Yolk-shell FeS@N-doped carbon nanosphere as superior anode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Iron sulfides have shown great potential as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of their high sodium storage capacity and low cost. Nevertheless, iron sulfides generally exhibit unsatisfied electrochemical performance induced by sluggish electron/ion transfer and severe pulverization upon the sodiation/desodiation process. Herein, we constructed a yolk-shell FeS@NC nanosphere with an N-doped carbon shell and FeS particle core via a simple hydrothermal method, followed by in-situ polymerization and vulcanization. The FeS particles intimately coupled with N-doped carbon can accelerate the electron transfer, avoid severe volume expansion, and maintain structural stability upon repeated sodiation/desodiation process. Furthermore, the small particle size of FeS can shorten ion-diffusion distance and facilitate ion transportation. Therefore, the FeS@NC nanosphere shows excellent cycling performance and superior rate capability that it can deliver a high capacity of 520.1 mAh g-1 over 800 cycles at 2.0 A g-1 and a remarkable capacity of 625.9 mAh g-1 at 10.0 A g-1.

Rapid fractionation of corn stover by microwave-assisted protic ionic liquid [TEA][HSO4] for fermentative acetone-butanol-ethanol production.

BACKGROUND: The use of ionic liquids (ILs) to fractionate lignocelluloses for various bio-based chemicals productions is in the ascendant. On this basis, the protic ILs consisting of triethylammonium hydrogen sulfate ([TEA][HSO4]) possessed great promise due to the low price, low pollution, and high efficiency. In this study, the microwave-assistant [TEA][HSO4] fractionation process was established for corn stover fractionation, so as to facilitate the monomeric sugars production and supported the downstream acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation. RESULTS: The assistance of microwave irradiation could obviously shorten the fractionation period of corn stover. Under the optimized condition (190 W for 3 min), high xylan removal (93.17 ± 0.63%) and delignification rate (72.90 ± 0.81%) were realized. The mechanisms for the promotion effect of the microwave to the protic ILs fractionation process were ascribed to the synergistic effect of the IL and microwaves to the depolymerization of lignocellulose through the ionic conduction, which can be clarified by the characterization of the pulps and the isolated lignin specimens. Downstream valorization of the fractionated pulps into ABE productions was also investigated. The [TEA][HSO4] free corn stover hydrolysate was capable of producing 12.58 g L-1 of ABE from overall 38.20 g L-1 of monomeric sugars without detoxification and additional nutrients supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: The assistance of microwave irradiation could significantly promote the corn stover fractionation by [TEA][HSO4]. Mass balance indicated that 8.1 g of ABE and 16.61 g of technical lignin can be generated from 100 g of raw corn stover based on the novel fractionation strategy.

Interface engineering of metal sulfides-based composites enables high-performance anode materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Metal sulfides (MSs) have attracted much attention as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their high sodium storage capacity. However, the unsatisfactory electrochemical performance induced by the huge volume change and sluggish kinetics hampered the practical application of SIBs. Herein, guided by the heterostructure interface engineering, novel multicomponent metal sulfide-based anodes, including SnS, FeS, and Fe3N embedded in N-doped carbon nanosheets (SnS/FeS/Fe3N/NC NSs), have been synthesized for high-performance SIBs. The as-prepared SnS/FeS/Fe3N/NC NSs with abundant heterointerfaces and high conductivity of N-doped carbon nanosheet matrix can shorten the Na+ diffusion path and promote reaction kinetics during the sodiation/desodiation process. Moreover, the presence of Fe3N can promote the reversible conversion of SnS and FeS during the cycling process. As a consequence, when evaluated as anode materials for SIBs, the SnS/FeS/Fe3N/NC NSs can maintain a high sodium storage capacity of 473.6 mAh g-1 after 600 cycles at 2.0 A g-1 and can still provide a high reversible capacity of 537.4 mAh g-1 even at 5.0 A g-1 This discovery offers a novel strategy for constructing metal sulfide-based anode materials for high-performance SIBs.

Sequential catalytic lignin valorization and bioethanol production: an integrated biorefinery strategy.

