Keloid may induce severe impairment of life quality for the patients,although keloid is a cutaneous benign tumor.Collagen triple helix repeat containing protein 1 (Cthrc1) was identified as a novel gene that was origi...Keloid may induce severe impairment of life quality for the patients,although keloid is a cutaneous benign tumor.Collagen triple helix repeat containing protein 1 (Cthrc1) was identified as a novel gene that was originally found in adventitial fibroblasts after arterial injury.To address the role of Cthrcl in keloid,the expression level of Cthrcl was assessed in normal skin and keloid tissue,as well as in normal fibroblasts (NFs)and keloid fibroblasts (KFs)by using quantitative PCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis.The results showed that Cthrcl was increased in keloid tissue and KFs as compared with normal skin and NFs.Meanwhile,CCK8 and Transwell assays found the cellular proliferation and migration of KFs were increased as compared with NFs.Further,to verify the function of Cthrcl in NFs and K.Fs,we increased Cthrcl expression by transfecting lentivirns (LV) vectors LV-Cthrcl.The cellular proliferation and migration,collagen synthesis and the influence on TGF-β and YAP signaling were tested.The cellular proliferation and migration were increased in NFs-Cthrcl as compared with NFs-control.Meanwhile,YAP expression and nuclear-location was increased in NFs-Cthrcl.On the contrary,when Cthrcl was overexpressed in KFs,the cellular migration was suppressed and YAP expression was reduced and transferred to cytoplasm in KFs-Cthrcl as compared with KFs-control.But the expression level of collagen I was decreased and pSmad2/3 nucleus transfer was suppressed in both NFs-Cthrc1 and KFs-Cthrc1 by using Western blotting and immunofluorescence.Increased Cthrcl activated NFs by promoting YAP nucleus translocation,whereas suppressed KFs by inhibiting YAP nucleus translocation.Enhanced Cthrcl decreased collagen I in both NFs and KFs by inhibiting TGF-β/Smad pathway.In conclusion,Cthrcl may play a role in the pathogenesis of keloid by inhibiting collagen synthesis and fibroblasts migration via suppressing TGF-β/Smad pathway and YAP nucleus translocation.展开更多
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a highly heterogeneous autoimmune disease with a high mortality rate.However,the cellular and molecular mechanisms of SSc remain unclear.Here,we identified the key hub genes and microRNAs (...Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a highly heterogeneous autoimmune disease with a high mortality rate.However,the cellular and molecular mechanisms of SSc remain unclear.Here,we identified the key hub genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) that modulate the occurrence and development of SSc.We downloaded the microarray dataset GSE95065 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and then analyzed the data by using GEO2R.The Database for Annotation,Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used for functional pathway enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs),and Cytoscape software was used to generate the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network.In addition,OmicsNet was used to predict the miRNAs for the hub genes of SSc.As a result,783 DEGs were identified,of which 770 genes (142 up-regulated genes and 628 down-regulated genes) were matched to the genes in SSc skin samples.Gene Ontology (GO) analyses by DAVID indicated that the up-regulated genes were mainly involved in immune response,and the down-regulated genes were greatly enriched in glycinergic synaptic transmission.In the PPI network,22 nodes were selected as key genes,including several members of the chemokine family.Furthermore,after uploading these key genes to the OmicsNet tool,we found that hsa-miR-26b-5p might target CXCL9 and CXCL13.Moreover,we demonstrated that the hsa-miR-26b-5p inhibitor might inhibit fibrosis in TGF-β-activated fibroblasts,which would be a promising target for SSc therapy.展开更多
BACKGROUND Endophthalmitis caused by Enterococci is rare,and cases involving vancomycinresistant enterococci are even rarer.We report the first case of Enterococcus casseliflavus endophthalmitis associated with injury...BACKGROUND Endophthalmitis caused by Enterococci is rare,and cases involving vancomycinresistant enterococci are even rarer.We report the first case of Enterococcus casseliflavus endophthalmitis associated with injury caused by a pig.We also review reported cases of exogenous endophthalmitis caused by Enterococcus casseliflavus and discuss the clinical management and prognosis of this disease.CASE SUMMARY A 43-year-old man with no previous visual problems complained of endophthalmitis in his left eye following injury caused by a pig.Visual acuity was light perception and B-ultrasonography revealed vitreous opacities with retinal detachment.He was treated with intravitreal vancomycin and ceftazidime after refusing vitrectomy.However,the vitreous opacities and retinal detachment deteriorated and he underwent vitrectomy 5 d post-injury.Intraoperatively,advanced rhegmatogenous and tractional retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy were observed.On postoperative day 5,vitreous cultures grew Gram-positive cocci identified as Enterococcus casseliflavus.A 2-wk course of intravenous ampicillin and dexamethasone was commenced.On postoperative day 14,visual acuity improved to hand movement.At 6 mo post-injury,visual acuity improved to 20/667,but optic atrophy was present.CONCLUSION Systemic administration of linezolid in the treatment of Enterococcus casseliflavus endophthalmitis can improve visual acuity.However,intravitreal amikacin should be considered despite concerns of toxicity when oral linezolid fails to prompt improvement.展开更多
