High-alumina cement has an important position in refractory materials with its good performance at high temperatures, but its disadvantages such as strength inversion and unstable transformation of ...hydration products have always limited its development. To clarify the working mechanism of high-alumina cement and improve its high temperature resistance, MgO and Al2O3 were added to the high-alumina cement paste. The optimal design method was used to determine the influence of each factor on the high temperature stability of the cement paste. The mix ratio of raw materials was optimized and the strength change patterns of the specimens under the optimal ratio were verified. From a microstructure perspective, the high temperature evolution of the hardened paste of high-alumina cement was explored using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that the introduction of refractory powders, especially Al2O3, can significantly improve the volumetric stability of the cement paste at high temperatures. When the water-cement ratio is 0.20, the admixture of MgO is 5 % or 10 %, and Al2O3 is 20 %, the high temperature volume stability of the cement paste is the best. However, its corresponding mechanical strength is weakened to some extent with an increase in calcinating temperature. Moreover, the structure-property evolution process of cementite under high temperature calcinating conditions was verified by microstructural characterization, especially the influence of the powder on the volume and strength of the cement block at high temperatures. The results of this study can serve as a guide for the development of high-alumina cement and its cementing materials, as well as for the improvement of their properties.
MIR17HG, located on chromosome 13, is a class of Pri-miRNAs that generates six miRNAs: miR-17, miR-18a, miR-19a, miR-20a, miR-19b-1 and miR-92-1. These miRNAs are ubiquitously overexpressed in ...diverse tumour types and exhibit complex biological links to tumour metastasis. We demonstrated that MIR17HG-derived miR-18a and miR-19a coordinately mediate gastric cancer cell metastasis by directly inhibiting SMAD2 expression and upregulating Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Based on previous studies, we hypothesised that an investigation of MIR17HG inhibition would be beneficial to clinical gastric cancer treatment, and systematically coupled bioinformatics analyses brought interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) to our attention. We then established stable clones in gastric cancer cells containing a doxycycline-inducible IRF-1 expression system and found that the expression of IRF-1 downregulates the embedded miRNAs of MIR17HG in gastric cancer cells and inhibits gastric cancer cell metastasis by attenuating Wnt/β-catenin signalling. Further rescue assays confirmed the crucial roles of miR-18a and miR-19a in the IRF-1-mediated inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signalling. We also demonstrated that IRF-1 binds to the transcriptional site in the MIR17HG promoter and inhibits MIR17HG expression. Moreover, IFN-γ induced the IRF-1-mediated downregulation of MIR17HG in gastric cancer cells. Our hypothesis was supported by the results of immunohistochemistry analyses of clinical gastric cancer samples, and we also demonstrated the role of IRF-1 in inhibiting MIR17HG expression and tumour metastasis in vivo. We conclude that IRF-1 inhibits gastric cancer metastasis by downregulating MIR17HG-miR-18a/miR-19a axis expression and attenuating Wnt/β-catenin signalling.
Severe side effects of cancer chemotherapy prompt developing better drug delivery systems. Injectable hydrogels are an effective site-target system. For most of injectable hydrogels, once delivered ...in vivo, some properties including drug release and degradation, which are critical to chemotherapeutic effects and safety, are challenging to monitor. Developing a drug delivery system for effective cancer therapy with in vivo real-time noninvasive trackability is highly desired. Although fluorescence dyes are used for imaging hydrogels, the cytotoxicity limits their applications. By using sericin, a natural photoluminescent protein from silk, we successfully synthesized a hydrazone cross-linked sericin/dextran injectable hydrogel. This hydrogel is biodegradable and biocompatible. It achieves efficient drug loading and controlled release of both macromolecular and small molecular drugs. Notably, sericin’s photoluminescence from this hydrogel is directly and stably correlated with its degradation, enabling long-term in vivo imaging and real-time monitoring of the remaining drug. The hydrogel loaded with Doxorubicin significantly suppresses tumor growth. Together, the work demonstrates the efficacy of this drug delivery system, and the in vivo effectiveness of this sericin-based optical monitoring strategy, providing a potential approach for improving hydrogel design toward optimal efficiency and safety of chemotherapies, which may be widely applicable to other drug delivery systems.
The oxidation of sulfur-containing compounds (benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, and their derivatives) in diesel was conducted in emulsion oxidative system (water in oil W/O) composed of diesel, 30 ...wt% hydrogen peroxide, and an amphiphilic catalyst C
18H
37N(CH
3)
3
4H
2NaPW
10O
36 under mild conditions. The amphiphilic catalyst in the W/O emulsion system exhibits very high catalytic activity such that all sulfur-containing compounds in either model or actual diesel can be selectively oxidized into their corresponding sulfones using hydrogen peroxide (O/S
⩽
3) as an oxidant. The catalytic oxidation reactivity of sulfur-containing compounds was found to be in the following order: benzothiophene
<
5-methylbenzothiophene
<
dibenzothiophene
<
4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene. Although benzothiophene is relatively difficult to oxidize, it can be efficiently oxidized in the emulsion system. The sulfones can be readily separated from diesel by an extractant. The sulfur level of a prehydrotreated diesel can be lowered from 500 to 0.1 ppm after oxidation and then extraction, whereas the sulfur level of a straight-run diesel can be decreased from 6000 to 30 ppm after oxidation and extraction.
Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and deadliest cancers worldwide. Lipid homeostasis is essential for tumour development because lipid metabolism is one of the most important metabolic ...reprogramming pathways within tumours. Elucidating the mechanism of lipid homeostasis in GC might significantly improve treatment strategies and patient prognosis. GSE62254 was applied to construct a lipid homeostasis-related gene signature score (HGSscore) by multiple bioinformatic algorithms including weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and LASSO-Cox regression. A nomogram based on HGSscore and relevant clinical characteristics was constructed to predict the survival of patients with GC. TIMER and xCell were used to evaluate immune and stromal cell infiltration in the tumour microenvironment. Correlations between lipid homeostasis-related genes and chemotherapeutic efficacy were analysed in GSCAlite. RT‒qPCR and cell viability assays were applied to verify the findings in this study. HGSscore was constructed based on eighteen lipid homeostasis-related genes that were selected by WGCNA and LASSO-Cox regression. HGSscore was strongly associated with advanced TNM stage and showed satisfactory value in predicting GC prognosis in three independent cohorts. Furthermore, we found that HGSscore was associated with the tumour mutation burden (TMB) and immune/stromal cell infiltration, which are related to GC prognosis, indicating that lipid homeostasis impacts the formation of the tumour microenvironment (TME). With respect to the GSCAlite platform, PLOD2 and TGFB2 were shown to be positively related to chemotherapeutic resistance, while SLC10A7 was a favourable factor for chemotherapy efficacy. Cell viability assays showed that disrupted lipid homeostasis could attenuate GC cell viability. Moreover, RT‒qPCR revealed that lipid homeostasis could influence expression of specific genes. We identified a lipid homeostasis-related gene signature that correlated with survival, clinical characteristics, the TME, and chemotherapeutic efficacy in GC patients. This research provides a new perspective for improving prognosis and guiding individualized chemotherapy for patients with GC.
Climate models predict that droughts will increase in Southeast Asia, yet little is known about how soil respiration (Rs) and its components heterotrophic respiration (Rh) and autotrophic respiration ...(Ra) will change following drought years. To clarify this issue and to detect underlying mechanisms, we conducted a 2-year field experiment in the seventh and eighth year of long-term artificially droughted plots within a tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. We separated Rh and Ra by trenching and we measured dissolved organic carbon in the soil and microbial biomass. In average, the drought stress, reduced through-fall by 50%, reduced fine root biomass by 36%. Although Ra declined by 35%, active inorganic N and Rh increased by 31% and 29%. Further, the coefficient of determination (R2) between soil microbial community composition, mainly, group-specific phospholipid fatty acid and the variation of Rh was among 17%–59% during the dry and rainy season of 2018. However, changes in dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, were inconsistent with the increase in Rh. There was an inconsistent significant positive correlation between seasonal change of CO2 flux and these processes dynamic across 2017 and 2018. Soil temperature, soil moisture, and litterfall jointly determined annual variation in Rs and Rh across two years. These findings have improved understanding of how long-term drought stress influences soil CO2 effluxes via change of soil-based biochemical indicators (like fine root, active inorganic nitrogen, and soil microorganisms).
•Through-fall reduction decreased fine root and autotrophic respiration.•Nitrate-N and heterotrophic respiration increased under through-fall reduction.•Effect of through-fall reduction on soil respiration decreased after 6-year.•PLFAs correlated with heterotrophic respiration.
Despite its significance in multiple cancer types. the function and mechanism of DEXD/H box helicase 60 (DDX60) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain unreported.
Thirty paired HNSCC ...tissues and adjoining normal tissues and human normal oral epithelial keratinocytes (HOK) and four HNSCC cells (CAL27, SAS, CAL33, and SCC25) were analyzed for DDX60 expression by Semi-quantitative real-time PCR (SQ RT-PCR) and western blot. To investigate how DDX60 affects HNSCC cell migration and invasion, transwell experiments were performed. The western blot was implemented to understand the interaction among DDX60, Interferon Alpha Inducible Protein 27 (IFI27), and the NF-κB pathway.
Results revealed the upregulation of DDX60 in HNSCC cell lines and tissues. Additionally, patients with upregulated DDX60 expression exhibited a dismal prognosis relative to those with downregulated expression. DDX60 enhanced the migration, invasion, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HNSCC cells. The results from mechanistic studies revealed that DDX60 could promote the IFI27 expression following the activation of NF-κB pathway.