BACKGROUND: The effective valorization of lignin and carbohydrates in lignocellulose matrix under the concept of biorefinery is a primary strategy to produce sustainable chemicals and fuels. Based on the reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF), lignin in lignocelluloses can be depolymerized into viscous oils, while the highly delignified pulps with high polysaccharides retention can be transformed into various chemicals. RESULTS: A biorefinery paradigm for sequentially valorization of the main components in poplar sawdust was constructed. In this process, the well-defined low-molecular-weight phenols and bioethanol were co-generated by tandem chemo-catalysis in the RCF stage and bio-catalysis in fermentation stage. In the RCF stage, hydrogen transfer reactions were conducted in one-pot process using Raney Ni as catalyst, while the isopropanol (2-PrOH) in the initial liquor was served as a hydrogen donor and the solvent for lignin dissolution. Results indicated the proportion of the 2-PrOH in the initial liquor of RCF influenced the chemical constitution and yield of the lignin oil, which also affected the characteristics of the pulps and the following bioethanol production. A 67.48 ± 0.44% delignification with 20.65 ± 0.31% of monolignols yield were realized when the 2-PrOH:H2O ratio in initial liquor was 7:3 (6.67 wt% of the catalyst loading, 200 °C for 3 h). The RCF pulp had higher carbohydrates retention (57.96 ± 2.78 wt%), which was converted to 21.61 ± 0.62 g/L of bioethanol with a yield of 0.429 ± 0.010 g/g in fermentation using an engineered S. cerevisiae strain. Based on the mass balance analysis, 104.4 g of ethanol and 206.5 g of lignin oil can be produced from 1000 g of the raw poplar sawdust. CONCLUSIONS: The main chemical components in poplar sawdust can be effectively transformed into lignin oil and bioethanol. The attractive results from the biorefinery process exhibit great promise for the production of valuable biofuels and chemicals from abundant lignocellulosic materials.

Surfactant-assisted dilute ethylenediamine fractionation of corn stover for technical lignin valorization and biobutanol production.

In this study, a surfactant-assisted diluted ethylenediamine (EDA) fractionation process was investigated for co-generation of technical lignin and biobutanol from corn stover. The results showed that the addition of PEG 8000 significantly enhanced cellulose recovery (88.9 %) and lignin removal (68.9 %) in the solid fraction. Moreover, the pulp achieved 86.5 % glucose yield and 82.6 % xylose yield in enzymatic hydrolysis. Structural characterization confirmed that the fractionation process promoted the preservation of active ß-O-4 bonds (35.8/100R) in isolated lignin and functionalized the lignin through structural modification using EDA and surfactant grafting. The enzymatic hydrolysate of the pulps yielded a sugar solution for acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation, resulting in an ABE concentration of 15.4 g/L and an overall yield of 137.2 g/Kg of dried corn stalk. Thus, the surfactant-assisted diluted EDA fractionation has the potential to enhance the overall economic feasibility of second-generation biofuels production within the framework of biorefinery.

Developing a multi-institutional nomogram for assessing lung cancer risk in patients with 5-30 mm pulmonary nodules: a retrospective analysis.

Background: The diagnosis of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules based on personal experience has several limitations. Therefore, this study aims to establish a nomogram for the diagnosis of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules using clinical information and computed tomography (CT) results. Methods: Retrospectively, we collected clinical and CT characteristics of 1,160 patients with pulmonary nodules in Guang'an People's Hospital and the hospital affiliated with North Sichuan Medical College between 2019 and 2021. Among these patients, data from 773 patients with pulmonary nodules were used as the training set. We used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) to optimize clinical and imaging features and performed a multivariate logistic regression to identify features with independent predictive ability to develop the nomogram model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), C-index, decision curve analysis, and calibration plot were used to evaluate the performance of the nomogram model in terms of predictive ability, discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. Finally, data from 387 patients with pulmonary nodules were utilized for validation. Results: In the training set, the predictors for the nomogram were gender, density of the nodule, nodule diameter, lobulation, calcification, vacuole, vascular convergence, bronchiole, and pleural traction, selected through LASSO and logistic regression analysis. The resulting model had a C-index of 0.842 (95% CI [0.812-0.872]) and AUCs of 0.842 (95% CI [0.812-0.872]). In the validation set, the C-index was 0.856 (95% CI [0.811-0.901]), and the AUCs were 0.844 (95% CI [0.797-0.891]). Results from the calibration curve and clinical decision curve analyses indicate that the nomogram has a high fit and clinical benefit in both the training and validation sets. Conclusion: The establishment of a nomogram for predicting the benign or malignant diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules by this study has shown good efficacy. Such a nomogram may help to guide the diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment of patients.

