Toward Selective Transport of Monovalent Metal Ions with High Permeability Based on Crown Ether-Encapsulated Metal-Organic Framework Sub-Nanochannels.

Achieving selective transport of monovalent metal ions with high precision and permeability analogues to biological protein ion channels has long been explored for fundamental research and various applications, such as ion sieving, mineral extraction, and energy harvesting and conversion. However, it still remains a significant challenge to construct artificial nanofluidic devices to realize the trade-off effects between selective ion transportation and high ion permeability. In this work, we report a bioinspired functional micropipet with in situ growth of crown ether-encapsulated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) inside the tip and realize selective transport of monovalent metal ions. The functional ion-selective micropipet with sub-nanochannels was constructed by the interfacial growth method with the formation of composite MOFs consisting of ZIF-8 and 15-crown-5. The resulting micropipet device exhibited obvious monovalent ion selectivity and high flux of Li+ due to the synergistic effects of size sieving in subnanoconfined space and specific coordination of 15-crown-5 toward Na+. The selectivity of Li+/Na+, Li+/K+, Li+/Ca2+, and Li+/Mg2+ with 15-crown-5@ZIF-8-functionalized micropipet reached 3.9, 5.2, 105.8, and 122.4, respectively, which had an obvious enhancement compared to that with ZIF-8. Notably, the ion flux of Li+ can reach up to 93.8 ± 3.6 mol h-1·m-2 that is much higher than previously reported values. Furthermore, the functional micropipet with 15-crown-5@ZIF-8 sub-nanochannels exhibited stable Li+ selectivity under various conditions, such as different ion concentrations, pH values, and mixed ion solutions. This work not only provides new opportunities for the development of MOF-based nanofluidic devices for selective ion transport but also facilitates the promising practical applications in lithium extraction from salt-like brines, sewage treatment, and other related aspects.

MiCOL6, MiCOL7A and MiCOL7B isolated from mango regulate flowering and stress response in transgenic Arabidopsis.

The CONSTANS/CONSTANS-Like (CO/COL) family has been shown to play important roles in flowering, stress tolerance, fruit development and ripening in higher plants. In this study, three COL genes, MiCOL6, MiCOL7A and MiCOL7B, which each contain only one CCT domain, were isolated from mango (Mangifera indica), and their functions were investigated. MiCOL7A and MiCOL7B were expressed mainly at 20 days after flowering (DAF), and all three genes were highly expressed during the flowering induction period. The expression levels of the three genes were affected by light conditions, but only MiCOL6 exhibited a clear circadian rhythm. Overexpression of MiCOL6 promoted earlier flowering, while overexpression of MiCOL7A or MiCOL7B delayed flowering compared to that in the control lines of Arabidopsis thaliana under long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions. Overexpressing MiCOL6, MiCOL7A or MiCOL7B in transgenic plants increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and proline levels, decreased malondialdehyde (MAD) levels, and improved survival under drought and salt stress. In addition, yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analyses showed that the MiCOL6, MiCOL7A and MiCOL7B proteins interact with several stress- and flower-related proteins. This work demonstrates the functions of MiCOL6, MiCOL7A and MiCOL7B and provides a foundation for further research on the role of mango COL genes in flowering regulation and the abiotic stress response.

Real-world implementation of a multilevel interventions program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV in China.

Reducing hepatitis B virus (HBV) mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is a fundamental step toward the HBV elimination goal. The multicentred, multilevel SHIELD program aimed to use an intense intervention package to reduce HBV MTCT in China. This study was conducted in diverse health settings across China, encompassing 30,109 pregnant women from 178 hospitals, part of the interim analysis of stage II of the SHIELD program, and 8,642 pregnant women from 160 community-level health facilities in stage III of the SHIELD program. The study found that the overall MTCT rate was 0.23% (39 of 16,908; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16-0.32%) in stage II and 0.23% (12 of 5,290; 95% CI: 0.12-0.40%) in stage III. The MTCT rate was lower among participants who were compliant with the interventions (stage II: 0.16% (95% CI: 0.10-0.26%); stage III: 0.03% (95% CI: 0.00-0.19%)) than among those who were noncompliant (3.16% (95% CI: 1.94-4.85%); 1.91% (95% CI: 0.83-3.73%); P < 0.001). Our findings demonstrate that the comprehensive interventions among HBV-infected pregnant women were feasible and effective in dramatically reducing MTCT.

