Phenethyl isothiocyanate inhibits metastasis potential of non-small cell lung cancer cells through FTO mediated TLE1 m6A modification.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is a prevalent RNA epigenetic modification, which plays a crucial role in tumor progression including metastasis. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are natural compounds and inhibit the tumorigenesis of various cancers. Our previous studies show that ITCs inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and have synergistic effects with chemotherapy drugs. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of ITCs on cancer cell metastasis. We showed that phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) dose-dependently inhibited the cell viability of both NSCLC cell lines H1299 and H226 with IC50 values of 17.6 and 15.2 µM, respectively. Furthermore, PEITC dose-dependently inhibited the invasion and migration of H1299 and H226 cells. We demonstrated that PEITC treatment dose-dependently increased m6A methylation levels and inhibited the expression of the m6A demethylase fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) in H1299 and H226 cells. Knockdown of FTO significantly increased m6A methylation in H1299 and H226 cells, impaired their abilities of invasion and migration in vitro, and enhanced the inhibition of PEITC on tumor growth in vivo. Overexpression of FTO promoted the migration of NSCLC cells, and also mitigated the inhibitory effect of PEITC on migration of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, we found that FTO regulated the mRNA m6A modification of a transcriptional co-repressor Transducin-Like Enhancer of split-1 (TLE1) and further affected its stability and expression. TCGA database analysis revealed TLE1 was upregulated in NSCLC tissues compared to normal tissues, which might be correlated with the metastasis status. Moreover, we showed that PEITC suppressed the migration of NSCLC cells by inhibiting TLE1 expression and downstream Akt/NF-κB pathway. This study reveals a novel mechanism underlying ITC's inhibitory effect on metastasis of lung cancer cells, and provided valuable information for developing new therapeutics for lung cancer by targeting m6A methylation.

Quorum sensing unveils the sludge floccule-assisted stabilization of aerobic granules in granule-dominated sequencing batch reactors.

Floccules are another major form of microbial aggregates in aerobic granular sludge systems. Previous studies mainly attributed the persistence of floccules to their relatively faster nutrient uptake and higher growth rate over aerobic granules; however, they failed to unravel the underlying mechanism of the long-term coexistence of these two aggregates. In this work, the existence and function of the floccules in an aerobic granule-dominated sequencing batch reactor were investigated from the view of quorum sensing (QS) and quorum quenching (QQ). The results showed that though the floccules were closely associated with the granules in terms of similar community structures (including the QS- and QQ-related ones), they exhibited a relatively higher QQ-related activity but a lower QS-related activity. A compatible proportion of floccules might be helpful to maintain the QS-related activity and keep the granules stable. In addition, the structure difference was demonstrated to diversify the QS- and QQ-related activities of the floccules and the aerobic granules. These findings could broaden our understanding of the interactions between the coexistent floccules and granules in aerobic granule-dominated systems and would be instructive for the development of the aerobic granular sludge process.

M supported on Al-defective Al2-δO3 (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Au) as catalysts for acetylene semi-hydrogenation: a theoretical perspective.

Semi-hydrogenation of acetylene is of great importance for both industry and academia. High prices and limited supplements of noble metals leave room for developing base metal catalysts. Experiments revealed the atomically dispersed Cu supported by Al2O3 with excellent long-term stability and high ethylene selectivity, but the physical nature has rarely been investigated theoretically. DFT calculations and microkinetic modeling revealed that the surface OH species could stabilize Cu1/Al2-δO3 and enhance its catalytic performance. The selectivity of ethylene formation decreases with increasing copper clusters (e.g., Cu1/Al2-δO3> Cu4/Al2-δO3> Cu8/Al2-δO3), meaning that the atomically dispersed copper may be a potential candidate for acetylene semi-hydrogenation. The structures of a series of single site catalysts M1/Al2-δO3 (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Ag, Au) are similar to that of Cu1/Al2-δO3, but their performances in catalyzing acetylene semi-hydrogenation are different. M1/Al2-δO3 (M = Ag, Au) shows higher selectivity than Cu1/Al2-δO3, while M1/Al2-δO3 (M = Fe, Co, Ni) demonstrates a higher turnover frequency (TOF) of ethylene than Cu1/Al2-δO3. Moreover, our results indicate that the Ni1-Cu1/Al2-δO3 alloy shows both high activity and ethylene selectivity. The present results show a compensation between the reactivity and the selectivity, suggesting that alloys of VIIIB metals with IB metals like Ni1-Cu1/Al2-δO3 may be efficient candidate catalysts in acetylene selective hydrogenation.

