Blocking lncRNA HCG18 re-sensitizes Taxol resistant lung cancer cells to Taxol through modulating the miR-34a-5p/HDAC1 axis.

Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide, associated with a poor survival rate. Taxol (Paclitaxel) is commonly used as a chemotherapeutic treatment for advanced lung cancers. While Taxol has improved clinical outcomes for lung cancer patients, a significant number of them develop resistance to Taxol, resulting in treatment failure. The role of the long noncoding RNA HCG18 in lung cancer and Taxol resistance has not yet been fully understood. To investigate this, we examined the expression of HCG18 and miR-34a-5p in lung tumors and normal lung tissues using qRT-PCR. We also assessed Taxol resistance through cell viability and apoptosis assays. Through the starBase online service, we analyzed the interactions between lncRNA and mRNA as well as miRNA and mRNA. We further validated the association between lncRNA and miRNA through luciferase and RNA pull-down assays. Our findings demonstrated that HCG18 was significantly upregulated in lung cancer tissues compared to normal lung tissues. Silencing HCG18 increased the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to Taxol. Additionally, our study established a Taxol-resistant cell line and observed a substantial upregulation of HCG18 in Taxol-resistant lung cancer cells. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that HCG18 could bind to miR-34a-5p, forming a competing endogenous RNA network, which was confirmed through luciferase assay. We found that miR-34a-5p was downregulated in lung cancer tissues and negatively correlated with Taxol resistance, as it directly bound to the 3'UTR region of HDAC1. Further results showed that inhibition of HCG18 significantly increased miR-34a-5p expression and sensitized lung cancer cells to Taxol. This sensitization could be reversed by inhibiting miR-34a-5p. Finally, we demonstrated in a xenograft mouse model that inhibition of HCG18 sensitized Taxol-resistant lung cancer cells to Taxol treatment by modulating the miR-34a-5p-HDAC1 axis. In conclusion, our in vitro and in vivo results uncover a novel molecular mechanism by which HCG18 promotes Taxol resistance through modulation of the miR-34a-5p/HDAC1 axis. These findings contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of chemo-resistant lung cancer.

Effects of forest regeneration types on phosphorus fractions of soil aggregates in subtropical forest.

Soil aggregates are important for the storage and availability of phosphorus in the soil. However, how forest regeneration types affect phosphorus fractions of soil aggregates remains unclear. In this study, we examined the composition of aggregate particle size, phosphorus fractions, phosphorus sorption capacity index (PSOR), legacy phosphorus index (PLGC) and degree of phosphorus saturation by Mehlich 3 (DPSM3) in bulk soils and soil aggregates of Castanopsis carlesii secondary forest (slight disturbance), C. carlesii human-assisted regeneration forest (moderate disturbance), and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation (severe disturbance), aiming to explore the impact of forest regeneration types on phosphorus availability and supply potential of bulk soils and soil aggregates. The results showed that forest regeneration types significantly influenced the composition of soil aggregates. The proportion of coarse macroaggregates (>2 mm) in the soil of C. carlesii secondary forest and human-assisted regeneration forest was significantly higher than that in the C. lanceolata plantation, while the proportion of silt and clay fraction (<0.053 mm) showed an opposite trend. The composition of soil aggregates significantly affected the contents of different phosphorus fractions. The contents of soil labile phosphorus fractions (PSOL and PM3) decreased as aggregate particle size decreased. The contents of soil total phosphorus (TP), total organic phosphorus (Po), mode-rately labile phosphorus fractions (PiOH and PoOH), and occluded phosphorus (POCL), as well as PSOR and PLGC, exhibited a trend of decreasing at the beginning and then increasing as particle size decreased. The contents of TP, Po, and PiOH in coarse and silt macroaggregates was significantly higher than that in fine macroaggregates (0.25-2 mm) and microaggregates (0.053-0.25 mm). Forest regeneration types significantly influenced the contents of phosphorus fractions of bulk soils and soil aggregates. The contents of TP, Po, PSOL, and PM3 in the soil of C. carlesii secondary forests was significantly higher than that in C. carlesii human-assisted regeneration forest and C. lanceolata plantation. The contents of PSOL and PM3 in different-sized aggregates of C. carlesii secondary forests were significantly higher than that in the C. lanceolata plantation. Forest regeneration types significantly influenced the composition and supply potential of phosphorus fractions in soil aggregates. The proportions of PSOL, and PM3 to TP in different-sized soil aggregates were significantly lower in C. carlesii human-assisted regeneration forest compared with C. carlesii secondary forest. PSOR and DPSM3 in different-sized soil aggregates were significantly lower in C. lanceolata plantation than that in C. carlesii secondary forest. Overall, our results indicated that natural regeneration is more favorable for maintaining soil phosphorus availability, and that forest regeneration affects soil phosphorus availa-bility and its supply potential by altering the composition of soil aggregates.

