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BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is among the most common type of cardiovascular diseases. The role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and ferroptosis in CAD remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the circRNAs expression profile in ferroptosis of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). METHODS: The ferroptosis induced by H(2)O(2)-stimulated oxidative stress in HCAECs and the role of Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) was assessed by the levels of CCK8, oxidized and reduced glutathione (GSSH and GSH), ferrous irons, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid reactive oxygen species (Lipid ROS), PTGS2 and GPX4. The expression profile of circRNAs was characterized by RNA sequencing. RESULTS: LDH, MDA, Lipid ROS, ferrous ions, GSSH and PTGS2 were significantly increased, CCK8, GSH and GPX4 were significantly decreased in H(2)O(2) induced cell damage. Moreover, Fer-1 increased CCK8, GSH and GPX4 levels and decreased LDH, MDA, Lipid ROS, GSSH and PTGS2 levels, which alleviated H(2)O(2) induced cell damage. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network and circRNA-protein interactions network were constructed based on differentially expressed circRNAs. In total, 17 downregulated and 18 upregulated circRNAs were identified in H(2)O(2) treated HCAECs by RNA sequencing. Parental genes of circRNAs were analyzed by KEGG and GO, detecting pathways related to ferroptosis. 10 differentially expressed circRNAs were verified by qRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide new sight to the character of circRNAs in the progress of HCAECs ferroptosis and contribute a significant data for further investigating the potential mechanisms of CAD.

For the efficient conversion of L-tyrosine (L-Tyr) to tyrosol, which is an aromatic compound widely used in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, a novel four-enzyme cascade pathway based on the Ehrlich pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was designed and reconstructed in Escherichia coli. Then, the expression levels of the relevant enzymes were coordinated using a modular approach and gene duplication after the identification of the pyruvate decarboxylase from Candida tropicalis (CtPDC) as the rate-limiting enzymatic step. In situ product removal (ISPR) strategy with XAD4 resins was explored to avoid product inhibition and further improve tyrosol yield. As a result, the titer and conversion rate of tyrosol obtained were 35.7 g·L-1 and 93.6%, respectively, in a 3-L bioreactor. Results presented here provide a potential enzymatic process for industrial production of tyrosol from cheap amino acids.

Locking screws with a typical buttress thread have high levels of failure in patients with osteoporotic bones. This study aims to develop a novel thread design for the locking screw and compare its fixation stability with the typical buttress thread.Locking screws with a novel thread design that possess an undercut feature and locking screws with a typical buttress thread were manufactured from stainless steel. Their fixation stabilities were then evaluated individually under a lateral migration test and evaluated in pairs together with a locking plate (LP) in an osteoporotic bone substitute under cyclic craniocaudal and torsional loadings. A finite element analysis (FEA) model was constructed to analyze the stress distributions present in the bone tissue adjacent to the novel thread versus the buttress thread.The biomechanical test revealed that the novel thread had a significantly higher lateral migration strength than the buttress thread. When applied to a LP, the locking screw with the novel thread requires more cycles and higher forces or torque to resist migration up to 5 mm or 10° than the buttress thread. The FEA simulation showed that the novel thread can make the stress distribute more evenly at the adjacent bone tissue when compared with the buttress thread.The locking screw with the novel undercut thread had superior lateral migration resistance during both initial and continued migration and superior fixation stability when applied to a LP under both cyclic craniocaudal loading and torsional loading than the locking screw with a typical buttress thread.

Black participants often lose less weight than White participants in response to behavioral weight-loss interventions. Many participants experience significant pretreatment weight fluctuations (between baseline measurement and treatment initiation), which have been associated with treatment outcomes. Pretreatment weight gain has been shown to be more prevalent among Black participants and may contribute to racial differences in treatment responses. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the associations between pretreatment weight change and treatment outcomes and (2) examine racial differences in pretreatment weight change and weight loss among Black and White participants.Participants were Black and White women (n=153, 60% Black) enrolled in a 4-month weight loss program. Weight changes occurring during the pretreatment period (41 ± 14 days) were categorized as weight stable (±1.15% of baseline weight), weight gain (≥+1.15%), or weight loss (≤-1.15%). Recruitment and data collection occurred from 2011 to 2015; statistical analyses were performed in 2021.During the pretreatment period, most participants (56%) remained weight stable. Pretreatment weight trajectories did not differ by race (p=0.481). At 4-months, those who lost weight before treatment experienced 2.63% greater weight loss than those who were weight stable (p0.005), whereas those who gained weight before treatment experienced 1.91% less weight loss (p0.01).Pretreatment weight changes can impact weight outcomes after initial treatment, although no differences between Black and White participants were observed. Future studies should consider the influence of pretreatment weight change on long-term outcomes (e.g., weight loss maintenance) along with potential racial differences in these associations. This study is registered (retrospectively registered) at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02487121) on June 26, 2015.

The microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating myogenesis by targeting mRNA. However, the understanding of miRNAs in skeletal muscle development and diseases is unclear. In this study, we firstly performed the transcriptome profiling in differentiating C2C12 myoblast cells. Totally, we identified 187 miRNAs and 4260 mRNAs significantly differentially expressed that were involved in myoblast differentiation. We carried out validation of microarray data based on 5 mRNAs and 5 miRNAs differentially expressed and got a consistent result. Then we constructed and validated the significantly up- and down-regulated mRNA-miRNA interaction networks. Four interaction pairs (miR-145a-5p-Fscn1, miR-200c-5p-Tmigd1, miR-27a-5p-Sln and miR-743a-5p-Mob1b) with targeted relationships in differentiated myoblast cells were demonstrated. They are all closely related to myoblast development. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated cell cycle signals important for exploring skeletal muscle development and disease. Functionally, we discovered that miR-743a targeting gene Mps One Binder Kinase Activator-Like 1B (Mob1b) gene in differentiated C2C12. The up-regulated miR-743a can promote the differentiation of C2C12 myoblast. While the down-regulated Mob1b plays a negative role in differentiation. In addition, the expression profile of miR-743a and Mob1b are consistent with skeletal muscle recovery after Cardiotoxin (CTX) injury. Our study revealed that miR-743a-5p regulates myoblast differentiation by targeting Mob1b involved in skeletal muscle development and regeneration. Our findings made a further exploration for mechanisms in myogenesis and might provide potential possible miRNA-based target therapies for skeletal muscle regeneration and disease in the near future.

CO2 electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) has been considered as an effective technology to close the anthropogenic carbon cycle. Formate, a product of two-electron transfer in CO2RR, is an economically valuable feedstock. In this work, nanoporous tin oxides were controllable synthesized by a facile and scalable electrochemical anodic oxidation method. XPS result indicated that the increased Sn4+ species after anodic oxidation were beneficial to reduce the overpotential of formate formation. Operando Raman spectra revealed that the enhanced formate selectivity could be attributed to the high local pH within the porous structure, which suppresses hydrogen evolution reaction (competing reaction against CO2RR). Further flow cell test showed a formate partial current density of 285 mA·cm−2 with the selectivity of 96.4%, indicating a promising industrial application prospect.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is the leading cause of bacterial sepsis-related death because of disrupted pulmonary endothelial barrier, resulting in protein-rich pulmonary oedema, an influx of pro-inflammatory cells and refractory hypoxaemia. Several studies have reported that C3a levels are significantly higher in organs with sepsis and their peripheral organs and are closely associated with organ dysfunction and poor prognosis in sepsis. However, the role of the C3a complement in sepsis ALI remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the important role and mechanism of C3a in preventing the occurrence of pyroptosis (a pro-inflammatory form of cell death) to protect the lung endothelial cells (ECs) in sepsis-induced ALI. A septic mouse model was established with cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), which demonstrated that C3a mediated EC pyroptosis through its C3aR receptor. Furthermore, inhibition of the C3a-C3aR axis could block both NLRP3/caspase-1 and caspase-11 pathways, thus preventing pulmonary EC from pyroptosis. These results indicate that inhibition of the C3A-C3AR complement axis can inhibit pulmonary vascular EC pyroptosis, a potential target for the treatment of ALI.

Objective : The objective of this study was to evaluate CELSR3 expression and explore its potential mechanism in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Study design : CELSR3 mRNA expression was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. CELSR3 protein expression in 135 surgical oral squamous cell carcinoma specimens was observed by immunohistochemical staining. Staining results were used to investigate association between CELSR3 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. Bioinformatics analyses were used to explore the potential mechanism of CELSR3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Results : CELSR3 mRNA expression was upregulated in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in the TCGA-HNSC dataset. Increased CELSR3 protein expression was associated with perineural invasion and poor clinical outcomes in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that CELSR3 is involvement in axonogenesis, neuron migration and cell-cell adhesion, all of which are involved in the process of perineural invasion. Conclusion : CELSR3 may play a pro-oncogenic role in oral squamous cell carcinoma and can predict perineural invasion and poor survival. CELSR3 may be involved in oral squamous cell carcinoma progression by modulating perineural invasion.

