The impact of multifactorial stress combination on reproductive tissues and grain yield of a crop plant.

Global warming, climate change, and industrial pollution are altering our environment subjecting plants, microbiomes, and ecosystems to an increasing number and complexity of abiotic stress conditions, concurrently or sequentially. These conditions, termed, "multifactorial stress combination" (MFSC), can cause a significant decline in plant growth and survival. However, the impacts of MFSC on reproductive tissues and yield of major crop plants are largely unknown. We subjected soybean (Glycine max) plants to a MFSC of up to five different stresses (water deficit, salinity, low phosphate, acidity, and cadmium), in an increasing level of complexity, and conducted integrative transcriptomic-phenotypic analysis of their reproductive and vegetative tissues. We reveal that MFSC has a negative cumulative effect on soybean yield, that each set of MFSC condition elicits a unique transcriptomic response (that is different between flowers and leaves), and that selected genes expressed in leaves or flowers of soybean are linked to the effects of MFSC on different vegetative, physiological, and/or reproductive parameters. Our study identified networks and pathways associated with reactive oxygen species, ascorbic acid and aldarate, and iron/copper signaling/metabolism as promising targets for future biotechnological efforts to augment the resilience of reproductive tissues of major crop plants to MFSC. In addition, we provide unique phenotypic and transcriptomic datasets for dissecting the mechanistic effects of MFSC on the vegetative, physiological, and reproductive processes of a crop plant.

The effects of multifactorial stress combination on rice and maize.

The complexity of environmental factors affecting crops in the field is gradually increasing due to climate change-associated weather events, such as droughts or floods combined with heat waves, coupled with the accumulation of different environmental and agricultural pollutants. The impact of multiple stress conditions on plants was recently termed "multifactorial stress combination" (MFSC) and defined as the occurrence of 3 or more stressors that impact plants simultaneously or sequentially. We recently reported that with the increased number and complexity of different MFSC stressors, the growth and survival of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings declines, even if the level of each individual stress is low enough to have no significant effect on plants. However, whether MFSC would impact commercial crop cultivars is largely unknown. Here, we reveal that a MFSC of 5 different low-level abiotic stresses (salinity, heat, the herbicide paraquat, phosphorus deficiency, and the heavy metal cadmium), applied in an increasing level of complexity, has a significant negative impact on the growth and biomass of a commercial rice (Oryza sativa) cultivar and a maize (Zea mays) hybrid. Proteomics, element content, and mixOmics analyses of MFSC in rice identified proteins that correlate with the impact of MFSC on rice seedlings, and analysis of 42 different rice genotypes subjected to MFSC revealed substantial genetic variability in responses to this unique state of stress combination. Taken together, our findings reveal that the impacts of MFSC on 2 different crop species are severe and that MFSC may substantially affect agricultural productivity.

PAI-1 Regulates the Cytoskeleton and Intrinsic Stiffness of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

BACKGROUND: Plasma concentration of PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) correlates with arterial stiffness. Vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) express PAI-1, and the intrinsic stiffness of SMCs is a major determinant of total arterial stiffness. We hypothesized that PAI-1 promotes SMC stiffness by regulating the cytoskeleton and that pharmacological inhibition of PAI-1 decreases SMC and aortic stiffness. METHODS: PAI-039, a specific inhibitor of PAI-1, and small interfering RNA were used to inhibit PAI-1 expression in cultured human SMCs. Effects of PAI-1 inhibition on SMC stiffness, F-actin (filamentous actin) content, and cytoskeleton-modulating enzymes were assessed. WT (wild-type) and PAI-1-deficient murine SMCs were used to determine PAI-039 specificity. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the effects of PAI-039 on SMC gene expression. In vivo effects of PAI-039 were assessed by aortic pulse wave velocity. RESULTS: PAI-039 significantly reduced intrinsic stiffness of human SMCs, which was accompanied by a significant decrease in cytoplasmic F-actin content. PAI-1 gene knockdown also decreased cytoplasmic F-actin. PAI-1 inhibition significantly increased the activity of cofilin, an F-actin depolymerase, in WT murine SMCs, but not in PAI-1-deficient SMCs. RNA-sequencing analysis suggested that PAI-039 upregulates AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) signaling in SMCs, which was confirmed by Western blotting. Inhibition of AMPK prevented activation of cofilin by PAI-039. In mice, PAI-039 significantly decreased aortic stiffness and tunica media F-actin content without altering the elastin or collagen content. CONCLUSIONS: PAI-039 decreases intrinsic SMC stiffness and cytoplasmic stress fiber content. These effects are mediated by AMPK-dependent activation of cofilin. PAI-039 also decreases aortic stiffness in vivo. These findings suggest that PAI-1 is an important regulator of the SMC cytoskeleton and that pharmacological inhibition of PAI-1 has the potential to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases involving arterial stiffening.

