Association of fucosyltransferase 2 gene polymorphism with the susceptibility to norovirus infection in Han Chinese population.

Fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) gene, which regulates the formation of Histoblood group antigens, could determine the human susceptibility to norovirus. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between FUT2 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to norovirus gastroenteritis in Han Chinese population. A total of 212 children patients with acute gastroenteritis were enrolled. The stool and serum samples were collected respectively. We used the qPCR method to detect the norovirus infection status from the stool samples, and we used serum samples to detect the FUT2 polymorphism. A case-control study was conducted to investigate the three common SNPs polymorphisms (rs281377, rs1047781, and rs601338) of FUT2 gene with sanger sequencing method. The results indicated that the homozygous genotypes and mutant allele of rs1047781 (A385T) would downgrade the risk of norovirus gastroenteritis in Chinese Han population (AA vs. TT, odds ratio [OR] = 0.098, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.026-0.370, p = 0.001; AA + AT vs. TT, OR = 0.118. 95% CI = 0.033-0.424, p = 0.001; A vs. T, OR = 0.528, 95% CI = 0.351-0.974, p = 0.002). There were no significant difference of rs281377 (C357T) and rs601338 (G428A) polymorphisms between norovirus positive and norovirus negative groups (p > 0.05). The haplotype T-T-G was less susceptible (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.31-0.79, p = 0.0034) to norovirus infection compared to other haplotypes. Our results investigated the relationship between the FUT2 gene polymorphisms and norovirus susceptibility in Han Chinese population, and firstly revealed that children with homozygous genotypes and mutant alleles of FUT2 rs1047781 (A385T) were less susceptible to norovirus gastroenteritis.

Improved Measurement of the Differential Polarizability Using Co-Trapped Ions.

We present a novel approach for measuring the differential static scalar polarizability of a target ion utilizing a "polarizability scale" scheme with a reference ion co-trapped in a linear Paul trap. The differential static scalar polarizability of the target ion can be precisely extracted by measuring the ratio of the ac Stark shifts induced by an add-on infrared laser shed on both ions. This method circumvents the need for the calibration of the intensity of the add-on laser, which is usually the bottleneck for measurements of the polarizability of trapped ions. As a demonstration, ^{27}Al^{+} (the target ion) and ^{40}Ca^{+} (the reference ion) are used in this work, with an add-on laser at 1068 nm injected into the ion trap along the trap axis. The differential static scalar polarizability of ^{27}Al^{+} is extracted to be 0.416(14) a.u. by measuring the ratio of the ac Stark shifts of both ions. Compared to the most recent result [Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 033201 (2019)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.123.033201], the relative uncertainty of the differential static scalar polarizability of ^{27}Al^{+} is reduced by approximately a factor of 4, to 3.4%. This improvement is expected to be further enhanced by using an add-on laser with a longer wavelength.

Impact of IRGM gene promoter polymorphisms on susceptibility to chronic HBV infection.

The autophagy gene immunity-related GTPase M (IRGM) can affect the immune response against intracellular pathogens. The study was performed to determine any possible association between three IRGM single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs4958842, rs4958843 and rs4958846) and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A total of 171 chronic HBV-infected individuals and 171 healthy controls were collected. Peripheral blood cells and Sanger sequencing were used to extract genomic DNA and determine the SNP genotypes, respectively. The C allele of rs4958843 is a risk factor for chronic HBV infection in various genetic models, including allelic, codominant and dominant models, with the following respective statistical data: allelic (T vs. C: OR = 1.371, 95% CI = 1.009-1.863, p = .043), codominant (TT vs. CC: OR = 2.137, 95% CI = 1.104-4.138, p = .024) and dominant (TT + TC vs. CC: OR = 1.976, 95% CI = 1.106-3.533, p = .021) models. The genotype and allele distributions of rs4958842 and rs4958846 showed no significant differences between chronic HBV infection patients and healthy controls. IRGM rs4958843 CC genotype carriers had significantly elevated values of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase alpha-fetoprotein and total bilirubin (OR = 3.467, 95%CI = 1.167-10.298), which was positively associated with the disease progression of HBV infection. Mutant allele C of IRGM rs4958843 polymorphism is associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection in the Han people in central China and contributes to the disease progression.

Thermal resistance effect on anomalous diffusion of molecules under confinement.

