Remediation of arsenic- and nitrate-contaminated groundwater through iron-dependent autotrophic denitrifying culture.

Groundwater contamination with arsenic and nitrate poses a pressing concern for the safety of local communities. Bioremediation, utilizing Fe(II)-oxidizing nitrate reducing bacteria, shows promise as a solution to this problem. However, the relatively weak environmental adaptability of a single bacterium hampers practical application. Therefore, this study explored the feasibility and characteristics of a mixed iron-dependent autotrophic denitrifying (IDAD) culture for effectively removing arsenic and nitrate from synthetic groundwater. The IDAD biosystem exhibited stable performace and arsenic resistance, even at a high As(III) concentration of 800 µg/L. Although the nitrogen removal efficiency of the IDAD biosystem decreased from 71.4% to 64.7% in this case, the arsenic concentration in the effluent remained below the standard (10 µg/L) set by WHO. The crystallinity of the lepidocrocite produced by the IDAD culture decreased with increasing arsenic concentration, but the relative abundance of the key iron-oxidizing bacteria norank_f_Gallionellaceae in the culture showed an opposite trend. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the IDAD culture possess arsenic detoxification pathways, including redox, methylation, and efflux of arsenic, which enable it to mitigate the adverse impact of arsenic stress. This study provides theoretical understanding and technical support for the remediation of arsenic and nitrate-contaminated groundwater using the IDAD culture.

Hsa_circ_0005397 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression through EIF4A3.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the expression and potential mechanism of hsa_circ_0005397 in hepatocellular carcinoma progression. METHODS: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR) was used to measure the expression level of hsa_circ_0005397 and EIF4A3 from paired HCC tissues and cell lines. Western Blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to verify the protein level of EIF4A3. The specificity of primers was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve was drawn to analyze diagnostic value. Actinomycin D and nuclear and cytoplasmic extraction assays were utilized to evaluate the characteristics of hsa_circ_0005397. Cell Counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were performed to detect cell proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis was used to detect the cell cycle. Transwell assay was performed to determine migration and invasion ability. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) of hsa_circ_0005397 in HCC were explored using bioinformatics websites. The relationship between hsa_circ_0005397 and Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4A3 (EIF4A3) was verified by RNA Binding Protein Immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays, correlation and rescue experiments. RESULTS: In this study, hsa_circ_0005397 was found to be significantly upregulated in HCC, and the good diagnostic sensitivity and specificity shown a potential diagnostic capability. Upregulated expression of hsa_circ_0005397 was significantly related to tumor size and stage. Hsa_circ_0005397 was circular structure which more stable than liner mRNA, and mostly distributed in the cytoplasm. Upregulation of hsa_circ_0005397 generally resulted in stronger proliferative ability, clonality, and metastatic potency of HCC cells; its downregulation yielded the opposite results. EIF4A3 is an RNA-binding protein of hsa_circ_0005397, which overexpressed in paired HCC tissues and cell lines. In addition, expression of hsa_circ_0005397 decreased equally when EIF4A3 was depleted. RIP assays and correlation assay estimated that EIF4A3 could interacted with hsa_circ_0005397. Knockdown of EIF4A3 could reverse hsa_circ_0005397 function in HCC progression. CONCLUSIONS: Hsa_circ_0005397 promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma through EIF4A3. These research findings may provide novel clinical value for hepatocellular carcinoma.

A Conductive Two-dimensional Trimetallic FeCoNi-Benzenehexathiol π-d Conjugated Metal-organic Framework for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The poor electrically conductivity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is the main factor hinder their application in electrocatalysis field. In this work, we synthesize a conductive two-dimensional (2D) trimetallic π-d conjugated metal-organic framework (MOF) FeCoNi-BHT (BHT = 1,2,3,4,5,6-benzenehexathiol) through coordinating Co, Fe and Ni ions with 1,2,3,4,5,6-benzenehexathiol ligands. FeCoNi-BHT is demonstrated possessing homogeneously dispersed abundant Co-S4, Fe-S4, Ni-S4 single-atom active sites (14.26 wt% of the metal elements) and a large specific surface area (267.05 m2g-1). The room temperature conductivity of FeCoNi-BHT is measured to be 92 S m-1, indicating its metallic behavior. DFT theoretical calculation reveals that the π-d conjugation structure of FeCoNi-BHT is responsible for its metallic behavior. In addition, FeCoNi-BHT exhibits prominent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity (an overpotential of 266 mV vs. RHE at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel value of 58 mV dec-1) in alkaline media. The combined experimental and DFT studies reveal that the synergistic effect of Co, Fe, Ni sites of FeCoNi-BHT contribute to its prominent OER activity. This work paves a new avenue of developing 2D π-d conjugated MOFs with different metal centers as highly efficient eletrocatalysts.

