Associations of Sedentary Behavior with Risks of Cardiovascular Disease Events among Chinese Adults.

AIMS: Evidence regarding the modification effects of age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or weight status on the associations of sedentary behavior (SB) with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is limited. Moreover, the mechanisms for the associations also remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the possible influence of these factors on the associations of SB with CVD events and whether the associations are mediated by metabolic phenotypes. METHODS: This study included 42,619 participants aged 20-74 years, recruited from the Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank study. SB was assessed at baseline and integrated with health information systems to predict future CVD events. Cox proportional hazards models, interaction analyses, restricted cubic splines and causal mediation analyses were used for assessments. RESULTS: Compared to those with ＜3 h/d sedentary time, participants having SB ≥ 5 h/d had significantly higher risks of CVD (HR[95%CI]: 1.27[1.12-1.44]), coronary heart disease (CHD, 1.35[1.14-1.60]), and ischemic stroke (IS, 1.30[1.06-1.60]). The association of CHD was more pronounced in the retired individuals than their counterparts (1.45[1.20-1.76] versus 1.06[0.74-1.52], pinteraction=0.046). When SB was expressed as a continuous variable, a 1 h/d increment in SB was positively associated with risks of CVD (1.03[1.01-1.05]), CHD (1.04[1.01-1.07]), and IS (1.05[1.01-1.08]). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, proportion mediated: 12.54%, 12.23%, and 11.36%, all p＜0.001), followed by triglyceride (TG, 5.28%, 4.77%, and 4.86%, all p＜0.01) and serum uric acid (SUA, 3.64%, 4.24%, and 2.29%, all p＜0.05) were major mediators through metabolic phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Higher SB was associated with elevated risks of CVD events. The detrimental effect of SB on CHD risk was more pronounced among retired individuals. Moreover, HDL-C, TG and SUA partially mediated the relationships between SB and CVD events. Our findings may have implications for preventing and controlling CVD associated with SB.

Unconsciousness as the main nonfocal symptom of anterior circulation transient ischemic attack: A case report.

RATIONALE: Unconsciousness is a nonfocal symptom of transient ischemic attack (TIA) that is frequently observed in patients with vertebrobasilar artery stenosis or occlusion. Conversely, loss of consciousness due to anterior circulation involvement (e.g., middle cerebral artery [MCA]) is a rare occurrence in TIA. PATIENT CONCERNS: This report describes a rare case in a 59-year-old woman who experienced recurrent episodes of altered consciousness because of the occlusion or stenosis of her MCAs. DIAGNOSES: The diagnosis of the case was updated from TIA to acute cerebral infarction, finally. Following initial loss of consciousness, cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) did not reveal any evidence of acute cerebral infarction. However, following the second and third episodes of unconsciousness, the MRI revealed multiple new acute cerebral infarcts affecting both the cerebral hemispheres. Further evaluation through digital subtraction angiography disclosed complete occlusion of the left MCA and severe stenosis of the right MCA. INTERVENTIONS: Early in her illness, the patient was treated with vasodilators, aspirin and atorvastatin. Finally, 2 stents in her right and left MCAs were placed respectively, followed by treatment with aspirin, clopidogrel, and double-dosed atorvastatin calcium. Meanwhile, the patient focused on avoiding conditions which may lead to dehydration in her daily life routine. OUTCOMES: The episodes of unconsciousness of this patient were completely resolved. During the 1-year postoperative follow-up, the patient remained clinically stable without any symptoms of unconsciousness, limb numbness or weakness, or dizziness. LESSONS: These findings suggested that hypoperfusion in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres played a pivotal role in precipitating the patient episodes of unconsciousness. This case underscores the possibility that occlusion or severe stenosis in both MCAs can contribute to recurrent episodes of unconsciousness due to hypoperfusion. Moreover, it emphasizes the association between these episodes of unconsciousness and an increased risk of subsequent ischemic stroke.

FAK-p38 signaling serves as a potential target for reverting matrix stiffness-modulated liver sinusoidal endothelial cell defenestration.

Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are highly specific endothelial cells which play an essential role in the maintenance of liver homeostasis. During the progression of liver fibrosis, matrix stiffening promotes LSEC defenestration, however, the underlying mechanotransduction mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we applied stiffness-tunable hydrogels to assess the matrix stiffening-induced phenotypic changes in primary mouse LSECs. Results indicated that increased stiffness promoted LSEC defenestration through cytoskeletal reorganization. LSECs sensed the increased matrix stiffness via focal adhesion kinase (FAK), leading to the activation of p38-mitogen activated protein kinase activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) pathway, thereby inducing actin remodeling via LIM Kinase 1 (LIMK1) and Cofilin. Interestingly, inhibition of FAK or p38-MK2 pathway was able to effectively restore the fenestrae to a certain degree in LSECs isolated from early to late stages of liver fibrosis mice. Thus, this study highlights the impact of mechanotransduction in LSEC defenestration, and provides novel insights for potential therapeutic interventions for liver fibrosis.

Direct mechanical exposure initiates hepatocyte proliferation.

Background & Aims: Liver paracrine signaling from liver sinusoid endothelial cells to hepatocytes in response to mechanical stimuli is crucial in highly coordinated liver regeneration. Interstitial flow through the fenestrated endothelium inside the space of Disse potentiates the role of direct exposure of hepatocytes to fluid flow in the immediate regenerative responses after partial hepatectomy, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: Mouse liver perfusion was used to identify the effects of interstitial flow on hepatocyte proliferation ex vivo. Isolated hepatocytes were further exposed to varied shear stresses directly in vitro. Knockdown and/or inhibition of mechanosensitive proteins were used to unravel the signaling pathways responsible for cell proliferation. Results: An increased interstitial flow was visualized and hepatocytes' regenerative response was demonstrated experimentally by ex vivo perfusion of mouse livers. In vitro measurements also showed that fluid flow initiated hepatocyte proliferation in a duration- and amplitude-dependent manner. Mechanistically, flow enhanced ß1 integrin expression and nuclear translocation of YAP (yes-associated protein), via the Hippo pathway, to stimulate hepatocytes to re-enter the cell cycle. Conclusions: Hepatocyte proliferation was initiated after direct exposure to interstitial flow ex vivo or shear stress in vitro, which provides new insights into the contributions of mechanical forces to liver regeneration. Impact and implications: By using both ex vivo liver perfusion and in vitro flow exposure tests, we identified the roles of interstitial flow in the space of Disse in stimulating hepatocytes to re-enter the cell cycle. We found an increase in shear flow-induced hepatocyte proliferation via ß1 integrin-YAP mechanotransductive pathways. This serves as a useful model to potentiate hepatocyte expansion in vitro using mechanical forces.

Association of triglyceride-glucose index with cardiovascular disease among a general population: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a surrogate marker for insulin resistance, on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in general populations remains controversial. We aimed to comprehensively study the relationship between TyG index with the risk of incident CVD events in the general population in Shanghai. METHODS: A total of 42,651 participants without previous history of CVD events from Shanghai Suburban Adult Cohort and Biobank (SSACB) were included. SSACB was a community-based natural population cohort study using multistage cluster sampling method. TyG index was calculated as Ln [fasting serum triglyceride (mg/dL) * fasting blood glucose (mg/dL)/2]. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test and cox proportional hazards model were used to calculate the association between TyG index and incident CVD, including stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD). Restricted cubic spline analyses were used to determine whether there was a non-linear relationship between TyG index and CVD events. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 4.7 years, 1,422 (3.3%) individuals developed CVD, including 674 (1.6%) cases of stroke and 732 (1.7%) cases of CHD. A one unit increment higher TyG index was associated with [HR(95%CI)] 1.16(1.04-1.29) in CVD and with 1.39(1.19-1.61) in stroke. Only linear relationships between TyG and CVD/stroke were observed, while no relationship was observed with CHD after adjustments for confounders. In subgroup analyses, younger (< 50y) and diabetic participants had higher risk of CVD than their counterpart groups, while hypertensive and dyslipidemic participants depicted lower risks than their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Elevated TyG index was associated with a higher risk of incident CVD and stroke. TyG index may help in the early stage of identifying people at high risk of CVD.