To perform a meta-analysis comparing the clinical and functional outcomes of ultrasound-guided (USG) and blind injections for shoulder pain.The Embase, Cochrane Library, and PubMed databases were searched from database inception to April 7, 2021. Clinical and functional outcomes included the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, abduction, flexion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Assessment Form (ASES) score, Constant-Murley Shoulder (CMS) score, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), Shoulder Disability Questionnaire (SDQ) score, and Shorted Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (Quick DASH) score. Dichotomous outcomes were assessed with mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).Fifteen studies that compared USG and blind injections were included. No significant difference was found in the VAS score between the blind group and USG group (MD 0.41 [-0.02, 0.84]; IUltrasound guidance is not superior in the subacromial bursa and glenohumeral joint injections in pain or function. However, injection in the brachial bicipital groove, is still superior to blind injection of pain relief.Level II, meta-analysis of Level I and II studies.

In this work, a sustainable flame retardant and superhydrophobic cotton fabric was prepared by a two-step process: the cotton fabric was firstly treated with a chitosan/sodium polyborate polyelectrolyte complex water solution to obtain a flame retardant layer, and then treated with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tetrahydrofuran solution to construct a superhydrophobic layer. The phase-separated chitosan with a micro-nano roughness structure was covered by PDMS, which synergistically improved the hydrophobicity of the cotton fabric. The flammability evaluation indicated that the limiting oxygen index value of the treated fabric was increased to 40.0% from 18.2%, the peak of heat release rate was reduced by 63.8%, and the total heat release was reduced by 57.6% compared with that of the control sample. The enhanced flame retardancy was attributed to the excellent charring ability in the condensed phase. The treated fabric also showed anti-sticking, self-cleaning, and oil/water-separating properties. This coating treatment without any F, Cl, Br, P elements involved is regarded as a clean methodology for producing flame retardant and superhydrophobic cotton fabrics.

OBJECTIVE Plate exposure remains one of the most serious complications of oromandibular reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of wrapping reconstruction plates with anterolateral thigh (ALT) free flaps as a way to prevent plate exposure. STUDY DESIGN A total of 91 patients with composite oromandibular defects who underwent surgical reconstruction using a reconstruction plate in conjunction with an ALT musculocutaneous flap were recruited. The participants were divided into 2 groups, based on whether the plate was wrapped with or covered by the ALT flap. RESULTS The incidence of plate exposure in the experimental group (17%) was significantly lower than that of the control group (43.1%; P < .0001). The mean time from reconstruction until plate exposure in the experimental group was 19.4 ± 23.6 months, whereas the mean time in the control group was 12.3 ± 9.1 months. In the logistic regression model for the occurrence of plate exposure, the only factor found to be associated with plate exposure was how the ALT flap was used (P = .026). CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study indicate that wrapping the reconstruction plate with an ALT flap decreased the incidence of plate exposure in patients with oromandibular defects.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy and major cause of cancer death in the world. Ferroptosis is a recently identified type of regulated cell death. Increasing evidence has shown that ferroptosis plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of cancer. This study identified TIGAR as a potential regulator of ferroptosis resistance in the development of CRC. We showed that TIGAR expression in CRC tissues is significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues. Knockdown of TIGAR significantly caused an increase in erastin-induced ferroptosis in SW620 and HCT116 cells. Notably, knockdown of TIGAR significantly decreased GSH/GSSG ratio, increased lipid peroxidation production, and facilitated the accumulation of lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA), and rendered CRC cells more sensitive to erastin induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, TIGAR inhibition repressed SCD1 expression in a redox and AMPK-dependent manner. Thus, these results suggest that TIGAR induces ferroptosis resistance in CRC cells via the ROS/AMPK/SCD1 signaling pathway.

