Genetic heterogeneity of duck circovirus first detected in geese from China.

Duck circovirus (DuCV) can infect domestic and wild ducks, retarding growth and suppressing immunity, thereby increasing the possibility of secondary infection by other pathogens. In this study, for the first time, 2 DuCV strains (G221116 and G210917) were identified in geese from China. To study the genetic characteristics of the 2 goose-originated DuCVs, multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses were perforemed according to genome sequences of 2 DuCV strains g and reference waterfowl circoviruses retrieved from the GenBank database. Pairwise analysis showed that the genome sequence identities between the 2 DuCVs with reference DuCV-1 and DuCV-2 strains were 80.95% to 98.24%, and 58.04% to 59.55% with Goose circovirus (GoCV). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 2 DuCVs belonged to DuCV-1 and DuCV-2 genotypes. These results broaden our understanding of the genetic heterogeneity and evolution of DuCV and suggest trans-host transmission of DuCV between ducks and geese.

Symptom Dimensions and Cognitive Impairments in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the intricate relationship between symptom dimensions, clusters, and cognitive impairments is crucial for early detection and intervention in individuals at clinical high-risk(CHR) for psychosis. This study delves into this complex interplay within a CHR sample and aims to predict the conversion to psychosis. METHODS: A comprehensive cognitive assessment was performed among 744 CHR individuals. The study included a three-year follow-up period to assess conversion to psychosis. Symptom profiles were determined using the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes. By applying factor analysis, symptom dimensions were categorized as dominant negative symptoms(NS), positive symptoms-stressful(PS-S), and positive symptoms-odd(PS-O). The factor scores were used to define three dominant symptom groups. Latent class analysis(LCA) and factor mixture model(FMM) were employed to identify discrete clusters based on symptom patterns. The three-class solution was chosen for the LCA and FMM analysis. RESULTS: Individuals in the dominant NS group exhibited significantly higher conversion rates to psychosis than those in the other groups. Specific cognitive variables, including performance in the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised(Odd ratio, OR=0.702, p=0.001) and Neuropsychological Assessment Battery mazes(OR=0.776, p=0.024), significantly predicted conversion to psychosis. Notably, cognitive impairments associated with NS and PS-S affected different cognitive domains. LCA- and FMM-Cluster 1, characterized by severe NS and PS-O, exhibited more impairments in cognitive domains than other clusters. No significant difference in the conversion rate was observed among LCA and FMM clusters. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of NS in the development of psychosis and suggest specific cognitive domains that are affected by symptom dimensions.

Molybdenum tungsten hydrogen oxide doped with phosphorus for enhanced oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions.

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) is pivotal for advancing cleaner and sustainable fuel production technologies. The conventional electrocatalysts have limited stability and higher overpotentials, and there is demand to explore advanced materials and synthesis methods. In this context, a novel bifunctional electrocatalyst has been devised through the phosphidation of tungsten molybdenum oxide (P-Mo0.69W0.31H0.98O3) at relatively low temperatures. This innovative approach aims to enhance the efficiency of HER and OER while minimizing the overpotential values and maintaining higher stability. Specifically, the individual performance of Mo0.69W0.31H0.98O3 has been significantly boosted by doping it with phosphorus at a low temperature of 300 °C. This doping process results in a unique morphology for the catalyst, leading to a notable improvement in OER/HER performances. P-Mo0.69W0.31H0.98O3 exhibits a potential of 320 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in a KOH electrolyte, demonstrating both high activity and long-term stability. Additionally, P-Mo0.69W0.31H0.98O3 exhibits commendable HER performance, requiring only 380 mV at 100 mA cm-2. This combination of efficient OER and HER performance positions P-Mo0.69W0.31H0.98O3 as representing a significant advancement in the field of electrocatalysis, additionally addressing the fundamental gap by providing stable and hybrid catalyst for various electrochemical devices. Given its cost-effectiveness and exceptional activity, P-Mo0.69W0.31H0.98O3 holds significant potential for advancing the field of electrocatalysis and contributing to the development of cleaner and sustainable fuel production methods.

Stereoselective synthetic approach toward ß-trifluoromethyl vinyl ethers and diethers via reaction of (E)-1,2-dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-ene with phenols.

