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Objective: The relationships between childhood weight self-misperception and obesity-related factors particularly health markers have not been extensively discussed. This study aims to examine the associations between weight self-misperception and obesity-related knowledge, attitudes, lifestyles and cardio-metabolic markers among Chinese paediatric population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Data sourced from a national survey in Chinese seven provinces in 2013. Participants: Children and adolescents aged 5–19 years. Results: Of the total 14 079 participants, there were 14·5 % and 2·2 % participants over-estimated and under-perceived their weight, respectively. Multi-variable logistic regression was applied to calculate OR and 95 % CI (95 % Cl) of obesity-related behaviours and cardio-metabolic markers by actual and perceived weight status. Individuals who perceived themselves as overweight/obese were more likely to have prolonged screen time, insufficient dairy intake and over sugar-sweetened beverages consumption (all P < 0·05), regardless of their weight. Furthermore, actual overweight/obese individuals had higher odds of abnormal cardio-metabolic markers, but a smaller magnitude of association was found among weight under-estimators. Among non-overweight/obese individuals, weight over-estimation was positively associated with abdominal obesity (OR: 10·49, 95 % CI: 7·45, 14·76), elevated blood pressure (OR: 1·30, 95 % CI: 1·12, 1·51) and dyslipidemia (OR: 1·43, 95 % CI: 1·29, 1·58). Conclusions: Weight over-perception was more prevalent than under-estimation, particularly in girls. Weight over-estimators tended to master better knowledge but behave more unhealthily; both weight over-perception and actual overweight/obesity status were associated with poorer cardio-metabolic markers. Future obesity intervention programmes should additionally pay attention to the population with inaccurate estimation of weight who were easily overlooked.

E-learning platforms (ELPs) are revolutionizing the higher education system, as they offer tremendous potential to fulfill instructional plans, safeguard students’ learning rights, and improve teaching quality. Higher education institutions (HEIs) have to consider the selection of ELPs from an organizational perspective, which involves multiple stakeholders like university administrators, students, and educators. Therefore, one can take the ELP selection as a complex multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. This research proposes a new hybrid MCDM approach on the basis of the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and the evaluation based on distance from the average solution (EDAS) method to select the best ELPs. First, from the organizational perspective, we extend the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework by adding an auxiliary resource (AR) dimension and define and prioritize 4 criteria and 14 criteria for evaluating and selecting ELPs. Second, the study uses the fuzzy set theory to process the language evaluation of experts, the FAHP method to determine criteria and sub-criteria weights, and EDAS to rank the alternatives. Finally, based on the importance-performance analysis (IPA) method, we identify the most appropriate strategic options for enhancing competitiveness. Three practical cases of China’s ELP evaluation validate the proposed model’s applicability and superiority by comparing to the two other classic evaluation models. In addition, through analysis, we obtain some encouraging results that provide some references for universities to formulate ELP selection policies and offer suggestions for platform producers to further optimize the design.

Molecular microstructure and carrier management were optimized and correlated, and double-channel recombination suppression enabled a record certified efficiency of 19.3% for asymmetric acceptor-based organic photovoltaics.

Immobilizing catalyst system faces the challenge of balancing catalysts stability and exposure of active site in water treatment. In this study, a novel in-situ synthesis of monoclinic phase of titanium dioxide (TiO

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) combined with sensitizer is a potential method to reverse TRAIL-resistance in tumor cells. Rhein (RH) is a monomer extracted from Chinese herbs that has been reported to show anti-tumor effects in a variety of tumor cells, but the role of RH in TRAIL-induced anti-tumor effects in bladder cancer cells has not been reported. In this study, we found that the combined treatment of a non-toxic concentration of RH with TRAIL significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis in both TRAIL sensitive and resistant bladder cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we found that RH promoted bladder cancer cell apoptosis by up-regulating DR5 expression. Our findings provide potential value in the clinical treatment of bladder cancer.

