Impact of organic phosphates on the structure and composition of short-range ordered iron nanophases.

Organic phosphates (OP) are important nutrient components for living cells in natural environments, where they readily interact with ubiquitous iron phases such as hydrous ferric oxide, ferrihydrite (FHY). FHY partakes in many key bio(geo)chemical reactions including iron-mediated carbon storage in soils, or iron-storage in living organisms. However, it is still unknown how OP affects the formation, structure and properties of FHY. Here, we document how ß-glycerophosphate (GP), a model OP ligand, affects the structure and properties of GP-FHY nanoparticles synthesized by coprecipitation at variable nominal molar P/Fe ratios (0.01 to 0.5). All GP-FHY precipitates were characterized by a maximum solid P/Fe ratio of 0.22, irrespective of the nominal P/Fe ratio. With increasing nominal P/Fe ratio, the specific surface area of the GP-FHY precipitates decreased sharply from 290 to 3 m2 g-1, accompanied by the collapse of their pore structure. The Fe-P local bonding environment gradually transitioned from a bidentate binuclear geometry at low P/Fe ratios to monodentate mononuclear geometry at high P/Fe ratios. This transition was accompanied by a decrease in coordination number of edge-sharing Fe polyhedra, and the loss of the corner-sharing Fe polyhedra. We show that Fe(iii) polymerization is impeded by GP, and that the GP-FHY structure is highly dependent on the P/Fe ratio. We discuss the role that natural OP-bearing Fe(iii) nanophases have in biogeochemical reactions between Fe-P and C species in aquatic systems.

Dysregulated Immune and Metabolic Microenvironment Is Associated with the Post-Operative Relapse in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

The underlying mechanism of post-operative relapse of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains poorly understood. We enrolled 57 stage I NSCLC patients with or without relapse and performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on available primary and recurrent tumors, as well as on matched tumor-adjacent tissues (TATs). The WES analysis revealed that primary tumors from patients with relapse were enriched with USH2A mutation and 2q31.1 amplification. RNA-seq data showed that the relapse risk was associated with aberrant immune response and metabolism in the microenvironment of primary lesions. TATs from the patients with relapse showed an immunosuppression state. Moreover, recurrent lesions exhibited downregulated immune response compared with their paired primary tumors. Genomic and transcriptomic features were further subjected to build a prediction model classifying patients into groups with different relapse risks. We show that the recurrence risk of stage I NSCLC could be ascribed to the altered immune and metabolic microenvironment. TATs might be affected by cancer cells and facilitate the invasion of tumors. The immune microenvironment in the recurrent lesions is suppressed. Patients with a high risk of relapse need active post-operative intervention.

The Interplay Between Cervicovaginal Microbial Dysbiosis and Cervicovaginal Immunity.

The cervicovaginal microbiota plays a key role in the health and reproductive outcomes of women. In reality epidemiological studies have demonstrated that there is an association between the structure of cervicovaginal microbiota and reproductive health, although key mechanistic questions regarding these effects remain unanswered and understanding the interplay between the immune system and the structure of the cervicovaginal microbiota. Here, we review existing literature relating to the potential mechanisms underlying the interaction between vaginal microbes and the immune system; we also describe the composition and function of the microbiome and explain the mechanisms underlying the interactions between these microbial communities and various aspects of the immune system. Finally, we also discuss the diseases that are caused by disorders of the reproductive tract and how the immune system is involved. Finally, based on the data presented in this review, the future perspectives in research directions and therapeutic opportunities are explored.

Construction and Evaluation of a Clinical Prediction Scoring System for Positive Cervical Margins Under Colposcopy.