A convenient method for synthesizing ß-trifluoromethyl vinyl ethers and diethers through the base-mediated C-O coupling of (E)-1,2-dichloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-ene and phenols has been developed. Remarkably, the present process shows perfect regioselective and stereoselective yield of the Z/E isomers for ß-trifluoromethyl vinyl ethers with high efficiency. Additionally, ß-trifluoromethyl vinyl diethers with identical/diverse phenoxy groups were also obtained and the regulation of the product configuration was achieved. These reactions feature transition-metal-free conditions, wide substrate scope, and atom economy.

Impact of imaging-diagnosed sarcopenia on outcomes in patients with biliary tract cancer after surgical resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Sarcopenia has been associated with poor prognosis in patients with malignant tumors. However, its impact on the outcomes of patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC) undergoing surgical resection remains unclear and warrants further review. This study aims to summarize the available evidence on this issue. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for eligible studies up to March 10, 2024. We extracted data on overall survival (OS), recurrence free survival (RFS), and postoperative major complications from the included studies as the outcomes of interest. Following data synthesis and analysis, we assessed the heterogeneity and performed subgroup analyses. Additionally, the potential for publication bias was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies involving 4292 BTC patients were ultimately retrieved. The findings indicated that sarcopenia was significantly associated with reduced OS in BTC patients after surgery (adjusted HR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.65-2.48, P < 0.001, I2 = 57.4%). Moreover, sarcopenia may also be linked to poorer RFS (adjusted HR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.79-2.59, P < 0.001, I2 = 0%) and increased postoperative major complications (OR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.02-1.47, P = 0.033, I2 = 29.2%) as well. Notably, no significant publication bias was detected through funnel plots and Egger's tests. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is associated with poorer OS in BTC patients following surgery. Additionally, it may serve as a prognostic indicator for poorer RFS and increased postoperative major complications. Further studies are warrant to standardize existing definitions and validate these findings.

SLC8A1, a novel prognostic biomarker and immunotherapy target in RSA and UCEC based on scRNA-seq and pan-cancer analysis.

Background: The field of gynaecological immunology has increasingly focused on recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The complex mechanisms underlying the interaction between RSA and cancer are not well understood. Methods: Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), and machine learning algorithms were used for the analysis of RSA decidua samples to identify the hub genes. The expression and distribution of the hub genes were subsequently investigated via the pancancer database TCGA. A prognostic prediction was made to assess the impact of the hub genes on the cancer response, mutation burden, immune microenvironment, immune checkpoint, and chemotherapy. In vitro assays were performed to determine whether SLC8A1 influences HTR-8/SVneo cell proliferation, apoptosis and the concentration of calcium ions. Results: SLC8A1 was identified as a hub gene within RSA and was highly expressed in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC). The efficacy of SLC8A1 as a predictive marker was substantiated by calibration curves and the concordance index. The mutation rate of SLC8A1 was found to be 6 % on the basis of the waterfall plot. Immune analysis revealed notable differences in the fractions of T cells and macrophages between the high- and low-expression groups. Patients classified in the low-risk group exhibited enhanced responsiveness to osimertinib, dasatinib, and ibrutinib. The results of in vitro experiments revealed that SLC8A1 promotes proliferation and inhibits the apoptosis and concentration of calcium ions in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Conclusion: These findings suggest that SLC8A1 may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker and potential target for immunotherapy in the context of RSA and UCEC.

Genetic heterogeneity and potential recombination across hosts of Gyrovirus galga1 in central and eastern China during 2021 to 2024.

Gyrovirus galga1 (GyVg1), formerly known as AGV2, was initially identified in chickens in southern Brazil. The prevalence of GyVg1 from 2021 to 2024 in 28 out of the 63 poultry farms located in Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hunan, Shandong, and Hubei provinces in eastern and central China was detected via PCR. The complete genomes of the 28 strains were sequenced and exhibited a full length of 2,376 bp. Similarity analysis of these strains did not suggest definite correlation with evolutionary branching and geographical distribution. Compared with the reference GyVg1 strains, HN2202 shared the highest similarity of 99.71% with HLJ1511 (chicken-originated) from northeastern China in 2015 to 2016. Recombination analysis revealed that AH2102 was a potential recombinant of peafowl-originated HN2019-PF1 and chicken-originated HLJ1506-2, whereas HN2304 was a recombinant of peafowl-originated HN2019-PF1 and the Hungarian ferret strain G13. Mutation site analysis of the capsid protein revealed that highly mutated regions occurred between sites 288 to 316 and 383 to 419. These results indicate that GyVg1 may have undergone an interspecies transmission, which involved complex mutations and recombination. This study may provide a reference for subsequent investigations targeting the molecular epidemiology and viral evolution of GyVg1.