The relationship between trimethylamine-N-oxide and the risk of acute ischemic stroke: A dose‒response meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) shows a notable correlation with cardiovascular disease, its association with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains uncertain and necessitates further investigation. OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between trimethylamine-N-oxide and acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and CBM, spanning from their inception to 23 September 2023. The search was consistently updated and supplemented by bibliographies of retrieved articles and previous reviews. A total of 20 eligible studies, including 17 case‒controls and 3 cohort studies, were selected, involving 9141 participants (5283 case group, 3858 control group). For the dose‒response analysis, three case-control studies were eligible. We extracted and pooled TMAO mean and standard deviation from observational studies for control and ischemic stroke groups. The effect sizes were combined using the random-effects model. Where possible, dose‒response analysis was performed. RESULT: Overall, the pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) demonstrated significantly higher concentrations of serum/plasma TMAO in AIS compared to the control group (SMD = 1.27; 95% CI: 0.9, 1.61, P<0.001). Additionally, the dose‒response meta-analysis revealed a 12.1% relative increase in the risk of acute ischemic stroke per 1 µmol/L rise in TMAO concentration (RR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.07-1.17; P<0.05; I2 = 1.6%, P = 0.4484). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate a potential increased risk of AIS associated with elevated TMAO levels.

Construction of a transition-metal sulfide heterojunction photocatalyst driven by a built-in electric field for efficient hydrogen evolution under visible light.

Photocatalytic H2 evolution is of prime importance in the energy crisis and in lessening environmental pollution. Adopting a single semiconductor as a photocatalyst remains a formidable challenge. However, the construction of an S-scheme heterojunction is a promising method for efficient water splitting. In this work, CdS nanoparticles were loaded onto NiS nanosheets to form CdS/NiS nanocomposites using hollow Ni(OH)2 as a precursor. The differences in the Fermi energy levels between the two components of CdS and NiS resulted in the formation of a built-in electric field in the nanocomposite. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the S-scheme charge transfer driven by the built-in electric field can accelerate the effective separation of photogenerated carriers, which is conducive to efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The hydrogen evolution rate of the optimized photocatalyst is 39.68 mmol·g-1 h-1, which is 6.69 times that of CdS under visible light. This work provides a novel strategy to construct effective photocatalysts to relieve the environmental and energy crisis.

Anomalous Enrichment of As and Hg in Underground Coal Dust: A Case from Xishan Coalfield, Shanxi Province, North China.

Coal dust is an important source of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, which is harmful to the health of underground workers. The coal dust samples were directly collected using a coal dust sampler from four major production positions in the underground coal mine. The particle size distribution, mineralogy, and occurrence of As and Hg in the coal dust samples were investigated. The results indicated that the contents of As and Hg were depleted or normal in the parent coal samples compared with the average values of C-P coal in North China and Chinese coal, but they were anomalously enriched in coal dusts. The concentrations of As and Hg in the coal dust samples studied are greater than the values of the elements in the parent coal. The As content in the coal dust samples studied is about one to three orders of magnitude above the parent coal value and the Hg content in the studied coal is 1.28 to 20.28 times higher than the parent coal value. The modes of occurrences of As and Hg were studied by sequential chemical extraction in combination with field emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy-EDS (HRTEM-EDS). The occurrence of As is dominated mainly by pyrite and secondarily by carbonate and silicate in the coal dust samples. Pyritic Hg and organic Hg may be the dominant forms in mining face and heading face samples, and carbonate and pyritic Hg are the main forms in rocks roadway and return airway samples. It is considered that the mechanochemical effect resulted in the formation of surface active sites and modification of the morphology. Harmful trace elements, such as As, Cd, Hg, Se, Pb, Co, Sb, and Tl, and minor grains associated with nanominerals that bear much hazardous elements, could easily be originally fractionated or adsorbed by airborne particulates. This research aims to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention of occupational disease and underground environmental evaluation.