Calcination of sewage sludge-based sulphoaluminate cement clinker: Mineral formation mechanism and heavy metal transition behaviors.

Utilizing sewage sludge (SS) to calcinate sulphoaluminate cement (SAC) is a promising technology for low-carbon transition of cement industry, but the unclear effects of SS-contained heavy metals limit the application of this technology. In this study, the effects of SS addition on the calcination of SAC clinker and the transformation of heavy metals were studied from the aspects of mineral phase change, microstructure evolution and heavy metal speciation respectively, covering the mineral formation temperature 900-1250 °C. The results show that the added SS will reduce the formation temperature and change the reaction pathways of mineral phases. When the content of SS increases from 10% to 25%, the compositions of mesophases CaO·Al2O3 and 4CaO·2SiO2·CaSO4 increase by 6.33% and 9.73%, respectively. Meanwhile, the formation of minerals will solidify Zn, Ni, Mn, Cu, Cr, and convert them into a more stable fraction (residual fraction), indicating a lower probability to harm the environment. Moreover, heavy metals present different migration behaviors. After calcination, Mn migrates from SS to 4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3 (52.48%), while Zn prefers to enter 3CaO·3Al2O3·CaSO4 (43.74%) and 4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3 (38.06%). This study offers new insights into the mineral formation mechanism and heavy metal transition behaviors of sewage sludge-based SAC.

Morphological and morphometric analyses of a late Middle Pleistocene hominin mandible from Hualongdong, China.

Excavations in Hualongdong (HLD), East China, have yielded abundant hominin fossils dated to 300 ka. There is a nearly complete mandible that fits well with a partial cranium, and together they compose the skull labeled as HLD 6. Thus far, detailed morphological description and comparisons of the mandible have not been conducted. Here we present a comprehensive morphological, metric, and geometric morphometric assessment of this mandible and compare it with both adult and immature specimens of Pleistocene hominins and recent modern humans. Results indicate that the HLD 6 mandible exhibits a mosaic morphological pattern characterized by a robust corpus and relatively gracile symphysis and ramus. The moderately developed mental trigone and a clear anterior mandibular incurvation of the HLD 6 mandible are reminiscent of Late Pleistocene hominin and recent modern human morphology. However, the weak expression of all these features indicates that this mandible does not possess a true chin. Moreover, a suite of archaic features that resemble those of Middle Pleistocene hominins includes pronounced alveolar planum, superior transverse torus, thick corpus, a pronounced endocondyloid crest, and a well-developed medial pterygoid tubercle. The geometric morphometric analysis further confirms the mosaic pattern of the HLD 6 mandible. The combination of both archaic and modern human features identified in the HLD 6 mandible is unexpected, given its late Middle Pleistocene age and differs from approximately contemporaneous Homo members such as Xujiayao, Penghu, and Xiahe. This mosaic pattern has never been recorded in late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil assemblages in East Asia. The HLD 6 mandible provides further support for the high morphological diversity during late Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution. With these findings, it is possible that modern human morphologies are present as early as 300 ka and earlier than the emergence of modern humans in East Asia.

Extraradical hyphae alleviate nitrogen deposition-induced phosphorus deficiency in ectomycorrhiza-dominated forests.