The hierarchical microstructure evolution of an emerging biobased odd-odd polyamide 5,13 (PA5,13) films under the thermo-mechanical field, stepping from hydrogen bond (H-bond) arrangement to the crystalline morphology, has been investigated systematically. It is found that the reorganization of H-bonds under the thermo-mechanical field plays a crucial role in the crystallization of PA5,13. Especially, it is revealed that the crystallization process under the thermo-mechanical field develops along the chain axis direction, while lamellar fragmentation occurs perpendicular to the chain axis. Consequently, a stable and well-organized H-bond arrangement and lengthened lamellae with significant orientation have been constructed. Laudably, an impressive tensile strength of about 500 MPa and modulus of about 4.7 GPa are thus achieved. The present study could provide important guidance for the industrial-scale manufacture of high-performance biobased odd-odd PAs with long polymethylene segment in the dicarboxylic unit combined with a large difference between the polymethylene segments in the dicarboxylic and diamine units.

Background Cantharidin (CTD) is a major ingredient of cantharis (Mylabris phalerata Pallas) and has been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicines. It has been shown to exhibit anticancer activity in multiple types of cancer, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there is no systematic study on the relationships among the regulatory networks of its targets in HCC therapy. We focused on histone epigenetic regulation and the influence of CTD on the immune response in HCC. Methods We performed a comprehensive analysis of novel CTD targets in HCC based on network pharmacology and RNA-seq approaches. The mRNA levels of target genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR, and the corresponding protein levels were confirmed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). ChIP-seq data were visualized by IGV software. The associations of gene transcript levels with the cancer immune score and infiltration level were investigated using TIMER. In vivo, the H22 mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma was established by treatment with CTD and 5-Fu. The immune cell proportions in the blood were elevated in model mice, as shown by flow cytometry. Results We identified 58 targets of CTD, which were involved in various pathways in cancer, including apoptosis, the cell cycle, EMT and immune pathways. Moreover, we found that 100 EMT-related genes were differentially expressed after CTD treatment in HCC cells. Interestingly, our results confirmed that the EZH2/H3K27me3 -related cell cycle pathway is a therapeutic target of CTD in antitumour. In addition, we evaluated the influence of CTD on the immune response. Our data showed that the significantly enriched gene sets were positively correlated with the chemokine biosynthetic and chemokine metabolic modules. The proportions of CD4+/CD8 + T cells and B cells were increased, but the proportion of Tregs was decreased after treatment with CTD in vivo. Moreover, we found that the expression of the inflammatory factor and immune checkpoint genes PD­1/PD-L1 was significantly reduced in the mouse model. Conclusion We performed a novel integrated analysis of the potential role of CTD in HCC treatment. Our results provide innovative insight into the mechanism by which cantharidin exerts antitumour effects by regulating target genes expression to mediate apoptosis, EMT, cell cycle progression and the immune response in HCC. Based on the effect of CTD on the immune response, it can be used as a potential effective drug to activate antitumour immunity for the treatment of liver cancer.

The Nidirana Dubois, 1992 exhibit a ubiquitous presence in East and Southeast Asia, spanning from Japan west to southern China and from northern Thailand to northern Vietnam and Laos in the south. The taxonomic categorisations pertaining to this genus continue to be a subject of debate, particularly with regard to those species that possess broad geographical distributions. In China, 18 species of Nidirana are currently recognised. We describe a new species of this genus from south-western China. Mitochondrial 16S and COⅠ gene phylogenetic analyses support the new species as an independent clade nested within the Nidirana. The new species is phylogenetically close to N. yaoica, with a genetic distance of 2.5% from its sister taxon. Morphologically, the new species can be distinguished from congeners by a combination of the following characteristics: males relatively small (SVL 41.8-43.3 mm); lateroventral grooves present on both fingers and toes; relative finger length Ⅱ < Ⅰ < Ⅳ < Ⅲ; tibio-tarsal articulation reaching to the level of the eye or nostril; a pair of external subgular vocal sacs in males; one single nuptial pad on the dorsal surface of the base of the first finger in males during the breeding season; webbing formula I 1/2 - 1 II 1/2 - 2 III 1 - 2½ IV 2 - 1V.

