MYBL2 is a Novel Independent Prognostic Biomarker and Correlated with TMB in pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer continues to pose a significant threat due to its high mortality rate. While MYB family genes have been identified as oncogenes in certain cancer types, their role in pancreatic cancer remains largely unexplored. Methods: The mRNA and protein expression of MYB family genes in pancreatic cancer samples was analyzed using TNMplot, HPA, and TISBID online bioinformatics tools, sourced from the TCGA and GETx databases. The relationship between MYB family gene expression and survival time was assessed through Kaplan-Meier analysis, while the prognostic impact of MYB family gene expression was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model. Additionally, Spearman's correlation analysis was employed to investigate the correlation between MYB family genes and TMB/MSI. Results: The integration of data from various databases demonstrated that all MYB family genes exhibited dysregulated expression in pancreatic cancer. However, only the expression of the MYBL2 gene displayed a notable association with the grade and stage of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, the MYBL2 gene exhibited significant variations in both univariate and multivariate factor analyses.Subsequent functional analyses revealed a significant correlation between MYBL2 expression in pancreatic cancers and various biological processes, such as DNA replication, tumor proliferation, G2M checkpoint regulation, pyrimidine metabolism, and the P53 pathway. Additionally, a notable positive association was observed between MYBL2 expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB), a predictive indicator for response to PD1 antibody treatment. Conclusion: MYBL2 may be a double marker for independent diagnosis and PD1 antibody response prediction of pancreatic cancer patients.

NIR-II fluorescence imaging without intended excitation light.

Nowadays, second near-infrared window (NIR-II) dyes are almost excited by laser diodes, but none of the white light (400-700 nm) excited NIR-II imaging has been studied because of the lack of suitable optical probes. Herein, a novel blue-shifted NIR-II dye, TPA-TQT, has been selected for use in multi-wavelength white light emitting diode (LED) excited NIR-II imaging. This white LED barely caused photo-quenching of the dyes, especially indocyanine green (ICG), whereas the ICG's brightness decreased by 90% under continuous 808 nm laser irradiation. Compared to single-wavelength LED, multi-wavelength LED showed a lower background and similar signal-to-background ratios. This system provided high image resolution to identify blood vessels (103 µm), lymphatic capillaries (129.8 µm), and to monitor hindlimb ischemia-reperfusion and lymphatic inflammation. Furthermore, white LED excited NIR-II fluorescence imaging-guided surgery (FIGS) was successfully performed in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. Impressively, the lighting LED-based NIR-II FIGS was found to clearly delineate small lesions of metastatic tumors of about ∼350 µm diameter and further was able to guide surgical removal. Overall, multi-wavelength LED-based NIR-II imaging is a promising imaging strategy for tumor delineation and other biomedical applications.

Copper Chaperone for Superoxide Dismutase Subtypes as a Prognostic Marker in Luminal B Breast Cancer.

Background: Copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase (CCS) is an essential component of the oxidation-reduction system. In breast cancer cells, CCS expression is highly up-regulated, which contributes to cellular proliferation and migration. Breast cancer is a multifaceted disease with different tumor prognoses and responses to clinical treatments, which may be associated with multiple molecular subtypes of CCS. Methods: The CCS expression patterns in breast cancer were investigated by TNMplot, cBioPortal, and HPA network database. The correlation of CCS expression with clinicopathological parameters was analyzed using the UALCAN database. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data set was used to analyze the Clinical characteristics of CCS in luminal B patients. The bc-GenExMiner database was used to analyze the effects of BReast-CAncer susceptibility gene (BRCA)1/2, TP53 mutation status, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) expression on CCS expression. The survival curves and prognostic value of CCS in luminal B breast cancer were performed through Kaplan-Meier curves, univariate and multivariate Cox regression using the PrognoScan, bc-GenExMiner, and Clinical bioinformatics analysis platform. Results: We found that CCS expression was associated with patient age, race, ER, and PR status. We also discovered that BRCA1/2 mutations had an effect on CCS expression. The luminal B subtype had the highest CCS expression, which was linked to poor survival compared with other subtypes. In addition, Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that luminal B patients with high CCS mRNA expression showed a poor survival and the CCS gene is an independent predictor of outcome in patients with luminal B breast cancer by univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the significant expression of CCS in luminal B breast cancer and its potential as an autonomous prognostic determinant for this specific molecular subtype. These findings suggest that CCS holds promise as a prospective marker for the treatment of luminal B breast cancer.

