Abstract Objective To assess the outcome of patients with cancer-related sepsis requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in a single-center pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Method Children with sepsis who necessitate CRRT from January 2017 to December 2021 were enrolled. The patients with leukemia/lymphoma or solid tumors were defined as underlying cancer. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the death risk factors in patients with cancer-related sepsis. Results A total of 146 patients were qualified for inclusion. Forty-six (31.5%) patients with cancer-related sepsis and 100 (68.5%) non-cancer-related sepsis. The overall PICU mortality was 28.1% (41/146), and mortality was significantly higher in cancer-related sepsis patients compared with non-cancer patients (41.3% vs. 22.0%, p = 0.016). Need mechanical ventilation, p-SOFA, acute liver failure, higher fluid overload at CRRT initiation, hypoalbuminemia, and high inotropic support were associated with PICU mortality in cancer-related sepsis patients. Moreover, levels of IL-6, total bilirubin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and international normalized ratio were significantly higher in non-survivors than survivors. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (p-SOFA) score (OR:1.805 [95%CI: 1.047-3.113]) and serum albumin level (OR: 0.758 [95%CI: 0.581 -0.988]) were death risk factors in cancer-related sepsis receiving CRRT, and the AUC of combined index of p-SOFA and albumin was 0.852 (95% CI: 0.730-0.974). Conclusion The overall PICU mortality is high in cancer-related sepsis necessitating CRRT. Higher p-SOFA and lower albumin were independent risk factors for PICU mortality. cancerrelated cancer related (CRRT singlecenter single center PICU. . (PICU) 201 202 enrolled leukemialymphoma leukemia lymphoma 14 inclusion Fortysix Forty six 31.5% 315 31 5 (31.5% 10 68.5% 685 68 (68.5% noncancerrelated non 281 28 1 28.1 41/146, 41146 41/146 , 41 (41/146) noncancer 41.3% 413 3 (41.3 vs 220 22 0 22.0% 0.016. 0016 0.016 016 0.016) ventilation pSOFA, pSOFA SOFA, SOFA initiation hypoalbuminemia Moreover IL6, IL6 IL 6, 6 IL-6 bilirubin creatinine nitrogen nonsurvivors survivors (p-SOFA OR1.805 OR1805 OR 1.805 805 (OR:1.80 95%CI 95CI CI 95 [95%CI 1.0473.113 10473113 1.047 3.113 047 113 1.047-3.113] (OR 0758 758 0.75 0581 581 0.58 0.988 0988 988 -0.988] 0852 852 0.85 95% (95 0.7300.974. 07300974 0.730 0.974 730 974 0.730-0.974) (PICU 20 31.5 (31.5 68.5 (68.5 2 28. 4114 41/14 4 (41/146 41.3 (41. 22.0 001 0.01 01 IL- OR1 OR1.80 OR180 1805 1.80 80 (OR:1.8 9 0473 1.0473.11 1047311 1047 1.04 3113 3.11 04 11 1.047-3.113 075 75 0.7 058 58 0.5 0.98 098 98 -0.988 085 85 0.8 (9 7300 0.7300.974 0730097 0730 0.73 0974 0.97 73 97 0.730-0.974 31. (31. 68. (68. 411 41/1 (41/14 41. (41 22. 00 0.0 OR1.8 OR18 180 1.8 8 (OR:1. 1.0473.1 104731 104 1.0 311 3.1 1.047-3.11 07 7 0. 05 0.9 09 -0.98 08 ( 0.7300.97 073009 073 097 0.730-0.97 (31 (68 41/ (41/1 (4 OR1. 18 1. (OR:1 1.0473. 10473 3. 1.047-3.1 -0.9 0.7300.9 07300 0.730-0.9 (3 (6 (41/ 1.0473 1.047-3. -0. 0.7300. 0.730-0. 1.047-3 -0 0.7300 0.730-0 1.047- - 0.730-

