One Scalable and Stable Metal-Organic Framework for Efficient Separation of CH4/N2 Mixture.

Separating CH4 from coal bed methane is of great importance but challenging. Adsorption-based separation often suffers from low selectivity, poor stability, and difficulty to scale up. Herein, a stable and scalable metal-organic framework [MOF, CoNi(pyz-NH2)] with multiple CH4 binding sites was reported to efficiently separate the CH4/N2 mixture. Due to its suitable pore size and multiple CH4 binding sites, it exhibits excellent CH4/N2 selectivity (16.5) and CH4 uptake (35.9 cm3/g) at 273 K and 1 bar, which is comparable to that of the state-of-the-art MOFs. Theoretical calculations reveal that the high density of open metal sites and polar functional groups in the pores provide strong affinity to CH4 than to N2. Moreover, CoNi(pyz-NH2) displays excellent structural stability and can be scale-up synthesized (22.7 g). This work not only provides an excellent adsorbent but also provides important inspiration for the future design and preparation of porous adsorbents for separations.

A local model based on environmental variables clustering for estimating foliar phosphorus of rubber trees with vis-NIR spectroscopic data.

Existing local models based on multiple environmental variables clustering (LM-MEVC) treat the influences of environmental factors on leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC) of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) equally when grouping samples. In fact, the effects that environmental factors assert on LPC are different. So, environmental factors need to be treated differently so that the different effects can be taken into consideration when dividing samples into clusters or groups. According to this basic idea, a local model based on weighted environmental variables clustering (LM-WEVC) was developed. This approach consists of four steps. Firstly, the most important environmental variables that influence LPC were selected. Then, the weights of the selected environmental variables were determined. In the following, the selected environmental variables were weighted and used as clustering variables to group samples. Finally, within each cluster or group of samples, an estimation model was established. In order to verify its effectiveness in predicting LPC of rubber trees, the proposed method was applied to a case study in Hainan Island, China. Rubber tree (cultivar CATAS-7-33-97) leaf samples were collected from three different sampling periods. Spectral reflectance of the collected leaf samples was measured using an ASD spectroradiometer, FieldSpec 3. Leaf samples collected from the three different sampling periods were used separately to test LM-WEVC. Coefficient of determination (R2), root mean squared error (RMSE), and ratio of prediction deviation (RPD) were employed as evaluation criterion. Performance of LM-WEVC was compared with that of the existing LM-MEVC. Results indicated that for the three sampling periods, the prediction accuracies of LM-WEVC were always higher than those of LM-MEVC. The values of R2 and RPD for LM-WEVC were increased by 8.15%-36.68%, and by 11.33%-59.40% respectively, while values of RMSE were reduced by 9.09%-37.5%, compared with those for LM-MEVC. These results demonstrate that LM-WEVC was effective in estimating LPC of rubber trees, and also confirmed our hypothesis that environmental factors unequally influenced LPC of rubber trees.

RBPMS2, as a novel biomarker for predicting lymph node metastasis, guides therapeutic regimens in gastric cancer.

RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing 2 (RBPMS2) is a critical gene that encodes a member of the RNA-recognition-motif-containing protein family and is involved in the development and dedifferentiation of digestive smooth muscle cells. However, whether RBPMS2 has an effect on the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) and its possible mechanism during GC progression remain unknown. Here, we collected 596 GC patients who underwent curative surgical resection to evaluate expression of RBPMS2. RBPMS2 was upregulated in GC tissues, and was associated with lymph node metastasis. We analysis the KEGG pathway and GO biological processes, cellular component and molecular function of RBPMS2 interactive genes, as well as RBPMS2-binding partner ESRP1 interactive genes. We also focus on the correlation analysis between EMT-related genes and RBPMS2/ESRP1. Finally, we analysed the correlation between RBPMS2 expression and chemotherapeutic drugs which may assist in GC therapy and demonstrated that RBPMS2 expression was associated with tumour mutation burden (TMB) and Microsatellite Instability (MSI), as well as immune infiltration level in GC.

Impacts of terrain attributes and human activities on soil texture class variations in hilly areas, south-west China.

