Effect of cuff inflation with lidocaine, saline, and air on tracheal tube cuff pressure during laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Tracheal tube cuff pressure will increase after pneumoperitoneum when the cuff is inflated with air, high pressure can cause tracheal mucosal damage. This prospective trial aimed to assess if inflating with normal saline or lidocaine can prevent increase of tracheal tube cuff pressure and tracheal mucosal damage in laparoscopic surgeries with general anesthesia. Whether changes of tracheal tube cuff transverse diameter (CD) can predict changes of tracheal tube cuff pressure. METHODS: Ninety patients scheduled for laparoscopic resection of colorectal neoplasms under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to groups air (A), saline (S) or lidocaine (L). Endotracheal tube cuff was inflated with room-temperature air in group A (n = 30), normal saline in group S (n = 30), 2% lidocaine hydrochloride injection in group L (n = 30). After intubation, tracheal tube cuff pressure was monitored by a calibrated pressure transducers, cuff pressure was adjusted to 25 cmH2O (T0.5). Tracheal tube cuff pressure at 15 min after pneumoperitoneum (T1) and 15 min after exsufflation (T2) were accessed. CD were measured by ultrasound at T0.5 and T1, the ability of ΔCD (T1-0.5) to predict cuff pressure was accessed. Tracheal mucous injury at the end of surgery were also recorded. RESULTS: Tracheal tube cuff pressure had no significant difference among the three groups at T1 and T2. ΔCD had prediction value (AUC: 0.92 [95% CI: 0.81-1.02]; sensitivity: 0.99; specificity: 0.82) for cuff pressure. Tracheal mucous injury at the end of surgery were 0 (0, 1.0) in group A, 0 (0, 1.0) in group S, 0 (0, 0) in group L (p = 0.02, group L was lower than group A and S, p = 0.03 and p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to inflation with air, normal saline and 2% lidocaine cannot ameliorate the increase of tracheal tube cuff pressure during the pneumoperitoneum period under general anesthesia, but lidocaine can decrease postoperative tracheal mucosa injury. ΔCD measured by ultrasound is a predictor for changes of tracheal tube cuff pressure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, identifier: ChiCTR2100054089, Date: 08/12/2021.

SNORA28 Promotes Proliferation and Radioresistance in Colorectal Cancer Cells through the STAT3 Pathway by Increasing H3K9 Acetylation in the LIFR Promoter.

Radiotherapy is essential for treating colorectal cancer (CRC), especially in advanced rectal cancer. However, the low radiosensitivity of CRC cells greatly limits radiotherapy efficacy. Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNA that primarily direct post-transcriptional modifications of ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), and other cellular RNAs. While snoRNAs are involved in tumor progression and chemoresistance, their association with radiosensitivity remains largely unknown. Herein, SNORA28 is shown highly expressed in CRC and is positively associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, SNORA28 overexpression enhances the growth and radioresistance of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, SNORA28 acts as a molecular decoy that recruits bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), which increases the level of H3K9 acetylation at the LIFR promoter region. This stimulates LIFR transcription, which in turn triggers the JAK1/STAT3 pathway, enhancing the proliferation and radioresistance of CRC cells. Overall, these results highlight the ability of snoRNAs to regulate radiosensitivity in tumor cells and affect histone acetylation modification in the promoter region of target genes, thus broadening the current knowledge of snoRNA biological functions and the mechanism underlying target gene regulation.