Abstract Objective Monitoring the disease status of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) patients is crucial. This study aimed to investigate the different strategies and outcomes of patients with EBV-HLH and re-elevated EBV-DNA. Method A retrospective analysis was conducted on 20 patients diagnosed with EBV-HLH. Clinical features, laboratory tests, treatments, plasma EBV-DNA levels, and outcomes were assessed. Three cases were highlighted for detailed analysis. Results Nine of the 20 patients had a re-elevation of EBV-DNA during treatment, and 55.5 % (5/9) experienced relapses. Patients with persistently positive plasma EBV-DNA (n = 4) and those with re-elevated EBV-DNA after conversion (n = 9) showed a significantly higher relapse rate compared to those with persistently negative EBV-HLH (n = 7) (p < 0.05). Among the highlighted cases, Case 1 exhibited plasma EBV-DNA re-elevation after four weeks of treatment without relapse, maintaining stability with the original treatment regimen, and eventually, his plasma EBV-DNA turned negative. In Case 2, plasma EBV-DNA was elevated again with a recurrence of HLH after L-DEP. Consequently, she underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and eventually achieved complete remission (CR) with negative plasma EBV-DNA. Case 3 experienced plasma EBV-DNA re-elevation after L-DEP but remained in CR, discontinuing chemotherapy without relapse. Conclusion The re-elevation of plasma EBV-DNA during EBV-HLH treatment poses challenges in determining disease status and treatment strategies. Optimal management decisions require a combination of the level of elevated EBV-DNA, the intensity of hyperinflammation, and the patient's immune function. EpsteinBarr Epstein Barr EBVrelated EBV related (HLH crucial EBVHLH reelevated re EBVDNA. EBVDNA DNA. DNA 2 EBVHLH. HLH. features tests treatments levels assessed reelevation elevation 555 55 5 55. 5/9 59 9 (5/9 relapses n 4 7 p 0.05. 005 0.05 . 0 05 0.05) regimen LDEP. LDEP L DEP. DEP Consequently CR (CR EBVDNA, DNA, hyperinflammation patient s function 5/ (5/ 00 0.0 (5 0. (

Abstract Objective This study aims to develop a compound biomaterial to achieve effective soft tissue regeneration. Methodology Compound hyaluronic acid (CHA) and liquid horizontal-platelet-rich fibrin (H-PRF) were mixed at a ratio of 1:1 to form a CHA-PRF gel. Human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) were used in this study. The effect of CHA, H-PRF, and the CHA-PRF gel on cell viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assays. Then, the effect of CHA, H-PRF, and the CHA-PRF gel on collagen formation and deposition was evaluated by qRT‒PCR and immunofluorescence analysis. Finally, qRT‒PCR, immunofluorescence analysis, Transwell assays, and scratch wound-healing assays were performed to determine how CHA, H-PRF, and the CHA-PRF gel affect the migration of HGFs. Results The combination of CHA and H-PRF shortened the coagulation time of liquid H-PRF. Compared to the pure CHA and H-PRF group, the CHA-PRF group exhibited the highest cell proliferation at all time points, as shown by the CCK-8 assay. Col1a and FAK were expressed at the highest levels in the CHA-PRF group, as shown by qRT‒PCR. CHA and PRF could stimulate collagen formation and HGF migration, as observed by fluorescence microscopy analysis of COL1 and F-actin and Transwell and scratch healing assays. Conclusion The CHA-PRF group exhibited greater potential to promote soft tissue regeneration by inducing cell proliferation, collagen synthesis, and migration in HGFs than the pure CHA or H-PRF group. CHA-PRF can serve as a great candidate for use alone or in combination with autografts in periodontal or peri-implant soft tissue regeneration. (CHA horizontalplateletrich horizontal platelet rich HPRF H (H-PRF 11 1 1: CHAPRF (HGFs HPRF, PRF, CCK8 CCK 8 CCK- Then qRTPCR qRT PCR Finally woundhealing wound HPRF. PRF. points assay Cola Col COL Factin F actin synthesis periimplant peri implant