Diffusion is generally faster at higher temperatures. Here, a counterintuitive behavior is observed in that the movement of long-chain molecules slows as the temperature increases under confinement. This report confirms that this anomalous diffusion is caused by the "thermal resistance effect," in which the diffusion resistance of linear-chain molecules is equivalent to that with branched-chain configurations at high temperature. It then restrains the molecular transportation in the nanoscale channels, as further confirmed by zero length column experiments. This work enriches our understanding of the anomalous diffusion family and provides fundamental insights into the mechanism inside confined systems.

Clinical utility of biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common forms of cancer significantly affecting the mortality and morbidity rates. The increasing incidence of HCC is a great concern across the globe. The current methods of HCC screening, detection and diagnosis depend mainly on imaging techniques. However, biomarkers represent a relatively easy and noninvasive way to detect and estimate the disease prognosis. New potential biomarkers such as α-fetoprotein (AFP), des­Î³­carboxyprothrombin (DCP), α-fetoprotein L3 (AFP-L3), glypican 3 (GCP3), micro-RNA, and Golgi-protein 73 (GP73) are being used more often in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. The lack of prudent diagnostic measures makes early detection of HCC nearly impossible. The use of biomarkers to detect cancer has helped to screen for the disease. However, the most commonly used biomarkers for HCC have inadequate performance characteristics. Despite numerous efforts to identify molecules as potential biomarkers, there is no single ideal marker for HCC. In this paper the main biomarkers for the surveillance, diagnosis and prognosis of HCC are reviewed. The advantages and limitations of these biomarkers are summarized, and the future development directions are proposed (Tab. 1, Ref. 30). Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, biomarkers, AFP, DCP, diagnosis.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids promote the rapid fusion of lipid droplets in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular organelles that dynamically regulate lipids and energy homeostasis in the cell. LDs can grow through either local lipid synthesis or LD fusion. However, how lipids involving in LD fusion for LD growth is largely unknown. Here, we show that genetic mutation of acox-3 (acyl-CoA oxidase), maoc-1 (enoyl-CoA hydratase), dhs-28 (3-hydroxylacyl-CoA dehydrogenase), and daf-22 (3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase), all involved in the peroxisomal ß-oxidation pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans, led to rapid fusion of adjacent LDs to form giant LDs (gLDs). Mechanistically, we show that dysfunction of peroxisomal ß-oxidation results in the accumulation of long-chain fatty acid-CoA and phosphocholine, which may activate the sterol-binding protein 1/sterol regulatory element-binding protein to promote gLD formation. Furthermore, we found that inactivation of either FAT-2 (delta-12 desaturase) or FAT-3 and FAT-1 (delta-15 desaturase and delta-6 desaturase, respectively) to block the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with three or more double bonds (n≥3-PUFAs) fully repressed the formation of gLDs; in contrast, dietary supplementation of n≥3-PUFAs or phosphocholine bearing these PUFAs led to recovery of the formation of gLDs in peroxisomal ß-oxidation-defective worms lacking PUFA biosynthesis. Thus, we conclude that n≥3-PUFAs, distinct from other well-known lipids and proteins, promote rapid LD fusion leading to LD growth.

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus infection among women in Jingzhou, China: a population-based study of 51,720 women.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide with a serious threat to women's health. Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) has been identified as the main cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and genotype distribution of HR-HPV among women in Jingzhou, Hubei province, China, which is critical for the government to formulate the precision strategies of cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccine innoculation. METHODS: To obtain the baseline data on the population-based prevalence and genotype distribution of HR-HPV infection among age groups and different years, a total of 51,720 women from 2018 to 2022 who went to Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University for physical examination or gynacological treatment and received HR-HPV DNA genotyping were included in this retrospective study. The possible cervicovaginal infection of 15 high-risk HPV genotypes were analyzed by multiplex fluorescent real-time PCR, including HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68 and 82. RESULTS: The overall high-risk HPV prevalence among 51,720 women was 18.75% (9,698/51,720), and the HPV-positive rate of physical examination group (PEG) was 13.22% (541/4,091), which was lower than the HPV-positive rate of gynacological checkup group (GCG) 19.23% (9,157/47,629), with statistical difference (χ2 = 89.069, P < 0.01). The five most common prevalent genotypes were HPV52 (6.55%), HPV58 (3.41%), HPV16 (2.58%), HPV68 (1.82%) and HPV51 (1.57%). Single HPV infection was the predominant (14.36%), which compared to double (3.34%) and multiple (1.05%) infections. The HPV-positive rate was the highest in the > 60 age group (31.73%), and the lowest in the 31-40 age group (15.46%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of high-risk HPV infection among women in Jingzhou area was 18.75%. HPV52, HPV58 and HPV16 genotypes were the most common. The higher prevalence was in the > 60 and ≤ 20 age group, which showed a "U" shape curve, suggesting the necessity of screening among older women to decrease the mortality of cervical cancer.