Gut microbiome-based noninvasive diagnostic model to predict acute coronary syndromes.

Background: Previous studies have shown that alterations in the gut microbiota are closely associated with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) development. However, the value of gut microbiota for early diagnosis of ACS remains understudied. Methods: We recruited 66 volunteers, including 29 patients with a first diagnosis of ACS and 37 healthy volunteers during the same period, collected their fecal samples, and sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Functional prediction of the microbiota was performed using PICRUSt2. Subsequently, we constructed a nomogram and corresponding webpage based on microbial markers to assist in the diagnosis of ACS. The diagnostic performance and usefulness of the model were analyzed using boostrap internal validation, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: Compared to that of healthy controls, the diversity and composition of microbial community of patients with ACS was markedly abnormal. Potentially pathogenic genera such as Streptococcus and Acinetobacter were significantly increased in the ACS group, whereas certain SCFA-producing genera such as Blautia and Agathobacter were depleted. In addition, in the correlation analysis with clinical indicators, the microbiota was observed to be associated with the level of inflammation and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. Finally, a diagnostic model for ACS based on gut microbiota and clinical variables was developed with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.963 (95% CI: 0.925-1) and an AUC value of 0.948 (95% CI: 0.549-0.641) for bootstrap internal validation. The calibration curves of the model show good consistency between the actual and predicted probabilities. The DCA showed that the model had a high net clinical benefit for clinical applications. Conclusion: Our study is the first to characterize the composition and function of the gut microbiota in patients with ACS and healthy populations in Southwest China and demonstrates the potential effect of the microbiota as a non-invasive marker for the early diagnosis of ACS.

Elevated CO2 and biochar differentially affect plant C:N:P stoichiometry and soil microbiota in the rhizosphere of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.).

Biochar application is a potent climate change mitigation strategy in agroecosystems. However, little is known about the interactive effects of elevated CO2 (eCO2) and biochar on plant nutrient uptake and soil microbial processes. A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of eCO2 and biochar addition on plant C:N:P stoichiometry and rhizobacterial community for better management of nutrient balance and use efficiency in a future climate scenario. White lupin (Lupinus albus L.) was grown for 30 days in topsoil and subsoil with or without 2% corn-stubble biochar under ambient CO2 (aCO2: 390 ppm) or eCO2 (550 ppm). Elevated CO2 increased, but biochar decreased, plant biomass and shoot N and P uptake, with no interactions in either soil layer. Elevated CO2 decreased shoot N concentration by 16% and biochar decreased shoot P concentration by 11%. As a result, eCO2 increased shoot C:N ratio by 20% and decreased the N:P ratio by 11%. Biochar decreased shoot C:N ratio by 8% in the subsoil under eCO2. However, biochar increased shoot C:P ratio by an average of 13% and N:P ratio by 23% in the subsoil. Moreover, plants grown in the subsoil showed lower shoot N (35%) and P (70%) uptake compared to the topsoil. The results indicate that N and P are the more limiting factors that regulate plant growth under eCO2 and biochar application, respectively. Elevated CO2 and biochar oppositely affected dominant rhizobacterial community composition, with the eCO2 effect being greater. The microbiota in the subsoil held a greater diversity of contrasting species than the topsoil, which were associated with nutrient cycling, hydrocarbon degradation and plant productivity. These results enrich our understanding of potential soil nutrient cycling and plant nutrient balance in future agroecosystems.

