Exposure to heavy metal elements may significantly increase serum prostate-specific antigen levels with overdosed dietary zinc.

BACKGROUND: Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a primary metric for diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa). Exposure to heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and zinc can impact PSA levels in PCa patients. However, it is unclear whether this effect also occurs in men without PCa, which may lead to the overdiagnosis of PCa. METHOD: Data on a total of 5089 American men who had never been diagnosed with PCa were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey performed from 2003-2010. The relationship between serum PSA levels (dependent variable) and concentrations of lead (µmol/L), cadmium (nmol/L), and mercury (µmol/L) were investigated with dietary zinc intake being used as a potential modifier or covariate in a weighted linear regression model and a generalized additive model. A series of bootstrapping analyses were performed to evaluate sensitivity and specificity using these models. RESULTS: Regression analyses suggested that, in general, lead, cadmium, or mercury did not show an association with PSA levels, which was consistent with the results of the bootstrapping analyses. However, in a subgroup of participants with a high level of dietary zinc intake (≥14.12 mg/day), a significant positive association between cadmium and serum PSA was identified (1.06, 95% CI, P = 0.0268, P for interaction=0.0249). CONCLUSIONS: With high-level zinc intake, serum PSA levels may rise in PCa-free men as the exposure to cadmium increases, leading to a potential risk of an overdiagnosis of PCa and unnecessary treatment. Therefore, environmental variables should be factored in the current diagnostic model for PCa that is solely based on PSA measurements. Different criteria for PSA screening are necessary based on geographical variables. Further investigations are needed to uncover the biological and biochemical relationship between zinc, cadmium, and serum PSA levels to more precisely diagnose PCa.

New data on mitogenomes of Thienemanniella Kieffer, 1911 (Diptera: Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae).

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) has been widely used as a powerful marker in phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of various Dipteran groups. However, only a few mitogenomes from the Thienemanniella genus have been reported till now. Furthermore, there is still indeterminacy in the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Thienemanniella. In this study, mitogenomes of five Thienemanniella species were sequenced and analyzed newly. Combined with the published mitogenome of Thienemanniella nipponica, the obtained results showed that mitogenomes of Thienemanniella were conserved in structure, and all genes were observed to be arranged in the same gene order as the ancestral mitogenome. Nucleotide composition varied significantly among different genes, and the control region displayed the highest A + T content. All protein coding genes are subjected to purification selection, and the fastest evolving gene is ATP8. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses showed the phylogeny of Thienemanniella which was supported in five topologies. Our present study provides valuable insight into the phylogenetic relationships of Thienemanniella species.

C(sp3)-H Aerobic Alkenylation of Tetrahydroisoquinolines via Organic Electrosynthesis.

A method for the C(sp3)-H alkenylation of N-aryl-tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) has been developed by the combination of electrooxidation and a copper catalyst. The corresponding products were obtained with good to excellent yields under mild conditions. Besides, the addition of TEMPO as an electron mediator is crucial to this transformation, since the oxidative reaction could proceed under a low electrode potential. In addition, the catalytic asymmetric variant has also been demonstrated with good enantioselectivity.

First complete mitogenome of Axarus fungorum (Albu, 1980) from Guizhou Province, China (Diptera, Chironomidae).

Axarus fungorum (Albu, 1980) exhibits certain adaptations to different aquatic environments, appearing as an important evaluation element for freshwater quality monitoring. In this study, complete mitogenome of A. fungorum was provided for the first time to define the systematic and phylogenetic history of this taxon. The whole mitogenome is 15,696 bp long with high A + T content that consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and a noncoding control region. ML analysis showed support for monophyly of Chironominae and close relationship between A. fungorum and Chironomus generic genera.

Nickel-catalyzed decarboxylative cross-coupling of indole-3-acetic acids with aryl bromides by convergent paired electrolysis.

Herein, nickel-catalyzed decarboxylative cross-coupling of indole-3-acetic acids with aryl bromides by convergent paired electrolysis was developed in an undivided cell. This protocol features good functional group tolerance, and is chemical redox agent- and sacrificial electrode-free. Mechanistic studies indicated that the base was crucial for the decarboxylation step and a NiI/NiIII catalytic cycle was involved in this transformation.

