Identification and genetic characterization of a recently identified enterovirus C116 in China.

Enterovirus C116 (EV-C116) is a new member of the enterovirus C group which is closely associated with several infectious diseases. Although sporadic studies have detected EV-C116 in clinical samples worldwide, there is currently limited information available. In this study, two EV-C-positive fecal specimens were detected in apparently healthy children, which harbored low abundance, through meta-transcriptome sequencing. Based on the prototypes of several EV-Cs, two lineages were observed. Lineage 1 included many types that could not cause EV-like cytopathic effect in cell culture. Three genogroups of EV-C116 were divided in the maximum likelihood tree, and the two strains in this study (XZ2 and XZ113) formed two different lineages, suggesting that EV-C116 still diffuses worldwide. Obvious inter-type recombination events were observed in the XZ2 strain, with CVA22 identified as a minor donor. However, another strain (XZ113) underwent different recombination situations, highlighting the importance of recombination in the formation of EV-Cs biodiversity. The EV-C116 strains could propagate in rhabdomyosarcoma cell cultures at low titer; however, EV-like cytopathic effects were not observed. HEp-2, L20B, VERO, and 293T cell lines did not provide an appropriate environment for EV-C116 growth. These results challenge the traditional recognition of the uncultured nature of EV-C116 strains and explain the difficulty of clinical detection.

SLC7A8 overexpression inhibits the growth and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma and is correlated with a dismal prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Overexpression of solute carrier family 7 member 8 (SLC7A8) has been shown to relate to the survival time and tumor progression in cancer patients. However, the role of SLC7A8 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still obscure. METHOD: The relationships between SLC7A8 expression in LUAD tissues and clinical values as well as immune infiltration were explored through bioinformatics. The functions and pathways of SLC7A8 in LUAD were investigated using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, Western blotting, and other methods. RESULTS: We found that the expression of SLC7A8 was decreased significantly in LUAD tissues compared with normal tissues, which was related to the dismal survival time and disease progression. Moreover, it carried diagnostic value in LUAD and was a risk factor for dismal prognosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the expression level of SLC7A8 carried significant diagnostic value in LUAD. Overexpression of SLC7A8 inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of LUAD cells, likely through a mechanism involving the cell cycle. SLC7A8 expression in LUAD was significantly correlated with the infiltration of immune cells, especially B cells, interstitial dendritic cells, mast cells, CD56 bright cells, natural killer cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, T follicular helper cells, T helper 2 and 17 cells, and immune factors. CONCLUSION: The downregulation of SLC7A8 was related to a dismal prognosis and immune cell infiltration in LUAD. Increasing the expression of SLC7A8 inhibited the growth and migration of LUAD cells, thereby improving the prognosis of patients.

Realizing near white and warm light emission of cuprous iodide complexes by alkyl-isomerization of ligands.

Four novel all-in-one structured cuprous iodide hybrid materials are presented. Isomerization of the alkyl chain on the ligand improved material thermal stability and regulated their luminescence to warm and near-white light emission, with the internal quantum yield increasing from 5% to 83%. This provides a reasonable route for designing white light emitting cuprous iodide materials for solid-state lighting in future.

Surgical Maneuver and Tactics of Using the Inferior Phrenic Vein as a Landmark in Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Left Adrenalectomy.

Identification and control of the central adrenal vein (CAV) are key steps in laparoscopic adrenalectomy. However, the retroperitoneal laparoscopic left adrenalectomy (RLLA) lacks identifiable anatomical landmarks and does not have advantage of quickly exposing CAV. Here, we developed surgical maneuver and tactics of using the inferior phrenic vein (IPV) as a landmark in RLLA. During operations, we searched for the IPV between superior margin of renal artery and anterior aspect of psoas major muscle, and then the left IPV was followed and applied as an anatomical landmark to identify the CAV. Moreover, our study showed that variations in the left adrenal venous anatomy occurred in cases with pheochromocytomas. The application of left IPV as a landmark to search for CAV has important clinical significance in RLLA.

Three Robust Blue-Emitting Anionic Metal-Organic Frameworks with High Stability and Good Proton Conductivities.