The difficulty of early diagnosis,high tumor heterogeneity,and high recurrence and metastasis rates lead to an unsatisfactory treatment status for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).HCC is a typical inflammation-driven tum...The difficulty of early diagnosis,high tumor heterogeneity,and high recurrence and metastasis rates lead to an unsatisfactory treatment status for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).HCC is a typical inflammation-driven tumor.Chronic inflammation allows nascent tumors to escape immunosurveillance.Chemokines are small,soluble,secreted proteins that can regulate the activation and trafficking of immune cells during inflammation.Several studies have shown that various chemokines with overarching functions disrupt the immune microenvironment during the initiation and progression of HCC.The dysregulated chemokine network in HCC contributes to multiple malignant processes,including angiogenesis,tumor proliferation,migration,invasion,tumor low response,and resistance to immune therapy.Here,we summarize the current studies focusing on the role of chemokines and their receptors in the HCC immune microenvironment,highlighting potential translational therapeutic uses for modulating the chemokine system in HCC.展开更多
Boron-oxygen defects can cause serious lightinduced degradation （LID） of commercial solar cells based on the boron-doped crystalline silicon （c-Si）, which are formed under the injection of excess carriers induced ...Boron-oxygen defects can cause serious lightinduced degradation （LID） of commercial solar cells based on the boron-doped crystalline silicon （c-Si）, which are formed under the injection of excess carriers induced either by illumination or applying forward bias. In this contribution, we have demonstrated that the passivation process of boron-oxygen defects can be induced by applying forward bias for a large quantity of solar cells, which is much more economic than light illumination. We have used this strategy to trigger the passivation process of batches of aluminum back surface field （A1-BSF） solar cells and passivated emitter and rear contact （PERC） solar cells. Both kinds of the treated solar cells show high stability in efficiency and suffer from very little LID under further illumination at room temperature. This technology is of significance for the suppression of LID of c-Si solar cells for the industrial manufacture.展开更多
Scholarly relations between developed and developing countries have long been characterized by imbalances and asymmetries.The“centers”in the North give direction,provide models,produce research and function as the p...Scholarly relations between developed and developing countries have long been characterized by imbalances and asymmetries.The“centers”in the North give direction,provide models,produce research and function as the pinnacles of the academic system while institutions in developing countries copy their development from the“centers.”Recently,the academic world is becoming more multi-polarized,forcing a reconsideration of traditional concepts and theories.China is a good example.One effective approach has been to actively engage with the international community.This article reviews international networking at five C9 League universities.It finds that Chinese universities benefit from global engagement,with an imbalance between their engagement with developed and developing countries.As Chinese power rises,such an imbalance appears increasingly inappropriate.展开更多
The porphyrin-based copolymer PZnTPP-SFX is designed and synthesized by alternating porphyrin and spiro[fluorene-9,9'-xanthene]via Suzuki copolymerization.A simple memristor structure of ITO/ZnTPP-SFX/AlOx/Al was ...The porphyrin-based copolymer PZnTPP-SFX is designed and synthesized by alternating porphyrin and spiro[fluorene-9,9'-xanthene]via Suzuki copolymerization.A simple memristor structure of ITO/ZnTPP-SFX/AlOx/Al was fabricated by spin-coating process.The conventional synaptic plasticity is emulated using the single memristor including nonlinear transmission characteristics,spike-timing dependent plasticity and spike-rate dependent plasticity.New spike-voltage dependent plasticity is also found in the memristor which can selectively perform potentiation and depression behaviors at a unipolar voltage.Compared with the device performance of uncoordinated metalloporphyrin polymer,it was found that oxygen vacancies diffuse and migrate into PZnTPP-SFX layer with the assist of coordination metal.This study suggests that porphyrin-based polymers have great promise for synaptic simulation of artificial neural network.展开更多
Currently,the exploration of ultimate energy sources is a hot investigation area for researchers due to the swift diminution of fossil fuels and environmental pollution produced by the ignition of these fossil fuels[1...Currently,the exploration of ultimate energy sources is a hot investigation area for researchers due to the swift diminution of fossil fuels and environmental pollution produced by the ignition of these fossil fuels[1-5].Hydrogen is an ideal alternative energy carrier and is considered to solve such problems due to its high energy density,sustainability,recyclability,and zero COx emission[6-9].展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81472886 and No. 81172588).
