Investigation of the feasibility of NRAV as a biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma

The long non-coding RNA,Negative Regulator of Antiviral Response(NRAV)has been identified as a participant in both respiratory virus replication and immune checkpoints,however,its involvement in pan-cancer immune regulation and prognosis,particularly those of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),remains unclear.To address this knowledge gap,we analyzed expression profiles obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database,comparing normal and malignant tumor tissues.We found that NRAV expression is significantly upregulated in tumor tissues compared to adjacent nontumor tissues.Kaplan-Meier(K-M)analysis revealed the prognostic power of NRAV,wherein overexpression was significantly linked to reduced overall survival in a diverse range of tumor patients.Furthermore,noteworthy associations were observed between NRAV,immune checkpoints,immune cell infiltration,genes related to autophagy,epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),pyroptosis,tumor mutational burden(TMB),and microsatellite instability(MSI)across different cancer types,including HCC.Moreover,NRAV upregulation expression was associated with multiple pathological stages by clinical observations.Furthermore,our investigation revealed a substantial elevation in the expression of NRAV in both HCC tumor tissues and cells compared to normal tissues and cells.The inhibition of NRAV resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation,migration,and invasion in HCC cells,while also influencing the expression of CD274(PD-L1)and CD44,along with various biomarkers associated with EMT,autophagy,and pyroptosis.The aforementioned results propose NRAV as a promising prognostic biomarker for HCC.

Protective Effect and Mechanism of n-butanol Extract from Diploclisia glaucescens(B1.)Diels on Rats with Adjuvant Arthritis

[Objectives]To study the protective effect and mechanism of n-butanol extract of Diploclisia glaucescens(B1.)Diels on rats with adjuvant arthritis.[Methods]A rat adjuvant arthritis(AA)model with similarities to a clinical RA(rheumatoid arthritis)patient was used,and the model was made by injection of Complete Freund s adjuvant(CFA).Body mass and joint swelling degree were used as indicators,and the organ index was calculated and the synovial tissue of rats was examined under microscope to evaluate the protective effect of n-butanol extract on arthritis.The effects of n-butanol extract on TNF-α,IL-1βand PGE_(2)contents in rat serum were detected by ELISA kit.[Results]Arthritic rats experienced significant weight loss;the n-butanol extract reduced the joint swelling in rats.It exerted an effect on rat organs and reduced the contents of TNF-α,IL-1βand PGE_(2) in rat serum,and also reduced synovial inflammation in rats.[Conclusions]The n-butanol extract of D.glaucescens can protect rats with adjuvant arthritis by reducing the content of inflammatory factors.

Winter-spring minimum temperature variations inferred from tree-ring δ^(13)C in southeastern China

Long-term temperature variations inferred from high-resolution proxies provide an important context to evaluate the intensity of current warming.However,tem-perature reconstructions in humid southeastern China are scarce and particularly lack long-term data,limiting us to obtain a complete picture of regional temperature evolution.In this study,we present a well-verified reconstruction of winter-spring(January–April)minimum temperatures over southeastern China based on stable carbon isotopic(δ^(13)C)records of tree rings from Taxus wallichiana var.mairei from 1860 to 2014.This reconstruction accounted for 56.4%of the total observed variance.Cold periods occurred during the 1860s–1910s and 1960s–1970s.Although temperatures have had an upward trend since the 1920s,most of the cold extremes were in recent decades.The El Niño-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)variance acted as a key modulator of regional winter-spring minimum temperature variability.However,teleconnections between them were a nonlinear process,i.e.,a reduced or enhanced ENSO variance may result in a weakened or intensified temperature-ENSO relationship.

