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A novel heterowheel pseudorotaxane comprised of one guest, one cucurbit[7]uril and two cucurbit[6]urils was synthesised and characterised by1H NMR, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that the heterowheel pseudorotaxane self-assembles into two-dimensional polyrotaxane network with the aid of water molecules and hydrogen bonds. Every four heterowheel pseudorotaxanes self-assemble into a parallelogram, which is the basic unit of the 2D network. A novel heterowheel pseudorotaxane consisting of one guest, one cucurbit[7]uril and two cucurbit[6]urils was synthesised. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that the heterowheel pseudorotaxane self-assembles into two-dimensional polyrotaxane network with the aid of water molecules and hydrogen bonds. Every four heterowheel pseudorotaxanes self-assemble into a parallelogram, which is the basic unit of the 2D network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WO3 is a promising photoanode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Loading co-catalysts is an effective strategy for favoring the charge transfer and light harvesting of WO3, which can in turn improve its PEC performance. Herein, the ferrihydrite (Fh), a kind of poorly crystalline iron oxide material, was loaded on the WO3 photoanode through a two-step hydrothermal synthesis. The obtained Fh/WO3 photoanode exhibited a remarkable photocurrent density of 0.6 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V (vs. RHE), which was 1.79 times higher than the bare WO3. For the Fh/WO3 photoanode, the bulk charge separation efficiency is 45.6% and the photoconversion efficiency is 0.066%, which are both higher than the bare WO3. The decorated Fh can form an additional interface between the WO3 and the electrolyte, which decreases the impedance and favors the charge transfer. Moreover, the Fh can function as a hole storage layer, which can temporarily store the photogenerated holes and induce the longer lifetime of charge carriers, thus improving the charge separation and water oxidation reaction kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active site is a highly anticipated property of adsorbent in the field of separation, as it enables a concurrent enhancement of both adsorption efficiency and adsorption rate. Herein, employing morphology-oriented regulation, we successfully fabricated heterogeneous MgO adsorbent from a magnesium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) precursor, octahedral MgO-M and laminated sheets MgO-P, for the capture of Congo red (CR). Specifically, the octahedron MgO-M exhibits a greater abundant of moderately and strongly alkaline sites, which facilitate the adsorption of CR. Furthermore, the synergistic effect between alkaline site and lattice oxygen further enhances the adsorption process. The adsorption data align more closely with the Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir models. Notably, the exceptional adsorption capacity (exceeding 1900 mg·g -1 for MgO-M) and the secondary regeneration efficiency (over 96% removal rate across six cycles) offer promising prospects for future industrial applications, effectively addressing challenges related to poor water stability and difficult storability. Additionally, characterizations reveal the positive roles of alkaline sites, lattice oxygen, and pore structure in capturing significant quantities of CR through mechanisms such as electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and pore filling., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The core body temperature serves as a pivotal physiological metric indicative of sow health, with rectal thermometry prevailing as a prevalent method for estimating core body temperature within sow farms. Nonetheless, employing contact thermometers for rectal temperature measurement proves to be time-intensive, labor-demanding, and hygienically suboptimal. Addressing the issues of minimal automation and temperature measurement accuracy in sow temperature monitoring, this study introduces an automatic temperature monitoring method for sows, utilizing a segmentation network amalgamating YOLOv5s and DeepLabv3+, complemented by an adaptive genetic algorithm-random forest (AGA-RF) regression algorithm. In developing the sow vulva segmenter, YOLOv5s was synergized with DeepLabv3+, and the CBAM attention mechanism and MobileNetv2 network were incorporated to ensure precise localization and expedited segmentation of the vulva region. Within the temperature prediction module, an optimized regression algorithm derived from the random forest algorithm facilitated the construction of a temperature inversion model, predicated upon environmental parameters and vulva temperature, for the rectal temperature prediction in sows. Testing revealed that vulvar segmentation IoU was 91.50%, while the predicted MSE, MAE, and R 2 for rectal temperature were 0.114 °C, 0.191 °C, and 0.845, respectively. The automatic sow temperature monitoring method proposed herein demonstrates substantial reliability and practicality, facilitating an autonomous sow temperature monitoring.

