Alpha-ketoglutarate (AKG) or 2-oxoglutarate is a key substance in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) and has been known to play an important role in cancerogenesis and tumor progression. Renal cell ...carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer, and it has a high mortality rate. Autophagy is a phenomenon of self-digestion, and its significance in tumor genesis and progression remains debatable. However, the mechanisms underlying how AKG regulates autophagy in RCC remain unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy of AKG and its molecular mechanisms.
RCC cell lines 786O and ACHN were treated with varying doses of AKG for 24 h. CCK-8, Transwell, and scratch wound healing assays were utilized to evaluate the role of AKG in RCC cells. Autophagy protein and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway protein levels were analyzed by Western blot.
AKG inhibited the proliferation of RCC cells 786O and ACHN in a dose-dependent manner according to the CCK-8 assay. In addition, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis revealed that AKG dose-dependently triggered apoptosis and autophagy in RCC cells. By promoting cell apoptosis and autophagy, AKG dramatically suppressed tumor growth. Mechanistically, AKG induces autophagy by promoting ROS generation and inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
The anti-tumor effect of AKG promotes autophagy in renal cancer cells via mediating ROS-PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and may be used as a potential anticancer drug for kidney cancer.
The excellent grain refinement effectiveness and good electrical conductivity is difficult to be simultaneously obtained due to the influence of both the grain boundary and excessive Ti in the ...usually used refiners, such as Al-5Ti-1B master alloy. In order to solve this problem, in this work, Al-Ti-B mater alloys with less or without excessive Ti but with high refinement potency TiB2 have been tried to prepare, and the grain refinement effectiveness of them and its influence on the electrical conductivity of the refined Al have been investigated. It is found that the grain refinement effectiveness of the Al-Ti-B master alloys prepared using the Al-5Ti-1B and Al-B master alloys as the starting materials at 720 °C is much better than those prepared using the Al-10Ti and Al-B master alloys, which is because that the high refinement potency TiB2 with TiAl3 2DC in the Al-5Ti-B can be kept in the prepared master alloys. As a result, using the prepared Al-Ti-B master alloys as the refiners, both the good grain refinement effectiveness and improved electrical conductivity of Al can be realized. Keywords: Grain refinement, Electrical conductivity, Al, Master alloys
In this work, Cu-TiC composites have been successfully prepared by reaction of soluble Ti and carbon coating TiC. Firstly, the ball milling of graphite and TiC mixtures is used to obtain the carbon ...coating TiC which has fine size and improved reaction activity. After adding the ball milled carbon coating TiC into Cu–Ti melts, the soluble Ti will easily react with the carbon coating to form TiC. This process will also improve the wettability between Cu melts and TiC core. As a result, besides the TiC prepared by reaction of soluble Ti and carbon coating, the ball milled TiC will also be brought into the melts. Some of these ball-milled TiC particles will go on being coated by the formed TiC from the reaction of Ti and the coating carbon and left behind in the composites. However, most of TiC core will be further reacted with the excessive Ti and be transformed into the newly formed TiC with different stoichiometry. The results indicate that it is a feasible method to synthesize TiC in Cu melts by reaction of soluble Ti and ball-milled carbon coating TiC.
Honeysuckle is a commonly used medicine for health care and treatment. To detect heavy metal pollution in honeysuckle from China and quantify the health risk of heavy metal via dietary intake, the ...Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Hg, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Zn contents in honeysuckle samples were determined by ICP-MS. The dissolution rate of heavy metals in honeysuckle was measured by decoction and soaking. The hazard quotient (HQ) and total hazard index (HI) were used to evaluate the noncarcinogenic risk of nine heavy metals in honeysuckle, and the carcinogenic risks of Cd and As were evaluated using the carcinogen risk. Cd exhibited the maximum permissive limit standard-exceeding rate (40.2%) in honeysuckle, followed by Cu (37.6%) and Pb (8.5%). As and Hg did not exceed the standard values, and Cr, Ni, Mn, and Zn had no limits. In a decoction fluid after 30 min of boiling, the transfer rates of Pb, Cd, As, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Zn ranged from 11.9% to 19.9%, whereas that of Cr was low (1.0%). In a soaking fluid, the transfer rates ranged from 17.0% to 56.9%; no transfer rate was detected for Hg in neither the decoction fluid nor the soaking fluid. In addition, the 95th percentile Rs of As and Cd in honeysuckle were 5.93 × 10
−6
and 8.12 × 10
−5
, respectively. The carcinogenic risk of Cd at 56.99th percentile reached the threshold set by the World Health Organization (1.0 × 10
−5
). The results showed that intake of Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Hg, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Zn by the human body through honeysuckle could not cause noncarcinogenic damage. The element As had no carcinogenic risk, but Cd had a carcinogenic risk to a certain extent.