The continuous imbalance between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deposition is expected to shift many ecosystems from N- to P limitation. Extraradical hyphae of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi play important roles in plant nutrient acquisition under nutrient deficiency. However, whether and how ECM hyphae enhance soil P availability to alleviate N-induced P deficiency remains unclear. We investigated the impacts of ECM hyphae on transformations among different soil P fractions and underlying mechanisms under N deposition in two ECM-dominated forests. Ectomycorrhizal hyphae enhanced soil P availability under N addition by stimulating mineralization of organic P (Po) and desorption and solubilization of secondary mineral P, as indicated by N-induced increase in positive hyphal effect on plant-available P pool and negative hyphal effects on Po and secondary mineral P pools. Moreover, ECM hyphae increased soil phosphatase activity and abundance of microbial genes associated with Po mineralization and inorganic P solubilization, while decreasing concentrations of Fe/Al oxides. Our results suggest that ECM hyphae can alleviate N-induced P deficiency in ECM-dominated forests by regulating interactions between microbial and abiotic factors involved in soil P transformations. This advances our understanding of plant acclimation strategies via mediating plant-mycorrhiza interactions to sustain forest production and functional stability under changing environments.

Extraradical hyphae exhibit more plastic nutrient-acquisition strategies than roots under nitrogen enrichment in ectomycorrhiza-dominated forests.

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) functional traits related to nutrient acquisition are impacted by nitrogen (N) deposition. However, less is known about whether these nutrient-acquisition traits associated with roots and hyphae differentially respond to increased N deposition in ECM-dominated forests with different initial N status. We conducted a chronic N addition experiment (25 kg N ha-1 year-1 ) in two ECM-dominated forests with contrasting initial N status, that is, a Pinus armandii forest (with relatively low N availability) and a Picea asperata forest (with relatively high N availability), to assess nutrient-mining and nutrient-foraging strategies associated with roots and hyphae under N addition. We show that nutrient-acquisition strategies of roots and hyphae differently respond to increased N addition. Root nutrient-acquisition strategies showed a consistent response to N addition, regardless of initial forest nutrient status, shifting from organic N mining toward inorganic N foraging. In contrast, the hyphal nutrient-acquisition strategy showed diverse responses to N addition depending on initial forest N status. In the Pinus armandii forest, trees increased belowground carbon (C) allocation to ECM fungi thus enhancing hyphal N-mining capacity under increased N availability. By comparison, in the Picea asperata forest, ECM fungi enhanced both capacities of P foraging and P mining in response to N-induced P limitation. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that ECM fungal hyphae exhibit greater plasticity in nutrient-mining and nutrient-foraging strategies than roots do in response to changes of nutrient status induced by N deposition. This study highlights the importance of ECM associations in tree acclimation and forest function stability under changing environments.

AlloReverse: multiscale understanding among hierarchical allosteric regulations.

Increasing data in allostery are requiring analysis of coupling relationships among different allosteric sites on a single protein. Here, based on our previous efforts on reversed allosteric communication theory, we have developed AlloReverse, a web server for multiscale analysis of multiple allosteric regulations. AlloReverse integrates protein dynamics and machine learning to discover allosteric residues, allosteric sites and regulation pathways. Especially, AlloReverse could reveal hierarchical relationships between different pathways and couplings among allosteric sites, offering a whole map of allostery. The web server shows a good performance in re-emerging known allostery. Moreover, we applied AlloReverse to explore global allostery on CDC42 and SIRT3. AlloReverse predicted novel allosteric sites and allosteric residues in both systems, and the functionality of sites was validated experimentally. It also suggests a possible scheme for combined therapy or bivalent drugs on SIRT3. Taken together, AlloReverse is a novel workflow providing a complete regulation map and is believed to aid target identification, drug design and understanding of biological mechanisms. AlloReverse is freely available to all users at https://mdl.shsmu.edu.cn/AlloReverse/ or http://www.allostery.net/AlloReverse/.

