Investigation of shared genetic features and related mechanisms between diabetes and tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to integrate bioinformatics technology to explore shared hub genes and related mechanisms between diabetes and tuberculosis and to provide a theoretical basis for revealing the disease mechanisms in patients with both diabetes and tuberculosis. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes and Venn analysis were used to identify shared genes between diabetes and tuberculosis. PPI network analysis was used to screen key hub genes. GO and KEGG analyses were used to analyze the potential biological functions of these key hub genes. Immune infiltration analysis was performed using the ssGSEA algorithm. EnrichR online analysis website was used to explore potential therapeutic drugs. RESULTS: The dataset analysis showed that PSMB9, ISG15, RTP4, CXCL10, GBP2, and GBP3 were six hub genes shared by diabetes and tuberculosis, which not only could distinguish between the two disease samples but also had a high diagnostic rate. GO and KEGG analyses showed that these six genes mainly mediate immune-related biological processes such as interferon, interleukin, and chemokine receptor binding, as well as signaling pathways such as RIG-I-like receptor, NOD-like receptor, and proteasome. Immune infiltration analysis showed that high expression of TIL may mediate the development of both diabetes and tuberculosis. In addition, suloctidil HL60 UP, thioridazine HL60 UP, mefloquine HL60 UP, 1-NITROPYRENE CTD 00001569, and chlorophyllin CTD 00000324 were the candidate drugs predicted by this study that were most likely to target hub genes. CONCLUSION: Six differentially expressed genes shared by both diseases (PSMB9, ISG15, RTP4, CXCL10, GBP2, and GBP3) may play a key role in the disease progression of patients with both diabetes and tuberculosis. Candidate drugs targeting these hub genes have therapeutic potential and are worthy of further research. In summary, this study reveals potential shared pathogenic mechanisms between tuberculosis and diabetes.

Enhanced performance of acridine degradation and power generation by microbial fuel cell with g-C3N4/PANI-DA/CF anode.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) has attracted much attention in treating organic wastewater due to its double functions of degrading organics and generating electricity with microorganisms as biocatalysts. Unfortunately, some organics with biological toxicity such as acridine could inhibit the growth and activity of the microorganisms on the anode so that the double functions of MFC would recede. Enhancing microbial activity by using new biocompatible materials as anodes is prospective to solve problem. A novel anode was achieved by electrodepositing g-C3N4 sheets to the carbon felt (CF) modified with polyaniline-dopamine composite film, and used to treat wastewater containing acridine for the first time. After the operation of 13 d, MFC loading with the composite anode showed a degradation efficiency of 98.3% in 150 mg L-1 acridine, while that of CF-MFC was 55.8%. Moreover, MFC loading the modified anode obtained a maximum power density of 1976 ±â€¯47 mW m-2, 140.1% higher than that of CF-MFC. Further analysis revealed that the functional microorganisms associated with acridine degradation such as Achromobacter and Alcaligenes were enriched on the g-C3N4/PANI-DA/CF anode. Moreover, the composite anode could improve the activity of microorganisms and elicit them to generate conductive nanowires, which was beneficial to transferring electrons from microbes to anode over long distances, suggesting a promising prospect application in MFC.

Large Polarization Near 50 µC/cm2 in a Single Unit Cell Layer SrTiO3.

The generally nonpolar SrTiO3 has attracted more attention recently because of its possibly induced novel polar states and related paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transitions. By using controlled pulsed laser deposition, high-quality, ultrathin, and strained SrTiO3 layers were obtained. Here, transmission electron microscopy and theoretical simulations have unveiled highly polar states in SrTiO3 films even down to one unit cell at room temperature, which were stabilized in the PbTiO3/SrTiO3/PbTiO3 sandwich structures by in-plane tensile strain and interfacial coupling, as evidenced by large tetragonality (∼1.05), notable polar ion displacement (0.019 nm), and thus ultrahigh spontaneous polarization (up to ∼50 µC/cm2). These values are nearly comparable to those of the strong ferroelectrics as the PbZrxTi1-xO3 family. Our findings provide an effective and practical approach for integrating large strain states into oxide films and inducing polarization in nonpolar materials, which may broaden the functionality of nonpolar oxides and pave the way for the discovery of new electronic materials.

