low-intensity shear stress promoted oxidative stress response, accelerated cell apoptosis, and upregulated miR-137 expression and JNK/AP-1 signaling in HAECs. MiR-137 directly targets SDS22. Knockdown of miR-137 noticeably reduced activation of JNK/AP-1 signaling, oxidative stress response, and cell apoptosis induced by shear stress. MiR-137 regulated low-intensity shear stress-induced human aortic endothelial cell ER stress and cell apoptosis via JNK/AP-1 signaling.

Preparation of High-Performance Activated Carbon from Coffee Grounds after Extraction of Bio-Oil.

In this study, a new method for economical utilization of coffee grounds was developed and tested. The resulting materials were characterized by proximate and elemental analyses, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and N2 adsorption-desorption at 77 K. The experimental data show bio-oil yields reaching 42.3%. The optimal activated carbon was obtained under vacuum pyrolysis self-activation at an operating temperature of 450 °C, an activation temperature of 600 °C, an activation time of 30 min, and an impregnation ratio with phosphoric acid of 150 wt.%. Under these conditions, the yield of activated carbon reached 27.4% with a BET surface area of 1420 m2·g-1, an average pore size of 2.1 nm, a total pore volume of 0.747 cm3·g-1, and a t-Plot micropore volume of 0.428 cm3·g-1. In addition, the surface of activated carbon looked relatively rough, containing mesopores and micropores with large amounts of corrosion pits.

Identification of potential biomarkers of peripheral blood mononuclear cell in hepatocellular carcinoma using bioinformatic analysis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the cause of an overwhelming number of cancer-related deaths across the world. Developing precise and noninvasive biomarkers is critical for diagnosing HCC. Our research was designed to explore potentially useful biomarkers of host peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) in HCC by integrating comprehensive bioinformatic analysis. METHODS: Gene expression data of PBMC in both healthy individuals and patients with HCC were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were applied to annotate the function of DEGs. Protein-protein interaction analysis was performed to screen the hub genes from DEGs. cBioportal database analysis was performed to assess the prognostic significance of hub genes. The Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database analyses were performed to confirm the expression levels of the hub genes in HCC cells and tissue. RESULTS: A total of 95 DEGs were screened. Results of the GO analysis revealed that DEGs were primarily involved in platelet degranulation, cytoplasm, and protein binding. Results of the KEGG analysis indicated that DEGs were primarily enriched in focal adhesion. Five genes, namely, myosin light chain kinase (MYLK), interleukin 1 beta (IL1B), phospholipase D1 (PLD1), cortactin (CTTN), and moesin (MSN), were identified as hub genes. A search in the CCLE and HPA database showed that the expression levels of these hub genes were remarkably increased in the HCC samples. Survival analysis revealed that the overexpression of MYLK, IL1B, and PLD1 may have a significant effect on HCC survival. The aberrant high expression levels of MYLK, IL1B, and PLD1 strongly indicated worse prognosis in patients with HCC. CONCLUSIONS: The identified hub genes may be closely linked with HCC tumorigenicity and may act as potentially useful biomarkers for the prognostic prediction of HCC in PBMC samples.

Nanomagnetic structure of composite films with cubic array distribution of FeNi nanoparticles.

It is difficult to fabricate magnetic films containing small nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution. The nanomagnetic structural evolutions inside the nanoparticles in these types of films play a key role in the development of the magnetic properties. Magnetic composite films with a cubic array distribution of the nanoparticles are obtained using the layered growth of FeNi-SiO and SiO by the vacuum thermal evaporation method. The films contain small nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution (4.59 ± 0.18 nm) and an ordered cubic array. In the films, the magnetic induction lines measured by the differential phase contrast microscopy of the transmission electron microscope confirm that the disordered domain becomes multi-domain with an ordered cubic array. Furthermore, the saturation magnetization of such a film is higher than that of a pure FeNi film, despite the presence of the nonmagnetic SiO dielectric. This type of new material can be used in magnetic shields with a weak magnetic field and highly sensitive magnetic sensors.

Seroconversion of hepatitis B surface antigen among those with previously successful immune response in Southern China.

Recommendations promoted worldwide have suggested a period of protection lasting more than 20 years against hepatitis B (HB) following primary immunization. Starting in 1987, universal HB vaccinations were carried out in Long An County, Guangxi Province, one of the earliest counties in which plasma-derived HB vaccine was delivered to newborns across China. Data collection targeted toward understanding the long term (26-33 years since primary immunization) immune effects of the plasma-derived HB vaccine was conducted in 2015; a second data collection was carried out in 2019 to assess seroconversion in the same cohort. This study qualitatively compared positive vs negative results and quantitatively assessed HB biomarkers - HB surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), HB e-antigen (HBeAg), antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe), and antibody to HB core antigen (anti-HBc) - in serum 26-33 years after the full initial course of HB vaccination, then analyzed anti-HBs seroconversion using the two-phase sampling method in the same cohort and calculated the anti-HBs seroconversion rate from 2015 to 2019. The protective sero-conversion rate (anti-HBs ≥10mIU/mL) was 37.6% (192/511); the HBsAg-positive rate was 5.3% (27/511); the anti-HBs mean geometric titer (GMT) was 11.1 mIU/mL. Among the 143 participants involved in both 2015 and 2019 data collections, the seroconversion rate was 3.5% (5/143); two individuals had protective anti-HBs levels in 2015. These findings indicate that anti-HBs status can be seroconverted to a protective concentration level 4 years earlier in a high HBV epidemic region. The role of genomic mutations and the disappearance of immune memory and seroconversion should be investigated.