Expansin SlExp1 and endoglucanase SlCel2 synergistically promote fruit softening and cell wall disassembly in tomato.

Fruit softening, an irreversible process that occurs during fruit ripening, can lead to losses and waste during postharvest transportation and storage. Cell wall disassembly is the main factor leading to loss of fruit firmness, and several ripening-associated cell wall genes have been targeted for genetic modification, particularly pectin modifiers. However, individual knockdown of most cell wall-related genes has had minimal influence on cell wall integrity and fruit firmness, with the notable exception of pectate lyase. Compared to pectin disassembly, studies of the cell wall matrix, the xyloglucan-cellulose framework, and underlying mechanisms during fruit softening are limited. Here, a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening-associated α-expansin (SlExpansin1/SlExp1) and an endoglucanase (SlCellulase2/SlCel2), which function in the cell wall matrix, were knocked out individually and together using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9-mediated genome editing. Simultaneous knockout of SlExp1 and SlCel2 enhanced fruit firmness, reduced depolymerization of homogalacturonan-type pectin and xyloglucan, and increased cell adhesion. In contrast, single knockouts of either SlExp1 or SlCel2 did not substantially change fruit firmness, while simultaneous overexpression of SlExp1 and SlCel2 promoted early fruit softening. Collectively, our results demonstrate that SlExp1 and SlCel2 synergistically regulate cell wall disassembly and fruit softening in tomato.

Reliable and Scalable Piezoresistive Sensors with an MXene/MoS2 Hierarchical Nanostructure for Health Signals Monitoring.

The increased popularity of wearable electronic devices has led to a greater need for advanced sensors. However, fabricating pressure sensors that are flexible, highly sensitive, robust, and compatible with large-scale fabrication technology is challenging. This work investigates a piezoresistive sensor constructed from an MXene/MoS2 hierarchical nanostructure, which is obtained through an easy and inexpensive fabrication process. The sensor exhibits a high sensitivity of 0.42 kPa-1 (0-1.5 kPa), rapid response (∼36 ms), and remarkable mechanical durability (∼10,000 cycles at 13 kPa). The sensor has been demonstrated to be successful in detecting human motion, speech recognition, and physiological signals, particularly in analyzing human pulse. These data can be used to alert and identify irregularities in human health. Additionally, the sensing units are able to construct sensor arrays of various sizes and configurations, enabling pressure distribution imaging in a variety of application scenarios. This research proposes a cost-effective and scalable approach to fabricating piezoresistive sensors and sensor arrays, which can be utilized for monitoring human health and for use in human-machine interfaces.

Insights into cell wall changes during fruit softening from transgenic and naturally occurring mutants.

Excessive softening during fleshy fruit ripening leads to physical damage and infection that reduce quality and cause massive supply chain losses. Changes in cell wall (CW) metabolism, involving loosening and disassembly of the constituent macromolecules, are the main cause of softening. Several genes encoding CW metabolizing enzymes have been targeted for genetic modification to attenuate softening. At least 9 genes encoding CW-modifying proteins have increased expression during ripening. Any alteration of these genes could modify CW structure and properties and contribute to softening, but evidence for their relative importance is sparse. The results of studies with transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), the model for fleshy fruit ripening, investigations with strawberry (Fragaria spp.) and apple (Malus domestica), and results from naturally occurring textural mutants provide direct evidence of gene function and the contribution of CW biochemical modifications to fruit softening. Here we review the revised CW structure model and biochemical and structural changes in CW components during fruit softening and then focus on and integrate the results of changes in CW characteristics derived from studies on transgenic fruits and mutants. Potential strategies and future research directions to understand and control the rate of fruit softening are also discussed.