[Comparative study on short and long-term intervention impacts of six Chinese herbs with cold or heat property on lipid and energy metabolism in mice].

This study selected three typical Chinese herbs with cold property(Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, and Coptidis Rhizoma) and another three with heat property(Cinnamomi Cortex, Zingiberris Rhizoma, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) to observe their regulatory effects on metabolism in animal organism, especially on lipid and energy metabolism in mice after a short-(7 d) and long-term(35 d) intervention. The mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism genes in epididymal adipose tissue and liver were determined by real-time PCR. The oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and energy consumption were detected by metabolic system. After the short-term intervention, the Chinese herbs with heat property significantly reduced epididymal adipose tissue index and elevated the expression levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACC), lipoprotein lipase(LPL), and carnitine-palmityl transferase 1(CPT-1) in liver and epididymal adipose tissues. However, those with cold property promoted the expression of above-mentioned genes in epididymal adipose tissue. After the long-term intervention, cold and heat Chinese herbs had no significant effect on epididymal adipose tissue index of animals, while cold Chinese herbs could increase carbon dioxide production and energy consumption and reduce activity. These findings demonstrated that the short-term intervention effects of cold and heat Chinese herbs on animal metabolism were significantly stronger than the long-term intervention effects. Specifically, the short-term intervention with cold Chinese herbs enhanced the lipid metabolism in epididymal adipose tissue, while the heat Chinese herbs promoted lipid metabolism in epididymal adipose tissue and liver. The long-term intervention with cold and heat Chinese herbs resulted in no obvious change in lipid level, but long-term intervention with cold Chinese herbs accelerated energy consumption of the body. This study preliminarily observed the effects of cold and heat Chinese herbs on normal animal physiology from lipid and energy metabolism, which would provide reference for explaining the biological basis of Chinese herbs with cold or heat property based on biological response.

Pyruvate accelerates palladium reduction by regulating catabolism and electron transfer pathway in Shewanella oneidensis.

Shewanella oneidensis is a model strain of the electrochemical active bacteria (EAB) because of its strong capability of extracellular electron transfer (EET) and genetic tractability. In this study, we investigated the effect of carbon sources on EET in S. oneidensis by using reduction of palladium ions (Pd(II)) as a model and found that pyruvate greatly accelerated the Pd(II) reduction compared with lactate by resting cells. Both Mtr pathway and hydrogenases played a role in Pd(II) reduction when pyruvate was used as a carbon source. Furthermore, in comparison with lactate-feeding S. oneidensis, the transcriptional levels of formate dehydrogenases involving in pyruvate catabolism, Mtr pathway, and hydrogenases in pyruvate-feeding S. oneidensis were up-regulated. Mechanistically, the enhancement of electron generation from pyruvate catabolism and electron transfer to Pd(II) explains the pyruvate effect on Pd(II) reduction. Interestingly, a 2-h time window is required for pyruvate to regulate transcription of these genes and profoundly improve Pd(II) reduction capability, suggesting a hierarchical regulation for pyruvate sensing and response in S. oneidensis IMPORTANCE The unique respiration of EET is crucial for the biogeochemical cycling of metal elements and diverse applications of EAB. Although a carbon source is a determinant factor of bacterial metabolism, the research into the regulation of carbon source on EET is rare. In this work, we reported the pyruvate-specific regulation and improvement of EET in S. oneidensis and revealed the underlying mechanism, which suggests potential targets to engineer and improve the EET efficiency of this bacterium. This study sheds light on the regulatory role of carbon sources in anaerobic respiration in EAB, providing a way to regulate EET for diverse applications from a novel perspective.

