CircUBAP2 Promotes MMP9-Mediated Oncogenic Effect via Sponging miR-194-3p in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BackgroundThe physiological regulatory functions of circRNAs have become a topic of intensive research in recent years. Increasing evidence supports a significant role of circRNAs during cancer initiation and progression, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and MethodsA bioinformatics analysis from three independent Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases was performed to profile and screen the dysregulated circRNAs in HCC. RT-qPCR was used to examine the expression level of circUBAP2 in HCC and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Then, proliferation assays (CCK8 and colony formation) and migration assays (transwell and wound healing) were performed to examine effect of circUBAP2 in vitro. Immunoprecipitation, RNA pulldown, FISH, and dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to explore the circUBAP2-related mechanism for regulating HCC progression. Moreover, a mouse xenograft model and a mouse lung metastasis model confirmed the effect of circUBAP2 in vivo.ResultsIn this study, we found a novel circRNA: circUBAP2, which was identified by bioinformatics analysis. Among 91 HCC patients, circUBAP2 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues, and negatively correlated with aggressive clinical characteristics and prognosis. Functional assays demonstrated that circUBAP2 promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Moreover, circUBAP2 enhanced tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, circUBAP2 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-194-3p, a tumor suppressor in HCC. We confirmed that MMP9 was direct target for miR-194-3p, which was regulated by circUBAP2.ConclusionCircUBAP2 plays a significant role in promoting HCC via the miR-194-3p/MMP9 pathway and could serve as a promising prognostic biomarker and novel therapeutic target for HCC patients

Retention in Treated Wastewater Affects Survival and Deposition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Sand Columns

The fate and transport of pathogenic bacteria from wastewater treatment facilities in the Earth's subsurface have attracted extensive concern over recent decades, while the impact of treated-wastewater chemistry on bacterial viability and transport behavior remains unclear. The influence of retention time in effluent from a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant on the survival and deposition of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli strains in sand columns was investigated in this paper. In comparison to the bacteria cultivated in nutrient-rich growth media, retention in treated wastewater significantly reduced the viability of all strains. Bacterial surface properties, e.g., zeta potential, hydrophobicity, and surface charges, varied dramatically in treated wastewater, though no universal trend was found for different strains. Retention in treated wastewater effluent resulted in changes in bacterial deposition in sand columns. Longer retention periods in treated wastewater decreased bacterial deposition rates for the strains evaluated and elevated the transport potential in sand columns. We suggest that the wastewater quality should be taken into account in estimating the fate of pathogenic bacteria discharged from wastewater treatment facilities and the risks they pose in the aquatic environment

Infection and Drug Resistance of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae: an Analysis of Influenza-like Illness

BackgroundInfluenza and Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) infection are common winter diseases in northern China, both of which have similar clinical symptoms. There are few studies on the infection of MP in individuals with influenza-like illness (ILI) .ObjectiveTo study the presence and drug resistance of MP in throat swabs from ILI patients.MethodsThroat swab specimens of 915 outpatients with ILI were collected from 17 grade A tertiary healthcare institutions in 15 regions of China (Weifang, Kaifeng, Harbin, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Tianjin, Tongchuan, Xianyang, Qinhuangdao, Dandong, Hanzhong, Taiyuan, Benxi, Luohe, Nanyang) during two winters (one was from December 2018 to February 2019, and the other from December 2019 to February 2020) . The Influenza A+B Antigen Test Kit (Colloidal Gold) was used to identify influenza viral antigens. PCR was used to detect the nucleic acid from pneumonia pathogens. DNA sequencing was used to detect the drug-resistant gene associated with MP.ResultsOf the specimens, 578 were from children (<18 years) and 337 from adults (≥18 years) . The overall detection rate of influenza viral antigens was 45.25% (414/915) . The positive rate of influenza A was 91.06% (377/414) . Pediatric and adult cases had no statistical difference in the detection rate of influenza viral antigens〔44.29% (256/578) vs 46.88% (158/337) , χ2=0.577, P=0.447〕. The overall detection rate of MP was 11.91% (109/915) . Pediatric and adult cases had no statistical difference in the detection rate of MP〔4.34% (25/578) vs 24.93% (84/337) , χ2= 86.094, P<0.001〕. Of the MP-positive specimens, 74.31% (81/109) had A2063G mutations, 1.83% (2/109) had A2064G mutations, and 1.83% (2/109) had A2063G and A2064G mutations. In children's MP-positive specimens, 48.00% (12/25) had A2063G mutations, 8.00% (2/25) had A2064G mutations, and 8.00% (2/25) had A2063G and A2064G mutations, the other 36.00% (9/25) had drug-susceptible strains. Of the adult MP-positive specimens, 82.14% (69/84) had A2063G mutation, 17.86% (15/84) had drug-susceptible strains, and no A2064G mutation was found. The rate of presence of drug-resistant gene A2063G mutations in adult specimens was higher than that in pediatric specimens (χ2=11.765, P=0.001) . Both influenza viruses and MP were detected in 2.84% (26/915) of the specimens. The rate of co-presence of influenza viruses and MP in adult specimens was higher than that in pediatric specimens〔4.75% (16/337) vs 1.73% (10/578) , χ2=7.022, P=0.008〕.ConclusionDuring winters in 2018—2020, influenza A was the major type of influenza prevailing in northern China. MP infection was not rare in patients with ILI, and it was more common in adults than in children. The resistance rate of MP to macrolide antibiotics was relatively high. A2063G mutation in the 23SrRNA gene was the major type of mutations. Some cases were coinfected with influenza viruses and MP

