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Dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) expression in cancer is a significant factor contributing to the progression of chemoresistance. The objective of this study is to explore the underlying mechanisms by which miR-34b-3p regulates chemoresistance in cervical cancer (CC). Previous findings have demonstrated low expression levels of miR-34b-3p in both CC chemoresistant cells and tissues. In this study, we initially characterize the behavior of SiHa/DDP cells which are CC cells resistant to the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin (DDP). Subsequently, miR-34b-3p mimics are transfected into SiHa/DDP cells. It is observed that overexpression of miR-34b-3p substantially inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of SiHa/DDP cells and also enhances their sensitivity to DDP-induced cell death. Quantitative RT-PCR and western blot analysis further reveal elevated expression levels of STC2 and FN1 in SiHa/DDP cells, contrary to the expression pattern of miR-34b-3p. Moreover, STC2 and FN1 contribute to DDP resistance, proliferation, migration, invasion, and decreased apoptosis in CC cells. Through dual-luciferase assay analysis, we confirm that STC2 and FN1 are direct targets of miR-34b-3p in CC. Finally, rescue experiments demonstrate that overexpression of either STC2 or FN1 can partially reverse the inhibitory effects of miR-34b-3p overexpression on chemoresistance, proliferation, migration and invasion in CC cells. In conclusion, our findings support the role of miR-34b-3p as a tumor suppressor in CC. This study indicates that targeting the miR-34b-3p/STC2 or FN1 axis has potential therapeutic implications for overcoming chemoresistance in CC patients.

Background The effects of childhood experiences on the health of middle-aged and older adults has become a research hotspot. However, the effects and pathways of childhood experiences on cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults still remain unclear. Objective To analyze the effect of childhood socioeconomic status on cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults from a whole life cycle perspective, and explore promotion strategies for cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults. Methods The China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) for 2010, 2012, and 2020 was used to construct a multiple mediated-effects model to investigate the mediating pathways of the effect of childhood socioeconomic status on cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between various indicators. Results A total of 1 034 middle-aged and older adults with an average age of (62.33±9.89) years were included in this study. The childhood socioeconomic status score was (0.000±0.797), education level score was (1.970±1.111), social participation score was (1.150±0.967), depression status score was (5.960±4.681), and cognitive score was (0.000±1.000). Childhood socioeconomic status was positively correlated with education level, social participation, and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults (P

Neural tube defects (NTDs) represent a developmental disorder of the nervous system that can lead to significant disability in children and impose substantial social burdens. Valproic acid (VPA), a widely prescribed first-line antiepileptic drug for epilepsy and various neurological conditions, has been associated with a 4-fold increase in the risk of NTDs when used during pregnancy. Consequently, urgent efforts are required to identify innovative prevention and treatment approaches for VPA-induced NTDs. Studies have demonstrated that the disruption in the delicate balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis is a crucial factor contributing to NTDs induced by VPA. Encouragingly, our current data reveal that melatonin (MT) significantly inhibits apoptosis while promoting the restoration of neuroepithelial cell proliferation impaired by VPA. Moreover, further investigations demonstrate that MT substantially reduces the incidence of neural tube malformations resulted from VPA exposure, primarily by suppressing apoptosis through the modulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. In addition, the Src/PI3K/ERK signaling pathway appears to play a pivotal role in VPA-induced NTDs, with significant inhibition observed in the affected samples. Notably, MT treatment successfully reinstates Src/PI3K/ERK signaling, thereby offering a potential underlying mechanism for the protective effects of MT against VPA-induced NTDs. In summary, our current study substantiates the considerable protective potential of MT in mitigating VPA-triggered NTDs, thereby offering valuable strategies for the clinical management of VPA-related birth defects.

Background: Increasing interest and participation in engineering is vital if the United States is to create the larger technological and scientific labor force it needs to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Students' pathways into the different engineering majors provide important information for this effort. Purpose: This study addresses which factors across life stages (pre-high school, high school, and early college) are associated with engineering major choice. The quantitative analysis identifies which demographic characteristics and academic achievement variables are correlated with engineering major choice, whereas the qualitative analysis examines when and why students choose a specific engineering major. Methods: Informed by the life course perspective, this convergent mixed methods research study applies Logit regression and thematic analysis. Data sets include more than 20,000 observations of student-level academic records (2001-2015) as well as interviews conducted with 20 students at a large, research-intensive university in the Midwest. Results: Quantitative results indicate that student demographic factors and measures of academic achievement--including passing scores on advanced placement tests, scholastic aptitude test scores, and high school and college first-year grade point averages--are associated with engineering major choice. Qualitative findings show that across the life stages, the source of social influence in engineering major choice varies; while family and teachers play larger roles before and during high school, peers and university personnel play larger roles in early college. Conclusion: The conceptual model comprehensively synthesizes the key factors associated with engineering major choice, highlighting the importance of demographic factors, academic achievement, social networks, and access to role models from pre-high school, high school, and early college.

BackgroundThe research of low temperature detergent is of great significance for the operating and decommissioning of nuclear facilities at low temperature environment.PurposeThis study aims to explore the fluid characteristics and decontamination characteristics of polyvinyl butyral detergent at low temperature.MethodsThe low temperature detergent was prepared by using polyvinyl butyral as solute, ethanol and ethyl acetate as solvent and citric acid as decontamination additives. The viscosity, fluidity, sprayability and wettability of the detergent on the surface of different materials were measured in experiment. Four simulated U(VI) contaminated plate samples were prepared by the dyeing of the uranyl nitrate solution on the base of glass, stainless steel, ceramic tile and alkyd paint, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to characterize the decontamination films on the surface of these four samples, and study the decontamination mechanism. Finally, the decontamination characteristics of the detergent for the simulated U(VI) pollution on surface of different materials were studied at low temperature, and the effects of temperature, detergent dosage and surface roughness on decontamination rate were discussed.ResultsExperimental results show that the decontamination rates of the detergent for the simulated U(VI) pollution on the surface of glass, stainless steel, ceramic tile and alkyd paint board are above 97.3%, 93.6%, 95.5% and 88.9%, respectively, in the temperature range of -15~10 ℃, that the temperature and the detergent dosage have little effect on the decontamination rate and that the decontamination film formed by the detergent have good strippability.ConclusionsThe detergent has a good application potential at the decontamination of radioactive pollution in low temperature environment.