Clinical study of standard residual liver volume and transient elastography in predicting poor prognosis of patients after hemihepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer resection, especially in patients with hemihepatectomy or extended hemihepatectomy, often leads to poor prognosis, such as liver insufficiency and even liver failure and death, because the standard residual liver volume (SRLV) cannot be fully compensated after surgery. AIM: To explore the risk factors of poor prognosis after hemihepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and evaluate the application value of related prognostic approaches. METHODS: The clinical data of 35 patients with primary liver cancer in Nantong Third People's Hospital from February 2016 to July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve was created using medcac19.0.4 to compare the critical values of the SRLV in different stages of liver fibrosis after hemihepatectomy with those of liver dysfunction after hemihepatectomy. It was constructed by combining the Child-Pugh score to evaluate its application value in predicting liver function compensation. RESULTS: The liver stiffness measure (LSM) value and SRLV were associated with liver dysfunction after hemihepatectomy. Logistic regression analysis showed that an LSM value ≥ 25 kPa [odds ratio (OR) = 6.254, P < 0.05] and SRLV ≤ 0.290 L/m2 (OR = 5.686, P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for postoperative liver dysfunction. The accuracy of the new liver reserve evaluation model for predicting postoperative liver function was higher than that of the Child-Pugh score (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SRLV and LSM values can be used to evaluate the safety of hemihepatectomy. The new liver reserve evaluation model has good application potential in the evaluation of liver reserve function after hemihepatectomy.

DLAT is a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma: a comprehensive study based on public databases.

Cuproptosis is a new mechanism of cell death that differs from previously identified regulatory cell death mechanisms. Cuproptosis induction holds promise as a new tumour treatment. Therefore, we investigated the value of cuproptosis-related genes in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The cuproptosis-related gene Dihydrolipoamide S-Acetyltransferase (DLAT) were significantly upregulated in liver cancer tissues. High levels of DLAT were an independent prognostic factor for shorter overallsurvival (OS) time. DLAT and its related genes were mainly involved in cell metabolism, tumor progression and immune regulation. DLAT was significantly associated with the level of immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints in HCC. HCC with high DLAT expression was predicted to be more sensitive to sorafenib treatment. The risk prognostic signature established based on DLAT and its related genes had a good prognostic value. The cuproptosis-related gene DLAT is a promising independent prognostic marker and therapeutic target in HCC. The new prognostic signature can effectively predict the prognosis of HCC patients.

Semaphorin4F is a potential biomarker for clinical progression and prognosis in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Semaphorin4F (Sema4F) is a member of the semaphorin family and exhibits important regulatory functions in cancer biology. We aimed to explore the prognostic value and biologic function of Sema4F in gastric cancer (GC) through clinical data, laboratory studies, and bioinformatic methods. METHODS: We investigated Sema4F-related data and the prognostic values of patients with GC based on several databases, including Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2), The University Of Alabama At Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN) and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. We detected the expression of Sema4F in cell lines and tumor tissues by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of Sema4F expression on patient overall survival was analyzed retrospectively using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses. Moreover, we used Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO) and Gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analyses to explore the relevant pathways of Sema4F in GC. RESULTS: The expression of Sema4F was markedly increased in cancer tissues and cancer cell lines. Furthermore, high Sema4F expression was positively associated with various clinicopathologic data and independently predicted poor prognosis for overall survival in GC. Our functional enrichment analysis revealed that Sema4F was mainly involved in oxidative phosphorylation and tumor-related signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Sema4F may be a valuable prognostic biomarker and a novel target for gastric cancer.

Case report: Hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor-like follicular dendritic cell sarcoma: a rare case and review of the literature.

