Specific PCR-based detection of Phomopsis heveicola the cause of leaf blight of Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) in China.

Coffee (Coffea arabica L.) is currently grown in many tropical and subtropical areas countries and is a major traded commodity for the developing world. Coffee leaf blight, caused by Phomopsis heveicola, is one of the most important fungal diseases dangerous to coffee crops in China. This study aimed to develop a PCR-based diagnostic method for detecting P. heveicola in planta. Specific primers (CPHF/CPHR) were designed based on sequence data of region of internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and ITS4) of P. heveicola. The efficiency and specificity of CPHF/CPHR were established by PCR analysis of DNA from P. heveicola strains isolated from China and fungal isolates of other genera. A single amplification product of 318 bp was detected from DNA P. heveicola isolates. No amplification product was observed with any of the other fungal isolates tested. The specific primers designed and employed in PCR detected P. heveicola up to 3 pg from DNA isolated. This is the first report on the development of a species-specific PCR assay for identification and detection of P. heveicola. Thus, the PCR-based assay developed was very specific, rapid and sensitive tool for the detection of pathogen P. heveicola.

[Effect of continuous blood purification for acute renal injury after acute Stanford type A aortic dissection].

Objective: To investigate the effect of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on acute kidney injury (AKI) after acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATTAD). Methods: In this study, 120 patients with AKI after ATTAD surgery treat in Gansu Provincial People's Hospital were selected as research objects. Among them, there were 86 males (71.7%) and 34 females (28.3%) with a mean age of (55±5) years. These patients were randomly divided into experimental group (n=60) and control group (n=60) with stratified random sampling. CRRT and intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) were performed in the experimental group and the control group respectively. The therapeutic effect of CRRT on ATTAD patients with AKI was evaluated by blood purification index, renal function index, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, inflammatory level, hemodynamic index and fluid infusion volume. Results: The two treatment schemes both had considerable therapeutic effects on the condition of patients, but the therapeutic effect of CRRT was more superior. In the patients treated with CRRT, the levels of serium creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and blood lactic acid (Lac) were all lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The time of staying in intensive care units (ICU), the period of oliguria, the times of renal replacement therapy, the time from the first dialysis to the last dialysis and the total hospital stay in the experimental group were all shorter than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The volume of fluid infusion was less and the hemodynamic index was better than that in the control group, but there was no significant difference in hospital mortality between the two groups (P>0.05). The levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the experimental group were (21.9±1.8) ng/L, (18.6±1.4) ng/L and (22.7±2.2) mg/L, respectively, which were all significantly lower than those in control group ((27.9±3.2) ng/L, (28.3±1.4) ng/L, (60.1±2.5)mg/L, respectively; t=14.527, 13.255, 11.247, all P<0.05). The scores of SOFA at all time points in the experimental group were all lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Compared with IHD, CRRT brings no significant reduction in hospital mortality in patients with AKI after ATTAD, but shows better prognosis.

Hepatitis B virus infection status is not associated with poor prognosis in classical Hodgkin lymphoma patients.

Few studies focused on the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). This study was to evaluate the impact of HBV infection on the treatment outcome and survival of cHL patients. Clinical data of 352 cHL patients treated with ABVD regimen (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine and dacarbazine) between January 2002 and January 2018 were retrospectively collected. According to HBV infection status, the patients were divided into three groups: with HBV infection [hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive], with past HBV infection [HBsAg-negative but anti-hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc)-positive], and without HBV infection (HBsAg-negative and anti-HBc-negative). The incidence of HBV infection and past HBV infection in cHL patients were 7.4% (26/352) and 16.5% (58/352), respectively. The median age of patients without HBV infection was lower than those in other two groups (p<0.001). The complete remission rates after first-line therapy were different among 3 groups (65.4% for the group with HBV infection, 87.9% for the group with past HBV infection, and 76.1% for the group without HBV infection, respectively, p=0.049). After a median follow-up of 34.6 months, the 3-year progression-free survival rates for the three groups were 69%, 74% and 80%, respectively (p=0.566) and the 3-year overall survival rates were 72%, 91% and 87%, respectively (p=0.096). No HBV reactivation was observed during chemotherapy among 3 groups, but 1 patient in the group with HBV infection experienced delayed HBV reactivation when prophylactic entecavir was discontinued 12 months after the last cycle of chemotherapy. HBV infection status did not affect the clinical outcome and prognosis of cHL patients, especially in the era of prophylactic antiviral therapy.

