DNA methylation remodeling and the functional implication during male gametogenesis in rice.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic marks are reprogrammed during sexual reproduction. In flowering plants, DNA methylation is only partially remodeled in the gametes and the zygote. However, the timing and functional significance of the remodeling during plant gametogenesis remain obscure. RESULTS: Here we show that DNA methylation remodeling starts after male meiosis in rice, with non-CG methylation, particularly at CHG sites, being first enhanced in the microspore and subsequently decreased in sperm. Functional analysis of rice CHG methyltransferase genes CMT3a and CMT3b indicates that CMT3a functions as the major CHG methyltransferase in rice meiocyte, while CMT3b is responsible for the increase of CHG methylation in microspore. The function of the two histone demethylases JMJ706 and JMJ707 that remove H3K9me2 may contribute to the decreased CHG methylation in sperm. During male gametogenesis CMT3a mainly silences TE and TE-related genes while CMT3b is required for repression of genes encoding factors involved in transcriptional and translational activities. In addition, CMT3b functions to repress zygotic gene expression in egg and participates in establishing the zygotic epigenome upon fertilization. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the results indicate that DNA methylation is dynamically remodeled during male gametogenesis, distinguish the function of CMT3a and CMT3b in sex cells, and underpin the functional significance of DNA methylation remodeling during rice reproduction.

Single-cell RNA sequencing of cervical exfoliated cells reveals potential biomarkers and cellular pathogenesis in cervical carcinogenesis.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a common gynecological malignancy. Despite the current screening methods have been proved effectively and significantly decreased CC morbidity and mortality, deficiencies still exist. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) approach can identify the complex and rare cell populations at single-cell resolution. By scRNA-seq, the heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment across cervical carcinogenesis has been mapped and described. Whether these alterations could be detected and applied to CC screening is unclear. Herein, we performed scRNA-seq of 56,173 cervical exfoliated cells from 15 samples, including normal cervix, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and malignancy. The present study delineated the alteration of immune and epithelial cells derived during the cervical lesion progression. A subset of lipid-associated macrophage was identified as a tumor-promoting element and could serve as a biomarker for predicting the progression of LSIL into HSIL, which was then verified by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, cell-cell communication analysis indicated the SPP1-CD44 axis might exhibit a protumor interaction between epithelial cell and macrophage. In this study, we investigated the cervical multicellular ecosystem in cervical carcinogenesis and identified potential biomarkers for early detection.

Transcription factors WOX11 and LBD16 function with histone demethylase JMJ706 to control crown root development in rice.

Crown roots are the main components of root systems in cereals. Elucidating the mechanisms of crown root formation is instrumental for improving nutrient absorption, stress tolerance, and yield in cereal crops. Several members of the WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) and lateral organ boundaries domain (LBD) transcription factor families play essential roles in controlling crown root development in rice (Oryza sativa). However, the functional relationships among these transcription factors in regulating genes involved in crown root development remain unclear. Here, we identified LBD16 as an additional regulator of rice crown root development. We showed that LBD16 is a direct downstream target of WOX11, a key crown root development regulator in rice. Our results indicated that WOX11 enhances LBD16 transcription by binding to its promoter and recruiting its interaction partner JMJ706, a demethylase that removes histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2) from the LBD16 locus. In addition, we established that LBD16 interacts with WOX11, thereby impairing JMJ706-WOX11 complex formation and repressing its own transcriptional activity. Together, our results reveal a feedback system regulating genes that orchestrate crown root development in rice, in which LBD16 acts as a molecular rheostat.

Emerging role of mesenchymal stromal cells in gynecologic cancer therapy.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) show considerable promise in regenerative medicine with superior anti-fibrotic, immunomodulatory, and angiogenic functions. More recently, discovered with the tumor tropism, MSCs have been exploited as the basis of targeted cancer therapy. In this scenario, MSCs can directly home to tumor tissues and play anti-tumor properties. In addition, MSCs, MSC-derived exosomes and MSC-derived membranes are often developed as carriers for precisely delivering cytotoxic agents to cancer sites, including chemotherapeutic drugs, therapeutic genes, or oncolytic viruses. However, it has revealed the tumorigenic risk of MSCs as an important component within the tumor microenvironment, hampering the translation of MSC-based cancer therapies into clinical settings. Therefore, in this review, we introduce the specific tumor-tropic ability of MSCs and underlying mechanisms. We also summarize the current application of MSC-based therapeutic approaches in treating gynecologic cancers, mainly including cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. Moreover, we discuss the main challenges that the current MSC-based cancer therapies are facing.