Inflammatory pseudotumor-like follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (IPT-like FDCS) is a rare subtype of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) that primarily occurs in the liver and spleen. The etiology of IPT-like FDCS is unknown, and it has nonspecific clinical manifestations, imaging performance and laboratory test results. Recently, a patient with IPT-like FDCS was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal distension and anemia. Over the past 3 years, the patient has been followed up after a liver mass was found in a physical examination. The lesion gradually enlarged and caused compression symptoms. In November 2022, a tumor with a diameter of approximately 20 cm was found in the right posterior lobe of the liver after abdominal enhanced Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in our hospital. Liver tumor biopsy before the operation revealed a large number of hyperplastic plasma cells and a small number of spindle cells, and the spindle cells were atypical. After a complete examination, the patient underwent liver resection. Pathology after surgery confirmed liver IPT-like FDCS.

PIWIL1 interacting RNA piR-017724 inhibits proliferation, invasion, and migration, and inhibits the development of HCC by silencing PLIN3.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the majority of primary liver cancers. Worldwide, liver cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death. Recent studies have found that PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) participate in the occurrence and development of various tumors and are closely related to the growth, invasion, metastasis and prognosis of malignant tumors. Studies on the role and functional mechanism of piRNAs in HCC development and progression are limited. Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to detect the expression of piR-017724 in both HCC tissues and cells. Based on the clinical data of HCC patients, the clinical and prognostic value of piR-017724 was further analyzed. Then, targeted silencing and overexpressing of piR-017724 in HCC cells was further used to examine the biological functions of piR-017724. In addition, the downstream target protein of piR-017724 was predicted and validated through high-throughput sequencing and public databases. Results: The piR-017724 was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues and cells, and the downregulation of piR-017724 was associated with tumor stage and poor prognosis in HCC. The piR-017724 inhibitor promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, while the piR-017724 mimic had the opposite effect. However, the piR-017724 did not affect apoptosis of HCC cells. High-throughput sequencing and qRT-PCR confirmed a reciprocal relationship between piR-017724 and PLIN3. Therefore, we speculate that piR-017724 may inhibit the development and progression of HCC by affecting the downstream protein PLIN3. Conclusions: Our study shows that piR-017724, which is lowly expressed in HCC, inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells and may affect the development of hepatocellular liver cancer through PLIN3, which provides new insights into the clinical application of piR-017724 in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Clinical and Experimental Study of High Mobility Group Box-2 and Valvular Calcification in Elderly Patients with Degenerative Heart Valve Disease.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the high mobility group box-2 (HMGB2) and valve calcification in senile degenerative heart valve disease (SDHVD). METHODS: According to the echocardiographic results, patients with calcified heart valves were used as the experimental group and patients without calcified heart valves were used as the control group; blood was drawn for testing, and serum levels of HMGB2 were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Human heart valve interstitial cells (hVICs) cultured in vitro were randomly divided into two groups. The calcification group was cultured with a medium containing calcification induction solution and cells were induced on days 1, 3, and 5, and the control group was cultured with a standard medium. Expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) and HMGB2 in both groups was detected by Western blot. RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of the HMGB2 gene during calcification. The hVICs were cultured in vitro for 4 days with different concentrations of exogenous HMGB2 (0.01 µg/mL, 0.1 µg/mL, 1 µg/mL, 2 µg/mL), while the control group was cultured with a standard medium and the expression of BMP-4 and NF-κB P65 was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The serum level of HMGB2 was 7.90 (5.92, 12.39) µg/L, higher than that of 7.06 (5.06, 9.73) µg/L in the valve calcification group in elderly patients with degenerative valve disease (p = 0.005); the differences were statistically significant. In in vitro experiments, the cellular calcification protein BMP-4 and the HMGB2 protein were higher in the calcification group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Exogenous stimulation of hVICs with HMGB2 was able to upregulate the expression of BMP-4 and NF-κB P65 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HMGB2 is correlated with valvular calcification in senile degenerative heart valve disease. The HMGB2 protein may promote the process of SDHVD valve calcification by activating the NF-κB pathway and upregulating the expression of BMP-4.

