Hierarchical Low-Temperature n-Type Bi2Te3 with High Thermoelectric Performances.

The high performance of a multistage thermoelectric cooler (multi-TEC) used in a wide low-temperature range depends on the optimized thermoelectric (TE) performance of materials during the corresponding working temperature range for each stage. Despite decades of research on the commercial TE materials of Bi2Te3, the main research is still focused on temperatures above 300 K, lacking suitable hierarchical low-temperature n-Bi2Te3 for multistage TEC. In this work, we systematically investigated the influence of doping concentration and matrix material compositions on the TE performance of n-Bi2Te3 below room temperature by the high-energy ball milling and hot deformation. Consequently, two hierarchical n-Bi2Te3 materials with excellent mechanical properties working below 248 and around 298 K, respectively, have been screened out. The Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 + 0.03 wt % TeI4 can be adopted in a low-temperature range that exhibits the high average figure of merit (zTave) of 0.61 within 173-248 K. Meanwhile, the Bi2Te2.7Se0.3 + 0.05 wt % TeI4 sample displays a competitive zTave of 0.85 within 248-298 K, which can be applied above 248 K. The research of hierarchical TE materials provides valuable insights into the high-performance design of multistage TE cooling devices.

Elevated CO2 concentration enhances drought resistance of soybean by regulating cell structure, cuticular wax synthesis, photosynthesis, and oxidative stress response.

The atmospheric [CO2] and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as drought are increased, leading to uncertainty to soybean production. Elevated [CO2] (eCO2) partially mitigates the adverse effects of drought stress on crop growth and photosynthetic performance, but the mitigative mechanism is not well understood. In this study, soybean seedlings under drought stress simulated by PEG-6000 were grown in climate chambers with different [CO2] (400 µmol mol-1 and 700 µmol mol-1). The changes in anatomical structure, wax content, photosynthesis, and antioxidant enzyme were investigated by the analysis of physiology and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). The results showed that eCO2 increased the thickness of mesophyll cells and decreased the thickness of epidermal cells accompanied by reduced stomatal conductance, thus reducing water loss in soybean grown under drought stress. Meanwhile, eCO2 up-regulated genes related to wax anabolism, thus producing more epidermal wax. Under drought stress, eCO2 increased net photosynthetic rate (PN), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity, and alerted the gene expressions in photosynthesis. The increased sucrose synthesis and decreased sucrose decomposition contributed to the progressive increase in the soluble saccharide contents under drought stress with or without eCO2. In addition, eCO2 increased the expressions of genes associated with peroxidase (POD) and proline (Pro), thus enhancing POD activity and Pro content and improving the drought resistance in soybean. Taken together, these findings deepen our understanding of the effects of eCO2 on alleviating drought stress in soybean and provide potential target genes for the genetic improvement of drought tolerance in soybean.

Salvigenin Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Glycolysis and Chemoresistance Through Inactivating the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß Pathway.

Salvigenin is a Trimethoxylated Flavone enriched in Scutellariae Barbatae Herba and Scutellariae Radix and is demonstrated to have anti-tumor properties in colon cancer. Notwithstanding, the function and mechanism of Salvigenin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are less well studied. Different doses of Salvigenin were taken to treat HCC cells. Cell viability, colony formation ability, cell migration, invasion, apoptosis, glucose uptake, and lactate production levels were detected. As shown by the data, Salvigenin concentration dependently dampened HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, weakened glycolysis by abating glucose uptake and lactate generation, and suppressed the profiles of glycolytic enzymes. Moreover, Salvigenin strengthened HCC cells' sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and attenuated HCC 5-FU-resistant cells' resistance to 5-FU. Through network pharmacological analysis, we found Salvigenin potentially regulates PI3K/AKT pathway. As shown by the data, Salvigenin repressed the phosphorylated levels of PI3K, AKT, and GSK-3ß. The PI3K activator 740Y-P induced PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß pathway activation and promotive effects in HCC cells. However, Salvigenin substantially weakened 740Y-P-mediated effects. In-vivo assay revealed that Salvigenin hampered the growth and promoted apoptosis of HCC cells in nude mice. Collectively, Salvigenin impedes the aerobic glycolysis and 5-FU chemoresistance of HCC cells by dampening the PI3K/AKT/GSK-3ß pathway.