Risk factors for delayed recovery in postanesthesia care unit after surgery: a large and retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Delayed recovery in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) after surgery, as a severe occurrence, influences enhanced recovery after surgery. The data from the observational clinical study is a paucity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This large, retrospective, and observational cohort study initially included 44 767 patients. The primary outcome was risk factors for delayed recovery in PACU. A generalized linear model and nomogram were employed to identify risk factors. Discrimination and calibration were used to evaluate the performance of the nomogram via internal and external validation. RESULTS: Of 38 796 patients, 21 302 (54.91%) were women. The delayed recovery aggregate rate was 1.38% [95% CI, (1.27, 1.50%)]. In a generalized linear model, risk factors for delayed recovery were old age [RR, 1.04, 95% CI, (1.03,1.05), P <0.001], neurosurgery [RR, 2.75, 95% CI, (1.60, 4.72), P <0.001], using antibiotics during surgery [RR, 1.30, 95% CI, (1.02, 1.66), P =0.036], long anesthesia duration [RR, 1.0025, 95% CI, (1.0013, 1.0038), P <0.001], ASA grade of III [RR, 1.98, 95% CI, (1.38, 2.83), P <0.001], and postoperative analgesia [RR, 1.41, 95% CI, (1.10, 1.80), P =0.006]. In the nomogram, old age and neurosurgery had high scores in the model and contributed significantly to the increased probability of delayed recovery. The area under the curve value of the nomogram was 0.77. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram estimated by internal and external validation were generally satisfactory. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that delayed recovery in PACU after surgery was associated with old age, neurosurgery, long anesthesia duration, an ASA grade of III, using antibiotics during surgery, and postoperative analgesia. These findings provide predictors of delayed recovery in PACU, especially neurosurgeries and old age.

Daytime variation in non-cardiac surgery impacts the recovery after general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Circadian rhythm involved with physiology has been reported to affect pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics. We hypothesized that circadian variations in physiology disturb anesthesia and eventually affect recovery after anesthesia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study initially included 107,406 patients (1 June 2016-6 June 2021). Patients were classified into morning or afternoon surgery groups. The primary outcome was daytime variation in PACU (post-anesthesia care unit) recovery time and Steward score. Inverse probability weighting (IPW) approach based on propensity score and univariable/multivariable linear regression were used to estimate this outcome. RESULTS: Of 28,074 patients, 13,418 (48%) patients underwent morning surgeries, and 14,656 (52%) patients underwent afternoon surgeries. LOWESS curves and IPW illustrated daytime variation in PACU recovery time and Steward score. Before adjustment, compared to morning surgery group, afternoon surgery group had less PACU recovery time (median [interquartile range], 57 [46, 70] vs. 54 [43, 66], p < 0.001) and a higher Steward score (5.62 [5.61, 5.63] vs. 5.66 [5.65, 5.67], p < 0.001). After adjustment, compared to morning surgery group, afternoon surgery group had less PACU recovery time (58 [46, 70] vs. 54 [43, 66], p < 0.001). In multivariable linear regression, morning surgery is statistically associated with an increased PACU recovery time (coefficient, -3.20; 95% confidence interval, -3.55 to -2.86).Among non-cardiac surgeries, daytime variation might affect recovery after general anesthesia. These findings indicate that the timing of surgery improves recovery after general anesthesia, with afternoon surgery providing protection.KEY MESSAGESIn this retrospective cohort study of 28,074 participants, the afternoon surgery group has a higher Steward score than the morning surgery group.In multivariable linear regression, morning surgery is statistically associated with an increased PACU recovery time.Among non-cardiac surgeries, daytime variation affects the recovery after general anesthesia, with afternoon surgery providing protection.

Prolonged anesthesia induces neuroinflammation and complement-mediated microglial synaptic elimination involved in neurocognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) with a high incidence frequently occur in elderly surgical patients closely associated with prolonged anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity. The neuromorphopathological underpinnings of anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity have remained elusive. METHODS: Prolonged anesthesia with sevoflurane was used to establish the sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity (SIN) animal model. Morris water maze, elevated plus maze, and open field test were employed to track SIN rats' cognitive behavior and anxiety-like behaviors. We investigated the neuropathological basis of SIN through techniques such as transcriptomic, electrophysiology, molecular biology, scanning electron microscope, Golgi staining, TUNEL assay, and morphological analysis. Our work further clarifies the pathological mechanism of SIN by depleting microglia, inhibiting neuroinflammation, and C1q neutralization. RESULTS: This study shows that prolonged anesthesia triggers activation of the NF-κB inflammatory pathway, neuroinflammation, inhibition of neuronal excitability, cognitive dysfunction, and anxiety-like behaviors. RNA sequencing found that genes of different types of synapses were downregulated after prolonged anesthesia. Microglial migration, activation, and phagocytosis were enhanced. Microglial morphological alterations were also observed. C1qa, the initiator of the complement cascade, and C3 were increased, and C1qa tagging synapses were also elevated. Then, we found that the "Eat Me" complement pathway mediated microglial synaptic engulfment in the hippocampus after prolonged anesthesia. Afterward, synapses were remarkably lost in the hippocampus. Furthermore, dendritic spines were reduced, and their genes were also downregulated. Depleting microglia ameliorated the activation of neuroinflammation and complement and rescued synaptic loss, cognitive dysfunction, and anxiety-like behaviors. When neuroinflammatory inhibition or C1q neutralization occurred, complement was also decreased, and synaptic elimination was interrupted. CONCLUSIONS: These findings illustrated that prolonged anesthesia triggered neuroinflammation and complement-mediated microglial synaptic engulfment that pathologically caused synaptic elimination in SIN. We have demonstrated the neuromorphopathological underpinnings of SIN, which have direct therapeutic relevance for PND patients.