Assessment and comparison of nutritional qualities of thirty quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) seed varieties.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an ancient crop with perfect nutritional composition and antioxidants substances. However, the current research on the nutritional quality of quinoa is limited to a small number of varieties or a single origin. In this study, we aimed at providing a detailed evaluation of abundant nutrients of quinoa seeds from thirty varieties with different color in different origins, including soluble protein, soluble sugar, amino acid, vitamin, fatty acid and saponin. Results showed that there were significant differences in the contents of γ-aminobutyric acid (6.67-78.67 mg/100 g DW) and vitamin C (11.675-105.135 mg/100 g DW) in quinoa seeds. Here, we scored thirty quinoa seeds using a weighted average score system first time and identified four varieties, black quinoa JQ-00145, red quinoa JQ-00125 and two white quinoa JQ-00005/JQ-00077, with superior nutritional quality and oxidation resistance. The results of this study will provide theoretical guidance for consumption of quinoa.

Identification of Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Gastric Cancer Based on Bioinformatic Analysis.

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks third for cancer-related fatalities worldwide. It is still unclear what causes GC to progress. Using integrated bioinformatics analysis, COL5A2 has been proved to be related to GC development, which may identify the likely pathogenic mechanism. Data from GC patients were gathered using The Cancer Gene Atlas (TCGA) and the gene expression omnibus (GEO). The level of COL5A2 expression was compared between paired GC and normal tissues. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GC patients with high and low COL5A2 expression were identified using functional enrichment analysis to identify the signature pathways linked to the DEGs. The clinical pathologic traits connected to overall survival (OS) of GC patients were examined utilizing Cox regression and the Kaplan-Meier method. To assess the prognostic significance of COL5A2, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was drawn. How the immune system infiltrate both normal gastric and GC tumor tissues was investigated. Using the human protein atlas (HPA) database, regression, and the Kaplan-Meier method, immunohistochemical analysis of DEG COL5A2 expression in GC tissues was carried out. The correlation between COL5A2 expression and the GC grouping was found to be highly significant. Functional annotations revealed that COL5A2 participates in extracellular matrix structure, collagen metabolism, and other biological processes (BPs). High COL5A2 expression was associated with poor prognostic and clinical features, such as clinical T, N, and M stages. ROC curves exhibited that COL5A2 might predict the occurrence of gastric cancer. The infiltration degree of 21 immune cell subsets, including activated dendritic cells (aDCs), CD8+ T cells, and cytotoxic cells, was found to be dramatically relevant to COL5A2. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the expression of COL5A2 in tumor tissues is higher than that in normal tissues. The COL5A2 gene may offer fresh perspectives on the pathogenic mechanism underlying GC, as well as potential biomarkers for estimating GC patient prognosis. As a result, COL5A2 may be a useful biomarker for predicting patient survival.

Preliminary report on the short-term efficacy and safety of SAPO-S1 therapy for locally advanced gastric cancer with a deep learning perspective.

The neoadjuvant therapeutic effects of various chemotherapeutic drugs on gastric cancer have reached the corresponding plateau. Whether the combination of sindilizumab and albumin-bound paclitaxel+oxaliplatin+S-1 chemotherapy (SAPO-S1 therapy) regimen can bring better efficacy and observe the incidence of adverse reactions in the neoadjuvant treatment of Gastric Cancer (GC) may be the direction of our research. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of S1 chemotherapy regimen combined with multiple chemotherapy drugs sindilizumab (PD-1 inhibitor), albumin-bound paclitaxel and oxaliplatin) for neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced Gastric Cancer (LA-GC). The patients were given 4 cycles of sindilizumab combined with albumin paclitaxel+oxaliplatin+S-1 chemotherapy (SAPO-S1) before surgery. The R0 resection rate, surgical complications, pathologic complete response, complete pathologic response (pCR) the main pathological response rates (residual tumor cells≤10%, major pathological response) were observed. MPR and postoperative pathological tumor regression grade (TRG), using the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST1.1) to evaluate the efficacy of new adjuvant therapy and record the short-term adverse events (adverse event, AE) of patients after medication to evaluate safety. The overall response rate (ORR) was achieved to 53.3% and disease control rate (DCR) was achieved in 28 patients (93.3%), and the descending phase was achieved in 17 patients (56.7%). The tumor resolution grades of TRG 0, TRG 1, TRG 2 and TRG 3 were 16.7%, 13.3%, 43.3% and 16.7%, respectively. The pCR rate was 16.7%, the MPR rate was 30.0%, and the R0 resection rate was 90.0%. In addition, SAPO-S1 therapy has fewer side effects. Overall, SAPO-S1 therapy has a good therapeutic effect and safety in LA-GC.