Abscisic acid mediated strawberry receptacle ripening involves the interplay of multiple phytohormone signaling networks.

As a canonical non-climacteric fruit, strawberry (Fragaria spp.) ripening is mainly mediated by abscisic acid (ABA), which involves multiple other phytohormone signalings. Many details of these complex associations are not well understood. We present an coexpression network, involving ABA and other phytohormone signalings, based on weighted gene coexpression network analysis of spatiotemporally resolved transcriptome data and phenotypic changes of strawberry receptacles during development and following various treatments. This coexpression network consists of 18,998 transcripts and includes transcripts related to phytohormone signaling pathways, MADS and NAC family transcription factors and biosynthetic pathways associated with fruit quality. Members of eight phytohormone signaling pathways are predicted to participate in ripening and fruit quality attributes mediated by ABA, of which 43 transcripts were screened to consist of the hub phytohormone signalings. In addition to using several genes reported from previous studies to verify the reliability and accuracy of this network, we explored the role of two hub signalings, small auxin up-regulated RNA 1 and 2 in receptacle ripening mediated by ABA, which are also predicted to contribute to fruit quality. These results and publicly accessible datasets provide a valuable resource to elucidate ripening and quality formation mediated by ABA and involves multiple other phytohormone signalings in strawberry receptacle and serve as a model for other non-climacteric fruits.

The CCL27-CCR10 axis contributes to promoting proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Lung cancer is characterized by its high mortality and morbidity. A deep understanding of the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer tumorigenesis helps to develop novel lung cancer diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. However, the picture of the associated molecular landscape is not yet complete. As understood, chemokine-receptor interactions contribute much to lung cancer tumorigenesis, in which CCR10 also plays an important role. This study aimed to expand the knowledge of CCR10 in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) in the manner of molecular mechanism and biological functions. Using GEPIA database, the survival analysis between LUSC patients with high and low CCR10 expressions was performed, showing that CCR10 could be regarded as a risk factor for LUSC patients. Subsequently, CCR10 protein and mRNA expressions in LUSC were examined by qRT-PCR and western blot respectively. The results indicated that CCR10 was highly expressed in LUSC cells. The results of CCK-8, colony formation, and Transwell assays presented that CCL27, the ligand of CCR10, promoted proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities of LUSC cells by activating CCR10. Also, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was verified as the involved pathway by western blot. Overall, it could be concluded that the CCL27-CCR10 regulatory axis can activate the PI3K/AKT pathway fostering the malignant features of LUSC cells.

A Bibliometric and Knowledge Map Analysis of Osteoarthritis Signaling Pathways from 2012 to 2022.

Background: Osteoarthritis(OA) is one of the most common joint diseases, and signaling pathways play an essential role in the occurrence and development of OA, so it is significant to study OA with signaling pathways as an entry point. Purpose: This study aims to visualize and map the knowledge of OA-related signaling pathway research between 2012 and 2022, summarise and analyze the current research status and potential development trends in the domain, and provide a reference for future OA-related research. Methods: Retrieve relevant literature from the Web of Science database and use VOSviwer and CiteSpace software to visualize authors, institutions, country distribution, references, and keywords. The results are interpreted and analyzed in conjunction with the results obtained. Results: According to the search strategy, a total of 4894 articles were published between January 2012 and January 2022; during these ten years, the number of reports increased annually, and the research became further intensive; through this analysis, it was found that China is the most prolific country in this field; The institution with the most articles was Xi'an Jiaotong University from China, and the most prolific author was Tang Chih Hsin; Among the cited references, the reports of Glyn-Jones S and Hunter DJ were ranked first and second respectively. In the keyword analysis, cartilage and expression were the popular keywords; Animal model, akt, and platelet-rich plasma had the highest centrality; Burst analysis revealed pi3k, senescence, Ampk, and exosomes had received more attention in recent years of research. Conclusion: This study analyzes and summarizes the current research status and development trend of relevant signaling pathways in OA from the perspective of bibliometric and visual analysis, which can help researchers to keep track of hot topics and conduct more in-depth exploration of research hotspots and frontier knowledge areas.

