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Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can increase the risk of adverse outcomes for both mothers and infants. Preventive interventions can effectively assist pregnant women suffering from GDM. At present, pregnant women are unaware of the importance of preventing GDM, and they possess a low level of self-management ability. Recently, mHealth technology has been used worldwide. Therefore, developing a mobile health app for GDM prevention could potentially help pregnant women reduce the risk of GDM. Objective To design and develop a mobile application, evaluate its acceptance, and understand the users’using experience and suggestions, thus providing a valid tool to assist pregnant women at risk of GDM in enhancing their self-management ability and preventing GDM. Methods An evidence-based GDM prevent app ( Better pregnancy ) was developed using user-centered design methods, following the health belief model, and incorporating GDM risk prediction. A convenient sampling method was employed from June to August 2022 to select 102 pregnant women at risk of GDM for the pilot study. After a week, the app's acceptability was evaluated using an application acceptance questionnaire, and we updated the app based on the feedback from the women. We used SPSS 26.0 for data analysis. Results The application offers various functionalities, including GDM risk prediction, health management plan, behavior management, health information, personalized guidance and consultation, peer support, family support, and other functions. In total, 102 pregnant women consented to participate in the study, achieving a retention rate of 98%; however, 2% ( n = 2) withdrew. The Better pregnancy app's average acceptability score is 4.07 out of 5. Additionally, participants offered several suggestions aimed at enhancing the application. Conclusions The Better pregnancy app developed in this study can serve as an auxiliary management tool for the prevention of GDM, providing a foundation for subsequent randomized controlled trials.

Abstract Electrochemical synthesis of ammonia (NH3) in aqueous electrolyte has long been suffered from poor nitrogen (N2) supply owing to its low solubility and sluggish diffusion kinetics. Therefore, creating a N2 rich microenvironment around catalyst surface may potentially improve the efficiency of nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Herein, a delicately designed N2 filtering membrane consisted of polydimethylsiloxane is covered on catalyst surface via superspreading. Because this membrane let the dissolved N2 molecules be accessible to the catalyst but block excess water, the designed N2 rich microenvironment over catalyst leads to an optimized Faradaic efficiency of 39.4% and an NH3 yield rate of 109.2 µg h−1 mg−1, which is superior to those of the most report metal‐based catalysts for electrochemical NRR. This study offers alternative strategy for enhancing NRR performance.

In order to achieve the goals of carbon neutrality and reduced carbon emissions, China is increasingly focusing on the development and utilization of renewable energy sources. Among these, ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) has the advantages of small periodic fluctuations and large potential reserves, making it an important research field. With the development of the “Maritime Silk Road”, the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea will see a growing demand for electricity, providing the potential for OTEC development in this region. Optimal site selection of OTEC power plants is a prerequisite for developing thermal energy provision, affecting both the construction costs and future benefits of the power plants. This study establishes a scientific evaluation model based on the decision-making frameworks of geographic information systems (GISs) and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, specifically the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for assigning weights, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to reclassify the factors, and weighted linear combination (WLC) to compute the suitability index. In addition to commonly considered factors such as temperature difference and marine usage status, this study innovatively incorporates geological conditions and maximum offshore distances of cold seawater based on cost control. The final evaluation identifies three suitable areas for OTEC development near the Xuande Atoll and the Yongle Atoll in the Xisha Sea Area, providing valuable insights for energy developers and policymakers.

