Distinct roles of H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 in vernalization response, maintenance, and resetting in winter wheat.

Winter plants rely on vernalization, a crucial process for adapting to cold conditions and ensuring successful reproduction. However, understanding the role of histone modifications in guiding the vernalization process in winter wheat remains limited. In this study, we investigated the transcriptome and chromatin dynamics in the shoot apex throughout the life cycle of winter wheat in the field. Two core histone modifications, H3K27me3 and H3K36me3, exhibited opposite patterns on the key vernalization gene VERNALIZATION1 (VRN1), correlating with its induction during cold exposure. Moreover, the H3K36me3 level remained high at VRN1 after cold exposure, which may maintain its active state. Mutations in FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM (TaFIE) and SET DOMAIN GROUP 8/EARLY FLOWERING IN SHORT DAYS (TaSDG8/TaEFS), components of the writer complex for H3K27me3 and H3K36me3, respectively, affected flowering time. Intriguingly, VRN1 lost its high expression after the cold exposure memory in the absence of H3K36me3. During embryo development, VRN1 was silenced with the removal of active histone modifications in both winter and spring wheat, with selective restoration of H3K27me3 in winter wheat. The mutant of Tafie-cr-87, a component of H3K27me3 "writer" complex, did not influence the silence of VRN1 during embryo development, but rather attenuated the cold exposure requirement of winter wheat. Integrating gene expression with H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 patterns identified potential regulators of flowering. This study unveils distinct roles of H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 in controlling vernalization response, maintenance, and resetting in winter wheat.

Multimode interference methane sensor based on a ZIF-8/PDMS composite film.

A multimode interference methane sensor based on a ZIF-8/PDMS composite film is proposed. The sensing principle is that the refractive index of the ZIF-8/PDMS composite film changes when it adsorbs methane, leading to a measurable optical path difference during the coupling of the cladding higher-order modes and the fundamental mode in the multimode interference fiber (MMI). The environmental methane concentration is then detectable by detecting the wavelength shifts of the interference peaks in the resulted spectrum. Through simulations and experiments aimed at enhancing sensor sensitivity, we optimized three parameters within the sensor structure: the length of the Tapered Single-Mode Fiber (TSMF), the composite film thickness, and the TSMF taper diameter. The experimental results indicate that the sensor's sensitivity reaches a maximum of 0.231 nm%-1. Additionally, the sensor exhibits excellent structural stability and measurement repeatability. The response time is as short as 40 s, and the recovery time ranges between 3 and 5 min. The proposed multimode interferometric methane sensor based on the ZIF-8/PDMS composite film has great potential to support highly sensitive methane concentration detection in many applications.

Air Gap Fiber Bragg Grating for Simultaneous Strain and Temperature Measurement.

We propose an air gap fiber Bragg grating (g-FBG) sensor that can measure strain and temperature simultaneously. The sensor is made by aligning two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), and an air gap exists between these two sub-gratings. This sensor's architecture allows it to form a spectrum with phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating (PSFBG) spectroscopy and Fabry-Perot interference (FPI) spectroscopy. Since the sensitivity of PSFBG and FPI spectra is different for strain and temperature, it is possible to measure both strain and temperature by measuring one of the reflected dips of PSFBG and the interference dip of FPI. The experimental results show that the strain sensitivity is about 11.95 pm/µÎµ via the dip wavelength detection of FPI, and the temperature sensitivity is about 9.64 pm/°C via the dip wavelength detection of PSFBG. The g-FBG sensor demonstrates a resolution of approximately ±3.7 µÎµ within the strain range of 0 to 1000 µÎµ and about ±0.6 °C within the temperature range of 25 °C to 120 °C. The proposed g-FBG sensor, characterized by its simple structure, compact size, and cost-effectiveness, exhibits significant potential in the field of multi-parameter measurements.

Recent advances in understanding of the epigenetic regulation of plant regeneration.

Ever since the concept of "plant cell totipotency" was first proposed in the early twentieth century, plant regeneration has been a major focus of study. Regeneration-mediated organogenesis and genetic transformation are important topics in both basic research and modern agriculture. Recent studies in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and other species have expanded our understanding of the molecular regulation of plant regeneration. The hierarchy of transcriptional regulation driven by phytohormone signaling during regeneration is associated with changes in chromatin dynamics and DNA methylation. Here, we summarize how various aspects of epigenetic regulation, including histone modifications and variants, chromatin accessibility dynamics, DNA methylation, and microRNAs, modulate plant regeneration. As the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation are conserved in many plants, research in this field has potential applications in boosting crop breeding, especially if coupled with emerging single-cell omics technologies.