Association between Clinical Characteristics and Microbiota in Bronchiectasis Patients Based on Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing Technology.

This study aimed to investigate the disparities between metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and conventional culture results in patients with bronchiectasis. Additionally, we sought to investigate the correlation between the clinical characteristics of patients and their microbiome profiles. The overarching goal was to enhance the effective management and treatment of bronchiectasis patients, providing a theoretical foundation for healthcare professionals. A retrospective survey was conducted on 67 bronchiectasis patients admitted to The First Hospital of Jiaxing from October 2019 to March 2023. Clinical baseline information, inflammatory indicators, and pathogen detection reports, including mNGS, conventional blood culture, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) culture, and sputum culture results, were collected. By comparing the results of mNGS and conventional culture, the differences in pathogen detection rate and pathogen types were explored, and the diagnostic performance of mNGS compared to conventional culture was evaluated. Based on the various pathogens detected by mNGS, the association between clinical characteristics of bronchiectasis patients and mNGS microbiota results was analyzed. The number and types of pathogens detected by mNGS were significantly larger than those detected by conventional culture. The diagnostic efficacy of mNGS was significantly superior to conventional culture for all types of pathogens, particularly in viral detection (p < 0.01). Regarding pathogen detection rate, the bacteria with the highest detection rate were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17/58) and Haemophilus influenzae (11/58); the fungus with the highest detection rate was Aspergillus fumigatus (10/21), and the virus with the highest detection rate was human herpes virus 4 (4/11). Differences were observed between the positive and negative groups for P. aeruginosa in terms of common scoring systems for bronchiectasis and whether the main symptom of bronchiectasis manifested as thick sputum (p < 0.05). Significant distinctions were also noted between the positive and negative groups for A. fumigatus regarding Reiff score, neutrophil percentage, bronchiectasis etiology, and alterations in treatment plans following mNGS results reporting (p < 0.05). Notably, 70% of patients with positive A. fumigatus infection opted to change their treatment plans. The correlation study between clinical characteristics of bronchiectasis patients and mNGS microbiological results revealed that bacteria, such as P. aeruginosa, and fungi, such as A. fumigatus, were associated with specific clinical features of patients. This underscored the significance of mNGS in guiding personalized treatment approaches. mNGS could identify multiple pathogens in different types of bronchiectasis samples and was a rapid and effective diagnostic tool for pathogen identification. Its use was recommended for diagnosing the causes of infections in bronchiectasis patients.

A phase 4 multicentre, 2×2 factorial randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of tobramycin inhalation solution for Pseudomonas aeruginosa eradication in bronchiectasis: ERASE.

Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality in bronchiectasis patients. Initiating antibiotics early may lead to the eradication of PA. Here we outline the design of a trial (ERASE; NCT06093191) assessing the efficacy and safety of inhaled tobramycin, alone or with oral ciprofloxacin, in bronchiectasis patients with a new isolation of PA. This multicentre, 2×2 factorial randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial includes a 2-week screening period, a 12-week treatment phase (with a combination of ciprofloxacin or a placebo at initial 2 weeks) and a 24-week follow-up. 364 adults with bronchiectasis and a new PA isolation will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: placebo (inhaled saline and ciprofloxacin placebo twice daily), ciprofloxacin alone (750 mg ciprofloxacin and inhaled saline twice daily), inhaled tobramycin alone (inhaled 300 mg tobramycin and ciprofloxacin placebo twice daily) or a combination of both drugs (inhaled 300 mg tobramycin and 750 mg ciprofloxacin twice daily). The primary objective of this study is to assess the proportion of patients successfully eradicating PA in each group by the end of the study. Efficacy will be evaluated based on the eradication rate of PA at other time points (12, 24 and 36 weeks), the occurrence of exacerbations and hospitalisations, time to first pulmonary exacerbations, patient-reported outcomes, symptom measures, pulmonary function tests and the cost of hospitalisations. To date no randomised trial has evaluated the benefit of different PA eradication strategies in bronchiectasis patients. The ERASE trial will therefore generate crucial data to inform future clinical guidelines.

An EEG motor imagery dataset for brain computer interface in acute stroke patients.

