CircCA12 Promotes Malignant Process via Sponging miR-1184 and Upregulating RAS Family in Bladder Cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a panel of non-coding RNAs that mediate the regulation of gene expression, as well as pathological responses. Nonetheless, the function and expression pattern of circRNAs in urinary bladder cancer (UBC) remain unclear. Herein, we examined the function of circCA12 in UBC development. qRT-PCR results demonstrated remarkable circCA12 upregulation in UBC cell lines, as well as tissues. CCK-8, colony formation, and xenograft assays were employed to determine the effect of circCA12 on UBC. Our data illustrated silencing circCA12 repressed the proliferation along with the colony-formation capability of UBC cells. The migration and metastasis potential of UBC cells were remarkably abated in vivo, as well as in vitro after transfection with si-cirCA12 or sh-circCA12. Moreover, luciferase reporter and RIP assays indicated that circCA12 binds to miRNA-1184 through sponging miRNA, thereby up-regulating the expression of RAS family genes (NRAS, KRAS, and HRAS). In conclusion, the circCA12/miRNA-1184/RAS family was identified as a regulatory axis in UBC progression

Identification of QTL underlying vitamin E contents in soybean seed among multiple environments

Vitamin E (VE) in soybean seed has value for foods, medicines, cosmetics, and animal husbandry. Selection for higher VE contents in seeds along with agronomic traits was an important goal for many soybean breeders. In order to map the loci controlling the VE content, F5-derived F6 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were advanced through single-seed-descent (SSD) to generate a population including 144 RILs. The population was derived from a cross between ‘OAC Bayfield’, a soybean cultivar with high VE content, and ‘Hefeng 25’, a soybean cultivar with low VE content. A total of 107 polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers were used to construct a genetic linkage map. Seed VE contents were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography for multiple years and locations (Harbin in 2007 and 2008, Hulan in 2008 and Suihua in 2008). Four QTL associated with α-Toc (on four linkage groups, LGs), eight QTL associated with γ-Toc (on eight LGs), four QTL associated with δ-Toc (on four LGs) and five QTL associated with total VE (on four LGs) were identified. A major QTL was detected by marker Satt376 on linkage group C2 and associated with α-Toc (0.0012 > P > 0.0001, 5.0% < R2 < 17.0%, 25.1 < α-Toc < 30.1 μg g−1), total VE (P < 0.0001, 7.0% < R2 < 10.0%, 118.2 < total VE < 478.3 μg g−1). A second QTL detected by marker Satt286 on LG C2 was associated with γ-Toc (0.0003 > P > 0.0001, 6.0% < R2 < 13.0%, 141.5 < γ-Toc < 342.4 μg g−1) and total VE (P < 0.0001, 2.0% < R2 < 9.0%, 353.9 < total VE < 404.0 μg g−1). Another major QTL was detected by marker Satt266 on LG D1b that was associated with α-Toc (0.0002 > P > 0.0001, 4.0% < R2 < 6.0%, 27.7 < α-Toc < 43.7 μg g−1) and γ-Toc (0.0032 > P > 0.0001, 3.0% < R2 < 10.0%, 69.7 < γ-Toc < 345.7 μg g−1). Since beneficial alleles were all from ‘OAC Bayfield’, it was concluded that these three QTL would have great potential value for marker assisted selection for high VE content

Perceived parenting styles and incidence of major depressive disorder: results from a 6985 freshmen cohort study

Abstract Background Even though a fair amount of studies focus on depression among college students, the effect of perceived parenting styles on the incidence of major depressive disorder (MDD) among representative freshmen in Chinese context is scarcely studied. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of parenting styles on MDD in Chinese freshmen. Methods A total of 9,928 Chinese freshmen were recruited in 2018. 6985 valid questionnaires were collected at one-year follow-up. Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 (CIDI-3.0) was used for the diagnosis of MDD. Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran (EMBU) questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were used to assess parenting styles and baseline depressive symptoms, respectively. The associations between parenting styles and MDD incidence was analyzed with logistic regression. Results The incidence of MDD in freshmen was 2.23% (95%CI: 1.91-2.60%). Maternal overprotection (OR = 1.03, 95%CI: 1.01–1.05) and disharmony relationship between parents (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.42–3.89) increased the risk of new-onset MDD in freshmen, respectively. Mild depressive symptoms (OR = 2.06, 95%CI: 1.06–4.02), moderate (OR = 4.64, 95%CI: 2.55–8.44) and severe depressive symptoms (OR = 7.46, 95%CI: 2.71–20.52) at baseline increased the risk of new-onset MDD. Conclusions Maternal overprotection, disharmony relationship between parents and baseline depressive symptoms are risk factors for new-onset MDD in Chinese freshmen

