Optimal Synergy between Azulenes and Acenes in Azuacenes with 6-7-5 Ring Topology.

Azuacenes, defined as azulene fused with acenes in a 6-7-5 ring topology and spanning lengths from 3 to 6 rings, have been synthesized using a new skeleton editing and [3 + 2] annulation synthesis protocol as a distinction regarding the procedures to obtain the 6-5-7 isomers. Comprehensive studies on ground-state and excited-state spectroscopy, electrochemical properties, chemical stability, and solid-state structure have been conducted to compare these azuacenes with acenes. For the same number of rings, we found that azuacenes improve the chemical stability of acenes (i.

Targeting autophagy promotes the antitumor effect of radiotherapy on cervical cancer cells.

Radiotherapy is the mainstay of cancer treatment, and reducing radioresistance is still a poorly explored issue in radiotherapy. Our study was designed to explore the possible functions and mechanisms of autophagy in cervical cancer cells treated with radiotherapy. We discovered that autophagy was activated in C33a and HeLa cervical cancer cells in parallel with increased apoptosis and formation of polyploid giant carcinoma cells (PGCCs) after radiation.

Polyploid giant cancer cells induced by Docetaxel exhibit a senescence phenotype with the expression of stem cell markers in ovarian cancer cells.

Docetaxel (Doc) plays a crucial role in clinical antineoplastic practice. However, it is continuously documented that tumors frequently develop chemoresistance and relapse, which may be related to polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs). The aim of this study was investigate the formation mechanism and biological behavior of PGCCs induced by Doc.

The Immunomodulation Role of Vaginal Microenvironment On Human Papillomavirus Infection.

Background: Evidence suggests the role of the vaginal microbiome and microenvironment in the immunity state. The human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is widely dependent on the healthy vaginal microenvironment. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the role of the vaginal microenvironment in the rate of high-risk HPV (hr-HPV) infection.

Vancomycin heteroresistance caused by unstable tandem amplifications of the gene cluster on linear conjugative plasmids in a clinical .

Vancomycin heteroresistance is prone to missed detection and poses a risk of clinical treatment failure. We encountered one clinical strain, SRR12, that carried a complete gene cluster but was determined as susceptible to vancomycin using the broth microdilution method. However, distinct subcolonies appeared within the clear zone of inhibition in the E-test assay, one of which, named SRR12-v1, showed high-level resistance to vancomycin.

Parental treatment with selenium protects Caenorhabditis elegans and their offspring against the reproductive toxicity of mercury.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the major pollutants in the environment, which requires effective countermeasures to manage its risk to both human health and the ecosystem. The antagonistic effect of selenium (Se) against methyl mercury (MeHg) and HgCl was evaluated using parent and offspring Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) in this study.

Characterisation of a Novel Hybrid IncFII:IncR:IncN Plasmid Co-Harboring and from a Clinical ST11 Carbapenem-Resistant Strain.

Purpose: We aimed to characterize a novel and co-carrying hybrid plasmid from a clinical carbapenem-resistant  (CRKP) strain.

Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the broth microdilution method. Plasmid size and localization were estimated using S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE) and Southern blotting.

IL-1β is involved in docetaxel chemoresistance by regulating the formation of polyploid giant cancer cells in non-small cell lung cancer.

Docetaxel (Doc) is a cornerstone of chemotherapy; however, treatment with Doc often and inevitably leads to drug resistance and the formation of polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs). In this study, we investigated the effect of Doc on non-small cell lung cancer to explore the role of PGCCs in drug resistance and the molecular mechanisms that regulate this resistance. We found that Doc induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and cell death in A549 and NCI-H1299 cells.

Abundance trade-offs and dominant taxa maintain the stability of the bacterioplankton community underlying blooms.

blooms are an intractable global environmental problem that pollute water and compromise ecosystem functioning. Closed-lake management practices keep lakes free of sewage and harmful algae invasions and have succeeded in controlling local blooms; however, there is little understanding of how the bacterioplankton communities associated with have changed. Here, based on metagenomic sequencing, the phyla, genera, functional genes and metabolic functions of the bacterioplankton communities were compared between open lakes (underlying blooms) and closed lakes (no blooms).

Multi-generation reproductive toxicity of RDX and the involved signal pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans.

As one of the most frequently used explosives, hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) can cause persistent pollution in the environment, leading to the potential ecological threat crossing the generations. In this study, we employed Caenorhabditis elegans to explore the toxic effects of RDX on the parental and offspring worms and the involved signaling pathways. Exposure up to 1000 ng/mL of RDX produced a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, germ cell apoptosis, and decrease in eggs laid.

Molecular Engineering of Chalcogen-Embedded Anthanthrenes via peri-Selective C-H Activation: Fine-Tuning of Crystal Packing for Organic Field-Effect Transistors.

Disclosed herein is a RhCl -catalyzed peri-selective C-H/C-H oxidative homo-coupling of 1-substituted naphthalenes, which provides a highly efficient and streamlined approach to chalcogen-embedded anthanthrenes from readily available starting materials. Introducing O, S, and Se into the anthanthrene skeleton leads to gradually increased π-π stacking distances but significantly enhanced π-π overlaps with the growth of the hetero-atom radius. Moderate π-π distance, overlap area, and intermolecular S-S interactions endow S-embedded anthanthrene (PTT) with excellent 2D charge-transport properties.

A novel cuproptosis-related immune checkpoint gene signature identification and experimental validation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Copper-induced death, also termed cuproptosis, is a novel form of programmed cell death and is promising as a new strategy for cancer therapeutics. Elevated copper levels in tumor cells are positively associated with high PD-L1 expression. Nonetheless, the prognostic significance of cuproptosis-related immune checkpoint genes (CRICGs) in hepatocellular carcinoma remains to be further clarified.