文摘Keloid may induce severe impairment of life quality for the patients,although keloid is a cutaneous benign tumor.Collagen triple helix repeat containing protein 1 (Cthrc1) was identified as a novel gene that was originally found in adventitial fibroblasts after arterial injury.To address the role of Cthrcl in keloid,the expression level of Cthrcl was assessed in normal skin and keloid tissue,as well as in normal fibroblasts (NFs)and keloid fibroblasts (KFs)by using quantitative PCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemical analysis.The results showed that Cthrcl was increased in keloid tissue and KFs as compared with normal skin and NFs.Meanwhile,CCK8 and Transwell assays found the cellular proliferation and migration of KFs were increased as compared with NFs.Further,to verify the function of Cthrcl in NFs and K.Fs,we increased Cthrcl expression by transfecting lentivirns (LV) vectors LV-Cthrcl.The cellular proliferation and migration,collagen synthesis and the influence on TGF-β and YAP signaling were tested.The cellular proliferation and migration were increased in NFs-Cthrcl as compared with NFs-control.Meanwhile,YAP expression and nuclear-location was increased in NFs-Cthrcl.On the contrary,when Cthrcl was overexpressed in KFs,the cellular migration was suppressed and YAP expression was reduced and transferred to cytoplasm in KFs-Cthrcl as compared with KFs-control.But the expression level of collagen I was decreased and pSmad2/3 nucleus transfer was suppressed in both NFs-Cthrc1 and KFs-Cthrc1 by using Western blotting and immunofluorescence.Increased Cthrcl activated NFs by promoting YAP nucleus translocation,whereas suppressed KFs by inhibiting YAP nucleus translocation.Enhanced Cthrcl decreased collagen I in both NFs and KFs by inhibiting TGF-β/Smad pathway.In conclusion,Cthrcl may play a role in the pathogenesis of keloid by inhibiting collagen synthesis and fibroblasts migration via suppressing TGF-β/Smad pathway and YAP nucleus translocation.
基金This project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81472886).
文摘Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a highly heterogeneous autoimmune disease with a high mortality rate.However,the cellular and molecular mechanisms of SSc remain unclear.Here,we identified the key hub genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) that modulate the occurrence and development of SSc.We downloaded the microarray dataset GSE95065 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and then analyzed the data by using GEO2R.The Database for Annotation,Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used for functional pathway enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs),and Cytoscape software was used to generate the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network.In addition,OmicsNet was used to predict the miRNAs for the hub genes of SSc.As a result,783 DEGs were identified,of which 770 genes (142 up-regulated genes and 628 down-regulated genes) were matched to the genes in SSc skin samples.Gene Ontology (GO) analyses by DAVID indicated that the up-regulated genes were mainly involved in immune response,and the down-regulated genes were greatly enriched in glycinergic synaptic transmission.In the PPI network,22 nodes were selected as key genes,including several members of the chemokine family.Furthermore,after uploading these key genes to the OmicsNet tool,we found that hsa-miR-26b-5p might target CXCL9 and CXCL13.Moreover,we demonstrated that the hsa-miR-26b-5p inhibitor might inhibit fibrosis in TGF-β-activated fibroblasts,which would be a promising target for SSc therapy.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81660169
文摘BACKGROUND Endophthalmitis caused by Enterococci is rare,and cases involving vancomycinresistant enterococci are even rarer.We report the first case of Enterococcus casseliflavus endophthalmitis associated with injury caused by a pig.We also review reported cases of exogenous endophthalmitis caused by Enterococcus casseliflavus and discuss the clinical management and prognosis of this disease.CASE SUMMARY A 43-year-old man with no previous visual problems complained of endophthalmitis in his left eye following injury caused by a pig.Visual acuity was light perception and B-ultrasonography revealed vitreous opacities with retinal detachment.He was treated with intravitreal vancomycin and ceftazidime after refusing vitrectomy.However,the vitreous opacities and retinal detachment deteriorated and he underwent vitrectomy 5 d post-injury.Intraoperatively,advanced rhegmatogenous and tractional retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy were observed.On postoperative day 5,vitreous cultures grew Gram-positive cocci identified as Enterococcus casseliflavus.A 2-wk course of intravenous ampicillin and dexamethasone was commenced.On postoperative day 14,visual acuity improved to hand movement.At 6 mo post-injury,visual acuity improved to 20/667,but optic atrophy was present.CONCLUSION Systemic administration of linezolid in the treatment of Enterococcus casseliflavus endophthalmitis can improve visual acuity.However,intravitreal amikacin should be considered despite concerns of toxicity when oral linezolid fails to prompt improvement.
