High-efficiency removal of tetracycline by carbon-bridge-doped g-C3N4/Fe3O4 magnetic heterogeneous catalyst through photo-Fenton process

Carbon-bridge-modified malonamide (MLD)/g-C₃N₄ (CN) was prepared by copolymerization of MLD with urea and melamine and loaded with Fe₃O₄ for the high-efficiency removal of tetracycline (TC) in water under photo-Fenton. The prepared catalysts were characterized by SEM, TEM, N₂ adsorption-desorption analysis, XPS, XRD, and FTIR, which proved that the modification method successfully introduced the C bridge into the carbon nitride molecular system and increased the structural defects of the catalyst. The Carbon-bridge-modified MLD/CN/Fe₃O₄ also had good visible-light response and charge-separation and transport abilities in the photoelectrochemical test. Degradation results showed that the photo-Fenton degradation of TC reached 95.8%, and the mineralization rate was 55.7% within 80 min at 80 mM H₂O₂ dosage, 0.5 g/L catalyst dosage, and near-neutral pH by 0.8MLD/CN/Fe₃O₄. Moreover, the oxidation products and mineralization pathways of TC were explored by LC-MS. Toxicity analysis indicated low environmental threat of the intermediates in TC mineralization. EPR analysis and H₂O₂ decomposition efficiency analyses showed an improvement in the H₂O₂ decomposition performance of 0.8MLD/CN/Fe₃O₄. This work could provide a valuable insight for the application of heterogeneous photo-Fenton technology in wastewater treatment.

CircRNAs and their regulatory roles in cancers

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel type of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), have a covalently closed circular structure resulting from pre-mRNA back splicing via spliceosome and ribozymes. They can be classified differently in accordance with different criteria. As circRNAs are abundant, conserved, and stable, they can be used as diagnostic markers in various diseases and targets to develop new therapies. There are various functions of circRNAs, including sponge for miR/proteins, role of scaffolds, templates for translation, and regulators of mRNA translation and stability. Without m7G cap and poly-A tail, circRNAs can still be degraded in several ways, including RNase L, Ago-dependent, and Ago-independent degradation. Increasing evidence indicates that circRNAs can be modified by N-6 methylation (m6A) in many aspects such as biogenesis, nuclear export, translation, and degradation. In addition, they have been proved to play a regulatory role in the progression of various cancers. Recently, methods of detecting circRNAs with high sensitivity and specificity have also been reported. This review presents a detailed overview of circRNAs regarding biogenesis, biomarker, functions, degradation, and dynamic modification as well as their regulatory roles in various cancers. It’s particularly summarized in detail in the biogenesis of circRNAs, regulation of circRNAs by m6A modification and mechanisms by which circRNAs affect tumor progression respectively. Moreover, existing circRNA detection methods and their characteristics are also mentioned.

[Prevalence and influencing factors of Enterobius vermicularis infections among children in Fanxian County of Henan Province in 2019]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of Enterobius vermicularis infections among children in Fanxian County, Henan Province in 2019, so as to provide insights into the management of enterobiasis.

METHODS

Five kindergartens were selected in urban and rural areas of Fanxian County, Henan Province using the stratified sampling method in 2019, and a census of E. vermicularis infections was performed among all children in the kindergartens. E. vermicularis eggs were detected using adhesive and scotch cellophane-tape anal swab methods, and the basic characteristics of children and their families, health habits and the kindergartens' information were investigated with questionnaires. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors and protective factors of pinworm infection in children.

RESULTS

A total of 671 children were tested, and the mean prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was 15.50% (104/671). The prevalence of E. vermicularis infections was higher among children in rural kindergartens (28.13%, 72/256) than in urban kindergartens (7.71%, 32/415) (χ² = 50.380, P < 0.01), and greater in private kindergartens (32.26%, 60/186) than in public kindergartens (9.07%, 44/485) (χ² = 55.183, P < 0.01). There was no gender-specific prevalence of E. vermicularis infections among children (χ² = 1.442, P > 0.05), and the prevalence of E. vermicularis infections presented a tendency towards a rise with age (χ²_trend = 8.373, P < 0.05) and school grade (χ²_trend = 30.274, P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified rural kindergartens and high grades as risk factors, and separate washing of children's and adults' cloths, frequent bathing and frequent dinnerware disinfection in kindergartens as protective factors for E. vermicularis infections among children. In addition, there was no significant difference in the detection of E. vermicularis infections among children by using adhesive (73.08%, 76/104) and scotch cellophane-tape anal swab methods (56.73%, 59/104) (χ² = 3.959, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of E. vermicularis infection is high among children in Fanxian Country, Henan Province. Health education and surveillance of enterobiasis are required to be intensified among children in rural kindergartens and senior grades and their parents and teachers.