Apple polyphenols delay postharvest senescence and quality deterioration of 'Jinshayou' pummelo fruit during storage.

Introduction: Apple polyphenols (AP), derived from the peel of mature-green apples, are widely used as natural plant-derived preservatives in the postharvest preservation of numerous horticultural products. Methods: The goal of this research was to investigate how AP (at 0.5% and 1.0%) influences senescence-related physiological parameters and antioxidant capacity of 'Jinshayou' pummelo fruits stored at 20°C for 90 d. Results: The treating pummelo fruit with AP could effectively retard the loss of green color and internal nutritional quality, resulting in higher levels of total soluble solid (TSS) content, titratable acidity (TA) content and pericarp firmness, thus maintaining the overall quality. Concurrently, AP treatment promoted the increases in ascorbic acid, reduced glutathione, total phenols (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) contents, increased the scavenging rates of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical (•OH), and enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) as well as their encoding genes expression (CmSOD, CmCAT, CmPOD, CmAPX, and CmGR), reducing the increases in electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde content and hydrogen peroxide level, resulting in lower fruit decay rate and weight loss rate. The storage quality of 'Jinshayou' pummelo fruit was found to be maintained best with a 1.0% AP concentration. Conclusion: AP treatment can be regarded as a promising and effective preservative of delaying quality deterioration and improving antioxidant capacity of 'Jinshayou' pummelo fruit during storage at room temperature.

Transition metal-catalyzed organic reactions in undivided electrochemical cells.

Transition metal-catalyzed organic electrochemistry is a rapidly growing research area owing in part to the ability of metal catalysts to alter the selectivity of a given transformation. This conversion mainly focuses on transition metal-catalyzed anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction and great progress has been achieved in both areas. Typically, only one of the half-cell reactions is involved in the organic reaction while a sacrificial reaction occurs at the counter electrode, which is inherently wasteful since one electrode is not being used productively. Recently, transition metal-catalyzed paired electrolysis that makes use of both anodic oxidation and cathodic reduction has attracted much attention. This perspective highlights the recent progress of each type of electrochemical reaction and relatively focuses on the transition metal-catalyzed paired electrolysis, showcasing that electrochemical reactions involving transition metal catalysis have advantages over conventional reactions in terms of controlling the reaction activity and selectivity and figuring out that transition metal-catalyzed paired electrolysis is an important direction of organic electrochemistry in the future and offers numerous opportunities for new and improved organic reaction methods.

[Soil bacterial community composition and functional potentials along the vertical vegetation transect on Mount Segrila, Tibet, China]. / 西藏色季拉山垂直植被带土壤细菌群落组成及功能潜势.

Information on the spatial distribution of soil microbial communities on the Tibetan Pla-teau is critical for in-depth understanding the important roles of microbes in typical alpine ecosystems. In this study, 16S rDNA Illumina Miseq sequencing was used to analyze the variations in bacterial community composition and functional potentials in soils sampled from four elevations on Mount Segrila, Tibet, and the driving environmental factors. Results showed that richness and Shannon diversity index of soil bacteria significantly decreased with increasing altitude. The relative abundances of Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, and Nitrospirae significantly increased, whereas that of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes significantly decreased with increasing altitude. In KEGG pathway (level Ⅱ), the relative abundance of genes related to membrane transport and the metabolism of amino acids, lipids, terpenoids and polyketones was significantly lower at high elevations. In contrast, genes related to carbohydrates metabolism, signal transduction, replication and repair and enzyme family were more abundant at high altitudes. Soil bacterial community composition and predicted functions were significantly affected by vegetation types and soil properties, with soil pH being the key driver. There were significant correlations between the abundances of predicted functions and bacterial taxa, such as Acitnobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Fibrobacteres. The dissimilarity in the composition of KEGG pathway genes along the elevational gradient (ß-diversity) showed a significantly positive correlation with the dissimilarity in bacterial community structure, indicating that there was a strong relationship between microbial community composition and potential functionality.