Background:Macleaya cordata extract (MCE) is effective in the treatment of enteritis, but its mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study combined network pharmacology and molecular docking technologies to investigate the potential pharmacological mechanism of MCE in the treatment of enteritis.Methods: The information of active compounds in MCE was accessed through the literature. Furthermore, PubChem, PharmMapper, UniProt, and GeneCards databases were used to analyze the targets of MCE and enteritis. The intersection of drug and disease targets was imported into the STRING database, and the analysis results were imported into Cytoscape 3.7.1 software to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and to screen core targets. The Metascape database was used for conducting Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. AutoDock Tools software was used for the molecular docking of active compounds with the core targets.Results: MCE has four active compounds, namely, sanguinarine, chelerythrine, protopine, and allocryptopine, and a total of 269 targets after de-duplication. Furthermore, a total of 1,237 targets were associated with enteritis, 70 of which were obtained by aiding the drug–disease intersection with the aforementioned four active compound targets of MCE. Five core targets including mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1) and AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1) were obtained using the PPI network, which are considered the potential targets for the four active compounds of MCE in the treatment of enteritis. The GO enrichment analysis involved 749 biological processes, 47 cellular components, and 64 molecular functions. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed 142 pathways involved in the treatment of enteritis by the four active compounds of MCE, among which PI3K-Akt and MAPK signaling pathways were the most important pathways. The results of molecular docking showed that the four active compounds demonstrated good binding properties at the five core targets.Conclusion: The pharmacological effects of the four active compounds of MCE in the treatment of enteritis involve acting on signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt and MAPK through key targets such as AKT1 and MAPK1, thus providing new indications for further research to verify its mechanisms.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a leading cause of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and advanced techniques for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) diagnosis are urgently needed. Here, a novel diagnostic test combined multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) with CRISPR-Cas12a system targeting the CARDS gene of MP, termed MP-MCC, were developed for MPP detection. The MCDA assay was employed for nucleic acid amplification, and the CRISPR-Cas12a/CrRNA complex was used to decode the amplification products. Then, the detection result was observed via real-time fluorescence. The optimal conditions for our assay include a MCDA reaction at 61°C for 40 min and a CRISPR detection at 37°C for ~ 5 min. The results showed that reaction products were detectable from as little as 10fg of pure MP templates and from approximately 10 copies of plasmids containing CARDS genes. The specificity in detecting MP strains was 100%, and there was no cross-reaction to non-MP strains. Furthermore, our assay was further validated using clinical samples, which offered high sensitivity and specificity for MPP diagnostic. Taken together, the detection technique developed here has advantages on rapidity, sensitivity and specificity for MP detection, which could be used as a potential tool for clinical MPP diagnosis.

BackgroundLeft subclavian artery (LSA) revascularization during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is necessary to reduce postoperative complications in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection and an insufficient proximal anchoring area. However, the efficacy and safety of different LSA revascularization strategies remain unclear. Here, we compared these strategies to provide a clinical basis for selecting an appropriate LSA revascularization method.MethodsIn this study, we included 105 patients with type B aortic dissection who were treated using TEVAR combined with LSA reconstruction in the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University from March 2013 to 2020. They were divided into four groups according to the method used for LSA reconstruction, namely, carotid subclavian bypass (CSB; n = 41), chimney graft (CG; n = 29), single-branched stent graft (SBSG; n = 21), and physician-made fenestration (PMF; n = 14) groups. Finally, we collected and analyzed the baseline, perioperative, operative, postoperative, and follow-up data of the patients.ResultsThe treatment success rate was 100% in all the groups, and CSB + TEVAR was the most commonly used procedure in emergency settings compared with the other three procedures (P P P P P > 0.05) The median follow-up time of CSB, CG, SBSG, and PMF groups was significantly different (P ConclusionOur single-center experience suggested that the PMF technique increased the risk of limb ischemia symptoms. The other three strategies effectively and safely restored LSA perfusion in patients with type B aortic dissection and had comparable complications. Overall, different LSA revascularization techniques have their advantages and disadvantages.