Hybrid liposome-erythrocyte drug delivery system for tumor therapy with enhanced targeting and blood circulation.

Liposome, a widely used drug delivery system (DDS), still shows several disadvantages such as dominant clearance by liver and poor target organ deposition. To overcome the drawbacks of liposomes, we developed a novel red blood cell (RBC)-liposome combined DDS to modulate the tumor accumulation and extend the blood circulation life of the existing liposomal DDS. Here, RBCs, an ideal natural carrier DDS, were utilized to carry liposomes and avoid them undergo the fast clearance in the blood. In this study, liposomes could either absorbed onto RBCs' surface or fuse with RBCs' membrane by merely altering the interaction time at 37°C, while the interaction between liposome and RBCs would not affect RBCs' characteristics. In the in vivo antitumor therapeutic efficacy study, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) liposomes attached onto RBCs' surfaces exhibited lung targeting effect (via RBC-hitchhiking approach) and reduced clearance in the liver, while DPPC liposomes fused with RBCs had prolong blood circulation up to 48 h and no enrichment in any organ. Furthermore, 20 mol% of DPPC liposomes were replaced with pH-sensitive phospholipid 1,2-dioleoyl-Sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE) as it could respond to the low pH tumor microenvironment and then accumulate in the tumor. The DOPE attached/fusion RBCs showed partial enrichment in lung and about 5-8% tumor accumulation, which were significantly higher than (about 0.7%) the conventional liposomal DDS. Thus, RBC-liposome composite DDS is able to improve the liposomal tumor accumulation and blood circulation and shows the clinical application promises of using autologous RBCs for antitumor therapy.

Functionalized protein microparticles targeting hACE2 as a novel preventive strategy for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2), resulting in a serious burden on public health and social economy worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 infection is mainly initialized in the nasopharyngeal cavity through the binding of viral spike (S) protein to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptors which are widely expressed in many human cells. Thus, blockade of the interaction between viral S protein and hACE2 receptor in the primary entry site is a promising prevention strategy for the management of COVID-19. Here we showed protein microparticles (PMPs) decorated with hACE2 could bind and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 S protein-expressing pseudovirus (PSV) and protect host cells from infection in vitro. In the hACE2 transgenic mouse model, administration of intranasal spray with hACE2-decorated PMPs markedly decreased the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in the lungs though the inflammation was not attenuated significantly. Our results provided evidence for developing functionalized PMPs as a potential strategy for preventing emerging air-borne infectious pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Sensitivity-enhanced optical pressure sensor based on MoS2.

A sensitivity-enhanced optical pressure sensor based on molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is proposed. The sensing principle is that the pressure causes the deformation of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pressure structure above the MoS2 film, leading to the change of the ambient refractive index, so that a measurable light propagation difference in the waveguide under the film is created to reflect the micro changes of the pressure. The pressure is finally numerically converted to the wavelength shift of the interference peak of the obtained spectrum. The process is simulated and analyzed using MoS2 dielectric film, in contrast with that using graphene dielectric film. It turns out that under same conditions, the MoS2 film has a more distinct modulation effect on light than that of the graphene film. Experiments using the real sensor prototype are carried out and the results show that the pressure measuring sensitivity is improved to 96.02 nm/kPa in the pressure range of 0-0.6 kPa, which is much higher than the typical optical pressure sensors. The proposed optical pressure sensor based on MoS2 is of high potential to support ultra-sensitive pressure detection in many applications.

A Direct Position Determination Method Based on Subspace Orthogonality in Cross-Spectra under Multipath Environments.