Willingness of Older Adults with Chronic Diseases to Receive a Booster Dose of Inactivated Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine: A Cross-Sectional Study in Taizhou, China.

Vaccination is an important measure to control the spread of COVID-19 among elderly high-risk groups; however, the propensity to receive COVID-19 vaccine boosters has not been evaluated in these populations. Here, we aimed to investigate the willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster among the elderly chronic disease population in Taizhou, China. A cross-sectional, hospital-based survey was conducted in the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital between 6 July and 11 August 2021 in Taizhou, China, and the data were uploaded to Wen-Juan-Xing, one of the largest online platforms used to collect survey data in China. The targeted population was non-oncology chronic disease patients aged 60 years and above. The minimum sample size was 229, determined by the G*Power software (v3.1.9.2, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany). A total of 254 patients with valid data were enrolled in this study, with a response rate of 82.5% (254/308). Chi-square tests and one-way binary regression were used to compare the proportions and the degree of influence of categorical factors. The magnitude of the effect for the comparisons was measured by Gramer's V. A multivariate binary logistic regression model was used to correct for confounders and to identify factors. All data were analyzed using SPSS v24.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). A total of 198 respondents (77.9%) were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose, and 77.6% of respondents were willing to receive the primary dose. Age < 70 years (OR 2.82), stable disease control (OR 2.79), confidence in the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine (OR 3.11), and vaccine recipient (OR 5.02) were significantly associated with the willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. Promoting primary dose vaccination is essential for advancing booster vaccination, and it is important to focus on elderly patients' confidence in the vaccine, in addition to strengthening health management and promoting disease stability. Follow-up studies should focus on elderly patients who belong to specific disease groups.

MicroRNA-576-5p enhances the invasion ability of trophoblast cells in preeclampsia by targeting TFAP2A.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy-related syndrome characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, and a major cause of maternal mortality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify early biomarkers of PE. The aim of the present study was to identify the functions of miR-576-5p in PE. METHODS: Effects of miR-576-5p and transcription factor AP-2α (TFAP2A) on invasion of human trophoblast HTR8/SVneo cells were investigated. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting were used to assess the expression of miR-576-5p, TFAP2A, E-cad, and Vimentin in PE tissues and cells. Additionally, immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of TFAP2A in PE trophoblastic tissue. Subsequently, constructed miR-576-5p mimics, miR-576-5p inhibitor, and siRNA-TFAP2A plasmids were transfected into HTR8/SVneo cells for further experiments, including a CCK-8 assay for cell proliferation, Transwell assay for cell invasion and the luciferase reporter gene system was employed for target verification. RESULTS: A lower expression of miR-576-5p and a higher expression of TFAP2A were identified in PE rats. E-cadherin was highly expressed while Vimentin was downregulated. Further statistical analysis indicated that cell proliferation of HTR8/SVneo cells decreased in the miR-576-5p inhibitor group and increased in the miR-576-5p mimics and siRNA-TFAP2A groups. miR-576-5p inhibitor suppressed cell invasion, and miR-576-5p mimics and siRNA-TFAP2A improved cell invasion. The analysis of luciferase reporter demonstrated a decreased luciferase activity in miR-576-5p mimics group compared with control group, which indicates that TFAP2A may be a target of miR-576-5p. Interference of TFAP2A could downregulate E-cadherin and upregulate Vimentin expression. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of miR-576-5p and knockdown of TFAP2A may elevate cell proliferation and invasion of human trophoblast cells in vitro. Therefore, miR-576-5p may be used as a notable biomarker for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of PE. miR-576-5p targeting TFAP2A deserve further investigation in order to explore their potential role in PE.

Correction: Li, et al. Conserved miR396b-GRF Regulation Is Involved in Abiotic Stress Responses in Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus). Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20, 2501.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

Conserved miR396b-GRF Regulation Is Involved in Abiotic Stress Responses in Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus).