Carbonized wood impregnated with bimetallic nanoparticles as a monolithic continuous-flow microreactor for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

Porous monolithic microreactors show great promise in catalytic applications, but are usually based on non-renewable materials. Herein, we demonstrate a Ni/Au nanoparticle-decorated carbonized wood (Ni/Au-CW) monolithic membrane microreactor for the efficient reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The hierarchical porous wood structure supports uniformly distributed heterobimetallic Ni/Au nanoparticles. As a consequence of these two factors, both mass diffusion and electron transfer are enhanced, resulting in a superior reduction efficiency of 99.5% as the liquor flows through the optimised Ni/Au-CW membrane. The reaction mechanism was investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The proposed attraction-repulsion mechanism facilitated by the bimetallic nanoparticles has been ascribed to the different electronegativities of Ni and Au. The Ni/Au-CW membrane exhibits excellent catalytic performance and could be applicable to other catalytic transformations.

Short-term Outcomes of Laparoscopy-Assisted vs Open Surgery for Patients With Low Rectal Cancer: The LASRE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The efficacy of laparoscopic vs open surgery for patients with low rectal cancer has not been established. Objective: To compare the short-term efficacy of laparoscopic surgery vs open surgery for treatment of low rectal cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter, noninferiority randomized clinical trial was conducted in 22 tertiary hospitals across China. Patients scheduled for curative-intent resection of low rectal cancer were randomized at a 2:1 ratio to undergo laparoscopic or open surgery. Between November 2013 and June 2018, 1070 patients were randomized to laparoscopic (n = 712) or open (n = 358) surgery. The planned follow-up was 5 years. Data analysis was performed from April 2021 to March 2022. Interventions: Eligible patients were randomized to receive either laparoscopic or open surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures: The short-term outcomes included pathologic outcomes, surgical outcomes, postoperative recovery, and 30-day postoperative complications and mortality. Results: A total of 1039 patients (685 in laparoscopic and 354 in open surgery) were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis (median [range] age, 57 [20-75] years; 620 men [59.7%]; clinical TNM stage II/III disease in 659 patients). The rate of complete mesorectal excision was 85.3% (521 of 685) in the laparoscopic group vs 85.8% (266 of 354) in the open group (difference, -0.5%; 95% CI, -5.1% to 4.5%; P = .78). The rate of negative circumferential and distal resection margins was 98.2% (673 of 685) vs 99.7% (353 of 354) (difference, -1.5%; 95% CI, -2.8% to 0.0%; P = .09) and 99.4% (681 of 685) vs 100% (354 of 354) (difference, -0.6%; 95% CI, -1.5% to 0.5%; P = .36), respectively. The median number of retrieved lymph nodes was 13.0 vs 12.0 (difference, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.1-1.9; P = .39). The laparoscopic group had a higher rate of sphincter preservation (491 of 685 [71.7%] vs 230 of 354 [65.0%]; difference, 6.7%; 95% CI, 0.8%-12.8%; P = .03) and shorter duration of hospitalization (8.0 vs 9.0 days; difference, -1.0; 95% CI, -1.7 to -0.3; P = .008). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications rate between the 2 groups (89 of 685 [13.0%] vs 61 of 354 [17.2%]; difference, -4.2%; 95% CI, -9.1% to -0.3%; P = .07). No patient died within 30 days. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized clinical trial of patients with low rectal cancer, laparoscopic surgery performed by experienced surgeons was shown to provide pathologic outcomes comparable to open surgery, with a higher sphincter preservation rate and favorable postoperative recovery. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01899547.