Onset Symptom Clusters in Multiple Sclerosis: Characteristics, Comorbidities, and Risk Factors

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms are expected to aggregate in specific patterns across different stages of the disease. Here, we studied the clustering of onset symptoms and examined their characteristics, comorbidity patterns and associations with potential risk factors.

Methods: Data stem from the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry, a prospective study including 2,063 participants by November 2019. MS onset symptoms were clustered using latent class analysis (LCA). The latent classes were further examined using information on socio-demographic characteristics, MS-related features, potential risk factors, and comorbid diseases.

Results: The LCA model with six classes (frequencies ranging from 12 to 24%) was selected for further analyses. The latent classes comprised a multiple symptoms class with high probabilities across several symptoms, contrasting with two classes with solitary onset symptoms: vision problems and paresthesia. Two gait classes emerged between these extremes: the gait-balance class and the gait-paralysis class. The last class was the fatigue-weakness-class, also accompanied by depression symptoms, memory, and gastro-intestinal problems. There was a moderate variation by sex and by MS types. The multiple symptoms class yielded increased comorbidity with other autoimmune disorders. Similar to the fatigue-weakness class, the multiple symptoms class showed associations with angina, skin diseases, migraine, and lifetime prevalence of smoking. Mononucleosis was more frequently reported in the fatigue-weakness and the paresthesia class. Familial aggregation did not differ among the classes.

Conclusions: Clustering of MS onset symptoms provides new perspectives on the heterogeneity of MS. The clusters comprise different potential risk factors and comorbidities. They point toward different risk mechanisms.

Hydrogel-coated needles prevent puncture site bleeding

INTRODUCTION

Incomplete hemostasis after vascular cannulation can cause a hematoma or pseudoaneurysm. We hypothesized that a hydrogel-coated needle would effectively and rapidly stop bleeding after vascular cannulation.

METHODS

A hydrogel composed of sodium alginate, hyaluronic acid, and calcium carbonate was coated onto the surface of suture needles. Needles were observed using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and immunofluorescence. Cannulation was performed in both mouse and rat models; the liver, kidney, jugular vein, inferior vena cava and aorta were punctured using uncoated and hydrogel-coated needles. Needles coated with a hydrogel with and without CD34 antibody were used to puncture the rat jugular vein and aorta. Tissues were examined by histology and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

The hydrogel was successfully coated onto the surface of 22G and 30G needles and confirmed by SEM. Hydrogel-coated needles rapidly stopped bleeding after cannulation of the liver, kidney, jugular vein, inferior vena cava and aorta. Hydrogel-coated needles that contained CD34 antibody attracted vascular progenitor cells near the puncture site; there were fewer M1-type macrophages and more M2-type macrophages.

CONCLUSION

Hydrogel-coated needles can effectively and rapidly stop puncture-site bleeding. The hydrogel that contains CD34 antibody attracted vascular progenitor cells, potentially promoting healing of the site after cannulation.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Incomplete hemostasis after vascular cannulation can cause a hematoma or pseudoaneurysm and remains a significant clinical problem. We developed a hydrogel composed of sodium alginate, hyaluronic acid, and calcium carbonate; hydrogel-coated needles effectively and rapidly stopped bleeding after vascular cannulation. Interestingly, the hydrogel can also serve as a carrier for drugs that are delivered to the puncture site during the short time of cannulation that could additionally promote puncture site healing. Hydrogel-coated needles may be a new method for rapid hemostasis with application to patients especially at risk for bleeding.

