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Circular ribonucleic acids (circRNAs) are widely expressed in human cells and play an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Some circRNAs have microRNA (miRNA) binding response elements and interact with miRNA to regulate the expression of target genes.Four patients with a preliminary diagnosis of dengue fever (DF), peripheral whole blood sample in anticoagulant was collected before treatment (pretreatment group) and after effective treatment (posttreatment group), and eight samples were separated and used to screen differentially expressed circRNAs with microarray analysis. The relative expression level of circRNAs was determined using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). TargetScan v7.1 and miRDB v5 bioinformatics software were used to predict circRNA-binding miRNAs; dual luciferase reporters were constructed to detect binding between circRNA and miRNA. Microarray screening revealed 263 differentially expressed circRNAs in peripheral leukocytes pretreatment versus posttreatment; 107 of these were upregulated and 156 were downregulated. RT-PCR confirmed that hsa_circ_0015962 was significantly upregulated and hsa_circ_0006459 significantly downregulated (P

This study presents the distribution, seasonal variations and factors influencing phosphorus (P) forms in surface sediments from the Maowei Sea. P forms were measured using the sequential extraction (SEDEX) procedures. Inorganic P (IP) was the predominant chemical form of total P (TP). Fe-bound P (FeP) was the main IP form. Sediment particle sizes, organic matter distribution, terrestrial input and aquaculture activity were responsible for the seasonal variations of different forms of P in sediment. In summer, the average proportions of P fractions in TP followed the order of organic P (OP) > Fe-P > authigenic P (CaP) > detrital P (De-P) > exchangeable P (Ex-P); in winter, the corresponding order was OP > Fe-P > De-P > Ca-P > Ex-P. The potential bio-available P accounted for 71.1 ± 4.9% and 70.6 ± 6.3% of TP in summer and winter, respectively. Sedimentary organic matter mainly came from land-based sources in winter.

Summary Emodin, an anthraquinone compound extracted from rhubarb and other traditional Chinese medicines, has been proven to have a wide range of pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antitumor activities. Previous studies have confirmed that emodin has inhibitory effects on various solid tumors, such as osteosarcoma, liver cancer, prostate cancer and glioma. This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of emodin-induced necroptosis in the glioma cell line U251 by targeting the TNF-α/RIP1/RIP3 signaling pathway. We found that emodin could significantly inhibit U251 cell proliferation, and the viability of U251 cells treated with emodin was reduced in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Flow cytometry assays and Hoechst-PI staining assays showed that emodin induced apoptosis and necroptosis. Real-time PCR and western blot analysis showed that emodin upregulated the levels of TNF-α, RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL. Furthermore, the RIP1 inhibitor Nec-1 and the RIP3 inhibitor GSK872 attenuated the killing effect of emodin on U251 cells. In addition, emodin could increase the levels of TNF-α, RIP1, RIP3 and MLKL in vivo. The results demonstrate that emodin could induce necroptosis in glioma possibly through the activation of the TNF-α/RIP1/RIP3 axis. These studies provide novel insight into the induction of necroptosis by emodin and indicate that emodin might be a potential candidate for treating glioma through the necroptosis pathway.

Corilagin is a polyphenol that can be extracted from many medicinal plants and shows multiple pharmacological effects. We aimed to investigate the role of corilagin on miR-21-regulated hepatic fibrosis, especially miR-21-regulated TGF-[Formula: see text]1/Smad signaling pathway, in hepatic stellate LX2 cell line and Sprague–Dawley rats. The mRNA or protein levels of miR-21, Smad7, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), [Formula: see text]-smooth muscle actin ([Formula: see text]-SMA), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1), Smad2, Smad3, Smad2/3, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, p-Smad2/3, and transforming growth factor-[Formula: see text]1 (TGF-[Formula: see text]1) in LX2 cells and liver tissues were determined. Furthermore, gain-of and loss-of function of miR-21 in miR-21-regulated TGF-[Formula: see text]1/Smad signaling pathway were analyzed in LX2 cells. Liver tissues and serum were collected for pathological analysis, immunohistochemical staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Corilagin treatment reduced mRNA or protein levels of miR-21, CTGF, [Formula: see text]-SMA, TIMP-1, TGF-[Formula: see text]1, COL1A1, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, and p-Smad2/3 both in vitro and in vivo. While corilagin increased mRNA and protein levels of Smad7 and MMP-9. After gain-of and loss-of function of miR-21, the downstream effectors of miR-21-regulated TGF-[Formula: see text]1/Smad signaling pathway in LX2 cells changed accordingly, and the changes were inhibited by corilagin. Simultaneously, administration of corilagin not only ameliorated pathological manifestation of liver fibrosis but also reduced levels of [Formula: see text]-SMA and COL1A1 in liver tissues and TGF-[Formula: see text]1, ALT levels in serum. Corilagin is able to potentially prevent liver fibrosis by blocking the miR-21-regulated TGF-[Formula: see text]1/Smad signaling pathway in LX2 cells and CCl4-induced liver fibrosis rats, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for liver fibrosis.

