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Background Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer death and has the fifth highest incidence of cancer worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as essential regulators of tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms and their roles as diagnostic biomarkers have yet to be well elucidated in GC. Methods In this study, we implemented genome-wide sequencing to identify circRNAs whose expression in plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) significantly changed. Functional experiments were performed to assess its effect on the proliferation, viability, migration and apoptosis of GC cell lines. Luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays were used to validate their combinations. Finally, RNA-Seq and RT-qPCR were used to identify the downstream regulatory pathway involved. Results We found that the circRNA of MORC family CW-type zinc finger 1 gene (circMORC1) was decreased in the plasma EVs of GC patients but increase in GC cells. In vivo, circMORC1 promoted proliferation, viability, and migration and inhibited apoptosis in AGS and SGC-7901 GC cell lines. CircMORC1 was found to bind to miR-103a-1-5p, which is essential for the regulation of phenotypes. In addition, the Wnt pathway was found to be the downstream regulatory pathway of circMORC1 through a miR-103a-1-5p sponge. Conclusions Our results shed light on circMORC1 promotes the proliferation of gastric cancer cells, as a RNA sponge of miR-103a-1-5p and counteracted the down-regulation of Wnt signaling function of miR-103a-1-5p. Revealed a novel mechanism by which circMORC1 regulates tumorigenesis in gastric cancer and provided a new biomarker for GC diagnosis and prognosis.

Nrf2 (Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2 Related Factor 2) transcription factor not only regulates oxidative stress response, but also represses inflammation by regulating cytokines production and cross-talking with NF-κB signaling pathways. Nrf2 plays an essential role in liver injury induced by oxidative stress and inflammation. Triptriolide (T11) is a minor component of Hook F. (TwHF), which can be obtained by hydrolysis reaction of triptolide (T9). The major purpose of this study is to clarify the regulating effects of T11 on oxidative stress and inflammation and . LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were used to verify the regulating effects of T11 on oxidative stress (ROS and Nrf2 signaling pathway) and inflammatory cytokines production (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β). The antioxidant responsive element (ARE) luciferase assay was employed to evaluate Nrf2 activation effect of T11 in HEK-293T cells. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced acute liver injury (ALI) in BALB/c mice were used to study the protective effects (ALT, AST, MDA, SOD, histopathology and neutrophils/macrophages filtration) and the underlying protection mechanisms of ALI amelioration (Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathway) of T11. Firstly, the results showed that T11 can not only effectively decrease the productions of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β), ROS and NO in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, but also further significantly increase the activity of Nrf2 in HEK-293T cells. Secondly, the results suggested that T11 could dramatically decrease the oxidative stress responses (SOD and MDA) and inflammation (histopathology, neutrophils/macrophages filtration, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β production) in LPS-induced ALI in BALB/c mice. Finally, the results implied that T11 could dramatically increase Nrf2 protein expression and decrease p-TAK1, p-IκBα and NF-κB protein expression both and In conclusion, our findings indicated that T11 could alleviate LPS induced oxidative stress and inflammation by regulating Nrf2 and NF-κB signaling pathways and , which offers a novel insights for the application of TwHF in clinical.

Background Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a multifaceted condition characterized by heterogeneity, wherein the balance between catabolism and anabolism in the extracellular matrix of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells plays a central role. Presently, the available treatments primarily focus on relieving symptoms associated with IVDD without offering an effective cure targeting its underlying pathophysiological processes. D-mannose (referred to as mannose) has demonstrated anti-catabolic properties in various diseases. Nevertheless, its therapeutic potential in IVDD has yet to be explored. Methods The study began with optimizing the mannose concentration for restoring NP cells. Transcriptomic analyses were employed to identify the mediators influenced by mannose, with the thioredoxin-interacting protein ( Txnip ) gene showing the most significant differences. Subsequently, small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology was used to demonstrate that Txnip is the key gene through which mannose exerts its effects. Techniques such as colocalization analysis, molecular docking, and overexpression assays further confirmed the direct regulatory relationship between mannose and TXNIP. To elucidate the mechanism of action of mannose, metabolomics techniques were employed to pinpoint glutamine as a core metabolite affected by mannose. Next, various methods, including integrated omics data and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, were used to validate the one-way pathway through which TXNIP regulates glutamine. Finally, the therapeutic effect of mannose on IVDD was validated, elucidating the mechanistic role of TXNIP in glutamine metabolism in both intradiscal and orally treated rats. Results In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, it was discovered that mannose has potent efficacy in alleviating IVDD by inhibiting catabolism. From a mechanistic standpoint, it was shown that mannose exerts its anti-catabolic effects by directly targeting the transcription factor max-like protein X-interacting protein (MondoA), resulting in the upregulation of TXNIP. This upregulation, in turn, inhibits glutamine metabolism, ultimately accomplishing its anti-catabolic effects by suppressing the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. More importantly, in vivo experiments have further demonstrated that compared with intradiscal injections, oral administration of mannose at safe concentrations can achieve effective therapeutic outcomes. Conclusions In summary, through integrated multiomics analysis, including both in vivo and in vitro experiments, this study demonstrated that mannose primarily exerts its anti-catabolic effects on IVDD through the TXNIP-glutamine axis. These findings provide strong evidence supporting the potential of the use of mannose in clinical applications for alleviating IVDD. Compared to existing clinically invasive or pain-relieving therapies for IVDD, the oral administration of mannose has characteristics that are more advantageous for clinical IVDD treatment.