Imperatorin exerts antioxidant effects in vascular dementia via the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Imperatorin, an active ingredient extracted from Angelica and Qianghuo, has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress damage, blocking calcium channels, and other properties. Our preliminary findings revealed the protective role of imperatorin in the treatment of vascular dementia, we further explored the underlying mechanisms concerning the neuroprotection function of imperatorin in vascular dementia. The cobalt chloride (COCl2)-induced chemical hypoxia and hypoglycemia of hippocampal neuronal cells was applied as in vitro vascular dementia model. Primary neuronal cells was isolated from the hippocampal tissue of SD suckling rats within 24 h of birth. Hippocampal neurons were identified by immunofluorescence staining of microtubule-associated protein 2. Silencing or overexpression of Nrf2 was conducted by transfection of corresponding plasmids in hippocampal neuronal cells. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay to determine the optimal modeling concentration of CoCl2. Mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular reactive oxygen species and apoptosis rate was measured by flow cytometry. The expression of anti-oxidative proteins was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot, including Nrf2, NQO-1 and HO-1. Nrf2 nuclear translocation was detected using laser confocal microscopy. The modeling concentration of CoCl2 was 150umol/l, and the best interventional concentration of imperatorin was 7.5umol/l. Significantly, imperatorin facilitated the nuclear localization of Nrf2, promoted the expressions of Nrf2, NQO-1, and HO-1 relative to the model-control group. Moreover, imperatorin reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential and ameliorated CoCl2-induced hypoxic apoptosis in hippocampal neurons. On the contrary, silencing Nrf2 completely abrogated the protective effects of imperatorin. Imperatorin might be an effective drug for preventing and treating vascular dementia.

DeepAlloDriver: a deep learning-based strategy to predict cancer driver mutations.

Driver mutations can contribute to the initial processes of cancer, and their identification is crucial for understanding tumorigenesis as well as for molecular drug discovery and development. Allostery regulates protein function away from the functional regions at an allosteric site. In addition to the known effects of mutations around functional sites, mutations at allosteric sites have been associated with protein structure, dynamics, and energy communication. As a result, identifying driver mutations at allosteric sites will be beneficial for deciphering the mechanisms of cancer and developing allosteric drugs. In this study, we provided a platform called DeepAlloDriver to predict driver mutations using a deep learning method that exhibited >93% accuracy and precision. Using this server, we found that a missense mutation in RRAS2 (Gln72 to Leu) might serve as an allosteric driver of tumorigenesis, revealing the mechanism of the mutation in knock-in mice and cancer patients. Overall, DeepAlloDriver would facilitate the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying cancer progression and help prioritize cancer therapeutic targets. The web server is freely available at: https://mdl.shsmu.edu.cn/DeepAlloDriver.

Potential Roles of YAP/TAZ Mechanotransduction in Spaceflight-Induced Liver Dysfunction.

Microgravity exposure during spaceflight causes the disordered regulation of liver function, presenting a specialized mechano-biological coupling process. While YAP/TAZ serves as a typical mechanosensitive pathway involved in hepatocyte metabolism, it remains unclear whether and how it is correlated with microgravity-induced liver dysfunction. Here, we discussed liver function alterations induced by spaceflight or simulated effects of microgravity on Earth. The roles of YAP/TAZ serving as a potential bridge in connecting liver metabolism with microgravity were specifically summarized. Existing evidence indicated that YAP/TAZ target gene expressions were affected by mechanotransductive pathways and phase separation, reasonably speculating that microgravity might regulate YAP/TAZ activation by disrupting these pathways via cytoskeletal remodeling or nuclear deformation, or disturbing condensates formation via diffusion limit, and then breaking liver homeostasis.

Increased intrinsic and synaptic excitability of hypothalamic POMC neurons underlies chronic stress-induced behavioral deficits.

Chronic stress exposure induces maladaptive behavioral responses and increases susceptibility to neuropsychiatric conditions. However, specific neuronal populations and circuits that are highly sensitive to stress and trigger maladaptive behavioral responses remain to be identified. Here we investigate the patterns of spontaneous activity of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus following exposure to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) for 10 days, a stress paradigm used to induce behavioral deficits such as anhedonia and behavioral despair [1, 2]. CUS exposure increased spontaneous firing of POMC neurons in both male and female mice, attributable to reduced GABA-mediated synaptic inhibition and increased intrinsic neuronal excitability. While acute activation of POMC neurons failed to induce behavioral changes in non-stressed mice of both sexes, subacute (3 days) and chronic (10 days) repeated activation of POMC neurons was sufficient to induce anhedonia and behavioral despair in males but not females under non-stress conditions. Acute activation of POMC neurons promoted susceptibility to subthreshold unpredictable stress in both male and female mice. Conversely, acute inhibition of POMC neurons was sufficient to reverse CUS-induced anhedonia and behavioral despair in both sexes. Collectively, these results indicate that chronic stress induces both synaptic and intrinsic plasticity of POMC neurons, leading to neuronal hyperactivity. Our findings suggest that POMC neuron dysfunction drives chronic stress-related behavioral deficits.