The Role of ZNF275/AKT Pathway in Carcinogenesis and Cisplatin Chemosensitivity of Cervical Cancer Using Patient-Derived Xenograft Models.

Zinc finger protein 275 (ZNF275) is a C2H2-type transcription factor that is localized on chromosome Xq28. Whether ZNF275 participates in modulating the biological behaviors of cervical cancer has not been determined to our knowledge. The present study employed CCK-8, BrdU, flow cytometry, and a transwell assay to investigate the cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells. The application of Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) aims to assess ZNF275 protein expression and identify the signaling pathway relevant to ZNF275-mediated effects on cervical cancer. The therapeutic impact of the combined therapy of the AKT inhibitor triciribine and cisplatin was evaluated on cervical cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models expressing high ZNF275. The current research illustrated that cervical cancer tissue exhibited a higher expression of ZNF275 in contrast to the surrounding normal cervical tissue. The downregulation of ZNF275 suppressed cell viability, migration, and invasion, and facilitated the apoptosis of SiHa and HeLa cells via weakening AKT/Bcl-2 signaling pathway. Moreover, triciribine synergized with cisplatin to reduce cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and enhanced the apoptosis of SiHa cells expressing high ZNF275. In addition, the combination treatment of triciribine and cisplatin was more effective in inducing tumor regression than single agents in cervical cancer PDX models expressing high ZNF275. Collectively, the current findings demonstrated that ZNF275 serves as a sufficiently predictive indicator of the therapeutic effectiveness of the combined treatment of triciribine and cisplatin on cervical cancer. Combining triciribine with cisplatin greatly broadens the therapeutic options for cervical cancer expressing high ZNF275, but further research is needed to confirm these results.

Riding apoptotic bodies for cell-cell transmission by African swine fever virus.

African swine fever virus (ASFV), a devastating pathogen to the worldwide swine industry, mainly targets macrophage/monocyte lineage, but how the virus enters host cells has remained unclear. Here, we report that ASFV utilizes apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs) for infection and cell-cell transmission. We show that ASFV induces cell apoptosis of primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) at the late stage of infection to productively shed ApoBDs that are subsequently swallowed by neighboring PAMs to initiate a secondary infection as evidenced by electron microscopy and live-cell imaging. Interestingly, the virions loaded within ApoBDs are exclusively single-enveloped particles that are devoid of the outer layer of membrane and represent a predominant form produced during late infection. The in vitro purified ApoBD vesicles are capable of mediating virus infection of naive PAMs, but the transmission can be significantly inhibited by blocking the "eat-me" signal phosphatidyserine on the surface of ApoBDs via Annexin V or the efferocytosis receptor TIM4 on the recipient PAMs via anti-TIM4 antibody, whereas overexpression of TIM4 enhances virus infection. The same treatment however did not affect the infection by intracellular viruses. Importantly, the swine sera to ASFV exert no effect on the ApoBD-mediated transmission but can partially act on the virions lacking the outer layer of membrane. Thus, ASFV has evolved to hijack a normal cellular pathway for cell-cell spread to evade host responses.

Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins Improve the Quality of Fresh and Cryopreserved Semen in Bulls.