Growth and gonadal development retardations after long-term exposure to estradiol in little yellow croaker, Larimichthys polyactis.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) including 17ß-estradiol (E2) are widely distributed in the aquatic environment and are known to negatively affect the reproductive system of many animals, including fish. EDCs leading to feminization, altered sex ratio and reduced fecundity, it is possibly posing potential risks to the ecosystems. To investigate the potentially toxic effects of E2 exposure on little yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis, L. poliactis) who have a unique gonadal development pattern that males undergo a hermaphroditic stage. An experiment was set up where L. poliactis were maintained in tanks and exposed to E2 concentrations of 10 µg/L or no E2 exposure (the ethanol and control groups) from 30 to 90 days post-hatching (dph). After exposure, the E2 withdrawal and continual cultured to 150 and 365 dph. The morphological and histological analyses were used to compare the changes in the fish body and gonad under E2 exposure. The results showed that E2 exposure caused three major phenotypes at 30 and 60 days after treatment (dat), including ovary, ovotestis and gonadal development retardation compared with the control groups. The average ratio of these three phenotypes is 60.6%, 11.97% and 27.43%, respectively. The body length and weight of E2 exposure groups were repressed during the E2 exposure period, while it can recover after E2 withdrawal. However, the gonadal development (Gonadosomatic Index) of E2 exposure groups testis were retarded at 60 dat and doesn't recover until 365 dph. The sex determination/differentiation-related genes erα, erßI, erßII, fshß and cyp11b2 were significantly decreased in E2-exposure male fish. This research highlights the E2 leads to feminization, disrupts testis maturation and spermatogenesis, this effect persisted into the stage of sexual maturity. Collectively, our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying E2 disturbance of a marine economic fish reproduction.

Associations among sexuality-related factors, recent two-week morbidity and annual hospitalization in female migrant workers: a cross-sectional study in southern China.

To explore the influence of sexuality-related factors on recent two-week morbidity and annual hospitalization in female migrant workers, 880 Chinese rural-to-urban female migrant workers aged 16-57 years were studied. Clustered logistic regression analyses revealed that women who never or seldom experienced lubrication difficulties had a lower risk of recent two-week morbidity (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17-0.60, P< 0.001; adjusted OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.18-0.69, P= 0.003) than those who always experienced lubrication difficulties; women who never felt a lack of sexual interest had a significantly lower risk of annual hospitalization (adjusted OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.20-0.79, P= 0.009) than those who always or seldom lacked sexual interest, and women who never felt sexual satisfaction had a higher risk of annual hospitalization (adjusted OR = 3.08, 95% CI = 1.75-5.42, P< 0.001) than those who always or seldom experienced sexual satisfaction. The independent contributions of sexuality-related factors to the risk of recent two-week morbidity and annual hospitalization were 5.8% and 29.5%, respectively. This study suggests that sexuality may have a modest influence on recent two-week morbidity and a dominant impact on annual hospitalization.

The association between obesity indices and hypertension: Which index is the most notable indicator of hypertension in different age groups stratified by sex?

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the most notable obesity index and its optimal cut-off point of hypertension in different age groups stratified by sexes among community residents in southern China. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 620 men and 631 women aged 18-59 years were enrolled. The independent-samples t-test and chi-square test were conducted to analyze continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis assessed the association between the obesity indices and hypertension risk. RESULTS: Waist-stature ratio (WSR) and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were the most notable risk factors for hypertension in young men and women, respectively. The odds ratios (ORs) of hypertension risk increased with per standard deviation (SD) in WSR and WHR (WSR: OR = 2.877, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.602 to 5.167; WHR: OR = 10.683, 95%CI = 2.179 to 52.376). In the middle-aged group of both sexes, body mass index (BMI) was the most distinctive risk factor for hypertension, the ORs of hypertension risk increased with per SD in BMI (men: OR = 2.297, 95%CI = 1.683 to 3.136; women: OR = 1.810, 95%CI = 1.338 to 2.450). ROC curve analysis demonstrated WSR and PI were better indicators than other indices among young men, and WSR was the best marker among young women. However, BMI and WC were the most sensitive markers in middle-aged men and women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this Chinese population, the association of obesity indices and hypertension is inconsistent in different age groups and sexes. It is important to choose appropriate indicators for specific groups of people.

Abundance and diversity of iron reducing bacteria communities in the sediments of a heavily polluted freshwater lake.

