Parental obesity predisposes offspring to kidney dysfunction and increased susceptibility to ischemia-reperfusion injury in a sex-dependent manner.

Although obesity is recognized as a risk factor for cardiorenal and metabolic diseases, the impact of parental obesity on the susceptibility of their offspring to renal injury at adulthood is unknown. We examined the impact of parental obesity on offspring kidney function, morphology, and markers of kidney damage after acute kidney injury (AKI). Offspring from normal (N) diet-fed C57BL/6J parents were fed either N (NN) or a high-fat (H) diet (NH) from weaning until adulthood. Offspring from obese H diet-fed parents were fed N (HN) or H diet (HH) after weaning. All offspring groups were submitted to bilateral AKI by clamping the left and right renal pedicles for 30 min. Compared with male NH and NN offspring from lean parents, male HH and HN offspring from obese parents exhibited higher kidney injury markers such as urinary, renal osteopontin, plasma creatinine, urinary albumin excretion, and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) levels, and worse histological injury score at 22 wk of age. Only albumin excretion and NGAL were elevated in female HH offspring from obese parents compared with lean and obese offspring from lean parents. We also found an increased mortality rate and worse kidney injury scores after AKI in male offspring from obese parents, regardless of the diet consumed after weaning. Female offspring were protected from major kidney injury after AKI. These results indicate that parental obesity leads to increased kidney injury in their offspring after ischemia-reperfusion in a sex-dependent manner, even when their offspring remain lean.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Offspring from obese parents are more susceptible to kidney injury and worse outcomes following an acute ischemia-reperfusion insult. Male, but not female, offspring from obese parents exhibit increased blood pressure early in life. Female offspring are partially protected against major kidney injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion.

Evaluating Modified Ultrasound-Guided Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Enhanced Postoperative Recovery in Thoracoscopic Lobectomy Patients.

BACKGROUND Thoracoscopic lobectomy is accompanied by intense trauma and pain due to impaired chest wall integrity. We aimed to introduce a modified ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (MUG-SAPB) for postoperative analgesia in patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy, and to determine whether it could effectively alleviate postoperative pain and improve recovery quality. MATERIAL AND METHODS Overall, 78 patients randomly received either combined MUG-SAPB (0.25% ropivacaine, 10 mg dexamethasone, 40 mL) with patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) or received PCIA alone. The primary outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) scores at rest and during movement at 4, 8, 12, 20, 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively. The secondary outcomes included use of opioids during surgery, numbers of rescue analgesics (butorphanol), frequency of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), comfort score within 24 h postoperatively, and postoperative complications within 72 h. RESULTS Compared to the PCIA group, in the MUG-SAPB group, resting VAS scores at 4-24 h (P<0.05) and movement VAS scores at 4-12 h postoperatively (P<0.05) were lower; intraoperative use of sufentanil and frequency of PCA were less, and less rescue analgesia was used (P=0.02, P=0.04 and P=0.03, respectively). Patients in the MUG-SAPB group had faster first mobilization (P=0.04). The MUG-SAPB group had higher comfort scores than the PCIA group (P=0.03). None of the MUG-SAPB patients had any SAPB-related complications. CONCLUSIONS MUG-SAPB effectively relieved postoperative pain, reduced opioid consumption, and accelerated early ambulation in comparison with PCIA alone in patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy.

Sex differences in weight gain, blood pressure control, and responses to melanocortin-4 receptor antagonism in offspring from lean and obese parents.

