Predicting redox potentials by graph-based machine learning methods.

The evaluation of oxidation and reduction potentials is a pivotal task in various chemical fields. However, their accurate prediction by theoretical computations, which is a complementary task and sometimes the only alternative to experimental measurement, may be often resource-intensive and time-consuming. This paper addresses this challenge through the application of machine learning techniques, with a particular focus on graph-based methods (such as graph edit distances, graph kernels, and graph neural networks) that are reviewed to enlighten their deep links with theoretical chemistry. To this aim, we establish the ORedOx159 database, a comprehensive, homogeneous (with reference values stemming from density functional theory calculations), and reliable resource containing 318 one-electron reduction and oxidation reactions and featuring 159 large organic compounds. Subsequently, we provide an instructive overview of the good practice in machine learning and of commonly utilized machine learning models. We then assess their predictive performances on the ORedOx159 dataset through extensive analyses. Our simulations using descriptors that are computed in an almost instantaneous way result in a notable improvement in prediction accuracy, with mean absolute error (MAE) values equal to 5.6 kcal mol - 1 $$ {}^{-1} $$ for reduction and 7.2 kcal mol - 1 $$ {}^{-1} $$ for oxidation potentials, which paves a way toward efficient in silico design of new electrochemical systems.

Micropeptide AF127577.4-ORF hidden in a lncRNA diminishes glioblastoma cell proliferation via the modulation of ERK2/METTL3 interaction.

Micropeptides hidden in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been uncovered to program various cell-biological changes associated with malignant transformation-glioblastoma (GBM) cascade. Here, we identified and characterized a novel hidden micropeptide implicated in GBM. We screened potential candidate lncRNAs by establishing a workflow involving ribosome-bound lncRNAs, publicly available MS/MS data, and prognosis-related lncRNAs. Micropeptide expression was detected by western blot (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Cell proliferation rate was assessed by calcein/PI staining and EdU assay. Proteins interacted with the micropeptide were analyzed by proteomics after co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP). We discovered that lncRNA AF127577.4 indeed encoded an endogenous micropeptide, named AF127577.4-ORF. AF127577.4-ORF was associated with GBM clinical grade. In vitro, AF127577.4-ORF could suppress GBM cell proliferation. Moreover, AF127577.4-ORF reduced m6A methylation level of GBM cells. Mechanistically, AF127577.4-ORF diminished ERK2 interaction with m6A reader methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3) and downregulated phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) level. The ERK inhibitor reduced p-ERK level and downregulated METTL3 protein expression. AF127577.4-ORF weakened the stability of METTL3 protein by ERK. Also, AF127577.4-ORF suppressed GBM cell proliferation via METTL3. Our study identifies a novel micropeptide AF127577.4-ORF hidden in a lncRNA, with a potent anti-proliferating function in GBM by diminishing METTL3 protein stability by reducing the ERK2/METTL3 interaction. This micropeptide may be beneficial for development of therapeutic strategies against GBM.

Nutritional status of children left behind by migrant parents: Evidence from a survey in rural Anhui, eastern China.

We aimed to explore and analyse the dietary intake patterns of 3-6 year-old children left behind by one or both parents and to assess their associations with body mass index (BMI) and the prevalence of childhood anaemia in rural Anhui, eastern China. We used random cluster sampling to recruit rural children aged 3-6 years in two rural areas in Anhui province. Sociodemographic information and dietary intake were collected by self-reported questionnaires. Height, weight and prevalence of anaemia were measured by trained nurses blinded to parental migration status. Factor analysis was applied to determine that major dietary patterns, binary logistic regression and generalised linear regression were used to explore the associations between anaemia and BMI Z-score with dietary patterns. Of 1720 children aged 3-6 years, 236 were left by both parents and 388 were left by a single parent. The prevalence of stunting and underweight among left-behind children with migration of both parents (BLBC) was significantly higher than that of non-left-behind children (NLBC). Three dietary patterns-"grain-vegetable," "meat-egg" and "fast food-sweet"-were identified in our study, and the total variance explained was 46.9%. The meat-egg dietary pattern was associated with a decreased risk of anaemia after adjustment for confounding factors in the left-behind children with migration of both parents (BLBC), left-behind children with single parent migration (SLBC) and non-left-behind children (NLBC) groups. After adjusting for confounding factors, the fast food-sweet dietary pattern was found to be associated with an increased risk of anaemia (OR [95% CI]: Q4: 2.21 [1.14, 4.57], p = 0.034). In addition, children with obesity had a lower intake of vegetables and fruits (ß = -0.08, 95% CI: -0.13, -0.02) compared with children with a normal weight. In conclusion, there are correlations between different types of parental migration and children's nutritional status in rural Anhui. The meat-egg dietary pattern may have a preventive effect on anaemia in comparison with other dietary patterns, irrespective of whether children are left behind or not. Children with overweight and obesity had a higher intake of pork and red meat and snacks compared with children with normal BMI.