Homeobox A3 and KDM6A cooperate in transcriptional control of aerobic glycolysis and glioblastoma progression.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in transcriptional regulators of glycolytic metabolism have been implicated in brain tumor growth, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS: Knockdown and overexpression cells were used to explore the functional roles of HOXA3 in cell proliferation, tumor formation, and aerobic glycolysis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase assays, and western blotting were performed to verify the regulation of HK2 and PKM2 by HOXA3. PLA, Immunoprecipitation, and GST-pull-down assays were used to examine the interaction of HOXA3 and KDM6A. RESULTS: We report that transcription factor homeobox A3 (HOXA3), which is aberrantly highly expressed in glioblastoma (GBM) patients and predicts poor prognosis, transcriptionally activates aerobic glycolysis, leading to a significant acceleration in cell proliferation and tumor growth. Mechanically, we identified KDM6A, a lysine-specific demethylase, as an important cooperator of HOXA3 in regulating aerobic glycolysis. HOXA3 activates KDM6A transcription and recruits KDM6A to genomic binding sites of glycolytic genes, targeting glycolytic genes for transcriptional activation by removing the suppressive histone modification H3K27 trimethylation. Further evidence demonstrates that HOXA3 requires KDM6A for transcriptional activation of aerobic glycolysis and brain tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a novel molecular mechanism linking HOXA3-mediated transactivation and KDM6A-coupled H3K27 demethylation in regulating glucose metabolism and GBM progression.

A global 0.05° dataset for gross primary production of sunlit and shaded vegetation canopies from 1992 to 2020.

Distinguishing gross primary production of sunlit and shaded leaves (GPPsun and GPPshade) is crucial for improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms regulating long-term GPP variations. Here we produce a global 0.05°, 8-day dataset for GPP, GPPshade and GPPsun over 1992-2020 using an updated two-leaf light use efficiency model (TL-LUE), which is driven by the GLOBMAP leaf area index, CRUJRA meteorology, and ESA-CCI land cover. Our products estimate the mean annual totals of global GPP, GPPsun, and GPPshade over 1992-2020 at 125.0 ± 3.8 (mean ± std) Pg C a-1, 50.5 ± 1.2 Pg C a-1, and 74.5 ± 2.6 Pg C a-1, respectively, in which EBF (evergreen broadleaf forest) and CRO (crops) contribute more than half of the totals. They show clear increasing trends over time, in which the trend of GPP (also GPPsun and GPPshade) for CRO is distinctively greatest, and that for DBF (deciduous broadleaf forest) is relatively large and GPPshade overwhelmingly outweighs GPPsun. This new dataset advances our in-depth understanding of large-scale carbon cycle processes and dynamics.

Theoretical exploration of mechanical, electronic structure and optical properties of aluminium based double halide perovskite.

The mechanical, electronic structure and optical properties of aluminium based double halide perovskite were calculated by density functional theory. The formation energy and elastic constant confirm the stability of the cubic perovskite materials. The materials are all ductile and suitable for flexible photovoltaic and optoelectronic devices. The band gap values vary from 0.773 eV to 3.430 eV, exactly corresponding to the range of ideal band gap values for good photoresponse. The band structure analysis shows that all the materials possess small effective mass, which indicates a good transport of carriers. And these materials have a broad energy range of optical absorption for utilization and a detector of photons. Moreover, less expensive K2AgAlBr6 were investigated for comparison with materials containing a cesium element, and according to the results, is also a candidate for photoelectronic devices due to the similar properties.