Anxious Personality Traits: Perspectives from Basic Emotions and Neurotransmitters.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, many emotional diseases, such as anxiety and depression, have prevailed, and it is expected that emotional disease will be the leading cause of social and economic burden in 2030. These emotional diseases may be due to certain personality traits, which could be the reasons for the development of mental illness. Personality theories have been constantly developed over the past hundreds of years, and different dimensions of personality traits corresponding to different physiological bases and emotional feelings have been proposed. However, personality may be the least studied area in psychology. METHODS: In this paper, we will give a short review on the development of personality theories as well as dimensional emotional theory. Then, we will compare the similarities between the emotional dimension and personality dimension. Furthermore, we will also investigate the neural mechanisms of personality and emotions, focusing on neuromodulators for anxiety-related personality traits, in order to provide a clear relationship between different neurotransmitters and anxiety-related personality traits. RESULTS: The results of our study suggest that the emotional dimension and personality dimension may be somewhat related, for example, the extrovert/introvert dimension of personality might be related to the hedonic dimension, which includes happiness/sadness, and the neurotic dimensions might be related to emotional arousal. In addition, our study found that personality traits are also related to basic emotions, for instance, people who are too self-centered are prone to feeling a mood of disgust or depression, while anger and fear correspond to unstable personality traits. The analysis suggested that the neural substrates of both personality and emotions might be described as follows: extroverted-joy-dopamine (DA); introverted-disgust-5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT); unstable (neuroticism)-anger/fear-noradrenaline (NE); stable-calmness. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that there is a correlation between personality traits and emotions, and both depend on monoamine neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin). In addition, personality disorders can be interfered via the regulation of emotions and neurotransmitters. This paper opens up a whole new perspective for future research on personality traits and emotional diseases and has great clinical value and practical significance.

Association between plasma Vitamin B5 levels and all-cause mortality: A nested case-control study.

We aimed to evaluate the prospective association of vitamin B5 with all-cause mortality and explore its potential modifiers in Chinese adults with hypertension. A nested, case-control study was conducted in the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial, including 505 deaths of all causes and 505 matched controls. The median follow-up duration was 4.5 years. The primary outcome measure in this investigation was all-cause mortality, which encompassed deaths for any reason. The mean plasma vitamin B5 concentration for cases (43.7 ng/mL) was higher than that in controls (40.9 ng/mL) (p = .001). When vitamin B5 was further assessed as quintiles, compared with the reference group (Q1: < 33.0 ng/mL), the risk of all-cause mortality increased by 29% (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.83-2.01) in Q2, 22% (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.77-1.94) in Q3, 62% (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.00-2.62) in Q4, and 77% (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.06-2.95) in Q5. The trend test was significant (p = .022). When Q4-Q5 were combined, a significant 41% increment (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.03-1.95) in all-cause death risk was found compared with Q1-Q3. The adverse effects were more pronounced in those with normal folate levels (p-interaction = .019) and older people (p-interaction = .037). This study suggests that higher baseline levels of plasma vitamin B5 are a risk factor for all-cause mortality among Chinese patients with hypertension, especially among older adults and those with adequate folate levels. The findings, if confirmed, may inform novel clinical and nutritional guidelines and interventions to optimize vitamin B5 levels.

The Relationship Between 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Its Metabolite Changes With Post-stroke Depression.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common and serious sequelae of stroke. Approximately 33% of stroke survivors were affected by PSD. However, many issues (e.g., incidence, diagnostic marker, and risk factor) related to PSD remained unclear. The "monoamine hypothesis" is a significant hypothesis for depression, which suggests that three monoamines play a key role in depression. Therefore, most current antidepressants are developed to modulate the monoamines on PSD treatment, and these antidepressants have good effects on patients with PSD. However, the potential mechanisms of three monoamines in PSD are still unclear. Previously, we proposed "three primary emotions," which suggested a new model of basic emotions based on the three monoamines. It may provide a new way for PSD treatment. In addition, recent studies have found that monoamine-related emotional intervention also showed potential effects in the treatment and prevention of PSD. This study discusses these issues and attempts to provide a prospect for future research on PSD.