Roles of abscisic acid in regulating ripening and quality of strawberry, a model non-climacteric fruit.

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a dominant regulator of ripening and quality in non-climacteric fruits. Strawberry is regarded as a model non-climacteric fruit due to its extensive genetic studies and proven suitability for transgenic approaches to understanding gene function. Strawberry research has contributed to studies on color, flavor development, and fruit softening, and in recent years ABA has been established as a core regulator of strawberry fruit ripening, whereas ethylene plays this role in climacteric fruits. Despite this major difference, several components of the interacting genetic regulatory network in strawberry, such as MADS-box and NAC transcription factors, are similar to those that operate in climacteric fruit. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the role of ABA biosynthesis and signaling and the regulatory network of transcription factors and other phytohormones in strawberry fruit ripening. In addition to providing an update on its ripening, we discuss how strawberry research has helped generate a broader and more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of non-climacteric fruit ripening and focus attention on the use of strawberry as a model platform for ripening studies.

Overexpression of ERCC6L correlates with poor prognosis and confers malignant phenotypes of lung adenocarcinoma.

Excision repair cross­complementation group 6 like (ERCC6L) has been reported to be upregulated in a variety of malignant tumors and plays a critical oncogenic role. However, the role and molecular mechanism of ERCC6L in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unclear, and were therefore investigated in the present study. Clinical data of patients with LUAD were obtained and bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate the expression characteristics, prognostic value, and biological function of ERCC6L. In addition, cell function experiments were performed to detect the effect of ERCC6L silencing on the biological behavior of LUAD cells. The results revealed that ERCC6L expression was significantly higher in LUAD tissues vs. normal lung tissues and closely associated with nodal invasion, advanced clinical stage and survival in LUAD. Overexpression of ERCC6L was an independent prognostic biomarker of overall survival, progression­free interval, and disease­specific survival in patients with LUAD. DNA amplification and low methylation levels of ERCC6L suggested regulation at both the genetic and epigenetic levels. The most significant positive genes co­expressed with ERCC6L were mainly enriched in the cell cycle signaling pathway. The major functions of ERCC6L in LUAD cells were positively correlated with the cell cycle, DNA damage, DNA repair, proliferation, invasion and epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT). Knockdown of ERCC6L inhibited the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of A549 and PC9 cells. It also promoted cell apoptosis, and led to cell cycle arrest in the S phase. ERCC6L may regulate the EMT process through the Wnt/ß­catenin and Wnt/Notch 3 signaling pathways, thus regulating the tumorigenesis and progression of LUAD. The overexpression of ERCC6L may be a biological indicator for the diagnosis and prognosis of LUAD. ERCC6L may be a novel molecular target for the treatment of lung cancer.

Transcriptional regulation of fleshy fruit texture.

Fleshy fruit texture is a critically important quality characteristic of ripe fruit. Softening is an irreversible process which operates in most fleshy fruits during ripening which, together with changes in color and taste, contributes to improvements in mouthfeel and general attractiveness. Softening results mainly from the expression of genes encoding enzymes responsible for cell wall modifications but starch degradation and high levels of flavonoids can also contribute to texture change. Some fleshy fruit undergo lignification during development and post-harvest, which negatively affects eating quality. Excessive softening can also lead to physical damage and infection, particularly during transport and storage which causes severe supply chain losses. Many transcription factors (TFs) that regulate fruit texture by controlling the expression of genes involved in cell wall and starch metabolism have been characterized. Some TFs directly regulate cell wall targets, while others act as part of a broader regulatory program governing several aspects of the ripening process. In this review, we focus on advances in our understanding of the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing fruit textural change during fruit development, ripening and post-harvest. Potential targets for breeding and future research directions for the control of texture and quality improvement are discussed.

