Constructing highly porous carbon materials from porous organic polymers for superior CO2 adsorption and separation

The increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration has led to numerous problems related to our living environment, seeking an efficient carbon capture and storage (CCS) strategy associated with low energy consumption and expenditures is highly desirable. Here, we demonstrate a facile approach to synthesize a series of highly porous carbon materials derived from porous organic polymers synthesized from three low-cost isomers of triphenyl using chemical activation with KOH at different temperatures. Compared with the precursor porous organic polymers, the porosity of the prepared porous carbon materials is significantly enhanced with surface areas as high as 3367 m² g^-1 and pore volumes up to 1.224 cm³ g^-1. Notably, such porous carbon materials deliver an exceptionally high CO₂ adsorption capacity of 7.78 mmol g^-1 at 273 K and 1 bar, a value that is superior to most of the previously reported adsorbents. In addition, these porous organic polymers and derived porous carbon materials exhibit high CO₂/N₂ selectivity at ambient conditions. Therefore, the facile construction of highly porous carbon materials from porous organic polymers may offer an efficient strategy for CO₂ adsorption and separation and further mitigates greenhouse effect.

Efficacy of Shaobei injection in the treatment of grade II-III hemorrhoids and the effect on fibulin protein expression: A study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Hemorrhoids are a common and seriously disruptive condition that seriously affects people's lives in terms of treatment. Injection therapy is an effective minimally invasive scheme for the treatment of grade II-III hemorrhoids, but its clinical application is limited by the adverse reactions caused by injection drugs. Some clinical studies have confirmed the efficacy and safety of Shaobei injection as a traditional Chinese medicine extract. However, there is no standard randomized controlled study to verify its efficacy and explore its potential mechanism.

METHODS

This is a prospective, randomized, single blind, parallel controlled trial to study the efficacy of Shaobei injection in the treatment of grade II-III hemorrhoids and its effect on the expression of fibulin-3 and fibulin-5 in fibulin protein family. The patients will be randomly divided into a treatment group and control group. The treatment group will be treated with Shaobei injection, and the control group will be treated with rubber band ligation. The observation indexes include: visual analysis scale, postoperative hospital stay, total use of painkillers, fibulin-3 and fibulin-5, hemorrhoids recurrence, and adverse events. Finally, the data will be statistically analyzed by SPASS 18.0 software.

DISCUSSION

This study will compare the efficacy of Shaobei injection with the rubber band ligation method in the treatment of grade II-III haemorrhoids and investigate its effect on the expression of fibulin-3 and fibulin-5 in the fibulin protein family. The results of this study will provide a basis for the clinical use of Paeoniflora injection as an alternative to traditional sclerosing agent in the treatment of grade II-III haemorrhoids.Trial registration: OSF Registration number:DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/MKVDB.

LncRNA NNT-AS1 regulates proliferation, ECM accumulation and inflammation of human mesangial cells induced by high glucose through miR-214-5p/smad4

Background

LncRNA NNT-AS1 (NNT-AS1) has been extensively studied as the causative agent in propagation and progression of lung and bladder cancers, and cholangiocarcinoma. However, its significance in proliferation and inflammation of diabetic nephropathy is enigmatic. This study focuses on the molecular mechanisms followed by NNT-AS1 to establish diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its potential miRNA target.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis to identify potential miRNA target of NNT-AS1 and smad4 transcription factor was conducted using LncBase and TargetScan, and was subsequently confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Relative quantitative expression of NNT-AS1 in human glomerular mesangial cells (HGMCs) was detected through quantitative real-time PCR and WB analysis. Cell proliferation was detected through CCK-8 assay, whereas, ELISA was conducted to evaluate the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Following this, relative expression of miR-214-5p and smad4 were confirmed through qRT-PCR and western blot analysis.

Results

Results from the experiments manifested up-regulated levels of NNT-AS1 and smad4 in the blood samples of DN patients as well as in HGMCs, whereas, downregulated levels of miR-214-5p were measured in the HGMCs suggesting the negative correlation between NNT-AS1 and miR-214-5p. Potential binding sites of NNT-AS1 showed miR-214-5p as its direct target and NNT-AS1 as potential absorber for this microRNA, in turn increasing the expression of transcription factor smad4.

Conclusion

The data suggests that NNT-AS1 can be positively used as a potential biomarker and indicator of DN and causes extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation and inflammation of human mesangial cells.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12882-021-02580-y.