The brain-computer interface (BCI) is a technology that involves direct communication with parts of the brain and has evolved rapidly in recent years; it has begun to be used in clinical practice, such as for patient rehabilitation. Patient electroencephalography (EEG) datasets are critical for algorithm optimization and clinical applications of BCIs but are rare at present. We collected data from 50 acute stroke patients with wireless portable saline EEG devices during the performance of two tasks: 1) imagining right-handed movements and 2) imagining left-handed movements. The dataset consists of four types of data: 1) the motor imagery instructions, 2) raw recording data, 3) pre-processed data after removing artefacts and other manipulations, and 4) patient characteristics. This is the first open dataset to address left- and right-handed motor imagery in acute stroke patients. We believe that the dataset will be very helpful for analysing brain activation and designing decoding methods that are more applicable for acute stroke patients, which will greatly facilitate research in the field of motor imagery-BCI.

The mechanism of Shenlong Jianji treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis inhibits fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transformation via the TGF-ß1/smads signaling pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Shenlong Jianji (SLJJ) is a Chinese herbal compound composed of traditional medicines for supplementing Qi, nourishing Yin, promoting blood circulation, and removing obstruction in channels. It is widely used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in China. However, the underlying mechanism of SLJJ remains unclear. AIM OF THIS STUDY: To elucidate the efficacy and mechanisms of SLJJ in the treatment of IPF through in vivo and in vitro experiments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 84 Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into 7 groups: the control group (CTRL), the sham operation group (SHAM), the model group (IPF), the low dose of SLJJ group (L-SLJJ), the middle dose of SLJJ group (M-SLJJ), the high dose of SLJJ group (H-SLJJ), and the pirfenidone group (PFD). The rats in the CTRL, SHAM, and IPF groups were given normal saline each time for 28 days; the SLJJ groups were given Shenlong Jianji (9 g kg-1·d-1, 18 g kg-1·d-1, 36 g kg-1·d-1), and pirfenidone was administered as a sequential dose. After 28 days, the general condition of the rats was evaluated, and samples were collected. The lung coefficient was measured. The pathological changes of lung in each group were observed by H&E staining and Masson staining. α-SMA, collagen 1, and E-cadherin proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry. α-SMA, collagen 1, vimentin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, TGF-ß1, smad2, and smad3 proteins were detected by WB in vivo.In vitro, A scratch test was used to assess the ratio of cell migration. α-SMA, vimentin, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin protein levels were evaluated by a cellular immunofluorescence assay. TGF-ß1/smads signaling pathway was detected by WB. HPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis was used to identify the active compounds in the SLJJ. Molecular docking determined the free binding energy of the compound with the TGF-ß1 protein. RESULTS: SLJJ significantly improved the respiratory symptoms, heart rate, mental state, and food intake of IPF group rats and decreased the lung coefficient. In the IPF group, inflammatory cells were infiltrated, and the thickened alveoli wall and alveoli collapse were shown, while significantly alleviating pathological changes in the SLJJ and PFD groups. Masson staining showed that SLJJ and PFD decreased the collagen expression. Immunohistochemical results showed that the expressions of α-SMA, collagen 1, and N-cadherin decreased in the SLJJ and PFD groups, while E-cadherin increased significantly compared with the IPF group. SLJJ regulates TGF-ß1/smads signaling pathway proteins in vivo. SLJJ decreased the ratio of migration in HFL-1 cells; SLJJ reduced the fluorescence intensity of α-SMA, vimentin, and N-cadherin and increased the fluorescence intensity of E-cadherin in primary rat lung (PRL) fibroblast cells and HFL-1 cells. WB results showed that SLJJ significantly down-regulated α-SMA, Vimentin, N-cadherin, TGF-ß1, smad2, and p-smad2/3 proteins expression and up-regulated E-cadherin protein expression in vitro, whereas SRI-011381 (a TGF-ß1 agonist) antagonized the effects of SLJJ. CONCLUSION: SLJJ inhibits idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The TGF- ß1/Smads signaling pathway can be the target of SLJJ, which inhibits fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transformation and is expected to be a new drug for the treatment of IPF.