Monopelopia Fittkau, 1962, a newly recorded genus from Oriental China (Diptera, Chironomidae) with a description of Monopelopia zhengi Lin sp. n.

The genus Monopelopia Fittkau, 1962 is newly recorded from Oriental China. Monopelopia zhengi Lin sp. n., is described and illustrated based on an adult male from Jianfengling National Nature Reserve, Hainan, China. In addition, an updated key to adult males of Monopelopia is provided.

Esterification of Carboxylic Acids with Aryl Halides via the Merger of Paired Electrolysis and Nickel Catalysis.

Electrochemistry has been successfully applied in metal catalysis to avoid the usage of chemical redox agents. This strategy proved to be a powerful approach to construct carbon-carbon (C-C) and carbon-heteroatom (C-X) bonds. However, most of the developed methods are based on either anodic oxidation or cathodic reduction, in which a sacrificial reaction occurs at the counter electrode. Paired electrolysis merging with metal catalysis is underdeveloped, wherein both anodic and cathodic processes are taking place simultaneously. Herein, we demonstrated that by using esterification of carboxylic acids with aryl halides via paired electrolysis using nickel as the catalyst the respective aryl esters were obtained in good to excellent yields at room temperature in an undivided electrochemical cell.

Nickel-Catalyzed N-Arylation of NH-Sulfoximines with Aryl Halides via Paired Electrolysis.

A novel strategy for the N-arylation of NH-sulfoximines has been developed by merging nickel catalysis and electrochemistry (in an undivided cell), thereby providing a practical method for the construction of sulfoximine derivatives. Paired electrolysis is employed in this protocol, so a sacrificial anode is not required. Owing to the mild reaction conditions, excellent functional group tolerance and yield are achieved. A preliminary mechanistic study indicates that the anodic oxidation of a NiII species is crucial to promote the reductive elimination of a C-N bond from the resulting NiIII species at room temperature.

Association of Total Dietary Intake of Sugars with Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Concentrations: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003-2010.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that dietary intake of sugars may be a risk factor for prostate cancer (PCa) and elevate the concentration of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). However, there is limited evidence of the correlation between total dietary intake of sugars and serum PSA concentrations for adult American males. Herein, we evaluated the association between total dietary intake of sugars and serum PSA concentrations in men without a malignant tumor diagnosis in the United States (US) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. Material and Methods. In this secondary data analysis, a total of 6,403 men aged ≥40 years and without malignant tumor history were included from 2003 to 2010. The independent variable of this study was the total dietary intake of sugars, and the dependent variable was serum PSA concentrations. Covariates included dietary, comorbidity, physical examination, and demographic data. RESULTS: The average age of participants included in this study was 58.1 years (±13.6). After adjusting for the dietary, comorbidity, physical examination, and demographic data, we observed that a dietary intake increase of one gram of total dietary intake of sugars was associated with an increase of serum PSA concentrations by 0.003 ng/mL (after log2 transformed, 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.005) with a P value for trend less than 0.05. Sensitivity analysis using the generalized additive model (GAM) supported the linear association between total dietary intake of sugars and serum PSA concentrations. CONCLUSION: The total dietary intake of sugars is independently and positively associated with serum PSA concentrations in adult American males who are without a personal history of malignant tumors.