We examined potential sex differences in appetite and blood pressure (BP) responses to melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) blockade in offspring from lean and obese parents. Offspring from normal (N) diet-fed parents were fed N (NN) or high-fat (H) diets (NH) from weaning until adulthood. Offspring from obese H diet-fed parents were also fed N (HN) or H diets (HH). Adult male and female offspring were implanted with BP telemetry probes and intracerebroventricular cannulas to infuse MC4R antagonist or vehicle. Infusion of the MC4R antagonist SHU-9119 (1 nmol/h) for 7 days caused larger increases in calorie intake and body weight in obese compared with lean offspring. In male offspring, HH and HN groups exhibited higher baseline BP compared with NN and NH, and HH showed a greater reduction in BP during SHU-9119 infusion. In female offspring, HH also showed higher baseline BP and greater reduction in BP during MC4R blockade. SHU-9119 reduced heart rate in all groups, but reductions were more pronounced in offspring from lean parents. Combined α and ß-adrenergic blockade reduced BP more in male HH offspring compared with NN controls. Losartan reduced BP more in male NH, HN, and HH offspring compared with NN controls. Losartan and α- and ß-adrenergic blockade reduced BP similarly in all female groups. These results suggest that endogenous MC4R activity contributes to elevated BP in obese offspring from obese parents. Our findings also indicate important sex differences in the mechanisms of BP control in male and female offspring of obese parents.

Parental obesity alters offspring blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular responses to stress: role of P2X7R and sex differences.

We examined the impact of parental obesity on offspring blood pressure (BP) regulation and cardiovascular responses to stress. Offspring from normal (N) diet-fed C57BL/6J parents were fed either N (NN) or a high-fat (H) diet (NH) from weaning until adulthood. Offspring from obese H diet-fed parents were also fed N (HN) or H diet (HH). Body weight, calorie intake, and fat mass were measured at 22 wk of age when cardiovascular phenotyping was performed. Male and female HH offspring were 15% heavier than NH and 70% heavier than NN offspring. Male HH and HN offspring had elevated BP (121 ± 2 and 115 ± 1 mmHg, by telemetry) compared with male NH and NN offspring (108 ± 6 and 107 ± 3 mmHg, respectively) and augmented BP responses to angiotensin II, losartan, and hexamethonium. Male HH and HN offspring also showed increased BP responses to air-jet stress (37 ± 2 and 38 ± 2 mmHg) compared with only 24 ± 3 and 25 ± 3 mmHg in NH and NN offspring. Baseline heart rate (HR) and HR responses to air-jet stress were similar among groups. In females, BP and cardiovascular responses to stress were similar among all offspring. Male H diet-fed offspring from obese H diet-fed purinoreceptor 7-deficient (HH-P2X7R-KO) parents had normal BP that was similar to control NN-P2X7R-KO offspring from lean parents. These results indicate that parental obesity leads to increased BP and augmented BP responses to stress in their offspring in a sex-dependent manner, and the impact of parental obesity on male offspring BP regulation is markedly attenuated in P2X7R-KO mice.

Sex differences in the impact of parental obesity on offspring cardiac SIRT3 expression, mitochondrial efficiency, and diastolic function early in life.

Previous studies suggest that parental obesity may adversely impact long-term metabolic health of the offspring. We tested the hypothesis that parental (paternal + maternal) obesity impairs cardiac function in the offspring early in life. Within 1-3 days after weaning, offspring from obese rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD-Offs) and age-matched offspring from lean rats (ND-Offs) were submitted to echocardiography and cardiac catheterization for assessment of pressure-volume relationships. Then, hearts were digested and isolated cardiomyocytes were used to determine contractile function, calcium transients, proteins related to calcium signaling, and mitochondrial bioenergetics. Female and male HFD-Offs were heavier (72 ± 2 and 61 ± 4 g vs. 57 ± 2 and 49 ± 1 g), hyperglycemic (112 ± 8 and 115 ± 12 mg/dL vs. 92 ± 10 and 96 ± 8 mg/dL) with higher plasma insulin and leptin concentrations compared with female and male ND-Offs. When compared with male controls, male HFD-Offs exhibited similar systolic function but impaired diastolic function as indicated by increased IVRT (22 ± 1 vs. 17 ± 1 ms), E/E' ratio (29 ± 2 vs. 23 ± 1), and tau (5.7 ± 0.2 vs. 4.8 ± 0.2). The impaired diastolic function was associated with reduced resting free Ca2+ levels and phospholamban protein expression, increased activated matrix metalloproteinase 2, and reduced SIRT3 protein expression, mitochondrial ATP reserve, and ATP-linked respiration. These results indicate that male and female Offs from obese parents have multiple metabolic abnormalities early in life (1-3 days after weaning) and that male, but not female, Offs have impaired diastolic function as well as reductions in cardiac SIRT3, resting free Ca2+ levels, and mitochondrial biogenesis.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Parental obesity contributes to diastolic dysfunction in young offspring (1-3 days after weaning) in a sex-dependent manner, as well as reduced cardiac SIRT3 expression and altered mitochondrial bioenergetics, resting Ca2+ levels, and reduced phospholamban protein levels.