Global trends in bufalin application research for cancer from 2003 to 2022: A bibliometric and visualised analysis.

Background: Bufalin, the main active ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine huachansu, is used in the clinical treatment of colorectal cancer and has multiple effects, including the inhibition of migratory invasion, reversal of multi-drug resistance, induction of apoptosis and differentiation, and inhibition of angiogenesis. Methods: We collected relevant articles on bufalin from 2003 to 2022 using the Web Science platform, and analysed the information using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Microsoft Excel to categorise and summarise the publications over the past 20 years. Results: We collected 371 papers, with a steady increase in the number of articles published globally. China has the highest number of published articles, whereas Japan has the highest number of citations. Currently, there is considerable enthusiasm for investigating the anti-tumour mechanism of bufalin and optimising drug delivery systems for its administration. Conclusion: For the first time, we present a comprehensive overview of papers published worldwide on bufalin over the past two decades and the progress of its application in tumour therapy. We summarised the key authors, institutions, and countries that have contributed to the field and the potential of bufalin for the treatment of cancer. This will help other researchers obtain an overview of progress in the field, enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing, and promote future research on bufalin.

The relationship and interaction between triglyceride glucose index and obesity in the risk of prehypertension population: a cross-sectional study from a survey in Anhui, Eastern China.

BACKGROUND: The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index has been regarded as an effective proxy of Insulin resistance (IR). Studies on the TyG index, obesity and the risk of prehypertension (PHT) in elderly people are not apparent currently. The study sought to investigate the predictive value of TyG index and the associations with PHT risk and obesity. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Bengbu City, Anhui province, China. Participants older than 65 years accepted questionnaire surveys, physical examinations and blood biochemistry tests. Based on the testing results, indicators including BMI (body mass index), WC (waist circumference), WHtR (waist-to-height-ratio), LAP(Lipid accumulation products) and TyG were calculated. Residents were classified into quartiles by their TyG indexes. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was carried out to predict obesity indices for PHT. The three additive interaction indicators, RERI (relative excess risk due to interaction), AP (attributable proportion due to interaction) and S (synergy index) were used to assess the interaction impacts. RESULTS: Two thousand six hundred sixty-six eligible elderly people were included in study and the prevalence of PHT was 71.04% (n = 1894). With increasing TyG index quartile, PHT became more prevalent. After adjusting for confounding factors, the prevalence of PHT risk with TyG levels in the fourth quartile (Q4, male: 2.83, 95%CI: 1.77-4.54; female: 2.75, 95%CI:1.91-3.97) was greater than that in the first quartile (Q1:ref). TyG index (AUC: 0.626, 95%CI: 0.602 to 0.650) was superior than BMI (AUC: 0.609, 95%CI: 0.584 to 0.633) in predicting PHT among females. Eventually, there were significant interactions of TyG index with obesity in males (General obesity: AP = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.72 to 1.02, S = 10.48, 95%CI: 3.43 to 31.97; Abdominal obesity: AP = 0.60,95%CI: 0.38 to 0.83, S = 3.53, 95%CI: 1.99 to 6.26) and females (General obesity: AP = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.79 to 0.98, S = 12.46, 95%CI: 5.61 to 27.69; Abdominal obesity: AP = 0.66, 95%CI: 0.51 to 0.82, S = 3.89, 95%CI:2.54 to 5.98). CONCLUSION: TyG index and PHT risk are tightly correlated. The risk of chronic disease in the elderly can be decreased by early detection of PHT utilizing the TyG index. In this research, the TyG index was more predictable than other indicators of obesity.

Effect of lipid accumulation product on the development of hypertension among nondiabetic individuals in eastern China: A cross-sectional study.