Event-triggered background-oriented schlieren: high-frequency visualization of a heated jet flow.

This Letter reports a novel, to our knowledge, event-triggered background-oriented schlieren (EBOS) technique using a combination of an event-triggered camera and pulsed laser speckle projection. The BOS images are reconstructed using the event data generated by the pulsed laser speckle projection and then processed to obtain the density and temperature distribution of the flow. This technique enables continuous visualization and recording of flows at kFPS frame rates with a very low cost, breaking through the short operating times of existing high-frame-rate BOSs. To examine the event-triggered BOS technique, tests are conducted on a hot air gun. The measured temperature distribution coincides with the thermocouple data with an error of no more than 10.8%. Measurements taken during the start-up of the hot air gun demonstrate that the presented technique can measure the evolution of the jet temperature for at least 150 s, as well as capture the localized unsteady turbulent structure in the heated jet flow.

Unconventional Bilateral Compressive Strained Ni-Ir Interface Synergistically Accelerates Alkaline Hydrogen Oxidation.

The alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) involves the coupling of adsorbed hydrogen (Had) and hydroxyl (OHad) species and is thus orders of magnitude slower than that in acid media. According to the Sabatier principle, developing electrocatalysts with appropriate binding energy for both intermediates is vital to accelerating the HOR though it is still challenging. Herein, we propose an unconventional bilateral compressive strained Ni-Ir interface (Ni-Ir(BCS)) as efficient synergistic HOR sites. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations reveal that the bilateral compressive strain effect leads to the appropriate adsorption for both Had and OHad, enabling their coupling thermodynamically spontaneous and kinetically preferential. Such Ni-Ir(BCS) is experimentally achieved by embedding sub-nanometer Ir clusters in graphene-loaded high-density Ni nanocrystals (Ni-Ir(BCS)/G). As predicted, it exhibits a HOR mass activity of 7.95 and 2.88 times those of commercial Ir/C and Pt/C together with much enhanced CO tolerance, respectively, ranking among the most active state-of-the-art HOR catalysts. These results provide new insights into the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts involving coordinated adsorption and activation of multiple reactants.

Multi-Omics Analysis of Circulating Exosomes in Adherent Long-Term Treated OSA Patients.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent chronic disease affecting nearly a billion people globally and increasing the risk of multi-organ morbidity and overall mortality. However, the mechanisms underlying such adverse outcomes remain incompletely delineated. Extracellular vesicles (exosomes) are secreted by most cells, are involved in both proximal and long-distance intercellular communication, and contribute toward homeostasis under physiological conditions. A multi-omics integrative assessment of plasma-derived exosomes from adult OSA patients prior to and after 1-year adherent CPAP treatment is lacking. We conducted multi-omic integrative assessments of plasma-derived exosomes from adult OSA patients prior to and following 1-year adherent CPAP treatment to identify potential specific disease candidates. Fasting morning plasma exosomes isolated from 12 adult patients with polysomnographically-diagnosed OSA were analyzed before and after 12 months of adherent CPAP therapy (mean ≥ 6 h/night) (OSAT). Exosomes were characterized by flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Endothelial cell barrier integrity, wound healing, and tube formation were also performed. Multi-omics analysis for exosome cargos was integrated. Exosomes derived from OSAT improved endothelial permeability and dysfunction as well as significant improvement in tube formation compared with OSA. Multi-omic approaches for OSA circulating exosomes included lipidomic, proteomic, and small RNA (miRNAs) assessments. We found 30 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), 72 lipids (DELs), and 13 miRNAs (DEMs). We found that the cholesterol metabolism (has04979) pathway is associated with lipid classes in OSA patients. Among the 12 subjects of OSA and OSAT, seven subjects had complete comprehensive exosome cargo information including lipids, proteins, and miRNAs. Multi-omic approaches identify potential signature biomarkers in plasma exosomes that are responsive to adherent OSA treatment. These differentially expressed molecules may also play a mechanistic role in OSA-induced morbidities and their reversibility. Our data suggest that a multi-omic integrative approach might be useful in understanding how exosomes function, their origin, and their potential clinical relevance, all of which merit future exploration in the context of relevant phenotypic variance. Developing an integrated molecular classification should lead to improved diagnostic classification, risk stratification, and patient management of OSA by assigning molecular disease-specific therapies.