Comparative analysis of latex transcriptomes reveals the potential mechanisms underlying rubber molecular weight variations between the Hevea brasiliensis clones RRIM600 and Reyan7-33-97.

BACKGROUND: The processabilities and mechanical properties of natural rubber depend greatly on its molecular weight (MW) and molecular weight distribution (MWD). However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of molecular weight during rubber biosynthesis remain unclear. RESULTS: In the present study, we determined the MW and particle size of latex from 1-year-old virgin trees and 30-year-old regularly tapped trees of the Hevea clones Reyan7-33-97 and RRIM600. The results showed that both the MW and the particle size of latex varied between these two clones and increased with tree age. Latex from RRIM600 trees had a smaller average particle size than that from Reyan7-33-97 trees of the same age. In 1-year-old trees, the Reyan7-33-97 latex displayed a slightly higher MW than that of RRIM600, whereas in 30-year-old trees, the RRIM600 latex had a significantly higher MW than the Reyan7-33-97 latex. Comparative analysis of the transcriptome profiles indicated that the average rubber particle size is negatively correlated with the expression levels of rubber particle associated proteins, and that the high-MW traits of latex are closely correlated with the enhanced expression of isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) monomer-generating pathway genes and downstream allylic diphosphate (APP) initiator-consuming non-rubber pathways. By bioinformatics analysis, we further identified a group of transcription factors that potentially regulate the biosynthesis of IPP. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, our results revealed the potential regulatory mechanisms involving gene expression variations in IPP-generating pathways and the non-rubber isoprenoid pathways, which affect the ratios and contents of IPP and APP initiators, resulting in significant rubber MW variations among same-aged trees of the Hevea clones Reyan7-33-97 and RRIM600. Our findings provide a better understanding of rubber biosynthesis and lay the foundation for genetic improvement of rubber quality in H. brasiliensis.

[Study on Behavioral Factors Affecting the Risk of New HBV Infection among Diabetic Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the behavioral factors influencing of new hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in diabetic patients, so as to provide evidence for reducing the risk of new HBV infection in diabetic patients. METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted to follow up and observe 4 586 diabetic patients. The 114 diabetic patients who newly developed HBV infection during the follow-up period were selected as the case group, and 228 diabetic patients who did not develop HBV infection in the same period were selected as the control group from the cohort population at a matching ratio of 1∶2 according to the age ±2 years. Questionnaire surveys and laboratory examinations were conducted in the cohort. The contents of the questionnaire included family history of hepatitis B, history of trauma, history of receiving/donating blood, individual-related behavioral characteristics, diabetes severity, and behavior related to diabetes treatment and management. In addition, the blood samples of the cohort were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The conditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the related behavioral factors affecting new HBV infection in diabetic patients. RESULTS: The median ages of the HBV group and the control group were 64 years old and 66 years old, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the composition of sex, age, ethnicity, occupation and amount of formal education between the two groups ( P>0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that diabetic patients with a family history of hepatitis B ( OR=13.052, 95% CI: 3.799 to 44.847) had a higher risk of new HBV infection, while diabetic patients who used blood collection/injection devices in a standardized way ( OR=0.189, 95% CI: 0.082 to 0.436), safety locking blood glucose needles ( OR=0.142, 95% CI: 0.073 to 0.276) and venous blood collection needles ( OR=0.019, 95% CI: 0.001 to 0.262) and self-testing of blood sugar at home ( OR=0.466, 95% CI: 0.222 to 0.980) had a lower risk of new HBV infection. CONCLUSION: Family history of hepatitis B is an independent factor that increases the risk for new HBV infection in diabetic patients. During the process of long-term blood glucose management of diabetic patients, standardized use of blood collection/injection devices, use of safer types of blood sampling lancet, and self-testing of blood glucose help can reduce the risk of HBV infection.