Abstract While ectonucleotidase CD39 is a cancer therapeutic target in clinical trials, its direct effect on T-cell differentiation in human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrate that human NSCLC cells, including tumor cell lines and primary tumor cells from clinical patients, efficiently drive the metabolic adaption of human CD4+ T cells, instructing differentiation of regulatory T cells while inhibiting effector T cells. Of importance, NSCLC-induced T-cell mal-differentiation primarily depends on cancer CD39, as this can be fundamentally blocked by genetic depletion of CD39 in NSCLC. Mechanistically, NSCLC cells package CD39 into their exosomes and transfer such CD39-containing exosomes into interacting T cells, resulting in ATP insufficiency and AMPK hyperactivation. Such CD39-dependent NSCLC-T cell interaction holds well in patients-derived primary tumor cells and patient-derived organoids (PDOs). Accordingly, genetic depletion of CD39 alone or in combination with the anti-PD-1 immunotherapy efficiently rescues effector T cell differentiation, instigates anti-tumor T cell immunity, and inhibits tumor growth of PDOs. Together, targeting cancer CD39 can correct the mal-differentiation of CD4+ T cells in human NSCLC, providing in-depth insight into therapeutic CD39 inhibitors.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are a new type of persistent organic pollutant (POP) characterized by persistence, bioaccumulation, dioxin-like toxicity, and long-range atmospheric transport. Focusing on one type of PCN, monochlorinated naphthalenes (CN-1, CN-2), this study aimed to examine their photodegradation in the environment. In this work, CN-1 and CN-2 were employed as the model pollutants to investigate their photodegradation process under UV-C irradiation. Factors like the pH, initial concentrations of CN-1, and inorganic anions were investigated. Next, the roles of hydroxyl radicals (•OH), superoxide anion radicals (O2•−), and singlet oxygen (1O2) in the photodegradation process were discussed and proposed via theory computation. The results show that the photodegradation of CN-1 and CN-2 follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. Acidic conditions promote the photodegradation of CN-1, while the effects of pH on the photodegradation of CN-2 are not remarkable. Cl−, NO3−, and SO32− accelerate the photodegradation of CN-1, whereas the effect of SO42− and CO32− is not significant. Additionally, the contributions of •OH and O2•− to the photodegradation of CN-1 are 20.47% and 38.80%, while, for CN-2, the contribution is 16.40% and 16.80%, respectively. Moreover, the contribution of 1O2 is 15.7%. Based on DFT calculations, C4 and C6 of the CN-1 benzene ring are prioritized attack sites for •OH, while C2 and C9 of CN-2 are prioritized attack sites.

Abstract The realization of a controllable transparent conducting system with selective light transparency is crucial for exploring many of the most intriguing effects in top‐illuminated optoelectronic devices. However, the performance is limited by insufficient electrical conductivity, low work function, and vulnerable interface of traditional transparent conducting materials, such as tin‐doped indium oxide. Here, it is reported that two‐dimensional (2D) titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene film acts as an efficient transparent conducting electrode for the lead sulfide (PbS) colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) photodiode with controllable near infrared transmittance. The solution‐processed interface engineering of MXene and PbS layers remarkably reduces the interface defects of MXene/PbS CQDs and the carrier concentration in the PbS layer. The stable Ti3C2Tx/PbS CQDs photodiodes give rise to a high specific detectivity of 5.51 × 1012 cm W−1 Hz1/2, a large dynamic response range of 140 dB, and a large bandwidth of 0.76 MHz at 940 nm in the self‐powered state, ranking among the most exceptional in terms of comprehensive performance among reported PbS CQDs photodiodes. In contrast with the traditional photodiode technologies, this efficient and stable approach opens a new horizon to construct widely used infrared photodiodes with CQDs and MXenes.

Abstract Background Shift work, with its growing prevalence globally, disrupts the body's inherent circadian rhythm. This disruption may escalate the risk of chronic diseasesxacerbate chronic disease risk by dysregulating physiological, behavioral, and psychosocial pathways. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of shift work on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) level. Methods The current study employed a multi-stage stratified cluster sampling technique, examining 1499 oilfield workers from the OHSPIW cohort who participated in occupational health assessments between March 2017 and June 2018.The evaluation involved shift work, sleep quality, T2DM status with questionnaires and plasma RBP4 levels in blood samples. Statistical analysis includes, Chi-square tests, t-tests, multivariate logistic regression analyses, and multivariate linear mixed models. Results The prevalence rate of T2DM in shift workers (6.56%) was significantly higher than in day workers (4.21%) (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.01–2.53), with no significant difference found in the family history of diabetes, hypertension, or other chronic heart diseases (P = 0.378). The shift worker (6.89 ± 3.35) also exhibited distinctly higher PSQI scores than day workers (5.99 ± 2.87) (P