Programmed death-1 mediates venous neointimal hyperplasia in humans and rats

Venous neointimal hyperplasia can be a problem after vein interventions. We hypothesized that inhibiting programmed death-1 (PD-1) can decrease venous neointimal hyperplasia in a rat inferior vena cava (IVC) patch venoplasty model. The rats were divided into four groups: the control group was only decellularized without other special treatment; the PD-1 group was injected with a single dose of humanized PD-1 antibody (4 mg/kg); the PD-1 antibody coated patches group; the BMS-1 (a PD-1 small molecular inhibitor) coated patches group (PD-1 inhibitor-1). Patches were implanted to the rat IVC and harvested on day 14 and analyzed. Immunohistochemical analysis showed PD-1-positive cells in the neointima in the human samples. There was high protein expression of PD-1 in the neointima in the rat IVC venoplasty model. PD-1 antibody injection can significantly decrease neointimal thickness (p < 0.0001). PD-1 antibody or BMS-1 was successfully conjugated to the decellularized rat thoracic artery patch by hyaluronic acid with altered morphology and reduced the water contact angle (WCA). Patches coated with humanized PD-1 antibody or BMS-1 both can also decrease neointimal hyperplasia and inflammatory cells infiltration. PD-1-positive cells are present in venous neointima in both human and rat samples. Inhibition of the PD-1 pathway may be a promising therapeutic strategy to inhibit venous neointimal hyperplasia.

The Impact of General Self-Efficacy on Psychological Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Posttraumatic Growth and the Moderating Role of Deliberate Rumination

Purpose: This study used a moderated mediation model to explore the relationship between general self-efficacy (GSE) and psychological resilience (PR) and the associated mechanisms, the mediating role of posttraumatic growth (PTG), and the moderating role of deliberate rumination (DR) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Knowledge of the relationship between these four variables examined further understanding of the PR improvement mechanism of college students and even the general public. Methods: The college students who participated in this study came from an independent college in Guangdong Province, China. A total of 918 college students completed the survey, and the final data sample size was 881. SPSS 23.0 and PROCESS (version 3.3) were used to conduct Pearson's correlation analysis and hierarchical regression linear analysis on the data. Results: (1) The correlation analysis showed that GSE and PR were positively correlated and that PTG was positively correlated with GSE and PR. DR was positively correlated with GSE, PTG, and PR. (2) The results of mediation analysis showed that GSE had a direct predictive effect on DR, and PTG partially mediated the relationship between the two. (3) The results of moderating effect analysis showed that DR hindered the effect of GSE on PTG but enhanced the positive impact of PTG on PR. Conclusions: General self-efficacy can improve PR under the mediating influence of PTG. DR played a positive moderating role in the relationship between GSE and PTG, and played a negative moderating role in the relationship between PTG and PR. These results advance the understanding of the mechanism between GSE and PR.

LncRNA HCP5 : A Potential Biomarker for Diagnosing Gastric Cancer

Background

It has been reported that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be regarded as a biomarker and had particular clinical significance for early screening and gastric cancer (GC) diagnosis. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether serum HCP5 could be a new diagnostic biomarker.

Methods

Filtered out the HCP5 from the GEO database. The specificity of HCP5 was verified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), and then the stability of HCP5 was verified by room temperature storage and repeated freeze-thaw experiments. Meanwhile, the accuracy of HCP5 was verified by agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and Sanger sequencing. Simultaneously, the expression level of serum HCP5 was detected by qRT-PCR in 98 patients with primary gastric cancer, 21 gastritis patients, 82 healthy donors, and multiple cancer types. Then, the methodology analysis was carried on. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to evaluate its diagnostic efficiency.

Results

qRT-PCR method had good repeatability and stability in detecting HCP5. The expression level of HCP5 in the serum of gastric cancer patients was remarkably higher than that of healthy controls, and it could distinguish gastritis patients from healthy donors. Besides, the expression of HCP5 was increased dramatically in MKN-45 and MGC-803. The FISH assay showed that HCP5 was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of MKN-45 and BGC-823 cells. When HCP5 was combined with existing tumor markers, the diagnostic efficiency of HCP5 was the best, and the combined diagnosis of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen199 (CA199), and HCP5 can significantly improve the diagnostic sensitivity. Besides, compared with the expression levels of thyroid cancer (THCA), colorectal cancer (CRC), and breast cancer (BRCA), serum HCP5 in gastric cancer was the most specific. Moreover, the high expression of serum HCP5 was related to differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and nerve invasion. The term of serum HCP5 after the operation was significantly lower than that of patients with primary gastric cancer.