Transcriptome Sequencing of lncRNAs, circRNAs, miRNAs, mRNAs, and Interaction Network Constructing in Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients who suffer from acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) are at increased risk of respiratory deterioration and death. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a vital role in AE-IPF, but studies of crosstalk between transcripts of IPF based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome type are relatively few. The construction of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA)/circular RNAs (circRNA)-microRNAs (miRNA)-mRNA interaction networks can promote understanding RNA interaction in different syndrome types of AE-IPF. The study aimed to identify the difference in RNA transcription expression between IPF patients with "lung heat and collateral stasis (LHCS)" and "lung deficiency with collateral stasis (LDCS)" syndromes, further to construct the potential RNA networks. METHODS: Five IPF patients with LHCS and five IPF patients with LDCS were recruited in this study to perform RNA sequencing and miRNA sequencing. Further analysis was carried out on the differential expression profiles of lncRNAs, circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs among patients with LHCS and LDCS. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed. The lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) network was constructed, and the key regulatory molecules were analyzed. RESULTS: For LHCS and LDCS, we identified 69 lncRNAs, 150 circRNAs, 27 miRNAs, and 56 mRNAs. Differential expression analysis through GO and KEGG highlights that differentially expressed mRNAs have significant associations with pathways such as tight junction and Hepatitis C. Within the ceRNA network, all nodes have a direct or indirect association with LHCS progression. The hsa-miR-150-5p core sub-network is composed of 1 lncRNA, 6 circRNAs, 1 miRNA, and 5 mRNAs. From the ceRNA sub-network analysis, NR_120628/hsa-miR-150-5p/E2F3 and hsa-circ-0053515/hsa-miR-150-5p/E2F3 emerged as the pivotal ceRNA pairs. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights that the NR_120628/hsa-miR-150-5p/E2F3 and hsa-circ-0053515/hsa-miR-150-5p/E2F3 axes could be central in the regulation of LHCS, providing valuable insights into potential directions for subsequent research on LHCS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese clinical trial registry (CHiCTR23007405). Registered on July 27, 2023. https://www.chictr.org.cn/.

DNA damage resulting from human endocrine disrupting chemical exposure: Genotoxicity, detection and dietary phytochemical intervention.

In recent years, exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has posed an increasing threat to human health. EDCs are major risk factors in the occurrence and development of many diseases. Continuous DNA damage triggers severe pathogenic consequences, such as cancer. Beyond their effects on the endocrine system, EDCs genotoxicity is also worthy of attention, owing to the high accessibility and bioavailability of EDCs. This review investigates and summarizes nearly a decade of DNA damage studies on EDC exposure, including DNA damage mechanisms, detection methods, population marker analysis, and the application of dietary phytochemicals. The aims of this review are (1) to systematically summarize the genotoxic effects of environmental EDCs (2) to comprehensively summarize cutting-edge measurement methods, thus providing analytical solutions for studies on EDC exposure; and (3) to highlight critical data on the detoxification and repair effects of dietary phytochemicals. Dietary phytochemicals decrease genotoxicity by playing a major role in the detoxification system, and show potential therapeutic effects on human diseases caused by EDC exposure. This review may support research on environmental toxicology and alternative chemo-prevention for human EDC exposure.

NIGT1.4 maintains primary root elongation in response to salt stress through induction of ERF1 in Arabidopsis.

Plants employ various molecular mechanisms to maintain primary root elongation upon salt stress. Identification of key functional genes, therein, is important for improving crop salt tolerance. Through analyzing natural variation of the primary root length of Arabidopsis natural population under salt stress, we identified NIGT1.4, encoding an MYB transcription factor, as a novel contributor to maintained root growth under salt stress. Using both T-DNA knockout and functional complementation, NIGT1.4 was confirmed to have a role in promoting primary root growth in response to salt stress. The expression of NIGT1.4 in the root was shown induced by NaCl treatments in an ABA-dependent manner. SnRK2.2 and 2.3 were shown to interact with and phosphorylate NIGT1.4 individually. The growth of the primary root of snrk2.2/2.3/2.6 triple mutant was shown sensitive to salt stress, which was similar to nigt1.4 plants. Using DNA affinity purification sequencing, ERF1, a known positive regulator for primary root elongation and salt tolerance, was identified as a target gene for NIGT1.4. The transcriptional induction of ERF1 by salt stress was shown absent in nigt1.4 background. NIGT1.4 was also confirmed to bind to the promoter region of ERF1 by yeast one-hybrid experiment and to induce the expression of ERF1 by dual-luciferase analysis. All data support the notion that salt- and ABA-elicited NIGT1.4 induces the expression of ERF1 to regulate downstream functional genes that contribute to maintained primary root elongation. NIGT1.4-ERF1, therefore, acts as a signaling node linking regulators for stress resilience and root growth, providing new insights for breeding salt-tolerant crops.