This study was aimed at assessing the risk factors for hypertension (HTN) and prehypertension (PHT) in order to clarify the role of lipid accumulation product (LAP) in the development of HTN among nondiabetic individuals. A large cross-sectional study was conducted in community health service centers in urban Bengbu, Anhui Province, China. All participants completed an interview questionnaire and procedures to obtain physical measurements and biochemical indicators. Multivariate logistic regression was used to test for the prevalence of HTN and PHT in relation to each quartile increase in LAP level and family history of HTN. The resulting interaction effects were evaluated by relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and synergy index (SI). A total of 7733 subjects were enrolled in the study. The overall prevalence rates of PHT and HTN were 37.1% and 24.8%, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that compared with subjects in LAP quartile 1, those in quartile 3 (OR, 1.257; 95% CI, 1.062-1.494) and quartile 4 (OR, 1.323; 95% CI, 1.101-1.592) had a significantly higher risk for HTN (p for trend < .001). A significant interaction was observed between LAP and family history of HTN in men (AP, 0.1661; 95% CI, 0.0024-0.3296; SI, 1.4037; 95% CI, 1.0599-1.8593) and in women (RERI, 1.4111; 95% CI, 0.1458-2.9678; AP, 0.1662; 95% CI, 0.0085-0.3237; SI, 1.3886; 95% CI, 1.0568-1.8247). The results demonstrated that the interactive effects of LAP with family history of HTN may influence the development of HTN synergistically.

Retrospective study of characteristics and hyperthermia intraperitoneal perfusion in mucinous borderline ovarian tumor and mucinous ovarian carcinoma.

Background: Previous clinical trials regarding the therapy in epithelial ovarian tumors have involved patients with all types of ovarian tumors. Mucinous borderline tumors may progress to invasive carcinoma even after therapy and Patients with mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) often have a worse prognosis. Our objectives were to investigate the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion therapy (HIPE) and the clinicopathological features of mucinous borderline ovarian tumor (MBOT) and MOC. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 240 patients with MBOT or MOC. The clinicopathologic feature included age, preoperative serum tumor markers, surgical procedures, surgical and pathological staging, frozen pathology, treatment, and recurrence. The effect of HIPE in MBOT and MOC were examined and the occurrence of adverse events was analyzed. Results: The median age was 34 years in 176 MBOT patients. Some 40.1% of patients had elevated CA125, 40.2% had elevated CA199, and 5.6% had elevated HE4. The accuracy rate for frozen pathology of resected specimen was 43.8%. The was no statistical difference in the recurrence rate between fertility-sparing and non-fertility-sparing surgery. Due to a short follow-up time in the HIPE group, no significant recurrence rate was found. The median age was 59 years in 64 MOC patients. Some 90.5% patients had elevated CA125, 95.3% had elevated CA199, and 75% had elevated HE4. There were 28 patients diagnosed with Federation International of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I or II. For FIGO stage III and IV patients, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 27 months in the HIPE group and the median overall survival (OS) in patients treated with HIPE was 53 months, which was significantly longer than that the other group (19 and 42 months). There was no severe fatal complication in all HIPE group. Conclusions: MBOT was usually diagnosed at an early stage and has a good prognosis. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal perfusion chemotherapy (HIPEC) can improve the survival of patients with advanced MOC and is safety. Combined use of CA125, CA199, HE4 can assist in the differential diagnosis of mucinous borderline neoplasms and mucinous carcinoma. Randomized studies evaluating dense HIPEC in the management of advanced ovarian cancer should be warranted.

Epi-DNNs: Epidemiological priors informed deep neural networks for modeling COVID-19 dynamics.

Differential equations-based epidemic compartmental models and deep neural networks-based artificial intelligence (AI) models are powerful tools for analyzing and fighting the transmission of COVID-19. However, the capability of compartmental models is limited by the challenges of parameter estimation, while AI models fail to discover the evolutionary pattern of COVID-19 and lack explainability. This paper aims to provide a novel method (called Epi-DNNs) by integrating compartmental models and deep neural networks (DNNs) to model the complex dynamics of COVID-19. In the proposed Epi-DNNs method, the neural network is designed to express the unknown parameters in the compartmental model and the Runge-Kutta method is implemented to solve the ordinary differential equations (ODEs) so as to give the values of the ODEs at a given time. Specifically, the discrepancy between predictions and observations is incorporated into the loss function, then the defined loss is minimized and applied to identify the best-fitted parameters governing the compartmental model. Furthermore, we verify the performance of Epi-DNNs on the real-world reported COVID-19 data on the Omicron epidemic in Shanghai covering February 25 to May 27, 2022. The experimental findings on the synthesized data have revealed its effectiveness in COVID-19 transmission modeling. Moreover, the inferred parameters from the proposed Epi-DNNs method yield a predictive compartmental model, which can serve to forecast future dynamics.