Heritability of tomato rhizobacteria resistant to Ralstonia solanacearum.

BACKGROUND: Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) is a soilborne phytopathogen that causes bacterial wilt and substantial yield losses in many plants, such as tomatoes. A resistant tomato cultivar can recruit a beneficial microbiome from soil to resist Rs. However, whether this recruitment is inheritable from resistant parent to progeny has not been determined. RESULTS: In the present study, we investigated the rhizosphere microbiomes of tomatoes with clear kinship and different resistance against Rs. Resistant tomatoes grown with the additions of natural soil or its extract showed lower disease indexes than those grown in the sterile soil, demonstrating the importance of soil microbiome in resisting Rs. The results of 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that the resistant cultivars had more robust rhizosphere microbiomes than the susceptible ones. Besides, the resistant progeny HF12 resembled its resistant parent HG64 in the rhizosphere microbiome. The rhizosphere microbiome had functional consistency between HF12 and HG64 as revealed by metagenomics. Based on multi-omics analysis and experimental validation, two rhizobacteria (Sphingomonas sp. Cra20 and Pseudomonas putida KT2440) were enriched in HF12 and HG64 with the ability to offer susceptible tomatoes considerable protection against Rs. Multiple aspects were involved in the protection, including reducing the virulence-related genes of Rs and reshaping the transcriptomes of the susceptible tomatoes. CONCLUSIONS: We found promising bacteria to suppress the tomato bacterial wilt in sustainable agriculture. And our research provides insights into the heritability of Rs-resistant tomato rhizobacteria, echoing the inheritance of tomato genetic material. Video Abstract.

Mapping QTL for Adult-Plant Resistance to Stripe Rust in a Chinese Wheat Landrace.

Wheat stripe (yellow) rust is a worldwide disease that seriously reduces wheat grain yield and quality. Adult-plant resistance (APR) to stripe rust is generally more durable but usually controlled by multiple genes with partial resistance. In this study, a recombinant inbred line population was developed from a cross between a Chinese wheat landrace, Tutoumai, with APR to stripe rust, and a highly susceptible wheat cultivar, Siyang 936. The population was genotyped by genotyping-by-sequencing and phenotyped for APR to stripe rust in four consecutive field experiments. Three QTLs, QYr.sdau-1BL, QYr.sdau-5BL, and QYr.sdau-6BL, were identified for APR to stripe rust, and explained 8.0-21.2%, 10.1-22.7%, and 11.6-18.0% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. QYr.sdau-1BL was further mapped to a 21.6 Mb region using KASP markers derived from SNPs identified by RNA-seq of the two parents. In the QYr.sdau-1BL region, 13 disease-resistance-related genes were differently expressed between the two parents, and therefore were considered as the putative candidates of QYr.sdau-1BL. This study provides favorable gene/QTL and high-throughput markers to breeding programs for marker-assisted selection of the wheat stripe rust APR genes.

CircRNA RNF10 inhibits tumorigenicity by targeting miR-942-5p/GOLIM4 axis in breast cancer.