Knowledge of soil texture variations is critical for agricultural and engineering applications because texture influences many other soil properties. This study used random forest method to evaluate the effects of human activities and topographic parameters on the spatial variability of soil texture in hilly areas where soil parent material was uniform. The study site covers 252 km2 and is located in the Upper Yangtze River Basin of south-west China. A total of 3636 samples were collected from the cultivated soils at a depth of 20 cm of dryland (sloping field and terraced land) landscape. The soil texture class for each sample was estimated by experienced soil scientists in the field. Two soil texture classes (loam and clay) were observed in the watershed. Eleven terrain parameters were derived from a digital elevation model with a resolution of 30 m. Compared with loamy soils, clayey soils were mostly observed in the areas with lower elevation and gentle slopes. The outcome of random forest indicated that human activities and elevation had strong effects on soil texture class variations across the study site. Further results showed that the relative importance of terrain parameters to soil texture class variations varied with dryland landscape. Topographic wetness index and elevation were the most important variables for sloping field and terraced land landscapes, respectively.

Pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in human colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical step in the acquisition of metastatic and invasive power for tumor cells. Colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) is a common cancer where metastasis is directly linked to patient survival. Recent studies show that pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2) could induce tumor EMT and is an independent predictive factor associated with poor prognosis in cancer. In the present study, we confirmed the role of PLAGL2 in the prognosis of CRC patients and provide molecular evidence of PLAGL2 promoted EMT in CRC cell line SW480. We found that PLAGL2 expression was upregulated in the paraffin-embedded CRC tissues compared to borderline or benign tissues. Experimental EMT induced by PLAGL2 plasmid transfection proved PLAGL2 protein overexpression could enhance the cell scratch wound-healing and transwell ability and significantly upregulated mesenchymal marker proteins, N-cadherin and vimentin and concurrently downregulated epithelial marker of E-cadherin. Subsequently, through western blot assay, we found that PLAGL2 could activate the wnt-signaling component ß-catenin in the nuclei. More CRC cell metastasis to the lungs was observed when the PLAGL2 overexpressing SW480 cells were injected into the tail vein of rats, compared with the cell control and PLAGL2 silence group. Our findings indicated that PLAGL2 might be a very upstream key molecule regulating EMT involved in Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway.

[Serum non-esterified fatty acids to albumin ratio increased significantly in children with nephrotic syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and albumin (ALB) in children with nephrotic syndrome (NS) and investigate the clinical significance of altered serum NEFA to ALB ratio in children with NS in acute and remission phases. METHODS: Serum levels of NEFA and ALB were measured in 55 NS children in acute phase, in 33 NS children in remission and in 122 healthy control children, and the ratio of NEFA to ALB was calculated. The other lipid/lipoprotein and renal function parameters were also analyzed in these children. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control children, children with NS had a significantly decreased serum ALB level (t=11.152, P<0.001) and a significantly increased NEFA to ALB ratio (t=4.991, P<0.001). Compared with NS children in remission, those in acute phase showed a significantly decreased ALB (Z=7.822, P<0.001) and an increased NEFA to ALB ratio (t=4.991, P<0.001). In all the NS children, NEFA to ALB ratio was positively correlated with the levels of TC (r=0.564, P<0.001), TG (r=0.444, P<0.001), LDL-C (r=0.625, P<0.001), urea (r=0.437, P<0.001), creatinine (r=0.278, P=0.013), and uric acid (r=0.397, P<0.001), while negatively correlated with the level of total protein (r=-0.461, P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that NEFA to ALB ratio was independently associated with serum urea levels (ß=0.703, P=0.001; adjusted R2=0.494) after adjustment of other related factors. CONCLUSION: Serum NEFA to ALB ratio is significantly increased in NS children in close association with impaired kidney function, and may function as a novel parameter for assessing the development of NS.

Elevation of Circulating miR-210-3p in High-Altitude Hypoxic Environment.