PMotion: an advanced markerless pose estimation approach based on novel deep learning framework used to reveal neurobehavior.

Objective.The evaluation of animals' motion behavior has played a vital role in neuromuscular biomedical research and clinical diagnostics, which reflects the changes caused by neuromodulation or neurodamage. Currently, the existing animal pose estimation methods are unreliable, unpractical, and inaccurate.Approach.Data augmentation (random scaling, random standard deviation Gaussian blur, random contrast, and random uniform color quantization) is adopted to augment image dataset. For the key points recognition, we present a novel efficient convolutional deep learning framework (PMotion), which combines modified ConvNext using multi-kernel feature fusion and self-defined stacked Hourglass block with SiLU activation function.Main results.PMotion is useful to predict the key points of dynamics of unmarked animal body joints in real time with high spatial precision. Gait quantification (step length, step height, and joint angle) was performed for the study of lateral lower limb movements with rats on a treadmill.Significance.The performance accuracy of PMotion on rat joint dataset was improved by 1.98, 1.46, and 0.55 pixels compared with deepposekit, deeplabcut, and stacked hourglass, respectively. This approach also may be applied for neurobehavioral studies of freely moving animals' behavior in challenging environments (e.g.Drosophila melanogasterand openfield-Pranav) with a high accuracy.

Liquid Metal-Based Electrode Array for Neural Signal Recording.

Neural electrodes are core devices for research in neuroscience, neurological diseases, and neural-machine interfacing. They build a bridge between the cerebral nervous system and electronic devices. Most of the neural electrodes in use are based on rigid materials that differ significantly from biological neural tissue in flexibility and tensile properties. In this study, a liquid-metal (LM) -based 20-channel neural electrode array with a platinum metal (Pt) encapsulation material was developed by microfabrication technology. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that the electrode has stable electrical properties and excellent mechanical properties such as flexibility and bending, which allows the electrode to form conformal contact with the skull. The in vivo experiments also recorded electroencephalographic signals using the LM-based electrode from a rat under low-flow or deep anesthesia, including the auditory-evoked potentials triggered by sound stimulation. The auditory-activated cortical area was analyzed using source localization technique. These results indicate that this 20-channel LM-based neural electrode array satisfies the demands of brain signal acquisition and provides high-quality-electroencephalogram (EEG) signals that support source localization analysis.

Hsa_circ_0111738 Inhibits Tumor Progression and Angiogenesis in Multiple Myeloma by Sponging miR-1233-3p to Regulate HIF-1 Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) presently remains largely incurable. The importance of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in various malignancies, including MM, has been demonstrated for decades. Our goal is to decipher the complex molecular mechanism of circ_0111738 in modulating MM progression. METHODS: Circ_0111738 and miR-1233-3p expressions in the collected MM cells and bone marrow aspirates were examined by qRT-PCR. CCK-8, transwell migration and invasion, and tube formation assays were performed to evaluate MM cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and angiogenesis, respectively. A tumor xenograft experiment was performed to validate the biofunction of circ_0111738's in vivo. The predicted interaction of circ_0111738 and miR-1233-3p's was determined by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and luciferase reporter assays. Apoptosis-associated proteins and the HIF-1 pathway were investigated by western blotting. RESULTS: Circ_0111738 was poorly expressed in MM cells and patients. Overexpression of circ_0111738 reduced MM cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis while circ_0111738 led to opposite results. The anti-tumorigenic effect of circ_0111738 overexpression was also observed in vivo. RIP and luciferase experiments demonstrated that circ_0111738 interacted with miR-1233-3p in MM cells. The silencing of miR-1233-3p prevented the stimulation of malignant behaviors of MM cells induced by circ_0111738 silencing, including the expression of HIF-1α. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that circ_0111738 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and suppressed the oncogenic function of miR-1233-3p in MM by inactivating the HIF-1 pathway. Therefore, up-regulation of circ_0111738 may be a promising therapy against MM.

Thermodynamic properties study of polyoxometalate Na7[H2PV14O42].