Expression and function of myelin expression factor 2 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumours in the world and has a high mortality rate. However, the pathogenesis of HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential biomarkers of HCC. METHODS: ONCOMINE, HCCDB and THE HUMAN PROTEIN ATLAS were used to identify myelin expression factor 2 (MYEF2) as a potential biomarker for HCC. The Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to further validate and analyse the value of MYEF2. Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used for the prognostic analysis. The COX regression model and Kaplan-Meier method were used to investigate the clinical value of MYEF2 in the prognosis of HCC by reviewing the survival status of patients. Fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expressions of the MYEF2 mRNA and protein in HCC tissues and cell lines. qPCR and Western blotting were used to validate the efficiency of MYEF2 knockout and overexpression in HCC cells. The invasion and migration abilities regulated by MYEF2 were detected by performing transwell and wound healing assays. RESULTS: MYEF2 is significantly upregulated in HCC and is mainly located in the nucleus of HCC cells. MYEF2 expression is significantly associated with the tumour stage, histological grade and TNM stage. High MYEF2 expression is an independent prognostic factor for patients with HCC. Functionally, elevated MYEF2 facilitated cell migration and invasion in vitro. In contrast, decreased MYEF2 inhibited cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: MYEF2 may be a novel biomarker with potential diagnosis and prognosis values and as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0051040 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Sponging miR-569 and Regulating ITGAV Expression.

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated the roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, their roles in HCC need to be further studied. Through high-throughput human circRNA microarray analysis of HCC and adjacent normal tissues, we identified hsa_circ_0051040 as a novel candidate circRNA for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. In this study, we found that hsa_circ_0051040 was overexpressed in HCC tissues and cell lines and that its expression was correlated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of hsa_circ_0051040 inhibited the migration, invasion, and proliferation of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo, whereas overexpression of hsa_circ_0051040 had the opposite effects. Moreover, our data demonstrated that hsa_circ_0051040 acted as a sponge for miR-569 to regulate ITGAV expression and induce EMT progression. Our findings indicated that hsa_circ_0051040 promotes HCC development and progression by sponging miR-569 to increase ITGAV expression. Thus, hsa_circ_0051040 is a good candidate as a therapeutic target.

HMGB1-induced ILC2s activate dendritic cells by producing IL-9 in asthmatic mouse model.

Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system that is commonly considered a T-helper 2 (Th2) cell-associated inflammatory disease. Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) promote the inflammatory responses in asthma by secreting type 2 cytokines. Interleukin (IL)-9 also serves as a promoting factor in asthma and it is well known that ILC2s have an autocrine effect of IL-9 to sustain their survival and proliferation. However, the specific role of ILC2-derived IL-9 in asthma remains unclear. HMGB1 (High-Mobility Group Box-1) is a nuclear protein, and Previous studies have shown that HMGB1 can regulate the differentiation of T-helper cells and participate in the development of asthma. But whether HMGB1 can regulate the innate lymphocytes in the pathological process of asthma is unknown. In this study we have shown increased presence of HMGB1 protein in the lung of mice with asthma, which was associated with increased secretion of IL-9 by ILC2s. This led to the activation of dendritic cells (DCs) that can accelerate the differentiation of Th2 cells and worsen the severity of asthma. Taken together, our study provides a complementary understanding of the asthma development and highlights a novel inflammatory pathway in the pathogenesis of asthma.

Th2 cells as an intermediate for the differentiation of naïve T cells into Th9 cells, associated with the Smad3/Smad4 and IRF4 pathway.

Type 9 T-helper (Th9) cells are associated with atopic and inflammatory diseases. Their increased levels and functions contribute to a number of inflammatory disorders, where they are accompanied by enhanced Th2-cell activity. However, there is currently no consensus regarding the association between Th9 and Th2 cells. Th9 cells may be induced from naïve T (Th0) cells under specific polarization conditions in vitro, a process driven by the addition of specific cytokines. In the present study, Th0 cells were cultured under Th9-polarizing conditions to promote differentiation into interleukin (IL)-4+ IL-9- or IL-4- IL-9+ T cells after 3 or 5 days in culture, respectively; the mRNA expression levels of IL-9 and IL-4 were consistent with the induced cell types. Simultaneously, the levels of interferon-regulatory factor 4 (IRF-4) and Smad3/Smad4 were significantly increased following Th9-cell polarization. It was therefore proposed that Th2 cells may be generated in the early stages of Th9-cell differentiation, and then ultimately differentiate into Th9 cells via the Smad3/Smad4 and IRF-4 activation pathway.