Prognosis of traumatic spinal cord injury in children: Follow-up of 86 patients.

PURPOSE: The long-term situation of children with spinal cord injury (SCI) was investigated, and suggestions for helping them better return to the society were provided. METHODS: SCI patients less than 18 years old hospitalized in Beijing Boai Hospital from January 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Information including motor function, complications, characteristic changes, self-care abilities, school attendance and social participation were collected by telephone interview and electronic questionnaire. All the answers were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 86 cases were enrolled, 77 girls and 9 boys, with a median injury age of 6 years and 2 months. The follow-up time was 3-130 months. The main cause of trauma in these children was sport injury (66.3%), the thoracic spinal cord was involved the most (91.9%), and complete SCIs accounted for the majority (76.7%). In terms of complications, children with complete SCIs were more likely to have urinary incontinence, constipation and characteristic changes (p < 0.05); whereas the incomplete SCIs often have spasticity (p < 0.05). As to the daily living abilities, children with incomplete lumbar SCIs were more capable to accomplish personal hygiene, transfer, and bathing independently than those with complete injuries, or cervical/thoracic SCIs, respectively (p < 0.05). Moreover, children older than 9 years care more able to dress and transfer independently than the youngers (p < 0.05). Wheelchair users accounted for 84.9% and more than half of them were able to propel wheelchair independently, and those who move passively in wheelchairs were mostly introverted kids (p < 0.05). Almost all (93.8%) children with incomplete injuries were able to walk independently. Most (79.1%) children continued to attending school, and 41.9% participated in interest classes. Unfortunately, 67.4% of the children spent less time playing with their peers than before the injury. CONCLUSION: SCIs impair physical structures and function of children, affect their independence in daily living, and restrict school attendance and social interaction. Comprehensive rehabilitation after injury is a systematic work. Medical staff and caregivers should not only pay attention to neurological function, but also help them improve self-care abilities. It is also important to balance rehabilitation training and school work and social participation.

[Methylselenocysteine Promotes Etoposide Cytotoxicity by Enhancing Homotypic Gap Junctions Composed of Connexin 26].

Objective: To investigate the effect of methylselenocysteine (MSC) on the function of homotypic gap junction (GJ) composed of connexin (Cx) 26 and its regulation of chemotherapeutic drug cytotoxicity. Methods: The Tet-on HeLa cells transfected with and stably expressing Cx26 were used as the tool cells. Effects of MSC on cell growth, GJ function, and Cx26 protein expression were examined by MTT method, parachute assay, and Western blot analysis, respectively. The cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs was determined by standard colony-forming assay, and the relationship between MSC's effect on cytotoxicity of these chemotherapeutic drugs and its regulation of GJ was further analyzed. Results: In Tet-on HeLa cells, doxycycline (Dox) can induce the expression of Cx26, which could then form functional GJs. Within a concentration range of 50 µmol/L, MSC had no significant effect on HeLa cell growth. Non-toxic concentrations of MSC can enhance GJs in a concentration-dependent manner and exert its effect at the nanomolar level. This effect was associated with an induction of Cx26 protein expression by MSC. Among the three common chemotherapeutic agents with different mechanisms of action, etoposide (Eto) presented cytotoxicity differences between HeLa cells cultured at low density (nonconfluent, no GJ formed) and high density (confluent, GJ formed). What's more, the inhibitory effect of Eto combined with MSC on HeLa cell colony formation was stronger than that of Eto alone, and this effect occurred only in HeLa cells with GJ formation. Conclusion: MSC can potentiate the cytotoxicity of Eto by enhancing the GJs composed of Cx26, indicating that combined strategy of selenide and chemotherapy shows potential value in the treatment of malignant tumors.

[Oral panorama reconstruction method based on pre-segmentation and Bezier function].