[Survey on the behavior and attitude of nutrition labels by Chengdu fast food and light meal takeaway merchants].

OBJECTIVE: Learn about the view, cognition, willingness and attitude of the employees of Chengdu fast food takeaway business on nutrition labels and their attitude towards labeling nutrition labels on takeaway meals. METHODS: Using a multi-stage random sampling method, five districts were randomly selected in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, and two streets were randomly selected in each of the selected districts, and the questionnaire was administered on a one-to-one basis. RESULTS: A total of 834 chefs and caterers were surveyed in the fast food, simple meals category of takeaway businesses. The rate of viewing the nutrition labels on pre-packaged food by chefs and catering staff in takeaway businesses was 48. 07%, and the viewing rate was increasing with the improvement of education(χ~2=15. 379, P=0. 001). The mastery rate of nutrition label knowledge was 15. 08%, which was different for different ages(χ~2=6. 072, P=0. 048). The mastery rate of men(18. 72%) was higher than that of women(9. 91%)(χ~2=12. 193, P<0. 001), and that of chefs(18. 01%) was higher than that of catering staff(12. 88%)(χ~2=4. 172, P=0. 041). The nutritional label understanding intention of the subjects was 28. 10%, and the difference of willingness to know about nutrition label-related knowledge was statistically significant in different age groups(χ~2=6. 183, P=0. 045). The respondents' viewing of nutrition labels was associated with willingness to understand, with a Person coefficient of contingency of 0. 104. The proportion of supporting nutrition labels on takeaway meals was 56. 69%. There were statistically significant differences in attitudes towards nutrition labels on takeaway food packages among respondents of different age groups, gender, education, working years and whether they were chain stores(χ~2=21. 445, 8. 675, 14. 684, 12. 198, 25. 852, P<0. 05). CONCLUSION: The take-out industry chefs and catering staff have insufficient review rate and mastery of nutrition labels, and their willingness to understand nutrition labels is not high.

[Young Children's Family Sex Education in Rural Areas of Sichuan Province and Its Influencing Factors].

Objective To understand the family sex education for young children in rural areas of Sichuan province and analyze the influencing factors. Methods A multi-stage random sampling method was used to select 2246 parents of kindergarten children from rural areas in Sichuan province for a questionnaire-based survey.The Chi-square test and Logistic regression model were used for data analysis. Results It was found 1132(52.33%)parents had implemented family sex education for young children and 1031(47.67%)had not.Young children having asked sex-related questions(OR=1.536,95%CI=1.257-1.878),parents thinking that early childhood sex education is necessary(OR=3.691,95%CI=2.029-6.717),and parents having the intention to know early childhood sex education(OR=1.700,95%CI=1.274-2.269),and kindergarten having implemented early childhood sex education(OR=3.316,95%CI=2.515-4.372)were promoting factors for parents to conduct early childhood sex education,whereas a total annual household income at the middle level(OR=0.664,95%CI=0.456-0.968)was a hindering factor for parents to conduct early childhood sex education. Conclusions Parents of young children in rural areas of Sichuan province have poor awareness of sex education,and the proportion of parents who have never conducted sex education for children is high.The total annual income of the family,whether the children have asked about sex-related questions,parents' attitude towards early childhood sex education,and whether the kindergarten has conducted the early childhood sex education are important factors that influence the level of children's family sex education.