N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), a sialic acid predominantly found in the non-neurohumoral fluids of hind-mouthed animals, is incapable of synthesizing Neu5Gc due to a deletion in the CMAH exon of the gene encoding human CMP-Neu5Gc hydroxylase. But consumption of animal-derived foods that contain Neu5Gc, such as red meat, can instigate an immune response in humans, as Neu5Gc is recognized as a foreign substance by the human immune system. This recognition leads to the production of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies, subsequently resulting in chronic inflammation. When Neu5Gc is consumed excessively or frequently, it may contribute to the development of heart disease and cancer. This makes Neu5Gc, an endogenous pathogenic factor derived from red meat, a new hot topic in red meat safety research. In this study, aptamers obtained by the magnetic bead SELEX technique were subjected to homology and secondary structure prediction analysis as well as affinity determination. The result indicated that the aptamer 2B.N2A9 exhibited a robust binding affinity, with an affinity constant (Ka) of 1.87 × 108 L/mol. This aptamer demonstrated optimal binding specificity within a pH range of 5.4 to 7.4. Molecular docking analysis further revealed that aptamer 2B.N2A9 formed stable binding interactions with the target Neu5Gc at specific sites, namely G-14, C-15, G-13, G-58, G-60, and C-59. An Enzyme-Linked Oligonucleotide Sorbent Assay (ELOSA) methodology was established to detect the endogenous pathogenic factor Neu5Gc present in red meat. This method demonstrated a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.71 ng/mL, along with an average recovery rate of 92.23%. The aptamer obtained in this study exhibited favorable binding properties to Neu5Gc. The assay was relatively convenient and demonstrated good sensitivity. Further investigation into the distribution of Neu5Gc in various red meats is of public health significance and scientific potential. A practical detection method should be provided to guide red meat diets and ensure the nutrition and safety of meat products.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe renal disease caused by the massive deposition of the immune complexes (ICs) in renal tissue, acting as one of the significant organ manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and a substantial cause of death in clinical patients. As mesangium is one of the primary sites for IC deposition, mesangial cells (MCs) constantly undergo severe damage, resulting in excessive proliferation and increased extracellular matrix (ECM) production. In addition to playing a role in organizational structure, MCs are closely related to in situ immunomodulation by phagocytosis, antigen-presenting function, and inflammatory effects, aberrantly participating in the tissue-resident immune responses and leading to immune-mediated renal lesions. Notably, such renal-resident immune responses drive a second wave of MC damage, accelerating the development of LN. This review summarized the damage mechanisms and the in situ immune regulation of MCs in LN, facilitating the current drug research for exploring clinical treatment strategies.