For patients with partial jaw defects, cysts and dental implants, doctors need to take panoramic X-ray films or manually draw dental arch lines to generate Panorama images in order to observe their complete dentition information during oral diagnosis. In order to solve the problems of additional burden for patients to take panoramic X-ray films and time-consuming issue for doctors to manually segment dental arch lines, this paper proposes an automatic panorama reconstruction method based on cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT). The V-network (VNet) is used to pre-segment the teeth and the background to generate the corresponding binary image, and then the Bezier curve is used to define the best dental arch curve to generate the oral panorama. In addition, this research also addressed the issues of mistakenly recognizing the teeth and jaws as dental arches, incomplete coverage of the dental arch area by the generated dental arch lines, and low robustness, providing intelligent methods for dental diagnosis and improve the work efficiency of doctors.

Bioinformatics for plant and agricultural discoveries in the age of multiomics: A review and case study of maize nodal root growth under water deficit.

Advances in next-generation sequencing and other high-throughput technologies have facilitated multiomics research, such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics. The resultant emerging multiomics data have brought new challenges as well as opportunities, as seen in the plant and agriculture science domains. We reviewed several bioinformatic and computational methods, models, and platforms, and we have highlighted some of our in-house developed efforts aimed at multiomics data analysis, integration, and management issues faced by the research community. A case study using multiomics datasets generated from our studies of maize nodal root growth under water deficit stress demonstrates the power of these datasets and some other publicly available tools. This analysis also sheds light on the landscape of such applied bioinformatic tools currently available for plant and crop science studies and introduces emerging trends and how they may affect the future.

Decreased serum superoxide dismutase concentration has a high value for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection-a single-center, retrospective study.

PURPOSE: As the most serious complication of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) often leads to disastrous consequences. An accurate preoperative diagnosis plays a significant role in saving prostheses and optimizing treatment outcomes. Through this retrospective case-control study, we aimed to investigate the potential of superoxide dismutase (SOD) as a novel serum biomarker in the diagnosis of PJI. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients who underwent TKA and received adequate follow-ups in our hospital from June 2015 to December 2021. A total of 50 patients were enrolled in the PJI group based on the 2018 International Consensus Meeting (ICM) criteria. Besides that, we enrolled 100 patients who underwent TKA in the same period and had a good postoperative course in the control group. Patient characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory results (serum, synovial, and microbial), and intraoperative findings (purulence and histopathology) were documented and compared by univariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic performance. RESULTS: The median serum SOD level in the PJI and control group was 135.95 ± 24.47 U/ml (IQR, 111.85-158.30 U/ml) and 173.83 ± 13.9 U/ml (IQR,162.83-183.5 U/ml) (p < 0.05), respectively. With the calculated cutoff of SOD at 149.5U/L, the area under the ROC curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), were 0.919, 0.72, 0.97, 0.923, and 0.874, respectively. In subgroup analysis, the specificity of SOD in diagnosing culture-negative PJI remained extremely high (0.98). Combined diagnosis of serum SOD and C-reactive protein (CRP) made AUC increase to 0.972. CONCLUSION: Serum SOD showed great potential in the diagnosis of PJI.

Efficacy of lumbar kinetic chain training for staged rehabilitation after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is a promising minimally invasive treatment for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Postoperative rehabilitation can improve patient outcomes. Not only rehabilitation for surgical trauma but also rehabilitation for lumbar spine and lower kinetic chain dysfunction should be performed. The aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy of a lumbar kinetic chain training for staged rehabilitation after PELD for LDH. METHODS: Fifty one LDH patients treated with PELD were studied. After surgery, patients underwent lumbar kinetic chain training for staged rehabilitation( staged group) or regular low back rehabilitation (regular group). The staged rehabilitation programme included three phases from 2 to 6, 7-12, and 13-24 weeks postoperatively, and different physical therapies were performed during these phases. The low back pain visual analogue scale (VAS), JOA score, ODI, SF-36, and cross-sectional area of the lumbar multifidus on MRI were assessed, and gait analysis was performed. RESULTS: Twenty five patients in staged group and twenty six patients in regular group were included. There were no significant differences in age or sex between the two groups at baseline (p > 0.05). The VAS score decreased and the JOA and SF-36 scores increased in both groups from baseline to 6 weeks (P < 0.05). In the staged group, compared with the regular group, the VAS and ODI scores were lower and the JOA and SF-36 scores were higher at 6 weeks (P < 0.05); the VAS and ODI scores were lower and the SF-36 score was higher at 12 weeks (P < 0.05); the SF-36 score was higher at 24 weeks (P < 0.05); the cross-sectional area of the lumbar multifidus showed no differences at 12 weeks (P > 0.05); and the left-right support ratio of gait was higher at 24 weeks (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The staged rehabilitation programme for LDH after PELD promoted postoperative recovery, and the efficacy of lumbar kinetic chain training was higher than that of regular low back muscle exercise.