Conclusion

Serum HCP5 can be used as a potential biomarker of non-invasive fluid biopsy, which had a unique value in the early diagnosis, development, and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Depression and Creativity During COVID-19: Psychological Resilience as a Mediator and Deliberate Rumination as a Moderator

Purpose: The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has had a significant impact on people’s lives, has apparently increased the incidence of depression. Although the topic of how depression affects creativity is contested, previous research has revealed a significant relationship between the two. The purpose of this study is to further investigate the relationship and the mechanisms that operate between depression and creativity.

Methods: A total of 881 students at an independent college in China completed a questionnaire consisting of the Self-Reported Depression Scale, Runco Ideational Behavior Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, Deliberate Rumination Scale and demographic information. Among the respondents, 317 (36.0%) were male and 564 (64.0%) were female, all of whom were from the same grade. Correlation analyses were conducted, and then the researchers carried out mediation analysis and developed a moderated mediation model.

Results: The results indicated that (a) depression was positively related to creativity (r = 0.085, p < 0.05); (b) psychological resilience mediated the relationship between depression and creativity; specifically, psychological resilience was negatively related to depression (r = −0.462, p < 0.01), which in turn was positively related to creativity (r = 0.198, p < 0.01); and (c) deliberate rumination moderated the relationship between depression and psychological resilience, showing a significant negative correlation with depression (r = 0.138, p < 0.01), psychological resilience (r = 0.078, p < 0.05), and creativity (r = 0.288, p < 0.05); specifically, higher levels of deliberate rumination strengthened the negative correlation between psychological resilience and depression.

Conclusion: The results suggest that depression is a positive predictor of creativity and may promote creativity to some extent. Further, individuals with greater psychological resilience are more creative than those with less psychological resilience, as it is a question of whether they can and to what extent they can effectively use depression as an emotional resource. Last, an individual’s level of deliberate rumination moderates the mediating process, especially at the stage where depression is associated with psychological resilience. These findings advance understanding of the mechanisms that operate between depression and creativity.

Preparation of Supported Perovskite Catalyst to Purify Membrane Concentrate of Coal Chemical Wastewater in UV-Catalytic Wet Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidation System

The effective treatment of membrane concentrate is a major technical challenge faced by the new coal chemical industry. In this study, a supported perovskite catalyst LaCoO3/X was prepared by a sol-impregnation two-step method. The feasibility of the supported perovskite catalyst LaCoO3/X in the UV-catalytic wet hydrogen peroxide oxidation (UV-CWPO) system for the purification of concentrated liquid of coal chemical wastewater was investigated. The effects of catalyst support, calcination temperature, calcination time, and re-use time on catalytic performance were investigated by batch experiments. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Experimental results showed that the supported perovskite catalyst LaCoO3/CeO2 prepared using CeO2 as support, calcination temperature of 800 °C, and calcination time of 8 h had the best catalytic effect. The catalytic performance of the catalyst remained excellent after seven cycles. The best prepared catalyst was used in UV-CWPO of coal chemical wastewater membrane concentrate. The effects of H2O2 dosage, reaction temperature, reaction pressure, and catalyst dosage on UV-CWPO were determined. Under the conditions of H2O2 dosage of 40 mM, reaction temperature of 120 °C, reaction pressure of 0.5 MPa, catalyst dosage of 1 g/L, pH of 3, and reaction time of 60 min, the removal efficiencies of COD, TOC, and UV254 were 89.7%, 84.6%, and 98.1%, respectively. Under the optimal operating conditions, the oxidized effluent changed from high toxicity to non-toxicity, the BOD5/COD increased from 0.02 to 0.412, and the biodegradability of the oxidized effluent was greatly improved. The catalyst has a simple synthesis procedure, excellent catalytic performance, and great potential in the practical application of coal chemical wastewater treatment.

A novel intramural TGF β 1 hydrogel delivery method to decrease murine abdominal aortic aneurysm and rat aortic pseudoaneurysm formation and progression

OBJECTIVES

Aneurysms are generally the result of dilation of all 3 layers of the vessel wall, and pseudoaneurysms are the result of localized extravasation of blood that is contained by surrounding tissue. Since there is still no recommended protocol to decrease aneurysm formation and progression, we hypothesised that intramural delivery of TGF β1 hydrogel can decrease aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm formation and progression.