α­hederin overcomes hypoxia­mediated drug resistance in colorectal cancer by inhibiting the AKT/Bcl2 pathway.

Currently, chemoresistance is a major challenge that directly affects the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). In addition, hypoxia is associated with poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance in patients with cancer. Accumulating evidence has shown that α­hederin has significant antitumour effects and that α­hederin can inhibit hypoxia­mediated drug resistance in CRC; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, viability and proliferation assays were used to evaluate the effect of α­hederin on the drug resistance of CRC cells under hypoxia. Sequencing analysis and apoptosis assays were used to determine the effect of α­hederin on apoptosis under hypoxia. Western blot analysis and reverse transcription­quantitative PCR were used to measure apoptosis­related protein and mRNA expression levels. Furthermore, different mouse models were established to study the effect of α­hederin on hypoxia­mediated CRC drug resistance in vivo. In the present study, the high expression of Bcl2 in hypoxic CRC cells was revealed to be a key factor in their drug resistance, whereas α­hederin inhibited the expression of Bcl2 by reducing AKT phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo, and promoted the apoptosis of CRC cells under hypoxia. By contrast, overexpression of AKT reversed the effect of α­hederin on CRC cell apoptosis under hypoxia. Taken together, these results suggested that α­hederin may overcome hypoxia­mediated drug resistance in CRC by inhibiting the AKT/Bcl2 pathway. In the future, α­hederin may be used as a novel adjuvant for reversing drug resistance in CRC.

ErZhiFormula prevents UV-induced skin photoaging by Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signaling: An in vitro and in vivo studies.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: ErZhiFormula (EZF) is a classical traditional Chinese medicinal formulation. It can be used to treat liver and kidney yin deficiency, dizziness, lumbar debility, insomnia, nocturnal emission, lower extremity weakness, and other aging-related diseases. However, the protective effect of EZF in skin photoaging and its potential mechanism has not been clarified. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore the role of EZF in the skin photoaging mechanism induced by UV radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) was used to identify the fingerprint of EZF. The mice were irradiated with UVA and UVB to establish the photoaging model in vivo. Human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) were irradiated with UVB to establish the photoaging model in vitro. The activity of cells was detected by CCK-8 and LDH kits, the level of reactive oxygen species was detected by DCF fluorescent probe, and the apoptosis was detected by PE annexin V and 7-Amino-Actinomycin (7-AAD) staining. Comet assay was used to detect cell DNA damage. The antioxidant enzyme levels in cell and mouse serum were detected by antioxidant kit, and Western blot was used to detect protein expression. RESULTS: We found that EZF contain many active ingredients, including salidroside, specnuezhenide, isoquercitrin, etc. EZF can improve the photoaging of HaCaT cells and mouse skin caused by UV radiation. The results of animal experiments are consistent with those of cell experiments. Combined with Western blot analysis, we found that EZF finally played an anti-skin photoaging role by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 pathway. CONCLUSIONS: EZF can protect skin from UV-induced photoaging by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1 signal pathway. EZF may become a traditional Chinese medicine with the potential to prevent skin photoaging.

Single-cell transcriptomics reveals cell type-specific immune regulation associated with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in humans.

Introduction: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (anti-NMDARE) is a rare autoimmune disease, and the peripheral immune characteristics associated with anti-NMDARE antibodies remain unclear. Methods: Herein, we characterized peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with anti-NMDARE and healthy individuals by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Results: The transcriptional profiles of 129,217 cells were assessed, and 21 major cell clusters were identified. B-cell activation and differentiation, plasma cell expansion, and excessive inflammatory responses in innate immunity were all identified. Patients with anti-NMDARE showed higher expression levels of CXCL8, IL1B, IL6, TNF, TNFSF13, TNFSF13B, and NLRP3. We observed that anti-NMDARE patients in the acute phase expressed high levels of DC_CCR7 in human myeloid cells. Moreover, we observed that anti-NMDARE effects include oligoclonal expansions in response to immunizing agents. Strong humoral immunity and positive regulation of lymphocyte activation were observed in acute stage anti-NMDARE patients. Discussion: This high-dimensional single-cell profiling of the peripheral immune microenvironment suggests that potential mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis and recovery of anti-NMDAREs.