Iron reduction mediated by Fe(III)-reducing bacteria (FeRB) occurs in aqueous environments and plays an essential role in removing contaminates in polluted freshwater lakes. Two model FeRB species, Shewanella and Geobacter, have been intensively studied because of their functions in bioremediation, iron reduction, and bioelectricity production. However, the abundance and community diversity of Shewanella and Geobacter in eutrophic freshwater lakes remain largely unknown. In this work, the distribution, abundance and biodiversity of Shewanella, Geobacter and other FeRB in the sediments of a heavily polluted lake, Chaohu Lake, China, across four successive seasons were investigated. Shewanella, Geobacter, and other FeRB were found to be widely distributed in the sediment of this heavily eutrophic lake. Geobacter was abundant with at least one order of magnitude more than Shewanella in cold seasons. Three Shewanella-related operational taxonomic units were detected and sixty one Geobacter-related operational taxonomic units were grouped into three phylogenetic clades. Thiobacillus, Desulfuromonas and Geobacter were identified as the main members of FeRB in the lake sediments. Interestingly, nutrients like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were found to be the key factors governing the abundance and diversity of FeRB. Total FeRB, as well as Geobacter and Shewanella, were more abundant in the heavily eutrophic zone than those in the lightly eutrophic zone. The abundance and diversity of FeRB in the sediments of freshwater lakes were highly related with the degree of eutrophication, which imply that FeRB might have a great potential in alleviating the eutrophication and contamination in aqueous environments.

Streptomyces tremellae sp. nov., isolated from a culture of the mushroom Tremella fuciformis.

A novel actinomycete strain, designated Js-1T, was isolated from Tremella fuciformis collected from Gutian, Fujian Province, in southeastern China. The taxonomic status of this strain was determined by a polyphasic approach, which demonstrated that the novel strain was a member of the genus Streptomyces. The cell walls of this strain were found to contain ll-diaminopimelic acid, muramic acid and glycine. An analysis of whole-cell hydrolysates revealed that no characteristic sugar was present. The key identified menaquinones were MK-9 (H6) and MK-9 (H8), while the diagnostic polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. The main cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. An analysis of an almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the strain shared the highest levels of sequence similarity with Streptomyces sannanensisKC-7038T (97.87 %), Streptomyces hebeiensis YIM 001T (97.84 %), Streptomyces pathocidini NBRC 13812T (97.80 %), Streptomyces cocklensis BK168T (97.25 %), Streptomyces coerulescens NBRC 12758T (97.12 %), Streptomyces aurantiogriseus NBRC 12842T (97.06 %) and Streptomyces rimosussubsp. rimosus ATCC 10970T (97.04 %). The DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain Js-1T was 70.1 mol%. Furthermore, DNA-DNA hybridization tests revealed that the relatedness values between strain Js-1T and the most closely related species ranged from 15.10 to 47.20 %. Based on its phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain Js-1T (=CCTCC M 2011365T=JCM 30846T) is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Streptomyces, which we classified as Streptomycestremellae sp. nov.

[Effect of medicines for activating blood and reinforcing Qi on angiogenesis in infarcted myocardium edge area of acute myocardial infarction model in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of medicines for activating blood and reinforcing Qi on the number of new micro-vessels and the protein expressions of VEGF and bFGF in the infarcted myocardium edge area of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model in rats. METHOD: The AMI model of rats was established. After the successful model establishment, rats were randomly divided into the sham-operated group, the model group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 2) group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 1) group, the Chuanxiong-Huangqi (1 : 2) group, the Danshen group, the Chuanxiong group, the Chishao group and the Shexiang Baoxin pill group, with five rats in each group. Rats in each medicated group were orally administered with drugs as per 13.5 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) once everyday for three weeks. The immunohistochemical SP method was adopted to detect the expression of vWF in myocardial tissues, and count the number of micro-vessels (MVC). The protein expression of VEGF and bFGF in myocardial tissues were determined by Western blot. RESULT: The new micro-vessels stained by vWF factor could be found in the infarcted myocardium edge area of the sham-operated group, the model group and all of medicated groups. The sham-operated group show unobvious new micro-vessels in myocardial tissues. A small amount of new micro-vessels could be seen in the infarcted myocardium edge area of the model group. Whereas a larger number of micro-vessels could be seen in the infarcted myocardium edge area of all of medicated groups. The differences between the sham-operated group and the model group had statistical significance (P < 0.05). The differences between each medicated group and the model group had statistical significance as well (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The lowest protein expression of VEGF and bFGF was found in myocardium of the sham-operated group, with the statistical significance compared with the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, each medicated group showed significant increase in the protein expression of VEGF and bFGF, with the statistical significance between them (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The Danshen group, the Chuanxiong group, the Chishao group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 2) group, the Danshen-Huangqi (1 : 1) group and the Chuanxiong-Huangqi (1 : 2) group show the effect in promoting angiogenesis. Their mechanism for promoting angiogenesis may be related to the improvement of the protein expressions of VEGF and bFGF, so as to increase the contents of VEGF and bFGF and promote the angiogenesis of new vessels.