Bronchial lavage under fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the treatment of severe pulmonary infection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of bronchial lavage under fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the treatment of severe pulmonary infection. METHODS: One hundred forty eight patients with severe pulmonary infection who were admitted to our hospital from October 2016 to December 2017 were included in this study. According to the random number table method, they were divided into a control group and an observation group with 79 patients each. The control group was given conventional treatment, while the observation group was given bronchoalveolar lavage with fiberoptic bronchoscopy on the basis of the treatment in the control group. The clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared, the duration of mechanical ventilation, antibiotic use and symptoms improvement of the two groups were recorded, and the respiratory mechanics parameters, serum procalcitonin (PCT) and transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) level were measured before and after treatment. RESULTS: The duration of mechanical ventilation, antibiotic use, respiratory failure correction, body temperature decline and white blood cell recovery in the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total efficacy of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (92.4% vs. 74.7%). The respiratory mechanics parameters of the two groups after treatment were higher than those before treatment (P<0.05) and the increase of the observation group was more obvious than that of the control group (P<0.05). The serum PCT and TGF-ß levels of the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the decrease level in the observation group was more obvious (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Bronchial lavage under fiberoptic bronchoscopy can improve the clinical efficacy, accelerate the improvement of clinical symptoms and respiratory mechanics parameters, significantly reduce the PCT and TGF-ß levels, and promote the rapid recovery of patients in the treatment of severe pulmonary infection.

[Analysis on the Health-related Quality of Life and Influencing Factors among the Older Generation of Migrant Workers in Chengdu City].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status and distribution characteristics of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of the older generation of migrant workers in Chengdu, and analyze the factors influencing the quality of life of the older generation of migrant workers, so as to provide reference for formulating relevant policies to improve the health of the older generation of migrant workers. METHODS: From June 2017 to June 2018, the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method was used to select 1 492 non-registered migrant workers born before 1980 living in Chengdu city. The investigation was performed with questionnaire including demographic characteristics, working status, economic status, disease status, living environment and HRQOL. RESULTS: The scores of physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary (MCS) and the total score of HRQOL in the older generation of migrant workers were 50.78±7.54, 50.67±10.24 and 101.45±12.34, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that older age (standard regression coefficient ( Sß)=-0.061, P=0.026), low education level ( Sß=-0.053, P=0.038), being unmarried, divorced or widowed ( Sß=-0.064, P=0.009), chronic diseases ( Sß=-0.156, P<0.001), or two-week illness ( Sß=-0.190, P<0.001) were the risk factors of low HRQOL; High income level ( Sß=0.069, P=0.013), having a steady job ( Sß=0.126, P<0.001), having endowment insurance ( Sß=0.055, P=0.027) and satisfactory with the living environment ( Sß=0.060, P=0.016) were the contributing factors factors of high HRQOL. CONCLUSION: The HRQOL of the older generation of migrant workers in Chengdu is generally good. More attention should be paid to the migrant workers of older age, having lower income, suffering from chronic diseases, being unmarried/divorced/widowed, and lacking endowment insurance. Appropriate measures should be taken to improve the health status of the key groups.

Impact of leptin deficiency compared with neuronal-specific leptin receptor deletion on cardiometabolic regulation.