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electronic applications because of their high voltage, high specific energy, long lifespan, and other characteristics. Electrode materials have garnered interest as an indispensable component of LIBs. Na7[H2PV14O42] is used as an electrode material because of its excellent properties. In this study, Na7[H2PV14O42] was synthesized by the water bath method using NaVO3 as the raw material, experimentally characterized, and its thermodynamic data were measured using the Neumann-Kopp rule from 298.15 to 843 K, a Physical Property Measurement System from 15 to 309 K, and the MHTC 96 line from 473 to 773 K. The data were fitted to the Debye-Einstein heat capacity equation at low temperatures and a polynomial function at higher temperatures. The heat capacity equation of Na7[H2PV14O42] was obtained from the fitted curves. The corresponding enthalpy (▵298.15 THm), entropy (▵298.15 TSm), and Gibbs energy (▵298.15 TGm) (from 298.15 to 800 K) were calculated according to the heat capacity equation. The obtained heat capacity of Na7[H2PV14O42], as a function of temperature, was modeled as Cp = 1502.30 + 0.27T - 2.44E7T-2 J mol-1 K-1 (473-773 K). This study can compensate for the thermodynamic deficiency of Na7[H2PV14O42].

LncRNA ADAMTS9-AS1 inhibits the stemness of lung adenocarcinoma cells by regulating miR-5009-3p/NPNT axis.

We sought to extend our observation of LncRNA ADAMTS9-AS1 and to specifically uncover its role on the stemness of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cancer cells. ADAMTS9-AS1 was poorly expressed in LUAD. The high ADAMTS9-AS1 expression was positively associated with overall survival. ADAMTS9-AS1 overexpression attenuated the colony-forming capacity and reduced stem cell-like population of LUAD cancer stem cells (CSCs). Furthermore, ADAMTS9-AS1 overexpression increased E-cadherin expression in addition to the downregulated expressions of Fibronectin and Vimentin in LUAD spheres. In vitro results also confirmed the ADAMTS9-AS1's inhibitory effect on the growth of LUAD cells. Moreover, the antagonistic repression of miR-5009-3p levels with the expression of ADAMTS9-AS1 and NPNT was confirmed. Finally, ADAMTS9-AS1 overexpression curbed the increasing stemness of LUDA-CSC caused by NPNT silencing, thus leading to the suppression of LUAD progression in vitro. Conclusively, ADAMTS9-AS1 negatively controls the LUAD cancer cell stemness progression through regulating miR-5009-3p/NPNT axis.

Atomic Insight into the Successive Antiferroelectric-Ferroelectric Phase Transition in Antiferroelectric Oxides.

Antiferroelectrics characterized by voltage-driven reversible transitions between antiparallel and parallel polarity are promising for cutting-edge electronic and electrical power applications. Wide-ranging explorations revealing the macroscopic performances and microstructural characteristics of typical antiferroelectric systems have been conducted. However, the underlying mechanism has not yet been fully unraveled, which depends largely on the atomistic processes. Herein, based on atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy, the deterministic phase transition pathway along with the underlying lattice-by-lattice details in lead zirconate thin films was elucidated. Specifically, we identified a new type of ferrielectric-like dipole configuration with both angular and amplitude modulations, which plays the role of a precursor for a subsequent antiferroelectric to ferroelectric transformation. With the participation of the ferrielectric-like phase, the phase transition pathways driven by the phase boundary have been revealed. We provide new insights into the consecutive phase transformation in low-dimensional lead zirconate, which thus would promote potential antiferroelectric-based multifunctional devices.

Biomass-Derived Carbon Materials for the Electrode of Metal-Air Batteries.

Facing the challenges of energy crisis and global warming, the development of renewable energy has received more and more attention. To offset the discontinuity of renewable energy, such as wind and solar energy, it is urgent to search for an excellent performance energy storage system to match them. Metal-air batteries (typical representative: Li-air battery and Zn-air battery) have broad prospects in the field of energy storage due to their high specific capacity and environmental friendliness. The drawbacks preventing the massive application of metal-air batteries are the poor reaction kinetics and high overpotential during the charging-discharging process, which can be alleviated by the application of an electrochemical catalyst and porous cathode. Biomass, also, as a renewable resource, plays a critical role in the preparation of carbon-based catalysts and porous cathode with excellent performance for metal-air batteries due to the inherent rich heteroatom and pore structure of biomass. In this paper, we have reviewed the latest progress in the creative preparation of porous cathode for the Li-air battery and Zn-air battery from biomass and summarized the effects of various biomass sources precursors on the composition, morphology and structure-activity relationship of cathode. This review will help us understand the relevant applications of biomass carbon in the field of metal-air batteries.