Introduction: Currently, the commonly used surgical methods for cervical lesions include loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold knife conization (CKC). However, the positive rate of surgical margins after LEEP is relatively high, which leads to disease recurrence and places further demand on clinical treatment. This study investigated factors related to positive margins after LEEP and established a scoring system to enhance preoperative risk assessment and surgical selection. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 411 patients undergoing LEEP surgery for cervical lesions in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), from January 2016 to March 2021, was performed. Cases were divided into a negative margin group (349 cases) and a positive margin group according to postoperative pathology. In the positive group (62 cases), single-factor and multi-factor analyses screened influencing factors; a logistic and additive scoring system was established; furthermore, a ROC curve was used to evaluate scoring effectiveness. Results: The positive rate of resection margins after LEEP was 15.1%. Univariate analysis indicated a relationship to patient age, menopause, preoperative ThinPrep Cytology Test (TCT) results, lesion quadrant number under colposcopy, cervical biopsy, and the result of endocervical curettage (ECC). Multivariate analysis showed that age >35 y, menopause, preoperative TCT being high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), four quadrants being involved under colposcopy, and ECC being HSIL were all independent influencing factors of positive margins after LEEP (P < 0.05). These were included with the above factors to establish a logistic and additive scoring system. When the logistic score was 17, the sensitivity and specificity of predicting positive margins after LEEP were 80.6 and 61.6%, respectively. When the additive score was 6, the sensitivity and specificity were 74.2 and 66.2%, respectively. Both scoring systems had good predictability (area under the curve AUC >0.75). Conclusions: This study quantified factors influencing positive margins after LEEP and established a scoring system for evaluating patients before surgery to provide a basis for individualized treatment and selection of surgical methods.

Identification of Hub Genes Correlated With Poor Prognosis for Patients With Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis and Experimental Validation.

Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (UCEC) is one of the most common malignancies of the female genital tract and there remains a major public health problem. Although significant progress has been made in explaining the progression of UCEC, it is still warranted that molecular mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis of UCEC are to be elucidated. The aim of the current study was to investigate key modules and hub genes related to UCEC pathogenesis, and to explore potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for UCEC. The RNA-seq dataset and corresponding clinical information for UCEC patients were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened between 23 paired UCEC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Subsequently, the co-expression network of DEGs was determined via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The Blue and Brown modules were identified to be significantly positively associated with neoplasm histologic grade. The highly connected genes of the two modules were then investigated as potential key factors related to tumor differentiation. Additionally, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network for all genes in the two modules was constructed to obtain key modules and nodes. 10 genes were identified by both WGCNA and PPI analyses, and it was shown by Kaplan-Meier curve analysis that 6 out of the 10 genes were significantly negatively related to the 5-year overall survival (OS) in patients (AURKA, BUB1, CDCA8, DLGAP5, KIF2C, TPX2). Besides, according to the DEGs from the two modules, lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and lncRNA-TF-mRNA networks were constructed to explore the molecular mechanism of UCEC-related lncRNAs. 3 lncRNAs were identified as being significantly negatively related to the 5-year OS (AC015849.16, DUXAP8 and DGCR5), with higher expression in UCEC tissues compared to non-tumor tissues. Finally, quantitative Real-time PCR was applied to validate the expression patterns of hub genes. Cell proliferation and colony formation assays, as well as cell cycle distribution and apoptosis analysis, were performed to test the effects of representative hub genes. Altogether, this study not only promotes our understanding of the molecular mechanisms for the pathogenesis of UCEC but also identifies several promising biomarkers in UCEC development, providing potential therapeutic targets for UCEC.

Identifying Sequence Variants of 18 Hereditary Ovarian Cancer-Associated Genes in Chinese Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The causes of ovarian cancer (OC) have been confirmed to be closely related to genetic factors. Identifying sequence variants of hereditary ovarian cancer (HOC) susceptibility genes can increase clinical surveillance, facilitate early detection, and provide personalized treatment for patients. This study is aimed at investigating the variation frequency of HOC susceptibility genes in the Chinese population and providing information for the etiology and genetics of OC. METHODS: 118 epithelial OC patients were recruited in this clinical study. Variants of 18-gene panel were detected in blood samples by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. RESULTS: Overall, 36.44% (43/118) of patients carried at least one pathogenic variant. Among these, BRCA1 pathogenic variants were detected in 31 (26.27%) patients, and 5 (4.24%) patients carried pathogenic variants of BRCA2. Moreover, 27.12% (32/118) of patients carried variants of unknown significance (VUSs). Importantly, we detected eight variants that were not reported previously. CONCLUSIONS: Our study enlarged the spectrum of HOC-associated gene sequence variants in the Chinese population and also proved the necessity of multigene testing in epithelial OC patients. The identification of patients with HOC will allow family members to undergo cascade testing where identification of unaffected carriers can facilitate early detection, risk reduction, or prevention of OC and ultimately improve long-term outcomes.