Oxidative stress leads to a decrease in semen quality during semen cryopreservation and fresh semen production. Grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) are endowed with well-recognized antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-aging activities. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to explore the effects of GSPs on the quality of fresh and cryopreserved semen to provide a basis for GSPs as a new dietary additive and semen diluent additive for males' reproduction. Fresh semen from three healthy bulls aged 3 to 5 years old were gathered and mixed with semen diluents dissolved with 0 µg/mL, 30 µg/mL, 40 µg/mL, 50 µg/mL, and 60 µg/mL GSPs respectively. The motility, physiological structures (acrosome integrity, membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity), and antioxidant capacity of frozen-thawed sperm were measured after storage in liquid nitrogen for 7 days (d). Bulls were fed with 20 mg/kg body weight (BW) GSPs in their diet for 60 days; the weight of the bull is about 600 kg. Then, the reproductive performance and antioxidant indexes of bulls were measured before and after feeding. The results demonstrated that GSPs supplementation significantly increased sperm motility, physiological structures, GSH-Px, and CAT enzyme activities and significantly decreased MDA content in sperm during semen cryopreservation. The optimal concentration of GSPs was 40 µg/mL (p < 0.05). After 20 mg/kg (body weight) GSP supplementation, sperm motility was significantly heightened (p < 0.05), the sperm deformity rate was significantly reduced (p < 0.05), and antioxidant enzyme activities (such as SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px) were significantly enhanced (p < 0.05), and the production of MDA was significantly suppressed (p < 0.05) in serum compared with that before feeding. In conclusion, these results reveal that a certain concentration of GSPs has a good protective effect on sperm damage caused by semen cryopreservation and the reproductive performance reduction caused by stress in bulls, which may be attributed to the antioxidant function of GSPs. In summary, GSPs are a useful cryoprotective adjuvant and dietary additive for bull sperm quality.

Methylation of BRD4 by PRMT1 regulates BRD4 phosphorylation and promotes ovarian cancer invasion.

Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), the major component of bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) protein family, has important functions in early embryonic development and cancer development. However, the posttranslational modification of BRD4 is not well understood. Multiple approaches were used to explore the mechanism of PRMT1-mediated BRD4 methylation and to determine the biological functions of BRD4 and PRMT1 in ovarian cancer. Here we report that BRD4 is asymmetrically methylated at R179/181/183 by PRMT1, which is antagonized by the Jumonji-family demethylase, JMJD6. PRMT1 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer tissue and is a potential marker for poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. Silencing of PRMT1 inhibited ovarian cancer proliferation, migration, and invasion in vivo and in vitro. PRMT1-mediated BRD4 methylation was found to promote BRD4 phosphorylation. Compared to BRD4 wild-type (WT) cells, BRD4 R179/181/183K mutant-expressing cells showed reduced ovarian cancer metastasis. BRD4 arginine methylation is also associated with TGF-ß signaling. Our results indicate that arginine methylation of BRD4 by PRMT1 is involved in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis. Targeting PRMT1-mediated arginine methylation may provide a novel diagnostic target and an effective therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer treatment.

Genome-wide association study for grain zinc concentration in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Introduction: Zinc (Zn) deficiency causes serious diseases in people who rely on cereals as their main food source. However, the grain zinc concentration (GZnC) in wheat is low. Biofortification is a sustainable strategy for reducing human Zn deficiency. Methods: In this study, we constructed a population of 382 wheat accessions and determined their GZnC in three field environments. Phenotype data was used for a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a 660K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, and haplotype analysis identified an important candidate gene for GZnC. Results: We found that GZnC of the wheat accessions showed an increasing trend with their released years, indicating that the dominant allele of GZnC was not lost during the breeding process. Nine stable quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GZnC were identified on chromosomes 3A, 4A, 5B, 6D, and 7A. And an important candidate gene for GZnC, namely, TraesCS6D01G234600, and GZnC between the haplotypes of this gene showed, significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) in three environments. Discussion: A novel QTL was first identified on chromosome 6D, this finding enriches our understanding of the genetic basis of GZnC in wheat. This study provides new insights into valuable markers and candidate genes for wheat biofortification to improve GZnC.