Background Silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) is one of the most widely distributed and economically important pelagic fish species. However, an unique morphological feature of P. argenteus is the loss of pelvic fins, which can increase the energy requirement during food capture to some extent and is therefore not conducive to artificial culture. Tbx4/5 genes are highly conserved regulatory factors that regulate limb development in vertebrates and are in turn regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the miRNAs that directly regulate the Tbx4/5 genes in P. argenteus remain to be elucidated. Methods The Tbx4/5 genes of P. argenteus were first cloned, and the small RNA transcriptomes were sequenced by high-throughput sequencing during the critical period of the fin development at days 1, 7, and 13 of hatching. The miRNAs regulating the Tbx4/5 genes of P. argenteus were subsequently predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and the related miRNAs were verified in vitro using a dual fluorescence reporter system. Results A total of 662 miRNAs were identified, of which 257 were known miRNAs and 405 were novel miRNAs were identified. Compared to day 1, 182 miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) on day 7, of which 77 and 105 miRNAs were downregulated and upregulated, respectively, while 278 miRNAs were DE on day 13, of which 136 and 142 miRNAs were downregulated and upregulated, respectively. Compared to day 13, four miRNAs were DE on day 7, of which three miRNAs were downregulated and one miRNA was upregulated. The results of hierarchical clustering of the miRNAs revealed that the DE genes were inversely expressed between days 1 and 7, and between days 1 and 13 of larval development, indicating that the larvae were in the peak stage of differentiation. However, the number of DE genes between days 7 and 13 of larval development was relatively small, suggesting the initiation of development. The potential target genes of the DE miRNAs were subsequently predicted, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of target genes were performed. The results suggested that the DE miRNAs were involved in growth, development, and signal transduction pathways, of which the Wnt and Fgfs signaling pathways are known to play important roles in the growth and development of fins. The results of dual fluorescence reporter assays demonstrated that miR-102, miR-301c, and miR-589 had a significant negative regulatory effect on the 3′-UTR of the Tbx4 gene, while miR-187, miR-201, miR-219, and miR-460 had a significant negative regulatory effect on the 3′-UTR of the Tbx5 gene. Altogether, the findings indicated that miRNAs play an important role in regulating the growth and development of pelvic fins in P. argenteus. This study provides a reference for elucidating the interactions between the miRNAs and target genes of P. argenteus in future studies.

With the continuous advancement of global industrialization, a large amount of organic and inorganic pollutants have been discharged into the environment, which is essential for human survival. Consequently, the issue of water environment pollution has become increasingly severe. Photocatalytic technology is widely used to degrade water pollutants due to its strong oxidizing performance and non-polluting characteristics, and BiVO4-based photocatalysts are one of the ideal raw materials for photocatalytic reactions. However, a comprehensive global analysis of the factors influencing the photocatalytic performance of BiVO4-based photocatalysts is currently lacking. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the differences in specific surface area, kinetic constants, and the pollutant degradation performance of BiVO4-based photocatalysts under different preparation and degradation conditions. It was found that under the loading condition, all the performances of the photocatalysts can be attributed to the single BiVO4 photocatalyst. Moreover, loading could lead to an increase in the specific surface area of the material, thereby providing more adsorption sites for photocatalysis and ultimately enhancing the photocatalytic performance. Overall, the construct heterojunction and loaded nanomaterials exhibit a superior performance for BiVO4-based photocatalysts with 136.4% and 90.1% improvement, respectively. Additionally, within a certain range, the photocatalytic performance increases with the reaction time and temperature.

T cells are critical players in adaptive immunity, driving the tissue injury and organ damage of patients with autoimmune diseases. Consequently, investigations on T cell activation, differentiation, and function are valuable in uncovering the disease pathogenesis, thus exploring promising therapeutics for autoimmune diseases. In recent decades, accumulating studies have pinpointed immunometabolism as the fundamental determinant in controlling T cell fate. Specifically, mitochondria, as a hub of intracellular metabolism, connect glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolic pathways. Herein, we summarize metabolic adaptations of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and the relevant glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism during T cell activation, differentiation, and function. Further, we focused on current updates of the molecular bases for metabolic reprogramming in autoimmune T cells and advances in exploring metabolic-targeted therapeutics against autoimmune diseases. This might facilitate the in-depth understanding of autoimmune pathogeneses and the clinical management of autoimmune diseases.

