Tim-3 promotes cell aggressiveness and paclitaxel resistance through NF-κB/STAT3 signalling pathway in breast cancer cells

Objective:Although T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing molecule-3(Tim-3)has been recognized as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy,its exact role in breast cancer has not been fully elucidated.Methods:Tim-3 gene expression in breast cancer and its prognostic significance were analyzed.Associated mechanisms were then explored in vitro by establishing Tim-3-overexpressing breast cancer cells.Results:In a pooled analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database,Tim-3 gene expression levels were significantly higher(P<0.001)in breast cancer tissue,compared with normal tissues.Tim-3 was a prognosis indicator in breast cancer patients[relapse-free survival(RFS),P=0.004;overall survival(OS),P=0.099].Tim-3 overexpression in Tim-3 low breast cancer cells promoted aggressiveness of breast cancer cells,as evidenced by enhanced proliferation,migration,invasion,tight junction deterioration and tumor-associated tubal formation.Tim-3 also enhanced cellular resistance to paclitaxel.Furthermore,Tim-3 exerted its function by activating the NF-κB/STAT3 signalling pathway and by regulating gene expression[cyclin D1(CCND1),C-Myc,matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP1),TWIST,vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)upregulation,concomitant with Ecadherin downregulation).Lastly,Tim-3 downregulated tight junction-associated molecules zona occludens(ZO)-2,ZO-1 and occludin,which may further facilitate tumor progression.Conclusions:Tim-3 plays an oncogenic role in breast cancer and may represent a potential target for antitumor therapy.

Research progress on the design of electrolyte additives and their functions for zinc-ion batteries

In recent years,zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)have been considered one of the most promising candidates for next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems due to their advantages of high safety,high specific capacity and high economic efficiency.As an indispensable component,the electrolyte has the function of connecting the cathode and the anode,and plays a key role in the performance of the battery.Different types of electrolytes have different effects on the performance of ZIBs,and the use of additives has further developed the research on modified electrolytes,thus effectively solving many serious problems faced by ZIBs.Therefore,to further explore the improvement of ZIBs by electrolyte engineering,it is necessary to summarize the current status of the design of various electrolyte additives,as well as their functions and mechanism in ZIBs.This paper analyzes the challenges faced by different electrolytes,reviews the different solutions of additives to solve battery problems in liquid electrolytes and solid electrolytes,and finally makes suggestions for the development of modified ZIB electrolytes.It is hoped that the review and strategies proposed in this paper will facilitate development of new electrolyte additives for ZIBs.

Identifying marsh dieback events from Landsat image series (1998–2018) with an Autoencoder in the NIWB estuary, South Carolina

This study reports an inventory of marsh dieback events from spatial and temporal perspectives in the North Inlet-Winyah Bay(NIWB)estuary,South Carolina(SC).Past studies in the Gulf/Atlantic coast states have reported acute marsh dieback events in which marsh rapidly browned and thinned,leaving stubble of dead stems or mudflat with damaged ecosystem services.Reported marsh dieback in SC,however,have been limited.This study identified all marsh dieback events in the estuary since 1998.With 20 annually collected Landsat images,the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)series was extracted.A Stacked Denoising Autoencoder neural network was developed to identify the NDVI anomalies on the trajectories.All marsh dieback patches were extracted,and their inter-annual changes were examined.Results showed a continuous,spatially variable multi-year dieback event in 1998–2005,which aligned with the reported dieback in the early 2000s from other states.The identified patches mostly returned to normal within one year while the phenomenon reoccurred in other areas of the estuary during the prolonged dieback period.This study presents the first attempt to explore long-term dieback dynamics in an estuary using satellite time series.It provides valuable information in documenting marsh healthiness and environmental resilience on SC coasts.