PIM-1 as an artificial solid electrolyte interphase for stable lithium metal anode in high-performance batteries

Lithium metal anode is a promising electrode with high theoretical specific capacity and low electrode potential.However,its unstable interface and low Coulombic efficiency,resulting from the dendritic growth of lithium,limits its commercial application.PIM-1(PIM:polymer of intrinsic microporosity),which is a polymer with abundant micropores,exhibits high rigidity and flexibility with contorted spirocenters in the backbone,and is an ideal candidate for artificial solid electrolyte interphases(SEI).In this work,a PIM-1 membrane was synthesized and fabricated as a protective membrane on the surface of an electrode to facilitate the uniform flux of Li ions and act as a stable interface for the lithium plating/stripping process.Nodule-like lithium with rounded edges was observed under the PIM-1 membrane.The Li@PIM-1 electrode delivered a high average Coulombic efficiency(99.7%),excellent cyclability(80%capacity retention rate after 600 cycles at 1 C),and superior rate capability(125.3 m Ah g-1 at 10 C).Electrochemical impedance spectrum(EIS)showed that the PIM-1 membrane could lower the diffusion rate of Li+significantly and change the rate-determining step from charge transfer to Li+diffusion.Thus,the PIM-1 membrane is proven to act as an artificial SEI to facilitate uniform and stable deposition of lithium,in favor of obtaining a compact and dense Li-plating pattern.This work extends the application of PIMs in the field of lithium batteries and provides ideas for the construction of artificial SEI.

Optimization of Extraction Process and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharide in Embelia parviflora Wall.by RSM

[Objectives]To optimize the extraction process of polysaccharide in Embelia parviflora Wall.by response surface methodology,and to study the antioxidant activity in vitro of polysaccharide in E.parviflora,so as to provide a basis for the further development and utilization of E.parviflora.[Methods]The solid-to-liquid ratio,extraction temperature,extraction time and extraction times were used as single factors to investigate the effects.On this basis,the response surface methodology(RSM)was used to optimize the extraction process of polysaccharide in E.parviflora.DPPH and ABTS free radicals were used to investigate the antioxidant capacity of polysaccharide in E.parviflora.[Results]The optimal solid-to-liquid ratio for extraction of polysaccharide from E.parviflora was 32∶1(mL/g),extraction temperature was 77℃,and extraction time was 36 min.The IC50 values of DPPH and ABTS were 0.04 and 0.03 mg/mL,respectively.[Conclusions]The optimized extraction process of polysaccharide in E.parviflora is stable,the extraction rate is high,and has strong antioxidant activity.It is expected to provide a reference for the industrial extraction of polysaccharide from E.parviflora.

Effects of Three Nitrification Inhibitors on the Nitrogen Conversion in Purple Soil and Its Effect on the Nitrogen Uptake of Citrus Seedlings

Experiments were carried out to study the effects of nitrification inhibitors (NI) on the transformation of soil nitrogen (N) in purple soil and the effects on the N accumulation in different organs of citrus seedlings. In incubation and pot experiments, the rate of nitrification inhibitors 2-chloro-6-trichloro-methyl pyridine (Nitrapyrin), 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and dicyandiamide (DCD) was 2.4%, 1.0% and 5.0% of N rate, respectively. The trend of different nitrification inhibitors on ammonium nitrogen ( NH+4-N ), nitrate nitrogen ( NO-3-N ) content and pH was compared in incubation experiment;and the effect of different NI on the dry matter quality, N uptake of citrus seedling was studied in pot experiment. The results showed that NI could significantly inhibit soil nitrification in the early culture period (p DMPP > En (calculated as nitrogen application rate). Application of NI increased the height and dry matter accumulation, N accumulation of citrus seedling grown in pot experiment. Thus, application of NI would be helpful for improving N use efficiency in purple soil which is one of major soil types for citrus production in China.

Study on the Quality Standard of Dujieqing Pill

[Objectives]To establish the quality control method of Dujieqing pills.[Methods]Tangerine peel and Panax notoginseng in Dujieqing pills were qualitatively identified by thin layer chromatography(TLC).The content of hesperidin and ginsenoside Rb1 was determined by HPLC.The acetonitrile-aqueous solution was used as mobile phase for gradient elution,the detection wavelength was 203 nm,the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min,the column temperature was 25℃,and the injection volume was 10μL.[Results]Under TLC,tangerine peel and P.notoginseng had clear chromatographic spots,good separation effect,and strong specificity and negative samples showed no interference;there was a good linear relationship between hesperidin and ginsenoside Rb1 in the range of 0.838-8.38μg(R2=0.9994)and 0.44-4.4μg(R2=0.9994),respectively;the average recovery(n=9)was 98.90%(RSD=2.31%)and 98.31%(RSD=2.56%),respectively.[Conclusions]The established quality control method is simple,reproducible,accurate and reliable,and can be used for the quality control of Dujieqing pills.