MicroRNA396 (miR396) is a conserved microRNA family that targets growth-regulating factors (GRFs), which play significant roles in plant growth and stress responses. Available evidence justifies the idea that miR396-targeted GRFs have important functions in many plant species; however, no genome-wide analysis of the pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) miR396 gene has yet been reported. Further, its biological functions remain elusive. To uncover the regulatory roles of miR396 and its targets, the hairpin sequence of pitaya miR396b and the open reading frame (ORF) of its target, HpGRF6, were isolated from pitaya. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the precursor miR396b (MIR396b) gene of plants might be clustered into three major groups, and, generally, a more recent evolutionary relationship in the intra-family has been demonstrated. The sequence analysis indicated that the binding site of hpo-miR396b in HpGRF6 is located at the conserved motif which codes the conserved "RSRKPVE" amino acid in the Trp-Arg-Cys (WRC) region. In addition, degradome sequencing analysis confirmed that four GRFs (GRF1, c56908.graph_c0; GRF4, c52862.graph_c0; GRF6, c39378.graph_c0 and GRF9, c54658.graph_c0) are hpo-miR396b targets that are regulated by specific cleavage at the binding site between the 10th and 11th nucleotides from the 5' terminus of hpo-miR396b. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that hpo-miR396b is down-regulated when confronted with drought stress (15% polyethylene glycol, PEG), and its expression fluctuates under other abiotic stresses, i.e., low temperature (4 ± 1 °C), high temperature (42 ± 1 °C), NaCl (100 mM), and abscisic acid (ABA; 0.38 mM). Conversely, the expression of HpGRF6 showed the opposite trend to exposure to these abiotic stresses. Taken together, hpo-miR396b plays a regulatory role in the control of HpGRF6, which might influence the abiotic stress response of pitaya. This is the first documentation of this role in pitaya and improves the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the tolerance to drought stress in this fruit.

miRNA-548ah promotes the replication and expression of hepatitis B virus by targeting histone deacetylase 4.

AIM: Many studies have shown that some microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. In this study, we aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanism of miRNA-548ah in the replication and expression of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). MAIN METHODS: Overexpression and knockdown of miRNA-548ah were performed in three hepatoma cell lines with HBV replication and in a murine HBV model injected with adenovirus HBV vector. The effect of miRNA-548ah on its target gene, histone deacetylase (HDAC) 4, were confirmed in in vitro studies and further investigated in liver tissues from CHB patients. KEY FINDINGS: miRNA-548ah significantly increased the expression of HBV in hepatoma cell lines and in a HBV mouse model. The expression level of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the miRNA-548ah mimics group was significantly higher than the negative control group and significantly lower in the miRNA-548ah inhibitor group. The HBV core antigen promotes the expression of miRNA-548ah in hepatocytes. Finally, we observed a negative correlation between the expression of miRNA-548ah and HDAC4 in the liver tissue of patients with CHB. SIGNIFICANCE: miRNA-548ah promoted the replication and expression of HBV through the regulation of the target gene, HDAC4. Inhibition of HDAC4 by miRNA-548ah might influence the deacetylation state of histones binding to cccDNA, thereby enhancing the replication of cccDNA. The HBV core antigen might increase the expression of miRNA-548ah. These results may provide new potential molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of CHB.

Formation of porous Cu hydroxy double salt nanoflowers derived from metal-organic frameworks with efficient peroxidase-like activity for label-free detection of glucose.

Currently, nanomaterials with peroxidase activity have become an important colorimetric tool for biomolecular detection. However, compared with natural enzymes, the efficiency of most nanozymes is still lower. Here, with a leaf-like metal-organic-framework-5 as both a precursor and a template and copper acetate as a second precursor, hierarchical Cu hydroxy double salt (HDS) nanoflowers have been prepared and used as a label-free glucose colorimetric detection platform. We have demonstrated a scalable and facile synthesis of hierarchical Cu HDS nanoflowers, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed that there exists a hydrogen bond between the terephthalate anions and the layer OH group. The composition of Cu hydroxyl double salt is [Cu4(OH)6][BDC]·2H2O. Importantly, for the first time, the as-prepared Cu HDSs were demonstrated as peroxidase mimics to catalyze the oxidation of the enzyme substrate, 3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2, which accompanies a color change from colorless to blue and followed classic Michaelis-Menten models. Based on these findings, a colorimetric method based on Cu HDSs that is highly sensitive and selective for the detection of glucose was developed, with a low detection limit of 0.5 µM. The clinical applicability of the sensor is also proven to be suitable for sensing glucose in blood, suggesting that Cu HDSs could be used in the construction of portable sensors for point-of-care diagnosis and on-site tests.