Boosting the deep discharging/charging lithium storage performances of LiVO through double-carbon decoration

With high theoretical capacity, good ionic conductivity, and suitable working plateaus, LiVO has emerged as an eye-catching intercalation anode material for lithium storage. However, LiVO suffers from poor electrical conductivity and 20% volume variation under deep discharging/charging conditions. Herein, we present a "double-carbon decoration" strategy to tackle both issues. Deflated balloon-like LiVO/C/reduced graphene oxide (LVO/C/rGO) microspheres with continuous electron transport pathways and sufficient free space for volume change accommodation are fabricated through a facile spray-drying method. Under deep discharging/charging conditions (0.02-3.0 V), LVO/C/rGO achieves a high intercalation capacity of 591 mA h g. With high capacity and outstanding stability, LVO/C/rGO outperforms other intercalation anode materials (such as graphite, LiTiO, and TiO). In situ X-ray diffraction measurement reveals that the lithium storage is realized through both solid-solution reaction and two-phase reaction mechanisms. A LVO/C/rGO//LiNiCoAlO lithium-ion full cell is also assembled. In such full cell, LVO/C/rGO also demonstrates high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability. The above results manifest that the LVO/C/rGO anode has the potential to be applied in the next-generation high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Static Bearing Capacity Investigation of a Novel Prefabricated Light-Steel Beam–Column Connection

In this study, a novel prefabricated light-steel beam–column connection consisting of a thin-walled rectangular hollow section column and two cold-formed steel truss beams is proposed and investigated by carrying out experimental tests. Eight cruciform beam–column connection specimens with different configurations are fabricated and tested to failure under monotonic static loading. First, failure mode and the loading–displacement curve of each specimen are investigated. Consequently, the effect of three variables, including truss-beam configuration, truss-beam type, and with or without sleeve tube reinforcing the column, on the static bearing capacity of the proposed connection and the deflection of the truss beams are investigated. It is found that plug welding the sleeve to the column can significantly increase the static bearing capacity of the proposed connection. In addition, fillet welding connecting the column and the channel connectors to accommodate the end of the truss beams is crucial to the static bearing capacity of the proposed beam–column connection. Because beam–column connections with single-truss beams have a higher load-bearing capacity and require less material and assembly work, it is recommended to adopt this type of configuration for the proposed connection

A tumor suppressor protein encoded by circKEAP1 inhibits osteosarcoma cell stemness and metastasis by promoting vimentin proteasome degradation and activating anti-tumor immunity

Abstract Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of most commonly diagnosed bone cancer. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of highly stable non-coding RNA, the majority of which have not been characterized functionally. The underlying function and molecular mechanisms of circRNAs in OS have not been fully demonstrated. Method Microarray analysis was performed to identify circRNAs that are differentially-expressed between OS and corresponding normal tissues. The biological function of circKEAP1 was confirmed in vitro and in vivo. Mass spectrometry and western blot assays were used to identify the circKEAP1-encoded protein KEAP1-259aa. The molecular mechanism of circKEAP1 was investigated by RNA sequencing and RNA immunoprecipitation analyses. Results Here, we identified a tumor suppressor circKEAP1, originating from the back-splicing of exon2 of the KEAP1 gene. Clinically, circKEAP1 is downregulated in OS tumors and associated with better survival in cancer patients. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) at a specific adenosine leads to low expression of circKEAP1. Further analysis revealed that circKEAP1 contained a 777 nt long ORF and encoded a truncated protein KEAP1-259aa that reduces cell proliferation, invasion and tumorsphere formation of OS cells. Mechanistically, KEAP1-259aa bound to vimentin in the cytoplasm to promote vimentin proteasome degradation by interacting with the E3 ligase ARIH1. Moreover, circKEAP1 interacted with RIG-I to activate anti-tumor immunity via the IFN-γ pathway. Conclusion Taken together, our findings characterize a tumor suppressor circKEAP1 as a key tumor suppressor regulating of OS cell stemness, proliferation and migration, providing potential therapeutic targets for treatment of OS