Without the estimation of the intermediate parameters, the direct position determination (DPD) method can achieve higher localization accuracy than conventional two-step methods. However, multipath environments are still a key problem, and complex high-dimensional matrix operations are required in most DPD methods. In this paper, a time-difference-of-arrival-based (TDOA-based) DPD method is proposed based on the subspace orthogonality in the cross-spectra between the different sensors. Firstly, the cross-spectrum between the segmented received signal and reference signal is calculated and eigenvalue decomposition is performed to obtain the subspaces. Then, the cost functions are constructed by using the orthogonality of subspace. Finally, the location of the radiation source is obtained by searching the superposition of these cost functions in the target area. Compared with other DPD methods, our proposed DPD method leads to better localization accuracy with less complexity. The superiority of this method is verified by both simulated and real measured data when compared to other TDOA and DPD algorithms.

Toxoplasma gondii infection as a risk factor for osteoporosis: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: More than one-third of the total world population is infected by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). T. gondii has been linked to various diseases, such as cancer, mental disorders, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), etc. However, the effects of T. gondii infection on the risk of osteoporosis are unclear. Our study aimed to uncover evidence to determine whether patients exposed to T. gondii have an increased or decreased risk of osteoporosis in people with abnormal bone mineral density (BMD) by using case-control study. METHODS: A total of 729 patients, including 316 osteopenia and 413 osteoporosis patients of Han Chinese ancestry were selected in the study. Their blood samples were collected and the levels of specific IgG antibodies against T. gondii were measured using ELISA assay. We obtained some information about the patients from the medical record that included demographic indexes and clinical data. A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of T. gondii infection on femur osteoporosis, lumbar osteoporosis and compound osteoporosis. Potential interaction was analyzed using multifactor dimensionality reduction software 1.0.0 (MDR 1.0.0). RESULTS: 113 positive patients with T. gondii infections have been detected, including 80 cases of osteoporosis and 33 cases of osteopenia, the infection rates of T. gondii were 19.37% (80/413) and 10.44% (33/316), respectively. The patients with T.gondii infections were at a 2.60 times higher risk of suffering from compound osteoporosis than those without T. gondii infections (OR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.54-4.39, P < 0.001), but not associated with femur osteoporosis (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.43-2.34, P = 0.989) and lumbar osteoporosis (OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.34-2.07, P = 0.705) after adjusting for the covariates. Moreover, a significantly higher risk of compound osteoporosis in the individuals with all two factors (T. gondii infection, Female) was observed compared with reference group (without T. gondii infection, male) under the interaction model (OR = 11.44, 95%CI = 5.44-24.05, P < 0.001). And the individuals with all two factors (T. gondii infection, over 70 years) exhibited a 8.14-fold higher possibility of developing compound osteoporosis compared with reference group (without T. gondii infection, under 70 years) (OR = 8.14, 95% CI 3.91-16.93, P < 0.001). We further stratified by age and sex, and found that women with T. gondii infection was more likely to develop compound osteoporosis than those without infection(OR = 3.12, 95% CI 1.67-5.81, P < 0.001), but we not found the association between T. gondii infection and compound osteoporosis in males (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 0.37-4.94, P = 0.645). CONCLUSIONS: T. gondii infection is a risk factor for osteoporosis, especially compound osteoporosis. Meanwhile, it is very necessary for patients with osteoporosis to further diagnose and treat T. gondii infection, especially women.

Serum miR-638 Combined with Squamous Cell Carcinoma-Related Antigen as Potential Screening Biomarkers for Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Aims: Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in developing nations. Human papillomavirus prophylactic vaccines are not widely available, and there are shortages of gynecologists and cytologists in the already overburdened health care systems. The aim of this study was to identify circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) that could be used as feasible screening tests for cervical cancer in low-resource regions. Materials and Methods: Serum expression levels of five miRNAs were measured and validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) patients, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia patients, and healthy individuals. Squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen (SCC-Ag) was also measured in the serum. Results: Serum miR-638, miR-203a-3p, miR-1914-5p, and miR-521 levels were downregulated in the CSCC group (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values for miR-638 and miR-521 were 0.734 and 0.742, respectively, for discriminating CSCC patients from healthy controls. Furthermore, the combined use of miR-638 and SCC-Ag yielded the best screening performance and increased the AUC value, sensitivity, and specificity to 0.956, 94.87%, and 80.00%, respectively. Conclusion: This study suggested that miR-638 and miR-521 have independent screening value and that the combined measurement of miR-638 and SCC-Ag resulted in a better ability to discriminate patients with CSCC from healthy individuals.

PM2.5 promotes replication of VSV by ubiquitination degradation of phospho-IRF3 in A549 cells.