ObjectivesPrevious studies showed that age is the most important factor that determines the outcome after embryo transfer (ET), with either in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), regardless whether fresh or frozen cycles. The average cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) following a single ovarian stimulation cycle in women of advanced reproductive age (≥38 years of age) has been reported to be 22.6–34.1%. The purpose of this study is to compare the CLBR after a single ovarian stimulation cycle in women of different advanced reproductive age bracket (38/39, 40/41, 42/43 years of age or older), and to explore the factors (e.g., age, type of infertility, body mass index (BMI), ovarian stimulation protocols) associated with CLBR.MethodsThis retrospective analysis included all women of advanced reproductive age (38 years or older) undergoing IVF or ICSI at authors’ institute during a period from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University (No. 2021-P045). Subjects with underlying diseases were excluded from analysis. The last follow-up was conducted in December 2020, with minimal 2-year follow-up.ResultsThe final analysis included 826 women (40.00 ± 2.10 years of age at the time of ovarian stimulation; n = 633 and 193 for IVF-ET and ICSI-ET, respectively). The number of women in each age bracket was: 424 for 38/39 y, 226 for 40/41 y, 118 for 42/43 y, and 58 for ≥44 y. The number of transferable embryos was 2 (interquartile range: 2,4) for 38/39 y, 2 (2,3) for 40/41 y, 2 (2,3) for 42/43 y, and 2 (1.75,3) for ≥44 y. The rate of fresh embryo transfer was comparable (62.03–72.58%) among the 4 age brackets. The average CLBR following a single cycle was 26.27% in the overall study population, 32.31% for 38/39 y, 26.99% for 40/41 y, 14.4% for 42/43 y, and 3.44% for ≥44 y (P

Landslide caused by rainfall are easily produced when excavating conduct in sandstone-covered mudstone strata. The expansion project of the Heishan Village to Jixi section of Dan-A Highway is used as an example to study the formation and damage mechanism of rainfall-induced landslide in sandstone-covered mudstone cutting slope. Finite element numerical is used to analyze the stability of the slope by using Geo-Studio and ANSYS software for the three different rainfall-influencing factors of rainfall intensity, duration and rainfall form. The study indicates that rainfall time and intensity will decrease the stability of the cutting slope, and that the effect of rainfall on the slope is lagging behind. When rainfall intensity is 80 mm, rainfall duration is 1 d, and stagnation is 5 h, the slope instability is in the critical state. The front slope toe is the first unstable part in the process of slope instability. Rock and artificial construction are important reasons for this phenomenon.

Abstract We study an approximate coincidence point and a common fixed point problem for a hybrid pair of mappings with constraints in Menger PM-spaces, and obtain some new results. We derive interesting consequences of the main results by using the properties of a Menger–Hausdorff metric, and analogous results based on graphs instead of partial orders can be similarly formulated. Moreover, we construct two examples to reveal that the main results are valid, and show that the main results can be used to explore the existence of solutions to a system of nonlinear integral equations.

The inflammatory response is one of the key events in cerebral ischemia, causing secondary brain injury and neuronal death. Studies have shown that the NLRP3 inflammasome is a key factor in initiating the inflammatory response and that Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) can attenuate the inflammatory response and improve neuronal repair during ischemic stroke. However, whether NBP attenuates the inflammatory response via inhibition of NLRP3 remains unclear. A 90 min middle cerebral artery occlusion was induced in 62 2-month-old adult male ICR mice, and NBP was administered by gavage zero, one, or two days after ischemia. Brain infarct volume, neurological deficits, NLRP3, microglia, and neuronal death were examined in sacrificed mice to explore the correction between NBP effects and NLRP3 expression. NBP significantly reduced infarct volume and attenuated neurological deficits after ischemic stroke compared to controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, it inhibited ASC+ microglia activation and NLRP3 and CASP1 expression in ischemic mice. In addition, neuronal apoptosis was reduced in NBP-treated microglia cultures (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that NBP attenuates the inflammatory response in ischemic mouse brains, suggesting that NBP protects against microglia activation via the NLRP3 inflammasome.

