Search

Abstract HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) is upregulated in glioblastoma (GBM) and associated with temozolomide (TMZ) resistance. However, the mechanisms underlying HOTAIR-mediated TMZ resistance remains poorly understood. HOTAIR expression in glioma-related public datasets and drug response estimation were analyzed using bioinformatics. These findings were verified by overexpressing HOTAIR in TMZ-sensitive U251 cells and/or silencing HOTAIR in resistant U251 cells (U251R). The cytotoxic effects were evaluated using cell viability assay and flow cytometry analysis of cell cycle and apoptosis. In this study, we found that HOTAIR was upregulated in TMZ-resistant GBM cell lines and patients with high HOTAIR expression responded poorly to TMZ therapy. HOTAIR knockdown restored TMZ sensitivity in U251R cells, while HOTAIR overexpression conferred TMZ resistance in U251 cells. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was enriched in patients with high HOTAIR expression; consistently, HOTAIR positively regulated β-catenin expression in U251 cells. Moreover, HOTAIR-mediated TMZ resistance was associated with increased MGMT protein level, which resulted from the HOTAIR/miR-214-3p/β-catenin network. Besides, GBM with high HOTAIR expression exhibited sensitivity to methotrexate. Methotrexate enhanced TMZ sensitivity in U251R cells, accompanied by reduced expression of HOTAIR and β-catenin. Thus, we conlcude that HOTAIR is a risk factor for TMZ resistance and methotrexate may represent a potential therapeutic drug for patients with high HOTAIR expression level.

The purpose of this study was to explore the non-covalent interactions between three major polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid) in coffee and β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) at different pH values and their effects on protein structure by multispectroscopic techniques and molecular docking. The results showed that all three coffee polyphenols statically quenched the fluorescence of β-lactoglobulin under two pH conditions. At pH 7.4 and 298 K, the quenching constants (Ksv) of chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid for β-lactoglobulin were 6.53 × 104, 3.16 × 104 and 3.09 × 104 L/mol with 1.20, 1.02 and 1.14 binding sites and energy transfer efficiency of 34.55%, 24.56% and 21.35%, respectively. At pH 3.0 and 298 K, the Ksv were 7.18 × 104, 5.24 × 104 and 7.12 × 104 L/mol with 1.28, 1.18 and 1.25 binding sites and energy transfer efficiency of 34.70%, 30.42% and 29.65%, respectively. The results of circular dichroism showed that the α-helix content of β-LG decreased and the β-sheet content increased at pH 7.4, and the β-sheet content increased and the random coil content decreased at pH 3.0. The results of molecular docking showed that the three polyphenols could bind to the hydrophobic pocket of β-lactoglobulin mainly through hydrogen bonds, van der Waals force and hydrophobic interaction. This study preliminarily revealed the interaction mechanism between β-lactoglobulin and chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid in coffee milk beverage under different pH conditions.

[Objective] As a systemic transformation of the economic and social system, the low-carbon energy transition will inevitably impact social issues such as equity and income. Investigating the impact of city low-carbon energy transition on income inequality can provide valuable empirical insights for coordinating the low-carbon transformation of the economy and society and for narrowing income gaps. [Methods] This study used the panel data from 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2020 as the research sample, and established a multidimensional indicator system to calculate city low-carbon energy transition index. Based on the nighttime light data of 2109 districts and counties, the income inequality between different urban income groups was measured. Subsequently, the intrinsic relationship between low-carbon energy transition and income inequality was examined by both theoretical modeling and empirical analysis. [Results] (1) The low-carbon energy transition significantly alleviated income inequality, with each standard deviation increase in the transition index reducing income inequality by approximately 6.1%. (2) Mechanism analysis indicated that the low-carbon energy transition affected income inequality through skill-biased technological progress and the upgrading of the labor force’s skill structure, with the alleviating effect on income inequality mainly stemming from its role in enhancing the skill structure of the labor force. (3) Heterogeneity analysis revealed regional and urban characteristic heterogeneity in the impact of low-carbon energy transition on income inequality. (4) The research using the spatial Durbin model showed that the impact of low-carbon energy transition on income inequality had spatial spillover effects, which can reduce income inequality in neighboring areas. [Conclusion] Renewable energy should be vigorously developed, and regular exchanges and cooperation in energy transition between regions should be strengthened to fully leverage the transition’s role in upgrading the labor force’s skill structure, thereby achieving coordinated development that promotes low-carbon energy transition and narrows income gaps.

In this study, the regulatory effect of near-freezing temperature (NFT) storage on postharvest lignification of Dendrocalamus brandisii shoots was evaluated. Samples stored at room temperature and 4 ℃ served as controls. Respiratory intensity, mass loss rate, hardness, H2O2 content, lignin content, and the activities and gene expression of key enzymes involved in lignin synthesis were measured during storage. The results showed that compared with the controls, NFT storage significantly inhibited the increase of respiration intensity, mass loss, hardness, H2O2 content and lignin content in D. brandisii shoots, and delayed the increase of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD), cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H), and peroxidase (POD) activities. Transcriptomic analysis showed that 33 genes members in PAL, 4CL, HCT, CCR, and CAD families were down-regulated and 25 gene members were up-regulated. Correlation analysis revealed that most physiological indexes and the activities and gene expression of key enzymes involved in lignin synthesis were significantly and positively correlated with the lignin content. In conclusion, NFT storage could effectively suppress the lignification of D. brandisii shoots during storage by regulating the respiratory intensity, mass loss rate, hardness, H2O2 content, lignin content, and key enzyme activities and gene expression related to lignin synthesis.