The main goal of this study was to compare the impact of total body leptin deficiency with neuronal-specific leptin receptor (LR) deletion on metabolic and cardiovascular regulation. Liver fat, diacylglycerol acyltransferase-2 (DGTA2), and CD36 protein content were measured in wild-type (WT), nervous system LR-deficient (LR/Nestin-Cre), and leptin deficient (ob/ob) mice. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded by telemetry, and motor activity (MA) and oxygen consumption (V̇o2) were monitored at 24 wk of age. Female and male LR/Nestin-Cre and ob/ob mice were heavier than WT mice (62 ± 5 and 61 ± 3 vs. 31 ± 1 g) and hyperphagic (6.2 ± 0.5 and 6.1 ± 0.7 vs. 3.5 ± 1.0 g/day), with reduced V̇o2 (27 ± 1 and 33 ± 1 vs 49 ± 3 ml·kg-1·min-1) and decreased MA (3 ± 1 and 7 ± 2 vs 676 ± 105 cm/h). They were also hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic compared with WT mice. LR/Nestin-Cre mice had high levels of plasma leptin, while ob/ob mice had undetectable leptin levels. Despite comparable obesity, LR/Nestin-Cre mice had lower liver fat content, DGTA2, and CD36 protein levels than ob/ob mice. Male WT, LR/Nestin-Cre, and ob/ob mice exhibited similar BP (111 ± 3, 110 ± 1 and 109 ± 2 mmHg). Female LR/Nestin-Cre and ob/ob mice, however, had higher BP than WT females despite similar metabolic phenotypes compared with male LR/Nestin-Cre and ob/ob mice. These results indicate that although nervous system LRs play a crucial role in regulating body weight and glucose homeostasis, peripheral LRs regulate liver fat deposition. In addition, our results suggest potential sex differences in the impact of obesity on BP regulation.

Free Flap Transplantation on the repair of defects caused by oral and maxillofacial tumors resection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of free flap transplantation on the repair of tissue defects after oral and maxillofacial malignant tumor resection and its effects on serum sialic acid (SA) and interleukin-2 (IL-2). METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors were enrolled and set as the observation group. After the tumor resection, free flap transplantation was performed for postoperative repair. The postoperative efficacy, adverse reactions and follow-up indicators were observed. Moreover, 55 patients with benign tumors were enrolled into the control group, and 55 healthy persons were set as the healthy group. The levels of SA and IL-2 of the three groups were detected. RESULTS: In the observation group, 55 patients were successfully repaired (94.83%); 15 patients had adverse reactions after surgery. The follow-up duration was two to four years, and 45 patients survived for three years, with a survival rate of 77.59%. Before treatment, the serum SA level of patients with oral malignant tumor was significantly higher than those of the control group and healthy group, while the IL-2 level was significantly lower than those of the other two groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The serum IL-2 level in the observation group one day and fourteen days after surgery was higher than that before surgery, while the serum SA level was lower than that before surgery; the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of free flap transplantation in the repair of postoperative tissue defects of oral and maxillofacial tumor resection is effective and has less complications, and the determination of both serum SA and IL-2 levels offers important references to recovery of patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors and prognosis evaluation.

Characterization of an activation-tagged mutant uncovers a role of GLABRA2 in anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.

In Arabidopsis, anthocyanin biosynthesis is controlled by a MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) transcriptional activator complex. The MBW complex activates the transcription of late biosynthesis genes in the flavonoid pathway, leading to the production of anthocyanins. A similar MBW complex regulates epidermal cell fate by activating the transcription of GLABRA2 (GL2), a homeodomain transcription factor required for trichome formation in shoots and non-hair cell formation in roots. Here we provide experimental evidence to show that GL2 also plays a role in regulating anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. From an activation-tagged mutagenized population of Arabidopsis plants, we isolated a dominant, gain-of-function mutant with reduced anthocyanins. Molecular cloning revealed that this phenotype is caused by an elevated expression of GL2, thus the mutant was named gl2-1D. Consistent with the view that GL2 acts as a negative regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis, gl2-1D seedlings accumulated less whereas gl2-3 seedlings accumulated more anthocyanins in response to sucrose. Gene expression analysis indicated that expression of late, but not early, biosynthesis genes in the flavonoid pathway was dramatically reduced in gl2-1D but elevated in gl2-3 mutants. Further analysis showed that expression of some MBW component genes involved in the regulation of late biosynthesis genes was reduced in gl2-1D but elevated in gl2-3 mutants, and chromatin immunoprecipitation results indicated that some MBW component genes are targets of GL2. We also showed that GL2 functions as a transcriptional repressor. Taken together, these results indicate that GL2 negatively regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis by directly repressing the expression of some MBW component genes.

