An Evaluation of the Impact of 60Co Irradiation on Volatile Organic Compounds of Olibanum Using Gas Chromatography Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

Olibanum is a resinous traditional Chinese medicine that is directly used as a powder. It is widely used in China and is often combined with other traditional Chinese medicine powders to promote blood circulation and relieve pain, as well as to treat rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis. Powdered traditional Chinese medicine is often easily contaminated by microorganisms and 60Co irradiation is one of the good sterilization methods. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the main active ingredient of olibanum. The aim of this study was to validate the optimum doses of 60Co irradiation and its effect on VOCs. 60Co irradiation was applied in different doses of 0 kGy, 1.5 kGy, 3.0 kGy, and 6.0 kGy. Changes in VOCs were detected using gas chromatography ion mobility spectrometry. A total of 81 VOCs were identified. The odor fingerprint results showed that, with an increase in irradiation dose, most of the VOCs of olibanum changed. Through principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and partial least squares discriminant analysis, it was demonstrated that, at 1.5 kGy, the impact of radiation on the VOCs of olibanum was minimal, indicating this is a relatively good irradiation dose. This study provides a theoretical basis for the irradiation processing and quality control of resinous medicinal materials such as olibanum and it also provides a good reference for irradiation technology development and its application to functional foods, thus making it both significant from a research perspective and useful from an application perspective.

Associations of Frailty with Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: Frailty is a vulnerability state increasing the risk of many adverse health outcomes, but little is known about the effects of frailty on neuropsychiatric health. Objective: To explore the associations between frailty and the risk of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially in its different clinical stages. Methods: We included 2,155 individuals assessed using modified frailty index-11 (mFI-11), Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). The relationships between frailty and NPSs were explored with logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazard regression models. Causal mediation analyses were conducted to explore the mediation factors between frailty and NPSs. Results: Among mild cognitive impairment (MCI) participants, frailty was cross-sectionally associated with an increased risk of apathy, and longitudinally associated with increased risk of depression and apathy. Among AD participants, frailty was cross-sectionally associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety, and longitudinally associated with an increased risk of apathy. Among participants with cognitive progression, frailty was associated with increased risk of depression and apathy. In MCI participants, the influence of frailty on NPSs was partially mediated by hippocampus volume, whole brain volume, and monocytes, with mediating proportions ranging from 8.40% to 9.29%. Conclusions: Frailty was associated with NPSs such as depression, anxiety, and apathy among MCI, AD, and cognitive progression participants. Atrophy of the hippocampus and whole brain, as well as peripheral immunity may be involved in the potential mechanisms underlying the above associations.

Association of peripheral immunity and cerebral small vessel disease in older adults without dementia: A longitudinal study.

This study explored the associations between peripheral immunity with cerebral small vessel diseases. Older adults without dementia from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were investigated. Peripheral blood was obtained, and magnetic resonance imaging was performed to measure cerebral microbleeds (CMB), lacunar infarctions (LI), and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Multivariable-adjusted regression models, linear mixed-effects models, and the Spearman correlations were used to evaluate the associations. At baseline, individuals with greater neutrophils (odds ratio [OR] =1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.20, p=0.042) and monocytes (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.22, p=0.016) had higher WMH volume. On the contrary, a higher lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was related to lower WMH volume (OR=0.91, 95% CI 0.82-1.00, p=0.041). Longitudinally, higher neutrophils (ρ=0.084, p=0.049) and NLR (ρ=0.111, p=0.009) predicted accelerated progression of WMH volume, while a greater LMR (ρ=-0.101, p=0.018) was linked to slower growth of WMH volume. Nevertheless, associations between peripheral immunity with CMB or LI were not observed at baseline and follow-up. Our study found that peripheral immune indexes could serve as convenient noninvasive biomarkers of WMH.

Exploring risk factors and their differences on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among depressed adolescents based on decision tree model.