Three anionic luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs; [M(tcbpe)(CH3)2NH2]·H2O; M = In3+, Eu3+, Gd3+; tcbpe = 4',4‴,4‴″,4‴‴'-(ethene-1,1,2,2-tetrayl)tetrakis[(1,1'-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid]) are synthesized by employing the tetraphenylethene core ligand H4tcbpe with M3+ ions. They stack in the similarly 4-fold-interpenetrated three-dimensional porous structure. All give blue emission when excited at 365 nm, with fluorescence quantum yields of 34.8% (MOF-In), 7.1% (MOF-Eu), and 28.1% (MOF-Gd). Somewhat surprisingly, these three complexes are extremely stable both in various solvents and across a broad pH range: MOF-In is stable between pH = 0 and 14, and MOF-Eu and MOF-Gd are stable between pH = 0 and 13. Additionally, they also show good proton conductivities of 2.29 × 10-5 S·cm-1 (MOF-In), 2.02 × 10-4 S·cm-1 (MOF-Eu), and 1.24 × 10-4 S·cm-1 (MOF-Gd) at high temperature under 98% relative humidity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported LMOF series combining aggregation-induced emission behavior with good proton conductivities.

Tuning Chromophore-Based LMOF Dimensionality to Enhance Detection Sensitivity for Fe3+ Ions.

Herein, we report the synthesis of two new manganese-based luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs) [Mn0.5(tipe)(1,4-ndc)] n (1) and [Mn(tipe)(1,4-ndc) (H2O)·(DMF)2·(H2O)3] n (2) [tipe = 1,1,2,2-tetrakis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)ethene (tipe) and 1,4-ndc = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid] constructed from an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) chromophore ligand. Compound 1 can undergo a facile single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation to form compound 2, which results in an increase in dimensionality from a two-dimensional (2D) network to a three-dimensional (3D) network. Both compounds demonstrate excellent performance for the solution-phase detection of Fe3+ ions through a significant and rapid quench in luminescence emission. Fluorescence titration experiments reveal that compound 2 is more selective toward Fe3+ compared to compound 1 because of its 3D stacking mode. The K sv value for compound 2 (32 378 M-1) is twice as large as that for compound 1 (15 854 M-1) for the detection of Fe3+ ions. We attribute this significant increase in performance to the increase in dimensionality. In addition, compound 2 demonstrates high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of Cr3+ cations and Cr2O7 2- anions.

Systemic Coagulation Markers Especially Fibrinogen Are Closely Associated with the Aggressiveness of Prostate Cancer in Patients Who Underwent Transrectal Ultrasound-Guided Prostate Biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: It has been well elucidated that multiple types of cancers are at high risk of thrombosis. Several studies have indicated the prognostic value of fibrinogen (Fib) and D-dimer (DD) in prostate cancer (PCa). However, it remains unclear regarding the association of the comprehensive coagulation markers with the clinicopathological features of PCa. METHODS: A total of 423 pathologically diagnosed patients with PCa were consecutively collected and stratified as low-intermediate-risk or high-risk groups. The association of coagulation parameters including Fib, DD, prothrombin (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), and antithrombin III (AT-III) with clinicopathological features was determined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The levels of Fib, DD, and PT were significantly higher in the high-risk group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.043, resp.), while APTT, TT, and AT-III were similar between two groups (p > 0.05, all). Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that Fib, DD, and PT were all positively correlated with high-risk PCa (OR = 2.041, p < 0.001; OR = 1.003, p < 0.001; OR = 1.247, p = 0.044). Nonetheless, after adjusting for PSA, grade, and stage, Fib (T3 vs. T1, OR = 15.202, 95% CI: 1.725-133.959, p = 0.014) but not DD or PT was the unique independent factor associated with high-risk PCa in the multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study firstly revealed that Fib but other coagulation markers was independently associated with the severity of PCa, suggesting Fib might be useful in PCa risk stratification beyond PSA, stage, and grade.

Selective fluorescent sensing of LMOFs constructed from tri(4-pyridylphenyl)amine ligand.