MATERIALS

Male C57BL/6 J mice (12-14 wk), SD rats (200 g) and pig abdominal aortas were used, and hydrogels were fabricated by the interaction of sodium alginate (SA), hyaluronic acid (HA) and CaCO3.

METHODS

A CaCl2 adventitial incubation model in mice and a decellularized human great saphenous vein patch angioplasty model in rats were used. TGF β1 hydrogel was intramurally delivered after CaCl2 incubation in mice; at day 7, the abdomen in some mice was reopened, and TGF β1 hydrogel was injected intramurally into the aorta. In rats, TGF β1 hydrogel was delivered intramurally after patch angioplasty completion. Tissues were harvested at day 14 and analysed by histology and immunohistochemistry staining. The pig aorta was also intramurally injected with hydrogel.

RESULTS

In mice, rhodamine hydrogel was still found between the medium and adventitia at day 14. In the mouse aneurysm model, there was a thicker wall and smaller amount of elastin breaks in the TGF β1 hydrogel-delivered groups both at day 0 and day 7 after CaCl2 incubation, and there were larger numbers of p-smad2- and TAK1-positive cells in the TGF β1 hydrogel-injected groups. In the rat decellularized human saphenous vein patch pseudoaneurysm model, there was a higher incidence of pseudoaneurysm formation when the patch was decellularized using 3% SDS, and delivery of TGF β1 hydrogel could effectively decrease the formation of pseudoaneurysm formation and increase p-smad2 and TAK1 expression. In pig aortas, hydrogels can be delivered between the medium and adventitia easily and successfully.

CONCLUSIONS

Intramural delivery of TGF β1 hydrogel can effectively decease aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm formation and progression in both mice and rats, and pig aortas can also be successfully intramurally injected with hydrogel. This technique may be a promising drug delivery method and therapeutic choice to decrease aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm formation and progression in the clinic.

The behavior of surface acidity on photo-Fenton degradation of ciprofloxacin over sludge derived carbon: Performance and mechanism

Sludge derived carbon (SC) has been widely used in advanced oxidation processes as an effective and economic catalyst. In this study, we applied surface modified SC for the first time to catalyze the heterogeneous photo-Fenton process with ciprofloxacin, a highly concerned emerging contaminant, as a model substance. H₂SO₄ was used to acidify the SCs under varying acid dosages, temperatures, and reaction time lengths. The surface acidity of SCs was quantitatively characterized with NH₃-TPD. A strong correlation between the surface acidity and the catalytic activity was clearly demonstrated. The highest catalytic activity was obtained with SC whose acidity was 0.149 mmol·g^-1 after being modified with 6 mol·L^-1 H₂SO₄ at -20 ℃ for 24 h. In addition, XRD, XRF, BET, XPS, and HRTEM were also used to characterize the obtained SC. ·OH radicals were found to be the main reactive species by EPR. Ten transformation products were identified by GC-MS, based on which three possible reaction pathways were proposed.

The Influence of Post-Traumatic Growth on College Students' Creativity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy and the Moderating Role of Deliberate Rumination

Purpose: This study used a moderated mediation model to test the mediating effect of general self-efficacy on the relationship between post-traumatic growth (PTG) and creativity and the moderating effect of deliberate rumination in the second path of the indirect mediation path during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A sample of 881 university students from Guangdong Province, China, was surveyed with the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Deliberate Rumination Inventory. SPSS (23 version) and PROCESS (3.3 version) were used for correlation analyses, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis. Results: (1) PTG was positively correlated with creativity, self-efficacy, and deliberate rumination. Creativity was positively correlated with self-efficacy and deliberate rumination. Deliberate rumination was positively correlated with self-efficacy. (2) Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between PTG and creativity. (3) Deliberate rumination moderated the second half of the path of "PTG → self-efficacy → creativity." Conclusions: PTG affected creativity directly and also indirectly through self-efficacy. In particular, deliberate rumination moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and creativity, such that the association was stronger when the incidence of deliberate rumination was low. These results provide a more comprehensive understanding of the positive link between PTG and creativity.