BACKGROUND: Suicide has been recognized as a major global public health issue. Depressed adolescents are more prone to experiencing it. We explore risk factors and their differences on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts to further enhance our understanding of suicidal behavior. METHODS: 2343 depressed adolescents aged 12-18 from 9 provinces/cities in China participated in this cross-sectional study. We utilized decision tree model, incorporating 32 factors encompassing participants' suicidal behavior. The feature importance of each factor was measured using Gini coefficients. RESULTS: The decision tree model demonstrated a good fit with high accuracy (SI = 0.86, SA = 0.85 and F-Score (SI = 0.85, SA = 0.83). The predictive importance of each factor varied between groups with suicidal ideation and with suicide attempts. The most significant risk factor in both groups was depression (SI = 16.7 %, SA = 19.8 %). However, factors such as academic stress (SI = 7.2 %, SA = 1.6 %), hopelessness (SI = 9.1 %, SA = 5.0 %), and age (SI = 7.1 %, SA = 3.2 %) were more closely associated with suicidal ideation than suicide attempts. Factors related to the schooling status (SI = 3.5 %, SA = 10.1 %), total years of education (SI = 2.6 %, SA = 8.6 %), and loneliness (SI = 2.3 %, SA = 7.4 %) were relatively more important in the suicide attempt stage compared to suicidal ideation. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design limited the ability to capture changes in suicidal behavior among depressed adolescents over time. Possible bias may exist in the measurement of suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: The relative importance of each risk factor for suicidal ideation and attempted suicide varies. These findings provide further empirical evidence for understanding suicide behavior. Targeted treatment measures should be taken for different stages of suicide in clinical interventions.

Associations of cerebrospinal fluid complement proteins with Alzheimer's pathology, cognition, and brain structure in non-dementia elderly.

BACKGROUND: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) complement activation is a key part of neuroinflammation that occurs in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the associations of CSF complement proteins with AD pathology, cognition, and structural neuroimaging biomarkers for AD have been rarely investigated. METHODS: A total of 210 participants (125 mild cognitive impairment [MCI] patients and 85 normal controls) were included from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database who measured AD pathology, cognition, and neuroimaging at baseline and every 12 months. The mixed-effect linear models were utilized to investigate longitudinal associations of CSF complement proteins with AD pathology, cognition, and neuroimaging in cognitively normal (CN) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects. Causal mediation analyses were conducted to explore the potential mediators between CSF complement proteins and cognitive changes. RESULTS: We found that the subjects with low CSF complement protein levels at baseline had worse outcomes in AD pathology, indicated by their lowest concentrations observed in A + and A + T + individuals. The reduced CSF complement proteins were associated with faster accumulation of tau among CN subjects and with cognitive decline and greater brain atrophy of specific regions among MCI subjects. Furthermore, mediation analyses showed that the effects of CSF complement proteins on cognitive performance were partially mediated by regional brain structures (mediation proportions range from 19.78 to 94.92%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that CSF complement proteins were involved in the early progression of AD. Our results indicated that regional brain atrophy might be a plausible way to connect CSF complement protein levels and cognition.

Functional role of Ash2l in oxLDL induced endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis.

Endothelial injury and dysfunction in the artery wall fuel the process of atherosclerosis. As a key epigenetic regulator, Ash2l (Absent, small, or homeotic-Like 2) is involved in regulating vascular injury and its complications. However, the role of Ash2l in atherosclerosis has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we found increased Ash2l expression in high-cholesterol diet-fed ApoE-/- mice and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) treated endothelial cells (ECs). Furthermore, Ash2l promoted the scavenger receptors transcription by catalyzing histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) trimethylation at the promoter region of transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and triggered the activation of the pro-inflammatory nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) by enhancing interaction between CD36 and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Meanwhile, enhanced expression of scavenger receptors drove more oxLDL uptake by ECs. In vivo studies revealed that ECs-specific Ash2l knockdown reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation and promoted fibrous cap stability in the aorta of ApoE-/- mice, which was partly associated with a reduced endothelial activation by suppressing scavenger receptors and the uptake of lipids by ECs. Collectively, our findings identify Ash2l as a novel regulator that mediates endothelial injury and atherosclerosis. Targeting Ash2l may provide valuable insights for developing novel therapeutic candidates for atherosclerosis.

