MicroRNA-196a-5p targeting LRP1B modulates phenotype of thyroid carcinoma cells

Introduction: Thyroid cancer (TC) is a common endocrine malignancy, comprising nearly one-third of all head and neck malignancies worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the malignant progression of multiple cancers; however, their contribution to thyroid diseases has not been fully explored. Material and methods: This study aimed to illustrate the regulatory mechanism of microRNA-196a-5p in TC progression and to investigate whether microRNA-196a-5p affects progression of TC cells by targeting low-density lipoprotein receptor-associated protein 1B (LRP1B). MicroRNA-196a-5p and LRP1B expression status in TC cells and normal human thyroid cells was detected by quantative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, scratch healing assay, and Transwell assay were also performed. Results: The results showed that microRNA-196a-5p expression was up-regulated and LRP1B expression was down regulated in TC cells. In addition, the upregulation of microRNA-196a-5p facilitated progression of TC cells. Silencing microRNA-196a-5p led to the opposite results. Dual-luciferase reporter assay offered evidence for microRNA-196a-5p targeting LRP1B in TC. MicroRNA-196a-5p could target LRP1B to facilitate proliferation, invasion, and migration of TC cells. Conclusion: Overall, this study revealed that microRNA-196a-5p may be a cancer-promoting microRNA that plays an important role in TC progression

GIS-Based Risk Assessment of Hail Disasters Affecting Cotton and Its Spatiotemporal Evolution in China

Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of hail disaster risk for cotton is crucial in mitigating hail disaster and promoting the sustainability of cotton farming. Based on such indexes as hail disaster frequency, spatiotemporal exposure, and vulnerability of cotton, we assess hail disaster risk for cotton, and analyze its spatiotemporal pattern and evolution in Mainland China from 1950 to 2009, supported by geographic information system (GIS). The following conclusions are drawn: (1) The proposed risk assessment method reveals the spatiotemporal difference of hail disaster risk for cotton at the county level. (2) Hail disaster risk for cotton is low in China, except for north of the North China Plain and the cotton-planting areas in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. From 1950 to 2009, hail disaster risk for cotton gradually increased. (3) The descending orders of hail disaster risk levels for cotton are bud stage, seedling stage, sowing and seeding stage, boll stage, and boll opening stage. The growth period with the highest risk varies across the cotton-planting areas. (4) The results of this paper are important for developing hail disaster prevention and reduction measures

Constructing a thyroid cancer prognostic risk model based on CD8+ T cell associated genes

Thyroid cancer (TC) is a common and curable endocrine tumor occurring in the head and neck characterized by a low mortality rate compared to other malignancies. In this study, the immune microenvironment of TC was investigated to identify biomarkers. The mRNA and clinical data available in this study were accessed from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Thyroid Cancer (TCGA-THCA) dataset. Differences in immune infiltration levels of TC and normal samples were assessed by CIBERSORT. Thyroid cancer samples were classified into high- and low-abundance groups according to the median abundance of immune cell infiltration, and CD8 + T cells were notably correlated with the survival status. Differential expression analysis was conducted on CD8 + T cells to obtain immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Subsequently, a prognostic risk model was established through Cox regression analysis. According to the median risk score, samples in the training set and validation set were assigned to high- and low-risk groups. The survival and ROC curves demonstrated that the model possesses favorable prognostic prediction ability. Furthermore, the results of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated differences between the high- and low-risk groups in terms of ECM receptor interaction and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling pathways. The tumor microenvironment of TC samples was evaluated by ESTIMATE, which showed that stromal scores were higher in the high-risk group. Finally, simple-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) was performed on TC samples. The results indicated a higher infiltration level of NK cells in the low-risk group, as well as a lower level in the high-risk group. In terms of immune function-related gene sets, genes related to APC co-inhibition, cytolytic activity, HLA and T cell co-inhibition were observed to present higher expression levels in the low-risk group. In general, this study built a 6-gene prognostic risk assessment model based on CD8 + T cells through bioinformatics analysis, which is expected to be a reference for clinicians to judge the prognosis of TC patients

MiR-222-3p promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells through targeting SLC4A4

Objective. An increasing number of studies indicate that miR-222-3p is upregulated in various cancers and can regulate tumor progression. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of miR-222- 3p in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods. TCGA database was used to dig differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in PTC tissue. Relevant references were searched to determine target miRNA. StarBase, TargetScan and miRDB were applied to predict mRNAs that had binding sites with the target miRNA. Then, the mRNAs were intersected with differentially downregulated mRNAs in TCGA to determine the target mRNA. qRT-PCR was exerted to evaluate gene expression of miR-222-3p and SLC4A4 in PTC. Western blot was performed out to evaluate the protein expression of SLC4A4 in PTC cells. CCK-8, wound healing assay and cell invasion assay were undertaken to observe the proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities of PTC cells. Dual-luciferase assay was employed to test the binding relationship between miR222-3p and SLC4A4. Results. MiR-222-3p was highly expressed in PTC while SLC4A4 was lowly expressed. Moreover, miR222-3p was able to promote the proliferation, invasion, and migration of PTC cells. SLC4A4 was able to reverse these promotive effects of miR-222-3p. Conclusion. MiR-222-3p can promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of PTC cells through targeting SLC4A4. MiR-222-3p is expected to be a molecular therapeutic target for PTC patients