Dynamic volume variation of uterine leiomyomas during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the volume variation of uterine leiomyomas and explore factors predicting their growth trends during pregnancy. METHOD: A retrospective observational study was performed on pregnant women with uterine leiomyomas between January 2016 and April 2020. The uterine leiomyoma volume was acquired from obstetrical ultrasound at the first, second, and third trimesters of gestation. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the factors influencing the volume variation of uterine leiomyomas during pregnancy. RESULTS: A total of 278 pregnant women diagnosed with uterine leiomyomas were enrolled. The volumetric increase in uterine leiomyomas during pregnancy exhibited a higher growth rate from the first to second trimester (34.09%) than that from the second to third trimester (30.08%). Smaller uterine leiomyomas were more likely to increase in size from the first to second trimester and from the first to third trimester. Retroplacental uterine leiomyomas were more likely to increase in volume than that for uterine leiomyomas located away from the placenta in pregnant women from the second to third trimester. CONCLUSION: The uterine leiomyoma volume was potentially enlarged in a nonlinear growth pattern during pregnancy, which was associated with the former volume of uterine leiomyomas and the spatial relationship between leiomyoma-placental site.

Inhibition of Phenol from Entering into Condensed Freshwater by Activated Persulfate during Solar-Driven Seawater Desalination.

Recently, solar-driven seawater desalination has received extensive attention since it can obtain considerable freshwater by accelerating water evaporation at the air-water interface through solar evaporators. However, the high air-water interface temperature can cause volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to enter condensed freshwater and result in water quality safety risk. In this work, an antioxidative solar evaporator, which was composed of MoS2 as the photothermal material, expandable polyethylene (EPE) foam as the insulation material, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) plate as the corrosion resistant material, and fiberglass membrane (FB) as the seawater delivery material, was fabricated for the first time. The activated persulfate (PS) methods, including peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxodisulfate (PDS), were applied to inhibit phenol from entering condensed freshwater during desalination. The distillation concentration ratio of phenol (RD) was reduced from 76.5% to 0% with the addition of sufficient PMS or PDS, which means that there was no phenol in condensed freshwater. It was found that the Cl- is the main factor in activating PMS, while for PDS, light, and heat are the dominant. Compared with PDS, PMS can make full utilization of the light, heat, Cl- at the evaporator's surface, resulting in more effective inhibition of the phenol from entering condensed freshwater. Finally, though phenol was efficiently removed by the addition of PMS or PDS, the problem of the formation of the halogenated distillation by-products in condensed freshwater should be given more attention in the future.

Establishment and genetically characterization of patient-derived xenograft models of cervical cancer.

PURPOSE: Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were established to reproduce the clinical situation of original cancers and have increasingly been applied to preclinical cancer research. Our study was designed to establish and genetically characterize cervical cancer PDX models. METHODS: A total of 91 fresh fragments obtained from 22 surgically resected cervical cancer tissues were subcutaneously engrafted into female NOD-SCID mice. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to assess whether the established PDX models conserved the histological features of original patient cervical cancer tissues. Moreover, a Venn diagram was applied to display the overlap of all mutations detected in whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from patient original cervical cancer (F0) and F2-, F3-PDX models. The whole exome sequencing (WES) and the "maftools" package were applied to determine the somatic mutations among primary cervical cancers and the established PDX models. RESULTS: Our study successfully developed a panel of cervical cancer PDX models and the latency time of cervical cancer PDX model establishment was variable with a progressive decrease as the passage number increased, with a mean time to initial growth of 94.71 days in F1 engraftment to 40.65 days in F3 engraftment. Moreover, the cervical cancer PDX models preserved the histological features of their original cervical cancer. WGS revealed that the genome of original cervical cancer was preserved with high fidelity in cervical cancer PDX models throughout the xenografting and passaging process. Furthermore, WES demonstrated that the cervical cancer PDX models maintained the majority somatic mutations of original cervical cancer, of which the KMT2D, LRP1B, NAV3, TP53, FAT1, MKI67 and PKHD1L1 genes were identified as the most frequently mutated genes. CONCLUSIONS: The cervical cancer PDX models preserved the histologic and genetic characteristics of their original cervical cancer, which helped to gain a deeper insight into the genetic alterations and lay a foundation for further investigation of the molecular targeted therapy of cervical cancer.

Quantification and influencing factors of perioperative hidden blood loss in patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy for benign ovarian tumours.