Abstract Background Fibrous scars frequently form at the sites of bone nonunion when attempts to repair bone fractures have failed. However, the detailed mechanism by which fibroblasts, which are the main components of fibrous scars, impede osteogenesis remains largely unknown. Results In this study, we found that fibroblasts compete with osteogenesis in both human bone nonunion tissues and BMP2-induced ectopic osteogenesis in a mouse model. Fibroblasts could inhibit the osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) via direct and indirect cell competition. During this process, fibroblasts modulated the nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of YAP in MSCs. Knocking down YAP could inhibit osteoblast differentiation of MSCs, while overexpression of nuclear-localized YAP-5SA could reverse the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation of MSCs caused by fibroblasts. Furthermore, fibroblasts secreted DKK1, which further inhibited the formation of calcium nodules during the late stage of osteogenesis but did not affect the early stage of osteogenesis. Thus, fibroblasts could inhibit osteogenesis by regulating YAP localization in MSCs and secreting DKK1. Conclusions Our research revealed that fibroblasts could modulate the nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of YAP in MSCs, thereby inhibiting their osteoblast differentiation. Fibroblasts could also secrete DKK1, which inhibited calcium nodule formation at the late stage of osteogenesis.

Abstract RFX2 plays critical roles in mammalian spermatogenesis and cilium maturation. Here, the testes of 12-month-old adult boars of Banna mini-pig inbred line (BMI) were subjected to whole-transcriptome sequencing. The results indicated that the average expression (raw count) of RFX2 gene in BMI testes was 16138.25, and the average expression value of the corresponding transcript ENSSSCT00000043271.2 was 123.1898. The CDS of RFX2 obtained from BMI testes was 2,817 bp (GenBank accession number: OL362242). Gene structure analysis showed that RFX2 was located on chromosome 2 of the pig genome with 19 exons. Protein structure analysis indicated that RFX2 contains 728 amino acids with two conserved domains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that RFX2 was highly conserved with evolutionary homologies among mammalian species. Other analyses, including PPI networks, KEGG, and GO, indicated that BMI RFX2 had interactions with 43 proteins involving various functions, such as in cell cycle, spermatid development, spermatid differentiation, cilium assembly, and cilium organization, etc. Correlation analysis between these proteins and the transcriptome data implied that RFX2 was significantly associated with FOXJ1, DNAH9, TMEM138, E2F7, and ATR, and particularly showed the highest correlation with ATR, demonstrating the importance of RFX2 and ART in spermatogenesis. Functional annotation implied that RFX2 was involved in 17 GO terms, including three cellular components (CC), six molecular functions (MF), and eight biological processes (BP). The analysis of miRNA-gene targeting indicated that BMI RFX2 was mainly regulated by two miRNAs, among which four lncRNAs and five lncRNAs competitively bound ssc-miR-365-5p and ssc-miR-744 with RFX2, respectively. Further, the dual-luciferase report assay indicated that the ssc-miR-365-5p and ssc-miR-744 significantly reduced luciferase activity of RFX2 3'UTR in the 293T cells, suggesting that these two miRNAs regulated the expression of RFX2. Our results revealed the important role of RFX2 in BMI spermatogenesis, making it an intriguing candidate for follow-up studies. RFX maturation Here 12monthold monthold 12 month old minipig mini (BMI wholetranscriptome whole sequencing raw count 1613825 16138 25 16138.25 ENSSSCT000000432712 ENSSSCT ENSSSCT00000043271 ENSSSCT00000043271. 1231898 123 1898 123.1898 2817 817 2,81 GenBank number OL362242. OL362242 OL . OL362242) 1 exons 72 domains species analyses networks KEGG 4 cycle development differentiation assembly organization etc FOXJ1 FOXJ DNAH9 DNAH TMEM138 TMEM E2F7 EF E F ATR terms CC, CC , (CC) MF, MF (MF) BP. BP (BP) miRNAgene miRNA sscmiR3655p sscmiRp ssc miR 365 5p p sscmiR744 sscmiR 744 ssc-miR-74 respectively Further dualluciferase dual 3UTR UTR 3 T cells followup follow up studies 161382 1613 16138.2 ENSSSCT0000004327 123189 189 123.189 281 81 2,8 OL36224 7 TMEM13 E2F (CC (MF (BP 36 sscmiR74 74 ssc-miR-7 161 16138. ENSSSCT000000432 12318 18 123.18 28 8 2, OL3622 TMEM1 sscmiR7 ssc-miR- 16 ENSSSCT00000043 1231 123.1 OL362 ssc-miR ENSSSCT0000004 123. OL36 ENSSSCT000000 OL3 ENSSSCT00000 ENSSSCT0000 ENSSSCT000 ENSSSCT00 ENSSSCT0