Three new luminescent metal-organic frameworks (LMOFs), [Zn(tppa)(ndc)] n (1), [Cd(tppa)(oba)] n (2), [Zn2(tppa)(bpdc)2] n (3) (tppa = tri(4-pyridylphenyl)amine, ndc = 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, oba = 4,4'-oxydibenzoic acid, bpdc = 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid) have been synthesized by solvothermal method. Complexes 1 and 2 are 2-D two-fold interpenetrating structures, aligning into a 3-D structure through C-H⋯π stacking interactions, while 3 is a 5-fold interpenetrating three-dimensional structure. The internal quantum yields (IQYs) of complexes 1-3 are 32.7%, 45.7% and 24.0% (λ ex = 365 nm), separately. Furthermore, all the complexes show different luminescence signal changes towards aromatic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs). Complex 1 exhibits a high sensitivity in the detection of both Fe3+ and Cr3+ with large quenching coefficients of K sv 2.57 × 104 M-1 and 2.96 × 104 M-1, respectively. All these results demonstrated potential applications in chemical sensing.

Recent Progress in Luminescent Cu(I) Halide Complexes: A Mini-Review.

Copper(I) halide complexes are well sought-after materials due to their rich structural diversities and photophysical properties. Profoundly, there is a direct relationship between each structural variation and luminescence of these complexes, for a purported use. In this review, recent publications within the last 2 years about copper(I) halide complexes, centering on their structural dimensionalities with derivatives of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur ligands, have been considered alongside their effects on luminescence.

High Lipoprotein(a) Level Is Independently Associated with Adverse Clinicopathological Features in Patients with Prostate Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The effect of lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) on prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between serum Lp(a) levels and clinicopathological features in patients with PCa. METHODS: A total of 376 consecutive pathologically diagnosed PCa patients were enrolled and were classified as a low-intermediate-risk group or a high-risk group. The association of Lp(a) and the other lipid parameters including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, and remnant cholesterol (RC) with clinicopathological parameters was tested by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The high-risk PCa patients tended to have higher Lp(a) levels (p = 0.022) while there was no significant difference regarding the other lipid parameters (p > 0.05) compared to low-intermediate-risk counterparts. Patients with PSA ≥ 100 ng/ml had significantly higher Lp(a) levels than subjects with PSA < 100 ng/ml (p = 0.002). Univariate logistic regression analyses revealed that high Lp(a) levels were correlated with high-risk PCa (Q4 vs. Q1, HR = 2.687, 95% CI: 1.113-6.491, p = 0.028), while the other lipid parameters were not correlated with high-risk PCa. In the stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the association between Lp(a) levels and high-risk PCa remained significant (Q4 vs. Q1, HR = 2.890, 95% CI: 1.148-7.274, p = 0.024) after adjusting for confounding factors including age, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and lipid-lowering drugs. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study showing the positive association between high Lp(a) and adverse clinicopathological features of PCa. PCa patients with high Lp(a) tends to be more aggressive and should receive more attention in clinical practice.

An Easy and Effective Method to Locate Renal Vein During Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy: Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND There are few studies that address how to quickly locate the renal vein after processing the renal artery during retroperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (RLRN) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of an easy and effective method to locate the renal vein in RLRN. MATERIAL AND METHODS Between September 2016 and October 2017, a total of 44 consecutive cases of RLRN were performed. All the surgeries used the proposed study method to locate the renal vein, in which surgeons located the renal artery following the medial arcuate ligament on the posterior abdominal wall, then the surgeon directly searched for the renal vein caudally relative to renal artery when performing left nephrectomy, but cranially when performing right nephrectomy. RESULTS Among the 44 enrolled RLRN patients, there were 28 left nephrectomies and 16 right nephrectomies. We found the renal vein in most cases successfully by our proposed method. The renal vein was located caudally relative to the renal artery in 27 cases of the left kidney (96.4%), and was located cranially in 14 cases of the right kidney (87.5%). The mean operative time was 135.0±27.8 minutes. No intraoperative complications occurred. Postoperative complications (fever) developed in 5 patients. Pathological examination revealed: clear cell carcinoma in 34 cases (77.3%), chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in 5 cases (11.4%), papillary RCC in 3 cases (6.8%), multilocular cystic RCC in 1 case (2.3%), and oxyphil cell adenoma in 1 case (2.3%). CONCLUSIONS Our proposed method to search for the renal vein might be a safe and feasible procedure to accelerate the process of handling the renal pedicle and of great practical significance in RLRN surgery.