Disruption of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor and orexin receptor 1 heterodimer formation affects novel G protein-dependent signaling pathways and has antidepressant effects in vivo.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) heterodimers are new targets for the treatment of depression. Increasing evidence supports the importance of serotonergic and orexin-producing neurons in numerous physiological processes, possibly via a crucial interaction between 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor (5-HT1AR) and orexin receptor 1 (OX1R). However, little is known about the function of 5-HT1AR/OX1R heterodimers. It is unclear how the transmembrane domains (TMs) of the dimer affect its function and whether its modulation mediates antidepressant-like effects. Here, we examined the mechanism of 5-HT1AR/OX1R dimerization and downstream G protein-dependent signaling. We found that 5-HT1AR and OX1R form constitutive heterodimers that induce novel G protein-dependent signaling, and that this heterodimerization does not affect recruitment of ß-arrestins to the complex. In addition, we found that the structural interface of the active 5-HT1AR/OX1R dimer transforms from TM4/TM5 in the basal state to TM6 in the active conformation. We also used mutation analyses to identify key residues at the interface (5-HT1AR R1514.40, 5-HT1AR Y1985.41, and OX1R L2305.54). Injection of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rats with TM4/TM5 peptides improved their depression-like emotional status and decreased the number of endogenous 5-HT1AR/OX1R heterodimers in the rat brain. These antidepressant effects may be mediated by upregulation of BDNF levels and enhanced phosphorylation and activation of CREB in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. This study provides evidence that 5-HT1AR/OX1R heterodimers are involved in the pathological process of depression. Peptides including TMs of the 5-HT1AR/OX1R heterodimer interface are candidates for the development of compounds with fast-acting antidepressant-like effects.

Development and performance evaluation of TaqMan real-time fluorescence quantitative methylation specific PCR for detecting methylation level of PER2.

BACKGROUND: PER2 gene methylation is closely related to the occurrence and progress of some cancers, but there is no method to quantitatively detect PER2 methylation in conventional laboratories. So, we established a TaqMan real-time fluorescence quantitative methylation specific PCR (TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP) assay and use it for quantitative detection of PER2 methylation in leukemia patients. METHODS: According to the PER2 sequence searched by GenBank, a CpG sequence enrichment region of the PER2 gene promoter was selected, and the methylated and unmethylated target sequences were designed according to the law of bisulfite conversion of DNA to construct PER2 methylation positive and negative reference materials. Specific primers and probe were designed. The reference materials were continuously diluted into gradient samples by tenfold ratio to evaluate the analytical sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and reproducibility of the method, and the analytical sensitivity of TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay was compared with that of the conventional MSP assay. At the same time, the new-established TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay and the conventional MSP assay were used to detect the PER2 methylation level of 81 patients with leukemia, and the samples with inconsistent detection results of the two assays were sent to pyromethylation sequencing to evaluate the clinical detection performance. RESULTS: The minimum detection limit of TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay for detecting PER2 methylation level established in this study was 6 copies/uL, and the coefficient of variation(CV) of intra-assay and inter-assay was less than 3%. Compared with the conventional MSP assay, it has higher analytical sensitivity. For the samples with inconsistent detection results, the results of pyrosequencing and TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay are consistent. CONCLUSION: TaqMan real-time FQ-MSP assay of PER2 methylation established in this study has high detection performance and can be used for the detection of clinical samples.

PER2: a potential molecular marker for hematological malignancies.

Circadian rhythm is a periodic change of organism according to the law of external environment, which is manifested in metabolism, cell proliferation, physiology and behavior. In recent years, the role of circadian genes in the occurrence and progression of hematological malignancies have been continuously demonstrated. PER2 is the core component of the circadian rhythm playing an important role in regulating the circadian rhythm of the biological clock. This review summarizes the research progress of PER2 in hematological malignancies, especially leukemia, in order to better understand its role in hematological malignancies, and provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Molecular Mechanism of GABA Accumulation during Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Germination.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) with a history of 5000 years as food is extremely rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, including γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a natural four-carbon non-protein amino acid with great benefits to human health. In quinoa, GABA generally increases with the germination time, but the underlying molecular mechanism is unclear. Here, we found that the GABA content in quinoa varied significantly among 25 varieties using an automatic amino acid analyzer. Next, six varieties (three low-GABA and three high-GABA varieties) were used for further analyses. The content of GABA in six varieties all showed an increasing trend after germination. In addition, Pearson's correlation analysis showed that the changes in GABA content were closely related to the transcript level or enzyme activity of three key enzymes including glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), GABA transaminase (GABA-T), and succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) in the GABA shunt, especially GAD. Based on RNA-sequencing analysis, eight GAD genes, two GABA-T genes, one SSADH gene, nine polyamine oxidase (PAO) genes, five diamine oxidase (DAO) genes, four 4-aminobutyraldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) genes, and three thermospermine synthase ACAULIS5 (ACL5) genes were identified. Among these, CqGAD8 and CqGABA-T2 may make a greater contribution to GABA accumulation during quinoa germination.