Additional file 1 of Circ_0002669 promotes osteosarcoma tumorigenesis through directly binding to MYCBP and sponging miR-889-3p

Supplementary Material

The Effect of Initial Conditions with Aerobic Biological Treatment on Aniline Dyeing Wastewater

According to the characteristics of aniline dyeing wastewater, aerobic biological treatment was adopted herein, and high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the changes to the microbial community structure and diversity in the aerobic sludge acclimation stage. As a result, according to the experimental study on the effects of different biomass, the initial pH value and the salinity with the aerobic biological treatment, the chemical oxygen demand (COD) degradation rate can increase linearly with the increase in biomass under different biomass conditions. The organic matter degradation rate is 6.24 mg/L COD·h−1·(mg/L·MLSS)−1, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.98704. When the initial pH value is less than 7.0 ± 0.2, the COD degradation rate increases with the increase in the initial pH value and then decreases gradually. The optimal sludge concentration is 4 g/L; the optimal initial pH value is in the range of 7.0–8.0; the optimal salinity is 1.7%. When the initial concentration of COD is 3000 mg/L, the COD value gradually stabilizes and decreases to 1500 mg/L after 32 h, the degradation rate reaches 50%, and the pH decreases from 7.5 to 4.5. Sphingopyxis has been detected in sludge samples from the third cycle of acclimation, which can biodegrade aromatic compounds, anthraquinone dyes, and their intermediates, and the relative abundance of Sphingopyxis increased from 0.18% to 5.08%, indicating a potential biodegradation ability of aniline dyeing wastewater

Spray-pyrolysis-assisted synthesis of yolk@shell anatase with rich oxygen vacancies for efficient sodium storage

Herein, yolk@shell structured anatase TiO2 microspheres are produced by a facile spray-pyrolysis-assisted method. Through introducing oxygen vacancies by hydrogen treatment, yolk@shell structured TiO2-x microspheres are also obtained. The as-synthesized yolk@shell TiO2-x demonstrates a high reversible capacity (230.7 mA h g(-1) after 200 cycles at 0.05 A g(-1)) and remarkable long-term cycling stability (capacity retention of 91.7% after 1000 cycles at 1 A g(-1)). DFT calculations reveal that introducing oxygen vacancies into TiO2 enhances the electrical conductivity, lowers the sodiation energy barrier, and facilitates Na+ diffusion kinetics. This work sheds light on the rational design of high-performance electrode materials through integrating the yolk@shell structure and oxygen vacancies

G3BP1 and SLU7 Jointly Promote Immune Evasion by Downregulating MHC‐I via PI3K/Akt Activation in Bladder Cancer

Abstract Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show promise as second‐line treatment for advanced bladder cancer (BLCA); however, their responsiveness is limited by the immune evasion mechanisms in tumor cells. This study conduct a Cox regression analysis to screen mRNA‐binding proteins and reveals an association between Ras GTPase‐activating protein‐binding protein 1 (G3BP1) and diminished effectiveness of ICI therapy in patients with advanced BLCA. Subsequent investigation demonstrates that G3BP1 enhances immune evasion in BLCA cells by downregulating major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC‐I) through phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling activation. Mechanistically, G3BP1 interacts with splicing factor synergistic lethal with U5 snRNA 7 (SLU7) to form a complex with poly(A)‐binding protein cytoplasmic 1 and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 1. This complex stabilizes the closed‐loop structure of the mRNAs of class IA PI3Ks and consequently facilitates their translation and stabilization, thereby activating PI3K/Akt signaling to downregulate MHC‐I. Consistently, targeting G3BP1 with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) impedes immune evasion and sensitizes BLCA cells to anti‐programmed cell death (PD)‐1 antibodies in mice. Thus, G3BP1 and SLU7 collaboratively contribute to immune evasion in BLCA, indicating that EGCG is a precision therapeutic agent to enhance the effectiveness of anti‐PD‐1 therapy