Characteristics of hematological parameters on admission in COVID-19 Omicron variant infected in Chinese population: a large-scale retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, currently the most prevalent strain, has rapidly spread in Jingzhou, China, due to changes in the country's epidemic prevention policy, resulting in an unprecedented increase in cases. Previous studies reported hematological parameters' predictive value in COVID-19 severity and prognosis, but their relevance for early diagnosis in patients infected by the Omicron variant, particularly in high-risk pneumonia cases, remains unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate these parameters as early warning indicators for Omicron-infected patients in fever clinics and those with pulmonary infections (PI). METHODS: A total of 2,021 COVID-19 patients admitted to the fever clinic and infectious disease department of Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University from November 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, were retrospectively recruited. Demographic and hematological parameters were obtained from the electronic medical records of eligible patients. These hematological parameters were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine whether they can be used for early diagnosis of COVID-19 patients in fever clinics and the presence of PI in COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: Statistical differences in hematological parameters were observed between COVID-19 patients with fever and PI and control groups (P < 0.01). The ROC curve further demonstrated that lymphocyte (LYM) counts, neutrophil (NEU) counts, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratios (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (PLR), white blood cell counts (WBC), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were the top 6 indicators in diagnosing Omicron infection with fever, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.738, 0.718, 0.713, 0.702, 0.700, and 0.687, respectively (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the mean platelet volume (MPV) with an AUC of 0.764, red blood cell count (RBC) with 0.753, hematocrit (HCT) with 0.698, MLR with 0.694, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) with 0.676, and systemic inflammation response indexes (SIRI) with 0.673 were the top 6 indicators for the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients with PI (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LYM, NEU, MLR, PLR, WBC, and MCHC can serve as potential prescreening indicators for Omicron infection in fever clinics. Additionally, MPV, RBC, HCT, MLR, MCH, and SIRI can predict the presence of PI in COVID-19 patients infected by the Omicron variant.

Correlation analysis of IL-37 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to chronic HBV infection among Han people in Central China.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for various liver diseases, such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which pose a significant threat to human health. An ineffective immune response to HBV can result in viral chronicity. Interleukin-37 (IL-37), an immunomodulator, is capable of inhibiting both innate and adaptive immune responses. It is believed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the IL-37 gene could contribute to the regulation of HBV clearance. Our aim to conduct this study was to investigate whether SNPs in the IL-37 gene were associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection in adults. A total of 342 participants, consisting of 171 cases and 171 controls, were recruited for this study. Sanger sequencing was employed for genotyping six SNPs (rs3811042 G/A, rs3811043 G/C, rs2466449 A/G, rs3811045 C/T, rs3811046 T/G and rs3811047G/A). There was no significant difference in allele and genotype distribution between the two groups, and the constructed haplotypes were not found to be associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection. Our results revealed that there was no relationship between these six SNPs (rs3811042G/A, rs3811043G/C, rs2466449A/G, rs3811045C/T, rs3811046T/G and rs3811047G/A) in the IL-37 gene and susceptibility to chronic HBV infection among Han people in Central China.

Microbial degradation of petroleum characteristic pollutants in hypersaline environment, emphasizing n-hexadecane and 2,4 di-tert-butylphenol.

In this paper, nine strains of salt-tolerant petroleum-degrading bacteria were applied to an biological aerated filter. Simulating the degradation of high-salinity petroleum wastewater with n-hexadecane and 2,4-ditert-butylphenol as the primary pollutants and analyzing the structure of the biofilm at various salt concentrations. According to the results, when the salinity was 4%, the COD removal efficiency reached 74.34%. Various halotolerant microorganisms have adapted to various salt concentrations. At a salinity of 3%, n-hexadecane exhibited the best degradation effect, with a rate of 83.21%. Shewanella, Acinetobacter, and Marinobacter were the predominant bacterial groups at the time. At 4% salinity, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas were the predominant bacteria, and the average 2,4-ditert-butylphenol degradation rate was the highest at 63.02%. This study provided an experimental basis for further studying the biological treatment of high-salinity petroleum wastewater.