Cyst(e)ine is a key precursor for the synthesis of glutathione (GSH), which protects cancer cells from oxidative stress. Cyst(e)ine is stored in lysosomes, but its role in redox regulation is unclear. Here, we show that breast cancer cells upregulate major facilitator superfamily domain containing 12 (MFSD12) to increase lysosomal cyst(e)ine storage, which is released by cystinosin (CTNS) to maintain GSH levels and buffer oxidative stress. We find that mTORC1 regulates MFSD12 by directly phosphorylating residue T254, while mTORC1 inhibition enhances lysosome acidification that activates CTNS. This switch modulates lysosomal cyst(e)ine levels in response to oxidative stress, fine-tuning redox homeostasis to enhance cell fitness. MFSD12-T254A mutant inhibits MFSD12 function and suppresses tumor progression. Moreover, MFSD12 overexpression correlates with poor neoadjuvant chemotherapy response and prognosis in breast cancer patients. Our findings reveal the critical role of lysosomal cyst(e)ine storage in adaptive redox homeostasis and suggest that MFSD12 is a potential therapeutic target., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sow body condition scoring has been confirmed as a vital procedure in sow management. A timely and accurate assessment of the body condition of a sow is conducive to determining nutritional supply, and it takes on critical significance in enhancing sow reproductive performance. Manual sow body condition scoring methods have been extensively employed in large-scale sow farms, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address the above-mentioned problem, a dual neural network-based automatic scoring method was developed in this study for sow body condition. The developed method aims to enhance the ability to capture local features and global information in sow images by combining CNN and transformer networks. Moreover, it introduces a CBAM module to help the network pay more attention to crucial feature channels while suppressing attention to irrelevant channels. To tackle the problem of imbalanced categories and mislabeling of body condition data, the original loss function was substituted with the optimized focal loss function. As indicated by the model test, the sow body condition classification achieved an average precision of 91.06%, the average recall rate was 91.58%, and the average F1 score reached 91.31%. The comprehensive comparative experimental results suggested that the proposed method yielded optimal performance on this dataset. The method developed in this study is capable of achieving automatic scoring of sow body condition, and it shows broad and promising applications.

Background: In insects, an interplay between the activities of distinct hormones, such as juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), regulates the progression through numerous life history hallmarks. As a crucial endocrine factor, JH is mainly synthesized in the corpora allata (CA) to regulate multiple physiological and developmental processes, including molting, metamorphosis, and reproduction. During the last century, significant progress has been achieved in elucidating the JH signal transduction pathway, while less progress has been made in dissecting the regulatory mechanism of JH biosynthesis. Previous work has shown that receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling regulates hormone biosynthesis in both insects and mammals. Here, we performed a systematic RNA interference (RNAi) screening to identify RTKs involved in regulating JH biosynthesis in the CA of adult Blattella germanica females., Results: We found that the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) is required for promoting JH biosynthesis in the CA of adult females. The Egf ligands Vein and Spitz activate Egfr, followed by Ras/Raf/ERK signaling, and finally activation of the downstream transcription factor Pointed (Pnt). Importantly, Pnt induces the transcriptional expression of two key enzyme-encoding genes in the JH biosynthesis pathway: juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase (JHAMT) and methyl farnesoate epoxidase (CYP15A1). Dual-luciferase reporter assay shows that Pnt is able to activate a promoter region of Jhamt. In addition, electrophoretic mobility shift assay confirms that Pnt directly binds to the - 941~ - 886 nt region of the Jhamt promoter., Conclusions: This study reveals the detailed molecular mechanism of Egfr signaling in promoting JH biosynthesis in the German cockroach, shedding light on the intricate