To investigate the infiltration characteristics of carbonaceous mudstone soil-rock mixtures under the effect of rainfall infiltration, model tests considering rock contents and rainfall infiltration angles were carried out, and the various patterns of volumetric water content and matrix suction at each elevation within the sample were obtained. The VAN-GENUCHTEN model was used to fit the test results, helping to obatain the soil-water characteristic curves of carbonaceous mudstone soil-rock mixtures. The research results show that the volumetric water content of the carbonaceous mudstone soil-rock mixture was in a gradient trend, with the water content increasing from top to bottom and reaching a stable level, and the bottom sample saturated to the top. The permeability coefficient of the carbonaceous mudstone soil-rock mixture demonstrated a trend of first decreasing and then increasing with the increase of rock content. The rise of rainfall infiltration angle effectively inhibited the reduction of matrix suction inside the sample during the rainfall process. During the drainage process, the water content at each elevation within the sample showed an exponential function with the changing pattern of drainage time. Furthermore, the rock content and the rainfall infiltration angle affect the sample’s particle loss.

Reactive dyeing of wool fabrics in non-aqueous green solvents was investigated with the aim to cut effluent discharge via dyebath reuse. Hydrolysis of reactive dyes is the major obstacle for recycle and reuse of the spent dye bath. In the current work, 10 non-nucleophilic solvents were screened based on their Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) profile to be used as the dyeing media. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and dimethyl carbonate were chosen for their favorable EHS score. ATR-IR, SEM and XRD analysis had revealed DMSO pretreatment induced appreciable morphological and structural changes wool fabrics, leading to enhanced dyeability. DMC was used in combination with DMSO to facilitate dye adsorption as a poor solvent for the dyes. The effect of dyeing temperatures, dyeing time, and DMC content on final depth of shade was investigated. Covalent fixation and ionic fixation were determined for the solvent-dyed wool fabric using a pyridine-stripping procedure and compared to that of an aqueously-dyed control. The results showed that about 30% higher covalent fixation was achieved in non-aqueous system, which leads to higher depth of shade (ΔK/S = 1.3-4.9), enhanced color build up properties and better colorfastness (0.5-1 grade). A multi-cycle repeated dyeing sequence involving the recovered solvents and dyes was demonstrated to give consistently high shade buildup and colorfastness. The recyclable dyeing procedure developed in the current study provides an alternative to effluent treatment in reduction of pollutant discharge for a more sustainable textile industry.

Cardiac CT is a non-invasive modality with the ability to estimate LVEF. However, given its limited temporal resolution and radiation, there has been initial resistance to use CT to measure LVEF. Developing an accurate, fast, low radiation dose protocol is desirable. The objective of this study is to demonstrate that a ‘low radiation dose’ 64 slice cardiac computed tomography (CT) protocol is feasible and can accurately measure left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) while delivering a radiation dose lower than radionuclide angiography (RNA). Patients undergoing RNA were prospectively screened and enrolled to undergo a ‘low-dose’ 64 slice CT LVEF protocol. LVEF measures, duration of each study and radiation dose between CT and RNA were compared. A total of 77 patients (mean age = 61.8 ± 12.2 years and 58 men) were analyzed. The mean LVEF measured by CT and RNA were 41.9 ± 15.2% and 39.4 ± 13.9%, respectively, (P = 0.154) with a good correlation (r = 0.863). Bland-Altman plot revealed a good agreement between the CT and RNA LVEF (mean difference of −2.4). There was good agreement between CT LVEF and RNA for identifying patients with LVEF ≤30% (kappa = 0.693) and LVEF ≥50% (kappa = 0.749). The mean dose estimated effective dose for CT and RNA were 4.7 ± 1.6 and 9.5 ± 1.0 mSv, respectively. The mean CT LVEF imaging duration (4:32 ± 3:05 minutes) was significantly shorter than the RNA image acquisition time (9:05 ± 2:36 minutes; p < 0.001). The results of our study suggest that low-dose CT LVEF protocol is feasible, accurate, and fast while delivering a lower radiation dose than traditional RNA.