Recent Progress of Novel Nanotechnology Challenging the Multidrug Resistance of Cancer.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumors is one of the clinical direct reasons for chemotherapy failure. MDR directly leads to tumor recurrence and metastasis, with extremely grievous mortality. Engineering a novel nano-delivery system for the treatment of MDR tumors has become an important part of nanotechnology. Herein, this review will take those different mechanisms of MDR as the classification standards and systematically summarize the advances in nanotechnology targeting different mechanisms of MDR in recent years. However, it still needs to be seriously considered that there are still some thorny problems in the application of the nano-delivery system against MDR tumors, including the excessive utilization of carrier materials, low drug-loading capacity, relatively narrow targeting mechanism, and so on. It is hoped that through the continuous development of nanotechnology, nano-delivery systems with more universal uses and a simpler preparation process can be obtained, for achieving the goal of defeating cancer MDR and accelerating clinical transformation.

R2R3-MYB genes coordinate conical cell development and cuticular wax biosynthesis in Phalaenopsis aphrodite.

Petals of the monocot Phalaenopsis aphrodite (Orchidaceae) possess conical epidermal cells on their adaxial surfaces, and a large amount of cuticular wax is deposited on them to serve as a primary barrier against biotic and abiotic stresses. It has been widely reported that subgroup 9A members of the R2R3-MYB gene family, MIXTA and MIXTA-like in eudicots, act to regulate the differentiation of conical epidermal cells. However, the molecular pathways underlying conical epidermal cell development and cuticular wax biosynthesis in monocot petals remain unclear. Here, we characterized two subgroup 9A R2R3-MYB genes, PaMYB9A1 and PaMYB9A2 (PaMYB9A1/2), from P. aphrodite through the transient overexpression of their coding sequences and corresponding chimeric repressors in developing petals. We showed that PaMYB9A1/2 function to coordinate conical epidermal cell development and cuticular wax biosynthesis. In addition, we identified putative targets of PaMYB9A1/2 through comparative transcriptome analyses, revealing that PaMYB9A1/2 acts to regulate the expression of cell wall-associated and wax biosynthetic genes. Furthermore, a chemical composition analysis of cuticular wax showed that even-chain n-alkanes and odd-chain primary alcohols are the main chemical constituents of cuticular wax deposited on petals, which is inconsistent with the well-known biosynthetic pathways of cuticular wax, implying a distinct biosynthetic pathway occurring in P. aphrodite flowers. These results reveal that the function of subgroup 9A R2R3-MYB family genes in regulating the differentiation of epidermal cells is largely conserved in monocots and dicots. Furthermore, both PaMYB9A1/2 have evolved additional functions controlling the biosynthesis of cuticular wax.

The Cymbidium genome reveals the evolution of unique morphological traits.

The marvelously diverse Orchidaceae constitutes the largest family of angiosperms. The genus Cymbidium in Orchidaceae is well known for its unique vegetation, floral morphology, and flower scent traits. Here, a chromosome-scale assembly of the genome of Cymbidium ensifolium (Jianlan) is presented. Comparative genomic analysis showed that C. ensifolium has experienced two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events, the most recent of which was shared by all orchids, while the older event was the τ event shared by most monocots. The results of MADS-box genes analysis provided support for establishing a unique gene model of orchid flower development regulation, and flower shape mutations in C. ensifolium were shown to be associated with the abnormal expression of MADS-box genes. The most abundant floral scent components identified included methyl jasmonate, acacia alcohol and linalool, and the genes involved in the floral scent component network of C. ensifolium were determined. Furthermore, the decreased expression of photosynthesis-antennae and photosynthesis metabolic pathway genes in leaves was shown to result in colorful striped leaves, while the increased expression of MADS-box genes in leaves led to perianth-like leaves. Our results provide fundamental insights into orchid evolution and diversification.

Procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 1 increases cellular proliferation and colony formation capacity in lung cancer via activation of E2F transcription factor 1.

Procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenase 1 (PLOD1) is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydroxylation of lysyl residues in collagen-like peptides, and is responsible for the stability of intermolecular crosslinks. High PLOD1 mRNA levels have been determined to be prognostically significant in numerous human malignancies. The objective of the present study was to elucidate the pathological mechanism of PLOD1 in lung cancer. The expression status and prognostic value of PLOD1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSA) were investigated using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). Cell Counting Kit 8 and colony formation assays were performed to assess the impact of PLOD1 depletion and overexpression on the proliferation and colony formation abilities of the A549 lung cancer cell line. Luciferase reporter assays were used to clarify whether E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1) was a downstream target of PLOD1 in lung cancer. Finally, the correlations between PLOD1 expression and a typical central downstream effector molecule of E2F1 signaling were determined using cBioportal. The GEPIA datasets revealed that PLOD1 mRNA levels were upregulated in LUAD and LUSC samples. Furthermore, the overexpression of PLOD1 promoted cancer cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro, while PLOD1-knockout produced the opposite effect. Notably, PLOD1 markedly induced the transcriptional activity of E2F1. Additionally, the expression of PLOD1 was significantly correlated with that of H2A histone family member X. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicate that PLOD1 promoted lung cancer through E2F1 activation, and proposed a rationale for targeting the PLOD1/E2F1 axis to treat lung cancer.

Efficacy and safety of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and tenofovir alafenamide fumarate in preventing HBV vertical transmission of high maternal viral load.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant global health problem and > 42-52% of patients are infected during perinatal period. Tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) have been widely recognized as the main compounds used for antiviral treatment of hepatitis B. The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of TAF in reducing HBV vertical transmission. METHODS: A total of 72 pregnant women, who met the inclusion criteria, were randomly divided into the TDF (300 mg/day, n = 36) and TAF (25 mg/day, n = 36) groups. Clinical and laboratory data were analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: No significant differences in alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, blood creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were noted between the two groups after treatment. The serum HBV DNA viral load and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) levels of the two groups were significantly decreased following treatment, whereas the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. The levels of urine retinol-binding protein and ß2-microglobulin had no significant change after TAF treatment (p > 0.05), but increased significantly after TDF treatment (p < 0.05). All drug concentrations were undetectable in umbilical cord blood (UCB) and breast milk samples of the TAF group, while the drug concentration of UCB and breast milk samples in the TDF group was 2.98 ± 1.44 and 19.16 ± 15.26 ng/ml, respectively. All infants were tested negative for serum hepatitis B surface antigen, HBV DNA, and HBeAg. CONCLUSIONS: Both TAF and TDF effectively block the mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B. TAF was superior to TDF with regard to renal safety and breastfeeding.