RALOX-HAIC联合免疫检查点抑制剂及靶向药物治疗中晚期肝癌的疗效分析

目的:探讨雷替曲塞+奥沙利铂方案肝动脉灌注化疗(RALOX-HAIC)联合免疫及靶向药物三联治疗中晚期肝细胞癌(hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC)的疗效与安全性。方法:回顾性分析2020年6月至2021年12月收治于南方医科大学南方医院39例行RALOX-HAIC联合靶免治疗的中晚期HCC患者,以首次HAIC治疗为起点,以患者疾病进展、死亡、不可耐受不良反应为终点,按照RECIST 1.1标准进行疗效评估,随访时间截至2022年10月。主要研究终点为客观缓解率(objective response rate,ORR),次要研究终点为疾病控制率(disease control rate,DCR)、中位无进展生存期(median progression-free survival,mPFS)、中位总生存期(median overall survival,mOS)及安全性。结果:ORR为41.0%,DCR达87.2%,m PFS为7.3个月(95%CI:5.0~9.6),mOS为14.6个月(95%CI:10.8~18.5),其中1例患者成功转化行手术治疗后完全缓解至今。常见的不良反应有HAIC术后发热、腹痛;化疗药物引起的骨髓抑制;肝功能异常、高血压、手足综合征等,无治疗相关死亡事件发生。结论:RALOX-HAIC联合免疫检查点抑制剂及靶向药物治疗中晚期HCC的DCR高,安全性良好,不良反应可耐受,为后续前瞻性临床研究奠定了基础。

经肝动脉化疗栓塞联合系统治疗对不可切肝细胞癌的疗效分析

目的:探索经肝动脉化疗栓塞(transcatheter arterial chemoembolization,TACE)为基础的不同方案治疗不可切除肝细胞癌(unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma,uHCC)患者的疗效和安全性,以及TACE联合酪氨酸激酶抑制剂(tyrosine kinase inhibitors,TKIs)和免疫检查点抑制剂(immune checkpoint inhibitors,ICIs)的最佳时机。方法:回顾性分析2016年4月至2021年12月期间在南方医科大学南方医院接受基于TACE治疗的555例uHCC患者资料。根据不同治疗方案分为:TACE组(n=317)、TACE+TKIs组(n=66)、TACE+ICIs组(n=33)、TACE+TKIs+ICIs组(n=139)。在亚组分析中,根据不同的联合时间将TACE+TKIs+ICIs组分为“TACE前”和“TACE后”组。采用单因素、多因素Cox回归分析影响OS的预后因素。结果:TACE+TKIs+ICIs组获得最长的OS(21.9个月,95%CI:17.2~26.6,P=0.030)和PFS(8.3个月,95%CI:7.3~9.3,P=0.004)。在亚组分析中,“TACE后”组比“TACE前”组获得更长的OS(26.8个月vs.19.2个月,P=0.011)。TACE组、TACE+TKIs组、TACE+ICIs组、TACE+TKIs+ICIs组的ORR分别为32.8%、41.1%、42.4%、52.5%(P=0.001),DCR分别为59.6%、71.2%、69.7%、82.7%(P<0.001)。不良反应事件与既往研究相似。Cox回归分析提示肿瘤数量、肝外转移及治疗方案是患者OS的独立预后因素(均P<0.05)。结论:TKIs或ICIs可以提高TACE治疗uHCC患者的OS和PFS,TKIs+ICIs联合TACE生存获益更佳。首次TACE术后3个月内联合“TKIs+ICIs”治疗方案的总生存期获益更显著。

Determination of the Content of Five Active Components in Toad Skin

[Objectives] To establish a method for the determination of active components in toad skin. [Methods] HPLC method was used to determine the content of five active components (bufotalin, cinobufotalin, bufalin, cinobufagin and resibufogenin) in toad skin. [Results] Chromatographic conditions are as follows: Agilent ZORBAX SB-C 18 chromatographic column was used;acetonitrile (A)-0.3% glacial acetic acid (B) gradient elution (0-15 min, 28%A-54%A;15-35 min, 54%A-54%A) was conducted;the flow rate was 0.6 mL/min;the detection wavelength was 296 nm;the column temperature was 30 ℃;the sample size was 10 μL. Under the above conditions, the determination method of the five components can be established at one time. [Conclusions] The method was stable and reliable, and can provide experimental basis for the development and utilization of active ingredients in toad skin.