The sorption thermodynamics and kinetics of disperse dyes on polylactic acid (PLA) fibers were investigated. PLA is crucial for a sustainable textile industry. However, the low dye exhaustion limits the textile application of PLA fibers. The basic dyeing parameters have been determined to provide an in-depth understanding of dyeing behavior. The weak sorption affinities were attributed to the weak dye-fiber interaction and favorable chemical potential of dyes in solvent. Enthalpy–entropy compensation effect also played a role in weak sorption. The interplay of dye structure and enthalpy, entropy changes was rationalized using molecular surface area and rotatable bonds. The conformation constraint strategy was proposed to overcome weak sorption affinity problem by lowering the entropy penalty. Temperature dependence of diffusion coefficients was well reproduced using molecular collision based diffusion model. The activation energies of diffusion have been correlated with molecular volumes of dyes.

Sustainable reactive dyeing of cotton in green non-nucleophilic solvents was investigated. Dye fixation in the new medium was modeled using DFT calculations with the aim of understanding the role of organic bases. The novel procedure uses non-nucleophilic green solvents instead of water to eliminate the dye hydrolysis. All residuals in the spent dye bath could be conveniently recycled and reused. The three major stages in cotton reactive dyeing, cellulose swelling, dye adsorption and dye fixation were optimized respectively. Two organic bases and potassium carbonate were studied for dye fixation. The mechanisms of the amine-promoted dye fixation were modeled using density function theory (DFT) calculations. The formation of the amine-dye intermediate was elucidated and analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The quaternary ammonium catalysis effect on intermediates forming was observed. A 10-cycle repeated dyeing sequence was demonstrated using Reactive orange 5 to give consistently high shade buildup, excellent colorfastness and dramatic reduction in resource consumption. The results have implications for better understanding the new hydrolysis-free and recyclable solvent dyeing process.

Background：Previous studies have indicated that the cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） may be due to topological deteriorations of the brain network.However,whether the selection of a specific frequency band could impact the topological properties is still not clear.Our hypothesis is that the topological properties of AD patients are also frequency-specific.Methods：Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from l0 right-handed moderate AD patients （mean age：64.3 years; mean mini mental state examination [MMSE]：18.0） and 10 age and gender-matched healthy controls （mean age：63.6 years; mean MMSE：28.2） were enrolled in this study.The global efficiency,the clustering coefficient （CC）,the characteristic path length （CpL）,and ＂small-world＂ property were calculated in a wide range of thresholds and averaged within each group,at three different frequency bands （0.01-0.06 Hz,0.06-0.11 Hz,and 0.11-0.25 Hz）.Results：At lower-frequency bands （0.01-0.06 Hz,0.06-0.11 Hz）,the global efficiency,the CC and the ＂small-world＂ properties of AD patients decreased compared to controls.While at higher-frequency bands （0.11-0.25 Hz）,the CpL was much longer,and the ＂small-world＂ property was disrupted in AD,particularly at a higher threshold.The topological properties changed with different frequency bands,suggesting the existence of disrupted global and local functional organization associated with AD.Conclusions：This study demonstrates that the topological alterations of large-scale functional brain networks inAD patients are frequency dependent,thus providing fundamental support for optimal frequency selection in future related research.

Objective： This study aims to investigate the truth-telling status and the relevant factors of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） patients in Henan, China. Methods： A cross-sectional study from April to June 2015 using questionnaires was given to 301 family members of hospitalized ESCC patients based in three affiliated hospitals of Zhengzhou University （i.e., The First Hospital, The Second Hospital, and Tumor Hospital） and Anyang Tumor Hospital. Results： Among the 41.9% （126/301） hospitalized ESCC patients who knew of their true diagnoses, only 4.0% patients were informed by their corresponding responsible doctors, 39.7% by their family members, and 56.3% by themselves. Univariate analyses showed that disclosure of confirmed ESCC diagnosis to patients was correlated with gender, family history of cancer （FHC）, education level, vocation, hospital administrative level, and attitudes of family members （P 〈 0.05）. Furthermore, multivariate analysis indicated that attitude of family members was the most important and an independent factor for diagnosis disclosure. Those patients with a negative FHC, under-education, manual occupation, advanced stages, and hospitalized in municipal hospitals exhibited a low rate of truth telling. Conclusions： Truth telling for ESCC patients in Henan is not prevalent and may be improved through consultation with family members, particularly for patients with a negative FHC, poor education, manual occupation, and advanced stages.