1. Up-regulated levels of NNT-AS1 and smad4 in DN samples and HGMCs was manifested.

2. Potential binding sites of NNT-AS1 showed miR-214-5p as its direct target and NNT-AS1 as potential absorber for this microRNA, in turn increasing the expression of transcription factor smad4.

3. The results manifested that knocking-down NNT-AS1 can significantly decrease the inflammation and progression of DN and hence can be used as a potential therapeutic target.

High RSK4 expression constitutes a predictor of poor prognosis for patients with clear cell renal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

This research focuses on exploring RSK4 protein expression within Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC), based on these investigations on level of expressions coupled with the relevance to clinicopathologic features and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

The expression of RSK4 in 48 ccRCC and 20 hydronephrosis samples were under the detection of immunohistochemistry; besides, its relevance to the combination of clinicopathologic features with prognosis was committed in virtue of statistical approaches.

RESULTS

The 48 ccRCC samples included 36 (75%, 36/48) positive for RSK4, while the positive rate in hydronephrosis samples were 5 (25%, 5/20). Statistical analysis showed that RSK4 in ccRCC samples express higher expression the hydronephrosis samples (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression of RSK4 in ccRCC samples weren't correlated with ages and genders (P > 0.05), while WHO/ISUP nucleolar grade harboured relevance to low survival rate (P = 0.018). Molecular researches demonstrated that over-expression of RSK4 was able to upgrade the proliferation capability of ccRCC cell lines.

CONCLUSIONS

According to the expression pattern and molecular systems featured RSK4 in ccRCCs, it performed the function of a latent independent prognostic factor performing the function of a newly built latent therapeutic aim oriented with the patients undergoing RCC. Moreover, the specific mechanism of action is expected to be revealed in the future research.

BRAF V600E Status Sharply Differentiates Lymph Node Metastasis-associated Mortality Risk in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

CONTEXT

How lymph node metastasis (LNM)-associated mortality risk is affected by BRAF V600E in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains undefined.

OBJECTIVE

To study whether BRAF V600E affected LNM-associated mortality in PTC.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

We retrospectively analyzed the effect of LNM on PTC-specific mortality with respect to BRAF status in 2638 patients (2015 females and 623 males) from 11 centers in 6 countries, with median age of 46 [interquartile range (IQR) 35-58] years and median follow-up time of 58 (IQR 26-107) months.

RESULTS

Overall, LNM showed a modest mortality risk in wild-type BRAF patients but a strong one in BRAF V600E patients. In conventional PTC (CPTC), LNM showed no increased mortality risk in wild-type BRAF patients but a robustly increased one in BRAF V600E patients; mortality rates were 2/659 (0.3%) vs 4/321 (1.2%) in non-LNM vs LNM patients (P = 0.094) with wild-type BRAF, corresponding to a hazard ratio (HR) (95% CI) of 4.37 (0.80-23.89), which remained insignificant at 3.32 (0.52-21.14) after multivariate adjustment. In BRAF V600E CPTC, morality rates were 7/515 (1.4%) vs 28/363 (7.7%) in non-LNM vs LNM patients (P < 0.001), corresponding to an HR of 4.90 (2.12-11.29) or, after multivariate adjustment, 5.76 (2.19-15.11). Adjusted mortality HR of coexisting LNM and BRAF V600E vs absence of both was 27.39 (5.15-145.80), with Kaplan-Meier analyses showing a similar synergism.

CONCLUSIONS

LNM-associated mortality risk is sharply differentiated by the BRAF status in PTC; in CPTC, LNM showed no increased mortality risk with wild-type BRAF but a robust one with BRAF mutation. These results have strong clinical relevance.

Circular RNA circPRKDC promotes tumorigenesis of gastric cancer via modulating insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) and mediating microRNA-493-5p

CircPRKDC has been disclosed to participate in the tumorigenesis of serval tumors, but the regulatory mechanisms of circPRKDC in GC are still unknown. CircPRKDC, miR-493-5p, and insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2) levels were tested by RT-qPCR. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related protein levels were evaluated via western blot. The cell viability, migration and invasion were evaluated through CCK-8 and Transwell assays. Luciferase reporter and RIP assays were employed to confirm the binding ability between miR-493-5p and circPRKDC or IRS2. CircPRKDC was upregulated in GC samples, and circPRKDC silencing restrained GC cell viability, metastasis, and EMT and suppressed GC tumor growth. Besides, miR-493-5p was a target of circPRKDC, and the repressive impact of circPRKDC knockdown on GC development was neutralized by miR-493-5p inhibition. Moreover, miR-493-5p targeted IRS2 and IRS2 addition rescued the effects of circPRKDC depletion on GC progression. Finally, circPRKDC knockdown could regulate IRS2 expression by targeting miR-493-5p. These results elaborated that circPRKDC accelerated GC development via sponging miR-493-5p and increasing IRS2, which might provide novel potential targets for GC treatment.

