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Fulltext Main drivers of regional value chains in CAFTA: Does trade facilitation matter?

Yu Y, Song Z

PLoS One, 2023;18(12):e0289775.
PMID: 38060468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289775

In the last decades, economic globalisation and the progress of ICT have promoted the international division of labour and optimisation of the global value chain. Moreover, improvements in incentives such as lower tariffs and more efficient border crossings have boosted international trade. Under this background, regional and sub-regional economic cooperation organizations, such as free trade area (FTA), have been developing rapidly and attracting many academic attentions. As the fastest growing FTA in the world, CAFTA is now the largest FTA in developing countries. This study focuses on the value-added network of various industries in the trade process inside CAFTA, and tries to explore the impact of trade facilitation on the DVA trade network of CAFTA. The results show that in the trade network of CAFTA, the proportion of added value of domestic trade in total exports keeps increasing, and the returned added value (RDV) increases significantly. Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand hold relatively high positions in the production network, while China has a relatively low position. On the other hand, China and Thailand become the main beneficiaries after the establishment of CAFTA, while Singapore and Malaysia play a lesser role in trading networks. The results also show that trade facilitation has a significant positive effect on the DVA-INTrex and RDV trade networks, indicating that trade facilitation can significantly increase the domestic indirect value added and returned value added in the trade process. Moreover, the business environment (bus) is the most important factor, with efficiency and transparency of border administration (cus), availability, and use of ICTs (ict) contributing to the improvement.
Efficient transport of atmospheric microplastics onto the continent via the East Asian summer monsoon

Wang X, Liu K, Zhu L, Li C, Song Z, Li D

J Hazard Mater, 2021 07 15;414:125477.
PMID: 33647626 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125477

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in the atmosphere is a global concern because of its environmental and health impacts; however, the monsoonal transport of atmospheric MPs has not yet been investigated. To fully understand the effect of the monsoon on atmospheric MP transport, we conducted a study along the southeast coast of China during the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). We found that the EASM transports atmospheric MPs back onto the continent at a flux of up to 212.977-213.433 kg/EASM/year. The backward trajectory and wind field results indicate that the EASM provides an effective MP transport pathway from Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia to southeastern China. This suggests that only some of the airborne MPs over the ocean enter the marine ecosystem. The average abundance of atmospheric MPs over the sampling area was 0.39 items/100 m3 (0.39 ± 0.43 items/100 m3) during the EASM season, with high variability among the sampling sites. This study improves our understanding of the impact of the EASM on atmospheric MP transport, which can help quantify the contributions of atmospheric MPs to marine or terrestrial ecosystems.
Antibacterial polyene-polyol macrolides and cyclic peptides from the marine-derived Streptomyces sp. MS110128

Jiang L, Huang P, Ren B, Song Z, Zhu G, He W, et al.

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 2021 Jun;105(12):4975-4986.
PMID: 34146138 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11226-w

Marine microbes provide an important resource to discover new chemical compounds with biological activities beneficial to drug discovery. In our study, two new polyene macrolides, pyranpolyenolides A (1) and B (2), and one new natural cyclic peptide (9), together with two known polyenes (7 and 8) and three known cyclic peptides (10-12), were isolated from a culture of the marine Streptomyces sp. MS110128. In addition, four new polyene macrolides, pyranpolyenolides C-F (3-6), were identified as olefin geometric isomers that were most likely produced by photochemical conversion during the cultivation or isolation procedures. The pyranpolyenolides are 32-membered macrolides endowed with a conjugated tetraene and several pairs of 1,3-dihydroxyl groups. Pyranpolyenolides that contain a hydropyran group have not been previously reported. Four cyclic peptides (9-12) showed significant activities against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus with supporting MIC values ranging from 0.025 to 1.25 μg/mL. These cyclic peptides containing piperazic moieties showed moderate activities with MIC values of 12.5 μg/mL against Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG), an attenuated form of the bovine. Additionally, cyclic peptide 12 showed moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans with an MIC value of 12.5 μg/mL. KEY POINTS: • Discovery of new polyenes and cyclic peptides from a marine-derived Actinomycete. • Cyclic peptides containing piperazic moieties exhibited good antibacterial activity.
Fulltext Towards a Framework for Better Understanding of Quiescent Cancer Cells

Nik Nabil WN, Xi Z, Song Z, Jin L, Zhang XD, Zhou H, et al.

Cells, 2021 03 05;10(3).
PMID: 33807533 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030562

Quiescent cancer cells (QCCs) are cancer cells that are reversibly suspended in G0 phase with the ability to re-enter the cell cycle and initiate tumor growth, and, ultimately, cancer recurrence and metastasis. QCCs are also therapeutically challenging due to their resistance to most conventional cancer treatments that selectively act on proliferating cells. Considering the significant impact of QCCs on cancer progression and treatment, better understanding of appropriate experimental models, and the evaluation of QCCs are key questions in the field that have direct influence on potential pharmacological interventions. Here, this review focuses on existing and emerging preclinical models and detection methods for QCCs and discusses their respective features and scope for application. By providing a framework for selecting appropriate experimental models and investigative methods, the identification of the key players that regulate the survival and activation of QCCs and the development of more effective QCC-targeting therapeutic agents may mitigate the consequences of QCCs.
Fulltext Saikosaponin A enhances Docetaxel efficacy by selectively inducing death of dormant prostate cancer cells through excessive autophagy

Feng J, Xi Z, Jiang X, Li Y, Nik Nabil WN, Liu M, et al.