The dynamics of cross-flow tubes were studied in consideration of initial axial load and distributed impacting constraints, modeled as cubic and trilinear spring constraints. The tubes were modeled as Euler–Bernoulli beams and supported at both ends, including the simply supported tube and clamped-clamped tube. The analytical model involves a time-delayed displacement term induced by the cross flow based on the quasi-steady theory. For simplicity, a single flexible supported beam in a rigid square array of cylinders was studied by using the damping-controlled mechanism. The mean extension of the tube was considered, and thus, it added another nonlinear term in the equation of motion. Results show that the tube loses stability by buckling and fluttering at various initial pressure loads and cross-flow velocities. An increase was observed for critical velocities and initial pressure loads. Chaotic oscillations were observed for the trilinear spring model. The distribution of the impacting forces was also calculated. Some of the fresh results obtained in the impact system are expected to be helpful in understanding and controlling the dynamic responses of fluid-conveying pipes.

Utilising pervious concrete (PC) increases the environmental, economic and social benefits. This study aims to investigate the mechanical performance of PC paving bricks using smaller single-sized coarse aggregates with different types of fibres: Kevlar, Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres. Four PC mixes were designed using a modified ACI method and paving bricks formed using a pressure compaction method of 2 MPa and air-curing for 28 days. Results showed that the use of smaller coarse aggregate results in reduced porosity. However, the addition of fibres at a volume fraction of 0.3 % lead to approximately 47 %, 21.5 % and 18.8 % decrease in 28-days compressive strength, and 26 %, 7.3 %, and 17.6 % reduction in tensile splitting strength for specimens containing Kevlar, PVA, and UHMWPE fibres, respectively. When compared with the control group, an optimum 9.5 % increase in the flexural strength shows the effectiveness of the fibre addition. The permeability values range between 0.15 cm/s to 0.39 cm/s, which is proportional to the porosity of the material and satisfactory according to ACI standards. Combining the pressure compaction method and the addition of fibres adversely affects the compressive and splitting tensile strength, while increasing the flexural strength slightly. An alternative forming/moulding method that can fully utilise the addition of fibres is worth further investigation.

Leaf area is an important indicator of photosynthetic capacity in plants. Knowledge of the variation of leaf shape at an individual level or a population level can help by accurately calculate leaf area. Such calculations can help us to understand the life history strategies of plants, and allow us to better understand the influence of climate change on mean leaf area as an indicator of leaf size, which is closely related to stand yields and ecological ecosystem services. The Montgomery equation (ME), which describes a proportional relationship between leaf surface area and the product of leaf length and width, has been demonstrated to hold true for many broad-leaved plants. The Magnoliaceae family has 17 genera covering ca. 300 species, of which some plants play important roles in the landscape. Many Magnoliaceae plants have similar leaf shapes, and little is known about whether ME can act as a general formula to calculate leaf surface area for these plants. This paper provides the evidence that ME can be used to measure the leaf area of Magnoliaceae species. More than 2500 mature leaves of six species within two genera (Magnolia and Michelia) of the Magnoliaceae family were selected as samples. The data of leaf length, width, and area were obtained from the scanned images. We used four models to fit these data, including (1) ME (which is actually a direct proportional function of leaf area vs. the product of leaf length and width), (2) a power-law function between leaf area and the product of leaf length and width, (3) a power function with an exponent of 2 between leaf area and leaf length, and (4) a power function between leaf area and leaf length. We found that ME and the second function have similar root-mean-square error values that are both lower than those of the other two equations. However, ME is better than the second equation because of the simplicity of its structure. We documented the validity of ME for calculating leaf area at a species level, a genus level, and even for the 6-species pooled data set. The estimated Montgomery parameter (i.e., the proportional coefficient in ME) is approximately equal to 0.68, which means that leaf area of the six investigated species can be approximated by 68% of the area of a rectangle with the leaf’s length and width as its sides. This study provides a convenient and fast approach for leaf-area calculation. In addition, we found that the Montgomery parameter can act as an indicator for measuring the similarity of leaves among different species, which provides a measurement standard for leaf morphology.