RRM2­mediated Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway activation in lung adenocarcinoma: A potential prognostic biomarker.

The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of action of ribonucleotide reductase M2 (RRM2) in lung adenocarcinoma and its potential as a therapeutic target. Data of patients with lung adenocarcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were collected and analyzed to evaluate the potential of RRM2 as a biomarker. The expression of RRM2 was evaluated in the A549 cell line and its cisplatin-resistant A549/DDP cell line derivative by western blot and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The study also investigated cell proliferation and the mechanism by which RRM2 controls cellular cisplatin resistance using CCK-8 and colony-formation assays. In addition, cell migration was assessed using Transwell assays, and the cell cycle and apoptosis were examined using flow cytometry. RRM2 was highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma and was associated with the clinical TMN stage. Functional enrichment analysis showed that RRM2 was enriched in the cell cycle. Immune cell infiltration analysis identified 12 types of immune cell that exhibited differences between patients expressing different levels of RRM2. Cellular assays revealed higher levels of RRM2 expression in A549/DDP cells than A549 cells, and its expression was induced by cisplatin. RRM2 knockdown decreased cell proliferation and migration, accelerated apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest in the S-phase, increasing the sensitivity of A549 and A549/DDP cells to cisplatin through the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Overexpression of ß-catenin reduced the effects of RRM2 knockdown on A549 cells. Lung adenocarcinoma growth may be influenced by RRM2 through the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting a potential pathway for cancer progression.

Hyaluronic acid oligosaccharide-modified zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 nanoparticles loaded with oxaliplatin as a targeted drug-delivery system for colorectal cancer therapy.

Aim: Exploring a nanoscale targeted drug-delivery system (DDS) for oxaliplatin (Oxa) to improve its therapeutic effect in colorectal cancer. Materials & methods: Nanoparticles were prepared using zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) modified by hyaluronic acid oligosaccharide (oHA) as an Oxa carrier (oHA@ZIF-8@Oxa). After multiple characterizations, the therapeutic efficacy of the DDS was evaluated by cytotoxicity testing and a nude mouse tumor transplantation experiment in vivo. Results: The results of characterization showed the DDS was homogeneous in morphology and uniform in dispersion. The drug loading of Oxa was 11.82% and the encapsulation efficiency was 90.8%. The cytotoxicity test and in vivo experiments showed that oHA@ZIF-8@Oxa had a more significant anticolorectal cancer effect than free Oxa. Conclusion: This work offers a promising potential DDS for enhancing the anticolorectal cancer effect of Oxa.

Prognostic Model of D2 Radical Gastrectomy Combined with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: The AJCC (the American Joint Committee on Cancer) ypTNM (post-neoadjuvant pathologic stage group) staging was established based on patients with lymphadenectomy scope less than D2 and did not include ypT0N0 patients with pathologically complete response (PCR). The purpose of this study was to construct a survival predictive model for gastric cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and gastrectomy combined with D2 lymphadenectomy. Patients and Methods: The multicenter data of 838 gastric cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and gastrectomy combined with D2 lymphadenectomy were analyzed retrospectively. These dual center patients were divided into training (n = 671, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University) and validation (n = 167, Qingdao West Coast New Area Central Hospital) cohorts. Based on training cohort, univariate and multivariable COX regression analyses were performed to select the clinicopathological characteristics significantly correlating with overall survival and construct a nomogram. Based on training and validation cohorts, the distinguishing and calibrating capabilities of nomogram was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Harrell's concordance index (C-index), decision curve analysis (DCA) curve and calibration curve. Results: Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), pathologic stage after neoadjuvant treatment: ypT and ypN stage, tumor regression grade (TRG) became independent variables intimately related to the prognosis and was used to construct nomograms of 3/5-year prognosis. The nomograms showed an accuracy in predicting OS (overall survival) rate, with area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.818 (95% CI = 0.753~0.883) and C-index of 0.801 (95% CI = 0.744~0.858) in validation cohort. Calibration curves showed satisfactory agreement between nomogram prediction and actual result, and DCA curves indicated the large positive net benefit and excellent clinical usefulness of nomogram. Conclusion: This study successfully developed a nomogram to predict overall survival of gastric cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and gastrectomy combined with D2 lymphadenectomy, which might have excellent predictive performance and clinical application value.

MiR-654-3p targets SRC to suppress tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer.