基金Supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81871911[W.H.],No.81772623[L.X.],and No.81972237[L.X.])the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFC1312103[L.X.]).
文摘The difficulty of early diagnosis,high tumor heterogeneity,and high recurrence and metastasis rates lead to an unsatisfactory treatment status for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).HCC is a typical inflammation-driven tumor.Chronic inflammation allows nascent tumors to escape immunosurveillance.Chemokines are small,soluble,secreted proteins that can regulate the activation and trafficking of immune cells during inflammation.Several studies have shown that various chemokines with overarching functions disrupt the immune microenvironment during the initiation and progression of HCC.The dysregulated chemokine network in HCC contributes to multiple malignant processes,including angiogenesis,tumor proliferation,migration,invasion,tumor low response,and resistance to immune therapy.Here,we summarize the current studies focusing on the role of chemokines and their receptors in the HCC immune microenvironment,highlighting potential translational therapeutic uses for modulating the chemokine system in HCC.
基金Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos. 51532007, 61574124 and 51472219）, the Program for Innovative Research Team in University of Ministry of Education of China （IRT13R54）, and State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies （Sun Yat-sen University）.
文摘Boron-oxygen defects can cause serious lightinduced degradation （LID） of commercial solar cells based on the boron-doped crystalline silicon （c-Si）, which are formed under the injection of excess carriers induced either by illumination or applying forward bias. In this contribution, we have demonstrated that the passivation process of boron-oxygen defects can be induced by applying forward bias for a large quantity of solar cells, which is much more economic than light illumination. We have used this strategy to trigger the passivation process of batches of aluminum back surface field （A1-BSF） solar cells and passivated emitter and rear contact （PERC） solar cells. Both kinds of the treated solar cells show high stability in efficiency and suffer from very little LID under further illumination at room temperature. This technology is of significance for the suppression of LID of c-Si solar cells for the industrial manufacture.
文摘Scholarly relations between developed and developing countries have long been characterized by imbalances and asymmetries.The“centers”in the North give direction,provide models,produce research and function as the pinnacles of the academic system while institutions in developing countries copy their development from the“centers.”Recently,the academic world is becoming more multi-polarized,forcing a reconsideration of traditional concepts and theories.China is a good example.One effective approach has been to actively engage with the international community.This article reviews international networking at five C9 League universities.It finds that Chinese universities benefit from global engagement,with an imbalance between their engagement with developed and developing countries.As Chinese power rises,such an imbalance appears increasingly inappropriate.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foun-dation of China(Nos.51933005,62074081)the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions(PAPD,YX030003)Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials.
文摘The porphyrin-based copolymer PZnTPP-SFX is designed and synthesized by alternating porphyrin and spiro[fluorene-9,9'-xanthene]via Suzuki copolymerization.A simple memristor structure of ITO/ZnTPP-SFX/AlOx/Al was fabricated by spin-coating process.The conventional synaptic plasticity is emulated using the single memristor including nonlinear transmission characteristics,spike-timing dependent plasticity and spike-rate dependent plasticity.New spike-voltage dependent plasticity is also found in the memristor which can selectively perform potentiation and depression behaviors at a unipolar voltage.Compared with the device performance of uncoordinated metalloporphyrin polymer,it was found that oxygen vacancies diffuse and migrate into PZnTPP-SFX layer with the assist of coordination metal.This study suggests that porphyrin-based polymers have great promise for synaptic simulation of artificial neural network.
基金The authors grateflilly acknowledge the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.21676129)the Science&Technology Foundation of Zhenjiang(GY2016021,GY2017001 and YE201709).
文摘Currently,the exploration of ultimate energy sources is a hot investigation area for researchers due to the swift diminution of fossil fuels and environmental pollution produced by the ignition of these fossil fuels[1-5].Hydrogen is an ideal alternative energy carrier and is considered to solve such problems due to its high energy density,sustainability,recyclability,and zero COx emission[6-9].
