Evaluating the Performance of UV Disinfection across the 222-365 nm Spectrum against Aerosolized Bacteria and Viruses.

Bioaerosols play a significant role in the transmission of many infectious diseases, especially in enclosed indoor environments. Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection has demonstrated a high efficacy in inactivating microorganisms suspended in the air. To develop more effective and efficient UV disinfection protocols, it is necessary to evaluate and optimize the effectiveness of UV disinfection against aerosolized bacteria and viruses across the entire UV spectrum. In this study, we evaluated the performance of UV disinfection across the UV spectrum, ranging from 222 to 365 nm, against aerosolized bacteria and viruses, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella enterica, MS2, P22, and Phi6. Six commonly available UV sources, including gas discharge tubes and light-emitting diodes with different emission spectra, were utilized, and their performance in terms of inactivation efficacy, action spectrum, and energy efficiency was determined. Among these UV sources, the krypton chloride excilamp emitting at a peak wavelength of 222 nm was the most efficient in inactivating viral bioaerosols. A low-pressure mercury lamp emitting at 254 nm performed well on both inactivation efficacy and energy efficiency. A UV light-emitting diode emitting at 268 nm demonstrated the highest bacterial inactivation efficacy, but required approximately 10 times more energy to achieve an equivalent inactivation level compared with that of the krypton chloride excilamp and low-pressure mercury lamp. This study provides insights into UV inactivation on bioaerosols, which can guide the development of effective wavelength-targeted UV air disinfection technologies and may significantly help reduce bioaerosol transmission in public areas.

[Analysis of the efficacy and safety of CT-guided dorsal root ganglion pulsed radiofrequency combined with ozone injection in the treatment of acute herpes zoster neuralgia in the neck and upper extremities].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of pulsed radiofrequency of dorsal root ganglion combined with ozone injection on acute herpes zoster neuralgia in the neck and upper extremities. Methods: A total of 110 patients with acute phase herpes zoster neuralgia in the neck and upper extremities treated in the Department of Pain of Jiaxing First Hospital from January 2019 to February 2020 were retrospectively included. The patients were divided into two groups according to different treatment modalities: the pulsed radiofrequency group (group A, n=68) and the pulsed radiofrequency combined with ozone injection group (group B, n=42). In group A, there were 40 males and 28 females, aged (71.9±9.9) years, while group B consisted of 23 males and 19 females, aged (66.3±16.9) years. Patients were followed up, and numerical rating scale (NRS) score, dose of adjuvant gabapentin, incidence of clinically significant postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and adverse effects were recorded preoperatively (T0) and at 1 d (T1), 3 d (T2), 1 week (T3), 1 month (T4), 2 months (T5), and 3 months (T6) postoperatively. Results: The NRS score of patients [M (Q1, Q3)] in group A at time points T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 was 6 (6, 6), 2 (2, 2), 3 (3, 4), 3 (2, 3), 2 (2, 3), 2 (1, 3) , 1 (0, 2), respectively, while the NRS score at aforementioned time points in group B was 6 (6, 6), 2 (1, 2), 3 (3, 4), 3 (2, 3), 2 (2, 3), 2 (1, 3), 1 (0, 2), respectively. Compared with preoperative NRS scores, NRS scores decreased in both groups at all postoperative time points (all P<0.05). Compared with group A, the NRS scores of group B at time points T3, T4, T5, and T6 decreased more significantly, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). The dose of gabapentin in group A [M (Q1, Q3)] was 0.6 (0.6, 0.6), 0.3 (0.3, 0.6), 0.3 (0.0, 0.3) and 0.0 (0.0, 0.3) mg/d at time points T0, T4, T5, and T6, respectively, and 0.6 (0.6, 0.6), 0.3 (0.2, 0.3), 0.0 (0.0, 0.3) 0.0 (0.0, 0.0) mg/d in patients in group B, respectively. Compared with the preoperative period, the doses of gabapentin taken by patients in both groups reduced significantly at all postoperative time points (all P<0.05). Moreover, compared with group A, the gabapentin dose in group B decreased more significantly at time points T4, T5, and T6, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). The incidence of clinically significant PHN was 25.0% (17/68) and 7.1% (3/42) in groups A and B, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P=0.018). No serious adverse effects such as pneumothorax, spinal cord injury and hematoma were observed during the treatment period in both groups. Conclusion: Pulsed radiofrequency of dorsal root ganglion combined with ozone injection is safer and more effective for the treatment of acute phase herpes zoster neuralgia in the neck and upper extremities, and it can reduce the incidence of clinically significant PHN, with high safety profile.