Abstract This study aimed to investigate possible changes in the spatial memory of rats and the expression or activity of EGR-1, c-Fos, PKA, and PKC after propofol anesthesia. Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley rats aged 20 months and 36 Sprague-Dawley rats aged three months were each randomly divided into three groups: the control group, the Morris Water Maze (MWM) group, and the propofol group. In the propofol groups of both young and aged rats, the rats were anesthetized by propofol for two or four hours and then performed the MWM test two days or two weeks after anesthesia to assess cognitive function. EGR-1, c-Fos, PKA, and PKC expressions in the rat hippocampus were determined via immunohistochemistry. For the older rats, the escape latency in the P4h/2d group was significantly prolonged (P < 0.05), and the learning curve was right-shifted in the P4h/2w group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of EGR-1, c-Fos, PKA, and PKC in the MWM groups were significantly higher than those in the control groups (P < 0.05). In the P4h/2d group of aged rats, the expression levels of both PKA and PKC were decreased compared with those of the MWM groups. The decreased expression of both protein kinases may be responsible for the observed impairment after propofol anesthesia.

RESUMO A capacidade de controle psicológico de atletas afeta diretamente as competições. Portanto, é muito necessário supervisionar a psicologia de jogo desses indivíduos. O modelo de supervisão do estado de jogo dos atletas é construído através do algoritmo de extração de informações faciais. A matriz de homografia e o método de cálculo são introduzido. Em seguida, são introduzidos dois métodos para resolver a matriz de rotação a partir da matriz de homografia. Após a resolução da matriz de rotação, introduz-se o método de obtenção do ângulo de rotação facial a partir dessa matriz. Os dois métodos são comparados nos dados da simulação, e as vantagens e desvantagens de cada algoritmo são analisadas para determinar o método utilizado neste estudo. Os resultados experimentais mostram que a precisão da previsão do modelo atinge 70%, sendo possível efetivamente supervisionar o estado psicológico dos atletas. O presente estudo é de grande importância para melhorar o desempenho dos atletas em competições e melhorar a aplicação do algoritmo de rede neural backpropagation (BP).

ABSTRACT Athletes’ psychological control ability directly affects competitions. Therefore, it is necessary to supervise the athletes’ game psychology. Athletes’ game state supervision model is constructed through the facial information extraction algorithm. The homography matrix and the calculation method are introduced. Then, two methods are introduced to solve the rotation matrix from the homography matrix. After the rotation matrix is solved, the method of obtaining the facial rotation angle from the rotation matrix is introduced. The two methods are compared in the simulation data, and the advantages and disadvantages of each algorithm are analyzed to determine the method used in this paper. The experimental results show that the model prediction accuracy reaches 70%, which can effectively supervise the psychological state of athletes. This research study is of great significance to improve the performance of athletes in competitions and improve the application of back propagation (BP) neural network algorithm.

RESUMEN La capacidad de control psicológico de atletas afecta directamente las competencias. Por lo tanto, es muy necesario supervisar la psicología de juego de esos individuos. El modelo de supervisión del estado de juego de los atletas es construido por medio del algoritmo de extracción de informaciones faciales. La matriz de homografía y el método de cálculo son introducidos. Enseguida, son introducidos dos métodos para resolver la matriz de rotación a partir de la matriz de homografía. Después de la resolución de la matriz de rotación, se introduce el método de obtención del ángulo de rotación facial a partir de esa matriz. Los dos métodos son comparados en los datos de la simulación, y las ventajas y desventajas de cada algoritmo son analizadas para determinar el método utilizado en este estudio. Los resultados experimentales muestran que la precisión de la previsión del modelo alcanza 70%, siendo posible efectivamente supervisar el estado psicológico de los atletas. El presente estudio es de gran importancia para mejorar el desempeño de los atletas en competencias y mejorar la aplicación del algoritmo de red neuronal backpropagation (BP).