Circular RNA (circRNA), a type of RNA that is widely expressed in mammalian cells, is considered to be essential in tumorigenesis. CircRNA can regulate target gene expression by interacting with the corresponding microRNA (miRNA). Our preliminary results showed that the expression levels of 1,817 circRNAs were significantly different in colon cancer tissue compared with paracancerous tissue, of which 1,236 were upregulated and 581 were downregulated. By using RT-PCR, we confirmed that the expression of hsa_circ_0007843, hsa_circ_0010575, hsa_circ_0007331, and hsa_circ_0001615 was significantly higher in colon cancer tissue than in normal colonic tissue; however, the expression levels of hsa_circ_0014879 and hsa_circRNA_401801 were not significantly different between normal and neoplastic colonic tissue. Among the circRNAs that were confirmed to be upregulated in colon cancer tissue, hsa_circ_0007843 was also found to be highly expressed in colon cancer SW480 cells. Overexpression of hsa_circ_0007843 promoted the invasion and migration of SW480 cells, whereas its downregulation suppressed their invasion and migration. Overexpression of hsa_circ_0007843 promoted tumor growth, whereas its downregulation inhibited tumor growth. We found that hsa_circ_0007843 interacted with miR-518c-5p and suppressed its expression, and miR-518c-5p interacted with matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) and promoted its expression and translation. Taken together, this study demonstrated that hsa_circ_0007843 acted as an miRNA sponge to regulate MMP2 expression by removing the inhibitory effect of miR-518c-5p on MMP2 gene translation, which further affected the invasive capability of SW480 cells.

Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is the most common infectious disease of the central nervous system worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of HSE is not clear. Research has shown that the immune response mediated by the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) signaling pathway is essential to protect the central nervous system against herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. However, an excessive immune response may cause tissue damage accompanied by pathological changes. The aim of this study was to explore the molecular mechanism via which corilagin controls HSE through the TLR3 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. Cells and mice were pre-treated with polyriboinosinic polyribocytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] or HSV type 1, and then treated with corilagin. After treatment, the mRNA and protein levels of TLR3, TLR-like receptor-associated interferon factor (TRIF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor type 1-associated DEATH domain protein (TRADD), TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF) 3 and 6, nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB) essential modulator (NEMO), P38, and interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) were decreased. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), TNF-α, and type 1 interferon-β were also decreased. When TLR3 expression was silenced or increased, corilagin still inhibited the expression of TLR3 and its downstream mediators. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemical examinations of mouse brain tissues revealed that corilagin lessened the degree of brain inflammation. Altogether, these results suggest that corilagin may regulate the immune response in HSE and relieve inflammatory injury by interfering with the TLR3 signaling pathway.

With objective of estimating the impact of ship emissions on ambient PM2.5 and PM10 levels and human health at a coastal urban site in Xiamen Island, a one year long sampling campaign was carried out from January 2017 to January 2018. Samples were subject to chemical analysis for various chemical components including water-soluble inorganic ions, carbonaceous species, and elements. The annual average PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations were, respectively, 32.8 ± 18.9 μg m−3 and 54.5 ± 29.6 μg m−3. The highest seasonal average concentrations were found in winter-spring and the lowest in summer due to the seasonal monsoon and gas-particle conversion. The rapid accumulation of vehicle exhaust and the stable existence of NH4NO3 in the ground layer within the urban area contributed to the incremental PM. Sulfate, nitrate, ammonium and organic carbon in PM2.5 have decreased since 2011–2013, while elemental carbon increased significantly. This suggests that the motor vehicle and/or ship emissions contributions to PM2.5 have increased relative to coal combustion over the past five years. The temporal variations of PM and its associated components during the BRICS summit control period further confirmed the important role of traffic related emissions in PM mass. Primary particulates resolved by PMF analysis plus secondary sulfate derived from secondary sulfate formation were estimated to account for 7.56% and 8.31% of PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. Selected heavy metals (As, Cd, Ni, V, Mn, hexavalent Cr, Ba and Pb) originating from ship emissions contributed 64.4% for PM2.5 and 53.2% for PM10 of the total non-cancer risk. Carcinogenic risk (lifetime cancer risk) for ship emissions associated with these hazard metals accounted for 50.6% for PM2.5 and 44.5% for PM10. Therefore, control measures applied to the ship emissions can benefit the local air quality improvement and reduce health burden to people around the port.