linc00941 regulates the proliferation, invasion and glycolysis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via miR-203/CCL2 axis / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘要] 目的：探究linc00941 作为ceRNA吸附miR-203 上调CC-趋化因子配体2（CC chemokine ligand 2，CCL2）的表达在食 管鳞癌（esophageal squamous cell carcinoma，ESCC）中的作用机制。方法：选取南阳医学高等专科学校第一附属医院58 例ESCC 患者的癌组织和癌旁组织，其中，男性患者33 例，年龄（49.3±18.6）岁，女性患者25 例，年龄（44.6±20.7）岁。qPCR 法检测 linc00941、miR-203、CCL2 在ESCC 组织和4 株人ESCC 细胞系（EC9706、KYSE30、ECA109 和TE1）以及人正常食管上皮细胞株 HET-1A细胞系中的表达。构建linc00941-wt、linc00941-mut、CCL2-wt、CCL2-mut 质粒并分别与miR-203 NC 或miR-203 模拟物 共转染到293T 细胞中。双荧光素酶报告基因实验验证linc00941、miR-203、CCL2 之间的相互作用。CCK-8 和Transwell 实验检 测细胞的增殖与侵袭能力。乳酸含量检测评价细胞的糖酵解能力。流式细胞术检测细胞的凋亡情况。糖酵解抑制剂2-DG以及 linc00941 共同干预ESCC细胞，以进一步观察linc00941 对ESCC细胞的调控作用。结果：在ESCC组织中和细胞系中linc00941、 CCL2 表达均上调，miR-203 表达下调（均P<0.05）。linc00941 与miR-203、miR-203 与CCL2 的相互作用在ECA109 细胞中得到证 实。下调linc00941 能够抑制ECA109 细胞的增殖、侵袭和糖酵解，并诱导细胞凋亡，该作用被miR-203 抑制剂部分逆转（均 P<0.05）。过表达CCL2 可以部分逆转敲减linc00941 对ECA109 细胞增殖、侵袭、糖酵解和凋亡的影响（均P<0.05）。结论： linc00941 能够吸附miR-203 进而上调CCL2 的表达，促进ESCC细胞的增殖、侵袭和糖酵解，诱导细胞凋亡。linc00941 对ESCC细 胞增殖、侵袭和凋亡的影响可能是通过调控糖酵解实现的。

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of fifty-six cases of COVID-19 in Liaoning Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia of uncertain cause has been reported in Wuhan, China since the beginning of early December 2019. In early January 2020, a novel strain of ß-coronavirus was identified by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention from the pharyngeal swab specimens of patients, which was recently named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There is evidence of human-to-human transmission and familial cluster outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The World Health Organization(WHO) recently declared the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic a global health emergency. As of February 17, 2020, 71329 laboratory-confirmed cases (in 25 countries, including the United States and Germany) have been reported globally. Other than its rapid transmission, the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain unclear. In December 2019, coronavirus disease (named COVID-19 by the WHO) associated with the SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan, China and spread quickly across the country. AIM: To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of confirmed cases of this disease in Liaoning province, a Chinese region about 1800 km north of Wuhan. METHODS: The clinical data of 56 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases due to 2019-nCoV infection were analyzed. The cases originated from eight cities in Liaoning province. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 45 years, and 57.1% of them were male. No patient had been in direct contact with wild animals. Among them, 23 patients (41.1%) had resided in or traveled to Wuhan, 27 cases (48.2%) had been in contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, 5 cases (8.9%) had been in contact with confirmed patients with a contact history to COVID-19 patients, and 1 case (1.8%) had no apparent history of exposure. Fever (75.0%) and cough (60.7%) were the most common symptoms. The typical manifestations in lung computed tomography (CT) included ground-glass opacity and patchy shadows, with 67.8% of them being bilateral. Among the patients in the cohort, 78.6% showed reduction in their lymphocyte counts, 57.1% showed increases in their C-reactive protein levels, and 50.0% showed decreases in their blood albumin levels. Eleven patients (19.6%) were admitted to intensive care unit, 2 patients (3.5%) progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome, 4 patients (7.1%) were equipped with non-invasive mechanical ventilation, and 1 patient (1.8) received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. There were 5 mild cases (5/56, 8.9%), 40 moderate cases (40/56, 71.4%), 10 severe cases (10/56, 17.9%), and 1 critical case (1/56, 1.8%). No deaths were reported. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted among humans. Most COVID-19 patients show symptoms of fever, cough, lymphocyte reduction, and typical lung CT manifestations. Most are moderate cases. The seriousness of the disease (as indicated by blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, oxygenation index, blood lymphocyte count, and lesions shown in lung CT) is related to history of living in or traveling to Wuhan, underlying diseases, admittance to intensive care unit, and mechanical ventilation.