PEX5R/Trip8b-HCN2 channel regulating neuroinflammation involved in perioperative neurocognitive disorders.

BACKGROUND: Clinical and animal studies demonstrated that neuroinflammation from anesthesia (sevoflurane) is the main contributor to cause perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND). Recently, it was reported that microglia respond to hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, which was the target of sevoflurane. Whether HCN channels are involved in the induction of neuroinflammation after sevoflurane exposure is still unclear. RESULTS: Sevoflurane exposure had increased cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behaviors in rats. Rats inhaled with sevoflurane had activated microglia and increased neuroinflammation (IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α) in the hippocampus. RNA sequencing identified 132 DEGs (86 up-regulated and 46 down-regulated DEGs [differentially expressed genes]) in the hippocampus of PND rats. RNA-sequencing also uncovered that sevoflurane exposure down-regulates HCN2 expression. Pathway and process enrichment analysis suggests DEGs are mainly enriched in regulation of system process, positive regulation of glutamate secretion, secretion, regulation of synaptic transmission, regulation of nervous system process, behavior, negative regulation of sodium ion transport, and learning or memory. We validated that sevoflurane exposure can down-regulate the levels of PEX5R/Trip8b (an interaction partner and auxiliary subunit of HCN channels) and HCN1-4 channels in the hippocampus of PND rats. We used immunofluorescence staining to identify that HCN2 co-labels with neurons (Neun), astrocytes (GFAP), and microglia (iba1). We observed that the co-labeling of HCN2 with neurons or microglia decreased in the hippocampus and cortex after sevoflurane exposure. Blocking HCN2 by ZD7288 treatment further activated microglia and aggravated sevoflurane exposure-induced anxiety-like behavior, cognitive impairment, and neuroinflammation. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that sevoflurane exposure can induce an increased level of neuroinflammation, microglial activation, cognitive dysfunction, and anxiety-like behaviors in rats. HCN2 channel, as the target of sevoflurane action, mediates this process. HCN2 might be a target for the treatment and prevention of sevoflurane-induced PND.

Heterogeneous Cu2O-Au nanocatalyst anchored on wood and its insight for synergistic photodegradation of organic pollutants.

In this study, a Cu2O-Au nanoparticles (NPs) heterojunction catalyst anchored on wood was developed by in situ reduction and hydrothermal treatment, and the properties of the catalyst were systematically characterized. The catalyst exhibited prominent photocatalysis of methyl orange (MO, 0.169 min- 1), and tetracycline (TC, 0.122 min-1) which were degraded completely within 20 min. Even after four recyclings, the efficiency of MO degradation by the catalyst remained at 80%. The natural wood with three-dimensional porous structures acted as a reducing agent and a stabilizer for Au NPs and Cu2O, which helped to maintain high performance and reusability. The presence of Au NPs mediated the light-induced electron transfer and enhanced the absorption of visible light for promoting photocatalytic activity. The intermediates of contaminants within the degradation process were characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Additionally, the photogenerated superoxide radicals and holes were identified by electron spin resonance. Thus, the potential degradation mechanism catalyzed by the Cu2O-Au NPs-wood was proposed. This findings of this study valorizes biomass as a photocatalyst for wastewater remediation.

The role of anesthesiologists' perceived self-efficacy in anesthesia-related adverse events.