Efficacy and safety of chiglitazar, a novel peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor pan-agonist, in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial (CMAP)

Chiglitazar (Carfloglitazar) is a novel non-thiazolidinedione (TZD) structured peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pan-agonist that has shown promising effects on glycemic control and lipid regulation in patients with type 2 diabetes in previous clinical studies. This randomized phase 3 trial aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of chiglitazar with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes with insufficient glycemic control by strict diet and exercise alone. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive chiglitazar 32 mg (n = 167), chiglitazar 48 mg (n = 166), or placebo (n = 202) once daily. The primary endpoint was the change in glycosylated hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) at week 24 with superiority of chiglitazar over placebo. The results showed that both chiglitazar 32 and 48 mg resulted in significant and clinically meaningful reductions in HbA_1c, and placebo-adjusted estimated treatment differences at week 24 for chiglitazar 32 and 48 mg were -0.87% (95% confidential interval (CI): -1.10 to -0.65; P < 0.0001) and -1.05% (95% CI: -1.29 to -0.81; P < 0.0001), respectively. Secondary efficacy parameters including glycemic control, insulin sensitivity and triglyceride reduction were also significantly improved in the chiglitazar groups. The overall frequency of adverse events and study discontinuation attributable to adverse events were similar among the groups. Low incidences of mild edema and body weight gain were reported in the chiglitazar dose groups. The results from this phase 3 trial demonstrated that the PPAR pan-agonist chiglitazar possesses an overall good efficacy and safety profile in patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with lifestyle interventions, thereby providing adequate supporting evidence for using this PPAR pan-agonist as a treatment option for type 2 diabetes.

Comparative Investigation of the Experimental Determination of AA5086 FLCs under Different Necking Criteria

The construction of a forming limit diagram (FLD) is a conventional approach to obtain limit strains and to evaluate the formability of sheet metal. Appropriate necking criteria should be applied to determine the forming limit curve (FLC) accurately. In recent years, deep research on the determination of the FLC has been carried out; meanwhile, several necking criteria have been proposed. However, the application of inappropriate necking criteria would cause deviations when determining FLCs. In this study, both Marciniak and Nakajima tests were carried out on the AA5086 aluminum sheet to make a comparative investigation of different necking criteria in the determination of FLCs. In the Marciniak test, four existing necking criteria were chosen to construct FLCs, and analyzed in detail. The well-performed time dependent and position dependent methods were selected for the Nakajima test. Meanwhile, the modified Wang method based on the height change of the adjacent points was proposed. The comparative results showed that the time and position dependent methods were relatively conservative in both experiments, while the modified Wang method could identify the onset of localized necking more accurately.

Normal parathyroid hormone and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

To investigate the associations between parathyroid hormone (PTH) and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected from 2,322 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in hospital between 2017 and 2019. The odds ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval related to the quartiles of PTH were obtained by logistic regression analysis after adjusting the potential confounding variation.

RESULTS

The patients were stratified into quartiles (Q1-Q4) based on the PTH levels, with the cut-off limits of ≤23.74, 23.74-29.47, 29.47-37.30 and >37.30 pg/mL in men, and ≤24.47, 24.47-31.22, 31.22-39.49 and >39.49 pg/mL in women. The first quartile (Q1) represents the lowest quartile and the fourth quartile (Q4) is the highest. According to the quartiles (Q1-Q4), the prevalence rate of NPDR in patients showed a significantly decreasing trend (37.9%, 36.3%, 34.0% vs 24.0% in men; 43.2%, 40.5%, 31.1% vs 26.2% in women, both P < 0.05). Independent of age, diabetes duration and other metabolic factors, multivariate logistic regression showed that participants in Q4 had a lower OR of NPDR than those in Q1 (OR 0.443, 95% confidence interval 0.300-0.654, P < 0.001 for men; OR 0.428, 95% confidence interval 0.283-0.646, P < 0.001 for women).