Metabolomics changes in brain-gut axis after unpredictable chronic mild stress.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting up to 17 % of the general population. The neural mechanisms of depression, however, are yet to be uncovered. Recently, attention has been drawn to the effects of dysfunctional brain-gut axis on depression, and many substances have been suggested to be involved in the communication between the gut and brain, such as ghrelin. METHODS: We herein systematically examined the changes of metabolomics after unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS)-induced depression-like behaviors in rats and compared the altered metabolites in the hippocampus and jejunum samples. RESULTS: Our results show that many metabolites significantly changed with UCMS both in the hippocampus and jejunum, such as L-glutamine, L-tyrosine, hydroxylamine, and 3-phosphoglyceric acid. Further studies suggested that these changes are the reasons for anxiety-like behaviors and depression-like behaviors in UCMS rats and also are the reasons for hippocampal neural plasticity. CONCLUSIONS: Coexistence of brain and gut metabolic changes in UCMS-induced depressive behavior in rats suggests a possible role of brain-gut axis in depression. This study provides insights into the neurobiology of depression.

Effects of Histone Modification in Major Depressive Disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disease associated with many factors; specifically, environmental, genetic, psychological, and biological factors play critical roles. Recent studies have demonstrated that histone modification may occur in the human brain in response to severely stressful events, resulting in transcriptional changes and the development of MDD. In this review, we discuss five different histone modifications, histone methylation, histone acetylation, histone phosphorylation, histone crotonylation and histone ß-hydroxybutyrylation, and their relationships with MDD. The utility of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDACis) for MDD treatment is also discussed. As a large number of MDD patients in China have been treated with traditional Chineses medicine (TCM), we also discuss some TCM therapies, such as Xiaoyaosan (XYS), and their effects on histone modification. In summary, targeting histone modification may be a new strategy for elucidating the mechanism of MDD and a new direction for MDD treatment.

Does biochar application in heavy metal-contaminated soils affect soil micronutrient dynamics?

Biochar has been practically used as a soil conditioner in degraded or contaminated soils. Whether biochar would simultaneously affect soil micronutrient bioavailability in heavy metal-contaminated soils warrants research. A 90-d incubation of rice straw biochar with either Pb- or Cd-contaminated soils was conducted to investigate the biochar effect on Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn bioavailability. Biochar amendment decreased the DTPA-extractable, acid extractable and reducible Pb and Cd but increased the oxidizable and residual Pb and Cd. It decreased the DTPA-extractable Fe by 73.8% and 23.1% but increased the DTPA-extractable Mn by 9.8% and 44.3% in the neutral and acidic soil, respectively. The lower Fe availability was attributed to the liming effect and the increased numbers of oxygen-containing groups and organic-mineral phases of biochar over time. Biochar amendment increased soil bacterial richness and diversity in both soils. Rice straw biochar can effectively immobilize heavy metals and reduce soil Fe bioavailability but increase Mn bioavailability, which would potentially affect soil micronutrient fertility and productivity.

[Network Meta-analysis of 14 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children].