Cancer Lett, 2023 Feb 01;554:216011.
PMID: 36442771 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.216011

Quiescent cancer cells (QCCs), also known as dormant cancer cells, resist and survive chemo- and radiotherapy, resulting in treatment failure and later cancer recurrence when QCCs resume cell cycle progression. However, drugs selectively targeting QCCs are lacking. Saikosaponin A (SSA) derived from Bupleurum DC., is highly potent in eradicating multidrug-resistant prostate QCCs compared with proliferative prostate cancer cells. By further exacerbating the already increased autophagy through inactivation of Akt-mTOR signaling, SSA triggered cell death in QCCs. Contrarily, inhibition of autophagy or activation of Akt signaling pathway prevented SSA-induced cell death. The multicycle of Docetaxel treatments increased the proportion of QCCs, whereas administering SSA at intervals of Docetaxel treatments aggravated cell death in vitro and led to tumor growth arrest and cell death in vivo. In conclusion, SSA is posed as a novel QCCs-eradicating agent by aggravating autophagy in QCCs. In combination with the current therapy, SSA has potential to improve treatment effectiveness and to prevent cancer recurrence.
The organism fate of inland freshwater system under micro-/nano-plastic pollution: A review of past decade

Liang J, Xiong S, He C, Song Z, Yang S, Ma D, et al.

Aquat Toxicol, 2023 Dec;265:106774.
PMID: 38000134 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106774

Micro- and nano-plastics (MPs/NPs) are characterized by their small size and extensive surface area, making them global environmental pollutants with adverse effects on organisms at various levels, including organs, cells, and molecules. Freshwater organisms, such as microalgae, emerging plants, zooplankton, benthic species, and fish, experience varying impacts from MPs/NPs, which are prevalent in both terrestrial and aquatic inland environments. MPs/NPs significantly impact plant physiological processes, including photosynthesis, antioxidant response, energy metabolism, and nitrogen removal. Extended exposure and ingestion to MPs/NPs might cause metabolic and behavioral deviations in zooplankton, posing an extinction risk. Upon exposure to MPs/NPs, both benthic organisms and fish display behavioral and metabolic disturbances, due to oxidative stress, neural toxicity, intestinal damage, and metabolic changes. Results from laboratory and field investigations have confirmed that MPs/NPs can be transported across multiple trophic levels. Moreover, MPs/NPs-induced alterations in zooplankton populations can impede energy transfer, leading to food scarcity for filter-feeding fish, larvae of benthic organism and fish, thus jeopardizing aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, MPs/NPs can harm the nervous systems of aquatic organisms, influencing their feeding patterns, circadian rhythms, and mobility. Such behavioral alterations might also introduce unforeseen ecological risks. This comprehensive review aims to explore the consequences of MPs/NPs on freshwater organisms and their interconnected food webs. The investigation encompasses various aspects, including behavioral changes, alterations in physiology, impacts on metabolism, transgenerational effects, and the disruption of energy transfer within the ecosystem. This review elucidated the physiological and biochemical toxicity of MPs/NPs on freshwater organisms, and the ensuing risks to inland aquatic ecosystems.
Toxic metal pollution and associated health risk in nonferrous metal smelting soil containing clay minerals

Cai K, Du J, Yan L, Luan Z, He Y, Shen J, et al.

J Environ Manage, 2024 Nov;370:122909.
PMID: 39405840 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122909

Given the research situation of toxic metals (TMs) pollution in farmland soil, it is very critical to study the clay influence on TMs environmental behavior to meet the aim of lowering TMs pollution. This research explores the association among clay minerals and TMs and the health risks in TMs combined polluted farmland of northern China. In this study, agricultural soil, wheat grain, and atmospheric sediments from nonferrous metal smelting (NMS) areas were collected and investigated to determine the effect of clay minerals on TMs. The results show that the content ranges of Cd (0.199 mg/kg ∼1.98 × 102 mg/kg), Pb (0.228 × 102 mg/kg ∼ 4.87 × 103 mg/kg), Cu (0.187 × 102 mg/kg ∼ 4.57 × 103 mg/kg), and Zn (0.559 × 102 mg/kg ∼ 3.04 × 103 mg/kg) in the agricultural soil. In particular, Cd has reached heavy pollution by the high pollution index (6.74). The findings indicate that Cd and Pb in wheat grain were influenced by their exchangeable fractions in soil, according to a significant relationship between Cd and Pb in soil and wheat grain. XRD-SEM suggests that TMs come from atmospheric sediments associated with NMS emissions by microsphere signatures with surface burn marks. Meanwhile, Geographical detector indicated that clay was the primary contributor to spatial distribution of Cd and Pb. In addition, XRD results showed that I/S (a mixed layer of illite and smectite), illite, chlorite, and kaolinite co-existed. Whereas the clay minerals with this ratio did not demonstrate better adsorption capacities for Cd and Pb due to the Cd percentage of the residual fraction being less than 9%. The result of negative correlation between exchangeable Cd and clay minerals implies that illite, chlorite, and kaolinite may preferentially adsorb Cd and Pb. It is similar to the relationship between Cd and Pb in wheat grain and illite, chlorite, and kaolinite. In addition, the health assessment result show that the negative correlation between clay minerals and the noncarcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) and indicate that clay minerals could reduce the noncarcinogenic risk of Pb and Cd for children. Our findings provide a potential mechanism and application of clay minerals for the remediation of soil contaminated with TMs.
An Integrated Module Performs Selective 'Online' Epoxidation in the Biosynthesis of the Antibiotic Mupirocin