False-positive cytopathology results for papillary thyroid carcinoma: A trap for thyroid surgeons.

OBJECTIVES: Current preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules remains imperfect despite recent advances in cytopathology and molecular diagnostics. False positivity in preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) may lead to overtreatment of patients, including total thyroidectomy, and sometimes to lawsuits for misdiagnosis and malpractice. In this study, we analysed clinical characteristics and pathologic findings in patients with false positivity for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in FNAC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed permanent pathology results from 3788 patients who underwent thyroid surgery. Among them, 48 patients had lesions that were deemed suspicious or positive (Bethesda class V or VI) for PTC in preoperative FNAC. We reviewed clinic-pathologic data, radiologic findings and surgical planning in these patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of pathologic thyroiditis was significantly higher among patients with false-positive FNAC results than in those with confirmed PTC (54.2% vs 9.2%, P<.001). The analysis of the permanent pathology reports showed that 26 patients had chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis and 22 patients had no evidence of thyroiditis. Among the patients without pathologic thyroiditis, 19 patients (86.4%) had nodular hyperplasia and three (13.6%) had follicular adenoma, while among the patients with pathologic thyroiditis, seven (26.9%) had no nodule, 14 (53.8%) had nodular hyperplasia, two (7.7%) had hyalinized nodules, two (7.7%) had follicular adenoma and one (3.8%) had a hyalinizing trabecular tumour. In 42 patients, the extent of surgery (total thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy) was to be determined according to the intra-operative frozen section biopsy results. Among them, four (10.5%) had inconclusive frozen section results, and 38 (90.5%) had benign results on frozen section. CONCLUSIONS: Patient counselling about the possibility of false positivity is still important. And the presence of thyroiditis might create confusion in the interpretation of cytopathologic results.

Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Antibiotic Sulfamethoxazole on Carboxylic-Functionalized Carbon Nanofibers-Encapsulated Ni Magnetic Nanoparticles.

In this work we developed a one-step process for synthesizing carboxylic-functionalized carbon nanofibers (CNFs)-encapsulated Ni magnetic nanoparticles (Ni@CNFs) that exhibit an excellent magnetic response and a large content of hydrophilic carboxylate groups with a negative charge (RCOO(-)) on the carbon surface. The carbon-encapsulated magnetic Ni nanoparticles could be rapidly separated from water, and they showed high efficiency for adsorption of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in aqueous solution. The adsorption of SMX on Ni@CNFs as a function of pH was investigated, and the greatest adsorption occurred at pH 7.0. The adsorption isotherms for SMX on Ni@CNFs depended on different pH values. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to probe the relationship between molecular conformation and π-π interaction. The high adsorption of SMX on Ni@CNFs at pH 7.0 could be ascribed to deprotonated SMX being easily converted to a planar-like conformation, thereby resulting in the formation of π rings that were approximately parallel to the graphite surface and that enhanced strong π-π interaction. Electrostatic and π-π interactions both contributed to deprotonated SMX adsorption at pH 7.0, and they influenced the adsorption isotherm toward the Freundlich model. However, in weakly acidic environments (pH 2.0 and 4.0), the electrostatic interaction alone could induce an adsorption pattern that was similar to the Langmuir model.

Early menarche increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged Korean women.

AIMS: To investigate the association between early menarche (menarche age < 12 years) and Type 2 diabetes mellitus in young and middle-aged Korean women. METHODS: We analysed data for 4657 women aged 20-50 years from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV) (2007-2009). RESULTS: The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes was 2.8%. Women with early menarche had a higher prevalence of impaired fasting glucose than did women with later menarche (age ≥ 12 years) in the 20-30 age group (7.4% vs. 3.0%), and a higher prevalence of diabetes in the 30-40 (6.3% vs. 1.7%) and 40-50 (18.5% vs. 4.4%) age groups. The odds ratio (OR) of Type 2 diabetes in women with early menarche was 3.61 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.90-6.88] after adjusting for age. In multivariate regression, the OR of Type 2 diabetes decreased to 2.52 (95% CI, 1.29-4.94) after further adjusting for BMI. However, the OR decreased to 2.04 (95% CI, 0.95-4.39) without significance after adjusting for HOMA-IR. CONCLUSIONS: Early menarche increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged Korean women although adulthood adiposity attenuated the relationship. Knowledge of age at menarche is important in identifying women at risk for diabetes.