Proxitome profiling reveals a conserved SGT1- NSL1 signaling module that activates NLRmediated immunity

Suppressor of G2 allele of skp1(SGT1)is a highly conserved eukaryotic protein that plays a vital role in growth,development,and immunity in both animals and plants.Although some SGT1 interactors have been identified,the molecular regulatory network of SGT1 remains unclear.SGT1 serves as a co-chaperone to stabilize protein complexes such as the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat(NLR)class of immune receptors,thereby positively regulating plant immunity.SGT1 has also been found to be asso-ciated with the SKP1-Cullin-F-box(SCF)E3 ubiquitin ligase complex.However,whether SGT1 targets im-mune repressors to coordinate plant immune activation remains elusive.In this study,we constructed a toolbox for TurbolD-and split-TurbolD-based proximity labeling(PL)assays in Nicotiana benthamiana and used the PL toolbox to explore the SGT1 interactome during pre-and post-immune activation.The comprehensive SGT1 interactome network we identified highlights a dynamic shift from proteins associ-ated with plant development to those linked with plant immune responses.We found that SGT1 interacts with Necrotic Spotted Lesion1(NSL1),which negatively regulates salicylic acid-mediated defenseby inter-fering with the nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of non-expressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1(NPR1)during N NLR-mediated response to tobacco mosaic virus.SGT1 promotes the SCF-dependent degrada-tion of NSL1 to facilitate immune activation,while salicylate-induced protein kinase-mediated phosphory-lation of SGT1further potentiates this process.Besides NNLR,NSL1also functions in several other NLR-mediated immunity.Collectively,our study unveils the regulatory landscape of SGT1 and reveals a novel SGT1-NSL1 signaling module that orchestrates plant innate immunity.

Understanding the deterrence effect of punishment for marine information security policies non-compliance

In the organizational setting of marine engineering,a significant number of information security incidents have been arised from the employees’failure to comply with the information security policies(ISPs).This may be treated as a principal-agent problem with moral hazard between the employer and the employee for the practical compliance effort of an employee is not observable without high cost-.On the other hand,according to the deterrence theory,the employer and the employee are inherently self-interested beings.It is worth examining to what extent the employee is self-interested in the marine ISPs compliance context.Moreover,it is important to clarify the proper degree of severity of punishment in terms of the deterrent effect.In this study,a marine ISPs compliance game model has been proposed to evaluate the deterrence effect of punishment on the non-compliance behavior of employee individuals.It is found that in a non-punishment contract,the employee will decline to comply with the marine ISPs;but in a punishment contract,appropriate punishment will lead her to select the marine ISPs compliance effort level expected by the employer,and cause no potential backfire effect.

Temporal and Spatial Evolution of Lakes in the Bashang Plateau for Nearly Recent 30 Years

Lakes are important ecological water sources in the Bashang Plateau. Its expansion or shrinkage directly affects the ecological security of the plateau and its surrounding areas. In this study, Landsat images from 1984 to 2015 were selected to monitor the area of lakes in the Bashang Plateau and to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution and driving forces of lakes in the Bashang Plateau. The results showed that there were 47 lakes in the Bashang Plateau in 2015, with a total area of 37.63 km2, mainly distributed in the central and western regions of the region. From 1984 to 2015, the lakes in Bashang Plateau showed a shrinking trend. At the same time, there are obvious stage differences in lake changes. During 1984-1996, the number of lakes increased by 99 and the total area increased by 124.43 km2. From 1996 to 2015, the number of lakes decreased by 142, and the total area decreased by 183.96 km2. Before 1996, climate change was the dominant factor. However, the shrinkage of lakes after 1996 is the result of climate change and human activities. Among them, the large-scale planting of water consuming crops such as vegetables is the main human activity mode leading to lake shrinkage. This study will help to understand the expansion and contraction factors of the Bashang Plateau lakes in Hebei province and provide a reference for the future protection and management of the lakes.