Rathu Heenati (RHT) is a Sri Lankan rice cultivar that carries a brown planthopper (BPH) resistance gene, Bph3, and shows broad-spectrum resistance to all four biotypes of BPH. The BPH-resistance ...loci in RHT has been studied extensively and assigned to four different rice chromosomes (3,4, 6, and 10) by different research groups, but the gene has not been cloned previously. An Affymetrix rice genome array containing 48,564 japonica and 1,260 indica sequences was used to analyze the potential resistance-related genes on the four chromosomes by comparative analysis of the differentially expressed genes between resistant and susceptible rice cultivars exposed to BPH attack. The microarray results showed that at least 17 genes related to induced resistance and at least 193 genes related to constitutive resistance in RHT. On chromosome 3, the AOC4 was hypothesized to be the most important candidate gene. On chromosome 6, no valuable candidate resistance gene was identified in the Bph3 localization region. In the three Quantitative trait locus regions of chromosomes 3, 4, and 10, the numbers of constitutive and induced resistance related genes found were 17, 26, and 12, respectively. The major probe on chromosome 10 represents a constitutive expression gene with a very high absolute fold-change of 2,588.82. The microarray analysis indicated that BPH resistance in RHT is probably controlled by a series of resistance-related genes. This study provides valuable information for cloning, functional analysis and markerassisted breeding of these BPH resistance genes.
Aims and objectives
To identify determinants of self‐efficacy and quality of life in patients with temporary enterostomy.
Background
Anterior resection with temporary enterostomy is the preferred ...treatment for patients with rectal cancer, which may impair patients’ quality of life. So far, most studies have focused on quality of life in patients with permanent enterostomy, but few studies have looked at that in those with temporary enterostomy. Self‐efficacy may determine quality of life in these patients, but few studies have identified determinants of self‐efficacy and quality of life.
Design
Multicentre, cross‐sectional survey and regression analysis to identify determinants of self‐efficacy and quality of life.
Methods
A convenience sample of patients undergoing temporary enterostomy at five hospitals in Guangdong Province (China) were surveyed at least four weeks after stoma surgery using validated Chinese versions of internationally recognised questionnaires, including a Stoma Self‐Efficacy Scale and the City of Hope Quality of Life–Ostomy Questionnaire. Backward multiple regression analysis was performed to identify whether quality of life was determined by self‐efficacy and other clinico‐demographic characteristics.
Results
Of the 180 questionnaires distributed, 149 (82·8%) were returned, and 135 (75%) were used in the final analysis. Mean global quality of life was 5·40 ± 1·58, and mean global self‐efficacy was 79·59 ± 20·21. Significant determinants of self‐efficacy and quality of life were identified (β = 0·62, p < 0·01). Quality of life was determined by type of enterostomy (β = 0·18, p = 0·01) and payment method (β = 0·14, p = 0·03).
Conclusions
Quality of life may be determined by self‐efficacy, type of enterostomy and payment method, after temporary enterostomy.
Relevance to clinical practice
Promoting stoma‐related self‐efficacy in patients with temporary enterostomy may improve their quality of life. Healthcare providers should focus on quality of life in those either with temporary loop ileostomy or entirely self‐funded for medicine.
Organic amine adsorbents prepared by template method using ion exchange resin (D001) as support and polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a modifier, and the preparation process was optimized by orthogonal ...experiment plan. The results showed that adsorbents prepared under conditions (the copper ion concentration was 0.2 mol/L, the ultrasonic time was 3 hr, and the PEI loadings were 30%) had an excellent CO2 adsorption properties. The effects of temperature and gas influent velocity on CO2 adsorption properties were investigated in a fixed bed reactor. When PEI loadings were 30%, the adsorption temperature was 65°C and the gas influent velocity was 40 ml/min, organic amine adsorbents performed a better PEI dispersion, stability, and CO2 adsorption capacity. Maximum CO2 adsorption capacity was 4.00 mmol/g. Besides, the CO2 adsorption capacity decreased by only 10% after 10 cycles of adsorption–desorption tests, attribute to a small amount of PEI was volatilize during the regeneration process. The external diffusion was eliminated by increasing the gas influent velocity, and the adsorption data were well fitted the Weber‐Morris particle diffusion model, indicating that CO2 adsorption was controlled by internal diffusion.