Abstract Background We investigated the baseline characterization of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-derived circulating miR-221-3p/222-3p in isolated low HDL-C phenotype (ILHP) to enhance our understanding on their molecular pathological pattern prior to disease onset. Methods We screened 174 asymptomatic subjects with isolated low HDL-C phenotype (n = 88) and normal lipid phenotype (n = 86), and detected circulating levels of CVD-derived circulating miR-221-3p/222-3p using TaqMan miRNA Real-time PCR detection system. Results We found the inverted pattern of decreased circulating miR-221-3p (0.415 [0.249, 1.004] vs 0.658 [0.347, 1.534], p = 0.002) versus increased miR-222-3p levels (0.379 [0.101, 0.701] vs 0.156 [0.043, 0.407], p < 0.001) in ILHP. The baseline levels of circulating miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p are correlated with serum HDL-C levels (miR-221-3p: r = 0.306, p < 0.001; miR-222-3p: r = − 0.201, p = 0.008). Gender-based analysis showed female-specific elevation of circulating miR-221-3p in asymptomatic individual. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that circulating miR-222-3p is robustly independent factor (adjusted OR = 8.42, 95%CI: 2.53–27.98, p < 0.001) and significantly improved the performance of the predictive clinical model distinguished ILHP from normal lipid phenotype (AUC: 0.816, 95%CI (0.754, 0.879) vs AUC: 0.771, 95%CI (0.702, 0.840); Z = 2.169, p = 0.030). Moreover, the increased original Ct ratio of miR-221-3p to miR-222-3p in male ILHP (1.003 [0.927, 1.063] vs 0.927 [0.858, 0.967], p < 0.001) significantly enhanced the ability to classify male ILHP compared with the male predictive clinical model (AUC: 0.851, 95%CI (0.770, 0.933) vs AUC: 0.759, 95%CI (0.659, 0.859); Z = 2.474, p < 0.05). Conclusions The inverted pattern of circulating miR-221-3p and miR-222-3p are potentially clinically actionable signature for molecular pathology in isolated low HDL-C phenotype.

The extraction conditions and biological activities of polysaccharides from wild Russula griseocarnosa (PRG) were investigated. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was used to optimize extraction conditions. The optimal extraction parameters of PRG were as follows: extracting time 4 h, extraction temperature 77.3 °C and liquid-solid ratio 42.5 g/L. Furthermore, the data demonstrated that PRG exhibited antioxidant activities evidenced by reducing power to scavenge the DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical. PRG showed the activity of anti-cervical carcinoma cells Hela and Siha. In conclusion this study offered an efficient extraction method of wild Russula griseocarnosa polysaccharide, and the results suggested PRG had good antioxidant and inhibitory activities against cervical carcinoma cells, and PRG could be developed as a novel natural functional food. Keywords: Russula griseocarnosa, Response surface methodology, Polysaccharide, Antioxidant activity, Anti-tumor activity

Cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (cSCC) is one of most common type of non-black skin cancer. The malignancy degree and the death risk of cSCC patients are significantly higher than basal cell carcinoma patients. GL-V9 is a synthesized flavonoid derived from natural active ingredient wogonin and shows potent growth inhibitory effects in liver and breast cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the anti-cSCC effect and the underlying mechanism of GL-V9. The results showed that GL-V9 induced both apoptosis and autophagy in human cSCC cell line A431 cells, and prevented the growth progression of chemical induced primary skin cancer in mice. Metabolomics assay showed that GL-V9 potentially affected mitochondrial function, inhibiting glucose metabolism and Warburg effect. Further mechanism studies demonstrated that AKT played important roles in the anti-cSCC effect of GL-V9. On one hand, GL-V9 suppressed AKT-modulated mitochondrial localization of HK2 and promoted the protein degradation of HK2, resulting in cell apoptosis and glycolytic inhibition. On the other hand, GL-V9 induced autophagy via inhibiting Akt/mTOR pathway. Interestingly, though the autophagy induced by GL-V9 potentially antagonized its effect of apoptosis induction, the anti-cSCC effect of GL-V9 was not diluted. All above, our studies suggest that GL-V9 is a potent candidate for cSCC treatment.