Abstract Many older patients with COVID-19 likely have co-morbid osteoporosis. We investigated the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients with osteoporosis. This was a retrospective cohort study using national claims data from Korea encoded in the common data model. Patients aged ≥ 50 years diagnosed with COVID-19 infection between January 2020 and April 2022 were included and stratified into two groups according to a history of osteoporosis. Clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection were analyzed using logistic regression analysis after large-scale propensity score stratification. Of the 597,011 patients with COVID-19 included in the study, 105,172 had a history of osteoporosis. In patients with a history of osteoporosis, the odds of mortality decreased (odds ratio [OR] 0.82, P

Abstract Background Breast cancer has become a major public health problem in the current society, and its incidence rate ranks the first among Chinese female malignant tumors. This paper once again confirmed the efficacy of lncRNA in tumor regulation by introducing the mechanism of the diagnosis of breast cancer by the MIR497HG/miR-16-5p axis. Methods The abnormal expression of MIR497HG in breast cancer was determined by RT-qPCR method, and the correlation between MIR497HG expression and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer patients was analyzed via Chi-square test. To understand the diagnostic potential of MIR497HG in breast cancer by drawing the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The overexpressed MIR497HG (pcDNA3.1-MIR497HG) was designed and constructed to explore the regulation of elevated MIR497HG on biological function of BT549 and Hs 578T cells through Transwell assays. Additionally, the luciferase gene reporter assay and Pearson analysis evaluated the targeting relationship of MIR497HG to miR-16-5p. Results MIR497HG was decreased in breast cancer and had high diagnostic function, while elevated MIR497HG inhibited the migration and invasion of BT549 and Hs 578T cells. In terms of functional mechanism, miR-16-5p was the target of MIR497HG, and MIR497HG reversely regulated the miR-16-5p. miR-16-5p mimic reversed the effects of upregulated MIR497HG on cell biological function. Conclusions In general, MIR497HG was decreased in breast cancer, and the MIR497HG/miR-16-5p axis regulated breast cancer tumorigenesis, providing effective insights for the diagnosis of patients.

Wild bees are important pollinators in the ecosystem, and it is important to monitor their abundance and diversity to characterize and conserve these pollinators. In this study, wild bees were collected from a Maeul-soop in Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, Republic of Korea for 2 years from February 2019 to October 2020. From the survey, a total of 3,258 wild bees from 9 families and 57 species were collected over 2 years in the Maeul-soop. The most dominant species was the Andrena kaguya, followed by the Apis mellifera, the Eucera spurcatipes, the Seladonia aeraria, and the Lasioglossum sibiriacum. Monthly changes in the number of species and populations show that the number of species increased from February and peaked in August, and the population peaked in April and then decreased. In addition, in the list of wild bee species collected over the past 2 years, the Apidae was the largest with 16 species, followed by the Halictidae with 13 species and the Megachilidae with nine species. However, although there is only one species of Andrena kaguya in the Andrenidae, its population is 2,084, which is the largest among all wild bees investigated in this study. The results of this study will be useful in understanding the impact of pollinating insects due to climate change in the future.

An edible film using gellan gum, black rice anthocyanins, and titanium dioxide as raw materials were prepared. The effect of edible film on blueberries coating preservation was investigated. Firstly, scanning electron microscopy revealed that there were no obvious cracks or delamination in the cross sections of the gellan gum film (GG), gellan gum, and black rice anthocyanin, composite film (GG-BRA), and gellan gum, black rice anthocyanin, and titanium dioxide composite film (GG-BRA-TiO2). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy further showed that gellan gum was interacted with black rice anthocyanin and titanium dioxide through non covalent bond. The antibacterial experiment indicated that the GG-BRA-TiO2 composite film had a good antibacterial activity, in which size of the antibacterial circle for Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and bread's yeast were 4.14, 2.77 and 3.55 (mm), respectively. Secondly, the composite film was used for the preservation of blueberries. The results showed that the GG-BRA and GG-BRA-TiO2 coating groups could slow down the rate of physicochemical properties changes during blueberry fruit storage. Among them, the preservation effect of GG-BRA-TiO2 composite film was better than that of GG-BRA composite film. After 10 days of storage, the weight loss rate, hardness, anthocyanins, total phenols, and the activity of polyphenol oxidase were decreased by 1.56%, 23.69%, 18.44%, 12.71%, and 14.00% compared to the control group, respectively. Therefore, GG-BRA-TiO2 composite film showed good water resistance and antibacterial properties and could be used as a promising coating and preservation material in food packaging.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental biological process for maintaining cellular equilibrium and regulating development, health, and disease across all living organisms. Among the various types of PCD, apoptosis plays a pivotal role in numerous diseases, notably cancer. Cancer cells frequently develop mechanisms to evade apoptosis, increasing resistance to standard chemotherapy treatments. This resistance has prompted extensive research into alternative mechanisms of programmed cell death. One such pathway is oncosis, characterized by significant energy consumption, cell swelling, dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial swelling, and nuclear chromatin aggregation. Recent research suggests that oncosis can impact conditions such as chemotherapeutic cardiotoxicity, myocardial ischemic injury, stroke, and cancer, mediated by specific oncosis-related proteins. In this review, we provide a detailed examination of the morphological and molecular features of oncosis and discuss various natural or small molecule compounds that can induce this type of cell death. Additionally, we summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying oncosis and its role in both normal physiology and pathological conditions. These insights aim to illuminate future research directions and propose innovative strategies for leveraging oncosis as a therapeutic tool against human diseases and cancer resistance.