Assessment of sensitivity and virulence fitness costs of the AvrPik alleles from Magnaporthe oryzae to isoprothiolane.

The in vitro sensitivity of AvrPik allele isolates of Magnaporthe oryzae to isoprothiolane was examined and the virulence fitness costs of AvrPik allele isolates to isoprothiolane were assessed. Isoprothiolane was found to suppress the radial growth of AvrPik allele isolates at all concentrations (1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 µg/mL). Generally, a higher isoprothiolane concentration has a stronger inhibitory effect on mycelial growth in AvrPik allele isolates at 6 and 10 days after inoculation. The inhibitory effect of isoprothiolane also increased with treatment time. To determine whether a correlation existed between the in vitro sensitivity of AvrPik allele isolates and virulence, the half-maximal inhibitor concentration and 75% of the maximum inhibitor concentration were calculated for each mutation isolate and wild-type isolate. Based on these values and virulence, no significant correlation between the susceptibility of AvrPik allele isolates and virulence was detected. In summary, no fitness costs were associated with sensitivity of blast isolates carrying specific AvrPik alleles to different virulence.

From laparoscopic to open Kasai portoenterostomy: the outcome after reintroduction of open Kasai portoenterostomy in infant with biliary atresia.

PURPOSE: Apparently superior result was observed after open Kasai portoenterostomy in infant with biliary atresia. Our institute stopped performing laparoscopic portoenterostomy since 2007. We aimed to investigate the outcome after reintroduction of open portoenterostomy. METHODS: 27 non-syndromic infants underwent open Kasai portoenterostomy from 2007 to 2012. The age and the sex of the patient, the bilirubin level before the operation, the early clearance of jaundice (total bilirubin <20 µmol/L within 6 month of portoenterostomy), the native liver survival at 2 years after the operation were reviewed. The results were retrospectively compared with all 16 infants who underwent laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy before 2007. RESULTS: All infants had type III biliary atresia. No statistical difference was observed regarding the age at operation and the pre-operative bilirubin level. The early clearance of jaundice rate was 81% (22/27) after open operation and was 50% (8/16) after laparoscopic operation (p = 0.03). At 2 years after the operation, the native liver survival was 81% (22/27) after open operation and was 50% (8/16) after laparoscopic operation (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Reintroduction of open Kasai portoenterostomy was associated with superior early clearance of jaundice rate and 2-year native liver survival rate.