Malaria is a serious mosquito-borne tropical disease impacting populations in tropical regions across the world. Malaria was previously hyperendemic in Hainan Province. Due to large-scale ...anti-malarial intervention, malaria elimination in the province was achieved in 2019. This paper reviews the literature on the ecology, bionomics, and control of malaria vectors in Hainan from 1951 to 2021. We searched PubMed, and the China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) database for relevant articles published and included three other important books published in Chinese or English in order to summarize research on species, distribution, vectorial capacity, ecology, the resistance of malaria vectors to insecticides, and malaria vector control in Hainan Province. A total of 239 references were identified, 79 of which met the criteria for inclusion in our review. A total of six references dealt with the salivary gland infection of Anophelines, six with vectorial capacity, 41 with mosquito species and distribution, seven with seasonality, three with blood preference, four with nocturnal activity, two with flight distance, 13 with resistance to insecticides, and 14 with vector control. Only 16 published papers met the criteria of addressing malaria vectors in Hainan over the last 10 years (2012-2021).
and
are primary malaria vectors, mainly distributed in the southern and central areas of Hainan. Indoor residual spraying with DDT and the use of ITNs with pyrethroid insecticides were the main interventions taken for malaria control. Previous studies on ecology, bionomics, and resistance of vectors provided scientific evidence for optimizing malaria vector control and contributed to malaria elimination in Hainan Province. We hope our study will contribute to preventing malaria reestablishment caused by imported malaria in Hainan. Research on malaria vectors should be updated to provide scientific evidence for malaria vector control strategies post-elimination as the ecology, bionomics, and resistance of vectors to insecticides may change with changes in the environment.
To investigate the significance of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) combined with Ki-67 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) detection in the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of brain ...glioma.
78 patients with brain glioma treated at the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from January 2015 to August 2017 were studied. All patients underwent the NMR diffusion tensor imaging examination. The expressions of Ki-67 and VEGF in brain glioma tissues were detected using immunohistochemistry and survival analyses were performed for patients in high apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) group and low ADC group, high-expression Ki-67 and VEGF group and low-expression Ki-67 and VEGF group before treatment. Moreover, the value of combined diagnosis in the prognosis evaluation of patients was analyzed.
NMR diffusion tensor imaging showed that the fractional anisotropy (FA) value in the tumor enhancement region on the affected side was significantly lower than in the contralateral normal region, but ADC was significantly higher in the contralateral normal region; the FA value in grade I-II brain glioma enhancement region was higher compared with grade III-IV glioma enhancement region, but ADC was lower in the grade-III-IV glioma enhancement region (p<0.05). The low expression rates of Ki-67 and VEGF in patients with grade I-II brain glioma were significantly higher than in patients with grade III-IV glioma (p<0.05). After treatment, the 3-year survival rate of high ADC group was lower than that of low ADC group, and the 3-year survival rate of high-expression Ki-67 and VEGF group was also obviously lower than that in low-expression Ki-67 and VEGF group (p<0.05). Besides, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of NMR combined with Ki-67 and VEGF detection in the prediction of patient prognosis was 0.906, the sensitivity 91.6%, and the specificity 89.5%.
NMR diffusion tensor imaging has a high application value in the diagnosis of brain glioma. The expressions of Ki-67 and VEGF are related to the pathological grade of glioma, which can be used as biological indexes for the diagnosis of glioma. Moreover, the combined detection of the three items can not only accurately determine the grade of glioma malignancy, but also effectively evaluate the prognosis of patients, thus providing a scientific basis for the selection of therapeutic regimen.
Culture-expanded human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly used in clinics, yet full characterization of the genomic compositions of these cells is lacking. We present a whole-genome ...investigation on the genetic dynamics of cultured MSCs under ex vivo establishment (passage 1 p1) and serial expansion (p8 and p13). We detected no significant changes in copy-number alterations (CNAs) and low levels of single-nucleotide changes (SNCs) until p8. Strikingly, a significant number (677) of SNCs were found in p13 MSCs. Using a sensitive Droplet Digital PCR assay, we tested the nonsynonymous SNCs detected by whole-genome sequencing and found that they were preexisting low-frequency mutations in uncultured mononuclear cells (∼0.01%) and early-passage MSCs (0.1%–1% at p1 and p8) but reached 17%–36% in p13. Our data demonstrate that human MSCs maintain a stable genomic composition in the early stages of ex vivo culture but are subject to clonal growth upon extended expansion.
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•Whole-genome investigation reveals variances of cultured MSCs along serial passages•Human MSCs maintain a stable genomic composition in early stages of ex vivo culture•Human MSCs are subject to clonal growth upon extended expansion•The “new” SNCs present in the expanded MSCs preexist in the early cell population
Wang, Cheng, and colleagues present a whole-genome analysis on genetic dynamics of cultured MSCs under ex vivo establishment (passage 1) and serial expansion (passages 8 and 13). The data demonstrate that human MSCs maintain a stable genomic composition in the early stages of ex vivo culture but are subject to clonal growth upon extended expansion.
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