Dietary phosphorus intake and serum prostate-specific antigen in non-prostate cancer American adults: A secondary analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003-2010.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Previous study has reported phosphorus intake is associated prostate cancer (PCa), but the association between phosphorus intake and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels hasn't been reported in non-history of PCa population. Therefore, we performed a secondary data analysis based on existing data from the public Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2003-2010) database. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Totally 6403 participants were selected from NHANES (2003-2010) database. The interested independent and dependent variables were considered as dietary phosphorus intake and PSA level, respectively. Covariates included demographic data, dietary data, physical examination data, and comorbidities. Weighted linear regression and generalized additive models were used to addressing the linear and non-linear link of phosphorus intake to PSA level. RESULTS: Linear association between phosphorus intake and PSA was not detected [ß=0.016 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.012, 0.045)]. But we found an existing nonlinearity. By the recursive algorithm, the inflection point was 1151 mg. On the left side of the inflection point, we did not find the correlation between dietary phosphorus intake (per 100 change) and PSA level [ß=-0.04 (95% CI -0.11, 0.02), p=0.2155], while dietary phosphorus intake (per 100 change) positively associated with PSA [ß=0.05 (95% CI 0.01, 0.09) p=0.0293] on the right side of inflection point. CONCLUSIONS: There is a non-linear correlation between dietary phosphorus intake and PSA. Dietary phosphorus intake was positively associated with increased PSA when dietary phosphorus intake is beyond 1151 mg after adjusting other covariates. Over 1151 mg per day dietary phosphorus intake may be the risk factor for PSA increasing.

A new genus and species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) inducing leaf galls on Peking lilac, Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis (Oleaceae), in China.

Larvae of a previously unknown species of gall midge were found causing large numbers of pustulate leaf galls on Peking lilac, Syringa reticulata subsp. pekinensis (Oleaceae), in parklands and street greenery in Beijing, China. Heavily galled leaves become senescent and fall off prematurely. The gall midge is named Pekinomyia syringae Jiao Kolesik, its morphology is described and the COI mitochondrial gene and 12S ribosomal gene segments are sequenced. A new genus, Pekinomyia Jiao Kolesik (Cecidomyiinae: Lasiopteridi), is erected for the new species. The new genus differs from other Lasiopteridi in the strongly sclerotized aedeagus and the lack of mesobasal lobes in the male terminalia and is not assigned to any known tribe.

Site-Selective C-H Functionalization via Synergistic Use of Electrochemistry and Transition Metal Catalysis.

Electrochemical synthesis of organic compounds has emerged as an attractive and environmentally benign alternative to conventional approaches for oxidation and reduction of organic compounds that utilizes electric current instead of chemical oxidants and reductants. As such, many useful transformations have been developed, including the Kolbe reaction, the Simons fluorination process, the Monsanto adiponitrile process, and the Shono oxidation, to name a few. Electrochemical C-H functionalization represents one of the most promising reaction types among many electrochemical transformations, since this process avoids prefunctionalization of substrates and provides novel retrosynthetic disconnections. However, site-selective anodic oxidation of C-H bonds is still a fundamental challenge due to the high oxidation potentials of C-H bonds compared to organic solvents and common functional groups. To overcome this issue, indirect electrolysis via the action of a mediator (a redox catalyst) is regularly employed, by which the selectivity can be controlled following reaction of said mediator with the substrate. Since the redox potentials of transition metal complexes can be easily tuned by modification of the ligand, the synergistic use of electrochemistry and transition metal catalysis to achieve site-selective C-H functionalization is an attractive strategy. In this Account, we summarize and contextualize our recent efforts toward transition metal-catalyzed electrochemical C-H functionalization proximal to a suitable directing group. We have developed C-H oxygenation, acylation, alkylation, and halogenation reactions in which a Pd(II) species is oxidized to a Pd(III) or Pd(IV) intermediate by anodic oxidation, followed by reductive elimination to form the corresponding C-O, C-C, and C-X bonds. Importantly, improved monofunctionalization selectivity is achieved in the Pd-catalyzed C(sp3)-H oxygenation compared to conventional approaches using PhI(OAc)2 as the chemical oxidant. Physical separators are sometimes used to prevent the electrochemical deposition of Pd black on the cathode resulting from reduction of high valent Pd species. We skirted this issue through the development a Cu-catalyzed electrochemical C(sp2)-H amination using n-Bu4NI as a redox cocatalyst in an undivided cell. In addition, we developed Ir-catalyzed electrochemical vinylic C-H functionalization of acrylic acids with alkynes in an undivided cell, affording various substituted α-pyrones in good to excellent yield. More importantly, chemical oxidants, including Ag2CO3, Cu(OAc)2, and PhI(OAc)2, resulted in much lower yields in the absence of electrical current under otherwise identical conditions. As elaborated below, progress in the area of electrochemical transition metal-catalyzed synthesis provides an effective platform for environmentally friendly and sustainable selective chemical transformations.