Abstract Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Shigella are three major foodborne pathogenic microorganisms that cause global public health problems. We developed a multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (mLAMP) assay for simultaneous detection of S. aureus nuc, Salmonella fimY, and Shigella ipaH in fresh fruit juice using three sets of primers. In addition, three different restriction enzyme cleavage sites were designed in each forward inner primer (FIP), namely, XhoI in nuc FIP, KpnI in fimY FIP, and BamHI in ipaH FIP. DNA was amplified using the LAMP assay at 64 °C for 50 min followed by endonuclease restriction digestion to separate the LAMP products of three pathogens. The minimum amount of genomic DNA of S. aureus, Salmonella, and Shigella that could be detected by mLAMP was 100 fg/25 μL, whereas for mPCR, it was 1 pg/25 μL. The artificially contaminated juice can also be detected by mLAMP after enrichment, which had the limit of detection (LOD) of 2 CFU/10 mL. In conclusion, the mLAMP developed in this study could be potentially used in the detection of S. aureus, Salmonella, and Shigella in food, particularly as a primary screening method in developing areas.

RESUMO OBJETIVO RNAs longos não-codificantes (INcRNAs) são frequentemente expressos anormalmente em tumores e estão envolvidos na ocorrência e progressão do câncer humano. Recentemente, um INcRNA relacionado com a doença, o TMPO antisense RNA 1 (TMPO-AS1), foi identificado como desregulado em vários tumores. Por isso, procuramos demonstrar se o TMPO-AS1 poderia ser um marcador de prognóstico promissor para pacientes com carcinoma de células escamosas da laringe (LSCC). MÉTODOS RT-PCR foi realizado para medir as expressões do TMPO-AS1 em 187 espécimes de LSCC em comparação com espécimes normais correspondentes. Foram utilizados testes Qui-quadrado para determinar as associações entre as expressões do TMPO-AS1 e as características clínicas dos pacientes com LSCC. Em seguida, o desfecho clínico dos pacientes com LSCC que tinham uma expressão do TMPO-AS1 inferior ou superior foi analisado com ensaios Kaplan-Meier. Por último, o modelo de riscos proporcionais de Cox foi utilizado para avaliar o valor prognóstico do TMPO-AS1 e outras características clínicas. RESULTADOS Observamos que o TMPO-AS1 estava claramente super-regulado nos tecidos de LSCC humanos em comparação com os espécimes normais correspondentes (p<0,01). Expressões mais elevadas de TMPO-AS1 estavam positivamente associadas ao estágio clínico (p=0,020) e à metástase linfática (p=0,027). Um estudo clínico com 187 pacientes revelou que aqueles com expressões mais baixas de TMPO-AS1 tiveram uma sobrevida pior do que aqueles com expressões elevadas de TMPO-AS1 (p=0,0012). Além disso, o resultado de ensaios multivariados demonstrou que a expressão do TMPO-AS1 é um preditor independente para a sobrevida global de pacientes com LSCC. CONCLUSÕES TMPO-AS1 pode ser considerado uma molécula nova envolvida na progressão do LSCC, o que proporciona um possível biomarcador de prognóstico.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE Long noncoding RNA (lncRNAs) are frequently abnormally expressed in tumors and involved in the occurrence and progression of human cancer. Recently, a disease-related lncRNA, TMPO antisense RNA 1 (TMPO-AS1), was identified to be dysregulated in several tumors. Hence, we aimed to demonstrate whether TMPO-AS1 could be a promising prognostic marker for patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). METHODS RT-PCR was performed to test TMPO-AS1 expressions in 187 LSCC specimens compared with matched normal specimens. Chi-squared tests were used to determine the associations between TMPO-AS1 expressions and the clinicopathological characteristics of LSCC patients. Then, the clinical outcome of LSCC patients who had lower or higher TMPO-AS1 expression was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier assays. Finally, a Cox proportional hazards model was carried out to evaluate the prognostic values of TMPO-AS1 and other clinical features. RESULTS We found that TMPO-AS1 was distinctly upregulated in human LSCC tissues compared with corresponding normal specimens (p < 0.01). Higher expressions of TMPO-AS1 were observed to be positively associated with the clinical stage (p = 0.020) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.027). A clinical study in 187 patients revealed that patients with TMPO-AS1 low expressions had poorer survival than those with TMPO-AS1 high expressions (p = 0.0012). In addition, the result of multivariate assays demonstrated TMPO-AS1 expression is an independent predictor for the overall survival of LSCC patients. CONCLUSIONS TMPO-AS1 might be considered a novel molecule involved in LSCC progression, which provides a possible prognostic biomarker.

