MOF-Enhanced Aluminosilicate Ceramic Membranes Using Non-Firing Processes for Pesticide Filtration and Phytochrome Removal.

Aluminosilicates, abundant and crucial in both natural environments and industry, often involve uncontrollable chemical components when derived from minerals, making further chemical purification and reaction more complicated. This study utilizes pure alumina and fumed silica powders as more controllable sources, enhancing aluminosilicate reactivity through room temperature (non-firing) processing and providing a robust framework that resists mechanical stress and high temperature. By embedding iron-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOF/non-firing aluminosilicate membranes) within the above matrix, these ceramic membranes not only preserve their mechanical robustness but also gain significant chemical functionality, enhancing their capacity to removing phytochromes from the vegetables. Sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate were selected as activators to successfully prepare high-strength, non-firing aluminosilicate membranes. These membranes demonstrated a flexural strength of 8.7 MPa under wet-culture conditions with a molar ratio of Al2O3:SiO2:NaOH:Na2SiO3 at 1:1:0.49:0.16. The chlorophyll adsorption of spinach conducted on these membranes showed a removal rate exceeding 90% at room temperature and pH = 9, highlighting its potential for the selective adsorption of chlorophyll. This study underscores the potential of MOF-enhanced aluminosilicate ceramic membranes in environmental applications, particularly for agricultural pollution control.

Constructed MXene matrix composites as sensing material and applications thereof: A review.

Most studies on MXene matrix composites for sensor development have primarily focused on synthesis and application. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of research on how the introduction of different materials affects the sensing properties of these composites. The rapid development of MXene has raised intriguing questions about improving sensor performance by combining MXene with other materials such as polymers, metals and inorganic non-metals. This review will concentrate on the construction of MXene-based composites and explore ways to enhance their sensor applications. Specifically, this review describes why the introduction of materials to the system brings the advantage of low concentration and high sensitivity assays, as well as the MXene-based frameworks that have been recently investigated. Lastly, in order to capture the current trend of MXene-based composites in sensor applications and identify promising research directions, this review will critically evaluate the potential applications of newly developed MXene systems.

The quantification of circular RNA 0007841 during induction therapy helps estimate the response and survival benefits to bortezomib-based regimen in multiple myeloma.

OBJECTIVE: Circular RNA_0007841 (Circ_0007841) facilitates multiple myeloma (MM) progression and resistance of the bortezomib by experimental studies, while its clinical implication in MM patients is still unclear. This study intended to evaluate the longitudinal change and prognostic role of circ_0007841 expression in MM patients receiving bortezomib-based induction therapy. METHODS: In this prospective study, bone marrow plasma cell (BMPC) samples were gained from 97 MM patients at diagnosis and after bortezomib-based induction therapy, and from 30 healthy controls (HCs) proposing BM donation. Then, circ_0007841 expression in BMPC samples was measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, MM patients were followed up for a median of 29.4 months. RESULTS: Circ_0007841 expression was increased in MM patients compared to HCs (P < 0.001), but it was decreased after bortezomib-based induction therapy in MM patients (P < 0.001). Moreover, circ_0007841 expression at diagnosis was associated with the presence of t (4; 14) (P = 0.034), while its expression after bortezomib-based induction therapy was linked with higher revised international staging system stage (P = 0.025) in MM patients. Interestingly, circ_0007841 expression after bortezomib-based induction therapy was lower in MM patients who achieved complete remissions (P = 0.001) and overall responses (P = 0.002) compared to those who did not. Prognostically, circ_0007841 expression after bortezomib-based induction therapy (over the median vs. below the median) independently predicted shorter progression-free survival (hazard ratio (HR): 2.497, P = 0.002) and overall survival (HR: 3.107, P = 0.008) in MM patients. CONCLUSION: Circ_0007841 quantification during induction therapy may reflect the response and survival benefits to bortezomib-based regimen in MM patients.

Micafungin exerts antitumor effect on breast cancer and osteosarcoma through preventing EMT in tumor cells in an USP7/AKT/GSK-3ß pathway-dependent manner.