Interaction analysis of lipid accumulation product and family history of diabetes on impaired fasting glucose and diabetes risk in population with normotension in Eastern China: a community-based cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is considered to be a new convenient useful indicator to assess the visceral fat. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the risk factors of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes, and explore the possible interacting influences of LAP with other factors on the risk of IFG and diabetes among Chinese normotension adults. METHODS: A multistage stratified cluster sampling method was conducted to select urban residents in Bengbu, China. For each eligible participant, data on questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests were obtained. The effects of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to height ratio (WHtR) and LAP for predicting IFG and diabetes were performed by multiple logistic regressions and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. The interaction effects were evaluated by relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: Six thousand, four hundred sixty-seven normotension subjects (2695 men and 3772 women) were enrolled in our study, the prevalence of IFG and diabetes were 9.37% and 14.33%, respectively. When assessed using ROC curve analysis, LAP exhibited higher diagnostic accuracy for identifying IFG and diabetes than BMI, the area under the AUC curve was 0.650 (95% CI: 0.637 to 0.662). After adjustment for age, sex, educational level and other confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that subjects with the fourth quartile of LAP were more likely to develop IFG (adjusted OR: 2.735, 95% CI: 1.794-4.170) and diabetes (adjusted OR: 1.815, 95% CI: 1.297-2.541) than those with the first quartile. A significant interaction between LAP and family history of diabetes was observed in participants (RERI = 1.538, 95%CI: 0.167 to 3.612; AP = 0.375, 95%CI: 0.118 to 0.631; SI = 1.980, 95%CI: 1.206 to 3.251). However, a significant interaction between LAP and abdominal obesity was indicated by the value of RERI (1.492, 95%CI: 0.087 to 3.723) and AP (0.413, 95%CI: 0.014 to 0.756), but not the value of SI (1.824, 95%CI: 0.873 to 3.526). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that there might be synergistic effect between LAP and family history of diabetes on the risk of IFG and diabetes.

Optimization and Characterization of Low-Molecular-Weight Chitosan-Coated Baicalin mPEG-PLGA Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Cataract.

The present study was to evaluate the potential effectiveness of low-molecular-weight chitosan-coated baicalin methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (mPEG-PLGA) nanoparticles (BA LCH NPs) for the treatment of cataract. mPEG-PLGA NPs were optimized by the Box-Behnken design and the central composite design based on the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading. Then, the BA LCH NPs were characterized based on morphology, particle size, and zeta potentials. The analytical data of differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy depicted the drug excipient compatibility. In vitro, we evaluated cell viability, cellular uptake, potential ocular irritation, transcorneal permeability, and the precorneal retention of BA LCH NPs. In vivo, the chronic selenium cataract model was selected to assess the therapeutic effect of BA LCH NPs. The size of BA LCH NPs was within the range from 148 to 219 nm and the zeta potential was 19-25 mV. Cellular uptake results showed that the fluorescence intensity of the preparations in each group increased with time, and the fluorescence intensity of the LCH NP group was significantly higher than that of the solution group. The optimized BA LCH NPs improved precorneal residence time without causing eye irritation and also showed a sustained release of BA through the cornea for effective management of cataract. Also, fluorescence tracking on the rabbit cornea showed increased corneal retention of the LCH NPs. In addition, the results of therapeutic efficacy demonstrated that BA LCH NPs can significantly reduce the content of malondialdehyde and enhanced the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, which was comparable to positive control and better than the BA solution group. Thus, it can be inferred that the BA LCH NPs are a promising drug delivery system for enhancing the ophthalmic administration of BA to the posterior segment of the eye and improving cataract symptoms.

The Role of English as a Foreign Language Teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge on English as a Foreign Language Students' Achievement.

Educators themselves and their knowledge are the most significant elements in learners' success and achievement; however, there is little information about the specialized knowledge held by educators. Recently, conceptualizing educator knowledge has become a complicated issue that involves that the comprehension of important basic phenomena, such as the procedure of educating and learning, the notion of knowledge, and the way educators' knowledge, has become practical within the class. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) was presented as a theoretical structure for the knowledge base because educators have to efficiently instruct with technology and it is regarded as a valuable framework for explaining and understanding technology integration into various academic environments, such as English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class. This paper is intended to review the related literature on the role of an English teacher using the TPACK framework for teaching English and their role in students' achievement. Based on the related literature, there is a significant and direct association between EFL teachers' TPACK and EFL students' achievement. Succinctly, some recommendations have been proposed for educational stakeholders.