Comparison of methane metabolism in the rhizomicrobiomes of wild and related cultivated rice accessions reveals a strong impact of crop domestication

Microbial communities from rhizosphere (rhizomicrobiomes) have been significantly impacted by domestication as evidenced by a comparison of the rhizomicrobiomes of wild and related cultivated rice accessions. While there have been many published studies focusing on the structure of the rhizomicrobiome, studies comparing the functional traits of the microbial communities in the rhizospheres of wild rice and cultivated rice accessions are not yet available. In this study, we used metagenomic data from experimental rice plots to analyze the potential functional traits of the microbial communities in the rhizospheres of wild rice accessions originated from Africa and Asia in comparison with their related cultivated rice accessions. The functional potential of rhizosphere microbial communities involved in alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, methane metabolism, carbon fixation pathways, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), pyruvate metabolism and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathways were found to be enriched in the rhizomicrobiomes of wild rice accessions. Notably, methane metabolism in the rhizomicrobiomes of wild and cultivated rice accessions clearly differed. Key enzymes involved in methane production and utilization were overrepresented in the rhizomicrobiome samples obtained from wild rice accessions, suggesting that the rhizomicrobiomes of wild rice maintain a different ecological balance for methane production and utilization compared with those of the related cultivated rice accessions. A novel assessment of the impact of rice domestication on the primary metabolic pathways associated with microbial taxa in the rhizomicrobiomes was performed. Results indicated a strong impact of rice domestication on methane metabolism; a process that represents a critical function of the rhizosphere microbial community of rice. The findings of this study provide important information for future breeding of rice varieties with reduced methane emission during cultivation for sustainable agriculture

AI: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Innovation in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The pursuit of groundbreaking health care innovations has led to the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), thus marking a new frontier that demonstrates the promise of combining the advantages of ancient healing practices with cutting-edge advancements in modern technology. TCM, which is a holistic medical system with >2000 years of empirical support, uses unique diagnostic methods such as inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiry, and palpation. AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially via computer systems. TCM is experience oriented, holistic, and subjective, and its combination with AI has beneficial effects, which presumably arises from the perspectives of diagnostic accuracy, treatment efficacy, and prognostic veracity. The role of AI in TCM is highlighted by its use in diagnostics, with machine learning enhancing the precision of treatment through complex pattern recognition. This is exemplified by the greater accuracy of TCM syndrome differentiation via tongue images that are analyzed by AI. However, integrating AI into TCM also presents multifaceted challenges, such as data quality and ethical issues; thus, a unified strategy, such as the use of standardized data sets, is required to improve AI understanding and application of TCM principles. The evolution of TCM through the integration of AI is a key factor for elucidating new horizons in health care. As research continues to evolve, it is imperative that technologists and TCM practitioners collaborate to drive innovative solutions that push the boundaries of medical science and honor the profound legacy of TCM. We can chart a future course wherein AI-augmented TCM practices contribute to more systematic, effective, and accessible health care systems for all individuals

Preparation of silica antireflection film based on sol-gel method

Glass antireflection membrane can effectively increase the collection and utilization of sunlight by daylighting equipment, and has been widely used in solar energy related fields. Therefore, exploring the development of high-performance glass antireflection membrane is an essential topic in the current energy utilization research. This paper introduces the general situation of the preparation technology of antireflection membrane internationally, especially the specific method of producing antireflection membrane of silica by sol-gel method in the research. According to the analysis of the results, the significance of membrane surfactant which is similar to Triton X-100 was obtained, and the development prospect of this technology was discussed

Freshwater Flux and Ocean Chlorophyll Produce Nonlinear Feedbacks in the Tropical Pacific

Various forcing and feedback processes coexist in the tropical Pacific, which can modulate El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In particular, large covariabilities in chlorophyll (Chl) and freshwater flux (FWF) at the sea surface are observed during ENSO cycles, acting to execute feedbacks on ENSO through the related ocean-biology-induced heating (OBH) and FWF forcing, respectively. At present, the related effects and underlying mechanism are strongly model dependent and are still not well understood. Here, a new hybrid coupled model (HCM), developed to represent interactions between the atmosphere and ocean physics-biology (AOPB) in the tropical Pacific, is used to examine the extent to which ENSO can be modulated by interannually covarying anomalies of FWF and Chl. HCM AOPB-based sensitivity experiments indicate that individually the FWF forcing tends to amplify ENSO via its influence on the stratification and vertical mixing in the upper ocean, whereas the OBH feedback tends to damp it. While the FWF- and OBH-related individual effects tend to counteract each other, their combined effects give rise to unexpected situations. For example, an increase in the FWF forcing intensity actually acts to decrease the ENSO amplitude when the OBH feedback effects coexist at a certain intensity. The nonlinear modulation of the ENSO amplitude can happen when the FWF-related amplifying effects on ENSO are compensated for by OBH-related damping effects. The results offer insight into modulating effects on ENSO, which are evident in nature and different climate models