Breast cancer and osteosarcoma are common cancers in women and children, respectively, but ideal drugs for treating patients with breast cancer or osteosarcoma remain to be found. Micafungin is an antifungal drug with antitumor activity on leukemia. Based on the notion of drug repurposing, this study aims to evaluate the antitumor effects of micafungin on breast cancer and osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Five breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, BT-549, SK-BR-3, MCF-7, and 4T1) and one osteosarcoma cell line (143B) were chosen for the in vitro studies. Micafungin exerted an inhibitory effect on the viability of all cell lines, and MCF-7 cells were most sensitive to micafungin among the breast cancer cell lines. In addition, micafungin showed an inhibitory effect on the proliferation, clone formation, and migration in MCF7 and 143B cells. The inhibitory effect of micafungin on the growth of breast cancer and osteosarcoma was further confirmed with xenograft tumor mouse models. To explore the underlying mechanisms, the effect of micafungin on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was examined. As expected, the levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 and vimentin in MCF-7 and 143B cells were notably reduced in the presence of micafungin, concomitant with the decreased levels of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7), p-AKT, and p-GSK-3ß. Based on these observations, we conclude that micafungin exerts antitumor effect on breast cancer and osteosarcoma through preventing EMT in an USP7/AKT/GSK-3ß pathway-dependent manner.

Reinvestigating the clinical relevance of the m6A writer METTL3 in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

METTL3 is the major writer of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) and has been associated with controversial roles in cancer. This is best illustrated in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB), where METTL3 was described to have both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive functions. Here, we reinvestigated the role of METTL3 in UCB. METTL3 knockout reduced the oncogenic phenotype and m6A levels of UCB cell lines. However, complete depletion of METTL3/m6A was not achieved due to selection of cells expressing alternative METTL3 isoforms. Systematic vulnerability and inhibitor response analyses suggested that uroepithelial cells depend on METTL3 for viability. Furthermore, expression and survival analyses of clinical data revealed a complex role for METTL3 in UCB, with decreased m6A mRNA levels in UCB tumors. Our results suggest that METTL3 expression may be a suitable diagnostic UCB biomarker, as the enzyme promotes UCB formation. However, the suitability of the enzyme as a therapeutic target should be evaluated carefully.

Research and Application Progress of Geopolymers in Adsorption: A Review.

Geopolymer is a porous inorganic material with a three-dimensional mesh structure, good mechanical properties, a simple preparation process (no sintering) and a low economic cost, and it is environmentally friendly. Geopolymer concrete has been widely used in the construction field, and many other studies have revealed that geopolymer will become one of the most promising inorganic materials with unique structure and properties. This paper provides a review of the development and current status of geopolymers and briefly explains the effects of material proportioning, experimental factors and activators on geopolymer performance. Because of the advantages of high specific surface area and high porosity, geopolymers could be used as adsorbent materials. This paper summarizes the research progresses of the adsorption of metal cations, anions, dyes, and gases by geopolymers, which emphasizes the geopolymer membranes in adsorption, and discusses the challenges and opportunities for the development of more efficient, sustainable and practical adsorption protocols.

Composition and Structure Progress of the Catalytic Interface Layer for Bipolar Membrane.

Bipolar membranes, a new type of composite ion exchange membrane, contain an anion exchange layer, a cation exchange layer and an interface layer. The interface layer or junction is the connection between the anion and cation exchange layers. Water is dissociated into protons and hydroxide ions at the junction, which provides solutions to many challenges in the chemical, environmental and energy fields. By combining bipolar membranes with electrodialysis technology, acids and bases could be produced with low cost and high efficiency. The interface layer or junction of bipolar membranes (BPMs) is the connection between the anion and cation exchange layers, which the membrane and interface layer modification are vital for improving the performance of BPMs. This paper reviews the effect of modification of a bipolar membrane interface layer on water dissociation efficiency and voltage across the membrane, which divides into three aspects: organic materials, inorganic materials and newly designed materials with multiple components. The structure of the interface layer is also introduced on the performance of bipolar membranes. In addition, the remainder of this review discusses the challenges and opportunities for the development of more efficient, sustainable and practical bipolar membranes.

Triage by PAX1 and ZNF582 Methylation in Women With Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Grade 3: A Multicenter Case-Control Study.

Background: The colposcopy-conization inconsistency is common in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3). No adequate method has been reported to identify the final pathology of conization. In this study, we explored the ability of PAX1 and ZNF582 methylation to predict the pathological outcome of conization in advance. Methods: This was a multicenter study and included 277 histologically confirmed CIN3 women who underwent cold knife conization (CKC) from January 2019 to December 2020. The methylation levels of PAX1 (PAX1m) and ZNF582 (ZNF582m) were determined by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP) and expressed in ΔCp. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate predictive accuracy. Results: The final pathological results in 48 (17.33%) patients were inflammation or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 190 (68.59%) were high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and 39 (14.08%) were squamous cervical cancer (SCC). PAX1m and ZNF582m increased as lesions progressed from inflammation/LSIL, HSIL, to SCC. PAX1 and ZNF582 methylation yielded better prediction performance compared with common screening strategies, whether individually or combined. A 4.33-fold increase in the probability of inflammation/LSIL was observed in patients with lower ZNF582 methylation levels (ΔCpZNF582 ≥ 19.18). A 6.53-fold increase in SCC risk was observed in patients with elevated ZNF582 methylation (ΔCpZNF582 < 7.09). Conclusions: DNA methylation would be an alternative screening method to triage and predict the final outcome of conization in CIN3 cases.