Both PM2.5 and respiratory viruses are part of the atmospheric constituents. Respiratory viruses are often associated with PM2.5 exposure, but the mechanism of toxicity remains to be explored. The vitro models that adequately reproduce healthy cells or diseased cells exposing to PM2.5 and infecting VSV can provide a useful tool for studying innate immune mechanisms and investigating new therapeutic focus. In the environment of PM2.5, an infection model in which VSV infected A549 cells was established, that mimics the state in which the antiviral innate immune pathways are activated after the respiratory system is infected with RNA viruses. Subsequently, the model was exposed to PM2.5 for 24 h. PM2.5 could be ingested by A549 cells and synergize with VSV to inhibit cell viability and promote apoptosis. The expression of VSV-G were more abundant after VSV-infected A549 cells were exposed to PM2.5. Furthermore, PM2.5 inhibits VSV-induced IFN-ß expression in A549 cells. ISG15, CCL-5, and CXCL-10 had the same expression tendency with IFN-ß mRNA, consistently. Interestingly, when MG132 was applied, the expression of p-IRF-3 and IFN-ß proteins reduced by PM2.5 were refreshed. Conversely, the expression of VSV-G proteins were decreased. PM2.5 could degrade p-IRF-3 proteins by ubiquitination pathway to inhibit VSV-induced IFN-ß expression in A549 cells. Therefore, replication of the VSV viruses was promoted.

Association Study Between Methylation in the Promoter Regions of cGAS, MAVS, and TRAF3 Genes and the Risk of Cervical Precancerous Lesions and Cervical Cancer in a Southern Chinese Population.

A case-control study was used to explore the association between the methylation status in the promoter regions of the cGAS, MAVS, and TRAF3 genes and the diseases of cervical precancerous lesions (CPL) and cervical cancer (CC) in a Southern Chinese population, and to further explore their interaction effects with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and environmental factors in these diseases. The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, and this study was performed in 97 healthy controls, 75 patients with CPL and 33 patients with CC, while each participant has read and signed the informed consent forms before enrolment. The promoter methylation status genes were detected from the bisulfite-treated DNA by the bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) technique, which was carried out using MethPrimer. The cGAS, MAVS, and TRAF3 promoter methylation levels in CPL (CPL cGAS = 35.40%, CPL MAVS = 24.26%, and CPL TRAF3 = 96.76%) were significantly higher than those in the control (Control cGAS = 31.87%, Control MAVS = 21.16%, and Control TRAF3 = 96.26%, PcGAS < 0.001, PMAVS < 0.001, and PTRAF3 = 0.001); however, there was no significant differences between the CC and control. In the logistic regression model with adjusted covariates, compared with the individuals whose cGAS methylation levels were less than or equal to 31.87%, the women with the levels more than 31.87% increased the risk of CPL by 2.49 times (ORa = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.31-4.75, P a = 0.006). The women with MAVS methylation levels above 21.16% were 1.97 times more likely to have CPL than the those with the levels less than 21.16% (ORa = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.06-3.69, P a = 0.033). A synergistic interaction was found between hrHPV and gene promoter methylation levels of cGAS and MAVS in CPL; however, no potential interaction was observed in CC. The promoter methylation levels in cGAS, MAVS, and TRAF3 genes are higher in CPL than in control, indicating that hypermethylation might be an early event in the progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The interaction between the promoter methylation levels in cGAS and MAVS genes and hrHPV infection might play a role in the development of CPL.

Association of Polymorphisms in miRNA Processing Genes With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Vascular Complications in a Southern Chinese Population.