Soil salinization severely limits the quality and productivity of economic crops, threatening global food security. Recent advancements have improved our understanding of how plants perceive, signal, and respond to salt stress. The discovery of the Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway has been crucial in revealing the molecular mechanisms behind plant salinity tolerance. Additionally, extensive research into various plant hormones, transcription factors, and signaling molecules has greatly enhanced our knowledge of plants' salinity tolerance mechanisms. Cucurbitaceae plants, cherished for their economic value as fruits and vegetables, display sensitivity to salt stress. Despite garnering some attention, research on the salinity tolerance of these plants remains somewhat scattered and disorganized. Consequently, this article offers a review centered on three aspects: the salt response of Cucurbitaceae under stress; physiological and biochemical responses to salt stress; and the current research status of their molecular mechanisms in economically significant crops, like cucumbers, watermelons, melon, and loofahs. Additionally, some measures to improve the salt tolerance of Cucurbitaceae crops are summarized. It aims to provide insights for the in-depth exploration of Cucurbitaceae's salt response mechanisms, uncovering the roles of salt-resistant genes and fostering the cultivation of novel varieties through molecular biology in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective attachment of antibodies to the immune sensing interface is a crucial factor that determines the detection performance of immunosensors. Therefore, this study aims to investigate a novel antibody immobilization material with low molecular weight, high stability, and excellent directional immobilization effect. In this study, we employed molecular docking technology based on the ZDOCK algorithm to virtually screen DNA functional ligands (DNAFL) for the Fc segment of antibodies. Through a comprehensive analysis of the key binding sites and contact propensities at the interface between DNAFL and IgG antibody, we have gained valuable insights into the affinity relationship, as well as the principles governing amino acid and nucleotide interactions at this interface. Furthermore, molecular affinity experiments and competitive binding experiments were conducted to validate both the binding ability of DNAFL to IgG antibody and its actual binding site. Through affinity experiments using multi-base sequences, we identified bases that significantly influence antibody-DNAFL binding and successfully obtained DNAFL with an enhanced affinity towards the IgG Fc segment. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the targeted design of higher-affinity DNAFLs while also presenting a new technical approach for immunosensor preparation with potential applications in biodetection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) describes a process by which tumor cells formed a novel microcirculation pattern in an endothelial cell‐free manner. Clinically, VM is associated with aggressive phenotype and poor patient survival. However, the current models for investigating VM include 2D monolayer cultures, Matrigel‐based cultures, and animal models, each of which has limitations. Matrigel‐based models often exhibit batch‐to‐batch variations, while in vivo tumor models currently produce insufficient amounts of VM. There is currently no suitable tumor model to discover new therapeutic targets against VM. Herein, we establish an extracellular matrix (ECM)‐based engineered tumor model in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we demonstrate that matrix proteins enhanced the VM formation in the engineered xenograft model. Furthermore, we also investigated the role of collagen/fibronectin (FN) in melanoma progression and VM formation. Compared with cells cultured on TCPS plates, the B16F10 cells cultured on collagen/FN coated plates showed increased proliferation and stemness, and significantly enhanced invasion and formation of VM networks. Molecular mechanism analysis showed that Integrin/VE‐cadherin/EphA2/PI3K/MMP‐2 signaling pathways are responsible for VM formation. Our results indicate that collagen/FN matrix plays an important role in VM formation in melanoma, suggesting that ECM protein is a potential therapeutic target for anti‐VM therapy for melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-nickel ternary materials are currently the most promising lithium battery cathode materials due to their development and application potential. Nevertheless, these materials encounter challenges like cation mixing, lattice oxygen loss, interfacial reactions, and microcracks. These issues are exacerbated at high voltages, compromising their cyclic stability and safety. In this study, we successfully prepared Nb5+-doped high-nickel ternary cathode materials via a high-temperature solid-phase method. We investigated the impact of Nb5+ doping on the microstructure and electrochemical properties of LiNi0.88Co0.05Mn0.07O2 ternary cathode materials by varying the amount of Nb2O5 added. The experimental results suggest that Nb5+ doping does not alter the crystal structure but modifies the particle morphology, yielding radially distributed, elongated, rod-like structures. This morphology effectively mitigates the anisotropic volume changes during cycling, thereby bolstering the material's cyclic stability. The material exhibits a discharge capacity of 224.4 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and 200.3 mAh g−1 at 1C, within a voltage range of 2.7 V–4.5 V. Following 100 cycles at 1C, the capacity retention rate maintains a high level of 92.9%, highlighting the material's remarkable capacity retention and cyclic stability under high-voltage conditions. The enhancement of cyclic stability is primarily due to the synergistic effects caused by Nb5+ doping. Nb5+ modifies the particle morphology, thereby mitigating the formation of microcracks. The formation of high-energy Nb-O bonds prevents oxygen precipitation at high voltages, minimizes the irreversibility of the H2–H3 phase transition, and thereby enhances the stability of the composite material at high voltages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted. A retraction notice can be found at https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-219433. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]