[Application of mathematical models of infectious diseases in the evaluation of COVID-19 transmission risk at mass gatherings].

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is rampant in Europe and the United States, and the Delta variant has caused several small-scale outbreaks in China. It is particularly important to simulate the transmission risk of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) during large-scale events, so as to ensure a good preparation of personnel, materials, isolation sites and other support work in advance. Taking the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games as an example, this study introduces the use of mathematical models to simulate the entry risks, closed-loop risks and prevention and control measures of athletes, officials and other stakeholders of the Olympic Games. In the simulation results on January 19, 2022, the estimated number of Olympic Games-related infections who were identified at borders was 357 (95%CI: 153-568) and the observed number was 323. The estimated number of "seed" cases that entered the closed-loop of Olympics Games was 195 (95%CI: 43-335), and the observed number of cases in the closed-loop was 212. This study demonstrates the important role of mathematical models of infectious diseases in the pragmatic application of preventive medicine and public health.

[Analysis of the performance of a multi-view fusion and active contour constraint based deep learning algorithm for ossicles segmentation on 10 µm otology CT].

Objective: To explore the performance of a deep learning algorithm that combined multi-view fusion with active contour constrained for ossicles segmentation on the 10 µm otology CT images. Methods: The 10 µm otology CT image data from 79 cases (56 cases were from volunteers and 23 cases were from specimens) were retrospectively collected in the Radiology Department of Beijing Friendship Hospital from October 2019 to December 2020. An annotation of malleus, incus, and stapes were conducted. Then the datasets were established and were divided into training set (n=55), validation set (n=8), and test set (n=16). Using the rapid localization of the region of interest combined with the precise segmentation algorithm, the malleus, incus and stapes were segmented and fused from three perspectives of coronal, sagittal and cross-sectional views. Besides, an active contour loss was designed simultaneously for the segmentation of stapes. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used as the objective evaluation metric for the evaluation of the segmentation results. The inter group DSC of the proposed method was compared with that of the basic method and other methods. Results: The average DSC values of the multi-view fusion segmentation algorithm for malleus, incus and stapes reached up to 94.2%±2.7%, 94.6%±2.6% and 76.0%±5.5%, respectively. After adopting the constraint of active contour loss method, the average DSC of stapes was improved (76.4%±5.4% vs 76.0%±5.5%). The visualization results also demonstrated that the segmentation results of the stapes were more complete. Conclusions: Multi-view fusion algorithm based on 10 µm otology CT images can realize accurate segmentation of malleus and incus. Combined with the constraint of active contour loss method, the segmentation accuracy of stapes can be further improved.

[Increased Notch receptors induces CD8(+) T cell exhaustion in patients with prostate cancer].