Objective: To evaluate the potential association between the genetic variants in miRNA processing genes (RAN, XPO5, DICER1, and TARBP2) and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its vascular complications, as well as to further investigate their interaction with environmental factors in type 2 diabetes. Methods: We conducted a case-control study in genotyping of five polymorphic loci, including RAN rs14035, XPO5 rs11077, DICER1 rs13078, DICER1 rs3742330, and TARBP2 rs784567, in miRNA processing genes to explore the risk factors for T2DM and diabetic vascular complications. Haplotype analyses, interactions of gene-gene and interactions of gene-environment were performed too. Results: We identified a 36% decreased risk of developing T2DM in individuals with the minor A allele in DICER1 rs13078 (OR: 0.64; 95%CI: 0.42-0.95; P: 0.026). The AA haplotype in DICER1 was also associated with a protective effect on T2DM compared with the AT haplotype (OR: 0.63; 95%CI: 0.42-0.94; P-value: 0.023). T2DM patients with the TT+TC genotype at RAN rs14035 had a 1.89-fold higher risk of developing macrovascular complications than patients with the CC genotype (OR: 1.89; 95%CI: 1.04-3.45; P-value: 0.037). We also identified two three-factor interaction models. One is a three-factor [DICER1 rs13078, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride (TG)] interaction model for T2DM (OR: 5.93; 95%CI: 1.25-28.26; P = 0.025). Another three-factor [RAN rs14035, hypertension (HP), and duration of T2DM (DOD)] interaction model was found for macrovascular complications of T2DM (OR = 41.60, 95%CI = 11.75-147.35, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Our study provides new evidence that two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the miRNA processing genes, DICER1 and RAN, and their interactions with certain environmental factors might contribute to the risk of T2DM and its vascular complications in the southern Chinese population.

Toxoplasma gondii Cathepsin C1 inhibits NF-κB signalling through the positive regulation of the HIF-1α/EPO axis.

Toxoplasma gondii has evolved many successful strategies for immune evasion. However, the parasite-derived effectors involved in modulating NF-κB signalling pathway are largely unknown. T. gondii Cathepsin C1 (CPC1) is widely conserved among T. gondii strains and is important for T. gondii intracellular growth and proliferation. Our study showed that CPC1 protein could abrogate NF-κB activation after screening dense granule proteins. CPC1 suppressed NF-κB activation at or downstream of p65 and decreased the production of IL-1, IL-8, IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α. Western blot analysis revealed that CPC1 inhibited phospho-p65 and CPC1 proteins primarily settled in cytoplasm. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that overexpression of CPC1 significantly upregulated erythropoietin (EPO), which can be induced by the hypoxia-inducible factor -1α (HIF-1α) during hypoxia. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed that CPC1 upregulated HIF-1α. Finally, both the knockdown of EPO and restriction of HIF-1α partially eliminated the suppression impact of CPC1 on the NF-κB signalling pathway. Our study identified a previously unrecognized role of CPC1 in the negative regulation of NF-κB activation through positive regulation of the HIF-1α/EPO axis. For the first time, CPC1 was shown to play an important role in immune evasion during T. gondii infection.

Silica nanoparticles as an enhancer in the IL-1ß-induced inflammation cycle of A549 cells.

Objective: The industrial production and combustion of coal can produce silica nanoparticles (nano-SiO2). It enters the human body mainly through the respiratory tract and exerts a toxic effect. However, whether nano-SiO2 can increase the IL-1ß-induced inflammatory expression in A549 cells has not been tested. Therefore, the synergistic toxicity of nano-SiO2 and IL-1ß to A549 was observed in our study. Materials and methods: We exposed A549 cells to nano-SiO2 (0, 100, 500, and 1000 µg/ml) for 12 and 24 h. The effect of nano-SiO2 on the viability of A549 cells was observed by the CCK-8 method. The A549 cells were exposed to nano-SiO2 (1 mg/mL) and cytokine IL-1ß (10 ng/mL) for 4 h, and we detected the expression of IL-1ß and IL-6 cytokines by real time quantitative polymerase chain (RT-qPCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of ß-Actin, I-κB, phospho-ERK1/2 (P-ERK1/2), total-ERK1/2 (T-ERK1/2), phospho-JNK (P-JNK), total-JNK (T-JNK), phospho-P38 (P-P38), and total-P38 (T-P38) in A549 cells was detected by the Western Blot method. Results: The nano-SiO2 treatment resulted in a time-dependent decrease in the viability of A549 cells. The synergistic effect of nano-SiO2 and IL-1ß was observed on the new production of IL-1ß and IL-6 in A549 cells. The Western blot results showed that nano-SiO2 can increase the expression of IL-1ß and IL-6 by promoting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and elevating the phosphorylation of I-κB by IL-1ß. IL-1ß and IL-6 were induced by nano-SiO2, and the IL-1ß treatment with 20 µM of I-κBα phosphorylation inhibitor (PD98059) and 20 µM of ERK1/2 inhibitor (BAY11-7082) for 1 h was significantly lower than that of the control group in A549 cells. Discussion and conclusion: These results indicated that nano-SiO2 had a toxic effect on A549 cells, and this effect could increase IL-1ß on the A549 cell-induced inflammatory response. The results suggested that the release of IL-1ß and IL-6 in A549 was enhanced by the synergistic IL-1ß-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and I-κB. This process is similar to a snowball, and it is possible that IL-1ß is continuously produced and repeatedly superimposed in A549 cells to produce an inflammatory effect; then, a vicious circle occurs, and an inflammatory storm is accelerated.