Supplementary Figures 1-6

Supplementary Figures 1-6 from Phenylarsine Oxide Induces Apoptosis in Bax- and Bak-Deficient Cells through Upregulation of Bim

supplementary Table 1

Purpose: Bax and Bak are regarded as key mediators for cytochrome c (Cyt c) release and apoptosis. Loss of Bax or Bak is often reported in human cancers and renders resistance of these cancerous cells to chemotherapy. Here, we investigated that phenylarsine oxide (PAO) could induce Bax/Bak-independent apoptosis.Experimental Design: Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and caspase activation assays were conducted to detect apoptosis in Bax/Bak-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) and HCT116 bax−/− colorectal cancer cells. Cyt c release and Bim expression were assessed by Western blotting and immunostaining. Bim was stably knocked down by short hairpin RNA. Immunoprecipitation was applied to detect the interaction between Bim and Bcl-2. Both subcutaneous and colorectal orthotopic tumor implantation models were used in nude mice to investigate the effect of PAO in vivo.Results: PAO triggered Cyt c release and apoptosis in a Bax/Bak-independent manner. Bim and Bcl-2 were both involved in this process. PAO augmented the expression of Bim and strengthened the interaction between Bim and Bcl-2. Furthermore, PAO attenuated the growth of Bax-deficient cancer cells in vivo.Conclusions: Our results showed that PAO induced apoptosis in chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells, which suggests that PAO has the potential to serve as a chemotherapeutic agent for Bax- and Bak-deficient cancers. Clin Cancer Res; 18(1); 140–51. ©2011 AACR.

Purpose:Genomic analyses of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) are limited by the availability of tumor specimens. This study aimed to investigate the suitability of single-cell sequencing of circulating tumor cells (CTC) as a method of inferring the evolution and progression of SCLCs.Experimental Design:Between July 1, 2011, and July 28, 2014, 48 consecutively diagnosed patients with SCLC were recruited for this study. CTCs were captured from each patient with CellSearch system. Somatic mutations and copy number alterations (CNA) were monitored by single-cell sequencing of CTCs during chemotherapy.Results:Single-cell sequencing of CTCs can provide a mutational atlas for SCLC. A 10-CNA score based on single CTCs was established as a classifier for outcomes of initial chemotherapy in patients with SCLC. The survival analyses demonstrated that patients with low CNA scores (P = 0.0042; and OS: 223.5 days vs. 424 days, P = 0.0006). The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the CNA score for clinical subtype (refractory vs. sensitive) were 80.0% and 93.7%, respectively. By tracing allele-specific CNAs in CTCs isolated at different time points during chemotherapy, we showed that CNA heterogeneity might result from allelic losses of initially consistent CNAs.Conclusions:Single CTC-based sequencing can be utilized to depict the genomic profiles and evolutionary history of SCLC, thus offering the potential for clinical stratification of patients with SCLC.

Purpose To investigate the expression of nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D member 1 (NR1D1) and nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group E Member 3 (NR2E3) in retinoblastoma (RB) and their correlation with the clinical and pathological features of RB. Methods Immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were performed to detect and evaluate the expression levels of NR1D1 and NR2E3 in paraffin-embedded tissue samples. The relationship between the expression levels and clinicopathological characteristics of RB patients was analyzed using the χ2 test or Fisher exact test. Results A total of 51 RB patients were involved in this research. The expression levels of NR1D1 (P=0.010) and NR2E3 (P=0.007) were significantly lower in RB tumor tissues than in normal retina. The expression levels of NR1D1 and NR2E3 were less positive in RB patients with advanced stages (P=0.007, P=0.015), choroidal infiltration (P=0.003, P=0.029), and optic nerve infiltration (P=0.036, P=0.003). In addition, a low expression level of NR2E3 was associated with high-risk pathology (P=0.025) and necrosis (P=0.035) of RB tissues. Conclusion The expression levels of NR1D1 and NR2E3 were decreased in RB and closely associated with the clinical stage and high invasion of the disease.These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of RB progression and suggest that NR1D1 and NR2E3 could be potential targets for treatment strategies.