Mice lacking uterine enhancer of zeste homolog 2 have transcriptomic changes associated with uterine epithelial proliferation.

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase that suppresses gene expression. Previously, we developed a conditional null model where EZH2 is knocked out in uterus. Deletion of uterine EZH2 increased proliferation of luminal and glandular epithelial cells. Herein, we used RNA-Seq in wild-type (WT) and EZH2 conditional knockout (Ezh2cKO) uteri to obtain mechanistic insights into the gene expression changes that underpin the pathogenesis observed in these mice. Ovariectomized adult Ezh2cKO mice were treated with vehicle (V) or 17ß-estradiol (E2; 1 ng/g). Uteri were collected at postnatal day (PND) 75 for RNA-Seq or immunostaining for epithelial proliferation. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was used to link uterine gene expression patterns and epithelial proliferation. In V-treated mice, 88 transcripts were differentially expressed (DEG) in Ezh2cKO mice, and Bmp5, Crabp2, Lgr5, and Sprr2f were upregulated. E2 treatment resulted in 40 DEG with Krt5, Krt15, Olig3, Crabp1, and Serpinb7 upregulated in Ezh2cKO compared with control mice. Transcript analysis relative to proliferation rates revealed two module eigengenes correlated with epithelial proliferation in WT V vs. Ezh2cKO V and WT E2 vs. Ezh2cKO E2 mice, with a positive relationship in the former and inverse in the latter. Notably, the ESR1, Wnt, and Hippo signaling pathways were among those functionally enriched in Ezh2cKO females. Current results reveal unique gene expression patterns in Ezh2cKO uterus and provide insight into how loss of this critical epigenetic regulator assumingly contributes to uterine abnormalities.

Knowledge Base Commons (KBCommons) v1.1: a universal framework for multi-omics data integration and biological discoveries.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge Base Commons (KBCommons) v1.1 is a universal and all-inclusive web-based framework providing generic functionalities for storing, sharing, analyzing, exploring, integrating and visualizing multiple organisms' genomics and integrative omics data. KBCommons is designed and developed to integrate diverse multi-level omics data and to support biological discoveries for all species via a common platform. METHODS: KBCommons has four modules including data storage, data processing, data accessing, and web interface for data management and retrieval. It provides a comprehensive framework for new plant-specific, animal-specific, virus-specific, bacteria-specific or human disease-specific knowledge base (KB) creation, for adding new genome versions and additional multi-omics data to existing KBs, and for exploring existing datasets within current KBs. RESULTS: KBCommons has an array of tools for data visualization and data analytics such as multiple gene/metabolite search, gene family/Pfam/Panther function annotation search, miRNA/metabolite/trait/SNP search, differential gene expression analysis, and bulk data download capacity. It contains a highly reliable data privilege management system to make users' data publicly available easily and to share private or pre-publication data with members in their collaborative groups safely and securely. It allows users to conduct data analysis using our in-house developed workflow functionalities that are linked to XSEDE high performance computing resources. Using KBCommons' intuitive web interface, users can easily retrieve genomic data, multi-omics data and analysis results from workflow according to their requirements and interests. CONCLUSIONS: KBCommons addresses the needs of many diverse research communities to have a comprehensive multi-level OMICS web resource for data retrieval, sharing, analysis and visualization. KBCommons can be publicly accessed through a dedicated link for all organisms at http://kbcommons.org/.

Noninvasive assessment of age-related stiffness of crystalline lenses in a rabbit model using ultrasound elastography.