Association between cerebrospinal fluid clusterin and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease pathology in mild cognitive impairment: a longitudinal cohort study.

Background: Clusterin, a glycoprotein implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), remains unclear. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clusterin in relation to AD biomarkers using a longitudinal cohort of non-demented individuals. Methods: We gathered a sample comprising 86 individuals under cognition normal (CN) and 134 patients diagnosed with MCI via the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database. To investigate the correlation of CSF clusterin with cognitive function and markers of key physiological changes, we employed multiple linear regression and mixed-effect models. We undertook a causal mediation analysis to inspect the mediating influence of CSF clusterin on cognitive abilities. Results: Pathological characteristics associated with baseline Aß42, Tau, brain volume, exhibited a correlation with initial CSF clusterin in the general population, Specifically, these correlations were especially prominent in the MCI population; CSF Aß42 (PCN = 0.001; PMCI = 0.007), T-tau (PCN < 0.001; PMCI < 0.001), and Mid temporal (PCN = 0.033; PMCI = 0.005). Baseline CSF clusterin level was predictive of measurable cognitive shifts in the MCI population, as indicated by MMSE (ß = 0.202, p = 0.029), MEM (ß = 0.186, p = 0.036), RAVLT immediate recall (ß = 0.182, p = 0.038), and EF scores (ß = 0.221, p = 0.013). In MCI population, the alterations in brain regions (17.87% of the total effect) mediated the effect of clusterin on cognition. It was found that variables such as age, gender, and presence of APOE ε4 carrier status, influenced some of these connections. Conclusion: Our investigation underscored a correlation between CSF clusterin concentrations and pivotal AD indicators, while also highlighting clusterin's potential role as a protective factor for cognitive abilities in MCI patients.

Omnidirectional broadband phase modulation by total internal reflection.

Phase modulation plays a crucial role in shaping optical fields and physical optics. However, traditional phase modulation techniques are highly dependent on angles and wavelengths, limiting their applicability in smart optical systems. Here, we propose a first-principle theory for achieving constant phase modulation independent of incident angle and wavelength. By utilizing a hyperbolic metamaterial and engineering-specific optical parameters, different reflective phase jumps are achieved and tailored for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) waves. The aimed reflection phase difference between TE and TM waves can be thus achieved omnidirectionally and achromatically. As an example, we propose a perfect omnidirectional broadband reflection quarter wave plate. This work provides fundamental insights into manipulating optical phases through optical parameter engineering.

Exogenous melatonin enhances the tolerance of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) via DNA damage repair pathway under heavy metal stress (Cd2+) at the sprout stage.

Heavy metal (HM) stress is a non-negligible abiotic stress that seriously restricts crop yield and quality, while the sprout stage is the most sensitive to stress and directly impacts the growth and development of the later stage. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), as an exogenous additive, enhances stress resistance due to its ability to oxidize and reduce. However, few reports on exogenous melatonin to tiger nuts under HM stress have explored whether exogenous melatonin enhances plants' resistance to heavy metals. Here, "Jisha 2″ was used as material, with a stress concentration of 5 mg/L and 100 µmol/L of CdCl2 to explore whether exogenous melatonin enhances plant resistance and molecular mechanism. The result revealed that stress limits growth, while melatonin alleviated the sprout damage under stress from the phenotypes. Moreover, stress-enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and membrane lipid peroxidation, while melatonin-increased ROS reduce damage via the analysis of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O2-), and Electrolyte leakage (El). Further results indicated that HM leads to DNA damage while exogenous melatonin will repair the damage by analyzing random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), DNA cross-linking, 8-hydroxy-20-deoxyguanine level, and relative density of apurinic sites. Furthermore, gene expression in the DNA-repaired pathway exhibited similar results. These results applied that exogenous melatonin released the hurt caused by HM stress, with DNA repair and ROS balance serving as candidate pathways. This study elucidated the mechanism of melatonin's influence and provided theoretical insights into its application in tiger nuts.