Nickel-Catalyzed Electrochemical Reductive Relay Cross-Coupling of Alkyl Halides to Aryl Halides.

A highly regioselective Ni-catalyzed electrochemical reductive relay cross-coupling between an aryl halide and an alkyl halide has been developed in an undivided cell. Various functional groups are tolerated under these mild reaction conditions, which provides an alternative approach for the synthesis of 1,1-diarylalkanes.

New Mycodiplosis gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) feeding on fungal rusts (Fungi: Pucciniomycetes) that are pathogenic on cultured plants.

Larvae of a gall midge were found feeding on the fungal rust Maravalia pterocarpi (Pucciniomycetes: Pucciniales: Chaconiaceae) infesting the economically important sua tree Dalbergia tonkinensis (Fabaceae) on Hainan Island, China. The adults, pupae and larvae were collected, their morphology was studied and a segment of the Cytochrome Oxidase unit I (COI) mitochondrial gene was sequenced. The gall midge proved to be a species new to science that belongs to the genus Mycodiplosis (Diptera: Cecdiomyiidae). Comparison of the sequence to published Cecdiomyiidae sequences revealed that, despite being undescribed and unnamed, it was previously found in east and south-east Asia to feed on several rust species: Puccinia coronata (Pucciniomycetes: Pucciniales: Pucciniaceae) that develops on Lolium multiflorum (Poaceae), Puccinia sp. on Zea mays (Poaceae), Puccinia arachidis on Arachis hypogaea (Fabaceae) and Puccinia allii on Allium fistulosum (Amaryllidaceae). The new species is described and named here Mycodiplosis puccinivora Jiao, Bu Kolesik. It occurs in China, Japan, Thailand, Bangladesh and possibly Malaysia and Australia. In Hainan it has four to five generations per year.

A new species of Contarinia (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) damaging inflorescence of Carya cathayensis (Juglandaceae) in China.

Chinese hickory, Carya cathayensis Sargent (Juglandaceae), is a tree naturally occurring and industrially grown in China for the nuts that are valued for their taste and nutrient content. Larvae of a previously unknown species of gall midge were found feeding on male and female inflorescences of Carya cathayensis in Zhejiang and Anhui Provinces in eastern China, reducing pollination and fruit development, and causing substantial damage to the nut industry. The new species is named Contarinia caryafloralis Jiao, Bu Kolesik, its morphology is described, the basic biology is given, and the Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene segment is sequenced. Contarinia caryafloralis is the first gall midge known to feed on a Carya species native to Asia.

A new species of Procontarinia (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) damaging fruit of mango, Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae), in China.

Larvae of a previously unknown species of gall midge were found feeding on young fruit of mango, Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae), in Guangxi Autonomous Region in southern China, causing severe damage to the crop. The new species is named Procontarinia fructiculi Jiao, Wang, Bu Kolesik, its morphology is described, the basic biology is given, and the Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene segment is sequenced and compared to other congeners. Procontarinia contains now 16 described species, each feeding on mango. All but three species cause variously shaped galls on leaves, while P. mangiferae (Felt) malforms inflorescence and young leaves, and two species feed on fruit - P. frugivora Gagné causing deep lesions and P. fructiculi sp. nov. tunnel-like holes. Of the two fruit-feeding species, P. frugivora is confined to the Philippines while the new species has thus far been recorded only from southern China.

A new species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) attacking jujube, Ziziphus jujuba in China.

Dasineura jujubifolia Jiao & Bu, sp. nov., a gall midge feeding on jujube, Ziziphus jujuba Miller (Rhamnaceae), a fruit tree cultivated extensively in large areas of China, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from Alar (Xinjiang, China). The new gall midge species causes rolled leaf galls on Ziziphus jujuba in Northwestern China. Brief notes on the biology of the jujube gall midge are given.