Around the world, cancer-related death is primarily caused by lung cancer all the time. MiR-654-3p plays an outstanding role in the development of cancer, but the mechanism of miR-654-3p in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is uncertain. For this purpose, a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) was carried out to detect the expression of miR-654-3p and SRC mRNA. Western blot was used to estimate the level of SRC protein. The mimics enhanced miR-654-3p, while inhibitors knocked it down. Functional experiments were performed to evaluate the proliferation and migration capacities of cells. Flow cytometry assay was utilized to measure apoptosis rates and cell cycles of cells. TargetScan bioinformatics database was queried to identify the probable target gene for miR-654-3p. Dual-fluorescence assay was implemented to verify whether miR-654-3p targets SRC. Subcutaneous tumorigenesis was used to estimate the function of miR-654-3p in vivo. Results showed that low expression of miR-654-3p was found in NSCLC tissues and cells. Up-regulated miR-654-3p suppressed cell proliferation and migration, promoted apoptosis, and blocked cells in the G1 phase, while down-regulated miR-654-3p created the opposite results. Dual-fluorescence assay confirmed that miR-654-3p was directly bound to SRC. Compared with the control group, the effects of miR-654-3p were neutralized in the group, which was co-transfected with miR-654-3p mimics and SRC over-expression plasmids. In vivo, the tumor volume in the LV-miR-654-3p group was smaller than that in the control group. It was concluded that miR-654-3p acts in an anti-cancer role and suppresses tumor progression via regulating SRC, which lays a theoretical foundation for targeted therapy of NSCLC. MiR-654-3p is expected to be a new miRNA-based therapeutic target.

Vitexin suppresses the proliferation, angiogenesis and stemness of endometrial cancer through the PI3K/AKT pathway.

CONTEXT: Endometrial cancer is a common gynecologic malignancy. Vitexin is an active flavonoid compound with an antitumor function. OBJECTIVE: This study elucidated the role of vitexin in endometrial cancer development and clarified the potential mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The toxicity of vitexin (0-80 µM) treatment for 24 h on HEC-1B and Ishikawa cells was tested utilizing the CCK-8 assay. Endometrial cancer cells were divided into vitexin 0, 5, 10, and 20 µM groups. Cell proliferation, angiogenesis and stemness in vitro after treatment with vitexin (0, 5, 10, 20 µM) for 24 h were evaluated using the EdU staining assay, tube formation assay and sphere formation assay, respectively. Twelve BALB/c mice were grouped into control and vitexin (80 mg/kg) groups to monitor tumour growth for 30 days. RESULTS: Vitexin suppressed cell viability of HEC-1B (IC50 = 9.89 µM) and Ishikawa (IC50 = 12.35 µM) cells. The proliferation (55.3% and 80% for HEC-1B; 44.7% and 75% for Ishikawa), angiogenesis (54.3% and 78.4% for HEC-1B; 47.1% and 68.2% for Ishikawa) and stemness capacity (57.2% and 87.3% for HEC-1B; 53.4% and 78.4% for Ishikawa) of endometrial cancer cells were inhibited by 10 and 20 µM vitexin. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of vitexin on endometrial cancer were reversed by PI3K/AKT agonist 740Y-P (20 µM). Moreover, the xenograft tumour experiment lasting for 30 days proved that vitexin (80 mg/kg) blocked tumour growth of endometrial cancer in vivo. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Vitexin has therapeutic potential on endometrial cancer, which supports further clinical trials.

MicroRNA-302 inhibits cell migration and invasion in cervical cancer by targeting DCUN1D1.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6223.].

OsLTP47 may function in a lipid transfer relay essential for pollen wall development in rice.

In plants, lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) transport pollen wall constituents from the tapetum to the exine, a process essential for pollen wall development. However, the functional cooperation of different LTPs in pollen wall development is not well understood. In this study, we have identified and characterized a grass-specific LTP gene, OsLTP47, an important regulator of pollen wall formation in rice (Oryza sativa). OsLTP47 encodes a membrane-localized LTP and in vitro lipid-binding assays confirms that OsLTP47 has lipid-binding activity. Dysfunction of OsLTP47 causes disordered lipid metabolism and defective pollen walls, leading to male sterility. Yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays reveal that OsLTP47 physically interacts with another LTP, OsC6. These findings suggest that the plasma membrane-localized OsLTP47 may function as a mediator in a lipid transfer relay through association with cytosolic and/or locular OsC6 for pollen wall development and that various LTPs may function in a coordinated manner to transport lipid molecules during pollen wall development.