Genome and Transcriptome Analysis of A. baumannii's "Transient" Increase in Drug Resistance under Tigecycline Pressure.

OBJECTIVES: As a common nosocomial infection bacterium, A. baumannii's drug resistance rate continues to rise. In this study, the objective was to explore the possible reasons for the increased drug resistance of A. baumannii after tigecycline treatment. METHODS: Based on the drug resistance analysis of 183 clinical isolates of A. baumannii, a pair of strains (AB711 and AB721) which changed their resistance after treatment was selected. Tigecycline was used to induce the drug resistance of strain AB711 in vitro. The differential expressed genes from A. baumannii strains were analyzed using whole gene sequencing (WGS) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) combined with online MLST, SNP tools and bioinformatics software, and verified by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: AB721 became more resistant to tetracyclines than AB711 at the initial detection. However, after a period of time, the resistance of AB711 and AB721 became consistent. This phenomenon can also be repeated using AB711 in vitro. After induction, the AB711 with increased MIC value of tigecycline was named AB712. The results of WGS, MLST and SNP based Phylogenetic tree indicated that AB711, AB712, AB721 were co-origin and belong to ST2 (Pasteur) / ST1791 (Oxford). Comparative transcriptome indicated that the Differential expression of some genes can play an important role in the resistance enhancement process of AB711. For example, compared with AB711, genes related to benzene-containing compound metabolic process, translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis and so on were upregulated significantly in AB712. In addition, efflux pumps such as RND transporter permease subunit, EmrAB, MacB, and Tet resistance operon were also upregulated. CONCLUSION: Tigcycline induced changes in the expression of some related genes in A. baumannii, which may be the main reason for its increased drug resistance.

The value of serum Krebs von den lungen-6 as a diagnostic marker in connective tissue disease associated with interstitial lung disease.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of serum krebs von den lungen-6 (KL-6) level as a diagnostic indicator for connective tissue disease associated with interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). METHODS: One hundred fifty five patients with newly diagnosed CTD in our hospital were enrolled and divided into two groups by their ILD manifestations, the CTD-ILD group and the CTD group. In parallel, 61 patients with pulmonary infection and 60 cases of healthy subjects were also enrolled into the study. The difference of serum KL-6 level among the four groups were compared. In CTD-ILD group, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCo) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of lung were also tested. The serum KL-6 level of 32 patients from the CTD-ILD group who received cyclophosphamide (CTX) pulse therapy were sampled and measured, by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), at three time points: before treatment, 3 months after treatment and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS: The serum KL-6 level in the CTD-ILD group (1004.9 (676.41738.1) IU/ml) is significantly higher than three other groups (χ2 = 72.29, P < 0.001). In the CTD-ILD group the level of serum KL-6 was positively correlated with disease severity on HRCT (r = 0.75, P <  0.001), while was negatively correlated with DLCo (r = - 0.50, P <  0.001). In 32 patients who received CTX pulse therapy, the level of serum KL-6 was gradually decreased in 20 cases whose lesions were absorbed within 6 months (F = 13.67, P <  0.001), whereas it remained unchanged in the rest of 12 patients (Z = -1.328, P = 0.198). CONCLUSIONS: Serum KL-6 level can potentially serve as a diagnostic marker for CTD-ILD and be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of CTX pulse therapy.

Low frequency of IL-10-producing B cells and high density of ILC2s contribute to the pathological process in Graves' disease, which may be related to elevated-TRAb levels.