BACKGROUND: Self-efficacy, as the vital determinant of behavior, influencing clinicians' situation awareness, work performance, and medical decision-making, might affect the incidence of anesthesia-related adverse events (ARAEs). This study was employed to evaluate the association between perceived self-efficacy level and ARAEs. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in the form of an online self-completion questionnaire-based survey. Self-efficacy was evaluated via validated 4-point Likert scales. Internal reliability and validity of both scales were also estimated via Cronbach's alpha and validity analysis. According to the total self-efficacy score, respondents were divided into two groups: normal level group and high level group. Propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression were employed to identify the relationship between self-efficacy level and ARAEs. RESULTS: The response rate of this study was 34%. Of the 1011 qualified respondents, 38% were women. The mean (SD) age was 35.30 (8.19) years. The Cronbach's alpha of self-efficacy was 0.92. The KMO (KMO and Bartlett's test) value of the scale was 0.92. ARAEs occurred in 178 (33.0%) of normal level self-efficacy group and 118 (25.0%) of high level self-efficacy group. Before adjustment, high level self-efficacy was associated with a decreased incidence of ARAEs (RR [relative risk], 0.76; 95% CI [confidence interval], 0.62-0.92). After adjustment, high level self-efficacy was also associated with a decreased incidence of ARAEs (aRR [adjusted relative risk], 0.63, 95% CI, 0.51-0.77). In multivariable logistic regression, when other covariates including years of experience, drinking, and the hospital ranking were controlled, self-efficacy level (OR [odds ratio], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46-0.82; P = 0.001) was significantly correlated with ARAEs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results found a clinically meaningful and statistically significant correlation between self-efficacy and ARAEs. These findings partly support medical educators and governors in enhancing self-efficacy construction in clinical practice and training.

Isoflurane post-conditioning contributes to anti-apoptotic effect after cerebral ischaemia in rats through the ERK5/MEF2D signaling pathway.

The mechanisms of brain protection during ischaemic reperfusion injury induced by isoflurane (ISO) post-conditioning are unclear. Myocyte enhancement factor 2 (MEF2D) has been shown to promote neural survival in a variety of models, in which multiple survival and death signals converge on MEF2D and modulate its activity. Here, we investigated the effect of MEF2D on the neuroprotective effects of ISO post-conditioning on rats after cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Rats underwent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) surgery with ischaemia for 90 minutes and reperfusion for 24-48 hours. After MCAO, neurological status was assessed at 12, 24 and 48 hours by the Modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS) test. The passive avoidance test (PAT) was used to assess cognition function. Histological and neuropathological evaluations were performed with HE staining and Nissl's staining, respectively. We measured the expression of MEF2D, ERK5, GFAP and caspase-3 by immunofluorescent staining and Western blotting, and TUNEL staining to assess the severity of apoptosis in hippocampal CA1 area. We found that MEF2D was involved in nerve protection after I/R injury, and post-treatment of ISO significantly promoted the phosphorylation of ERK5, increased MEF2D transcriptional activity, inhibited the expression of caspase-3 and played a role of brain protection.

Multicenter investigation of bowel evacuation function after transanal total mesorectal excision for mid-low rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To determine the effect of transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) procedure on the postoperative bowel evacuation function of patients with low rectal cancer. METHODS: Bowel evacuation function was investigated in 316 patients with rectal cancer after taTME in 18 hospitals in China. Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score, Wexner score, and EORTC QLQ-C30 were used for functional evaluation. The association between perioperative risk factors and LARS score was determined by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of no LARS, minor LARS, and major LARS in patients after taTME was 39.9%, 28.2%, and 31.9%, respectively. The two most frequently reported symptoms of LARS after taTME were bowel clustering (72.8%) and fecal urgency (63.3%). Patients with major LARS had significantly higher Wexner score and worse global health status and financial difficulties according to the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire than those without major LARS. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy was an independent risk factor of major LARS occurrence after taTME (OR: 3.503, P = 0.044); existing preoperative constipation (OR: 0.082, P = 0.040) and manual anastomosis (OR: 4.536, P = 0.021) were favorable factors affecting bowel evacuatory function within 12 months after taTME, but for patients whose follow-up time was longer than 12 months, postoperative chemoradiotherapy (OR: 8.790, P = 0.001) and defunctioning stoma (OR: 3.962, P = 0.010) were independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The bowel evacuation function after taTME is acceptable. Perioperative chemoradiotherapy, anastomotic method, and preoperative constipation are factors associated with bowel dysfunction after taTME.