A Novel Curcumin-Based Drug Powder Inhalation Medicine for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

The dry powder inhaler is a new form of drug delivery that is widely used as an alternative to traditional drug delivery methods, addressing the shortcomings of traditional drug delivery methods and obtaining better therapeutic results. This mode of delivery is also one of the most rational ways to treat pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Curcumin, a natural polyphenol, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of COPD. In this study, different concentrations of curcumin ethanol solution were spray dried with mannitol as a carrier to obtain dry powder particles with different particle size distribution for the preparation of curcumin dry powder inhaler. The solubility and physicochemical properties were further characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy. The characterization results showed that the product obtained in the experiment had reasonable particle size distribution and excellent solubility properties, which were positive for the treatment of COPD or other pulmonary diseases.

Novel hyaluronic acid oligosaccharide-loaded and CD44v6-targeting oxaliplatin nanoparticles for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Oxaliplatin resistance is one of the main causes of failed colorectal cancer treatment, followed by recurrence and metastasis. In this study, we found that colorectal cancer cells secrete a high level of hyaluronic acid (HA), which interacts with its receptor CD44v6 to mediate colorectal cancer resistance to chemotherapy. HA oligosaccharide (oHA) is a degradation product of HA. We found that it competitively binds to CD44v6, reversing the HA-CD44v6-mediated effect of HA on oxaliplatin resistance. In addition, oHA showed no toxicity or immunogenicity but exhibited good biocompatibility and tumor-targeting capability. Therefore, we synthesized oHA-loaded oxaliplatin liposome nanoparticles (oHA-Lipid-Oxa) using a thin-film hydration method. The cytotoxicity of oHA-Lipid-Oxa was assessed in vitro using flow cytometry, which revealed greater lethality than oxaliplatin alone. Finally, we established a tumor-bearing nude mouse model and separately injected oHA-Lipid-Oxa, Lipid-Oxa, Oxa, oHA, and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) into the tail vein to observe the antitumor effects of nanoparticles in vivo. The oHA-Lipid-Oxa group exhibited the highest tumor suppression rate, but the weight loss was not obvious. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed greatest lymphocyte and macrophage infiltration in the oHA-Lipid-Oxa group. Moreover, oHA-Lipid-Oxa induced tumor cell apoptosis and necrosis most robustly compared with the other groups. We showed that oHA-Lipid-Oxa has excellent histocompatibility and CD44v6-targeting capabilities, thus greatly increasing the sensitivity to oxaliplatin and reducing adverse reactions. Accordingly, oHA-Lipid-Oxa has a broad potential for therapeutic application.

Regulation of miR-375 and Sonic hedgehog on vascular endothelial growth factor in preeclampsia rats and its effect on trophoblast cells.

PURPOSE: To study the mechanism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulated by miR-375 and Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathways on the characteristics of trophoblast cells (TCs) in preeclampsia (PE) rats. METHODS: Female (100) Wistar rats in rut were mated with males (50) at a ratio of 2:1, and 60 pregnant rats were assigned to a normal group (Nor, n=10) and a model group (Mod, n=50) in a random manner. Rat TCs of placental villus were isolated and were divided into 8 groups. The related indicators in each group were detected, respectively. RESULTS: In contrast to the NC group, miR-375 expression greatly elevated in the miR-375 mimic group (mimic group); in the mimic and cyclopamine groups, VEGF, proliferating cell nuclear antigen（PCNA, N- cadherin and Bcl-2 expression, cell proliferation, S phase cells, and migration and invasion ability were significantly decreased and E-cadherin and Bax expression, G1 phase cells and apoptosis rate were increased significantly, but in Over expressing-VEGF（ov-VEGF） group, the above indicators presented contrary results (all P< 0.05). In contrast to the mimic group, the expression of SHH, VEGF, PCNA, N- cadherin and Bcl-2, cell proliferation, S phase cells and the invasion and migration activity in the miR-375 mimic + oe-VEGF group were evidently increased. CONCLUSIONS: Over-expressing miR-375 can inhibit the expression of VEGF, thus slow down the invasion and proliferation of TCS in PE rats, which is realized by regulating SHH signal pathway.

LncRNA SNHG5 regulates cell apoptosis and inflammation by miR-132/PTEN axis in COPD.