Safety and efficacy of eltrombopag in the treatment of children with immune thrombocytopenia: a Meta analysis. / è‰¾æ›²æ³Šå¸•æ²»ç–—å„¿ç«¥å ç–«æ€§è¡€å°æ¿å‡å°‘ç—‡çš„Meta分析.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag in the treatment of children with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Weipu Data, CNKI, and Wanfang Data were searched for studies on eltrombopag used for the treatment of children with ITP. RevMan 5.3 and R version 3.6 were used to perform a Meta analysis of included studies. RESULTS: A total of 11 studies were included, with 2 randomized controlled trials and 9 cohort studies. The Meta analysis of the 9 cohort studies showed that eltrombopag had a response rate of about 70% (95%CI: 65%-76%) in the treatment of children with ITP, with no serious adverse events. The Meta analysis of the randomized controlled trials showed that the eltrombopag group had a higher response rate than the placebo group (RR=2.64, 95%CI: 1.58-4.44, P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the incidence rates of adverse events and serious adverse events between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Eltrombopag has good efficacy and safety as a second-line treatment regimen for children with ITP.

Vaginal microbiomes and ovarian cancer: a review.

The human microbiome, often termed as "the forgotten organ", is an aggregation of microorganisms and their genomes that forms a mutualistic complex with the host. Recent research has shown the symbiotic merits of a microbiome ecosystem and its crucial role in the hosts' physiological functions. Disruption of this symbiotic relationship is prone to cause a broad spectrum of ailments, including cancer. The compositional and environmental factors that tip the scales from beneficial co-existence to the development of malignancy is actively investigated. Herein we review the latest research in knowledge regarding the association between the vaginal microbiomes and oncogenesis, with a particular focus on ovarian carcinoma.

The BCL2L11 deletion polymorphism is not associated with imatinib resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia patients: meta-analysis.

A common deletion polymorphism of the gene Bcl-2 like protein 11 (BCL2L11, BIM) has been reported to cause tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) resistance in several malignant tumors. However, the conclusions were not consistent in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) individuals. In order to obtain a reliable conclusion, we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure and performed the meta-analysis. Six published articles contain 760 East Asian patients were identified from these electronic databases. The methodological quality of one included trial was high, and the others were moderate. Meta-analysis showed that the rate of TKI resistance between the BIM deletion and wild-type group were no statistical significance (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 0.79-1.95). In conclusion, BIM deletion may not a predictor of TKI resistance in CML individuals in East Asia.

[Association between BIM gene and glucocorticoid resistance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignant hematological disease in childhood. Glucocorticoids are frequently used in the chemoradiotherapy regimen for ALL and can induce the apoptosis of ALL cells through several signaling pathways, but about 10% of ALL children have poor response to glucocorticoids. Studies have revealed that glucocorticoids induce the apoptosis of ALL cells by upregulating the expression of BIM gene, and BIM gene is associated with glucocorticoid resistance in childhood ALL. This article reviews the recent studies on glucocorticoid resistance in childhood ALL, especially the role of BIM and its expression products in this process.

NADPH oxidase: its potential role in promotion of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

NADPH oxidases (NOXs) are a group of enzymes for superoxide anion (O2·- ) generation through transferring electrons from NADPH to molecular oxygen, which is rapidly converted into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). There are seven members in NOX family, including NOX1 to NOX5, dual oxidase1, and dual oxidase 2. Recent studies have demonstrated that NOX subtypes may have different functions in different types of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The NOX-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key factors that are involved in promoting the processes of pulmonary vascular remodeling, such as endothelial dysfunction, proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), and cellular trans-differentiation, which are the basic pathologic characteristics of PAH. Inhibition of NOX shows beneficial effect on prevention of PAH development. Thus, NOX might be a potential target for PAH therapy. The main purpose of this review is to summarize recent findings on the role of NOX, particularly the NOX subtypes, in promotion of PAH development and to list recent progress regarding the NOX-based intervention for PAH.