Study on the Effect of B-Ultrasound NT Scan in Early Pregnancy Combined with Serum Screening in Early and Middle Pregnancy for Down Syndrome.

Objective: Down syndrome (DS), also known as trisomy 21 syndrome, is a common and most harmful congenital chromosomal genetic disease. This study is aimed at exploring the effect of B-ultrasound NT scan in early pregnancy combined with serum screening in early and middle pregnancy for Down syndrome.

Methods: A total of 168 pregnant women who were diagnosed and treated in the obstetric clinic of our hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected as the research objects.

Analysis of the Impact of Supply Chain Relationship Strategy on Corporate Cash Dividend Policy Based on Chinese Data.

With the development and application of e-commerce in the process of supply chain integration, the choice of supplier centralized strategy or decentralized mode and how to use supplier financing have become significant contents of supply chain management. This study investigates the effect of competition and cooperation on the corporate cash dividend policy under the influence of the supplier relationship strategy and its mediating mechanism based on Chinese data. The motivation of this study is to provide a basis for enterprises to grasp the dynamic evolution process of the economic consequences of supply chain relationships based on big data and adjust the relationship strategy in time to maximize the positive effects of supplier relationships.

Transgenerational reproductive toxicity of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and its metabolite 4-ADNT in Caenorhabditis elegans.

2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) as an energetic compound widely used in military applications has aroused great concerns in recent years due to its large-scale contamination in soil and water; however, its toxicity is still largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the reproductive toxicity and the transgenerational effects of TNT on Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans).

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and their Derived Exosomes Promote Malignant Phenotype of Polyploid Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells through AMPK Signaling Pathway.

Chemotherapy is an important method for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but it can lead to side effects and polyploid cancer cells. The polyploid cancer cells can live and generate daughter cancer cells via budding. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells with repair and regeneration functions and can resist tissue damage caused by tumor therapy.

Enhanced Uptake of Arsenic Induces Increased Toxicity with Cadmium at Non-Toxic Concentrations on .

Cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) are widely distributed pollutants that co-exist in the environment; however, their joint toxicity on living organisms is still largely unknown. In this study, we explored the joint toxicity of concurrent exposure to Cd and different As species at low concentrations on () in comparison to single exposures. Endpoints such as germ cell apoptosis, the number of oocytes, brood size, and the life span were employed to evaluate the combined effects of Cd and As on exposed from L3 or L4 stages.

Increased expression of NCAPG (Non-SMC condensing I complex subunit G) is associated with progression and poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

Recently, studies have shown that the up-regulation of Non-SMC Condensin I Complex Subunit G (NCAPG) in some tumors can promote tumor progression, and its high expression has a strong correlation with the poor prognosis of patients. However, there are few studies on NCAPG in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Our research is to explore the role of NCAPG in LUAD and try to reveal the possible molecular mechanism.

PRKCA D463H Mutation in Chordoid Glioma of the Third Ventricle: A Cohort of 16 Cases, Including Two Cases Harboring BRAFV600E Mutation.

Chordoid gliomas (CG) of the third ventricle are characterized by chordoid and glial features, but the extent of histological variations across CG is not fully understood. Herein, we report 16 consecutive cases of CG. All 16 patients had histories of headache and vision loss; their median age was 41.

Tandem amplification of the vanM gene cluster drives vancomycin resistance in vancomycin-variable enterococci.

Background: Vancomycin-variable enterococci (VVE) are a potential risk factor for vancomycin resistance gene dissemination and clinical treatment failure. vanM has emerged as a new prevalent resistance determinant among clinical enterococci in China. A total of 54 vancomycin-susceptible enterococci (VSE) isolates carrying incomplete vanM gene clusters were isolated in our previous study.

Characterization of vanM carrying clinical Enterococcus isolates and diversity of the suppressed vanM gene cluster.

Here we report the prevalence of the suppressed vanM gene cluster as a reservoir of vancomycin resistance genes. Among 1284 clinical isolates of enterococci from four hospitals in Hangzhou, China, 55 isolates of Enterococcus faecium and one isolate of Enterococcus faecalis were screened positive for the vanM genotype. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that 55 of the 56 vanM-positive isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplanin.

Influence of Homogenization on Microstructural Response and Mechanical Property of Al-Cu-Mn Alloy.

The evolution of the microstructures and properties of large direct chill (DC)-cast Al-Cu-Mn alloy ingots during homogenization was investigated. The results revealed that the Al-Cu-Mn alloy ingots had severe microsegregation and the main secondary phase was Al₂Cu, with minimal Al₇Cu₂Fe phase. Numerous primary eutectic phases existed in the grain boundary and the main elements were segregated at the interfaces along the interdendritic region.

Identification of Novel Conjugative Plasmids with Multiple Copies of that Confer High-Level Fosfomycin Resistance to Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci.

To further characterize the -carrying plasmids of 19 vancomycin-resistant enterococci, the complete sequences of the - and -containing plasmids of (pEMA120) and (pEA19081) were obtained by single-molecule, real-time sequencing. We found that these two plasmids are essentially identical (99.99% nucleotide sequence identity), which proved the possibility of interspecies transmission.

Draft genome sequence of ST203 vanA Enterococcus faecium strain XH877 from China.

Enterococcus faecium was considered an important nosocomial pathogen that could incur a substantial health burden owing to its high drug resistance and its ability to adapt to the hospital niche. Here we presented the draft genome sequence of multidrug-resistant E. faecium XH877.

Expression of IER3 in primary hepatocarcinoma: correlation with clinicopathological parameters.

Background: Studies indicate the immediate early response gene 3 (IER3) is involved in many biological processes. Recently, it was discovered that IER3 plays an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Thus it may be a valuable biomarker in tumor.