Nanoscale zero-valent iron reduction coupled with anaerobic dechlorination to degrade hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in historically contaminated soil.

Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers pose potential threats to the environment and to public health due to their persistence and high toxicity. In this study, nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) coupled with microbial degradation by indigenous microorganisms with and without biostimulation was employed to remediate soils highly polluted with HCH. The degradation efficiency of total HCHs in both the "nZVI-only" and "Non-amendment" treatments was approximately 50 %, while in the treatment amended with nZVI and acetate, 85 % of total HCHs was removed. Addition of nZVI and acetate resulted in enrichment of anaerobic microorganisms. The results of quantitative PCR (qPCR) and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed that Desulfotomaculum, Dehalobacter, Geobacter, and Desulfuromonas likely contributed to the depletion of HCH isomers. Moreover, some abiotic factors also favored this removal process, including pH, and the generation of iron sulfides as revealed by the result of Mössbauer spectrometer analysis. Our research provides an improved remediation strategy for soils polluted with HCH isomers and an understanding of the synergistic effect of nZVI and indigenous microorganisms.

Establishment and evaluation of a risk-scoring system for lymph node metastasis in early-stage endometrial carcinoma: Achieving preoperative risk stratification.

AIM: To establish a risk-scoring system for lymph node metastasis (LNM) of early-stage endometrial carcinoma (EC), and to stratify the preoperative risk of LNM. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 507 patients diagnosed with the early-stage EC (i.e., confined to the uterine corpus). We determined the risk factors for LNM by logistic regression analysis; then constructed a simple logistic scoring system, and an additive scoring system based on the regression coefficient (ß), and odds ratio, of each variable, respectively. RESULTS: The overall rate of LNM was 9.1% (46/507). Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) ≥35 U/mL, histopathology of grade 3 and/or type II, depth of myometrial invasion ≥1/2 and positive immunostaining for Ki-67 ≥50%, were independent risk factors for LNM (P < 0.05). The simple logistic and additive scoring systems exhibited good predictive ability (area under the curve [AUC] >0.8). Based on the additive scoring system, the risk of LNM in patients with early-stage EC was classified into three groups: a low-risk group (total score: <5), an intermediate-risk group (total score: 5-10) and a high-risk group (total score: >10). The incidence of LNM differed significantly across these three groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The risk-scoring system constructed in this study can effectively predict the risk of LNM in patients with early-stage EC, achieve preoperative risk stratification and provide a reference guideline for the use of lymphadenectomy.

Arsenic and cadmium removal from water by a calcium-modified and starch-stabilized ferromanganese binary oxide.

A new calcium-modified and starch-stabilized ferromanganese binary oxide (Ca-SFMBO) sorbent was fabricated with different Ca concentrations for the adsorption of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in water. The maximum As(III) and Cd(II) adsorption capacities of 1% Ca-SFMBO were 156.25 mg/g and 107.53 mg/g respectively in single-adsorption systems. The adsorption of As and Cd by the Ca-SFMBO sorbent was pH-dependent at values from 1 to 7, with an optimal adsorption pH of 6. In the dual-adsorbate system, the presence of Cd(II) at low concentrations enhanced As(III) adsorption by 33.3%, while the adsorption of As(III) was inhibited with the increase of Cd(II) concentration. Moreover, the addition of As(III) increased the adsorption capacity for Cd(II) up to two-fold. Through analysis by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), it was inferred that the mechanism for the co-adsorption of Cd(II) and As(III) included both competitive and synergistic effects, which resulted from the formation of ternary complexes. The results indicate that the Ca-SFMBO material developed here could be used for the simultaneous removal of As(III) and Cd(II) from contaminated water.

Achieving the safe use of Cd- and As-contaminated agricultural land with an Fe-based biochar: A field study.