Air source heat pump (ASHP) has advantages of high efficiency, eco-friendly operation, and convenient installation, but frost accumulation on the outdoor heat exchanger is one of the basic concerns about its operation. Reverse cycle defrosting (RCD) is widely used for defrosting, however, when RCD begins and ends, the four-way reversing valve quickly switches and the system pressure needs to be rebalanced which will cause the incomplete evaporation of refrigerant into the compressor. Thus, it leads to the decrease of the performance of the ASHP system during RCD. In order to improve the performance of RCD, this study proposes an ASHP defrosting system with coupled liquid-storage gas-liquid separator. An obvious advantage of the proposed system is retarding frosting, reducing defrosting time and increasing the heating capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) of the ASHP system thus reducing the number of defrosting cycles. And the proposed system can improve indoor thermal comfort during defrosting. Experiments show that compared with the original system, the proposed system delays frosting by 30 min and reduces the defrosting time by 74 s (22.7%), improving the heating capacity and COP by 6.78% and 12.8% respectively. Moreover, the proposed system with the coupled liquid-storage gas-liquid separator is economically friendly, which further benefits its practical applications.

Maturation of oocytes and early embryo development are regulated precisely by numerous factors at transcriptional and posttranslational levels through precise mechanisms. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most common modification in mRNA which regulates RNA metabolism and gene expression. However, the role of RNA m6A on porcine oocyte maturation and early embryogenesis is largely unknown. Here, we found that oocytes treated with cycloleucine (CL), an RNA m6A inhibitor, express impaired cumulus expansion, increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the mitochondria, and delayed maturation of oocytes by disrupting spindle organization and chromosome alignment. Also, CL halted the development of embryos at the 4-cell stage and resulted in low-quality blastocysts. Furthermore, CL treatment decreased the RNA m6A, H3K4me3, and H3K9me3 levels, but increased the acetylation level of H4K16 during parthenogenetic embryonic development in pigs. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analysis further revealed that CL treatment dramatically up-regulated the expression of metabolism-related genes (SLC16A1, and MAIG3 etc.) and maternal related genes, including BTG4, WEE2, and BMP15 among others, at the blastocyst stage. Taken together, inhibition of RNA m6A by CL impaired meiosis of oocytes and early embryonic development of porcine via RNA m6A methylation, histone modifications, and altering the expression of metabolism-related genes in blastocysts.

Star-shaped small molecules have attracted great attention for organic solar cells (OSCs) because they have three-dimensional charge-transport characteristics, strong light absorption capacities and easily tunable energy levels. Herein, three- and four-armed star-shaped small molecule donors, namely BDT-3Th and BDT-4Th, respectively, have been successfully designed and synthesized, which used benzodithiophene (BDT) as the central unit. The two star-shaped intermediates (2a and 2b) could be simultaneously obtained by one-step of Suzuki coupling, and 1,2-dimethoxyethane played a key role in the Suzuki coupling. Both of them have excellent thermal stability, good solubility and broad absorption. Four-armed BDT-4Th shows a slightly higher extinction coefficient, a deeper HOMO energy level and an obviously better phase separation morphology when blended with Y6 than three-armed BDT-3Th. As a result, increased power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.83% is obtained in the BDT-4Th:Y6-based OSC devices, which is obviously higher than that of the BDT-3Th:Y6-based devices (PCE = 3.78%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest PCE among the BDT-based star-shaped donors-based OSCs. This result provides an effective strategy to obtain star-shaped small molecule donor materials for high efficient organic solar cells.

Paraquat is one of the most widely used nonselective herbicides and has elicited the emergence of paraquat-resistant weeds. However, the molecular mechanisms of paraquat resistance are not completely understood. Here we report the Arabidopsis gain-of-function mutant pqt15-D with significantly enhanced resistance to paraquat and the corresponding gene PQT15, which encodes the Multidrug and Toxic Extrusion (MATE) transporter DTX6. A point mutation at +932 bp in DTX6 causes a G311E amino acid substitution, enhancing the paraquat resistance of pqt15-D, and overexpression of DTX6/PQT15 in the wild-type plants also results in strong paraquat resistance. Moreover, heterologous expression of DTX6 and DTX6-D in Escherichia coli significantly enhances bacterial resistance to paraquat. Importantly, overexpression of DTX6-D enables Arabidopsis plants to tolerate 4 mM paraquat, a near-commercial application level. DTX6/PQT15 is localized in the plasma membrane and endomembrane, and functions as a paraquat efflux transporter as demonstrated by paraquat efflux assays with isolated protoplasts and bacterial cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that DTX6/PQT15 is an efflux transporter that confers paraquat resistance by exporting paraquat out of the cytosol. These findings reveal a molecular mechanism of paraquat resistance in higher plants and provide a promising candidate gene for engineering paraquat-resistant crops.