BACKGROUND: The pathological or physiological changes of a crystalline lens directly affect the eye accommodation and transmittance, and then they increase the risk of presbyopia and cataracts for people in the middle and old age groups. There is no universally accepted quantitative method to measure the lens' mechanical properties in vivo so far. This study aims to investigate the possibility of assessing the age-related stiffness change of crystalline lens by acoustic-radiation-force-based ultrasound elastography (ARF-USE) in a rabbit model in vivo. METHODS: There were 13 New Zealand white rabbits that were divided into four groups and fed normally until they were 60 (n = 4), 90 (n = 2), 120 (n = 4), and 150 (n = 3) days old, respectively. An ARF-USE platform was built based on the Verasonics™ Vantage 256 system. The shear waves were excited and traced in the lens by a linear ultrasound probe after a rabbit was anaesthetized. RESULTS: The average group velocities were 1.38 ± 0.2 m/s, 2.06 ± 0.3 m/s, 2.07 ± 0.29 m/s, and 2.30 ± 0.28 m/s, respectively, for the four groups of rabbits. The results shows that the group velocity has a strong correlation with the day age (r = 0.84, p < 1 × 10-7) and the weight (r = 0.83, p < 1×10-7) of the rabbits while the maximum displacement has no correlations with the day age (r = 0.27, p > 0.1) and the weight (r = 0.32, p > 0.1). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the group velocity measured by ARF-USE had a strong correlation with age-related stiffness in a rabbit model, suggesting that group velocity is a good biomarker to characterize the stiffness of a crystalline lens. This study also demonstrated the feasibility of using this USE technique to assess the mechanical properties of the lens in vivo for clinical or research purposes.

[Isolation of endophytic fungi from Zanthoxylum simulans and screening of its active strain].

This study aims at making full use of microbial resources, and screening the active endophytic fungi of anti-rheumatoid arthritis from Zanthoxylum simulans. The endophytic fungi were cultured and isolated by tissue culture and scribing method, and the active strain of inhibiting the proliferation of human rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (HFLS-RA) was screened by MTT method. Morphological characteristics and rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences were applied for the taxonomy of endophytic fungi. Strains were isolated from Z. simulans. Among them, MK-05, MK-17, MK-19, MK-23 having inhibiting activity to HFLS-RA, the IC50 were 0.367, 0.775, 0.689, 0.757 g·L⁻¹, respectively. By classic morphologic classification and sequencing the PCR-amplified rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 regions, four effective strains were identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea, Phomopsis sp., P. liquidambari and Diaporthe perseae. The active endophyic fungi that inhibited the proliferation of HFLS-RA were screened from Z. simulans for the first time, and the results lay the foundation for the development and utilization of the Z. simulans resources.

[Research of fenvalerate induced neurodevelopmental toxicity by interfering with the action of estrogen].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the estrogen interference property of fenvalerate in neurodevelopmental toxicity. METHODS: Thirty 4-week-old healthy female ICR mice were randomly divided into 6 groups: sham operation group, ovariectomized control group, ovariectomized with estrogen (10 µg/g) group, ovariectomized with fenvalerate (5 µg/g) group, sham operation with fenvalerate group, and ovariectomized with estrogen and fenvalerate group, with 5 mice in each group. Fenvalerate was injected intraperitoneally once a day for 7 consecutive days. Mice were sacrificed at 24 h after the last exposure to separate the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence was used to detect neuron marker (NeuN) and astrocyte marker (GFAP) in hippocampal CA1, CA3, and DG regions. RESULTS: Compared with the sham operation group (numbers of NeuN-positive cells: CA1 (54.00±1.73), CA3 (59.00 ± 1.73), DG (100.00 ± 4.58)), the sham operation with fenvalerate group (CA1 (37.67 ± 2.08), CA3 (41.33 ± 1.15), DG (80.67±0.58)) and ovariectomized control group (CA1 (44.00 ± 3.00), CA3 (51.00 ± 3.00), DG (83.00 ± 1.72)) showed significant decreases in number of neurons (NeuN-positive cells) in the hippocampus (P < 0.05). Compared with the ovariectomized control group, the ovariectomized with fenvalerate group (CA1 (47.67 ± 3.21), CA3 (49.00 ± 1.73), DG (87.33 ± 4.04)) showed no significant change in number of hippocampal NeuN-positive cells. Compared with the ovariectomized with fenvalerate group (CA1 (47.67 ± 3.21), DG (87.33 ± 4.04)), the sham operation with fenvalerate group and ovariectomized with estrogen and fenvalerate group (CA1 (40.00 ± 1.00), DG (78.67 ± 2.31)) experienced significant decreases in NeuN-positive cells (P < 0.05). Compared with the sham operation group (CA3 (11.00 ± 1.12), DG (10.67 ± 1.15)), the sham operation with fenvalerate group (CA3 (18.67 ± 2.07), DG (16.33 ± 1.53)) showed significant increase in number of astrocytes (GFAP-positive) cells (P < 0.05). Compared with the sham operation with fenvalerate group, the ovariectomized with fenvalerate group (CA3 (12.00 ± 1.00), DG (11.68 ± 1.16)) showed significant decrease in GFAP-positive cells (P < 0.05). Compared with the ovariectomized with fenvalerate group, the sham operation with fenvalerate group and ovariectomized with estrogen and fenvalerate group (CA3 (16.67 ± 2.13), DG (15.38 ± 1.42)) showed significant increases in GFAP-positive cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The interference with circulating estrogen is an important mechanism underlying the neurodevelopmental toxicity of fenvalerate.