A field study was conducted to investigate the effect of Fe-based biochar application on the extractability and availability of Cd and As, as well as its impact on crop growth and yield under a two-years wheat-rice rotation system. The Fe-based biochar was applied to the soil at 1.5 and 3.0 t ha-1, manure compost was also applied as a comparison, as well as a non-treated control. The application of the Fe-based biochar significantly (p < 0.05) increased the crop yields for the rice season in the first year, but the both treatments had no significant effect on the crop yields in the others cultivation seasons, compared to the control. The concentrations of available Cd and As significantly (p < 0.05) decreased after either higher or lower dose of Fe-based biochar addition, especially with lower rate in the second year. In the second year, the soil extractable Cd and As reduced by 57% and 18%, respectively, in the wheat season and 63% and 14%, respectively, in the rice season, after the lower dose of Fe-based biochar was applied. The lower dose of the Fe-based biochar treatment showed higher efficiency for decreasing Cd and As availability in soil than the higher one, the control and manure compost treatment. Additionally, both the higher and lower doses of the Fe-based biochar treatments significantly decreased Cd and As uptake by wheat and rice plants. Overall, the Fe-based biochar showed effective immobilization at an application of 1.5 t ha-1, making the use of the Fe-based biochar feasible as an amendment for the safe use of agricultural land contaminated by Cd and As.

Tuning Sn-Catalysis for Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to CO via the Core/Shell Cu/SnO2 Structure.

Tin (Sn) is known to be a good catalyst for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate in 0.5 M KHCO3. But when a thin layer of SnO2 is coated over Cu nanoparticles, the reduction becomes Sn-thickness dependent: the thicker (1.8 nm) shell shows Sn-like activity to generate formate whereas the thinner (0.8 nm) shell is selective to the formation of CO with the conversion Faradaic efficiency (FE) reaching 93% at -0.7 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)). Theoretical calculations suggest that the 0.8 nm SnO2 shell likely alloys with trace of Cu, causing the SnO2 lattice to be uniaxially compressed and favors the production of CO over formate. The report demonstrates a new strategy to tune NP catalyst selectivity for the electrochemical reduction of CO2 via the tunable core/shell structure.

ΔNp63α attenuates tumor aggressiveness by suppressing miR-205/ZEB1-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common female cancers worldwide. Although the therapeutic outcomes of patients with early-stage cervical cancer have been significantly improved in the past decades, tumor metastasis and recurrence remain the major causes of cervical cancer-related deaths. In cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the aberrant activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a crucial process in invasion and metastasis of epithelial cancer, could promote lymph nodal metastasis and recurrence, and predicts poor prognosis. In this study, we show that the expression levels of EMT markers, ß-catenin and Vimentin, are associated with the p63 isoform ΔNp63α in SCC by using immunohistochemistry staining and analysis. Compared to the control SiHa cells (SiHa-NC), the expression of E-cadherin and ß-catenin are upregulated, while Vimentin and ZEB1 are downregulated in the constructed SiHa cell line with stable ΔNp63α overexpression (SiHa-ΔNp63α). Besides, the migration and invasion abilities are also suppressed in SiHa-ΔNp63α cells with a typical epithelial morphology with cobblestone-like shape, suggesting that ΔNp63α is a vital EMT repressor in SCC cells. In addition, the involvement of miR-205/ZEB1 axis in the inhibition effect of ΔNp63α on EMT program is revealed by a miRNA array and confirmed by the subsequent transfection of the miR-205 mimic and antagomir. Moreover, SCC patients with low ΔNp63α expression and high EMT level show more frequent metastasis and recurrence as well as reduced overall survival. Therefore, EMT program and its vital repressor ΔNp63α could be used as biomarkers for tumor metastasis and recurrence in cervical cancer.

A first-principles study of sodium adsorption and diffusion on phosphorene.

The structural, electronic, electrochemical as well as diffusion properties of Na doped phosphorene have been investigated based on first-principles calculations. The strong binding energy between Na and phosphorene indicates that Na could be stabilized on the surface of phosphorene without clustering. By comparing the adsorption of Na atoms on one side and on both sides of phosphorene, it has been found that Na-Na exhibits strong repulsion at the Na-Na distance of less than 4.35 Å. The Na intercalation capacity is estimated to be 324 mA h g(-1) and the calculated discharge curve indicates quite a low Na(+)/Na voltage of phosphorene. Moreover, the diffusion energy barrier of Na atoms on the phosphorene surface at both low and high Na concentrations is as low as 40-63 meV, which implies the high mobility of Na during the charge/discharge process.