Association of ABO Blood Types and Clinicopathological Features of Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association between ABO blood types and clinicopathological characteristics in patients with prostate cancer (PC). METHODS: A total of 237 pathologically diagnosed PC patients were enrolled. All patients were classified as low-middle or high-risk group. The correlation of ABO blood types with high-risk PC was determined by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Data indicated 144 (85.7%) patients were stratified as high risk in the non-O group, while 50 (72.5%) patients in the O group (p = 0.025). However, there was no significant difference regarding PSA, Gleason score, stage, or metastasis between O and non-O group (p > 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analyses revealed PSA, Gleason score, and blood type non-O were all correlated with high-risk PC (OR = 1.139, p < 0.001; OR = 9.465, p < 0.001; OR = 2.280, p = 0.018, resp.). In the stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the association between blood type non-O and high-risk PC remained significant (OR = 33.066, 95% CI 2.391-457.323, and p = 0.009) after adjusting for confounding factors as well as PSA and Gleason score. CONCLUSION: The present study firstly demonstrated that non-O blood type was at higher risk of aggressive PC compared with O type, suggesting that PC patients with non-O blood type should receive more attention in clinical practice.

Phloroglucinol protects the urinary bladder via inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation in a rat model of cyclophosphamide-induced interstitial cystitis.

BACKGROUND: Phloroglucinol plays an important role in oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. The effects of phloroglucinol have been proven in various disease models. The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and possible mechanisms of phloroglucinol in the treatment of interstitial cystitis (IC). METHODS: Thirty-two female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used in this study. IC was induced by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide (CYP). Rats were randomly allocated to one of four groups (n = 8 per group): A control group, which was injected with saline (75 mg/kg; i.p.) instead of CYP on days 1, 4, and 7; a chronic IC group, which was injected with CYP (75 mg/kg; i.p.) on days 1, 4, and 7; a high-dose (30 mg/kg) phloroglucinol-treated group; and a low-dose (15 mg/kg) phloroglucinol-treated group. On day 8, the rats in each group underwent cystometrography (CMG), and the bladders were examined for evidence of oxidative stress and inflammation. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by least square difference multiple comparison post-hoc test. RESULTS: Histological evaluation showed that bladder inflammation in CYP-treated rats was suppressed by phloroglucinol. CMG revealed that the CYP treatment induced overactive bladder in rats that was reversed by phloroglucinol. Up-regulated tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 expression in the CYP-treated rats were also suppressed in the phloroglucinol treated rats. CYP treatment significantly increased myeloperoxidase activity as well as the decreased activities of catalase of the bladder, which was reversed by treatment with phloroglucinol. CONCLUSIONS: The application of phloroglucinol suppressed oxidative stress, inflammation, and overactivity in the bladder. This may provide a new treatment strategy for IC.

Crystal structure of 10a-hy-droxy-9-(3-nitro-phen-yl)-3,6-diphenyl-3,4,5,6,7,8a,9,10a-octa-hydro-1H-xanthene-1,8(2H)-dione.

In the octa-hydroxanthenedione unit of the title compound, C31H27NO6, the central di-hydro-pyran ring shows an envelope conformation, while the bilateral cyclo-hexene and cyclo-hexane rings adopt a half-boat conformation and a chair conformation, respectively. The nitro-benzene ring is twisted with respect to the two benzene rings, making dihedral angles of 63.1 (1) and 63.0 (1)°. In the crystal, O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into supra-molecular chains propagating along the a-axis direction.

9-(2-Chloro-phen-yl)-4a-hy-droxy-3,4,4a,5,6,7,9,9a-octa-hydro-2H-xanthene-1,8-dione.

In the title compound, C19H19ClO4, the di-hydro-pyran ring and the cyclo-hexane ring adopt a half-chair conformation and a chair conformation, respectively. The cyclo-hexene ring has an envelope conformation with the central CH2 C atom as the flap. This atom is disordered over two positions [site-occupancy ratio = 0.744 (12):0.256 (12)] above and below the mean plane formed by the other five atoms. In the crystal, O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between hy-droxy and carbonyl groups link mol-ecules into chains propagating along [001].

Berberine ameliorates renal interstitial fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction in rats.