Integrated Analysis of Metabolome and Volatile Profiles of Germinated Brown Rice from the Japonica and Indica Subspecies

In the present study, germinated brown rice (GBR) from three Japonica and three Indica rice cultivars were subjected to metabolomics analysis and volatile profiling. The statistical assessment and pathway analysis of the metabolomics data demonstrated that in spite of significant metabolic changes in response to the germination treatment, the Japonica rice cultivars consistently expressed higher levels of several health-promoting compounds, such as essential amino acids and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), than the Indica cultivars. No clear discriminations of the volatile profiles were observed in light of the subspecies, and the concentrations of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including alkenes, aldehydes, furans, ketones, and alcohols, all exhibited significant reductions ranging from 26.8% to 64.1% after the germination. The results suggest that the Japonica cultivars might be desirable as the raw materials for generating and selecting GBR food products for health-conscious consumers

Highly stable potassium metal batteries enabled by regulating surface chemistry in ether electrolyte

Rechargeable potassium (K) metal batteries (PMBs) remain deeply challenged by the lack of suitable electrolytes that are stable against both highly reactive K anodes and 4 V-class cathodes. Despite their good reductive stability with K metal, classic potassium bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (KFSI)-based ether electrolytes are typically used only in \u3c4.0 V PMBs due to their limited oxidation stability. Herein, a potassium nitrate (KNO3)-containing ether electrolyte, at a moderate KFSI concentration (2.3 M) rather than a high concentration (normally, \u3e3 M), is reported for the first time to be used in 4 V-class PMBs. A stable N/F-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is formed, enabling dense and uniform K deposition, especially under high current density. Remarkably, the PMBs with Prussian blue cathode exhibits an unprecedented cycle life (1000 cycles, 122 days). This work provides new perspectives of electrolyte design for 4 V-class PMBs

The Light- and Jasmonic Acid-Induced <i>AaMYB108-like</i> Positive Regulates the Initiation of Glandular Secretory Trichome in <i>Artemisia annua</i> L.

The plant Artemisia annua L. is famous for producing “artemisinin”, which is an essential component in the treatment of malaria. The glandular secretory trichomes (GSTs) on the leaves of A. annua secrete and store artemisinin. Previous research has demonstrated that raising GST density can effectively raise artemisinin content. However, the molecular mechanism of GST initiation is not fully understood yet. In this study, we identified an MYB transcription factor, the AaMYB108-like, which is co-induced by light and jasmonic acid, and positively regulates glandular secretory trichome initiation in A. annua. Overexpression of the AaMYB108-like gene in A. annua increased GST density and enhanced the artemisinin content, whereas anti-sense of the AaMYB108-like gene resulted in the reduction in GST density and artemisinin content. Further experiments demonstrated that the AaMYB108-like gene could form a complex with AaHD8 to promote the expression of downstream AaHD1, resulting in the initiation of GST. Taken together, the AaMYB108-like gene is a positive regulator induced by light and jasmonic acid for GST initiation in A. annua.</i

Enthalpy-Driven Room-Temperature Superwetting of Liquid Na–K Alloy as Flexible and Dendrite-Free Anodes

Sodium (Na) metal anodes are promising candidates for various batteries with high energy density and high-power density, however, the dendrite growth of Na metal is impeding their practical applications. The binary alloy Na–K is in the liquid state at room temperature with a wide composition range, which renders it inherently free from solid dendrite growth. Whereas the application of Na–K alloy is plagued by the lack of a wettable matrix to immobilize the liquid metal. Herein, a facile method is reported to introduce oxygen-rich functional groups into carbon fiber cloth (O-CFC), which is initially Na–K phobic yet turns into superwetting after the treatment. The superwetting behavior of the O-CFC can be attributed to the favorable enthalpy changes as a result of the introduction of O-rich functional groups. The superwetting property of the O-CFC exhibits good universality, which can be extended to melting Na and K metals. By adopting the superwetting O-CFC as a host for liquid Na–K alloy, the liquid metal can be well retained in the matrix and deliver a stable cycling for \u3e1600 h. The concept of enthalpy-driven wettability regulation can be enlightening for the host material design of other liquid metals and alloys

Activating Inert Surface Pt Single Atoms via Subsurface Doping for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

The performance of single-atom catalysts strongly depends on their particular coordination environments in the near-surface region. Herein, we discover that engineering extra Pt single atoms in the subsurface (Ptsubsurf) can significantly enhance the catalytic efficiency of surface Pt single atoms toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). We experimentally and theoretically investigated the effects of the Ptsubsurf single atoms implanted in different positions of the subsurface of Co particles. The local environments and catalytic properties of surface Pt1 are highly tunable via Ptsubsurf doping. Specifically, the obtained Pt1@Co/NC catalyst displays a remarkable performance for ORR, achieving mass activity of 4.2 mA μgPt-1 (28 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C) at 0.9 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 0.1 M HClO4 solution with high stability over 30000 cycles