Rapid Bacterial Identification and Drug Sensitivity Test Methods for Pathogens in Positive Blood Cultures.

BACKGROUND: The turnover time of positive blood culture using traditional methods takes too long. This study aimed to evaluate rapid direct identification and drug sensitivity test methods for pathogens in positive blood cultures. METHODS: A total of 403 blood culture bottles were used to compare the rapid identification methods and drug sensitivity tests for pathogens causing bloodstream infections. Bacteria were enriched using separator gel tubes and were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In addition, bacteria were also identified using an established traditional method for comparison. The sensitivity of gram-negative bacilli against antibiotics was tested using Rapid Bacterial Test Strips or the VITEK 2 Compact system. RESULTS: The accuracy was 81.8% in 403 bacteria, of which 71% (132/186) and 96.3% (209/217) were gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The gram-positive bacteria were primarily Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. The gram-negative bacteria were primarily Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. Compared with routine drug sensitivity testing methods, the coincidence rate of direct drug sensitivity testing for classifying the bacteria was 98.6% (1,325/1,344). The average rapid bacterial identification time was 1.5 hours, and the direct drug sensitivity test took - 8.5 hours. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that direct identification and rapid drug sensitivity testing can be performed on the same day and can be completed 1 or 2 days ahead of routine methods, thereby assisting in providing earlier drug options for anti-infective therapy.

Ginsenoside Rg1 protects H9c2 cells against nutritional stress-induced injury via aldolase /AMPK/PINK1 signalling.

Insufficient nutrients supply will greatly affect the function of cardiac myocytes. The adaptive responses of cardiac myocytes to nutritional stress are not fully known. Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the most pharmacologically active components in Panax Ginseng and possesses protective effects on cardiomyocyte. Here, we investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on H9c2 cells which were subjected to nutritional stress. Nutritional stress-induced by glucose deprivation strongly induced cell death and this response was inhibited by ginsenoside Rg1. Importantly, glucose deprivation decreased intracellular ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential. Ginsenoside Rg1 rescued ATP levels and mitochondrial membrane potential in nutrient-starved cells. For molecular mechanisms, ginsenoside Rg1 increased the expressions of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) and p-AMPK in glucose deprivation treated H9c2 cells. Reducing the expression of aldolase in H9c2 cells inhibited ginsenoside Rg1's actions on PINK1 and p-AMPK. Further, the nutritional stress mice were used to verify the mechanisms obtained in vitro. Ginsenoside Rg1 increased the expressions of aldolase, p-AMPK, and PINK1 in starved mice heart. Taken together, our results reveal that ginsenoside Rg1 limits nutritional stress-induced H9c2 cells injury by regulating the aldolase /AMP-activated protein kinase/PINK1 pathway.

Correlations of an Insertion/Deletion Polymorphism (rs10680577) in the RERT-lncRNA with the Susceptibility, Clinicopathological Features, and Prognosis of Lung Cancer.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlations of an Ins/Del polymorphism (rs10680577) in the RERT-lncRNA with the susceptibility, clinicopathological features, and prognosis of lung cancer. A total of 376 patients with lung cancer and 419 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The genotype of rs10680577 was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 expressions. Subjects with Del allele of rs10680577 exhibited an elevated risk of lung cancer. The expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 in tumor tissues were higher than adjacent normal tissues, manifesting a positive correlation. Compared to patients with Ins/Ins genotype carriers, those with Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype carriers had upregulated expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2. Moreover, Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype and expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 were associated with age, smoking habits, and TNM stage in lung cancer patients. Besides, patients with Ins/Ins genotype of rs10680577 had a longer OS than those with Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype carriers, and patients with lower expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 presented a shorter OS than those with higher expressions. COX multivariate analysis demonstrated that Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype and higher expressions of RERT lncRNA and EGLN2 were risk factors affecting the prognosis of lung cancer. The Ins/Del polymorphism (rs10680577) in RERT-lncRNA was correlated with the risk, major clinicopathological features, and prognosis of lung cancer patients, and the patients with Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype carriers had higher expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 than those with Ins/Ins carriers.