BACKGROUND: The induction of miR-210-3p, a master hypoxamir, is a consistent feature of the hypoxic response in both normal and malignant cells. However, whether miR-210-3p acts as a circulating factor in response to a hypoxic environment remains unknown. The current study aimed to examine the effect of a high-altitude hypoxic environment on circulating miR-210-3p. METHODS: We examined and compared the levels of miR-210-3p using TaqMan-based qRT-PCR in both peripheral blood cells and plasma from 84 ethnic Chinese Tibetans residing at 3560 m, 46 newly arrived migrant Han Chinese (Tibet Han) and 82 Han Chinese residing at 8.9 m (Nanjing Han). Furthermore, we analyzed the correlations of miR-210-3p with hematological indices. RESULTS: The relative concentrations of miR-210-3p to internal reference U6 in blood cells were significantly higher in the Tibet Han group (1.01 ± 0.11, P < 0.001) and in the Tibetan group (1.17 ± 0.09, P < 0.001) than in the Nanjing Han group (0.51 ± 0.04). The absolute concentrations of plasma miR-210-3p were also markedly elevated in the Tibet Han group (503.54 ± 42.95 fmol/L, P = 0.004) and in the Tibetan group (557.78 ± 39.84 fmol/L, P < 0.001) compared to the Nanjing Han group (358.39 ± 16.16 fmol/L). However, in both blood cells and plasma, miR-210-3p levels were not significantly different between the Tibet Han group and the Tibetan group (P = 0.280, P = 0.620, respectively). Plasma miR-210-3p concentrations were positively correlated with miR-210-3p levels in blood cells (r = 0.192, P = 0.005). Furthermore, miR-210-3p levels in both blood cells and plasma showed strong positive correlations with red blood cell counts and hemoglobin and hematocrit values. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrated, for the first time, that miR-210-3p might act as a circulating factor in response to hypoxic environments and could be associated with human adaptation to life at high altitudes.

Influence of a high-altitude hypoxic environment on human plasma microRNA profiles.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are promising disease biomarkers. However, the influence of high-altitude hypoxic environments on plasma miRNA profiles remains unknown. This study included a total of 509 plasma samples from 278 native Tibetans and 80 newly arrived migrant Han Chinese (Tibet Han) residing at 3560 m and 151 Han Chinese residing at 8.9 m (Nanjing Han). The levels of 754 miRNAs were initially determined using a TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA) in two pooled samples from 50 Tibet Han and 50 Nanjing Han individuals. Some markedly altered miRNAs in Tibet Han were subsequently measured in all 509 plasma samples by individual qRT-PCR. Compared with the Nanjing Han, 172 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the Tibet Han (105 upregulated and 67 downregulated). The correlation coefficient for the two groups was 0.72. Several upregulated miRNAs were randomly selected for analysis by qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with those identified by TLDA. These miRNAs were also significantly increased in the Tibetans compared with the Nanjing Han. Furthermore, these altered miRNAs showed strong positive correlations with red blood cell counts and hemoglobin values. These data are the first to provide clear evidence that a high-altitude hypoxic environment significantly affects human plasma miRNA profiles.

Macroscopic serosal classification of colorectal cancer and its clinical significance.

BACKGROUND: Macroscopic serosal classification of gastric cancer has been reported in previous studies, but rarely reported about it of colorectal cancer. The purpose of this study was to propose a macroscopic serosal classification of colorectal cancer and to investigate clinical significance of this classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Morphologic features of colorectal cancer were analyzed according to the macroscopic serosal appearance and clinicopathologic characteristics of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. Microscopic serosal structure was compared between different types under light microscope and transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: Macroscopic serosal classification was divided into normal type, reactive type, nodular type and colloid type according to the macroscopic serosal appearance and microscopic structure. There were significant differences in tumor size, tumor gross type, histological type, histological grade, tumor necrosis, pT stage, number of nodes metastasis, lymph node metastasis ratio, pN stage, M stage and peritoneal metastasis between patients with different serosal types. Univariate analysis of prognosis revealed macroscopic serosal classification as one of factors significantly correlated with patient survival. However, multivariate analysis only revealed TNM stage significantly correlated with patient survival, while macroscopic serosal classification did not, maybe due to insufficient samples. CONCLUSIONS: Macroscopic serosal classification of colorectal cancer is preliminarily defined and divided into four types. Different macroscopic serosal types indicate different clinicopathologic features and correlate with prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer, but still cannot be proven as an independent factor.

Expression of legumain correlates with prognosis and metastasis in gastric carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Legumain, a novel asparaginyl endopeptidase, has been observed to be highly expressed in several types of tumors, which may play a vital role in carcinogenesis. However, there is no study investigating the relationship among Legumain expression, clinicopathologic, biological variables and patient prognosis in gastric carcinoma. METHODS: In this study, a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 282 samples of primary gastric cancer was assessed for Legumain expression by immunohistochemistry. The TMA included 98 lymph node metastasis samples. The protein expression levels of Legumain were evaluated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic immunoreactivity of Legumain was over-expressed in gastric cancer compared with paired normal gastric mucosa. Increased Legumain levels were significantly correlated with clinical stage, presence of distant metastasis. Legumain was significantly over-expressed in primary gastric cancer with metastasis than without metastasis. Patients with Legumain-positive localized tumors had lower 5-year overall survival (OS) than those with Legumain-negative tumors. Multivariate survival analysis showed that Legumain was an independent prognostic marker for OS (HR 1.459, 95% CI 1.251-1.703, P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Legumain expression could serve as a prognostic biomarker in patients at risk of developing metastasis or recurrence with gastric carcinoma.