The mysterious association between adiponectin and endometriosis.

Adiponectin is a pleiotropic cytokine predominantly derived from adipose tissue. In addition to its role in regulating energy metabolism, adiponectin may also be related to estrogen-dependent diseases, and many studies have confirmed its involvement in mediating diverse biological processes, including apoptosis, autophagy, inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis, all of which are related to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Although many researchers have reported low levels of adiponectin in patients with endometriosis and suggested that it may serve as a protective factor against the development of the disease. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to provide an up-to-date summary of the roles of adiponectin and its downstream cytokines and signaling pathways in the aforementioned biological processes. Further systematic studies on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of adiponectin may provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of endometriosis as well as potential therapeutic targets.

The incremental significance of heart rate recovery as a predictor during exercise-stress myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging in individuals with suspected coronary artery disease.

Background: Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) are more likely to occur when abnormal heart rate recovery (HRR). This study aimed to assess the incremental predictive significance of HRR over exercise stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (MPS) results for MACE in individuals with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Between January 2014 and December 2017, we continually gathered data on 595 patients with suspected CAD who received cycling exercise stress MPS. HRR at 1, 2, 3, and 4 min were used as study variables to obtain the optimal cut-off values of HRR for MACE. The difference between the peak heart rate achieved during exercise and the heart rate at 1, 2, 3, and 4 min was used to calculate the HRR, as shown in HRR3. Heart rate variations between two locations in time, such as HRR2 min-1 min, were used to establish the slope of HRR. All patients were followed for a minimum of 4 years, with MACE as the follow-up goal. The associations between HRR and MACE were assessed using Cox proportional hazards analyses. Results: Patients with MACE were older (P = 0.001), and they also had higher rates of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, abnormal MPS findings (SSS ≥ 5%), medication history (all P < 0.001), and lower HRR values (all P < 0.01). Patients with and without MACE did not significantly vary in their HRR4 min-3 min. The optimal cut-off of HRR1, 2, and 3 combined with SSS can stratify the risk of MACE in people with suspected CAD (all P < 0.001). HRR 1, 2, and 3 and its slope were linked to MACE in multivariate analysis, where HRR3 was the most significant risk predictor. With a global X2 increase from 101 to 126 (P < 0.0001), HRR3 demonstrated the greatest improvement in the model's predictive capacity, incorporating clinical data and MPS outcomes. Conclusions: HRR at 3 min has a more excellent incremental prognostic value for predicting MACE in patients with suspected CAD following cycling exercise stress MPS. Therefore, incorporating HRR at 3 min into known predictive models may further improve the risk stratification of the patients.

Effect of a disposable endoscope precleaning kit in the cleaning procedure of gastrointestinal endoscope: A multi-center observational study.