[Research of fenvalerate induce hippocampal neurons injury through interfering with estrogen action].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether fenvalerate can induce mouse hippocampal nerve cell damage by interfering with estrogen (E2) effect. METHODS: Hippocampus were dissected and cultured from Embryo 18 d ICR mice, the cells were cultured for 7 days. Fenvalerate (FEN, 0, 1, 10, 50 µg/ml), FEN (10, 50 µg/ml) and estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182, 780 (1 µmol/L), FEN (0, 10, 50 µg/ml) and E2 (10 nmol/L) were applied to the cultured cells for 48h. Immunocytochemically stained with neurons and astrocytes to evaluate the levels respectively, and the growth of neurite. Result 1µg/ml FEN have no effect on neurons, neurites and protoplasmic astrocytes, 10 and 50 µg/ml FEN can significantly decrease the neuron viability and the length of neurite as well as increase the level of protoplasmic astrocytes (P < 0.05 vs. control group). ICI 182, 780 alone have no effect on neurons, neurites and protoplasmic astrocytes; ICI+10 µg/ml FEN significantly increase the cell viability and extend neurite length as well as decrease protoplasmic astrocytes (P < 0.05 vs. 10 µg/ml FEN alone group); ICI+50 µg/ml FEN significantly increase the cell viability and decrease protoplasmic astrocytes (P < 0.05 vs. 50 µg/ml FEN alone group). E2 alone have no effect on protoplasmic astrocytes, while can promote neuronal survival and neurite growth; E2+10 µg/ml FEN and E2+50 µg/ml FEN significantly decrease neuronal survival and neurite growth, as well as increase protoplasmic astrocytes (P < 0.05 vs. E2 alone group). CONCLUSION: Fenvalerate can induce the loss of hippocampal neurons through disrupting estrogen nuclear receptor signaling, and inhibit the length of neurite through disrupting estrogen nuclear receptor and membrane receptor signaling. The effect of estrogen disruption play an important role in developmental neurotoxicity by fenvalerate.

High-Density CuInS2 Quantum Dots for Efficient and Stable CO2 Electroreduction.

Electrochemically converting CO2 back into fuels and chemicals is promising in alleviating the greenhouse effect worldwide. Various high-efficiency catalysts have been achieved, yet the unsatisfied structural stability under CO2 electrolysis conditions restricts their practical application. Herein, a sub-5 nm sized CuInS2 quantum dots (CIS-QDs) based electrocatalyst for converting CO2 into CO are developed. Taking advantage of the stable M─Ch (metal-chalcogenide) covalent bonds, and unique p-block metal properties, the as-prepared catalyst exhibits excellent structural stability under large overpotentials and can achieve a high CO Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 86% (total CO2 reduction FE of 89%) at -0.65 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode with long-term durability of 40 h and outstanding current densities of 10.6 mA cm-2 simultaneously. Furthermore, detailed electrochemical analyses revealed that the excellent performance of the as-prepared catalysts shall be attributed to the high-density active sites and fast charge transfer brought by the ultrasmall size of CIS-QDs. This work provides insights into the design of high-density and stable catalytic sites for developing high-performance electrocatalysts.