Facile synthesis of ultrathin two-dimensional nanosheets-constructed MCo2O4 (M = Ni, Cu, Zn) nanotubes for efficient photocatalytic oxygen evolution.

Hierarchical nanosheets-assembled nanotubes are of great interest for their unique physicochemical properties as well as their potential applications in a variety of fields. However, the synthesis of hierarchical mixed transition-metal oxides-based nanosheets-assembled nanotubes for highly efficient photocatalytic oxygen evolution is rarely reported. Herein, a simple and versatile approach was developed to synthesize hierarchical nanosheets-constructed MCo2O4 (M = Ni, Cu, Zn) nanotubes. Core-shell polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/M-cobalt hydroxide ultrathin nanosheet composite nanofibers were first synthesized by hydroxylation reaction between PAN/M-cobalt acetate hydroxide precursors and NaBH4. After calcination, these nanofibers as precursors were easily transformed into the corresponding hierarchical nanosheets-constructed MCo2O4 nanotubes. By applying a photocatalyst, the resultant MCo2O4 nanotubes, particularly the CuCo2O4 nanotubes, exhibited high photocatalytic activity and cycle stability toward water oxidation reaction with O2 generation rates of 51.1 mmol g-1 h-1 under visible light irradiation, which is higher than most reported catalysts. This approach is very versatile and can be applied to synthesize other hierarchical multi-element oxides-based nanosheets-constructed nanotubes for advanced applications.

Performance assessment of the SAPS II and SOFA scoring systems in Hanta virus Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), caused by the hantavirus, is a natural infectious disease characterized by fever, hemorrhage and renal damage. China is the most severely endemic area for HFRS in the world. In recent years, critical scoring systems based on quantitative classification have become an important clinical tool for predicting and evaluating the prognosis of critical illness, and provide guidelines for clinical practice. METHODS: The sample comprised 384 patients with HFRS treated in the Taizhou Hospital from January 2006 to February 2017. The patients were divided into the severe group and the mild group according to their clinical characteristics. By comparing the differences in clinical symptoms, signs and laboratory data between the two groups, the clinically relevant indicators of severe HFRS were explored. According to the previous studies, we incorporated the positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT) into the sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) tool and formulated a new scoring system specifically for HFRS, named H-SOFA. By comparing the simplified acute physiology score II (SAPS II), SOFA and H-SOFA scores of the two groups, their predictive values for the progression of HFRS were assessed. RESULTS: Compared to the mild group, patients in the severe group had longer hospital stays; higher frequencies of nausea, vomiting, abdomen pain, signs of congestion and hemorrhage; and more pronounced impairment of liver and renal function. The levels of PLT, PCT, TB, and FOBT were positively correlated with the progression of HFRS (P<0.001). Patients with HFRS in the severe group got significantly higher scores on the SAPS II, SOFA, and H-SOFA scoring systems (P<0.001). The values of SAPS II, SOFA and H-SOFA, were significantly correlated with the severity of HFRS, and the AUC values were 0.90, 0.96, and 0.98, respectively. CONCLUSION: PLT, PCT, TB, and FOBT were independent predictors of severe HFRS; SAPS II, SOFA, and H-SOFA had high predictive value for the progression of severe HFRS, with H-SOFA being the highest.

Intravenous dezocine pretreatment reduces the incidence and intensity of myoclonus induced by etomidate.

To evaluate the suppressive effect of intravenous dezocine on the incidence and severity of myoclonic movements induced by etomidate, a total of 80 patients, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II, were randomized into two equally sized groups (n = 40). These two groups were assigned to give either intravenous dezocine 0.1 mg/kg or a matching placebo (equal volume of 0.9% saline) 30 s before administration of etomidate. For anesthesia induction, 0.3 mg/kg etomidate was injected over a period of 1 min. One minute after etomidate administration, the severity of myoclonus was assessed. Pretreatment with dezocine significantly reduced both the incidence and intensity of myoclonus. These results demonstrate that intravenous dezocine 0.1 mg/kg 30 s prior to induction was effective in suppressing myoclonic movements in our patients.