In Situ Fe/Co/B Codoped MoS2 Ultrathin Nanosheets Enable Efficient Electrocatalytic Nitrogen Reduction.

The development of sustainable and effective electrochemical nitrogen fixation catalysts is crucial for the mitigation of the terrible energy consumption resulting from the Haber-Bosch process. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) exhibits promise toward nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) on account of its similar structure to natural nitrogenases MoFe-co but still undergoes serious challenges with unsatisfactory catalytic performance resulted from limited active sites, conductivity, and selectivity. In this work, Fe/Co/B codoped MoS2 ultrathin nanosheets are synthesized and verified as excellent NRR catalysts with high activity, selectivity, and durability. The FeCoB-MoS2 demonstrates a high ammonia yield of 36.99 µg h-1 mgcat-1 at -0.15 V vs RHE and Faraday efficiency (FE) of 30.65% at -0.10 V vs RHE in 0.1 M HCl. The experimental results and the density functional theory (DFT) calculations emphasize that codoping of Fe, Co, and B into MoS2 synergistically enhances its conductivity and optimizes the electronic structure of the catalyst, which significantly improves the electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis performance. This work broadens the potential and enlightens the strategy for designing efficient electrocatalysts in the NRR field.

Regulating TiO2 Deposition Using a Single-Anchored Ligand for High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells.

Planar perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as a promising photovoltaic technology, have been extensively studied, with strong expectations for commercialization. Improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs is necessary to accelerate their practical application, in which the electron transport layer (ETL) plays a key part. Herein, a single-anchored ligand of phenylphosphonic acid (PPA) is utilized to regulate the chemical bath deposition of a TiO2 ETL, further improving the PCE of planar PSCs. The PPA possesses a steric benzene ring and a phosphoric acid group, which can inhibit the particle aggregation of the TiO2 film through steric hindrance, leading to optimized interface (ETL/perovskite) contact. In addition, the incorporated PPA can induce the upshift of the Fermi-level of the TiO2 film, which is beneficial for interfacial electron transport. As a consequence, the PSCs with PPA-TiO2 achieve a PCE of 24.83%, which is higher than that (24.21%) of PSCs with TiO2. In addition, the unencapsulated PSCs with PPA-TiO2 also exhibit enhanced stability when stored in ambient conditions.

Compound-protein interaction prediction based on heterogeneous network reveals potential antihepatoma agents.

Despite the development of an increasing number of multi-kinase and immune checkpoint inhibitors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), improvement in cancer survival remains limited due to their similar structures and targets. Natural products (NPs) maintain diverse structures and activities and are important sources of drug discovery. Currently, most of active NPs exhibit ambiguous binding targets and mechanisms. Herein, we proposed the CIPHEN (compound-protein interactions prediction based on the heterogeneous network) to predict potential antihepatoma NPs and their targets. The evaluation of canonical compound-protein interactions (CPIs) databases and independent test demonstrated the good ability of CPIHN to reveal known and unreported CPIs. Both prediction and experiment results indicated that CIPHEN could unveil relationships between actively antihepatoma sesquiterpenoid dimers (SDs) and anti-HCC targets. In conclusion, the CIPHEN provides a promising choice to investigate the mode of action of compounds, which will help to accelerate the process of drug research and development against HCC.

Ionized copolyesters with pH-responsive degradability: Accelerated degradation in specific environments.