DDX60 promoted the migratory and invasive capacities of HNSCC cells via the NF-κB/IFI27 axis.
This study aimed to assess the effects of dietary mulberry leaves on the growth, production performance, gut microbiota, and immunological parameters of poultry and livestock.
The PubMed, Embase, and ...Scopus databases were systematically analyzed to identify pertinent studies up to December 2022. The effects of mulberry leaf diet was assessed using the weighted mean difference, and the 95% confidence interval was calculated using a random-effects model.
In total, 18 studies that sampled 2,335 poultry and livestock were selected for analysis. Mulberry leaves improved the average daily gain and reduced the feed/meat ratio in finishing pigs, and the average daily gain and average daily feed intake in chicken. In production performance, mulberry leaves lowered the half carcass weight, slaughter rate, and loin eye area in pigs, and the slaughter rate in chickens. Regarding meat quality in pigs, mulberry leaves reduced the cooked meat percentage, shear force, crude protein, and crude ash, and increased the 24 h pH and water content. In chickens, it increased the drip loss, shear force, 45 min and 24 h pH, crude protein, and crude ash. Mulberry leaves also affect the abundances of gut microbiota, including Bacteroides, Prevotella, Megamonas, Escherichia-Shigella, Butyricicoccus, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia coli in poultry and livestock. Mulberry leaves at different doses were associated with changes in antioxidant capacity in chickens, and immune organ indexes in pigs. With respect to egg quality, mulberry leaves at different doses improved the shell strength, yolk color, eggshell thickness, and eggshell weight. However, moderate doses diminished the egg yolk ratio and the egg yolk moisture content.
In general, dietary mulberry leaves improved the growth, production performance, and immunological parameters in poultry and livestock, although the effects varied at different doses.
Recent studies have shown that interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-induced galectin-9 expression in Kupffer cells plays an essential role in modulatingthe microenvironment of hepatitis-associated hepatocellular ...carcinoma (HCC). However, whether or not IFN-γ induces galectin-9 expression in HCC cells, its biological role and regulatory mechanism in HCC development and progression are poorly defined.
Quantitative PCR and western blotting analysis were used to detect galectin-9 and EZH2 levels in HCC cell lines stimulated with IFN-γ. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay were utilized to confirmthe binding ofmiR-22 to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of galectin-9. The methylation status of miR-22 promoter was analyzed by MSP (Methylation specific PCR) and BSP (bisulfite sequencing PCR), while chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay identify the occupation status of EZH2 and H3K27me3 at the promoter. Furthermore, the effect of ectopic expression of galectin-9 and miR-22 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell apoptosis was assessed by using CCK-8, transwell assays and flow cytometric analysis, respectively.
IFN-γ induces up-regulation of galectin-9 and EZH2 in HCC cell lines. Galectin-9 is a target of miR-22 and EZH2 facilitates galectin-9 expression by tri-methylation of H3K27 on miR-22 promoter but not hyper-methylation status of DNA. MiR-22 overexpression suppressed HCC cell growth, invasion, and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, galectin-9 also exhibited antitumor effects, and restoring galectin-9 expression in miR-22 overexpressing cells strengthened its antitumor effects.
These findings indicated that EZH2 facilitates galectin-9 expression by epigenetically repressing miR-22 and that galectin-9, which is known as an immunosuppressant, also functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC.
Metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is an oncogenic long noncoding RNA that has been found to promote carcinogenesis and metastasis in many tumors. However, the underlying ...role of MALAT1 in the progression and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In this study, aberrantly elevated levels of MALAT1 were detected in both HCC specimens and cell lines. We found that knockdown of MALAT1 caused retardation in proliferation, migration, and invasion both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistic investigations showed that Snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAI1) is a direct target of microRNA (miR)‐22 and that MALAT1 modulates SNAI1 expression by acting as a competing endogenous RNA for miR‐22. Inhibition of miR‐22 restored SNAI1 expression suppressed by MALAT1 knockdown. Furthermore, MALAT1 facilitated the enrichment of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) at the promoter region of miR‐22 and E‐cadherin, which was repressed by MALAT1 knockdown. Cooperating with EZH2, MALAT1 positively regulated SNAI1 by repressing miR‐22 and inhibiting E‐cadherin expression, playing a vital role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. In conclusion, our results reveal a mechanism by which MALAT1 promotes HCC progression and provides a potential target for HCC therapy.
Metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) cooperating with enhancer of zeste homolog 2, positively regulated Snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAI1) by repressing microRNA (miR)‐22 and inhibiting E‐cadherin expression, playing a vital role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. These findings indicated that MALAT1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression by modulating the miR‐22/SNAI1 axis and provides a potential target for HCC therapy.
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