Objective: To investigate Notch receptor expression in CD8(+) T cells in patients with prostate cancer, and to assess the influence of Notch signaling pathway on the function of CD8(+)T cells inpatients with prostate cancer. Methods: Forty-five patients with prostate cancer, forty-one patients with nonbacterial prostatitis, and thirty healthy controls who were hospitalized or followed-up in Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital between November 2017 and June 2018 were enrolled. CD8(+)T cells were purified, and mRNA relative levels of Notch1-4 were semi-quantified by reverse transcriptional real-time PCR. CD8(+)T cells were stimulated with Notch signaling inhibitor γ-secretase inhibitor (GSI). mRNA relative levels of perforin, granzyme B, and FasL were semi-quantified by reverse transcriptional real-time PCR. Percentages of PD-1 and CTLA-4 positive cells were investigated by flow cytometry. Direct contact and indirect contact coculture systems were set up between CD8(+)T cells and prostate cancer cell line LAPC4 cells. The influence of Notch signaling inhibition to CD8(+)T cell cytotoxicitywas assessed by measuringtarget cell death and cytokine secretion. One-Way ANOVA, LSD-t test, and paired t test was used for comparison. Results: mRNA relative levels of Notch1~4 were elevated in CD8(+)T cells from prostate cancer patients when compared with those from healthy controls and nonbacterial prostatitis patients (all P<0.05). There was CD8(+)T cell exhaustion in prostate cancer patients, which presented as decreased mRNA relative levels of perforin, granzyme B, and FasL (all P<0.000 1), as well as increased percentage of PD-1(+)CD8(+) (19.3%±5.4%) and CTLA-4(+)CD8(+)(11.7%±3.9%) cells. CD8(+)T cells from prostate cancer patients induced LAPC cell death was downregulated in direct contact coculture system (28.8%±6.4% vs 37.2%±2.6%, P=0.015). IFN-γsecretion was also reduced ((61.7±10.6)ng/L vs (88.6±20.2)ng/L, P=0.003 2). Inhibition of Notch signaling by GSI increased mRNA of perforin, granzyme B, and FasL in CD8(+)T cells from prostate cancer patients (all P<0.01), while reduced percentage of PD-1(+)CD8(+)(12.6%±2.5% vs 17.4%±4.7%, P=0.005 9) and CTLA-4(+)CD8(+) (12.0%±1.0% vs 14.1%±3.1%, P=0.011)cells. Notch signaling inhibition promoted LAPC4 cell death (34.3%±7.2%, P=0.000 2) which induced by prostate cancer derived CD8(+)T cells, and increased IFN-γ production ((88.4±33.6)ng/L, P=0.008 3). Conclusion: Elevated Notch receptors induced CD8(+)T cells exhaustion in prostate cancer patients.

[Impact and related mechanisms of glucose fluctuations on aortic fibrosis in type 1 diabetic rats].

Objective: To investigate the impact and related mechanisms of glucose fluctuations on aortic fibrosis in rats with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Methods: After injection of streptozotocin (STZ), male Sprague Dawley (SD) (8-12 weeks) rats (n=24) were randomly divided into three groups in accordance with the random number table: controlled STZ-induced diabetes (C-STZ) group (n=8); uncontrolled STZ-induced diabetes (U-STZ) group (n=8); STZ-induced diabetes with glucose fluctuations (STZ-GF) group (n=8). After three weeks, rats were sacrificed and aorta was obtained, aortic fibrosis was detected by Masson trichrome staining. The expression of collagen type 1 (collagen Ⅰ) was tested by immunofluorescence. The expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) was tested by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA levels of collagen Ⅰ and Runx2 were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The protein expressions of collagen Ⅰ, Runx2 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB were determined by Western blot. Primary rat aortic smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were cultured in three conditions: normal glucose (NG), high glucose (HG) and glucose fluctuations (GF). Cells in GF group were incubated for 72 hours with glucose alternating between 5.5 and 25 mmol/L every 12 hours. TPCA-1, the inhibitor of NF-κB, the expression of collagenⅠin different groups of cells was tested by immunofluorescence. The protein expressions of collagen Ⅰ, Runx2 and NF-κB were also determined by Western blot. Results: (1) The quantitative ratios of the area of fibrosis in the C-STZ group, U-STZ group, STZ-GF group were (8.42±0.10)%, (21.30±0.74)% and (44.39±1.09)% (P<0.05), respectively. The means of integral optical density (IOD) of collagenⅠ in the three groups were 11.92±0.88, 50.04±3.56 and 77.52±2.69, respectively (P<0.05). The mRNA levels of collagenⅠ in the three groups were 1.00±0.10, 2.02±0.28 and 2.83±0.33, respectively (P<0.05). The protein expressions of collagenⅠ in the three groups were 1.05±0.03, 2.06±0.32 and 4.93±0.25, respectively (P<0.05). (2) The average IOD of Runx2 in the three groups were 150.00±7.35, 204.84±2.32 and 391.48±7.13, respectively (P<0.05). The mRNA levels of Runx2 in the three groups were 1.02±0.02, 1.27±0.04 and 2.18±0.12, respectively (P<0.05). The protein expressions of Runx2 in the three groups were 1.03±0.01, 2.34±0.36 and 4.52±0.75, respectively (P<0.05). (3) The protein expressions of NF-κB in the three groups were 1.02±0.01, 1.96±0.13 and 2.64±0.21, respectively (P<0.05). (4) In vitro, application of inhibitor of NF-κB reversed glucose fluctuations-induced upregulation of protein levels of Col Ⅰ and Runx2 (P<0.05). Conclusion: Glucose fluctuations could aggravate aortic fibrosis through activating Runx2 via NF-κB signaling pathways.

[Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on store-operated calcium channels in coronary artery smooth muscle cells derived from diabetic rat].

Objective: To investigate the impact of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) on function and expression of store-operated calcium channels (SOCC) in coronary artery smooth muscle cells (SMC) derived from diabetic rat. Methods: A total of 180 healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group (N, n=45), placebo-treated diabetic group (D, n=45), lose dose n-3 PUFA treated diabetic group (DL, n=45) and high dose n-3 PUFAs treated diabetic group (DH, n=45). Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat animal model was established by two consecutive intraperitoneal injections. After modeling, rats in group DL and DH were treated with 10 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) and 50 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) n-3 PUFAs respectively per gavage for eight weeks. After eight weeks, rat coronary artery SMC was isolated by enzyme digestion. Changes of cytosolic calcium concentration in coronary artery SMC were examined by calcium fluorescence imaging technique, coronary artery tension was detected by myograph system, and protein expressions of SOCC on coronary artery SMC were measured by Western blot. Results: SOCC induced ΔF340/F380 of group N, D, DL and DH were 0.425±0.023, 0.838±0.037, 0.342±0.052 and 0.364±0.045 respectively, which was significantly lower in group N, DL, DH than in group D (P<0.05). SOCC induced changes of tensions were 0.94±0.09, 1.95±0.18, 1.35±0.24 and 1.01±0.18 in the group N, D, DL and DH, respectively, which was significantly lower in group N and DH than in group D (P<0.05). Protein expressions of STIM1, Orai1 and TRPC1 were significantly higher in diabetic rat coronary SMC than in group N (P<0.05). STIM1 protein expressions were significantly lower in group DL and DH than in group D, and Orai1 and TRPC1 protein expressions were similar among group. Conclusions: Coronary artery tension, cytosolic calcium concentration and protein expressions of SOCC are higher in diabetic rat coronary artery SMC when compared with normal rats. n-3 PUFA intervention could downregulate the protein expression of SOCC, reduce cytosolic calcium concentration and coronary artery tension, and is protective to the diabetic injury in coronary artery.

A serine protease homologue Bombyx mori scarface induces a short and fat body shape in silkworm.

Body shape is one of the most prominent and basic characteristics of any organism. In insects, abundant variations in body shape can be observed both within and amongst species. However, the molecular mechanism underlying body shape fine-tuning is very complex and has been largely unknown until now. In the silkworm Bombyx mori, the tubby (tub) mutant has an abnormal short fat body shape and the abdomen of tub larvae expands to form a fusiform body shape. Morphological investigation revealed that the body length was shorter and the body width was wider than that of the Dazao strain. Thus, this mutant is a good model for studying the molecular mechanisms of body shape fine-tuning. Using positional cloning, we identified a gene encoding the serine protease homologue, B. mori scarface (Bmscarface), which is associated with the tub phenotype. Sequence analysis revealed a specific 312-bp deletion from an exon of Bmscarface in the tub strain. In addition, recombination was not observed between the tub and Bmscarface loci. Moreover, RNA interference of Bmscarface resulted in the tub-like phenotype. These results indicate that Bmscarface is responsible for the tub mutant phenotype. This is the first study to report that mutation of a serine protease homologue can induce an abnormal body shape in insects.

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) exposure disturbs lipid metabolism in juvenile yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco.

This study was conducted to determine the mechanism by which di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) exposure influences lipid metabolism of juvenile yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco. Fish were exposed to three DEHP concentrations (0, 0·1 and 0·5 mg l-1 DEHP) for 8 weeks. Fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity significantly decreased with increasing DEHP concentrations, the highest value was in the Tween control group, whereas the lowest activities of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were in this group. The messenger (m)RNA levels of 6-phospho-gluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), FAS and acetyl-CoA carboxylase a (ACCa) significantly increased with increasing DEHP concentration, the highest values were in the 0·5 mg l-1 DEHP group. The mRNA level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) was lower in Tween control than in fish exposed to 0·1 and 0·5 mg l-1 DEHP. The highest mRNA level of ACCb was in the 0·1 mg l-1 DEHP group. These results indicate that DEHP exposure can disturb lipid metabolism at the enzymatic and mRNA levels in Pelteobagrus fulvidraco.