Association Analysis of NLRP3 Inflammation-Related Gene Promotor Methylation as Well as Mediating Effects on T2DM and Vascular Complications in a Southern Han Chinese Population.

Objective: To explore the association between the methylation levels in the promoter regions of the NLRP3, AIM2, and ASC genes and T2DM and its vascular complications in a Southern Han Chinese population and further analyze their interaction and mediating effects with environmental factors in T2DM. Methods: A case-control study was used to determine the association between population characteristics, the methylation level in the promoter region of the NLRP3, AIM2, and ASC genes and T2DM and vascular complications. A mediating effect among genes-environment-T2DM and the interaction of gene-gene or gene-environment factors was explored. Results: In the logistic regression model with adjusted covariants, healthy people with lower total methylation levels in the AIM2 promoter region exhibited a 2.29-fold [OR: 2.29 (1.28~6.66), P = 0.011] increased risk of developing T2DM compared with higher-methylation individuals. T2DM patients without any vascular complications who had lower methylation levels (

Association Between SLC30A8 rs13266634 Polymorphism and Risk of T2DM and IGR in Chinese Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Published data regarding the association between solute carrier family 30, member 8 (SLC30A8) rs13266634 polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and impaired glucose regulation (IGR) risks in Chinese population are in-consistent. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between SLC30A8 rs13266634 and T2DM/IGR in a Chinese population. Material and Methods: Three English (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) and three Chinese databases (Wanfang, CNKI, and CBMD database) were used for searching articles from January 2005 to January 2018. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated with the random-effect model. Trial sequential analysis was also utilized. Results: Twenty-eight case-control studies with 25,912 cases and 26,975 controls were included for SLC30A8 and T2DM. Pooled risk allele C frequency for rs13266634 was 60.6% (95%CI: 59.2-62.0%) in the T2DM group and 54.8% (95%CI: 53.2-56.4%) in the control group which had estimated OR of 1.23 (95%CI: 1.17-1.28). Individuals who carried major homozygous CC and heterozygous CT genotype were at 1.51 and 1.23 times higher risk of T2DM, respectively, than those carrying minor homozygous TT. The most appropriate genetic analysis model was the co-dominant model based on comparison of OR1, OR2 and OR3. Five articles that involved 4,627 cases and 6,166 controls were included for SLC30A8 and IGR. However, no association was found between SLC30A8 rs13266634 and IGR (C vs. T, OR = 1.13, 95%CI: 0.98-1.30, p = 0.082). TSA revealed that the pooled sample sizes of T2DM exceeded the estimated required information size but not the IGR. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis demonstrated that SLC30A8 rs13266634 was a potential risk factor for T2DM, and more studies should be performed to confirm the association between rs13266634 polymorphism and IGR.

Novel electrochemical biosensor based on functional composite nanofibers for sensitive detection of p53 tumor suppressor gene.

A novel electrochemical biosensor based on functional composite nanofibers for sensitive hybridization detection of p53 tumor suppressor using methylene blue (MB) as an electrochemical indicator is developed. The carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) doped nylon 6 (PA6) composite nanofibers (MWNTs-PA6) was prepared using electrospinning, which served as the nanosized backbone for pyrrole (Py) electropolymerization. The functional composite nanofibers (MWNTs-PA6-PPy) used as supporting scaffolds for ssDNA immobilization can dramatically increase the amount of DNA attachment and the hybridization sensitivity. The biosensor displayed good sensitivity and specificity. The target wild type p53 sequence (wtp53) can be detected as low as 50 fM and the discrimination is up to 57.5% between the wtp53 and the mutant type p53 sequence (mtp53). It holds promise for the early diagnosis of cancer development and monitoring of patient therapy.