Emission profiles, source identifications, and health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a road tunnel located in Xi'an, China.

Understanding the sources and characteristics of PM2.5-bound PAHs from traffic-related pollution can provide valuable data for mitigating air contamination from traffic in local urban regions. However, little information on PAHs is available regarding the typical arterial highway-Qinling Mountains No.1 tunnel in Xi'an. We estimated the profiles, sources, and emission factors of PM2.5-bound PAHs in this tunnel. The total PAH concentrations were 22.78 ng·m-3 and 52.80 ng·m-3 at the tunnel middle and exit, which were 1.09 and 3.84 times higher than that at the tunnel entrance. Pyr, Flt, Phe, Chr, BaP, and BbF were the dominant PAH species (representing approximately 78.01% of total PAHs). The four rings PAHs were dominant (58%) among the total PAH concentrations in PM2.5. The results demonstrated that diesel and gasoline vehicles exhaust emissions contributed 56.81% and 22.60% to the PAHs, respectively, while the corresponding value for together brakes, tyre wear, and road dust was 20.59%. The emission factors of total PAHs were 29.35 µg·veh-1·km-1, and emission factors of 4 rings PAHs were significantly higher than those of the other PAHs. The sum of ILCR was estimated to be 1.41×10-4, which accorded with acceptable level of cancer risk (10-6-10-4), PAHs should not ignored as they still affect the public health of inhabitants. This study shed light on PAH profiles and traffic-related sources in the tunnel, thereby facilitating the assessment of control measures targeting PAHs in local areas.

PARP16-Mediated Stabilization of Amyloid Precursor Protein mRNA Exacerbates Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis.

The accumulation and deposition of beta-amyloid (Aß) are key neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). PARP16, a Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, is a known tail-anchored endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein that transduces ER stress during pathological processes. Here, we found that PARP16 was significantly increased in the hippocampi and cortices of APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice and hippocampal neuronal HT22 cells exposed to Aß, suggesting a positive correlation between the progression of AD pathology and the overexpression of PARP16. To define the effect of PARP16 on AD progression, adeno-associated virus mediated-PARP16 knockdown was used in APP/PS1 mice to investigate the role of PARP16 in spatial memory, amyloid burden, and neuroinflammation. Knockdown of PARP16 partly attenuated impaired spatial memory, as indicated by the Morris water maze test, and decreased amyloid deposition, neuronal apoptosis, and the production of inflammatory cytokines in the brains of APP/PS1 mice. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the knockdown of PARP16 expression rescued neuronal damage and ER stress triggered by Aß. Furthermore, we discovered that intracellular PARP16 acts as an RNA-binding protein that regulates the mRNA stability of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and protects targeted APP from degradation, thereby increasing APP levels and AD pathology. Our findings revealed an unanticipated role of PARP16 in the pathogenesis of AD, and at least in part, its association with increased APP mRNA stability.

Regional Transport of PM2.5 from Coal-Fired Power Plants in the Fenwei Plain, China.