BACKGROUND: Precleaning is a key step in endoscopic reprocessing. AIM: To develop an effective and economic endoscope cleaning method by using a disposable endoscope bedside precleaning kit. METHODS: Altogether, 228 used gastrointestinal endoscopes were selected from five high-volume endoscopy units and precleaned by a traditional precleaning bucket (group T) or a disposable endoscope bedside precleaning kit (group D). Each group was further subdivided based on the replacement frequency of the cleaning solution, which was replaced every time in subgroups T1 and D1 and every several times in subgroups Ts and Ds. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and residual proteins were measured three times: Before and after precleaning and after manual cleaning. RESULTS: After precleaning, the precleaning kit significantly reduced the ATP levels (P = 0.034) and has a more stable ATP clearance rate than the traditional precleaning bucket. The precleaning kit also saved a quarter of the cost of enzymatic detergent used during the precleaning process. After manual cleaning, the ATP levels were also significantly lower in the precleaning kit group than in the traditional precleaning bucket group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the number of uses of the cleaning solution (up to four times) has no significant impact on the cleaning effect (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Considering its economic cost and cleaning effect, the use of a disposable endoscope bedside precleaning kit can be an optimal option in the precleaning stage with the cleaning solution being replaced several times in the manual cleaning stage.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Experimental study and numerical prediction of HTO and 36Cl- diffusion in radioactive waste at Téguline Clay.

Statement of Retraction: Experimental study and numerical prediction of HTO and 36Cl- diffusion in radioactive waste at Téguline ClayWe, the Editor and Publisher of Environmental Technology, have retracted the following article:Yun-yi Zhang, Yong He, Bing-bing Li & Ke-neng Zhang, Experimental study and numerical prediction of HTO and 36Cl- diffusion in radioactive waste at Téguline Clay, Environmental Technology, Latest Articles, 10.1080/09593330.2021.1939433Following publication, errors have been identified in the experimental work and numerical simulation as follows: 1) The experimental results presented in this paper are too limited to effectively support the numerical analysis.2) Although XRD, MIP, SEM and other microstructural tests were conducted and presented in this paper, the results of these microstructural tests have not been used in the numerical analysis, leading to incorrect results shown in Figure 11.3) There is a serious discrepancy between the simulated results and the real conditions, due to an incorrect selection of diffusion parameters and initial concentration (200 mg/L and 500 mg/L) as well as an incorrect simulation model and boundary condition (Figure 4).4) The simulation software (Geo-studio + MATLAB) appears to be unsuitable for the simulation work in this paper due to physical, mechanical and adsorption properties of the sample not being considered in the simulation.These errors were identified and acknowledged by the authors. The errors are too substantial to be corrected in a corrigendum and will alter the conclusions of the paper. There are no concerns regarding research or publishing conduct, and the authors plan to revisit the relevant mature results of their research and may resubmit the revised paper for consideration by the journal.We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions.The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as "Retracted".

Cervical adenofibroma without clinical symptoms: report of a rare case.

Adenofibroma is an extremely rare benign biphasic tumour composed of glandular and fibrous tissues. It occurs more often in the endometrium but it can also occur in the cervix and extrauterine sites. This case report describes a 39-year-old asymptomatic woman with cervical adenofibroma. The patient was treated successfully with surgical removal of the tumour. As adenofibromas are very rare, the report is presented with a brief review of the literature.

3-Chloro-N'-(4-diethyl-amino-2-hy-droxy-benzyl-idene)benzohydrazide.

The asymmetric unit of the title Schiff base compound, C(18)H(20)ClN(3)O(2), contains two independent mol-ecules. An O-H⋯N hydrogen bond contributes to the planarity of each mol-ecule: the dihedral angles between the two benzene rings are 12.8 (3) and 27.2 (3)° in the two mol-ecules. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along the a axis.

