Single-cell transcriptomic data reveal the increase in extracellular matrix organization and antigen presentation abilities of fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells in patients with pelvic organ prolapse.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to explore the cellular properties of fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells (SMCs), the two major cell types of the vagina wall, in pelvic organ prolapse (POP) to improve the knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms of POP. METHODS: The single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) profile GSE151202 was downloaded from NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus, in which vaginal wall tissues were harvested from patients with anterior vaginal wall prolapse and control subjects respectively. The scRNA-seq data of samples (5 POP and 5 controls) were adopted for analysis. Cluster analysis was performed to identify the cell subclusters. Trajectory analysis was applied to construct the differentiation trajectories of fibroblasts and SMCs. Cellular communication analysis was carried out to explore the ligand-receptor interactions between fibroblasts/SMCs and immune cells. RESULTS: Ten subclusters were determined in both groups, among which fibroblasts and SMCs were the most abundant cell types. Compared with controls, fibroblasts increased whereas SMCs declined in POP. During the transition of fibroblasts and SMCs from a normal into a disease state, extracellular matrix organization and antigen presentation were heightened. The intercellular communications were altered in POP. Interactions between fibroblasts/SMCs and macrophages/natural killer/T cells were strengthened as more ligand-receptor pairs involved in antigen presentation pathways were gained in POP. CONCLUSION: Extracellular matrix organization and antigen presentation abilities of fibroblasts and SMCs were enhanced in POP.

Co-treatment of Waste From Steelmaking Processes: Steel Slag-Based Carbon Capture and Storage by Mineralization.

The iron and steel industry is an energy-intensive sector, and large amounts of waste/ by-products are generated during the steelmaking process, such as CO2, metallurgical slag, and wastewater. Enhancing the development and deployment of treating waste from the steelmaking process will be environment friendly and resource-saving. Capturing CO2 by steel slag (SS) via mineralization is regarded to be an excellent choice due to the high basicity of the slag. In this paper, recent research on the steel slag-based carbon capture and storage (SS-CCS) by mineralization was summarized. Three routes of SS-CCS are compared including, direct gas-solid carbonation, direct aqueous carbonation, and indirect carbonation, respectively. Furthermore, the challenges and prospects for further development of the SS-CCS were discussed.

Distribution of metal and metalloid elements in human scalp hair in Taiyuan, China.

This study investigated the levels of metal and metalloid elements (As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in scalp hair samples collected from 161 people of different age and gender groups living in the six districts of Taiyuan, an industrial city with rich coal reserve in Shanxi province in China. Levels of most elements in the hair were high in the 26-40 age groups and increased with the length of residence. Calcium, Cr, Mg, Ni and Zn levels in the females' hair were significantly higher than those in the males' (p < 0.05). Element levels in the hair didn't have significantly differences between industrial and non-industrial districts because most of industry factories are in the upper wind position in Taiyuan, and contamination is prone to spread to non-industrial districts. The principal component analysis indicates that the main sources of these elements are mining activities, the neighboring stainless steel industry, and coal combustion. These results indicate that the industrial activities primarily contribute to the metal and metalloid pollution in Taiyuan, whereas numerous factors caused the metals accumulation in hair.

Changes in reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α levels in missed abortion.

This study aimed to investigate changes in the expression levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in the trophoblasts of patients who had experienced missed abortions. The missed abortion group included 28 patients with missed abortions. The control group was comprised of 35 women who had elected to undergo surgically induced abortion in their first trimester, and whose embryos were confirmed to be alive before surgery. No woman in either group had any known causative factor for missed or spontaneous abortion. As soon as the diagnosis of "missed abortion" was definitively made, the chorionic trophoblast was obtained by induced abortion operation. The same method was used for individuals in the control group, who were at 7-10 weeks of pregnancy. Levels of ROS, SOD, and HIF-1α in the chorionic trophoblasts from women in both groups were examined within 1 hour by fluorescent staining, chemiluminometry, and enzyme immunoassay methods. The SOD and HIF-1α levels were lower and the ROS level was higher in the trophoblasts from women in the missed abortion group compared to levels in the control group (P < 0.05). ROS, SOD and HIF-1α levels in the chorionic trophoblasts from patients with missed abortion are altered compared to levels in control patients. Changes in these factors should be evaluated further for their potential role in missed abortion.

Use of texture analysis to study hydrophilic solvent effects on the mechanical properties of hard gelatin capsules.

The aim of this work was to explore texture analysis for quantitative evaluation of the effect of hydrophilic solvent systems used as capsule fills on the mechanical properties of hard gelatin capsules. For this purpose, a texture analyzer (Stable Micro Systems, model TA.XT Plus) equipped with a capsule separating rod fixture was used. The tests were conducted in a tension mode. Elastic stiffness, tensile force and elongation at break were determined from the experimental stress-strain curve in order to quantitatively describe both brittleness and softening of capsules. In this paper, it has been demonstrated that the effect of various hydrophilic solvent (i.e. propylene glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), ethanol) mixtures on the mechanical properties of hard gelatin capsules can be easily monitored using texture analysis. Significant counteractive effects between PG and PEG 400 or ethanol on the integrity of capsule shells were discovered in this study. Texture analysis is found to be a convenient tool for studying formulation compatibility. It can be invaluable in early screening studies of liquid filled hard gelatin capsules.