regulation of JH biosynthesis during insect development., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Nicotine addiction and the occurrence of lymph node spread are two major significant factors associated with esophageal cancer's poor prognosis; however, nicotine's role in inducing lymphatic metastasis of esophageal cancer remains unclear. Here we show that OTU domain-containing protein 3 (OTUD3) is downregulated by nicotine and correlates with poor prognosis in heavy-smoking esophageal cancer patients. OTUD3 directly interacts with ZFP36 ring finger protein (ZFP36) and stabilizes it by inhibiting FBXW7-mediated K48-linked polyubiquitination. ZFP36 binds with the VEGF-C 3-'UTR and recruits the RNA degrading complex to induce its rapid mRNA decay. Downregulation of OTUD3 and ZFP36 is essential for nicotine-induced VEGF-C production and lymphatic metastasis in esophageal cancer. This study establishes that the OTUD3/ZFP36/VEGF-C axis plays a vital role in nicotine addiction-induced lymphatic metastasis, suggesting that OTUD3 may serve as a prognostic marker, and induction of the VEGF-C mRNA decay might be a potential therapeutic strategy against human esophageal cancer., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

GALNT2 is a GalNAc transferase that regulates insulin signaling, lipogenesis, and serum lipid fractions. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of GALNT2 rs2144300 and rs4846914 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and related traits. The two SNPs were genotyped in 616 PCOS patients and 482 control subjects. Genetic associations with related traits were also analyzed. The genotype distributions of the two SNPs in PCOS patients were similar to those of normal controls. However, significant differences were noted across the three groups of genotypes with respect to the examined variables. In the PCOS group, subjects with genotype AA at the rs4846914 SNP exhibited an increased fasting serum insulin and homeostasis model insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index compared with that of corresponding GG or GA genotype carriers (all P < 0.05). When PCOS patients were further separated into obese and non-obese subgroups, the genotype-related effects on insulin and HOMA-IR were more obvious, and variations in BMI and FSH levels were exclusively observed in obese PCOS subjects (all P < 0.05). In addition, fasting plasma glucose levels were affected by the genotypes of the rs2144300 SNP in normal control women (P < 0.05). rs4846914 and rs2144300 polymorphisms in the GALNT2 gene are associated with insulin and HOMA-IR, BMI, and FSH levels in obese PCOS patients and glucose levels in normal control women, respectively, but not with PCOS. GALNT2 rs4846914 AA carrier status may be associated with insulin resistance and related traits in obese patients.

Background: HOMER family scaffolding proteins (HOMER1-3) play critical roles in the development and progression of human disease by regulating the assembly of signal transduction complexes in response to extrinsic stimuli. However, the role of HOMER protein in breast cancer remains unclear., Methods: HOMER3 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in breast cancer patient specimens, and its significance in prognosis was assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The effects of HOMER3 in growth factor-induced β-Catenin activation were analyzed by assays such as TOP/FOP flash reporter, tyrosine phosphorylation assay and reciprocal immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. Role of HOMER3 in breast cancer metastasis was determined by cell function assays and mice tumor models., Results: Herein, we find that, among the three HOMER proteins, HOMER3 is selectively overexpressed in the most aggressive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype, and significantly correlates with earlier tumor metastasis and shorter patient survival. Mechanismly, HOMER3 interacts with both c-Src and β-Catenin, thus providing a scaffolding platform to facilitate c-Src-induced β-Catenin tyrosine phosphorylation under growth factor stimulation. HOMER3 promotes β-Catenin nuclear translocation and activation, and this axis is clinically relevant. HOMER3 promotes and is essential for EGF-induced aggressiveness and metastasis of TNBC cells both in vitro and in vivo., Conclusion: These findings identify a novel role of HOMER3 in the transduction of growth factor-mediated β-Catenin activation and suggest that HOMER3 might be a targetable vulnerability of TNBC.