Retrospectively assessed trajectories of PTSD symptoms and their subsequent comorbidities

BACKGROUND

Dynamic trajectories of psychopathology, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) provide a key to understanding human adjustment processes after trauma exposure. Recent studies have suggested more heterogeneous mental health outcomes than the initially identified four adjustment trajectories. To explore this heterogeneity, we investigated the after-trauma adjustment patterns of psychopathology based on retrospective lifetime data. This was first carried out on the PTSD symptoms (PTSS, including no symptoms, few symptoms, partial and full PTSD), and secondly together with their post-trauma comorbidities.

METHODS

Data of trauma and the post-trauma mental disorders were collected for a large and randomly selected community sample, resulting in a N = 960 trauma-exposed subsample. Pattern recognition as carried out by latent class analysis (LCA) was implemented on this subsample. LCA was first exploited to identify the potential trajectory patterns of PTSS and next to explore the patterns of mental adjustments when additional post-trauma comorbid disorders, such as anxiety, mood and substance use disorders, were assessed.

RESULTS

Four PTSS trajectory patterns were found, namely resilient, chronic, recovered, and delayed onset, consistent with findings from longitudinal PTSD studies. When post-trauma comorbidities were evaluated, other than the trajectory pattern of delayed onset which retained a low comorbidity profile, the other three split respectively and paired up with either low, moderate or high comorbidity profile.

CONCLUSIONS

Mental health outcomes after trauma exposure were considerably more complex than the four previously established adjustment trajectories. Here, we uncovered additional and more heterogeneous adjustment patterns comprised of PTSS trajectories and post-trauma comorbidity profiles.

Comparison of seven in silico tools for evaluating of daphnia and fish acute toxicity: case study on Chinese Priority Controlled Chemicals and new chemicals

BACKGROUND

A number of predictive models for aquatic toxicity are available, however, the accuracy and extent of easy to use of these in silico tools in risk assessment still need further studied. This study evaluated the performance of seven in silico tools to daphnia and fish: ECOSAR, T.E.S.T., Danish QSAR Database, VEGA, KATE, Read Across and Trent Analysis. 37 Priority Controlled Chemicals in China (PCCs) and 92 New Chemicals (NCs) were used as validation dataset.

RESULTS

In the quantitative evaluation to PCCs with the criteria of 10-fold difference between experimental value and estimated value, the accuracies of VEGA is the highest among all of the models, both in prediction of daphnia and fish acute toxicity, with accuracies of 100% and 90% after considering AD, respectively. The performance of KATE, ECOSAR and T.E.S.T. is similar, with accuracies are slightly lower than VEGA. The accuracy of Danish Q.D. is the lowest among the above tools with which QSAR is the main mechanism. The performance of Read Across and Trent Analysis is lowest among all of the tested in silico tools. The predictive ability of models to NCs was lower than that of PCCs possibly because never appeared in training set of the models, and ECOSAR perform best than other in silico tools.

CONCLUSION

QSAR based in silico tools had the greater prediction accuracy than category approach (Read Across and Trent Analysis) in predicting the acute toxicity of daphnia and fish. Category approach (Read Across and Trent Analysis) requires expert knowledge to be utilized effectively. ECOSAR performs well in both PCCs and NCs, and the application shoud be promoted in both risk assessment and priority activities. We suggest that distribution of multiple data and water solubility should be considered when developing in silico models. Both more intelligent in silico tools and testing are necessary to identify hazards of Chemicals.

Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis Decipher New Potential Regulation Mechanism of ACE2 and NPs Signaling Among Heart Failure Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2

Aims: COVID-19 patients with comorbidities such as hypertension or heart failure (HF) are associated with poor clinical outcomes. The cellular distribution of Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the critical enzyme for SARS-CoV-2 infection, in the human heart is unknown. We explore the underlying mechanism that leads to increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with cardiovascular diseases and patients of cardiac dysfunction have increased risk of multi-organ injury compared with patients of normal cardiac function.