In situ cultivation of deep-sea water with bicarbonate fueled a different microbial community

Some deep-sea microbes may incorporate inorganic carbon to reduce CO_(2) emission to upper layer and atmosphere.How the microbial inhabitants can be affected under addition of bicarbonate has not been studied using in situ fixed and lysed samples.In this study,we cultivated 40 L natural bottom water at~1000 m depth with a final concentration of 0.1 mmol/L bicarbonate for 40 min and applied multiple in situ nucleic acids collection(MISNAC)apparatus for nucleic acids extraction from the cultivation.Our classification result of the cultivation sample showed a distinct microbial community structure,compared with the samples obtained by Niskin bottle and six working units of MISNAC.Except for notable enrichment of Alteromonas,we detected prevalence of Asprobacter,Ilumatobacter and Saccharimonadales in the cultivation.Deep-sea lineages of Euryarchaeota,SAR406,SAR202 and SAR324 were almost completely absent from the cultivation and Niskin samples.This study revealed the dominant microbes affected by bicarbonate addition and Niskin sampling,which suggested rapid responses of deep-sea microbes to the environmental changes.

Investigation on molar heat capacity, standard molar enthalpy of combustion for guaiacol and acetyl guaiacol ester

The molar heat capacities(C_p) of guaiacol(CAS 90-50-1) and acetyl guaiacol ester(AGE, CAS 613-70-7) were determinated from 290 K to 350 K by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), and expressed as a function of temperature. Two kinds of group contribution models were used to estimate the molar heat capacities of both guaiacol and AGE, the average relative deviation is less than 10%. The standard molar enthalpies of combustion of guaiacol and AGE were- 3590.0 k J·mol^(-1)and- 4522.1 k J·mol^(-1) by a precise thermal isolation Oxygen Bomb Calorimeter. The standard molar enthalpies of formation of guaiacol and AGE in a liquid state at298.15 K were calculated to be- 307.95 k J·mol^(-1) and- 448.72 k J·mol^(-1), respectively, based on the standard molar enthalpies of combustion. The thermodynamic properties are useful for exploiting the new synthesis method, engineering design and industry production of AGE using guaiacol as a raw material.

Complimentary return-freight insurance serves the dark side: An innovative online return policy in China

E-commerce is a typical form of retail digitalization that introduces online uncertainty and product returns.To decrease the negative influence of online uncertainty,the largest Chinese e-commerce company,the Alibaba Group,invited an insurance company to develop return-freight insurance(RFI),a new kind of insurance,to compensate for consumers'losses in the event of online product returns.Complimentary RFl can increase consumer confidence in the retailer and attract more demand.Retailers who offer complimentary RFI demonstrate to consumers that their products and services are too good to incur excessive product returns.However,some low-quality online retailers can mimic competitors'behavior by offering complimentary RFI to consumers.This study aims to introduce an innovative online return policy based on RFI and to explore whether lowquality online retailers would use complimentary RFI as their return strategy to mislead consumers.Using signaling theory,we built a conceptual economic model that includes three exogenous pricing variables:RF,insurance premium,and compensation.These variables play different roles in the model because consumers cannot observe the insurance premium,but the compensation can be.The main finding of this study is that innovative complimentary RFI could be abused by low-type retailers when the premium and compensation are appropriate.Interestingly,compensation plays different roles for retailers with different product values:low-type retailers use complimentary RFI as a noise tool.When the product works for the consumer and the insurance profit is not too high,the compensation for the low-quality product should be larger than that for the highquality product,which is different from conventional wisdom.Although high-type online retailers may use complimentary RFl as a product quality signal,there is still a significant risk that nefarious elements will use it to create product quality noise.