A single amino acid substitution in the R3 domain of GLABRA1 leads to inhibition of trichome formation in Arabidopsis without affecting its interaction with GLABRA3.

GLABRA1 (GL1) is an R2R3 MYB transcription factor that regulates trichome formation in Arabidopsis by interacting with the bHLH transcription factor GLABRA3 (GL3) or ENHANCER OF GL3 (EGL3). The conserved [D/E]L×2 [R/K]×3L×6L×3R amino acid signature in the R3 domain of MYB proteins has been shown to be required for the interaction of MYBs with R/B-like bHLH transcription factors. By using genetic and molecular analyses, we show that the glabrous phenotype in the nph4-1 mutant is caused by a single nucleotide mutation in the GL1 gene, generating a Ser to Phe substitution (S92F) in the conserved [D/E]L×2[R/K]×3L×6L×3R amino acid signature of GL1. Activation of the integrated GL2p:GUS reporter gene in protoplasts by cotransfection of GL1 and GL3 or EGL3 was abolished by this GL1-S92F substitution. However, GL1-S92F interacted successfully with GL3 or EGL3 in protoplast transfection assays. Unlike VPGL1GL3, the fusion protein VPGL1-S92FGL3 failed to activate the integrated GL2p:GUS reporter gene in transfected protoplasts. These results suggested that the S92 in the conserved [D/E]L×2 [R/K]×3L×6L×3R amino acid signature of GL1 is not essential for the interaction of GL1 and GL3, but may play a role in the binding of GL1 to the promoters of its target genes.

Enhancing targeted tumor treatment by near IR light-activatable photodynamic-photothermal synergistic therapy.

For several decades, cancer has been one of the most life-threatening diseases. For enhancing anticancer efficiency with minimum side effects, combination therapy is envisioned. The current manuscript reports for the first time the development of a methylene blue (MB) bound nanoplatform, which is capable of delivering targeted diagnostic and combined synergistic photothermal and photodynamic treatment of cancer. Experimental data found that, once the nanoparticle binds with the target cell surface, it can detect LNCaP human prostate cancer cell selectively using fluorescence imaging. Our result shows that the therapeutic actions can be controlled with external NIR light. No cytotoxicity was observed in the absence of NIR light. Targeted photodynamic and photothermal treatment using 785 nm NIR light indicates that the multimodal treatment enhances the possibility of destroying LNCaP prostate cancer cells in vitro dramatically. We discuss the operating principle for the targeted imaging and possible mechanisms for combined therapeutic actions. Our experimental data show that NIR light activated combined therapy for cancer may become a highly effective treatment procedure in clinical settings.

Efficacy and Safety of Semaglutide in Weight Loss of Non-diabetic People.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of semaglutide in weight loss in non-diabetic people. METHODS: In this study, 84 non-diabetic people who used semaglutide to lose weight in the outpatient department of our hospital from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2022, were enrolled and compared for changes in body weight, waist circumference, Body Mass Index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, pulse, and body composition (body fat ratio, visceral fat area, and skeletal muscle) before treatment and 12 weeks after the treatment to analyze the weight loss efficacy and safety. RESULTS: After administering semaglutide 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 0.75 mg, or 1 mg subcutaneously once a week for 12 weeks, 84 participants in this study obtained an average weight loss of 5.91 ± 3.37 kg, equivalent to 6.15 ± 4.28% of baseline body weight, and there was also a significant reduction in visceral fat area and a slight reduction in blood pressure. The most common adverse reactions included gastrointestinal reactions (nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea), which were mild and subsided within 1-2 days. No severe adverse reaction, such as hypoglycemia and hypotension, was observed. CONCLUSION: Low-dose semaglutide has been found to be effective and safe for short-term weight loss in non-diabetic people.