The Fenwei Plain (FWP) remains one of the worst PM2.5-polluted regions in China, although its air quality has improved in recent years. To evaluate the regional transport characteristics of PM2.5 emitted by coal-fired power plants in the FWP in wintertime, the primary PM2.5, SO2, and NOx emissions from coal-fired power plants with large units (≥300 MW) in 11 cities of the area in January 2019 were collected based on the Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS). The spatial distribution and source contribution of primary and secondary PM2.5 concentrations were investigated using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model and the California Puff (CALPUFF) model. The results showed that secondary PM2.5 was transported over a larger range than primary PM2.5 and that secondary nitrate was the main component of the total PM2.5 concentration, accounting for more than 70%. High concentrations of primary, secondary, and total PM2.5 mainly occurred in the Shaanxi region of the FWP, especially in Xianyang, where the PM2.5 concentrations were the highest among the 11 cities, even though its pollutant emissions were at moderate levels. The PM2.5 concentrations in Sanmenxia and Yuncheng primarily came from regional transport, accounting for 64% and 68%, respectively, while those in other cities were dominated by local emissions, accounting for more than 63%. The results may help to understand the regional transport characteristics of pollutants emitted from elevated point sources over a complex terrain.

Age-Related Association Between APOE ɛ4 and Cognitive Progression in de novo Parkinson's Disease.

BACKGROUND: APOE ɛ4 genotype was correlated with exacerbation of pathology and higher risk of dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). Meanwhile, the differential influence of APOE ɛ4 on cognition in young and old individuals interpreted as antagonistic pleiotropy. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the effect of APOE ɛ4 on cognitive progression in de novo PD is age dependent. METHODS: In this study, 613 de novo PD patients were recruited from Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). To examine the age-dependent relationship between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive changes, we added 3-way interaction of APOE ɛ4*baseline age*time to the linear mixed-effect (LME) models and evaluated the specific roles of APOE ɛ4 in the middle age group and elderly group separately. Cox regression was utilized to examine the progression of cognition in age-stratified PD participants. RESULTS: Age significantly modified relationship between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive changes in most cognitive domains (pinteraction <0.05). In the elderly group, APOE ɛ4 carriers showed steeper decline in global cognition (p = 0.001) as well as in most cognitive domains, and they had a greater risk of cognitive progression (adjusted HR 1.625, 95% CI 1.143-2.310, p = 0.007), compared with non-carriers. However, in the middle age group, no significant relationships between APOE ɛ4 and cognitive decline can be detected. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the APOE ɛ4 allele has an age-dependent effect on cognitive decline in PD patients. The underlying mechanisms need to be investigated in the future.

Development of chemiluminescent lab-on-fiber immunosensors for rapid point-of-care testing of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and evaluation of longitudinal immune response kinetics following three-dose inactivation virus vaccination.

Developing reliable, rapid, and quantitative point-of-care testing (POCT) technology of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies and understanding longitudinal vaccination response kinetics are highly required to restrain the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We demonstrate a novel portable, sensitive, and rapid chemiluminescent lab-on-fiber detection platform for detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: the chemiluminescent lab-on-fiber immunosensor (c-LOFI). Using SARS-CoV-2 Spike S1 RBD protein functionalized fiber bio-probe, the c-LOFI can detect anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies with high sensitivity based on their respective horseradish peroxidase-labeled secondary antibodies. The limits of detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were 0.6 and 0.3 ng/ml, respectively. The c-LOFI was successfully applied for direct detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in whole blood samples with simple dilution, which can serve as a finger prick test to rapidly detect antibodies. Furthermore, the longitudinal immune response (>12 months) kinetics following three-dose inactivated virus vaccines was evaluated based on anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG detection results, which can provide important significance for understanding the immune mechanism against COVID-19 and identify individuals who may benefit from the vaccination and booster vaccination. The c-LOFI has great potential to become a sensitive, low-cost, rapid, high-frequency POCT tool for the detection of both SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies and other biomarkers.

Association between air pollution and CSF sTREM2 in cognitively normal older adults: The CABLE study.