AIM: To investigate the potential effects of berberine on renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) of obstructed kidneys in a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rat model. METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operated, vehicle-treated UUO, and berberine-treated UUO. Rats were gavaged with berberine (200 mg/kg per day) or vehicle. Eight randomly chosen rats in each group were kiled and specimens were collected at day 14 after UUO. Physiological parameters and histological changes were assessed, RIF was evaluated using Masson's trichrome and Sirius red staining, oxidative stress and inflammation markers were determined, transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1), phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were measured using immunohistochemistry or western blotting analysis. The obstruction was relieved at day 14 by percutaneous nephrostomy in the remaining UUO rats. The resistive index of left kidneys was undertaken by coloured Doppler flow imaging at day 14 before nephrostomy and day 7 after the relief. RESULTS: Berberine treatment significantly attenuated RIF induced by UUO. The UUO-induced reduction in kidney superoxide dismutase and catalase activities increased, whereas elevated kidney malondialdehyde level markedly decreased. Berberine treatment significantly ameliorated UUO-induced inflammation, and decreased TGF-ß1, pSmad3 and α-SMA expression of UUO kidneys. Moreover, berberine treatment significantly suppressed the increase of resistive index compared with UUO group at day 14 after UUO as well as day 7 after the relief of obstruction. CONCLUSION: Berberine treatment ameliorates RIF in a UUO rat model by inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and TGF-ß1/pSmad3 signalling.

Red cell distribution width is associated with presence, stage, and grade in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

It has been reported that red blood cell width (RDW) is a marker associated with the presence and adverse outcomes of various diseases. However, no data are available on the correlation of RDW with presence, stage, and grade in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) yet. By retrospectively analyzing clinical and laboratory data at baseline of histologically confirmed RCC cases and controls, the present study demonstrated that the RDW values were significantly higher in patients with RCC than those in controls, and the baseline RDW value was independently associated with the presence of RCC. Besides, the data revealed a positive association between RCC stage and grade and the level of RDW. These findings may have important clinical implications due to future application using a RDW value in predicting RCC.

1,1'-(Ethane-1,2-di-yl)dipyridinium bis-(1,2-di-cyano-ethene-1,2-di-thiol-ato-κ(2) S,S')cuprate(II).

In the title ion-pair complex, (C12H14N2)[Cu(C4N2S2)2], the complex anion exhibits a highly twisted coordination environment around the tetra-coordinated Cu(II) atom. The dihedral angles between the 1,2-di-cyano-ethene-1,2-di-thiol-ato ligands and between the two pyridine rings in the cation are 37.49 (3) and 29.18 (10)°, respectively. Weak C-H⋯N and C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds link the cations and anions into a three-dimensional network.

catena-Poly[[[triaqua-cobalt(II)]-µ-10-methyl-phenothia-zine-3,7-dicarboxyl-ato] monohydrate].

The polymeric title compound, {[Co(C(15)H(9)NO(4)S)(H(2)O)(3)]·H(2)O}(n), consists of chains along [001] made up from Co(2+) ions bridged by 10-methyl-phenothia-zine-3,7-dicarboxyl-ate anions. The Co(2+) ion, coordinated by three O atoms from two different carboxyl-ate groups and three water mol-ecules, displays a distorted octa-hedral environment. In the crystal, π-π inter-chain inter-actions, with centroid-centroid distances of 3.656 (2) and 3.669 (2) Šbetween the benzene rings of the ligands, assemble the chains into sheets parallel to (100). O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions between the coordinating water mol-ecules and carboxyl-ate O atoms link the sheets into a three-dimensional network.

2-Amino-4-(2-chloro-phen-yl)-7,7-di-methyl-5-oxo-5,6,7,8-tetra-hydro-4H-chromene-3-carbonitrile hemihydrate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(18)H(17)ClN(2)O(2)·0.5H(2)O, contains two organic mol-ecules and one solvent water mol-ecule. In each organic mol-ecule, the cyclo-hexene ring adopts an envelope conformation with the C atom connecting the two methyl groups on the flap; the 4H-pyran ring is nearly planar [maximum deviation = 0.113 (3) Šin one mol-ecule and 0.089 (3) Šin the other mol-ecule] and is approximately perpendicular to the chloro-phenyl ring [dihedral angle = 86.43 (15)° in one mol-ecule and 89.73 (15)° in the other mol-ecule]. Inter-molecular N-H⋯N, N-H⋯O, O-H⋯O and O-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonding is present in the crystal.