Abstract Background: Cisplatin resistance (DDP-resistance) remains one of the major causes of poor prognosis in females with ovarian cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to participate in the regulation of cellular processes, including chemoresistance. The aim of this study was to explore the role of HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) in DDP-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Methods: DDP-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3/DDP and A2780/DDP) were established. Real-time PCR, western blot, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and flow cytometry were then used to evaluate the effect of HOTAIR/miR-138-5p axis on chemoresistance of DDP-resistant ovarian cancer cells to DDP. Results: We found that HOTAIR was upregulated in DDP-resistant cells, while miR-138-5p was downregulated. Knockdown of HOTAIR increased the expression of miR-138-5p in DDP-resistant cells and miR-138-5p is directly bound to HOTAIR. Upregulation of miR-138-5p induced by HOTAIR siRNA or by its mimics enhanced the chemosensitivity of DDP-resistant cells and decreased the expression of EZH2 (enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit) and SIRT1 (sirtuin 1). Furthermore, the HOTAIR silencing-induced chemosensitivity of DDP-resistant cells was weakened by miR-138-5p inhibitor. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that HOTAIR acts as a sponge of miR-138-5p to prevent its binding to EZH2 and SIRT1, thereby promoting DDP-resistance of ovarian cancer cells. Our work will shed light on the development of therapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer treatment.

Abstract In this study, an immunoaffinity column was prepared by covalently coupling of polyclonal antibody against danofloxacin (DAN) with chitosan microparticles and its potential application to selective extraction of DAN from food samples was also evaluated. The produced antibody exhibited high sensitivity, with an IC50 value of 4.56 ng/mL towards DAN, and good specificity, with less than 0.5% of cross-reactivity towards DAN structurally related compounds. The developed immunoaffinity column had an approximate binding capacity of 2300 ng/mL gel and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 3.7% among columns. The immunoaffinity columns were then challenged with DAN-fortified milk samples, recoveries of DAN were found to be in the range of 83.8% to 98.8%, indicating the prepared immunoaffinity column is suitable for use as an efficient extraction method to detect DAN residues in food products.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays an important role in autoimmune diseases. Previous studies have investigated the association of TNF-α-238G/A (rs361525) and -308G/A (rs1800629) polymorphisms with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, no agreed conclusion had been made. Therefore, this meta-analysis was conducted to assess the associations of TNF-α-238G/A and -308G/A polymorphisms with RA and SLE risk. A systematic search was conducted in commonly used databases. Meta-analysis was performed by STATA12.0. A total of 43 studies were included. In the overall population, the TNF-α-238A allele was observed to be a protective factor for RA (A vs G: OR=0.75, 95%CI=0.57–0.99, P=0.040) and the TNF-α-308A allele was found to be a risk factor for SLE (A vs G: OR=1.78, 95%CI=1.45–2.19, P<0.001). However, no evidence of association was found between TNF-α-238 G/A polymorphism and SLE nor between -308G/A and RA. In the subgroup analysis, TNF-α-308A allele played a pathogenic role for RA in Latin Americans (A vs G: OR=1.46, 95%CI=1.15–1.84, P=0.002) and for SLE in Latin Americans (A vs G: OR=2.12, 95%CI=1.32–3.41, P=0.002) and Europeans (A vs G: OR=2.03, 95%CI=1.56–2.63, P<0.001), while it played a protective role for RA in Asians (A vs G: OR=0.54, 95%CI=0.32–0.90, P=0.017). No significant association was found between TNF-α-308G/A and SLE susceptibility in Africans and Asians. This meta-analysis demonstrated that TNF-α-238A was associated with decreased risk of RA rather than SLE, while -308G/A polymorphism was associated with SLE rather than RA. Stratification analysis indicated that different ethnicities would have different risk alleles.