This retrospective, monocentric study quantified hidden blood loss (HBL) and investigated its influencing factors in benign ovarian tumour patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. Data from 153 patients who underwent laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy were retrospectively reviewed. HBL was calculated using the formula derived from 'Nadler' and 'Cross'. Pearson correlation was carried out to measure the association between HBL and potential risk factors. The average HBL was 280.22 ± 168.42 mL, accounting for 84.13 ± 19.20% of total blood loss (TBL) (347.48 ± 179.05 mL), which was a change of almost fourteen-fold relative to median visible blood loss [20.00 mL (10.00 mL, 57.5 mL)]. Surgical time, number of excisional tumours and preoperative albumin values were risk factors for HBL. HBL represents a large proportion more than 80% of TBL in patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. Collectively, HBL is helpful for estimating intraoperative blood loss and better guidance of haemostatic agents, which reduces postoperative complications and expedites postoperative recovery. Additionally, the estimation of HBL also contributes to the summary, reflection and improvement of surgical technique.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? There has been a growing number of surgical patients with perioperative anaemia, which appears to be inconsistent with measured levels of visible intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage. This substantial but easily underestimated blood loss is known as hidden blood loss. To date, no published articles have evaluated HBL and its related risk factors in benign ovarian tumour patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy.What the results of this study add? HBL accounts for a large amount of TBL in laparoscopy for benign ovarian tumours. Surgical time, number of excisional tumours and preoperative albumin values are risk factors for HBL.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The management of HBL is important for the administration of perioperative blooding loss. In this context, HBL can be applied to estimate intraoperative blood loss and be better guidance of haemostatic agents to reduce postoperative complications and hasten postoperative rehabilitation. Additionally, the estimation of HBL also contributes to the summary, reflection and improvement of surgical technique.

Differences in chemotaxis of human mesenchymal stem cells and cervical cancer cells.

In the last decade, there has been a rapid expansion in tumor targeted therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) based on their unique tropism towards cancer cells. Despite similarities in morphology, immunophenotype, and differential potent in vitro, MSCs originated from different tissues do not necessarily have equivalent biological behaviors. It is important to screen the most chemotactic MSCs to cancer cells. In this study, different MSCs were isolated from various human tissues including adipose, umbilical cord, amniotic membrane, and chorion. The chemotaxis of human MSCs to cervical cancer cells was measured by CCK-8, ELISA and Transwell invasion assays. Western blotting was performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. MSCs derived from distinct sources can be differently recruited to cervical cancer cells, among which chorion-derived MSC (CD-MSC) possessed the strongest tropic capacity. CXCL12 was found to be highly secreted by cervical cancer cells, in parallel with the expression of CXCR4 in all MSCs. CD-MSC displayed the highest level of CXCR4. These results indicated that CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway contributed to the different chemotaxis to cervical cancer cells of each MSCs. This study proposed that CD-MSC with the highest CXCR4 expression is a promising therapeutic vehicle for targeted therapy in cervical cancer.

Erratum: Nucleic acids and proteins carried by exosomes of different origins as potential biomarkers for gynecologic cancers.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2021.12.005.].

A Single Amino Acid Residue R144 of SNX16 Affects Its Ability to Inhibit the Replication of Influenza A Virus.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is an important zoonotic pathogen, posing a severe burden for the health of both animals and humans. Many host factors are involved in the life cycle of IAV to regulate its replication. Herein, we identified sorting nexin-16 (SNX16) as a new host factor that negatively modulates the replication of IAV. When transiently overexpressed in cells, SNX16 appears to be expressed as two obvious bands. Mutagenesis analysis indicated that the amino acid residue R144 of SNX16 was responsible for its two-band expression phenotype. We found that the R144A mutation of SNX16 changed its cellular distribution in A549 cells and partially weakened the inhibitory effect of SNX16 on IAV replication. Further investigation revealed that SNX16 could negatively regulate the early stage of the replication cycle of IAV. Taken together, our results demonstrated that SNX16 is a novel restriction host factor for the replication of IAV by engaging in the early stage of IAV life cycle, and a single amino acid residue at position 144 plays an important role in the cellular distribution and anti-influenza function of SNX16.