CONCLUSIONS

Low serum PTH levels were significantly associated with complications of NPDR in inpatients. Its causality remains to be further studied.

Serum progesterone and retinopathy in male patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum progesterone (P) and retinopathy in male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to investigate whether P is associated with its progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 1,376 male participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited from Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University (Qingdao, China). Through logistic regression analysis after adjusting the potential confounding variation, the odds ratio (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval related to the quartiles of progesterone were obtained.

RESULTS

According to the quartiles of P levels, the prevalence rate of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the last quartile is obviously greater to other quartiles (52.5-34.9%, 31.9%, 37.5%, P < 0.001). Compared with those in the first quartile, the prevalence of DR for the last quartile had an OR of 1.85 in the non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy group, while the OR was 8.35 in the proliferative diabetic retinopathy group (P < 0.001, unadjusted model). When adjusted for age, body mass index, duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus, glycated hemoglobin, blood pressure and other variables, the ORs for DR in the fourth quartile were 2.13 (95% confidence interval 1.49-3.06) in the non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy group and 8.44 (95% confidence interval 2.69-26.43) in the proliferative diabetic retinopathy group (P < 0.001). The positive association between P and DR risk was independent in adjusted logistic regression.

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of serum progesterone are significantly associated with DR in male hospitalized patients. This could mean that a higher P level in men is a potential clinical factor to identify DR, and the causality remains to be further explored.

[Bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy attenuates cardiac remodeling and improves cardiac function in pressure-overloaded heart failure mice]

Objective: To investigate the effect of bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy on cardiac remodeling and function in pressure-overloaded heart failure (HF) mice. Methods: Pressure-overloaded HF mouse model was produced by severe thoracic aorta banding (sTAB). Bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) was performed 2 weeks after sTAB. Twenty four 6-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomized divided into 4 groups (n=6 each): control group: sham sTAB+sham SCGx; denervated group: sham sTAB+SCGx; HF group: sTAB+sham SCGx; denervated HF group: sTAB+SCGx. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography at week 0, 1, 2, and 4 after sTAB, respectively. All mice were sacrificed at the end of week 4 and heart tissues were harvested. HE and Masson staining were performed. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), adrenergic receptor β1 (AR-β1) and CD68 was performed. Western blot was used to determine the protein expression level of TH, B type natriuretic peptide (BNP), and AR-β1. Results: Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) declined continuously in HF group. LVEF was similar between denervated HF group and control group at various time points (P>0.05). LVEF was significantly higher in denervated HF group than in HF group at the end of week 4 (P<0.05). HE staining showed that cross sectional cardiomyocyte area was significantly larger in HF group than in control group and denervated HF group (P<0.05), which was similar between denervated HF group and control group (P>0.05). Masson staining showed that fibrosis level was significantly lower in denervated HF group than in HF group (P<0.05). IHC showed that TH+nerves and CD68⁺ macrophages were significantly increased in HF mice as compared to control mice (P<0.05), whereas this change was abolished in denervated HF group. AR-β1 was significantly down-regulated in HF group compared with control group (P<0.05), which was not affected by denervation (P>0.05). Western blot demonstrated that the expression level of TH and BNP was significantly higher in HF group compared with the control group (P<0.05), whereas this difference was diminished in denervated HF group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy can reduce sympathetic innervation and macrophage infiltration in pressure overloaded failure heart, thus attenuate cardiac remodeling and improve cardiac function.

Arming wood carbon with carbon-coated mesoporous nickel-silica nanolayer as monolithic composite catalyst for steam reforming of toluene

Steam reforming is an effective measure for biomass tar elimination as well as H₂-rich syngas (H₂ + CO) production. However, the granular or powdery Ni-based catalysts are prone to deactivation, which is caused by inappropriate mass transfer and clogging of catalyst bed. Herein, monolithic wood carbon (WC) with low-tortuosity microchannels is armed with a carbon-coated mesoporous nickel-silica nanocomposite (Ni-SiO₂@C) layer via an evaporation-induced self-assembly and calcination procedure for toluene (tar model compound) steam reforming. The quality of the Ni-SiO₂@C layer growing on the surface of WC microchannel is affected by the molar ratios of Si/Ni feed. A uniform thin-layer coverage is obtained on the Ni-15SiO₂@C/WC (Si/Ni = 15) catalyst, where highly dispersed Ni nanoparticles (average size of 6.6 nm) with appropriate metal-support interaction and remarkable mechanical strength are achieved. The mass transfer, coke resistance, and hydrothermal stability of the Ni-15SiO₂@C/WC catalyst were significantly improved by the multilevel structure assembled from the WC microchannels and the secondary ordered SiO₂ mesopores. A stable toluene conversion over 97% with an H₂ yield of 135 μmol/min was obtained at 600 °C on the Ni-15SiO₂@C/WC catalyst. This work opens a new window for facilely constructing high-performance wood carbon-based monolithic tar reforming catalyst.