IL-10-producing B Cells (B10) is a functionally defined regulatory B-cell subset. It plays an important role in the control of inflammation and autoimmune diseases, although it is present at low numbers in peripheral blood. Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies such as TRAb. ILC2s maintains Th2 polarization state by producing type-II cytokines. It is not clear whether the level of autoantibody is related to ILC2s and B10 cells in Graves' disease. In this study, we analyzed the frequencies of B10, Treg cells and ILC2s, as well as the expression of related cytokines in peripheral blood from patients with Graves' disease and evaluated the correlation between B10 cell numbers and autoantibodies level. Our data showed that the frequency of B10 or Treg cells was significantly decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Graves' disease patients, while the percentage of ILC2s cells was increased; the levels of cytokine IL-5, IL-13 and related transcription factor RORα were up-regulated. Autoantibodies analysis also showed that high level of TRAb was accompanied by low rates of B10 cells in patients, there was a negative correlation trend. In addition, the analytical data from mouse disease models also showed similar results. It indicates that B10 cells may affect the production of TRAb by negative regulation of Th2 cells, while ILC2s can promote the production of autoantibodies such as TRAb by maintaining the dominant response state of Th2 cells.

Role of type 2 innate lymphoid cell and its related cytokines in tumor immunity.

Type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) have multiple functions that can respond to allergic diseases, parasite infection, metabolic homeostasis, tissue repair, and adipose metabolism homeostasis. In these diseases, ILC2s can be activated by various inflammatory cytokines released by damaged cells. Activated ILC2s produce different type 2 cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13, which involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases. In recent years, the relationship between ILC2s and tumor diseases has attracted more and more attention. The role of ILC2s in tumor immunity depends on its surface molecules and cytokine context. This review aims to conclude tumorigenic and antitumorigenic roles of ILC2s, and the characters of ILC2s-related cytokines in tumor diseases to provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of ILC2s in tumor immunity.

Vesicle-Mediated Dendritic Cell Activation in Acinetobacter baumannii Clinical Isolate, which Contributes to Th2 Response.

Acinetobacter baumannii, as a nonfermentation Gram-negative bacterium, mainly cause nosocomial infections in critically ill patients. With the widespread of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, the urgency of developing effective therapy options has been emphasized nowadays. Outer membrane vesicles derived from bacteria show potential vaccine effects against bacterial infection in recent study. Our present research is aimed at investigating the mechanisms involved in immune protection of mice after outer membrane vesicle immunization. As our data showed, the outer membrane vesicle from an Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strain could activate bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) to promote Th2 activity together with humoral immune responses to Acinetobacter baumannii-induced sepsis, which might enlighten people to have a better understanding of OMVs' role as a vaccine to prevent bacterial infections.

Nucleoside-Based Diarylethene Photoswitches: Synthesis and Photochromic Properties.

Diarylethene photoswitches based on the natural nucleoside deoxyadenosine were designed and synthesized. In aqueous solution, some of them exhibited good photochromic properties, including clear changes in color upon irradiation at 365 nm, red-shifts of the absorption wavelength, with good fatigue resistance, thermal stability, conversion efficiency, and base-pairing properties.

Renal Parenchymal Area Growth Curves for Children 0 to 10 Months Old.

PURPOSE: Low renal parenchymal area, which is the gross area of the kidney in maximal longitudinal length minus the area of the collecting system, has been associated with increased risk of end stage renal disease during childhood in boys with posterior urethral valves. To our knowledge normal values do not exist. We aimed to increase the clinical usefulness of this measure by defining normal renal parenchymal area during infancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of children with prenatally detected mild unilateral hydronephrosis who were evaluated between 2000 and 2012 we measured the renal parenchymal area of normal kidney(s) opposite the kidney with mild hydronephrosis. Measurement was done with ultrasound from birth to post-gestational age 10 months. We used the LMS method to construct unilateral, bilateral, side and gender stratified normalized centile curves. We determined the z-score and the centile of a total renal parenchymal area of 12.4 cm(2) at post-gestational age 1 to 2 weeks, which has been associated with an increased risk of kidney failure before age 18 years in boys with posterior urethral valves. RESULTS: A total of 975 normal kidneys of children 0 to 10 months old were used to create renal parenchymal area centile curves. At the 97th centile for unilateral and single stratified curves the estimated margin of error was 4.4% to 8.8%. For bilateral and double stratified curves the estimated margin of error at the 97th centile was 6.6% to 13.2%. Total renal parenchymal area less than 12.4 cm(2) at post-gestational age 1 to 2 weeks had a z-score of -1.96 and fell at the 3rd percentile. CONCLUSIONS: These normal renal parenchymal area curves may be used to track kidney growth in infants and identify those at risk for chronic kidney disease progression.