The digital correlator is one of the most crucial data processing components of a radio telescope array. With the scale of radio interferometeric array growing, many efforts have been devoted to developing a cost-effective and scalable correlator in the field of radio astronomy. In this paper, a 192-input digital correlator with six CASPER ROACH2 boards and seven GPU servers has been deployed as the digital signal processing system for Tianlai cylinder pathfinder located in Hongliuxia observatory. The correlator consists of 192 input signals (96 dual-polarization), 125-MHz bandwidth, and full-Stokes output. The correlator inherits the advantages of the CASPER system, for example, low cost, high performance, modular scalability, and a heterogeneous computing architecture. With a rapidly deployable ROACH2 digital sampling system, a commercially expandable 10 Gigabit switching network system, and a flexible upgradable GPU computing system, the correlator forms a low-cost and easily-upgradable system, poised to support scalable large-scale interferometeric array in the future.

Abstract Background High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is an endogenous danger signal that mediates activation of the innate immune response including NLR pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation and proinflammatory cytokine release. Although HMGB1 and NLRP3 have been implicated in the pathophysiology of seizures, the correlation between HMGB1 and NLRP3 expression has not been determined in children with febrile seizures (FS). To explore the relationship between extra-cellular HMGB1 and NLRP3 in children with FS, we analyzed serum HMGB1, NLRP3, caspase-1, and proinflammatory cytokines in patients with FS. Methods Thirty children with FS and thirty age-matched febrile controls were included in this study. Blood was obtained from the children with FS within 1 h of the time of the seizure; subsequently, the serum contents of HMGB1, NLRP3, caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-1β, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Mann‒Whitney U test was used to compare serum cytokine levels between FS patients and controls. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was calculated to detect significant correlations between cytokine levels. Results Serum levels of HMGB1, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly higher in FS patients than in febrile controls (p

Host-virus interactions can significantly impact the viral life cycle and pathogenesis; however, our understanding of the specific host factors involved in highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus H7N9 (HPAI H7N9) infection is currently restricted. Herein, we designed and synthesized 65 small interfering RNAs targeting host genes potentially associated with various aspects of RNA virus life cycles. Afterward, HPAI H7N9 viruses were isolated and RNA interference was used to screen for host factors likely to be involved in the life cycle of HPAI H7N9. Moreover, the research entailed assessing the associations between host proteins and HPAI H7N9 proteins. Twelve key host proteins were identified: Annexin A (ANXA)2, ANXA5, adaptor related protein complex 2 subunit sigma 1 (AP2S1), adaptor related protein complex 3 subunit sigma 1 (AP3S1), ATP synthase F1 subunit alpha (ATP5A1), COPI coat complex subunit alpha (COP)A, COPG1, heat shock protein family A (Hsp70) member 1A (HSPA)1A, HSPA8, heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1 (HSP90AA1), RAB11B, and RAB18. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed intricate interactions between viral proteins (hemagglutinin, matrix 1 protein, neuraminidase, nucleoprotein, polymerase basic 1, and polymerase basic 2) and these host proteins, presumably playing a crucial role in modulating the life cycle of HPAI H7N9. Notably, ANXA5, AP2S1, AP3S1, ATP5A1, HSP90A1, and RAB18, were identified as novel interactors with HPAI H7N9 proteins rather than other influenza A viruses (IAVs). These findings underscore the significance of host-viral protein interactions in shaping the dynamics of HPAI H7N9 infection, while highlighting subtle variations compared with other IAVs. Deeper understanding of these interactions holds promise to advance disease treatment and prevention strategies.

Abstract Transparent and FAIR disclosure of meta-information about healthcare data and infrastructure is essential but has not been well publicized. In this paper, we provide a transparent disclosure of the process of standardizing a common data model and developing a national data infrastructure using national claims data. We established an Observational Medical Outcome Partnership (OMOP) common data model database for national claims data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service of South Korea. To introduce a data openness policy, we built a distributed data analysis environment and released metadata based on the FAIR principle. A total of 10,098,730,241 claims and 56,579,726 patients’ data were converted as OMOP common data model. We also built an analytics environment for distributed research and made the metadata publicly available. Disclosure of this infrastructure to researchers will help to eliminate information inequality and contribute to the generation of high-quality medical evidence.