Microenvironment Engineering of Ruthenium Nanoparticles Incorporated into Silica Nanoreactors for Enhanced Hydrogenations.

It is a challenging task to promote the activity and selectivity of a catalyst via precisely engineering the microenvironment, an important factor related with the catalytic performance of natural catalysts. Motivated by the water effect in promoting the catalytic activity explored in this work, a nanoreactor modified with phosphine ligand enabled the efficient hydrogenation of benzoic acid (BA) over Ru nanoparticles (NPs) in organic solvent under mild conditions, which cannot be achieved in unmodified nanoreactors. Both density functional theory (DFT) calculations and catalytic performance tests showed that the phosphine ligands can manipulate the adsorption strength of BA on Ru NPs by tuning the surface properties as well as preferentially interacting with the carboxyl of BA. The insights obtained in the present study provide a novel concept of nanoreactor design by anchoring ligands near catalytically active centers.

Origin and Structural Characteristics of Tri-coordinated Extra-framework Aluminum Species in Dealuminated Zeolites.

Post-synthetic dealumination treatment is a common tactic adopted to improve the catalytic performance of industrialized zeolitic catalysts through enhancements in acidity and stability. However, among the possible extra-framework aluminum (EFAL) species in dealuminated zeolites such as Al3+, Al(OH)2+, Al(OH)2+, AlO+, AlOOH, and Al(OH)3, the presence of tri-coordinated EFAL-Al3+ species, which exhibit large quadrupolar effect due to the lack of hydrogen-bonding species, was normally undetectable by conventional one- and two-dimensional 1H and/or 27Al solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) techniques. By combining density functional theory (DFT) calculations with experimental 31P SSNMR using trimethylphosphine (TMP) as the probe molecule, we report herein a comprehensive study to certify the origin, fine structure, and possible location of tri-coordinated EFAL-Al3+ species in dealuminated HY zeolite. The spatial proximities and synergies between the Brønsted and various Lewis acid sites were clearly identified, and the origin for the observed EFAL-Al3+ species with ultra-strong Lewis acidity was deduced to be at the expense of adjacent Brønsted acid sites. The excellent performance of such tri-coordinated EFAL species was furthermore confirmed by glucose isomerization reactions.

Preparation of Mesoporous CuCe-Based Ternary Metal Oxide by Nano-Replication and Its Application to Decomposition of Liquid Monopropellant.

Mesoporous CuCe-based ternary metal oxides were synthesized using KIT-6 as a hard template through a nano-casting method. The mesoporous CuCe-based metal oxides were applied to the catalytic decomposition of the ammonium dinitramide-based liquid monopropellant. The decomposition onset temperature over the meso-CuCe ternary metal oxides was much lower than that over the CuCeOx catalyst prepared by conventional precipitation method. Higher activity of the meso-CuCe ternary metal oxides is attributed to higher surface area and larger pore size of the meso-CuCe ternary metal oxides than those of the conventional CuCe oxide. The highest activity of meso-CuCeZr catalyst among the meso-CuCe ternary metal oxide catalysts is likely due to the highest mesoporosity.

Ordered Mesoporous Cu-Mn Metal Oxides for the Catalytic Decomposition of an Energetic Ionic Liquid.

Ordered mesoporous Cu-Mn binary metal oxide (meso-CuMnOx) catalysts were successfully synthesized by a hard-templating method from a mesoporous silica template with a cubic Ia3d mesostructure (KIT-6) or hydrophobic KIT-6, exhibiting a well-developed crystalline framework, a regular pore size distribution and a high surface area. The copper and manganese elements in the mesoporous Cu-Mn binary metal oxides (meso-CuMnOx-N and meso-CuMnOx-HP), obtained from the KIT-6 and hydrophobic KIT-6, respectively, were homogeneously dispersed in the whole particles. The activities of meso-CuMnOx catalysts for the decomposition of a liquid monopropellant containing an energetic ionic liquid, ammonium dinitramide, were much higher than that over a CuMnOx catalyst prepared by a conventional precipitation method. This is attributed to the well-developed mesoporosity of the meso-CuMnOx catalysts. Among the mesoporous CuMnOx catalysts, the decomposition onset temperature over meso-CuMnOx-HP (87.9 °C) was found to be lower than that over meso-CuMnOx-N (100.4 °C), probably due to its higher mesoporosity and surface area.

Ginsenoside Rg1 Prevents Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity through the Inhibition of Autophagy and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Mice.