Flexible conductive hydrogel fabricated with polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl chitosan, cellulose nanofibrils, and lignin-based carbon applied as strain and pressure sensor.

Employing renewable, environmentally friendly, low-cost lignocellulose to design flexible pressure sensitive hydrogel (PSH) as strain and pressure sensors in wearable electronics represents the global perspective to build sustainable and green society. Lignin-based carbon (LC), as the conductive filler, were uniform distributed in the hydrogel system composing by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) to assemble PSH. The analysis revealed that the cross-linking of components through hydrogen bonds formed among hydroxyl group, amino group and carboxyl group exerts the hydrogel with stretching ability and fatigue resistance. The results indicated that the fracture tensile strength and compression stress of the PC/CNF/LC hydrogel were 133 kPa and 37.7 kPa, respectively. Because of the existence of LC, PSH hydrogel exhibits the sensitive deformation-dependent conductivity and can be applied as a flexible strain and pressure sensor monitoring body motions such as elbow flexion, finger bend and palm grip. Therefore, the assembled PSH hydrogel is a prominent candidate applying as the strain and pressure sensor devices.

In situ growth gold nanoparticles in three-dimensional sugarcane membrane for flow catalytical and antibacterial application.

In this work, we decorated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in the porous, three-dimensional sugarcane membrane for the flow catalytical and antibacterial application. Due to the uniformly distributed Au NPs in sugarcane channels and the porous structure of sugarcane, the interaction between contaminant and catalysis was enhanced as water flowing through the Au NPs/sugarcane membrane. The Au NPs/sugarcane membrane exhibited superior catalytical efficiency for removing methylene blue (MB) with a turn over frequency of 0.27 molMB·molAu-1·min-1 and the water treatment rate reached up to 1.15×105 L/m2 h with >98.3 % MB removal efficiency. The Au NPs/sugarcane membrane also exhibited superior bacterial removal efficiency as E. coli suspension flowing through it, due to the superimposition effects of physical barrier in sugarcane and the antibacterial property of Au NPs. The tremendous catalytical and antibacterial performance of Au NPs/sugarcane membrane provides a promising potential for the rational design of flow catalytical membrane reactor to purify the microbial contaminated water.

Small Nucleolar RNA, C/D Box 16 (SNORD16) Acts as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Colon Cancer.

Colon cancer (CC) is considered one of the most common and lethal malignancies occurring both in male and female. Its widespread prevalence demonstrates the need for novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CC. Emerging evidence has shown that small nucleolar RNAs play critical roles in tumor development. In this study, we investigated the expression profile and functions of SNORD16 in CC. Our data showed that SNORD16, rather than its host gene (RPL4), was upregulated in CC cell lines. Compared to matched adjacent normal tissues, CC tissues showed higher SNORD16 expression levels, and no correlation was found between SNORD16 and RPL4. Patients with high SNORD16 expression levels had a worse prognosis, and multivariate analysis showed the high SNORD16 expression was an independent prognostic factor for CC. In vitro gain- and loss-of-function studies revealed that SNORD16 can promote cell growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion of CC cells by inhibiting apoptosis. These results suggested that SNORD16 has an oncogenic role in CC and might be a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CC.

MiR-1587 Regulates DNA Damage Repair and the Radiosensitivity of CRC Cells via Targeting LIG4.

DNA is subject to a range of endogenous and exogenous insults that can impair DNA replication and lead to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The repair capacity of cancer cells mediates their radiosensitivity, but the roles of miR-1587 during radiation resistance are poorly characterized. In this study, we explored whether miR-1587 regulates the growth and radiosensitivity of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells through its ability to regulate DNA Ligase4 (LIG4). We found that CRC cells in which miR-1587 was overexpressed inhibited cell growth and promoted apoptosis through increasing DSBs and promoting cell cycle arrest. We found that overexpression of miR-1587 significantly inhibited LIG4 messenger RNA and protein expression and further revealed the ability of miR-1587 to directly bind to the LIG4-3'-untranslated region through dual-luciferase reporter assays. More notably, miR-1587 mimics increased the radiosensitivity of CRC cells. Taken together, we show that miR-1587 overexpression enhances the formation of DSBs, arrests CRC cell growth, and enhances the radiosensivity of CRC cells through the direct repression of LIG4 expression. These results reveal novel roles for miR-1587 during DNA damage repair and the radiosensivity of CRC cells. This highlights miR-1587 as a novel therapeutic target for CRC.