Correlation of Sexual Behavior Change, Family Function, and Male-Female Intimacy Among Adults Aged 18-44 Years During COVID-19 Epidemic.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been declared a global pandemic. In this unprecedented situation, the intimate relationship, sexual behavior, and family functions of partners have also undergone unique changes. There are few reports on whether sexual behavior and family function affect intimate relationships between partners, especially among people aged 18 to 44 years. AIM: To analyze the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, family function, and changes in sexual behavior on male-female intimacy, the independent contributions of the aforementioned factors in this population group are required to be further investigated. METHODS: In the present study, 284 Chinese citizens aged 18-44 years completed the online questionnaire. The univariate analysis and cluster multiple linear regression were used to analyze the associations between sociodemographic factors, sexual-behavior changes, family function, and male-female intimacy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Family adaptation, partnership, growth, affection, resolve (APGAR) Scale and Relationship Assessment Scale were used to evaluate participants' family function and their intimacy. Details of the participants (sociodemographic and sexual factors) were obtained. RESULTS: The summary scores, with Relationship Assessment Scale and APGAR scales, were 27.19 ± 4.49 and 6.76 ± 2.28, respectively. About 43.3% of participants reported a decrease in sexual frequency. There were considerable differences among age, education level, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, quality of sexual life, family function with male-female intimacy (P < .05). The sexual satisfaction and intimacy demonstrated a significant positive correlation (P < .05) by cluster multiple linear regression analysis. Compared with those who had a sexual life of mediocre quality, respondents who experienced a good quality sexual life had relatively higher scores in intimacy. The independent contributions of sociodemographic factors, sexual behavior factors, and family function in male-female intimacy were 13.0%, 38.2%, and 48.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual behavior factors and family function were important independent determinants of partner intimacy among people aged 18-44 years. It can provide supportive information for health care to develop intervention plans and services to promote the harmonious development of intimate relationship. Feng Y-J, Fan Y-J, Su Z-Z, et al. Correlation of Sexual Behavior Change, Family Function, and Male-Female Intimacy Among Adults Aged 18-44 Years During COVID-19 Epidemic. Sex Med 2021;9:100301.

MiR-361-5p/abca1 and MiR-196-5p/arhgef12 Axis Involved in γ-Sitosterol Inducing Dual Anti-Proliferative Effects on Bronchial Epithelial Cells of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive and irreversible respiratory disease, becomes the third leading cause of death and results in enormous economic burden on healthcare costs and productivity loss worldwide by 2020. Thus, it is urgent to develop effective anti-COPD drugs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, two published GEO profiles were used to re-analyze and ascertain the relationships between circulating miRNAs and bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) mRNAs in COPD. The microRNA levels of miR-361-5p and miR-196-5p in plasma of COPD patients and healthy volunteers were detected by qRT-PCR. Next, the effects of γ-sitosterol (GS) on the expression of miR-361-5p and miR-196-5p and cell proliferation were investigated in BEC and H292 cell lines. Finally, whether specific miRNA-mRNA pathways involved in the effect of GS on BECs was assayed using Western Blot, real-time PCR and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: miR-196-5p and miR-361-5p were, respectively, up- and down-regulated in COPD patients compared with healthy controls. Luciferase assays demonstrated that miR-361-5p and miR-196-5p were, respectively, targeting abca1 and arhgef12 3'UTR in BEAS-2B cells. GS significantly suppressed miR-196-5p and promoted miR-361-5p levels in BEAS-2B cells and inhibited BECs proliferation in vitro. GS promoted miR-361-5p expression, which inhibited BCAT1 mRNA and protein levels and weaken mTOR-pS6K pathway, resulted in anti-proliferation in BEAS-2B cells. In addition, RhoA was activated by ARHGEF12 due to the inhibitory effect of miR-196-5p on arhgef12-3'UTR which was partially abolished by GS suppressing miR-196-5p expression. Activated RhoA further activated ROCK1-PTEN pathway and finally inhibited mTOR pathway, resulting in induced BECs proliferation. The anti-proliferation effect of GS was not observed in H292 cells. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that miR-361-5p/abca1 and miR-196-5p/arhgef12 axis mediated GS inducing dual anti-proliferation effects on BECs.

Longer persistence of quorum quenching bacteria over quorum sensing bacteria in aerobic granules.

Involvements of quorum sensing (QS) in the formation of aerobic granules for wastewater treatment have been well recognized. In previous studies the evolution of the QS-related activities and communities during bioreactor start-up period has been extensively studied, while the variation of QS in long-term reactor operation remains unrevealed. Furthermore, information about the roles of quorum quenching (QQ) in bioreactors is very limited. In this work, both QS and QQ during the start-up and successive long-term operation period of an aerobic granule bioreactor were explored. The QS activity and communities increased in the start-up but gradually decreased in the long-term operation, while the QQ activity and communities remained stable. These results indicate the longer persistence of QQ than QS in the granules and the minor contribution of QS in the long-term operation. This work provides a new insight into the roles of QQ and QS in wastewater treatment bioreactors.