Expression Characteristics and Significant Prognostic Values of PGK1 in Breast Cancer.

It was proven that PGK1 plays a vital role in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human breast cancer. However, the correlation of PGK1 mRNA and protein expression with clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic values according to various kinds of breast cancer patient classifications remains unsufficient. Here, we analyzed data from the Oncomine database, Breast cancer Gene-Expression Miner v4.5, TNMplot, MuTarget, PrognoScan database, and clinical bioinformatics to investigate PGK1 expression distribution and prognostic value in breast cancer patients. Our study revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of PGK1 were up-regulated in various clinicopathologic types of breast cancer. Moreover, the expression of PGK1 was correlated with mutations of common tumor suppressor genes TP53 and CDH1. In addition, we found that high mRNA level of PGK1 was significantly associated with poor OS, RFS, and DMFS. Notably, Cox regression analysis showed that PGK1 could be used as an independent prognostic marker. In summary, the aforementioned findings suggested that PGK1 might be not only explored as a potential biomarker, but also combined with TP53/CDH1 for chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Investigations of Cr(VI) removal by millet bran biochar modified with inorganic compounds: Momentous role of additional lactate.

In this study, millet bran biochars modified with inorganic compounds (H3PO4: P-BC, NaOH: Na-BC and K2CO3: K-BC) were prepared and applied for Cr(VI) removal to evaluate the effects of modification on biochars' physicochemical properties. The results showed that Cr(VI) reduction capacity complied with the order of Na-BC > BC > P-BC > K-BC, and reductive groups such as -OH and -NH2 played considerable roles in electrons donating. Based on this, lactate was added for further investigation of electrons transferring. The results displayed that Cr(VI) removal of all biochars was enhanced tremendously and modified biochars exhibited better Cr(VI) reduction. This may be due to the bridging effect of lactate, which could not only chelate with Cr(VI) via -COOH (or -OH) but also form hydrogen bonds with oxygen or nitrogen containing groups on biochars through the other groups, thus facilitating electrons transferring between biochars and Cr(VI). This work provided an insight into evaluation of the influence of inorganic compounds modification on both electrons donating capability of biochars and electrons transferring potential of biochars combined with lactate in Cr(VI) removal.

IL-37 Was Involved in Progress of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Through Regulating IL-6 Expression.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-37, which was discovered in 2000, is a natural suppressor of immune and inflammatory responses. Recent studies reported that IL-37 was abnormally expressed in several tumor patients, including those with hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer, and multiple myeloma. However, the expression and potential function of IL-37 in leukemia remain unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate IL-37 as a prognostic factor and its possible mechanism of action. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and were purified and subsequently sequenced by a genetic testing laboratory. Human PBMC was purified from whole blood samples by using Ficoll-Paque PLUS. The concentrations of human IL-37 and human IL-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. RESULTS: IL-37, especially isoform b and d, was expressed in the bone marrow of AML, CML, ALL, and CLL. Importantly, IL-37 expression was downregulated in newly diagnosed AML patients and restored in patients in complete remission. Moreover, a significant association was found between IL-37 expression and NPM1 mutation or possible prognosis evaluated by karyotype and gene mutation. Further analysis revealed that IL-37 expression was negatively correlated with IL-6 expression. With regard to the mechanism, recombinant human IL-37 could suppress IL-6 expression stimulated by LPS in PBMC of AML patients. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that IL-37 may be an important prognostic factor in AML and is involved in AML via the IL-6 signaling pathway, indicating that IL-37 is an innovative research strategy for AML pathogenesis and therapy.