[Genes polymorphism of BIN1 and ApoE in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment from Enshi Tujia area].

Objective: To investigate the polymorphism of BIN1 and ApoE genes in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients in Tujia minority area of Enshi, Hubei. Methods: A total of 107 patients with aMCI (aMCI group) and 150 healthy people (healthy control group) during the same period were included between December 2016 and October 2017 in Affiliated Minda Hospital of Hubei University for Nationalities, who were all the Tujia nationality. Three single nucleotide polymorphic site of BIN1 gene rs744373, rs7561528, rs6733839, and two single nucleotide polymorphic site of ApoE gene rs429358, rs7412, and Genotyping and sub-genotyping of ApoE genes were tested using ligase detection reaction technique(LDR), and gene polymorphisms of BIN1 and ApoE were analyzed with Logistic regression analysis. Results: The basic information was not statistically significan different between healthy control group and aMCI group (P>0.05); there were no statistically significant in genotype distribution among the 3 SNPs of BIN1 gene(rs744373, rs7561528, rs6733839) and between the 2 SNPs of ApoE gene(rs429358, rs7412) and its allelic profile (P>0.05), which conformed to Hardy-Weinberg balance; BIN1 gene rs744373 polymorphic site allele C was the risk factor of aMCI (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.09-4.98, P=0.029), especially BIN1 gene rs744373 polymorphic site recessive model CC/CT+ TT increased the risk of aMCI disease (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.15-4.59, P=0.019). The difference in genotype distribution of ApoE sub-genotype ε2/2, ε2/3, ε2/4, ε3/3, ε3/4, ε4/4 and allele ε2, ε3, ε4 genes between two groups were significantly different (P<0.05), Carrying ApoEε2 may be a protective factor for aMCI (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.96, P=0.039) and carrying ApoE ε4 may be a risk factor for aMCI (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.18-3.83, P=0.012). Conclusions: The incidence of aMCI in Tujia region of Enshi may be related to the rs744373 polymorphic site of BIN1 gene, ApoEε2 is the protective factor and ApoEε4 is the risk factor for aMCI in Tujia region of Enshi, but it still needs to be further verified by a large sample population.

Outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in oligozoospermic men with Y chromosome AZFb or AZFc microdeletions.

We investigated whether the presence of Y chromosome azoospermia factor (AZF) microdeletions impacts upon the outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using fresh ejaculated spermatozoa. Sixteen oligozoospermia patients with Y chromosome AZFb or AZFc microdeletions and undergoing ICSI cycles between March 2013 and November 2014 were studied. Twenty-six infertile men with normal Y chromosomes and also undergoing IVF/ICSI in the same time period were used as controls. A retrospective case-control study approach was used. Among the 16 cases, 12 (75%, 12/16) had deletions of AZFc markers (sY152, sY254 and sY255), one (6.25%, 1/16) had a deletion of sY152, and two (12.5%, 2/16) had deletions of sY152, sY254, sY255 and sY157. AZFb microdeletions were found in one patient (6.25%, 1/16). There were no significant differences between groups for cleaved embryo rate, high-grade embryo rate, blastocyst formation rate, embryo implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate and delivery rate. The clinical outcomes of ICSI for oligozoospermic patients with Y chromosome AZF microdeletion are comparable to those of infertile patients with normal Y chromosomes. Our findings indicate that ICSI should be offered to patients with an AZFc deletion and that oligozoospermia patients with AZFb microdeletions are likely to father children.

Inhibitory effects of 2-methoxyestradiol on cell growth and invasion in human bladder cancer T-24 cells.