To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of 14 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children with network Meta-analysis. Computer retrieval was performed for such databases as CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, CBM, PubMed, EMbase and Cochrane Library to screen out randomized controlled trials of oral Chinese patent medicines combined with Azithromycin in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children from the time of database establishment to September 2020. The included studies were evaluated by the Cochrane Risk Assessment tool. Stata 14.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software were used for data statistical analysis. A total of 60 RCTs were included in this study, involving 14 oral Chinese patent medicines. The efficacy ranking based on network Meta-analysis was as follows:(1)in terms of total effective rate, top five Chinese patent medicines in surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike Oral Liquid, Xiao'er Chiqiao Qingre Granules, Xiao'er Feike Granules, Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid and Lanqin Oral Liquid;(2)in terms of antifebrile time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Magan Granules, Xiao'er Kechuanling Granules/Oral Liquid, Shuanghuang-lian Oral Liquid for children and Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike Oral Liquid;(3)in terms of cough disappearance time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Xiao'er Magan Granules, Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Chiqiao Qingre Granules, Xiao'er Feire Kechuan Oral Liquid and Xiao'er Kechuanling Granules/Oral Liquid;(4)in terms of rale disappearance time, top five Chinese patent medicines in SUCRA were Xiao'er Magan Granules, Huaiqihuang Granules, Xiao'er Feire Kechuan Oral Liquid, Shuanghuanglian Oral Liquid for children and Yupingfeng Granules. The results showed that on the basis of the use of Azithromycin, combined administration with oral Chinese patent medicines could improve the overall clinical efficacy in the treatment of mycoplasma pneumonia in children. However, due to the large differences in the quality and the number of included studies among various therapeutic measures, the ranking results of SUCRA of Chinese patent medicines need to be verified by high-quality multi-center, large-sample, randomized double-blind trials in the future.

Study on the related risk factors and targeted nursing effects in multi-drug resistant bacteria infections in elderly patients with stroke-associated pneumonia.

PURPOSE: to explore the related risk factors and targeted nursing effects in multi-drug resistant bacteria (MDRB) infection in elderly patients with stroke-associated pneumonia. METHODS: We selected 100 elderly patients with MDRB who received SAP in the hospital encephalology department from May 2011 to November 2014, and pathogenic detection and drug susceptibility tests were performed on the specimens sent for inspection. In addition, we observed the pathogenic characteristics of MDRB, and carried out univariate and multivariate regression analysis of related risk factors. The infected patients were randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group, each with 50 cases. The control group received routine nursing care, and the intervention group received targeted nursing interventions, and the nursing effect of the two groups of patients was compared and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 112 drug-resistant bacteria were isolated from 100 SAP patients; gram-positive bacteria accounted for 22.3%, gram-negative bacteria accounted for 74.1%, fungi accounted for 3.6%. The multi-factor analysis showed that SAP type, ICU admission, gastric catheter retention, length of hospital stay, prophylactic use of antibiotics and disturbance of consciousness are risk factors associated with MDRB. The total effective rate of the control group was 50.0%, and the total effective rate of the intervention group was 74.0%, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The pathogens causing MDRB in elderly SAP patients are mainly gram-negative bacteria, and there are many risk factors for developing MDRB in SAP patients, and targeted nursing measures can significantly improve the prognosis of patients with MDRB infection.

Mechanism analysis of MnFe2O4/FeSX for removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous phase.

By using Na2S as a sulfur source, sulfur-doped MnFe2O4 was prepared using one-step solvent thermal method and utilized to remove hexavalent chromium. The materials were characterized through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution TEM, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, zeta potential test, vibrating sample magnetometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. When the pH was 3, the adsorption capacity of MnFe2O4/FeSX-0.5 to Cr(VI) was 43.36 mg/g, which was roughly five times that of MnFe2O4 (8.90 mg/g). MnFe2O4/FeSX-0.5 and MnFe2O4 fitted the Freundlich and pseudo-second-order kinetic models well. The electrochemical test analysis results showed that MnFe2O4/FeSX had a faster MnFe2O4 electron transfer rate and higher electron transfer capacity than MnFe2O4, and thus promoted the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III). This finding could be attributed to the lower electronegativity of the sulfur element than the oxygen element. In addition, the formation of additional FeSX through sulfur doping improved the Cr(VI) removal ability of the prepared materials. The XPS and desorption results showed that more than 80% of the adsorbed Cr(VI) were reduced to Cr(III), which indicated that reduction was an important mechanism for Cr(VI) removal. This study verified that sulfur-doped manganese ferrite can be utilized in the high-efficiency removal of Cr(VI).

Social Support, Attachment Closeness, and Self-Esteem Affect Depression in International Students in China.