Prognostic impact of atypical chemokine receptor expression in patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Atypical chemokine receptors (ACRs), which serve as a decoy receptor to attract chemokines, including DARC, D6, and CCX-CKR, have an important role in inhibiting invasion and metastasis of cancer cells; however, their expression in gastric cancer has not been characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive value of ACRs for overall survival in gastric cancer. METHODS: We performed immunohistochemical analysis on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cancer tissue and used Western blot analysis on cell lines with an antibody against ACR protein. We investigated tumor material from total of 282 consecutive gastric specimens, composed of 101 normal gastric tissues, 181 peri-carcinoma tissues (2 cm away from the carcinoma), and their relationships to clinicopathologic features and survival, using a tissue micro-array. RESULTS: We found the expression of ACRs to be lower in gastric cancer cell lines or tissues than in normal cell line, peri-carcinoma, or normal tissues, respectively (P < 0.05). In univariate analysis, the three proteins and their co-expression were significantly associated with higher overall survival. In multivariate analysis, each of these molecules was not favorable for overall survival; however, their co-expression was an independently prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.276; 95% confidence interval, 0.173-0.444; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the possibility that the multiple loss of ACRs may occur during the development of tumorigenesis, and their co-expression in gastric cancer may be predictive of favorable outcomes.

Prognostic value of tumor size in gastric cancer: an analysis of 2,379 patients.

Tumor size has been included into the staging systems of many solid tumors, such as lung and breast. However, tumor size is not integrated in the staging of gastric cancer, and its prognostic value for gastric cancer needs to be reappraised. A total of 2,379 patients who received radical resection for histopathologically confirmed gastric adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the present study. Tumor size, originally presented as continuous variable, was categorized into small gastric cancer (SGC) group and large gastric cancer (LGC) group using an optimal cutoff point determined by Cox proportional hazards model. The associations between tumor size and other clinicopathological factors were checked using Chi-square test. Survival of gastric cancer patients was estimated by using univariate Kaplan-Meier method, and the survival difference was checked by using the log-rank test. The significant clinicopathological factors were included into the Cox proportional hazards model to determine the independent prognostic factors, and their hazard ratios were calculated. With the optimal cutoff point of 4 cm, tumor size was categorized into SGC group (≤ 4 cm) and LGC group (>4 cm). Tumor size closely correlated with age, tumor location, macroscopic type, Lauren classification, and lymphatic vessel invasion. Moreover, tumor size was also significantly associated with depth of tumor invasion and status of regional lymph nodes. The 5-year survival rate was 68.7 % for SGC group which was much higher than 40.2 % for LGC group. Univariate analysis showed that SGC had a better survival than LGC, mainly for patients with IIA, IIB, and IIIA stage. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size as well as age, tumor location, macroscopic type, Lauren classification, lymphatic vessel invasion, depth of tumor invasion, and status of regional lymph nodes were independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer. Tumor size is a reliable prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer, and the measurement of tumor size would be helpful to the staging and management of gastric cancer.

PDCD4 functions as a suppressor for pT2a and pT2b stage gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer­related mortality worldwide. Loss of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) expression has been detected in gastric cancer. However, the effects of PDCD4 on pT2 stage gastric cancer remain unclear. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between PDCD4 expression and clinicopathological features of patients with pT2 stage gastric cancer. In the present study, 122 pT2 stage gastric cancer specimens were subclassified as pT2a and pT2b stage. The levels of PDCD4 mRNA and protein in gastric cancer tissues were lower compared to that in normal tissues as detected by real­time PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. In addition, both PDCD4 mRNA and protein in pT2b stage gastric cancer were lower when compared to that in pT2a stage gastric cancer. Finally, we used immuno-histochemistry to determine the protein expression and analyzed the relationship between PDCD4 expression and the clinicopathological features of pT2 stage gastric cancer patients. Cumulative survival rate of patients with PDCD4 expression was significantly higher compared to the patients without PDCD4 expression. PDCD4 expression in gastric cancer can be employed to indicate a favorable prognosis for the disease outcome.