Context and Objective: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder associated with pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic events. The growth arrest-specific 6 (GAS6) has been implicated in systemic inflammation and coagulation. Common genetic polymorphisms of GAS6 gene have previously been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of GAS6 gene polymorphisms with the risk of preeclampsia in Chinese subjects., Study Design: The case-control population consists of 551 subjects. The genotyping of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of GAS6 gene, GAS6 834 +7G/A(rs8191974) and +1332C/T (rs1803628), was carried out on genomic DNA using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) analysis., Results: There were significant differences in the +1332C/T genotype and allele frequencies between the patients with preeclampsia and the controls (P=0.03 and 0.02, respectively). The +1332 TT genotype was found to be protective from the development of preeclampsia (odds ratios 0.271, 95% confidence interval 0.077-0.953; P=0.03). Further analysis showed that the TT genotype of the GAS6 +1332C/T conferred a risk of severe preeclampsia (OR=0.597, 95% confidence interval 0.416-0.855; P=0.01). However, there were no differences in the 834+7G/A genotype and allele frequencies between the patients with preeclampsia and the controls., Conclusion: Our data suggest that a TT genotype at +1332C/T polymorphism might be associated with decreased risk for preeclampsia, but the 834+7G/A polymorphism is not associated with the disorder, in the Chinese population., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between polymorphisms of the growth arrest specific 6 (GAS6) gene and severe preeclampsia in a South West Han Chinese population., Methods: Blood samples from 167 patients with severe preeclampsia and 312 normal pregnant women as controls from Han Chinese in Chengdu area were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms., Results: C and T allele frequencies for +1332C/T site were 85.63% and 14.37% in the patient group, respectively, and 78.04% and 21.96% in control group, respectively. The TT genotype and variant T allelic frequencies of the +1332C/T polymorphism were significantly lower in patients with severe preeclampsia than in the control group (both P<0.05), and the odds ratio for the risk of severe preeclampsia was 0.602 (95%CI: 0.401-0.904) in carriers for the variant T allele (χ 2 =6.045, P=0.014). G and A allele frequencies for 834+7G/A site were 72.75% and 27.25% in case group, respectively, and 74.36% and 25.64% in control group, respectively. The genotype and allele frequencies of the 834+7G/A polymorphism in patients with severe preeclampsia and controls showed no significant differences (both P>0.05). In addition, there was no significant association between the polymorphisms and blood pressure levels in the patient or control groups., Conclusion: The variant GAS6+1332 T allele is associated with a decreased risk for severe preeclampsia in a South West Han Chinese population. On the other hand, the 834+7G/A polymorphism has no effect on the severe preeclampsia.

Context and Objective: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder associated with oxidative stress. The glutathione S-transferases (GST) are a group of enzymes that protect cells from oxidative stress. Functional genetic polymorphisms of GST genes (GSTT1, GSTM1) have previously been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of GST gene polymorphisms with the risk of preeclampsia in Chinese subjects., Study Design: The case-control population consists of 525 subjects. The genotyping of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms was carried out on genomic DNA using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We calculated odds ratios (ORs), adjusted for the confounding variables, to estimate the association between gene polymorphisms and preeclampsia., Results: The GSTT1 null genotype was found to be protective from the development of preeclampsia (odds ratios 0.645, 95% confidence interval 0.421-0.989; P=0.044). Further analysis showed that a combination of deletion genotypes of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes conferred an even lower risk of preeclampsia (OR=0.470, 95%CI=0.255-0.866; P=0.015). There is no relationship between the GSTT1 and GSTM1 gene polymorphisms and blood pressure levels in pregnant women with and without preeclampsia., Conclusion: Our data suggest that a GSTT1 null polymorphism might be associated with decreased risk for preeclampsia in the Chinese population, and that this risk decreases with the combination of both GSTT1 and GSTM1 null polymorphisms., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The investigation of novel genes involved in the derangement of glucose and lipid metabolism is of particular importance in understanding the development of metabolic syndrome (MS). In the present study, bioinformatic analyses were carried out to explore the structures and roles of the proteins encoded by the four cDNA sequences identified in our previous studies as associated with MS. Homology analyses demonstrated that the proteins encoded by Sequence 1, Sequence 2, Sequence 3, and Sequence 4 were homologous with fibrinogen gamma polypeptide, liver fibrinogen-like 1, chromosome 10 open reading frame 104, and an unnamed protein product, respectively. Because the structures were well-known for fibrinogen gamma polypeptide and liver fibrinogen-like 1, further analyses were performed only for Sequence 3 and Sequence 4. Analyses of functional domains showed that the predicted proteins encoded by Sequence 3 and Sequence 4 had multiple phosphorylation and myristoylation sites. These results indicated that the two predicted proteins might be intermediate proteins in some signaling pathways. In order to explore the possible association of Sequence 3 with MS, HepG2 cells, a human hepatoma cell line, were treated with different concentrations of glucose (mannitol as osmotic control) for 48 h. Glucose at concentrations of 22 and 33.3 mM significantly increased the mRNA expression of Sequence 3 compared to glucose at 5.6 mM while mannitol had no significant effect on the mRNA expression of Sequence 3. These results indicated that the mRNA expression of Sequence 3 was positively associated with glucose higher than physiological concentrations.