Long non-coding RNAs small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (lncRNA SNHG5) plays well-defined roles in the malignant progression. However, the roles of SNHG5 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression remain unclear. In the present study, SNHG5 expression was low expressed in COPD tissues and positively correlated with low forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)% in patients. Subsequently, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) decreased SNHG5 expression in 16HBE cells, and SNHG5 overexpression in 16HBE cells mitigated the effects of CSE on the proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation (IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-a). Mechanistically, SNHG5 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-132 in COPD, thereby increasing the expression of the miR-132 target PTEN. Moreover, rescue assays demonstrated that PTEN suppression (or miR-132 overexpression) attenuated the effects of SNHG5 upregulation on COPD progression. In conclusion, the SNHG5-miR-132-PTEN axis might play critical roles in COPD development, providing an effective target for the treatment of COPD.

Hierarchical Cobalt-Doped Molybdenum-Nickel Nitride Nanowires as Multifunctional Electrocatalysts.

Herein, we demonstrate hierarchically porous Co-doped MoNi nitride nanowires for multifunctional electrocatalysts. After the Co incorporation for water electrolysis and zinc-air systems, the active surface area is enhanced, whereas the charge-transfer and mass-transfer resistances are reduced significantly. Due to the dual modulation in the electric conductivity and active surface area induced by the Co-doping, the hierarchically porous trimetal nitrides show high activity and good stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution reaction, and oxygen reduction reaction. The two-electrode electrolyzer assembled by the bifunctional electrocatalysts can deliver 10 mA cm-2 at a voltage of merely 1.57 V, compared to the best reported electrocatalysts. Meanwhile, two all-solid-state zinc-air batteries in series can power more than 50 red light-emitting diodes and the two-electrode electrolyzer catalyzed by the multifunctional electrocatalysts with excellent operation stability.

Natural killer cells involved in tumour immune escape of hepatocellular carcinomar.

Natural killer cells are the first line of host immune surveillance and play major roles in the defence against infection and tumours. Hepatic NK cells exhibit unique phenotypic and functional characteristics compared to circulating and spleen NK cells, such as higher levels of cytolytic activity and cytotoxicity mediators against tumour cells. However, the activities of NK cells may be reversed during tumour progression. Recent studies demonstrated that hepatic NK cells were exhausted in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and exhibited impaired cytolytic activity and decreased production of effector cytokines. The present review discusses current knowledge on the role of exhausted NK cells in promoting HCC development and the mechanisms contributing to tumour immune escape, including an imbalance of activating and inhibitory receptors on NK cells, abnormal receptor-ligand interaction, and cross-talk with immune cells and other stromal cells in the tumour environment. We provide a fundamental basis for further study of innate immunity in tumour progression and serve the purpose of exploring new HCC treatment strategies.

MicroRNA-302 inhibits cell migration and invasion in cervical cancer by targeting DCUN1D1.

MicroRNA serve crucial roles in a variety of human cancer types. The miR-302-367 cluster has been reported to suppress the proliferation of cervical carcinoma cells through the novel target AKT1; however, the molecular mechanism of miR-302 in cervical cancer metastasis remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of miR-302-3p expression in cervical cancer, and to examine the regulatory mechanism of miR-302-3p in the malignant phenotypes of cervical cancer cells. The present data indicated that miR-302-3p was significantly downregulated in cervical cancer tissues compared with the level in adjacent non-tumor tissues, and low expression of miR-302-3p was significantly associated with node metastasis, advanced clinical stage, and poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer. Restoration of miR-302-3p expression caused a significant reduction in cervical cancer cell migration and invasion. Defective in cullin neddylation 1 domain containing 1 (DCUN1D1) was identified as a novel target gene of miR-302-3p, and miR-302-3p negatively regulated the mRNA and protein expression of DCUN1D1 in cervical cancer HeLa cells. Additionally, overexpression of DCUN1D1 rescued the effects of miR-302-3p on the migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, DCUN1D1 was upregulated in cervical cancer tissues compared with the levels in adjacent tissues, and its high expression was associated with node metastasis, advanced clinical stage, and shorter survival time in patients with cervical cancer. Notably, a negative correlation between miR-302-3p and DCUN1D1 expression in cervical cancer tissues was observed. Taken together, the present study suggests that miR-302-3p serves a suppressive role in cervical cancer metastasis, partly at least, via directly targeting DCUN1D1. Therefore, miR-302-3p/DCUN1D1 may be a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer treatment.