With an increase in the number of international students in China, there has been a simultaneous increase in their emotional problems, such as depression, as well as the importance of their emotional well-being. This study aimed to investigate the influence of social support on depression and the mediation and moderation mechanisms of this relationship in international students. In total, 349 international students in China responded to a questionnaire survey comprising the Social Support Rating Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, Adult Attachment Scale, and Self-Esteem Scale. The results showed that: (1) attachment closeness had a significant direct predictive effect on depression; (2) attachment closeness played a mediating role in the relationship between social support and depression; and (3) the direct effect of social support on depression and the mediating effect of attachment and closeness are regulated by self-esteem. Therefore, interventions aimed at improving the social support, attachment closeness, and self-esteem of international students in China can be effective in reducing their depressive symptoms.

Impacts of cuprous oxide nanoparticles on wheat root morphology and genotoxicity.

To explore the ecotoxicity of Cu2O nanoparticles (NPs) on plant roots, the effects of Cu2O-NPs with different concentrations of 10, 50, 100 and 200 mg·L-1 on the seedling growth, root morphology, and cytogenetic toxicity of wheat 'Zhoumai 18' (Triticum aestivum Zhoumai 18) were examined in a hydroponic experiment. The results showed that Cu2O-NPs inhibited the growth of wheat seedlings. Cu2O-NPs reduced root and shoot lengths, fresh weights of shoot and root, root relative activity and ratio of root to shoot of wheat seedlings, but increased primary root number. Furthermore, with the increases of Cu2O-NPs concentrations, the root elongation zone shortened and the root became hard and brittle, while the average diameter of roots increased. Under the concentration of 100 mg·L-1 Cu2O-NPs, the mitotic index significantly decreased, and vacuolization, plasma membrane detachment, chromosomal abnormality occurred in the root tip cell. In conclusion, Cu2O-NPs are genotoxic to wheat seedlings, with consequences on the growth and development of wheat seedlings and root morphology.

Emotion Induced Monoamine Neuromodulator Release Affects Functional Neurological Disorders.

Functional neurologic disorders (FNDs), also called conversion disorder (previously called hysteria), can show almost all the symptoms of other neurological diseases, including both physical (for example, seizure, weakness, fatigue) and psychological (for instance, depression, anxiety) symptoms. In spite of our general knowledge about emotional processes and developmental defects in the formation of these somatic symptoms, there is still no systemic and comprehensive research on the effects of emotional developmental variables in FND. Recently, both experimental and theoretical emotion studies have been greatly increased, such as prediction error, conceptual act model, basic emotional theory, and monoamine neuromodulator based three primary emotions. In addition, a large amount of evidence has confirmed the role of psychosocial adversity (such as stressful life events, interpersonal difficulties) as an important risk factor for FND. Here, we review recent advances about emotional stress on FND, and pay special attention to the effects of monoamine neuromodulators, such as how norepinephrine and serotonin affect behaviors. Then, we discuss the significance of these changes for FND, which may contribute to clarifying the pathogenesis of FND, and thus provide potential therapeutic drug targets or psychological intervention methods in the future.

Network Pharmacology-Based and Experimental Identification of the Effects of Paeoniflorin on Major Depressive Disorder.

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, the diagnosis and treatment of MDD are major clinical issues. However, there is a lack of effective biomarkers and drugs diagnosis and therapeutics of MDD. In the present study, bioinformatics analysis combined with an experimental verification strategy was used to identify biomarkers and paeoniflorin targets for MDD diagnosis and treatment. Methods: Based on network pharmacology, we obtained potential targets and pathways of paeoniflorin as an antidepressant through multiple databases. We then constructed a protein-protein interaction network and performed enrichment analyses. According to the results, we performed in vivo and in vitro experimental validation. Results: The results showed that paeoniflorin may exert an antidepressant effect by regulating cell inflammation, synaptic function, NF-κB signaling pathway, and intestinal inflammation. Conclusion: NPM1, HSPA8, HSPA5, HNRNPU, and TNF are the targets of paeoniflorin treatment. In addition, we demonstrated that paeoniflorin inhibits inflammatory cytokine production via the p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway and has neuroprotective effects on the synaptic structure. Our findings provide valuable evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of MDD.