PB/ITO-PET柔性电致变色薄膜制备及性能研究

柔性电致变色器件具有体积小、重量轻、可弯曲等优点,在可穿戴设备、曲面显示器、节能及自适应伪装等领域具有潜在应用前景。本工作以铁氰化钾、氯化钾、无水氯化铁为原料,采用电沉积方法在ITO-PET柔性基底上沉积普鲁士蓝(PB)制得PB/ITO-PET电致变色薄膜,并利用扫描电子显微镜、紫外光谱仪、电化学工作站对PB/ITO-PET电致变色薄膜微观结构和电化学性能进行分析表征。结果表明,电沉积时间为200 s时得到的PB/ITO-PET电致变色薄膜在700 nm波长处光吸收率达到0.755,且PB/ITO-PET电致变色薄膜可在较低电压(0.6 V/-0.3 V)下实现着色和褪色。其光调制范围为68%,着色/褪色响应时间分别为9 s/8 s,着色效率为108 cm^(2)/C。PB/ITO-PET电致变色薄膜经1000次着色-褪色循环后光调制范围为68%,着色效率为100.3 cm^(2)/C。PB/ITO-PET电致变色薄膜500次弯曲,着色效率为105.5 cm^(2)/C,并经1000次着色-褪色循环后着色效率为91cm^(2)/C,光调制范围为65%。利用ITO-PET为离子存储层(对电极)、凝胶电解质和PB/ITO-PET为工作电极组装得到柔性电致变色器件,其光调制范围为53%,着色/褪色响应时间分别为13 s/18 s。

Highly efficient heritable genome editing in wheat using an RNA virus and bypassing tissue culture.

Genome editing provides novel strategies for improving plant traits,but relies on current genetic transformation and plant regeneration procedures,which can be inefficient.We have engineered a barley stripe mosaic virus(BSMV)-based sgRNA delivery vector(BSMV-sg)that is effective in performing heritable genome editing in Cas9-transgenic wheat plants.Mutated progenies were present in the next generation at frequencies ranging from 12.9%to 100%in three different wheat varieties,and 53.8%to 100%of mutants were virus-free.We also achieved multiplex mutagenesis in progeny using a pool of BSMV-sg vectors harboring different sgRNAs.Furthermore,we devised a virus-induced transgene-free editing procedure(VITF-Edit)to generate Cas9-free wheat mutants by crossing BSMV-infected Cas9-transgenic wheat pollen with wild-type wheat.Our study provides a robust,convenient and tissue culture-free approach for genome editing in wheat through virus infection.

Development and research on integrated protection system based on redundant information analysis

Facing the growth of energy demand and the worldwide interests in renewable energy sources,smart grid has been proposed in order to accommodate the needs of power grid development.In China,digital substations have been widely applied.Moreover,as the worldwide interest and development in smart grid have increased significantly,the digital information availability and communication capability of modern substation have been improved.Different with traditional substation protection configuration based on local information,Integrated Protection(IP)is used to denote the integration of several protective devices for multiple power equipment within the substation into one protective relay,obtaining all the real time information of the substation by communication network.The analysis of sharing information and cooperation among different protection functions helps to realize more reliable and sensitive fault detection.This paper describes several different integrated protection schemes and their respective advantages and disadvantages.The principles and functions applied in integrated protection systems are addressed to provide an overview of the current state of the technology.A new coordinated protection system based on inter-substation information is proposed and simulation study is discussed to verify the improved reliability and sensitivity.

与上级关系好重要吗?中国情境中上下级关系对员工影响的元分析

大量研究表明上下级关系在中国情境下组织中对员工具有重要影响,而已有研究结论存在不一致。基于2019年的实证研究成果(包含88篇文献,41574个样本),采用元分析方法,对上下级关系与员工工作相关结果之间的关系进行了定量分析。数据分析结果表明,上下级关系对员工以任务为基础的态度、以他人为基础的态度和以组织为基础的态度、工作行为(建言行为、负责行为和创新行为)、工作绩效(任务绩效和组织公民行为),以及职业发展(客观职业发展和主观职业发展)均有显著的影响,但上下级关系对员工反生产行为的负向影响不显著;研究中的量表类型、结果变量的评价方式和研究设计不同程度地调节了上下级关系与员工结果之间的关系。