Ginsenoside Rg1, a saponin that is a primary component of ginseng, has been demonstrated to protect hearts from diverse cardiovascular diseases with regulating multiple cellular signal pathways. In the present study, we investigated the protective role of ginsenoside Rg1 on doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity and its effects on endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy. After pre-treatment with ginsenoside Rg1 (50 mg/kg i.g.) for 7 days, male C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with a single dose of doxorubicin (6 mg/kg) every 3 days for four injections. Echocardiographic and pathological findings showed that ginsenoside Rg1 could significantly reduce the cardiotoxicity induced by doxorubicin. Ginsenoside Rg1 significantly inhibited doxorubicin-induced formation of autophagosome. At the same time, ginsenoside Rg1 decreased the doxorubicin-induced cardiac microtubule-associated protein-light chain 3 and autophagy related 5 expression. Ginsenoside Rg1 can reduce endoplasmic reticulum dilation caused by doxorubicin. Compared with the doxorubicin group, the expression of cleaved activating transcription factor 6 and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 decreased in group ginsenoside Rg1. Treatment with ginsenoside Rg1 reduces the expression of TIF1 and increases the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78. In the ginsenoside Rg1 group, the expression of p-P70S6K, c-Jun N-terminal kinases 1 and Beclin1 declined. These results indicate that ginsenoside Rg1 may improve doxorubicin-induced cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy.

Measurement of Magic Wavelengths for the

We demonstrate experimentally the existence of magic wavelengths and determine the ratio of oscillator strengths for a single trapped ion. For the first time, two magic wavelengths near 396 nm for the ^{40}Ca^{+} clock transition are measured simultaneously with high precision. By tuning the applied laser to an intermediate wavelength between transitions 4s_{1/2}→4p_{1/2} and 4s_{1/2}→4p_{3/2}, the sensitivity of the clock transition Stark shift to the oscillator strengths is greatly enhanced. Furthermore, with the measured magic wavelengths, we determine the ratio of the oscillator strengths with a deviation of less than 0.5%. Our experimental method may be applied to measure magic wavelengths for other ion clock transitions. Promisingly, the measurement of these magic wavelengths paves the way to building all-optical trapped ion clocks.

[Analysis of the Gene Mutation Type and Frequency of Thalassemia Patients in Jingzhou Area].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the gene mutation types and frequence of thalassemia patients in Jingzhou area. METHODS: A total of 721 suspected thalassemia patients who were visited in Jingzhou Central Hospital from June 2019 to June 2022 were selected as the research objects. There were 204 males and 517 females. PCR-reverse dot hybridization method was used to analyze the types and frequencies of 23 common α or ß thalassemia gene mutations. RESULTS: Among the 721 patients with suspected thalassemia, 228 cases were positive for α or ß thalassemia gene, with a total positive rate of 31.62%, including 87 cases of α-thalassemia, accounting for 38.16%, and 140 cases of ß-thalassemia, accounting for 61.40%. There was 1 case of α ß complex thalassemia, accounting for 0.44%. A total of 4 types of α-thalassemia gene mutations were detected, all of which were deletion types, including αα/--SEA (64/87, 73.56%), αα/-α3.7 (14/87, 16.09%), --SEA /-α3.7 (7/87, 8.05%), αα/-α4.2 (2/87, 2.30%). Among 140 patients with ß-thalassemia, 138 were pure heterozygotes, and the genotypes of IVS-II-654M (63/140, 45.00%), CD41-42M (34/140, 24.29%), CD17M (18/140, 12.86%) and CD27-28M (10/140, 7.14%) accounted for 89.29% of all mutations (125/140), 2 cases of double heterozygosity (2/140, 1.43%) were found, no homozygous ß-thalassemia were detected; 1 case of αß complex thalassemia with genotype -α3.7/IVS-II-654M was found. The incidence of difference types of thalassemia was statistically significant (χ2=194.250, P < 0.001). The percentage of positive thalassemia genes was not significantly difference between male and female suspected patients (χ2=0.199, P =0.655). CONCLUSION: The α-thalassemia gene mutation in Jingzhou area is dominated by αα/--SEA, and the IVS-II-654M mutation is more common in ß-thalassemia, and α ß complex thalassemia is relatively rare, which can provide a reference for the formulation of prevention and treatment measures for thalassemia in Jingzhou area.