Comparison different methods of intraoperative and intraperitoneal chemotherapy for patients with gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) for patients with gastric cancer and to compare effects between different regimens of IPC. METHOD: Randomized controlled trials comparing the effects of surgery plus intraperitoneal chemotherapy with surgery alone or comparing the efficacy between different regimens of intraperitoneal chemotherapy were searched for in Medline, Embase, Pubmed, the Cochrane Library and the Chinese BioMedical Disc and so on by two independent reviewers. After quality assessment and data extraction, data were pooled for meta-analysis using RevMan5.16 software. Tests of interaction were used to test for differences of effects among subgroups grouped according to different IPC regimens. RESULTS: Fifteen RCTs with a total of 1713 patients with gastric cancer were included for quality assessment and data extraction. Ten studies were judged to be of fair quality and entered into meta-analysis. Hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HR=0.60, P<0.01), hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy plus postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HR=0.47, P<0.01) and normothermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HR=0.70, P=0.01) were associated with a significant improvement in overall survival. Tests of interaction showed that hyperthermia and additional postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy did not impact on its effect. Further analysis revealed that intraperitoneal chemotherapy remarkably decrease the rate of postoperative hepatic metastasis by 73% (OR=0.27, 95% CI=0.12 to 0.67, P<0.01). However, intraperitoneal chemotherapy increased risks of marrow depression (OR=5.74, P<0.01), fever (OR=3.67, P=0.02) and intra-abdominal abscess (OR=3.57, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis demonstrates that hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy and normothermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy should be recommended to treat patients with gastric cancer because of improvement in overall survival. However, it is noteworthy that intraperitoneal chemotherapy can increase the risks of marrow depression, intra-abdominal abscesses, and fever.

Hepatitis B virus X protein plays an important role in gastric ulcers.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects many individuals globally each year. Researchers usually focus on the relationship between HBV and liver diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of HBV infection on gastric mucosa. We detected the levels of HBX protein and mRNA in specimens from sixty-four chronic hepatitis B patients (CHB) with gastric ulcers. We confirmed that HBX could aggravate gastric ulcers according to clinicopathological parameters. In addition, we constructed the pcDNA3.1-HBX plasmid and transfected it into GES-1, a gastric mucosal cell line. The results indicated that HBX could induce apoptosis and G1 arrest in GES-1 cells. Insights into the mechanism of HBX action in GES-1 cells were obtained using western blot analysis.

A novel subclassification of pT2 gastric cancers according to the depth of muscularis propria invasion: superficial muscularis propria versus deep muscularis propria/subserosa.

PURPOSE: To propose a novel subclassification of pT2 gastric cancers according to the depth of muscularis propria (MP) invasion (superficial MP vs. deep MP/subserosa [SS]) and to investigate its impact in prognostic assessment. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The major change in the sixth edition of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC)/American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM classification concerned the pT (primary tumor) category. Specifically, pT2 lesions were divided into pT2a (invading the MP) and pT2b (invading the SS) to discriminate these intramural locations. However, the value of the modification is still debated. METHODS: One thousand two hundred fifty-six patients with pT2 cancers classified according to the UICC/AJCC pT staging system were reviewed. Among them, 214 (17.0%) were classified as invasion of the superficial MP (sMP) or inner circular muscle, 163 (13.0%) as invasion of the deep MP (dMP) or outer longitudinal muscle, and 879 (70.0%) as invasion of SS. Clinicopathologic features were compared between patients with sMP, dMP, and SS invasion. Overall survival rates were compared between the pT2a and pT2b stage cancers, according to the UICC/AJCC and the novel pT2 system. Two-step multivariate analysis was performed to identify the significantly important prognostic factors. RESULTS: There was significant difference in most of the clinicopathologic features between sMP and SS cancers. Although, only 5 factors (tumor location, tumor size, Borrmann type, metastasis number, and metastasis ratio) were significantly different between dMP and SS cancers. In step 1 of the multivariate analysis, the UICC/AJCC pT2 system was an independent factor that correlated with prognosis, but was substituted by the novel pT2 system in step 2 of the multivariate analysis. With a certain metastasis ratio of lymph nodes, the novel pT2 system discriminated 2 subsets of patients with significantly different prognoses, whereas the UICC/AJCC pT2 system did not. CONCLUSIONS: The novel pT2 staging system, which was subclassified as sMP and dMP/SS cancers, had more potential to identify the different prognoses for patients with pT2 gastric cancers.