Determination of the protective effects of Hua-Zhuo-Jie-Du in chronic atrophic gastritis by regulating intestinal microbiota and metabolites: combination of liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer metabolic profiling and 16S rRNA gene sequencing

Background

Hua-Zhuo-Jie-Du (HZJD), a Chinese herbal prescription consisting of 11 herbs, is commonly used in China to treat chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG). We aimed to determine the effect of HZJD on the microbiome-associated metabolic changes in CAG rats.

Methods

The CAG rat models were induced by 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) combined with irregular fasting and 2% sodium salicylate, which was intragastrically administrated in fasted animals for 24 weeks. The CAG rats in the Chinese medicine (CM) group were administered a daily dose of 14.81 g/kg/day HZJD, and the vitacoenzyme (V) group were administered a daily dose of 0.08 g/kg/day vitacoenzyme. All animals were treated for 10 consecutive weeks, consecutively. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to assess the histopathological changes in the gastric tissues. An integrated approach based on liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS) metabolic profiling combined with 16S rRNA gene sequencing was carried out to assess the effects of HZJD on CAG rats. Spearman analysis was used to calculate the correlation coefficient between the different intestinal microbiota and the metabolites.

Results

The H&E results indicated that HZJD could improve the pathological condition of CAG rats. The LC–MS results indicated that HZJD could significantly improve 21 gastric mucosal tissue perturbed metabolites in CAG rats; the affected metabolites were found to be involved in multiple metabolic pathways, such as the central carbon metabolism in cancer. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that HZJD could regulate the diversity, microbial composition, and abundance of the intestinal microbiota of CAG rats. Following HZJD treatment, the relative abundance of Turicibacter was increased, and the relative abundance of Desulfococcus and Escherichia were decreased in the CM group when compared with the M group. Spearman analysis revealed that perturbed intestinal microbes had a strong correlation with differential metabolites, Escherichia exhibited a negative correlation with l-Leucine, Turicibacter was negatively correlated with urea, and Desulfococcus exhibited a positive correlation with trimethylamine, and a negative correlation with choline.

Conclusions

HZJD could protect CAG by regulating intestinal microbiota and its metabolites.

Engineering of anatase/rutile TiO2 heterophase junction via in-situ phase transformation for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Constructing effective interphase boundary is one of the efficient approaches for improving photocatalytic performances of semiconductor materials. In this work, an anatase/rutile-TiO₂ (AR-TiO₂) heterophase junction with appropriate carbon content was successfully fabricated via an in-situ phase transformation process. The phase transformation started from the inner core of the nanoparticles and the area of phase interface between anatase and rutile was carefully controlled by regulating the activation temperature. The well-established type-II band alignment between two TiO₂ phases with residual carbon as additional charge transfer intermediary which significantly improved the light-harvesting and photoinduced electron-hole pair separation. As a result, the optimal AR-TiO₂-550 catalyst (without adding commonly used Pt as co-catalyst) remarkably enhanced photocatalytic H₂ generation (201 μmol h^-1 g^-1), which was about 12-fold to that of P25. The AR-TiO₂-550 heterophase junction also showed long-term stability under simulated solar light irradiation. This research provides a new phase engineering route for developing high-efficient photocatalysts.

MiR-223-3p and miR-22-3p inhibit monosodium urate-induced gouty inflammation by targeting NLRP3

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play a crucial role in inflammation regulation; however, their relationship with inflammation in acute gouty arthritis has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we conducted a study to explore the regulatory roles of miR-223-3p and miR-22-3p in gouty-associated inflammation.

METHODS

In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to examine the molecular mechanisms of miRNA regulation in gouty inflammation. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the direct target of miR-223-3p and miR-22-3p.