Recent evidence has demonstrated that circular RNAs (circRNAs) played crucial roles in fine‐tuning the levels of gene expression by sequestering the corresponding microRNA (miRNAs). Their interaction with disease‐associated miRNAs indicates that circRNAs are important for the development of disease, and miR‐145 has been previously shown to have antitumor effect in prostate cancer. In the current study, we successfully established the miR‐145‐overexpressed prostate cancer LNCaP cells (LNCaP‐miR‐145) using lentiviral vectors. LNCaP cells expressing the empty vector (LNCaP‐NC) were used as the negative control. The circRNA expression in LNCaP‐miR‐145 cells was detected by microarray analysis, and the miRNA targets of circRNAs were predicted using the bioinformatics software TargetScan and miRanda. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression levels of circRNAs in the prostate cancer tissue, nonmalignant tissue, LNCaP‐miR‐145 cells, and LNCaP‐NC cells. The interaction of miRNA and circRNA was further confirmed by the dual‐luciferase reporter assay. A total of 267 and 149 circRNAs were significantly up‐ and downregulated in LNCaP‐miR‐145 cells, respectively. hsa_circRNA_101981, hsa_circRNA_101996 and hsa_circRNA_09142 were the 3 circRNAs that interacted with hsa‐miR‐145‐5p; hsa_circRNA_008068 and hsa_circRNA_406557 were the 2 circRNAs that interacted with hsa‐miR‐145‐3p. Most of the circRNAs corresponded to the protein‐coding exons. The expression levels of hsa_circRNA_101981, hsa_circRNA_00806, and hsa_circRNA_406557 were upregulated in the LNCaP‐miR‐145 cells, but downregulated in the prostate cancer tissue. In contrast, the expression levels of hsa_circRNA_101996 and hsa_circRNA_091420 were downregulated in the LNCaP‐miR‐145 cells, but upregulated in the prostate cancer tissue. Moreover, miR‐145‐5P might regulate the expression of hsa_circRNA_101981, hsa_circRNA_101996, and hsa_circRNA_09142, while miR‐145‐3P might regulate the expression of hsa_circRNA_008068 and hsa_circRNA_406557. Overexpression of miR‐145 promoted the expression of hsa_circRNA_101981, hsa_circRNA_008068, and hsa_circRNA_406557 but suppressed the expressions of hsa_circRNA_101996 and hsa_circRNA_091420 in LNCaP cells. The results from the current study should give us a clue to clarify the tumor suppressive effect of miR‐145.

In this work, the physicochemical property and its Effect of hydrous amorphous cellulose has been studied using molecular dynamics. Both intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonds in cellulose molecules decrease with increasing water content, directly leading to the decline of cellulose cohesive energy density, solubility parameters, and mechanical parameters. High water content in amorphous cellulose gives bigger interchain distance of cellulose molecules, indicating that the intermolecular interaction of cellulose molecules is weakened greatly by water.

We have investigated the feasibility of bamboo charcoal@iron oxide black for the headspace solid-phase microextraction of polychlorinated biphenyls in environmental water samples. Bamboo charcoal@iron oxide black was prepared and used as a solid-phase microextraction coating material, and gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was used for detection. Several important factors affecting the extraction efficiency were systematically investigated and optimized. Under the optimum conditions, the experimental data exhibited wide linear range over the range 0.2-1000 ng/L and low limits of detection in the range of 4.7-22.2 pg/L. The novel coating was successfully used for the enrichment and determination of polychlorinated biphenyls in real environmental water samples. All these results indicated that bamboo charcoal@iron oxide black-based headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was an excellent alternative for the sensitive analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls at ultratrace levels in the environment.

This study demonstrates the potential of bamboo charcoal as a novel and inexpensive solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coating material for enrichment and determination of organic pollutants in water samples. Bamboo charcoal was prepared and used as a SPME coating material. Eleven phthalate esters (PAEs) were used as model analytes, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used for separation and detection. Important extraction conditions (ionic strength, stirring rate, and extraction time) and desorption conditions (desorption temperature and time) were systematically investigated and optimized. Linearity of 0.1-100 μg L(-1) and correlation coefficients of 0.9992-0.9998 were obtained under optimum conditions. Inter-day and intra-day repeatability were 2.15-9.93 % and 1.89-9.85 %, respectively, and fiber-to-fiber reproducibility was 5.42-9.66 %. On the basis of a chromatographic signal-to-baseline noise ratio of three, the limits of detection reached 0.004-0.023 μg L(-1). Satisfactory results were achieved when the bamboo coating was used for determination of 11 PAEs in real water samples. The experimental results indicate that bamboo charcoal has significant potential as a SPME coating material for rapid enrichment and sensitive determination of organic pollutants in environmental samples.

This paper demonstrates, for the first time, the great potential of using Zn/Al layered double hydroxide intercalated sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (Zn/Al-SDBS-LDH) as a solid-phase extraction (SPE) material in the extraction of persistent organic pollutants prior to the determination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in environmental water samples. Zn/Al-SDBS-LDH, a relatively inexpensive and simply prepared material, was synthesized and used as a SPE adsorbent to quantitatively determine the concentration of five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental water samples. Factors affecting extraction efficiency, such as, eluent type, eluent volume, flow rate of sample, sample volume, and amount of adsorbent, were investigated and optimized in detail. Experimental results indicate that there is an excellent linear relationship between peak area and the concentration of PAHs over the range of 5-500 ng L(-1), and the precisions (relative standard deviation (RSD)) were 2.5-6.3% under the optimum conditions. Based on the ratio of chromatographic signal-to-base line noise (S/N = 3), the limits of detection could reach 1.2-3.2 ng L(-1). This novel method was successfully applied to the analysis of PAHs in environmental water samples. As such, we show here that the use of Zn/Al-SDBS-LDH as SPE adsorbent materials, coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, is an excellent improvement in the routine analysis of PAHs at trace levels in the environment.