We aimed to explore the action of a circRNA produced by ring finger protein 10 (circ_RNF10; hsa_circ_0028899) in the malignant behaviors of breast cancer (BC) and to explore its potential action-of-mechanism. The levels of circ_RNF10, miR-942-5p and Golgi integral membrane protein 4 (GOLIM4) were measured through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot, or immunohistochemistry, and the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) relationship among them was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Cell counting kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, and colony formation assays, transwell assays, and flow cytometry were used to examine cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and apoptosis, respectively. Levels of proliferation and invasion-related markers were determined by western blot. Xenograft assay was performed to assess tumor growth. Circ_RNF10 level was significantly reduced in BC tissues and cells. Elevation of circ_RNF10 blocked BC cell proliferation, migration and invasion while promoted the apoptosis in vitro, companied with decreased PCNA and Twist1 and increased E-cadherin. Furthermore, upregulating circ_RNF10 delayed tumor growth of BC cells in nude mice. Mechanistically, circ_RNF10 acted as a ceRNA for miR-942-5p, and miR-942-5p could target GOLIM4. In addition, miR-942-5p overexpression reversed the influence of circ_RNF10 overexpression on BC progression. Furthermore, GOLIM4 silencing attenuated the inhibitory effect of miR-942-5p knockdown on BC progression. We found that circ_RNF10 suppressed BC malignant behavior by targeting miR-942-5p/GOLIM4 axis.

Zeolite fly ash-enhanced coagulation treatment of oil recovery wastewater from polymer flooding.

Herein, an enhanced coagulation model is proposed in which zeolite is used as a crystal nucleus to promote flocs. The zeolite is prepared from fly ash by microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and specific surface area and pore size analysis (BET) characterization confirmed the successful synthesis of ZFA, and improved the surface properties. Thus, the adsorption capacity of ZFA as crystal nucleus was improved, which enabled it to achieve better results in the process of enhanced coagulation. Compared with those of conventional coagulation, the oil content and SS removal rate of ZFA-enhanced coagulation increased by 85% and 44%, respectively. Compared with that of CFA-enhanced coagulation, the oil removal efficiency increased by 4%, and the SS removal efficiency increased by 9%. The optimal conditions of ZFA-enhanced coagulation were as follows: ZFA dosage of 100 mg/L, pH value of 5-8, ZFA particle size range of 60-75 µm, temperature of 40-50 ℃, and precipitation time of 30 min.

Cover crop functional types differentially alter the content and composition of soil organic carbon in particulate and mineral-associated fractions.

Cover crops (CCs) can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration by providing additional OC residues, recruiting beneficial soil microbiota, and improving soil aggregation and structure. The various CC species that belong to distinct plant functional types (PFTs) may differentially impact SOC formation and stabilization. Biogeochemical theory suggests that selection of PFTs with distinct litter quality (C:N ratio) should influence the pathways and magnitude of SOC sequestration. Yet, we lack knowledge on the effect of CCs from different PFTs on the quantity and composition of physiochemical pools of SOC. We sampled soils under monocultures of three CC PFTs (legume [crimson clover]; grass [triticale]; and brassica [canola]) and a mixture of these three species, from a long-term CC experiment in Pennsylvania, USA. We measured C content in bulk soil and C content and composition in contrasting physical fractions: particulate organic matter, POM; and mineral-associated organic matter, MAOM. The bulk SOC content was higher in all CC treatments compared to the fallow. Compared to the legume, monocultures of grass and brassica with lower litter quality (wider C:N) had higher proportion of plant-derived C in POM, indicating selective preservation of complex structural plant compounds. In contrast, soils under legumes had greater accumulation of microbial-derived C in MAOM. Our results for the first time, revealed that the mixture contributed to a higher concentration of plant-derived compounds in POM relative to the legume, and a greater accumulation of microbial-derived C in MAOM compared to monocultures of grass and brassica. Mixtures with all three PFTs can thus increase the short- and long-term SOC persistence balancing the contrasting effects on the chemistries in POM and MAOM imposed by monoculture CC PFTs. Thus, despite different cumulative C inputs in CC treatments from different PFTs, the total SOC stocks did not vary between CC PFTs, rather PFTs impacted whether C accumulated in POM or MAOM fractions. This highlights that CCs of different PFTs may shift the dominant SOC formation pathways (POM vs. MAOM), subsequently impacting short- and long-term SOC stabilization and stocks. Our work provides a strong applied field test of biogeochemical theory linking litter quality to pathways of C accrual in soil.