RESULTS

We found that miR-223-3p and miR-22-3p interacted with the 3' untranslated region segment of NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat [NLR] and pyrin domain containing receptor 3) and inhibited its expression. A decreased expression of miR-223-3p and miR-22-3p was observed in both mice air pouch synovium and phorbol myristrate acetate-treated THP-1 cells stimulated with monosodium urate (P < .05). Compared with the negative control group, NLRP3 expression at the transcript and protein level in miR-223-3p and miR-22-3p overexpression group significantly decreased after 6 hours of monosodium urate treatment in vivo and in vitro (P < .05). The results of the dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-223-3p and miR-22-3p directly targeted NLRP3.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study show that miR-223-3p and miR-22-3p can reduce the inflammatory effects of gout by inhibiting the expression of NLRP3.

Molecular and clinical characteristics of congenital hypothyroidism in a large cohort study based on comprehensive thyroid transcription factor mutation screening in Henan

BACKGROUND

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH), the most common neonatal endocrine disorder worldwide, can be caused by variants in thyroid transcription factor (TTF) genes including NKX2-1, FOXE1, PAX8, NKX2-5 and HHEX. This study aims to perform targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel for comprehensive mutation screening on these genes in a cohort of 606 CH patients with various types from Henan Province, China, to investigate the mutation rate of TTF genes, and to analyze the clinical, biochemical and molecular characteristics of our CH cohort.

METHODS

High-throughput sequencing combined with statistical calculation were applied for mutation screening and analyses of the clinical data.

RESULTS

Twenty-two likely disease-causing monoallelic mutations in the TTF genes were identified in our cohort (3.63%, 22/606). Mutated PAX8 was the most predominant genetic alteration among these TTF mutations. Interestingly, PAX8 defects were only found in TD cases and variants in the five TTF genes were detected in gland in situ (GIS) patients. CH patients with the same genotype may have significant phenotypic variability and permanent CH (PCH) patients in the GIS group were significantly fewer than those in the TD group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed the estimated TTF mutation rate among CH cases was 3.63% in Henan Province and genetic alternations in TTF genes played a role not only in TD but also in GIS, especially in goiter. Although we speculated that the five TTF genes may be involved in certain steps of thyroid hormone biosynthesis, more researches are needed to verify the conclusions of the present study.

[The application of Voriconazole in 76 patients with cirrhosis at Child-Pugh C stage complicated by invasive fungal infection]

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of voriconazole in the patients with cirrhosis at Child-Pugh C stage complicated by invasive fungal infection(IFI). Methods: A retrospective collection of medical records of 76 patients with cirrhosis at Child-Pugh C stage complicated by IFI who were admitted to our hospital, from August 2014 to August 2017 was carried out. All the 76 patients who used voriconazole to treat IFI were divided into recommended dose group for hepatic insufficiency(56 cases) and routine dose group(20cases). The two groups were observed and compared in terms of the voriconazole's plasma concentrations, the outcomes of IFI and the rate of untoward reactions. The liver functional indicators were also compared between before and after treatment each group. We used Student's t test, Z test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate, for statistical analysis. Results: Both groups had good performance and low frequencies of side effects in the treatment of IFI, but there were also significant differences in the plasma concentrations of voriconazole and the incidence of untoward reactions between the two groups(P = 0.008 and P = 0.022). There commended dose group for hepatic insufficiency had lower adverse effect rate. The levels of direct bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly lower after treatment of IFI in the recommended dose group for hepatic insufficiency(P < 0.05). Conclusion: In our research, it is relatively safe and effective to use voriconazole to treat IFI in the patients with cirrhosis at Child-Pugh C stage if according to the recommended dose regimen for cirrhosis at Child-Pugh A,B stage.

Generation of a gene-corrected isogenic iPSC line (AHQUi001-A-1) from a patient with familial hypertriglyceridemia (FHTG) carrying a heterozygous p.C310R (c.928 T > C) mutation in LPL gene using CRISPR/Cas9

Mutations in the LPL gene lead to familial hypertriglyceridemia (FHTG) . We have previously generated an iPSC line (AHQUi001-A) from a FHTG patient with a heterozygous p.C310R (c.928 T > C) mutation in the LPL gene. Here we genetically corrected the C310R mutation in the LPL gene using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate AHQUi001-A-1, which demonstrates normal karyotype, morphology, pluripotency, and potential to differentiate towards three germ layers.