The development of environmentally responsive biodegradable polymers is a promising solution for balancing the stability and degradability of biodegradable plastics. In this study, a commercial biodegradable polyester, poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene terephthalate) (PBAT), was used as the substrate and was synthetically modified with a small amount of anionic sodium 1-3-isophthalate-5-sulfonate (SIPA) to obtain the ionized random poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene terephthalate-co-butylene 5-sodiosulfoisophthalate) (PBATS). The introduction of the sodium sulfonate ionic group enhanced the mechanical and heat-resistant properties of the material, while significantly improving the hydrophilicity and water absorption of the copolyesters of PBATSs and endowing them with special pH-responsive degradation properties. Compared with PBAT, PBATS copolyesters could accelerate degradation in acidic or alkaline buffer solutions and natural seawater, while degradation was inhibited in neutral buffer solutions at pH 7.2. Degradation experiments in simulated gastric, intestinal, and body fluids revealed that the copolyester showed specific and rapid degradation in acidic gastric fluids. This environmentally-responsive degradable material greatly expands the special applications of biodegradable polyesters in the fields of environmental remediation and medical applications.

Water-soluble biodegradable polyesters with pH and ionic responsivity.

The synthesis of novel water-soluble polymers with biodegradability is an effective way to mitigate their negative environmental impacts. In this study, semi-aromatic copolyester poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene terephthalate) (PBST) with exceptional biodegradability is used as the resin matrix. Anionic sodium 1-3-isophthalate-5-sulfonate (SIPA) is introduced as a fourth monomer to prepare random poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene terephthalate-co-butylene 5-sodiosulfoisophthalate) (PBSTS) copolyesters by melt copolymerization. The incorporation of ionic groups enhances the hydrophilicity and water absorption of the copolyesters, resulting in water-soluble materials that exhibit ionic and temperature responsivity. Furthermore, the ionized biodegradable copolyesters demonstrate distinct pH-dependent degradation, which is accelerated at pH = 5.5 and 8.5 but inhibited at pH = 7.2. Degradation assessments in simulated body fluids reveal that the PBSTS copolyesters exhibit significant degradation in gastric fluids at pH = 1.5 with minimal degradation in intestinal fluids at pH = 6.8 and in body fluids at pH = 7.0. This unique degradation performance highlights the potential of these materials for addressing the challenges associated with selective drug delivery and localized controlled release in the human body.

Sulfurization of bimetallic (Co and Fe) oxide and alloy decorated on multi-walled carbon nanotubes as efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting.

The advancement in electrocatalysis, particularly in the development of efficient catalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER), is crucial for sustainable energy generation through processes like overall water splitting. A notable bifunctional electrocatalyst, CoFe2O4/Co7Fe3, has been engineered to facilitate both OER and HER concurrently, aiming to reduce overpotentials. In the pursuit of further enhancing catalytic efficiency, a morphological transformation has been achieved by introducing a sulphur source and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into the catalyst system, resulting in S-CoFe2O4/Co7Fe3/MWCNTs. This modification has significantly improved the activity for both OER and HER. An onset overpotential of 250 mV@10 mAcm-2 for the OER and 270 mV@50 mAcm-2 for the HER, indicating efficient catalytic activity at relatively low overpotentials. S-CoFe2O4/Co7Fe3/MWCNTs display an outstanding long-term stability in alkaline electrolytes, with minimal Tafel slopes of 77 mV/dec for the OER and 70 mV/dec for the HER, suggesting sustained catalytic performance over extended periods. Furthermore, when employed as both the cathode and anode in the context of complete water splitting, S-CoFe2O4/Co7Fe3/MWCNTs demonstrate an impressive cell voltage of 1.52 V at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in a 1 M KOH solution, showcasing its viability for practical applications. Given its cost-effectiveness and superior activity, S-CoFe2O4/Co7Fe3/MWCNTs hold significant promise for widespread applications in overall water splitting electrocatalysis, contributing to the advancement of cleaner and sustainable fuel generation technologies.

Unusual cadinane-involved sesquiterpenoid dimers from Artemisia annua and their antihepatoma effect.