Degradation of anthraquinone dye reactive blue 19 using persulfate activated with Fe/Mn modified biochar: Radical/non-radical mechanisms and fixed-bed reactor study.

In this study, a heterogeneous activator was prepared via the Fe/Mn modification of sludge-derived biochar (Fe/MnBC) to achieve high-efficiency activation of persulfate (PS) for reactive blue 19 (RB19) degradation. The morphologies and chemical states of Fe/MnBC were examined by various characterizations. A comprehensive assessment was conducted to reveal the effects of biochar preparation conditions and system reaction conditions. According to the results of scavenger quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) testing, the mechanisms of Fe/MnBC combined PS system on RB19 degradation were proposed, including radical and non-radical mechanisms. The formation and involvement of sulfate radical (SO4·-), hydroxyl radical (OH·), and singlet oxygen (1O2) were proved in this system, and Fe(IV)/Mn(VII) was also speculated to participate in the non-radical degradation process. These findings give a new insight into the mechanisms of PS activated by metal-biochar composite. Besides, fixed-bed reactor (FBR) experiments indicated that the Fe/MnBC has considerable PS activation potential for dyes removal. The degradation process was further modeled by the central composite design (CCD-RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) methods. The statistical metrics and prediction indicated that the prediction results of ANN model were better than CCD-RSM model, and the ANN model could perfectly predict the reaction process of Fe/MnBC FBR for engineering applications.

Circadian clock gene Period2 suppresses human chronic myeloid leukemia cell proliferation.

Circadian clock genes (CCGs) are reported to serve pivotal roles in regulating the development of certain tumors, including lung cancer and colon cancer . However, their expression patterns and function in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) remains poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and function of circadian clock gene Period2 (Per2) in human CML. Per2 expression levels in neutrophils isolated from patients with CML and healthy donors were measured via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Subsequently, through lentivirus transduction, Per2 was stably overexpressed in human CML cell line KCL22 cells, which were injected into nude mice to investigate the in vivo role of Per2 by measuring CML tumor size and weight. Additionally, Per2 expression levels in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) were analyzed by re-analyzing microarray data in the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Per2 expression was significantly lower in neutrophils isolated from patients with CML patients compared with healthy donors, and was negatively correlated with the expression level of c-Myc. Similarly, patients with AML or CLL displayed lower Per2 expression levels compared with healthy controls. Per2 overexpression inhibited KCL22 cell proliferation in nude mice and in vitro, and induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. By contrast, the results also indicated that KCL22 cell apoptosis was not regulated by Per2. The present study identified Per2 as a potential tumor suppressor in human CML.

Removal mechanisms of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) by biochar supported nanosized zero-valent iron: Synergy of adsorption, reduction and transformation.

In this study, sludge-derived biochar was prepared and utilized to support nano-zero-valent iron (NZVI-SDBC) for removing Cr(VI) and Cr(III) from aqueous solution with the aim of investigating their removal and transformation. Under the conditions of initial pH of 4, dosage of 1 g/L, temperature of 25 °C, and rotational speed of 160 rpm, 64.13% Cr species could be removed by NZVI-SDBC from Cr(VI) solution and 28.89% from Cr(III) solution. Coexisting ions experiments showed that Cu(II) and humic acids dramatically affected the removal of Cr(VI) and Cr(III), while the effect of Na(I) and Ca(II) was almost negligible. Based on this, through the coexistence and pre-loaded Cr(III) experiments, the conversion from Cr(VI) to Cr(III) was demonstrated to enhance the further attraction on Cr(VI) and promote the subsequent removal of Cr(VI). The SDBC of NZVI-SDBC could serve as electron shuttle mediator to facilitate the electron transfer between adsorbed Cr(VI) and NZVI for ortho-reduction. The transformation and removal mechanisms were further discussed by various characterizations. The kinetics of Cr(VI) removal suggested that the removal process of Cr(VI) could be divided into three phases dominated by different mechanisms (adsorption, direct/ortho reduction, electrostatic attraction), in which Cr(VI) and Cr(III) showed different behaviors of interaction. The removal of Cr(III) mainly depended on sufficient adsorption sites and the direct complexation with Fe(II). Finally, the reusability of NZVI-SDBC was assessed by adsorption/desorption recycling test. These results provided new insights into the removal and transformation mechanisms of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) by biochar-based nanocomposites.