OBJECTIVES: Ambient air pollution aggravates the process of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Currently, the exact inflammatory mechanisms underlying these links from clinical research remain largely unclear. METHODS: This study included 1,131 cognitively intact individuals from the Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and LifestylE database with data provided on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers (amyloid beta-peptide 42 [Aß42], total tau [t-tau], and phosphorylated tau [p-tau]), neuroinflammatory (CSF sTREM2), and systemic inflammatory markers (high sensitivity C-reactive protein and peripheral immune cells). The 2-year averaged levels of ambient fine particulate matter with diameter <2.5 µm (PM2.5 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ), and ozone (O3 ) were estimated at each participant's residence. Multiple-adjusted models were approached to detect associations of air pollution with inflammatory markers and AD-related proteins. RESULTS: Ambient 2-year averaged exposure of PM2.5 was associated with changes of neuroinflammatory markers, that is, CSF sTREM2 (ß = -0.116, p = 0.0002). Similar results were found for O3 exposure among the elderly (ß = -0.111, p = 0.0280) or urban population (ß = -0.090, p = 0.0144). No significant evidence supported NO2 related to CSF sTREM2. For potentially causal associations with accumulated AD pathologies, the total effects of PM2.5 on CSF amyloid-related protein (CSF Aß42 and p-tau/Aß42) were partly mediated by CSF sTREM2, with proportions of 14.22% and 47.15%, respectively. Additional analyses found inverse associations between peripheral inflammatory markers with PM2.5 and NO2 , but a positive correlation with O3 . INTERPRETATION: These findings demonstrated a strong link between PM2.5 exposure and microglial dysfunction. Furthermore, CSF sTREM2 as a key mediator modulated the influences of PM2.5 exposure on AD amyloid pathologies.

Prestige and Dominance: How eWOM Differs Between Consumers High in Authentic and Hubristic Pride.

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) influences consumers' purchase decisions, but few studies have investigated the antecedents that lead consumers to create different types of eWOM. From the perspective of social interactions, this research explored how two subtypes of pride not only compel consumers to create eWOM but also differently impact four types of eWOM and their mechanisms. Study 1 manipulated the pride state and found that authentic pride promoted positive eWOM and constructive eWOM, while hubristic pride promoted negative eWOM and destructive eWOM. Study 2 examined the effect of pride on eWOM at the trait level and tested the mediating effect of their use of social status pursuit strategy. Overall, this study increases the understanding of different types of eWOM and broadens the literature of the effect of pride and social status pursuit strategy in the context of consumption.

RNA-Seq Analysis Demonstrates Different Strategies Employed by Tiger Nuts (Cyperus esculentus L.) in Response to Drought Stress.

Drought stress, an important abiotic stress, has affected global agricultural production by limiting the yield and the quality of crops. Tiger nuts (Cyperus esculentus L.) are C4 crops in the Cyperaceae family, which have high-quality wholesome ingredients. However, data on mechanisms underlying the response of tiger nuts to drought stress are few. Here, the variety of Jisha 1 and 15% polyethylene glycol (PEG; a drought stress simulator) were used to study the mechanisms of stress response in tiger nuts. Our evaluation of the changes in physiological indicators such as electrolyte leakage (El), malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion (O2-) and activities of reactive oxygen species (ROS) showed that 12 h was the most suitable time point to harvest and analyze the response to drought stress. Thereafter, we performed transcriptome (RNA-Seq) analysis in the control (CK) and stress treatment groups and showed that there was a total of 1760 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that the DEGs were enriched in abscisic acid (ABA) terms, and pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism (ko00500), phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (ko00940) and plant hormone signal transduction (ko04075) were significantly enriched in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis of the DEGs demonstrated an upregulation of ABA and lignin content, as well as enzyme activities in enriched pathways, which validated the RNA-Seq data. These results revealed the pathways and mechanisms adopted by the tiger nuts in response to drought stress.

Cyperus (Cyperus esculentus L.): A Review of Its Compositions, Medical Efficacy, Antibacterial Activity and Allelopathic Potentials.