MoS2 boosts the Fe2+/PMS process for carbamazepine degradation.

Activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) by Fe2+ is a green oxidation process for degradation of organic contaminants. However, the formation of iron mud and low PMS utilization lead to the decreased oxidation efficiency. In this work, commercial MoS2 particles were used as the catalyst for boosting the Fe2+/PMS process for carbamazepine (CBZ) removal. The CBZ removal efficiency by the MoS2/Fe2+/PMS process was significantly enhanced, increasing to 6.5 times that of the Fe2+/PMS process. The Fe3+ was reduced to Fe2+ by the exposed Mo4+ on the surface of MoS2, leading to the enhanced PMS utilization rate and increased Fe2+ concentration. The relative intensity of DMPO-HO• and DMPO- SO4-• followed the order of MoS2/PMS < Fe2+/PMS < MoS2/Fe2+/PMS, also suggesting the enhanced oxidation activity with the addition of MoS2 in the process of Fe2+/PMS. The commercial MoS2 had good stability shown by the CBZ removal efficiency remaining almost unchanged during 8-time cycling use. Finally, a possible CBZ degradation pathway was proposed for helping understand the oxidation mechanism of the MoS2/Fe2+/PMS process.

Nucleic acids and proteins carried by exosomes of different origins as potential biomarkers for gynecologic cancers.

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with a diameter of 30-150 nm that function in mediating intercellular communication and intercellular material exchange. The liposomal membrane of exosomes protects the cargo carried by exosomes from degradation and assists in transporting cargo to recipient cells to regulate a variety of physiological and pathological processes. The incidence of gynecologic cancers is increasing annually, which is extremely harmful to the lives and health of women because such cancers are challenging to detect at the early stage. Recently, exosomes have emerged as novel biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting the development of gynecologic cancers. In particular, non-coding RNAs (microRNAs [miRNAs], long non-coding RNAs [lncRNAs], and circular RNAs [circRNAs]) carried by exosomes have been extensively investigated in gynecologic cancers. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to focus on the potential roles of exosomes of different origins in ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer, which will help to determine the molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis.

Inhibition of typical phenolic compounds entering into condensed freshwater by surfactants during solar-driven seawater distillation.

Recently, solar-driven seawater desalination based on air-water interfacial heating has triggered significant research interest due to its high water evaporation rate, high photothermal conversion efficiency, low energy consumption, simple operation and low cost. However, as the air-water interface temperature reaches as high as 40-70 °C, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will volatilize into the condensed desalinated water and results in the polluted freshwater. In this work, anionic, cationic, and nonionic surfactants were applied for the first time to inhibit the phenolic compounds such as phenol, p-methylphenol and p-chlorophenol entering into the condensed freshwater. Results showed that the concentration of phenol could be reduced by the addition of cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The phenol's distillation concentration ratio (RD) reduced from 76% to 35% due to the electrostatic interaction and the micellar encapsulation between the CTAB and phenol. Moreover, parameters including CTAB dose, initial phenol concentration, solar intensity, pH, and salinity that affecting the RD were also investigated. Finally, a real seawater solar-driven distillation experiment also revealed that the water quality of freshwater was improved by the addition of CTAB. This work revealed that the surfactants such as CTAB can be potentially used to inhibit VOCs entering into the condensed freshwater during solar-driven seawater distillation.

Applications of Multi-omics Approaches for Exploring the Molecular Mechanism of Ovarian Carcinogenesis.

Ovarian cancer ranks as the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death in females. The molecular mechanisms of ovarian carcinogenesis need to be explored in order to identify effective clinical therapies for ovarian cancer. Recently, multi-omics approaches have been applied to determine the mechanisms of ovarian oncogenesis at genomics (DNA), transcriptomics (RNA), proteomics (proteins), and metabolomics (metabolites) levels. Multi-omics approaches can identify some diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer, and these molecular signatures are beneficial for clarifying the development and progression of ovarian cancer. Moreover, the discovery of molecular signatures and targeted therapy strategies could noticeably improve the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.