Herein, SnO2- and ZnO2-doped (1.5 wt.%) composite Cu powder was prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) respectively, and both the contact materials of oxide-doped Cu alloys were subsequently obtained by canned hot-pressing powder sintering with hot extrusion combined. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and self-designed electrical breakdown device were used for investigating the microstructure and properties including electric conductivity and hardness, especially for electrical contact performance of the Cu-SnO2 alloy and in compared with the Cu-ZnO2 alloy. The experimental results show that the hardness of Cu-SnO2 and Cu-ZnO2 contact materials are 103.5±1 HV and 192.7±1 HV, respectively, which meet the hardness standard of national standard electrical contact materials. Meanwhile, the relative conductivity %IACS are 7.24% and 6.20%, respectively, which are higher than the traditional Cu-based contact materials. This electrical life simulation test system was designed independently, and the results indicate that the switching times of Cu-SnO2 contact materials are much more than that of Cu-ZnO2. The addition of SnO2 can effectively improve the arc extinguishing characteristics and the anti-welding performance of the contact materials is enhanced. In summary, SnO2-doped Cu-based contact materials possess excellent comprehensive properties, which can provide reference for potential applications in contact materials.

Abstract As a glacier retreats, barren areas are exposed, and these barren areas are ideal sites to study microbial succession. In this study, we characterized the soil culturable bacterial communities and biochemical parameters of early successional soils from a receding glacier in the Tianshan Mountains. The total number of culturable bacteria ranged from 2.19 × 105 to 1.30 × 106 CFU g-1 dw and from 9.33 × 105 to 2.53 × 106 CFU g-1 dw at 4 °C and 25 °C, respectively. The number of culturable bacteria in the soil increased at 25 °C but decreased at 4 °C along the chronosequence. The total organic carbon, total nitrogen content, and enzymatic activity were relatively low in the glacier foreland. The number of culturable bacteria isolated at 25 °C was significantly positively correlated with the TOC and TN as well as the soil urease, protease, polyphenoloxidase, sucrase, catalase, and dehydrogenase activities. We obtained 358 isolates from the glacier foreland soils that clustered into 35 groups using amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis. These groups are affiliated with 20 genera that belong to six taxa, namely, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroides, and Deinococcus-Thermus, with a predominance of members of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria in all of the samples. A redundancy analysis showed that the bacterial succession was divided into three periods, an early stage (10a), a middle stage (25-74a), and a late stage (100-130a), with the total number of culturable bacteria mainly being affected by the soil enzymatic activity, suggesting that the microbial succession correlated with the soil age along the foreland.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a critical molecular mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Hence, strategies for alleviating this stress may be essential for preventing cardiovascular injuries under sepsis. Adiponectin is secreted by adipocytes and its levels are decreased in sepsis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of adiponectin treatment on endothelial cells and its mechanism. Male Wistar rats underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) before being treated with adiponectin (72 and 120 μg/kg). The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma, histological structure, and apoptosis of endothelial cells were evaluated. In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with adiponectin at 10 and 20 μg/mL for 24 h after stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ultrastructure, rate of apoptosis, the expression of inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) protein, and its downstream molecules (78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and caspase-12) were detected. The results showed that the levels of MDA and ROS induced by CLP or LPS stimulation were increased. Furthermore, endothelial cell apoptosis was increased under sepsis. The IRE1α pathway was initiated, as evidenced by activated IRE1α, increased GRP78, and up-regulated CHOP and caspase-12 in HUVECs. Following treatment with adiponectin, the number of apoptotic endothelial cells was markedly decreased. These findings demonstrated that treatment with adiponectin decreased apoptosis of endothelial cells caused by sepsis by attenuating the ER stress IRE1α pathway activated by oxidative stress.