Methods and Results: We analyzed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data in both normal and failing hearts. The results demonstrated that ACE2 is present in cardiomyocytes (CMs) and non-CMs, while the number of ACE2-postive (ACE2+) CMs and ACE2 gene expression in these CMs are significantly increased in the failing hearts. Interestingly, both brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) are significantly up-regulated in the ACE2+ CMs, which is consistent with other studies that ACE2, ANP, and BNP increased in HF patients. We found that genes related to virus entry, virus replication and suppression of interferon-gamma signaling are all up-regulated in failing CMs, and the increase was significantly higher in ACE2+ CMs, suggesting that these CMs may be more vulnerable to virus infection. As the level of expression of both ACE2 and BNP in CMs were up-regulated, we further performed retrospective analysis of the plasma BNP levels and clinical outcomes of 91 COVID-19 patients from a single-center. Patients with higher plasma BNP were associated with significantly higher mortality and expression levels of inflammatory and infective markers.

Conclusion: In the failing heart, the upregulation of ACE2 and virus infection associated genes could potentially facilitate SARS-CoV-2 virus entry and replication in these vulnerable cardiomyocyte subsets. COVID-19 patients with higher plasma BNP levels had poorer clinical outcomes. These observations may allude to a potential regulatory association between ACE2 and BNP in mediating myocarditis associated with COVID-19.

[Predictive value of anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin antibody on one-year radiographic progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]

Objective: To investigate the value of baseline anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) antibody for predicting one-year radiographic progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Consecutive RA patients were recruited from November 2014 to July 2018 at Department of Rheumatology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Clinical data were collected including disease activity score in 28 joints with four variables including C-reactive protein (CRP).Serum anti-MCV antibody at baseline was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. X ray assessment of both hands/wrists was performed and assessed according to the Sharp/van der Heijde modified score (mTSS) at baseline and the 12th month. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the risk factors for one-year radiographic progression. Results: Among 220 RA patients recruited, the positive rate of anti-MCV antibody at baseline was 77.7%. Compared with those with negative anti-MCV antibody, RA patients with positive anti-MCV antibody had higher disease activity score in 28 joints with four variables induding CRP [3.8 (2.4, 5.0) vs. 3.1 (2.1, 4.0), P=0.007], more physical dysfunction (21.6% vs. 8.2%, P=0.033) and higher radiographic indicators including mTSS [11 (2, 27) vs. 4 (1, 10), P=0.003], joint space narrowing [JSN, 4 (0, 14) vs. 2 (0, 6), P=0.024] and joint erosion[JE, 5 (1, 18)vs. 3 (0, 5), P=0.003]. After one-year follow-up, sixty-six RA patients (30.0%) developed radiographic progression, the percentage of whom was significantly higher in positive anti-MCV group than that in negative anti-MCV group (33.9% vs.16.3%, P=0.018). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that positive anti-MCV antibody at baseline was an independent risk factor for one-year radiographic progression (OR=2.341, 95%CI 1.002-5.469). Conclusion: Positive anti-MCV antibody at baseline predicts one-year radiographic progression in RA patients. In the future, anti-MCV antibody can be used not only as a supplementary laboratory marker, but also in disease activity assessment and prognosis prediction for RA.

As a biomarker for gastric cancer, circPTPN22 regulates the progression of gastric cancer through the EMT pathway

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. Due to the lack of specific symptoms, more than 80% of patients are diagnosed as the advanced stage with a high mortality rate, so the early diagnosis of GC is incredibly essential. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are a kind of endogenous non-coding RNA with stable structure, the long half-life, and tumor specificity. It can be used as a diagnostic marker for tumors.

Method

Using circRNA sequencing technology screened three pairs of GC and adjacent tissues, and circRNAs with significant expression differences were screened out. The circular structure and characteristics of circPTPN22 were determined by RT-qPCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, RNase R, and actinomycin D assays. Cell Counting Kit‐8, colony formation, Transwell, Wound healing, tumor formation in mice and western blotting assays were used to detect the effects of circPTPN22 on the proliferation, invasion, migration, tumor growth of GC cells in vitro and protein expression.

Result

CircPTPN22 is up-regulated and positively correlated with metastasis in GC tissues, cells, and plasma. RT-qPCR results showed that circPTPN22 had good diagnostic efficacy and could be used to predict the prognosis of GC patients. In vitro and vivo experiments showed that the downregulation of circPTPN22 could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) pathway. CircPTPN22 may regulate GC progression through the competitive binding of miRNAs.