Artemisia annua L. ("Qinghao" in Chinese) is a famous traditional Chinese medicinal herb and has been used to treat malaria and various tumors. Our preliminary screening indicated that the EtOAc extract of A. annua manifested activity against HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep-1 cell lines with inhibitory ratios of 53.2%, 52.1%, and 59.6% at 200 µg/mL, respectively. Bioassay-guided isolation of A. annua afforded 14 unusual cadinane-involved sesquiterpenoid dimers, artemannuins A‒N (1-14), of which the structures were elucidated by extensive spectral analyses, ECD calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Structurally, these compounds were classified into five different types based on the coupled modes of two monomeric sesquiterpenoids. Among them, compounds 1-9 represented the first examples of sesquiterpenoid dimers formed via the C-3‒C-3' single bond of two 5(4 â†’ 3)-abeo-cadinane sesquiterpenoid monomers, while compounds 13 and 14 were dimers fused by cadinane and humulane sesquiterpenoids via an ester bond. Methylated derivatives of 1, 4, 6, and 8 showed antihepatoma activity against HepG2, Huh7, and SK-Hep-1 cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 30.5 to 57.2 µM.

Wnt/Wingless signaling promotes lipid mobilization through signal-induced transcriptional repression.

The Wnt/Wingless signaling pathway plays critical roles in metazoan development and energy metabolism, but its role in regulating lipid homeostasis remains not fully understood. Here, we report that the activation of canonical Wnt/Wg signaling promotes lipolysis while concurrently inhibiting lipogenesis and fatty acid ß-oxidation in both larval and adult adipocytes, as well as cultured S2R+ cells, in Drosophila. Using RNA-sequencing and CUT&RUN (Cleavage Under Targets & Release Using Nuclease) assays, we identified a set of Wnt target genes responsible for intracellular lipid homeostasis. Notably, active Wnt signaling directly represses the transcription of these genes, resulting in decreased de novo lipogenesis and fatty acid ß-oxidation, but increased lipolysis. These changes lead to elevated free fatty acids and reduced triglyceride (TG) accumulation in adipocytes with active Wnt signaling. Conversely, downregulation of Wnt signaling in the fat body promotes TG accumulation in both larval and adult adipocytes. The attenuation of Wnt signaling also increases the expression of specific lipid metabolism-related genes in larval adipocytes, wing discs, and adult intestines. Taken together, these findings suggest that Wnt signaling-induced transcriptional repression plays an important role in regulating lipid homeostasis by enhancing lipolysis while simultaneously suppressing lipogenesis and fatty acid ß-oxidation.

Depressive and mania mood state detection through voice as a biomarker using machine learning.

Introduction: Depressive and manic states contribute significantly to the global social burden, but objective detection tools are still lacking. This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing voice as a biomarker to detect these mood states. Methods:From real-world emotional journal voice recordings, 22 features were retrieved in this study, 21 of which showed significant differences among mood states. Additionally, we applied leave-one-subject-out strategy to train and validate four classification models: Chinese-speech-pretrain-GRU, Gate Recurrent Unit (GRU), Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM), and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Results: Our results indicated that the Chinese-speech-pretrain-GRU model performed the best, achieving sensitivities of 77.5% and 54.8% and specificities of 86.1% and 90.3% for detecting depressive and manic states, respectively, with an overall accuracy of 80.2%. Discussion: These findings show that machine learning can reliably differentiate between depressive and manic mood states via voice analysis, allowing for a more objective and precise approach to mood disorder assessment.

Efficacy of transdermal buprenorphine patch for managing withdrawal symptoms in patients with cancer physically dependent on prescription opioids.

BACKGROUND: The physical dependence on prescription opioids among cancer survivors remains an under-investigated area, with a scarcity of well-designed prospective studies. METHODS: This single-arm, phase-2 clinical trial in Korea assessed the efficacy and safety of a transdermal buprenorphine patch (TBP) in managing physical dependence on prescription opioids in cancer survivors, as confirmed through the DSM-5 criteria or psychiatric consultation for opioid withdrawal. This study involved a 4-phase treatment protocol of screening, induction/stabilization, discontinuation, and monitoring. The primary outcome was the rate of successful opioid discontinuation, as measured by a negative urine-drug screening at 8 weeks. Key secondary outcomes included the resumption of prescribed opioids, changes in both the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS) and morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD), and assessments related to the psychological and physiological aspects of dependence and safety. RESULTS: Thirty-one participants were enrolled. In the intention-to-treat population, the success rate of opioid discontinuation was 58%, with only 2 participants experiencing a resumption of prescribed opioids. Significant reductions were observed in MEDD, which decreased from 98 to 26 mg/day (P < .001), and COWS scores, which decreased from 5.5 to 2.8 (P < .001). Desire to use opioids reduced from 7.0 to 3.0 on a 10-point numeric rating scale (P < .001). Toxicities related to TBP were mild and manageable, without severe precipitated withdrawal symptoms. CONCLUSION: TBP may be considered as an alternative therapeutic option in cancer survivors physically dependent on prescription opioids, especially where sublingual formulations are unavailable.