4,4'-Spiro-bis[cyclopenta[2,1

Two-dimensional (2D)/quasi-2D perovskite solar cells (PSCs) incorporating organic spacer cations exhibit appealing ambient stability in comparison with their 3D analogs. Most reported organic spacer cations are based on ammonium, whereas formamidinium (FA+) has been seldom applied despite that FA has been extensively used in high-efficiency 3D PSCs. Herein, a novel FA-based organic spacer cation, 4-chloro-phenylformamidinium (CPFA+), is applied in quasi-2D Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) PSCs for the first time, and methylammonium chloride (MACl) is employed to promote crystal growth and orientation of perovskite film, resulting in high power conversion efficiency (PCE) with improved stability. Upon incorporating CPFA+ organic spacer cation and MACl additive, high-quality quasi-2D CPFA2MAn−1Pbn(I0.857Cl0.143)3n+1 (n = 9) perovskite film forms, exhibiting improved crystal orientation, reduced trap state density, prolonged carrier lifetime and optimized energy level alignment. Consequently, the CPFA2MAn−1Pbn(I0.857Cl0.143)3n+1 (n = 9) quasi-2D RP PSC devices deliver a highest PCE of 14.78%. Moreover, the un-encapsulated CPFA-based quasi-2D RP PSC devices maintain ∼ 80% of its original PCE after exceeding 2000 h storage under ambient condition, whereas the 3D MAPbI3 counterparts retain only ∼ 45% of its original PCE. Thus, the ambient stability of quasi-2D RP PSC devices is improved obviously relative to its 3D MAPbI3 counterpart.

Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is highly common in diabetes patients. P2X receptors play critical roles in pain sensitization. We previously showed that elevated P2X3 expression in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) contributes to DNP. However, the role of other P2X receptors in DNP is unclear. Here, we established the DNP model using a single high-dose streptozotocin (STZ) injection and investigated the expression of P2X genes in the DRG. Our data revealed elevated P2X2, P2X4, and P2X7 mRNA levels in DRG of DNP rats. The protein levels of P2X4 and P2X7 in DNP rats increased, but the P2X2 did not change significantly. To study the role of P2X4 and P2X7 in diabetes-induced hyperalgesia, we treated the DNP rats with TNP-ATP (2’,3’-O-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)-adenosine 5’-triphosphate), a nonspecific P2X1–7 antagonist, and found that TNP-ATP alleviated thermal hyperalgesia in DNP rats. 2 Hz electroacupuncture is analgesic against DNP and could downregulate P2X4 and P2X7 expression in DRG. Our findings indicate that P2X4 and P2X7 in L4–L6 DRGs contribute to diabetes-induced hyperalgesia, and that EA reduces thermal hyperalgesia and the expression of P2X4 and P2X7.

A simple and green method was developed for the reaction of 2-aminothiophenol and benzaldehyde in the self-neutralizing acidic CO2-alcohol system to produce benzothiazoles. A series of benzothiazole derivatives were successfully prepared from the condensation and cyclization reaction of 2-aminothiophenol or substituted 2-aminothiophenol with aliphatic, heteroaryl and aryl aldehydes promoted by alkyl carbonic acid under mild conditions. Moreover, the method is also suitable for the synthesis of 2-phenylbenzimidazole and 2-phenylbenzoxazole. Additionally, this reaction system greatly simplified post-processing, which did not need to be neutralized with base and without salt disposal. These advantages make the process more practical, economical, and environmentally friendly. Mechanism investigation indicated that formation of alkyl carbonic acid from CO2 and methanol is the key intermediate, which provides hydrogen ions to catalyze the reaction of 2-aminothiophenol and benzaldehyde.

A novel electron acceptor, BTP-H2, demonstrates a high efficiency of 18.5% with a high Voc of 0.932 V. It also enables the ternary device to yield an efficiency of 19.2%, ranking the highest among single-junction organic photovoltaics.

Lanthipeptides are one of the largest groups of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) and are characterized by the presence of lanthionine (Lan) or methyllanthionine residues (MeLan). Only very few lanthipeptides contain a C-terminal 2-aminovinyl-cysteine (AviCys) motif, but all of them show potent antibacterial activities. Recent advances of genome sequencing led to the rapid accumulation of new biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) for lanthipeptides. In this study, through our genome mining strategy, we found the AviCys containing lanthipeptides are widespread in the bacterial kingdom. A lanthipeptide-type biosynthetic gene cluster was identified from public bacterial genome database. Two new lanthipeptides, daspyromycins A and B (1 and 2) containing AviCys motif, along with two degraded products, daspyromycins C and D (3 and 4), were obtained after heterologous expression of the gene cluster in Streptomyces albus J1074. Daspyromycins A and B showed potent antimicrobial activity against a spectrum of Gram-positive and -negative bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE).

Other than multi-ring fused or non-covalent lock strategies, the work demonstrates the use of bulky and embracing type sidechains to force non-fused rings staying in a coplanar configuration for high performance non-fullerene electron acceptors.