Cyperus (Cyperus esculentus L.) is an edible perennial grass-like plant, which propagates exclusively with underground tubers. Its tubers are rich in starch (20-30%), fat (25-35%), sugar (10-20%), protein (10-15%) and dietary fiber (8-9%). In addition, the tubers also contain alkaloids, organic acids, vitamins (C and E), steroids, terpenoids and other active components. The contents of oleic acid and linoleic acid in Cyperus oil are very high, which have important medicinal value and health-promoting properties. Most of the extracts from the tubers, stems and leaves of Cyperus have allelopathic potential and antibacterial, antioxidant and insecticidal activities. In recent years, the planting area of Cyperus has increased significantly all over the world, especially in China and some other countries. This paper presents the current status of Cyperus and the recent trend in research in this area. Published reports on its nutritional contents, active ingredients, medicinal efficacy, antibacterial activity and allelopathic potential were also reviewed.

On-site rapid and simultaneous detection of acetamiprid and fipronil using a dual-fluorescence lab-on-fiber biosensor.

A dual-fluorescence lab-on-fiber biosensor was developed for the rapid and simultaneous on-site determination of acetamiprid and fipronil, based on time-resolved effect and indirect competitive immunoassay principle. The optical fiber modified with two hapten-protein conjugates serves as a bifunctional bio-probe. The dual-color fluorescent reporters were prepared via labeling acetamiprid and fipronil antibodies with Cy5.5 and Alexa Fluor 555, which were excited at 635-nm and 520-nm laser wavelengths, respectively. In the presence of targets, the binding sites of corresponding antibodies were occupied and less antibodies were connected to the probe surface, resulting in the reduction of fluorescence signal. The concentration of acetamiprid and fipronil was determined by measuring the fluorescence signals at 568 nm and 702 nm (emission wavelengths), respectively. Under optimal conditions, the linear response range was 14.2-225.4 ng/L for acetamiprid and 25.1-162.8 ng/L for fipronil, and the limit of detection was 6.51 ng/L and 17.8 ng/L for acetamiprid and fipronil, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the simultaneous detection of acetamiprid and fipronil in three environmental samples, and the recoveries were between 90 and 128%. The dual-fluorescence lab-on-fiber biosensor provides a feasible platform for simultaneous and rapid detection of multiple pesticide residues. A dual-fluorescence lab-on-fiber biosensor was developed for the rapid and simultaneous on-site determination of acetamiprid and fipronil. A bifunctional bio-probe was prepared from the optical fiber modified with two hapten-protein conjugates. Acetamiprid and fipronil antibodies were labeled with different fluorophores and used as dual-color fluorescent reporters.

Prevalence and Genetic Analysis of ß-Thalassemia in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of the Yunnan Province, China.

Background: ß-Thalassemia is the most common monogenetic hemolytic hemoglobin-associated disease in the south of China; the distribution of genetic mutations associated with this condition varies according to geographic regions. This study investigated the prevalence and distribution of ß-thalassemia-associated mutations across different ethnic groups in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of the Yunnan Province, China. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 4723 participants (15-45 years old) who volunteered for thalassaemia screening from the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture from May 2017 to October 2020. Cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis was used to screen for ß-thalassemia carriers. Genotypic analyses was performed using polymerase chain reaction-based reverse dot blotting and DNA sequencing. Results: The overall prevalence of ß-thalassemia in the study population was 2.01%. The genotypic analyses showed the presence of four types of mutations in the ß-globin gene: CD26 (GAG→AAG), CD56 (GGC→GAC), IVS-II-81 (C→T), and CD121 (GAA→CAA). In contrast to previous studies from other regions of Yunnan Province, our results showed that the prevalence of CD26 mutations was significantly higher than that of the other mutations. Conclusion: Our data suggests that the Dali Autonomous Prefecture is an area with a high prevalence of ß-thalassemia. Moreover, CD26 was the only ß-thalassemia mutation that we have detected. Moreover, the vast majority of the ß-thalassemia mutations observed were CD26.