Efficient and recyclable sericin-derived carbon aerogel for oils and organic solvents adsorption.

Sericin, an industrial waste of the silk industry, is a promising precursor for adsorbent preparation. In this work, an efficient and novel sericin-derived carbon aerogel (SCA) was used to improve the adsorption efficiency of oils and organic solvents. The SCA demonstrated a high-efficiency sorption capacity of not only soybean oil (adsorption capacity reached up to 167.69 times its weight) but also chloroform and methylene chloride (adsorption capacity of 193.67 g/g and 173.25 g/g respectively). It is observed that SCA could be regenerated multiple times through combustion and after five cycles, its adsorbability to ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and soybean oil remained high at 59.08 g/g, 59.34 g/g, and 137.36 g/g, respectively. The physical and chemical characteristics of sericin and SCA were analyzed using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The results suggest that SCA is an adsorbent with excellent properties and can significantly increase the adsorption capacity of oils and organic solvents. The overall results indicate that SCA is effectively used as an adsorbent for the adsorption of oils and organic solvents, which will contribute to reduce the discharge of sericin-containing wastewater and alleviate pollution caused by oil and organic solvent leakage.

Exosomal miR-122-5p is Related to the Degree of Myelosuppression Caused by Chemotherapy in Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

PURPOSE: As rapidly dividing cells are usually the target of anticancer chemotherapy, it is inevitable that rapidly dividing normal cells become damaged, with myelosuppressive effects being a serious side effect of this therapy. Many recent studies have found that exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) are related to the occurrence of some diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Small RNA sequencing was used to investigate differential exosomal miRNAs with the same expression trend between groups after chemotherapy: MildA (before chemotherapy in patients with mild myelosuppression) and MildB (after chemotherapy in patients with mild myelosuppression); SevereA (before chemotherapy in patients with severe myelosuppression) and SevereB (after chemotherapy in patients with severe myelosuppression). A Venn diagram was generated to screen exosomal miRNAs related to chemotherapy. Small RNA sequencing was also used to investigate differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs among these groups, and exosomal miRNAs related to myelosuppression after chemotherapy was explored using a Venn diagram. RT-qPCR was applied to further verify the sequencing results. We performed target gene prediction and functional analysis for candidate exosomal miRNAs. RESULTS: Compared with that in the MildA or SevereA group, an increase in exosomal miR-122-5p was found in the MildB or SevereB group, and the expression level was lower in the SevereB group than in the MildB group. However, we found no notable difference in its expression level between the MildA and SevereA groups. Similar results were not obtained for the remaining miRNAs. RT-qPCR confirmed the screening results. Further analyses indicated that exosomal miR-122-5p targets CDK4 to inhibit the cell cycle. CONCLUSION: The expression level of exosomal miR-122-5p in the serum of patients with colorectal cancer correlates with the severity of myelosuppression caused by chemotherapy, and miR-122-5p targets CDK4 to inhibit cell cycle progression.

Dense hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with cisplatin in patients with stage III serous epithelial ovarian cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the efficacy and safety of interval debulking surgery (IDS) combined with dense hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with cisplatin in Chinese patients with FIGO stage III serous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS: This retrospective single-center study reviewed the demographic and clinical data of 197 patients with primary FIGO stage III serous EOC who were treated with IDS with (n = 121) or without (n = 76, control group) dense HIPEC between January 2012 and April 2017. The co-primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoint was the occurrence of adverse events. RESULTS: The median PFS was 24 months in the IDS plus dense HIPEC group, whereas it was 19 months in the IDS alone group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.33-0.65, p = 0.000). The median OS in patients treated with IDS plus dense HIPEC (51 months) was significantly longer than that in patients treated with IDS alone (40 months, HR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.35-0.78, p = 0.001). The demographic and preoperative clinical characteristics of these two groups were comparable (p > 0.05). In the IDS alone group, no adverse events were recorded in 42 (55.3%) of the 76 patients, and 14 (18.4%) patients were reported to have grade III/IV adverse events. In the IDS plus dense HIPEC group, no adverse events were recorded in 55 (45.5%) of the 121 patients, and 23 (19.0%) patients were reported to have grade III/IV adverse events. No postoperative deaths occurred within 30 days in either group and neither did severe fatal complications in the IDS plus dense HIPEC group. CONCLUSIONS: IDS plus dense HIPEC with cisplatin in Chinese patients with FIGO stage III serous EOC is associated with improved survival and is reasonably well tolerated by patients.