Recently, 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) has been considered to be a potential anticancer agent but has not been investigated in bladder cancer. This study was conducted to clarify the role of 2-ME in bladder cancer cells. The bladder cancer cell line T-24 was treated with 2 µm 2-ME for 2 d. The T-24 cell viability, colony formation, invasion and apoptosis were observed in 2-ME-treated and control cells. The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) was detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Then western blotting assay was applied to assess expressions of HIF-1α and apoptosis factors caspase-3 and Bcl-x proteins. The mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α in 2-ME-treated T-24 cells were remarkably lower than that of the control cells (P < 0.05). Treatment of 2-ME could significantly inhibit T-24 the cell viability, colony formation, invasion, and promote apoptosis (all P < 0.05). In addition, the protein expression of Caspase-3 was higher and that of Bcl-x protein was lower after administration of 2-ME compared to control (both P < 0.05). Collectively, we characterized the efficacy of 2-ME on bladder cancer T-24 cells as being mediated by inhibition of cell viability, colony fomation, invasion and promoting cell apoptosis, which may be achieved by suppressing HIF-1α levels. This study suggests 2-ME as a potential drug for bladder cancer therapy.

Evaluation of left atrial function by speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Left atrial (LA) function plays a key role in maintaining optimal cardiac output. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) has been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but whether LA functional abnormalities also occur in patients with SLE is unknown. Toward this aim we evaluated left atrial function and volume by strain and strain rate derived from speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and their associations with LVDD. Sixty SLE patients were compared with age- and gender-matched normal controls. The LA strain (S) and strain rate (SR) during systole, early diastole and late diastole (SRs, SRe and SRa, respectively) were measured by STE. The LA volume index (LAVI), traditional parameters of LA and left ventricular diastolic function also were analysed. Global strain and positive SRe were significantly reduced in the SLE group compared with the control group (26.2% ± 9.5% vs 32.5% ± 9.8% and -2.4 ± 1.0 s(-1) vs -3.1 ± 1.2 s(-1), both p < 0.05). The SRs in the SLE and control groups were not significantly different (2.1 ± 0.7 s(-1) vs 2.4 ± 0.8 s(-1), p = 0.2). The positive SRa was increased in the SLE group compared with the control group (-2.1 ± 0.8 s(-1) vs -1.6 ± 0.5 s(-1), p < 0.05) and the LAVI was larger in the SLE group than in the control group (32.4 ± 8.0 vs 25.8 ± 7.1 ml/m(2), p < 0.001). Patients with SLE exhibiting varying grades of LVDD displayed significant differences in LA parameters, including LAVI, SRs, SRe and SRa (all p < 0.05). Multivariate linear analysis additionally revealed that SLICC/ACR damage index (SDI) was independently and inversely associated with global strain, SRs and positive SRe. LA functions were changed in SLE patients, demonstrating impairment in conduit function, decrease in storage function and increase in pump function. Meanwhile, the magnitude of this impairment was predictively associated with the severity of LVDD. The results from this study demonstrate that STE is capable of detecting various aspects of LA functional impairment during SLE progression, and should be further explored as a diagnostic tool for improving the outcomes of SLE patients.

Effect of dual Bt-expression transformation vectors on transgene expression in tobacco.

This study aimed to determine the influence of vector structure on dual Bt gene expression and establish an efficient expression vector using Cry1Ac and Cry3A genes. Four vectors (N4, N5, N10, and S23) were developed and used for genetic transformation of tobacco to obtain insect-resistant transgenic lines. The vectors were constructed using the MAR structure, applying different promoter and enhancer sequences, and changing the transgene open-reading frame sequence. The average Cry1Ac toxalbumin expression quantity was 67 times higher in N5 than in N4 transgenic lines (8.77 and 0.13 µg/g, respectively). In contrast, the average Cry3A toxalbumin expression quantity was 1.5 times higher in N4 than in N5 lines (12.70 and 8.21 µg/g, respectively). The sequences of both Bt genes significantly influenced toxalbumin expression, although upstream Bt genes presented lower expression levels. The average Cry1Ac toxalbumin content was 13 times higher in the transgenic lines of AtADH 5'-non-translated sequence N5 (8.77 mg/g) than in the omega N10 lines (0.67 mg/g). Furthermore, the average Cry1Ac toxalbumin content was 5 times higher in MAR N5 than in non-MAR S23 lines (8.77 and 1.63 mg/g, respectively). The average Cry3A toxalbumin content was 1.3 times higher in N5 than in S23 lines (8.21 and 6.48 mg/g, respectively). Moreover, toxalbumin expression levels differed significantly among the S23-transformed lines. The MAR structure applied on both ends of the genes increased both the level and stability of exogenous gene expression. In conclusion, N5 was the most optimal of the four tested vectors.