Effects of Intranasal Insulin Pretreatment on Preoperative Sleep Quality and Postoperative Delirium in Patients Undergoing Valve Replacement for Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common neurological complication associated with valve replacement. Preoperative sleep disturbance is a risk factor for POD development, and nasal insulin modulates the sleep-wake cycle. This study investigated the beneficial effects of intranasal insulin pretreatment on preoperative sleep quality and reducing POD in patients undergoing valve replacement for rheumatic heart disease. Patients and Methods: This prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial (RCT) included 76 adult patients aged 18-65 years undergoing valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass who were randomly allocated to receive intranasal insulin or normal saline interventions two days before surgery. POD incidence was on postoperative days 1 (T3), 2 (T4), and 3 (T5). Before the first intervention (T0), 1 d before surgery (T1), and before anesthesia on the day of surgery (T2), sleep quality was assessed and serum cortisol concentrations were measured. At T1 and T2, sleep quality related indicators monitored by sleep monitoring watches from the previous night were recorded. Results: Compared with the normal saline group, 3 days after surgery, the insulin group showed a significantly reduced incidence of POD; significantly increased deep sleep, REM sleep, deep sleep continuity, and total sleep quality scores at T1 and T2; and significantly reduced serum cortisol concentration, PSQI scale, light sleep ratio, and wakefulness at T1 and T2. Conclusion: The administration of 20 U of intranasal insulin twice daily, from 2 days preoperatively until 10 minutes preanesthesia on the day of surgery, can improved preoperative sleep quality significantly and reduced POD incidence in patients with rheumatic heart disease undergoing valve replacement. Clinical Trial Registration: This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn, with the unique identifier ChiCTR2100048515; July 9, 2021).

Coupled retrieval of heavy metal nickel concentration in agricultural soil from spaceborne hyperspectral imagery.

Widespread soil contamination endangers public health and undermines global attempts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Due to the lack of relevant studies and low precision of spaceborne spectroscopy, estimating soil heavy metal concentrations is challenging. In this study, we developed a coupled retrieval to qualify the heavy metal nickel (Ni) concentration in agricultural soil from spaceborne hyperspectral imagery. The retrieval couples spectral feature extraction from multi-scale discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and dimension reduction (DR), optimal band combination algorithm to five machine learning retrieval models using tree-based ensemble learning, neural network-based, and kernel-based. The comparison between the retrievals and Ni measurements shows that the DWT combined with t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (tSNE) coupled extreme gradient boosting (XGboost) retrieval model exhibited the best prediction for the validation dataset. Moreover, due to the integration of six statistical indicators of model performance and the fitted slope of the regression line, the retrieval framework can produce more robust and accurate predictions than those that rely on correlation coefficients. The demonstrated potential of spaceborne hyperspectral remote sensing to provide accurate quantitative measurements of soil heavy metal concentrations will serve as a reference for agricultural plot applications worldwide.

Comparing the separation performance of poly(ethyleneimine) embedded butyric and octanoic acid based chromatographic stationary phases.

Poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) modified silica spheres were used to graft butyric acid and octanoic acid onto their surfaces, forming two stationary phases named Sil-PEI-BAD and Sil-PEI-CAD, respectively. Characterized methods including fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis (EA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were utilized to determine the successful synthesis of these two stationary phase materials. The chromatographic performance of these two stationary phases was analyzed with hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds as analytes. Compared with Sil-PEI-CAD column, Sil-PEI-BAD column was more effective in separating hydrophilic compounds including nucleosides, alkaloids and vitamins. Hydrophobic substances including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylbenzenes obtained excellent separation results on Sil-PEI-CAD column than Sil-PEI-BAD column. Additionally, according to the separation of phenols, Sil-PEI-CAD column can be used in HILIC/RPLC mixed-mode. The results showed that the properties and retention mechanisms of the prepared stationary phases depended on the length of the alkyl chains bonded on the silica surface.