Obesity and diabetes as high-risk factors for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has become an evolving worldwide health crisis. With the rising prevalence of obesity and diabetes has come an increasing awareness of their impacts on infectious diseases, including increased risk for various infections, post-infection complications and mortality from critical infections. Although epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Covid-19 have been constantly reported, no article has systematically illustrated the role of obesity and diabetes in Covid-19, or how Covid-19 affects obesity and diabetes, or special treatment in these at-risk populations. Here, we present a synthesis of the recent advances in our understanding of the relationships between obesity, diabetes and Covid-19 along with the underlying mechanisms, and provide special treatment guidance for these at-risk populations.

A comparative study of acarbose, vildagliptin and saxagliptin intended for better efficacy and safety on type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment

As a complicated metabolic disorder, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming a major health concern worldwide. Drugs including acarbose, saxagliptin and vildagliptin are applied, but their efficacy is still required to be compared. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acarbose, saxagliptin and vildagliptin in the treatment of T2DM. Ninety patients diagnosed with T2DM were treated with acarbose, saxagliptin and vildagliptin, respectively (30 patients for each drug). All patients were examined at 0, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment with vital signs recorded. Fasting blood glucose and blood biochemical indices were analyzed. In addition, fecal samples were taken for microbial macrogenome sequencing and safety evaluation within 12 weeks after treatment. Blood glucose level decreased at 4 and 12 weeks after treatment, and the total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels at 12 weeks were different. Genus abundance of intestinal flora was altered at different time points. Acarbose increased Butyricimonas level first and then decreased it during drug treatment. Saxagliptin increased Megamonas and decreased Turicibacter genus level gradually. Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Blautia, Faecalibacterium and Roseburia levels fluctuated after Vildagliptin treatment, which increased fasting C-peptide level greater than the other two drugs. Saxagliptin showed higher adverse reactions than acarbose and vildagliptin. Collectively, acarbose, vildagliptin, and saxagliptin can effectively reduce the HbA1c level and affect the intestinal flora distribution in T2DM patients, and the adverse reactions of acarbose and vildagliptin are less than saxagliptin, providing alternative strategies for the treatment of T2DM.

Hierarchically porous carbon derived from potassium-citrate-loaded poplar catkin for high performance supercapacitors

A simple one-step preparation of biomass derived carbon materials with hierarchical pore structure for supercapacitor application is proposed. Briefly, potassium citrate is loaded onto poplar catkin, a forestry and agricultural residue, for carbonization at different temperature (750-900 ℃). With the confined effect of poplar catkin and pore-forming role of potassium compounds, interconnected carbon networks combining of macropores, small mesopores and micropores are obtained. The product carbonized at 850 ℃ (S-850) processes large surface area of 2186 m²/g with two main micropore ranges distributed in 0.5-0.7 nm and 0.7-1.5 nm, and the sample of S-900 processes relatively high electrical conductivity because of the high degree of graphitization. The electrodes based on these carbon materials show main electrical double-layer capacitors with small part of pseudo-capacitors due to O-doping. The S-850 sample displays superior specific capacity at low charge-discharge current density while the electrode based on S-900 shows high specific capacity under high current density. The symmetrical devices based on S-850 give a superb stability and high energy and power densities in alkaline electrolyte. Within a voltage window of 1.4 V, the device can deliver a 13.3 Wh/kg energy density at a power density of 720 W/kg and maintain 7.8 Wh/kg at 14040 W/kg.

Facile synthesis of anionic porous organic polymer for ethylene purification

The removal of acetylene from ethylene is of vital significance in the petroleum and chemical industry, the presence of trace acetylene impurities in ethylene polymerization process could lead to the interruption of ethylene polymerization. Herein, we construct a new anionic porous organic polymer using potassium tetraphenylborate via Friedel-Crafts alkylation reaction under mild conditions. The resulting material, APOP, possesses good thermal stability and a decent BET surface area, as exemplified by thermogravimetric analysis measurement and nitrogen gas sorption experiment. Acetylene and ethylene adsorption isotherms reveal that APOP has a higher adsorption capacity of acetylene than that of ethylene under same conditions. Ideal adsorbed solution theory calculations and breakthrough experiments both demonstrate that APOP is capable of selective adsorption of acetylene over ethylene. To the best of our knowledge, APOP represents the first anionic porous organic polymer material capable of selective adsorption of acetylene over ethylene, and the exploration of APOP may provide a new way for these key gas separations using ionic porous organic polymer materials.