A New Core/Shell NiAu/Au Nanoparticle Catalyst with Pt-like Activity for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

We report a general approach to NiAu alloy nanoparticles (NPs) by co-reduction of Ni(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) and HAuCl4·3H2O at 220 °C in the presence of oleylamine and oleic acid. Subject to potential cycling between 0.6 and 1.0 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode) in 0.5 M H2SO4, the NiAu NPs are transformed into core/shell NiAu/Au NPs that show much enhanced catalysis for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with Pt-like activity and much robust durability. The first-principles calculations suggest that the high activity arises from the formation of Au sites with low coordination numbers around the shell. Our synthesis is not limited to NiAu but can be extended to FeAu and CoAu as well, providing a general approach to MAu/Au NPs as a class of new catalyst superior to Pt for water splitting and hydrogen generation.

Lattice-mismatch-induced twinning for seeded growth of anisotropic nanostructures.

Synthesis of anisotropic nanostructures from materials with isotropic crystal structures often requires the use of seeds containing twin planes to break the crystalline symmetry and promote the preferential anisotropic growth. Controlling twinning in seeds is therefore critically important for high-yield synthesis of many anisotropic nanostructures. Here, we demonstrate a unique strategy to induce twinning in metal nanostructures for anisotropic growth by taking advantage of the large lattice mismatch between two metals. By using Au-Cu as an example, we show, both theoretically and experimentally, that deposition of Cu to the surface of single-crystalline Au seeds can build up strain energy, which effectively induces the formation of twin planes. Subsequent seeded growth allows the production of Cu nanorods with high shape anisotropy that is unachievable without the use of Au seeds. This work provides an effective strategy for the preparation of anisotropic metal nanostructures.

Overpotential for CO2 electroreduction lowered on strained penta-twinned Cu nanowires.

Based on first-principles calculations, we predict that penta-twinned Cu nanowires (NWs) are superior to conventional Cu catalysts for CO2 electroreduction. The penta-twinned NWs possess a combination of ultrahigh mechanical strength, large surface-to-volume ratios and an abundance of undercoordinated adsorption sites, all desirable for CO2 electroreduction. In particular, we show that the penta-twinned Cu NWs can withstand elastic strains orders of magnitude higher than their conventional counterpart, and as a result their CO2 electroreduction activities can be significantly enhanced by elastic tensile strains. With a moderate tensile strain, the bias potential for methane production at a decent current density (2 mA cm-2) can be reduced by 50%. On the other hand, the competing hydrogen evolution reaction can be suppressed by the tensile strains. The presence of H at the NW surface is found to have a minor effect on CO2 electroreduction. Finally, we propose to use graphene as a substrate to stretch deposited Cu NWs.

Inhibiting Adatom diffusion through surface alloying.

Ab initio and kinetic Monte Carlo calculations elucidate the electronic nature of surface Sn alloying on the stability and mobility of a Cu adatom on the Cu-Sn (111) alloy surface. Sn atoms segregate on the surface and introduce forbidden areas around them within which adatom adsorption is strictly prohibited. In addition they reduce dramatically both the binding and the mobility of Cu adatoms in neighboring adsorption sites outside the forbidden areas, in contrast to experimental suggestions. Thus, Sn atoms act as blocking sites inhibiting the Cu adatom diffusion. The underlying mechanisms are the structural deformation associated with the oversized Sn atoms and the enhancement of the adatom-surface interaction in the vicinity of Sn atoms.

Cell-mediated immunity imbalance in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

Decidual lymphocytes may mediate fetal trophoblast recognition and regulate maternal immune reaction and play an essential role in the maintenance of normal pregnancy. The aim of this study was to compare the percentage of T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and natural killer T (NKT) cells within decidual parietalis of normal pregnant controls (NP) and patients with intraheptic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), and to investigate the production of interleukin-4 (IL-4), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in the culture supernatant of decidual parietalis mononuclear cells (DPMCs). Compared with controls, the decidua parietalis from ICP were characterized with significant increased percentages of CD3-CD56+ cells, CD3+CD56+ cells, CD56+CD16+ cells, CD56+CD16- cells, CD56+NKG2D+ cells, and the significant decreased percentages of CD3+ cells, CD3+CD4+ cells. There were no differences found for the percentage of CD3+CD8+ cells, CD56+NKG2A+ cells between control and study group. In addition, the enhanced concentration of IFN-gamma was presented in culture supernatant of DPMCs from ICP. It was suggested that the increased NK cells, NKT cells and the decreased T cells in the decidual parietalis and over-secretion of IFN-gamma could be correlated with the pathophysiology of ICP patients.