Conclusion

CircPTPN22 can be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for GC and can inhibit cell proliferation and metastasis through the competitive binding of miRNA to inhibit the EMT pathway.

Photocatalytic degradation of organic dye and tetracycline by ternary Ag2O/AgBr-CeO2 photocatalyst under visible-light irradiation

In this work, CeO2 nanosheets decorated with Ag2O and AgBr are successfully fabricated via a simple sediment-precipitation method. The as-prepared ternary Ag2O/AgBr-CeO2 composite with double Z-scheme construction was analyzed by various analytical techniques. Ag nanoparticles (NPs) used as the electron medium could reduce the recombination of photoelectrons and holes, thus leading to the improvement of photocatalytic performance of these catalysts. Due to the unique structure and composite advantages, the optimal Ag2O/AgBr-CeO2 photocatalysts exhibit the superior tetracycline (TC) degradation efficiency of 93.23% and favorable stability with near-initial capacity under visible light irradiation. This ternary Z-scheme structure materials will be the well-promising photocatalysts or the purification of antibiotic wastewater.

Non-thermal plasma combined with zeolites to remove ammonia nitrogen from wastewater

In this work, non-thermal plasma combined with zeolites was used to remove inorganic pollutant ammonia nitrogen from wastewater. Ammonia nitrogen elimination performances at various operating parameters were investigated. Roles of active species in the removal of ammonia nitrogen were also discussed. The experimental results showed that 69.97% ammonia nitrogen can be removed from the plasma/zeolites synergistic system after 30 min treatment. The removal efficiency was 16.23% and 61.55% higher than that in sole zeolites adsorption system and that in sole discharge plasma system, respectively. Higher applied voltage, lower initial ammonia nitrogen concentration and weak acidic conditions were favorable for ammonia nitrogen removal. After the addition of zeolites, part of O₃ and H₂O₂ generated in the plasma/zeolites system were decomposed into other oxygen species (•OH and ¹O₂), which improved the oxidation degree of ammonia nitrogen. In addition, the reaction mechanism of ammonia nitrogen in water by plasma/zeolites process was discussed. After repeated use three times, the effect of the zeolites in the plasma/zeolites system remained stable. Characterization of the zeolites after reaction was analyzed through BET, SEM, XRD and FT-IR. The experiments have confirmed the applicability of the plasma/zeolites system for the further treatment of low-concentration ammonia nitrogen wastewater.

Association of serum chemokine ligand 21 levels with asthma control in adults

OBJECTIVES

The chemokine ligand (CCL) 21 regulates the maturation, migration, and function of dendritic cells, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. This study aimed to investigate the association between serum CCL21 levels and asthma control.

METHODS

The serum levels of CCL21 and other inflammatory cytokines were analyzed in patients with asthma (n=44) and healthy controls (n=35) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgE levels and eosinophil counts were determined by turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay and fully automatic blood analysis, respectively. The Asthma Control Test (ACT) questionnaire was used, and spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) measurements were performed. A multiple unpaired Student's t-test was performed to analyze the differences in CCL21 and interleukin levels between patients with asthma and healthy controls. The correlation of CCL21 levels with disease severity was evaluated using the Pearson's rank correlation test.

RESULTS

Serum CCL21 levels were lower in patients with asthma (254.78±95.66 pg/mL) than in healthy controls (382.95±87.77 pg/mL) (p<0.001). Patients with asthma had significantly higher levels of IL-1β (19.74±16.77 vs. 2.63±5.22 pg/mL), IL-6 (7.55±8.65 vs. 2.37±2.47 pg/mL), and tumor necrosis factor-α (12.70±12.03 vs. 4.82±3.97 pg/mL) compared with the controls. CCL21 levels were positively correlated with the ACT score (rs=0.1653, p=0.0062), forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (rs=0.3607, p<0.0001), and FEV1 (rs=0.2753, p=0.0003), and negatively correlated with FENO (rs=0.1060, p=0.0310). CCL21 levels were negatively correlated with serum IgE levels (rs=0.1114, p=0.0268) and eosinophil counts (rs=0.3476, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum CCL21 levels may be a new biomarker for assessing asthma control.