Impact of bagasse lignin-carbohydrate complexes structural changes on cellulase adsorption behavior.

Pretreatment technology has attracted much attention as an effective method for the conversion of sugarcane bagasse into biochemicals. However, residual lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC) can negatively impact the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of bagasse. In this work, the changes in bagasse LCC after pretreatment with hot water and dilute acid were characterized by component analysis, 13C NMR and 1H-13C HSQC NMR to reveal the correlation between LCC structure and cellulase adsorption. A real-time dynamic model of LCC affecting adsorption of cellulase was constructed using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D). The QCM-D results demonstrated that cellulase exhibited different adsorption characteristics on different LCCs. For example, the maximum adsorption capacities for cellulase onto the raw material LCC (RW-LCC), hot water pretreated LCC (LHW-LCC), and dilute acid pretreated LCC (AP-LCC) at 4 °C were 29.0 ng/cm2, 94.9 ng/cm2 and 129.8 ng/cm2, respectively. In addition, the adsorption rate constants for cellulase on RM-LCC, LHW-LCC and AP-LCC at 4 °C were 0.09, 0.14 and 0.19, respectively.

Long noncoding RNA lnc-RI regulates DNA damage repair and radiation sensitivity of CRC cells through NHEJ pathway.

A percentage of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients display low sensitivity to radiotherapy, which affects its therapeutic effect. Cancer cells DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair capacity is crucial for radiosensitivity, but the roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this process are largely uncharacterized. This study aims to explore whether lnc-RI regulates CRC cell growth and radiosensitivity by regulating the nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair pathway. CRC cells in which lnc-RI has been silenced showed lower cell growth and higher apoptosis rates due to increased DSBs and cell cycle arrest. We found that miR-4727-5p targets both lnc-RI and LIG4 mRNA and inhibit their expression. CRC cells showed increased radiosensitivity when lnc-RI was silenced. These results reveal novel roles for lnc-RI in both DNA damage repair and radiosensitivity regulation in CRC cells. Our study revealed that lnc-RI regulates LIG4 expression through lnc-RI/miR-4727-5p/LIG4 axis and regulates NHEJ repair efficiency to participate in DNA damage repair. The level of lnc-RI was negatively correlated with the radiosensitivity of CRC cells, indicates that lnc-RI may be a potential target for CRC therapy. We also present the first report of the function of miR-4727-5p.

Nano MnO2 Radially Grown on Lignin-Based Carbon Fiber by One-Step Solution Reaction for Supercapacitors with High Performance.

MnO2-deposited lignin-based carbon fiber (MnO2-LCF) mats are fabricated for supercapacitor applications. LCF mats are produced from alkali lignin via electrospinning followed by stabilization and carbonization. The carbonization process is carried out at 800, 900, and 1000 °C, and the corresponding mats are denoted as MnO2-LCF-800, MnO2-LCF-900, and MnO2-LCF-1000, respectively. The LCF mats are immersed in a KMnO4 solution at room temperature for 72 h to obtain MnO2-LCF mats. The scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis confirm the deposition of MnO2 on the LCFs. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, X-ray spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy reveal that MnO2-LCF-800 mat possesses a large number of mesopores and Mn vacancies as compared to MnO2-LCF-900 mat and MnO2-LCF-1000 mat. Consequently, MnO2-LCF-800 mat possesses the best electrochemical properties with a specific capacitance of 131.28 F∙g-1, an energy density of 14.77 Wh∙kg-1, and a power density of 135.01 W∙kg-1 at a specific current of 0.3 A∙g-1. Hence, MnO2-LCF-800 mat shows high potential to be used as a high-performance supercapacitor.