Bufalin targets the SRC-3/MIF pathway in chemoresistant cells to regulate M2 macrophage polarization in colorectal cancer.

M2-polarized macrophages are one of critical factors in tumour chemoresistance. An increasing number of studies have shown that M2 macrophage polarization can be promoted by chemoresistance. A large number of evidences indicate that Bufalin has significant antitumour effect, previous studies have found that Bufalin can reduce the polarization of M2 macrophages to play an anti-tumour effect in vivo, but the mechanism remains unclear. In our study, we found that Bufalin reduced the polarization of M2 macrophages induced by chemoresistant cells both in vivo and in vitro; however, Bufalin had no obvious direct effect on M2 macrophage polarization. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Bufalin targeted the SRC-3 protein to reduce MIF release in chemoresistant cells in order to regulate the polarization of M2 macrophages. More interestingly, we also found that Cinobufacini, Bufalin is its main active monomer, which its could regulate the polarization of M2 macrophages to enhance the anti-tumour effect of oxaliplatin in vivo and in the clinic. Overall, this study provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of drugs containing Bufalin as the main active ingredient in combination with established chemotherapy for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Tissue distribution of transcription for 29 lipid metabolism-related genes in Takifugu rubripes, a marine teleost storing lipid predominantly in liver.

The tissue distribution pattern of lipid is highly diverse among different fish species. Tiger puffer has a special lipid storage pattern, storing lipid predominantly in liver. In order to better understand the lipid physiology in fish storing lipid in liver, the present study preliminarily investigated the tissue distribution of transcription for 29 lipid metabolism-related genes in tiger puffer, which are involved in lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, biosynthesis and hydrolysis of glycerides, lipid transport, and relevant transcription regulation. Samples of eight tissues, brain, eye, heart, spleen, liver, intestine, skin, and muscle, from fifteen juvenile tiger puffer were used in the qRT-PCR analysis. The intestine and brain had high transcription of lipogenic genes, whereas the liver and muscle had low expression levels. The intestine also had the highest transcription level of most apolipoproteins and lipid metabolism-related transcription factors. The transcription of fatty acid ß-oxidation-related genes was low in the muscle. The peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation may dominate over mitochondrial ß-oxidation in the liver and intestine of tiger puffer, and the MAG pathway probably predominates over the G3P pathway in re-acylation of absorbed lipids in the intestine. The intracellular glyceridases were highly transcribed in the brain, eye, and heart. In conclusion, in tiger puffer, the intestine could be a center of lipid metabolism whereas the liver is more likely a pure storage organ for lipid. The lipid metabolism in the muscle could also be inactive, possibly due to the very low level of intramuscular lipid.

Dietary taurine stimulates the hepatic biosynthesis of both bile acids and cholesterol in the marine teleost, tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes).

Taurine (TAU) plays important roles in the metabolism of bile acids, cholesterol and lipids. However, little relevant information has been available in fish where TAU has been identified as a conditionally essential nutrient. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary TAU on the metabolism of bile acids, cholesterol and lipids in tiger puffer, which is both an important aquaculture species and a good research model, having a unique lipid storage pattern. An 8-week feeding trial was conducted in a flow-through seawater system. Three experimental diets differed only in TAU level, that is, 1·7, 8·2 and 14·0 mg/kg. TAU supplementation increased the total bile acid content in liver but decreased the content in serum. TAU supplementation also increased the contents of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol in both liver and serum. The hepatic bile acid profile mainly includes taurocholic acid (94·48 %), taurochenodeoxycholic acid (4·17 %) and taurodeoxycholic acid (1·35 %), and the contents of all these conjugated bile acids were increased by dietary TAU. The hepatic lipidomics analysis showed that TAU tended to decrease the abundance of individual phospholipids and increase those of some individual TAG and ceramides. The hepatic mRNA expression study showed that TAU stimulated the biosynthesis of both bile acids and cholesterol, possibly via regulation of farnesoid X receptor and HDL metabolism. TAU also stimulated the hepatic expression of lipogenic genes. In conclusion, dietary TAU stimulated the hepatic biosynthesis of both bile acids and cholesterol and tended to regulate lipid metabolism in multiple ways.