Winter AJ, de Courcy-Ireland F, Phillips AP, Barker JM, Bakar NA, Akter N, et al.

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2024 Dec 02;63(49):e202410502.
PMID: 39105412 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202410502

The delineation of the complex biosynthesis of the potent antibiotic mupirocin, which consists of a mixture of pseudomonic acids (PAs) isolated from Pseudomonas fluorescens NCIMB 10586, presents significant challenges, and the timing and mechanisms of several key transformations remain elusive. Particularly intriguing are the steps that process the linear backbone from the initial polyketide assembly phase to generate the first cyclic intermediate PA-B. These include epoxidation as well as incorporation of the tetrahydropyran (THP) ring and fatty acid side chain required for biological activity. Herein, we show that the mini-module MmpE performs a rare online (ACP-substrate) epoxidation and is integrated ('in-cis') into the polyketide synthase via a docking domain. A linear polyketide fragment with six asymmetric centres was synthesised using a convergent approach and used to demonstrate substrate flux via an atypical KS0 and a previously unannotated ACP (MmpE_ACP). MmpE_ACP-bound synthetic substrates were critical in demonstrating successful epoxidation in vitro by the purified MmpE oxidoreductase domain. Alongside feeding studies, these results confirm the timing as well as chain length dependence of this selective epoxidation. These mechanistic studies pinpoint the location and nature of the polyketide substrate prior to the key formation of the THP ring and esterification that generate PA-B.
Fulltext Artificial intelligence-aided detection for prostate cancer with multimodal routine health check-up data: an Asian multi-center study

Song Z, Zhang W, Jiang Q, Deng L, Du L, Mou W, et al.

Int J Surg, 2023 Dec 01;109(12):3848-3860.
PMID: 37988414 DOI: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000000862

BACKGROUND: The early detection of high-grade prostate cancer (HGPCa) is of great importance. However, the current detection strategies result in a high rate of negative biopsies and high medical costs. In this study, the authors aimed to establish an Asian Prostate Cancer Artificial intelligence (APCA) score with no extra cost other than routine health check-ups to predict the risk of HGPCa.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 7476 patients with routine health check-up data who underwent prostate biopsies from January 2008 to December 2021 in eight referral centres in Asia were screened. After data pre-processing and cleaning, 5037 patients and 117 features were analyzed. Seven AI-based algorithms were tested for feature selection and seven AI-based algorithms were tested for classification, with the best combination applied for model construction. The APAC score was established in the CH cohort and validated in a multi-centre cohort and in each validation cohort to evaluate its generalizability in different Asian regions. The performance of the models was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), calibration plot, and decision curve analyses.
RESULTS: Eighteen features were involved in the APCA score predicting HGPCa, with some of these markers not previously used in prostate cancer diagnosis. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.76 (95% CI:0.74-0.78) in the multi-centre validation cohort and the increment of AUC (APCA vs. PSA) was 0.16 (95% CI:0.13-0.20). The calibration plots yielded a high degree of coherence and the decision curve analysis yielded a higher net clinical benefit. Applying the APCA score could reduce unnecessary biopsies by 20.2% and 38.4%, at the risk of missing 5.0% and 10.0% of HGPCa cases in the multi-centre validation cohort, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The APCA score based on routine health check-ups could reduce unnecessary prostate biopsies without additional examinations in Asian populations. Further prospective population-based studies are warranted to confirm these results.
Inguinal Hernia: Mesh Fixation

Sun P, Hu SB, Cheng X, Li M, Guo B, Song ZF, et al.

Hernia, 2015 Apr;19 Suppl 1:S157-65.
PMID: 26518794 DOI: 10.1007/BF03355344
Fulltext Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1

Klionsky DJ, Abdel-Aziz AK, Abdelfatah S, Abdellatif M, Abdoli A, Abel S, et al.

Autophagy, 2021 Jan;17(1):1-382.
PMID: 33634751 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.

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