Monitoring the drain-off water from nuclear power stations by high-resolution remote sensing satellites is of great significance for ensuring the safe operation of nuclear power stations and monitoring environmental changes. In order to select the optimal algorithm for Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) data to monitor warm drain-off water from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station (DNPS) and the Ling Ao Nuclear Power Station (LNPS) located on the southern coast of China, this study applies the edge detection method to remove stripes and produces estimates of four Sea Surface Temperature (SST) inversion methods, the Radiation Transfer Equation Method (RTM), the Single Channel algorithm (SC), the Mono Window algorithm (MW) and the Split Window algorithm (SW), using the buoy and Minimum Orbit Intersection Distances (MOIDS) SST data. Among the four algorithms, the SST from the SW algorithm is the most consistent with the buoy, the MODIS SST, the ERA-Interim and the Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST). Based on the SST retrieved from the SW algorithm, the tidal currents calculated by the Finite-Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) and winds from ERA-Interim, the distribution of the warm drain-off from the two nuclear power stations is analyzed. First, warm drain-off water is mainly distributed in a fan-shaped area from the two nuclear power stations to the center of the Daya Bay. The SST of the warm drain-off is about 1−4 °C higher than the surrounding water and exceeds 6 °C at the drain-off outfall. Second, the tide determines the shape and distribution characteristics of the warm drain-off area. The warm drain-off water flows to the northeast during the flood tide. During the ebb tide, the warm drain-off water flows toward the southwest direction as the tide flows toward the bay mouth, forming a fan-shaped area. Moreover, the temperature increase intensity in the combined discharge channel during the flood tide is lower than that during the ebb tide, and the low temperature rising area during the flood tide is smaller than that during the ebb tide.

Dioscorea zingiberensis is a perennial herb native to China. The rhizome of D. zingiberensis has long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat rheumatic arthritis. Dioscin is the major bioactive ingredient conferring the medicinal property described in Chinese pharmacopoeia. Several previous studies have suggested cholesterol as the intermediate to the biosynthesis of dioscin, however, the biosynthetic steps to dioscin after cholesterol remain unknown. In this study, a comprehensive D. zingiberensis transcriptome derived from its leaf and rhizome was constructed. Based on the annotation using various public databases, all possible enzymes in the biosynthetic steps to cholesterol were identified. In the late steps beyond cholesterol, cholesterol undergoes site-specific oxidation by cytochrome P450s (CYPs) and glycosylation by UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) to yield dioscin. From the D. zingiberensis transcriptome, a total of 485 unigenes were annotated as CYPs and 195 unigenes with a sequence length above 1000 bp were annotated as UGTs. Transcriptomic comparison revealed 165 CYP annotated unigenes correlating to dioscin biosynthesis in the plant. Further phylogenetic analysis suggested that among those CYP candidates four of them would be the most likely candidates involved in the biosynthetic steps from cholesterol to dioscin. Additionally, from the UGT annotated unigenes, six of them were annotated as 3-O-UGTs and two of them were annotated as rhamnosyltransferases, which consisted of potential UGT candidates involved in dioscin biosynthesis. To further explore the function of the UGT candidates, two 3-O-UGT candidates, named Dz3GT1 and Dz3GT2, were cloned and functionally characterized. Both Dz3GT1 and Dz3GT2 were able to catalyze a C3-glucosylation activity on diosgenin. In conclusion, this study will facilitate our understanding of dioscin biosynthesis pathway and provides a basis for further mining the genes involved in dioscin biosynthesis.