The solubility behavior of sodium arsenate in NaOH solution based on the Pitzer model.

Alkaline leaching is an effective method for dealing with arsenic-containing resources. Arsenic is dissolved in an alkaline solution in the form of arsenate, but the lack of relevant basic data has caused difficulties in the theoretical analysis during production and research. The dissolution behavior of arsenic in the solution was systematically studied in this paper. The solubility behavior of the self-made sodium arsenate in water and NaOH solution were measured. The research on sodium arsenate solution was carried out to obtain the quasi-solubility product using the Pitzer model, and the effect of temperature and NaOH concentration on the solubility and quasi-solubility product of sodium arsenate was clarified.

Investigation of the Potential Correlation Between RNA-Binding Proteins in the Evolutionarily Conserved MEX3 Family and Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Members of the MEX3 (muscle excess 3) family, uniquely characterised as mRNA binding proteins, play emerging roles in the post-transcriptional regulation of programmed biological processes, including tumour cell death and immune mechanisms, and have been shown to be involved in a variety of diseases. However, the role of MEX3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we found no significant changes in the sequence and copy number of the MEX3 gene through analysis using the COSMIC database, revealing its stability during malignancy development. Its expression in NSCLC was examined using the Oncomine™ database, and the prognosis of each member gene was analysed by Kaplan-Meier. The results showed that overexpression of MEX3A, MEX3B, MEX3C and MEX3D was associated with significantly worse OS in patients with LUAD, while overexpression of MEX3D was also associated with significantly worse OS in patients with LUSC. Afterwards, we applied the Tumour Immunology Estimation Resource (TIMER) tool to assess the correlation between different MEX3 and infiltrative immune cell infiltration. Ultimately, we found that most MEX3 members were highly expressed in NSCLC, with high expression suggesting poor prognosis and correlating with immune cell infiltration. The complexity and heterogeneity of NSCLC was understood through MEX3, setting the framework for the prognostic impact of MEX3 in NSCLC patients and the development of new targeted therapeutic strategies in the future.

Epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of early COVID-19 patients in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China, January to March 2020.

BACKGROUND: Imported Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients pose a huge challenge to the prevention and control of the epidemic in prefecture-level cities in China. However, the treatment strategies at that time were mainly empirical and far from perfect. Hence, this study aims to summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of all COVID-19 patients in Jiaxing City in 2020. METHODS: The clinical data of 42 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province from January 23, 2020 to March 4, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Epidemiological history and sociodemographic data were collected. Laboratory parameters, imaging and disease progression, treatment methods, efficacy and adverse reactions of COVID-19 cases were recorded. Then, the clinical characteristics as well as diagnosis and treatment were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of 42 patients was 47 years old, including 24 males (57.1%) and 18 females (42.9%). There were 21 first-generation cases, 29 cases (69%) of clustering onset related to first-generation cases, and 28 cases without any underlying diseases. Radiographic progression was reported in 17 patients (40.5%) (progression duration, 2-11 days; median progression duration, 3.8 days; average progression duration, 4.59-2.48 days). The main clinical symptoms include fever (78.6%) and cough (64.3%). A total of 37 patients (88.10%) received arbidol combined with lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobicistat. Of these, 22 patients (52.4%) took a combination with moxifloxacin tablets, and 20 patients (47.6%) took combined hormone therapy. Seventeen patients (40.48%) reported diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rash, and other adverse drug reactions. A total of 38 patients improved (90.5%). The hospital stays of 36 patients ranged from 7 to 33 days, with a median of 19 days (19.00-7.33 days on average). The virus nucleic acid test result return time was 1 to 32 days, with a median of 15.5 days (14.41-8.61 days on average). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the imported COVID-19 patients in Jiaxing City were of the first generation, mainly cluster onset, and the epidemiological characteristics were relatively simple. Arbidol combined with lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobicistat was the main treatment strategy for the initial treatment of COVID-19.