Genetic and recombination heterogeneity of canine bufaviruses detected in diarrheal dogs in China.

Bufavirus (BuV) was first identified in feces from children with acute diarrhea, and a genetically related Canine bufavirus (CBuV) was first reported in Italy in 2018. In this study, through the investigation of CBuV in 622 anal swabs from dogs with diarrhea symptoms collected from various provinces in northern, central and eastern China during 2018-2022, 14 samples were detected to be positive. And 5 samples were from dogs co-infected with other canine diarrhea related viruses, which consist of CPV-2, CDV and CCoV. The complete genome sequences (4219 nt) of the fourteen strains were amplified and sequenced. Through comparative analysis with 51 reference BuV strains, six strains might recombinate from the CBuV strains (HUN/2012/22, CaBuV/9AS/2005/ITA and CaBuV/35/2016/ITA) in Hungary and Italy as the parents, and two genetic recombination events from various parents were predicted to occur on the BUV-422 strain. Combined analyzing the phylogenetic tree and sequence alignment, it was found that these CBuVs are highly conserved in the nonstructural protein NS1, but indeed various amino acid mutation sites in the capsid protein VP2, and even some amino acid sites coincide with putative protein plastic regions and potential epitopes. The BUV-422 and BUV-512 strains show sequential mutation sites identical to the divergent strains of CaBuV/9AS/2005/ITA and CaBuV/35/2016/ITA. This study would enrich the molecular data of CBuV in China and provide essential reference for the epidemiological research and vaccine development of CBuV in the future.

AHNAK2 Regulates NF-κB/MMP-9 Signaling to Promote Pancreatic Cancer Progression.

Early metastasis of pancreatic cancer (PaC) is a major cause of its high mortality rate. Previous studies have shown that AHNAK2 is involved in the progression of some tumors and is predicted to be an independent prognostic factor for PaC; however, the specific mechanisms through which AHNAK2 regulates PaC remain unclear. In this study, we examined the role of AHNAK2 in PaC and its potential molecular mechanisms. AHNAK2 mRNA and protein expression in PaC tissues and cells were measured using qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. After AHNAK2 knockdown using small interfering RNA, PaC cells were subjected to CCK-8 scratch, and Transwell assays to assess cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, respectively. Furthermore, the validation of the mechanistic pathway was achieved by western blot analysis. AHNAK2 mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated in PaC and silencing AHNAK2 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PaC cells. Mechanistically, AHNAK2 knockdown decreased the expression of phosphorylated p65, phosphorylated IκBα, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), suggesting that activation of the NF-κB/MMP-9 signaling pathway was inhibited. Importantly, activation of NF-κB reversed the effects of AHNAK2 knockdown. Our findings indicate that AHNAK2 promotes PaC progression through the NF-kB/MMP-9 pathway and provides a theoretical basis for targeting AHNAK2 for the treatment of PaC.

Recycling of Ti and Si from Ti-bearing blast furnace slag and diamond wire saw silicon waste by flux alloying technique.

Two industrial solid wastes, Ti-bearing blast furnace slag (TBFS) and diamond wire saw silicon waste (DWSSW), contain large amounts of Ti and Si, and their accumulation wastes resources and intensifies environmental pollution. In the present study, DWSSW was used as the silicon source to reduce titanium oxide in TBFS by electromagnetic induction smelting, and meanwhile Na3AlF6 was added as a flux to improve the recycling of the wastes. Ti and Si of the two wastes were simultaneously recovered in the form of alloy. The effects of different addition amount of Na3AlF6 flux in the mixture of DWSSW and TBFS on chemical composition, viscosity, basicity and structure of slag were investigated. The dissolution behavior of SiO2 in Na3AlF6 flux was theoretically deduced and experimentally verification. The optimized recovery rate of Ti and Si were obtained, and the research realizes the efficient recycling of DWSSW and TBFS simultaneously.