Causal relationship between circulating inflammatory factors and osteoporosis: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: Osteoporosis (OP), a persistent metabolic bone disorder linked with inflammation, has an undetermined cause. In our research, we employed bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the interplay between OP and inflammation agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed two-way pooled-level MR analyses to characterize the causal relationship between 41 circulating inflammatory modulators and OP. Genetic variation data for the 41 regulatory factors associated with inflammation were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of human cytokines. Bone mineral density (BMD) was utilized as a phenotype for OP in our approach. The BMD dataset, sourced from the GEFOS consortium, a large GWAS meta-analysis study and UK Biobank, was classified based on varied sections [whole body (TB), lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), forearm (FA), and heel] and age brackets (0-15 years, 15-30 years, 30-45 years, 45-60 years, and above 60 years). Primary MR analyses were executed using the inverse variance weighting (IVW) method, and sensitivity analyses were performed using the MR-Egger, weighted median, simple model, and weighted model. Cochran's Q test was utilized to evaluate the existence of heterogeneity. We used MR-Egger regression and MR multiplicity of residuals and outliers (MR-PRESSO) to assess pleiotropy. RESULTS: After false discovery rate (FDR) correction, elevated levels of circulating interleukin-8 (IL-8) [ß = 0.072 (0.031-0.114), p < 0.01], macrophage inflammatory protein-1b (MIP-1ß) [ß = 0.008 (0.003-0.013), p < 0.01; ß = 0.026 (0.009-0.042), p < 0.01], and cutaneous T-cell attracting chemokine (CTACK) [ß = 0.037 (0.017-0.056), p < 0.01] was associated with a reduced risk of OP. Reduced levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), IL-1ra, IL-10, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF), and MIP-1α were associated with a reduced risk of OP [ß = -0.030 (-0.047 - -0.013), p < 0.01; ß = -0.025 (-0.041 - -0.010), p < 0.01; ß = -0.018 (-0.029 - -0.007), p < 0.01; ß = -0.060 (-0.097 - -0.024), p < 0.01; ß = -0.118 (-0.190 - -0.047), p < 0.01]. We observed a significant causal correlation between FN-BMD and MCP-3 (FDR < 0.05). The occurrence of OP may also lead to elevated levels of MCP3 [ß = -0.466 (-0.714 - -0.217), p < 0.01]. The reliability of the results was confirmed by sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the pathogenic role of circulating inflammatory modulators in OP using bidirectional MR analysis. This further deepens the understanding of OP pathogenesis and provides new ideas for therapeutic intervention in OP.

The therapeutic effect of decitabine combined with HAG in acute myeloid leukemia: a retrospective case-control analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the efficacy of decitabine combined with homoharringtonine + cytarabine + granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (HAG) in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 125 patients with AML was done. Of them, 61 patients received a simple HAG treatment (HAG group), and 64 received decitabine combined with an HAG regimen (combined group). Treatment efficacy, immune function before and after the treatment, levels of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and incidence of adverse reactions in the two groups were compared. RESULTS: The total response rate of the combined group (84.38%) was higher than that of the HAG group (65.63%) (p < 0.05). After the treatment, levels of CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in both groups increased and were significantly higher in the combined group compared to the HAG group. Levels of CD8+, bFGF and VEGF decreased compared to pre-treatment levels and were significantly lower in the combined group than in the HAG group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to HAG treatment alone, the combination of decitabine and HAG in the treatment of AML is safe, can significantly improve the immune function of the patients, regulate bFGF and VEGF levels, and improve overall treatment efficacy.

IgE-mediated allergy: a rare cause of chronic spontaneous urticarial with allergen-specific immunotherapy as treatment option - a systematic review with meta-analysis from China.

BACKGROUND: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) has long been a controversial treatment for chronic urticaria (CU), although SIT has been used in patients with allergic diseases for more than 90 years. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of SIT vs. conventional treatment (CT) in the treatment of CU. METHODS: Systematic searches were conducted without language restrictions in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Knowledge, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Scientific Journals Full Text Database. The primary outcomes were efficacy and quality of life (QOL) and the secondary outcomes were relapse rate and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Fourteen studies (1838 patients) were included. None of them was double-blind placebo controlled. Our study demonstrated that SIT seemed to show more clinical efficacy rate (OR 2.39; 95% CI, 1.73-3.30; I(2) = 55%, P = 0.008), more complete recovery rate (OR 2.13; 95% CI, 1.55-2.91; I(2) = 61%, P=0.008) and less relapse rate 2 weeks after treatment (OR 0.38; 95% CI, 0.24-0.61; I(2) = 6%, P=0.20) than CT. Only one study reported improved QOL and no study reported serious AEs after SIT. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence indicates that IgE-mediated allergy may be causative in a small number of CU patients and specific immunotherapy with these allergens may be beneficial in those patients. However, the number of included studies was small and those qualities were low. So, available evidence is not adequate to draw an affirmative conclusion and larger studies of high quality are needed to provide increasingly convincing data and cases.

Laparoscopic versus open Kasai portoenterostomy in infant with biliary atresia: a retrospective review on the 5-year native liver survival.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy was reported to be a safe and feasible procedure in infant with biliary atresia. We aimed to investigate the long-term results after laparoscopic portoenterostomy as such data in the literature are lacking. METHODS: Sixteen infants underwent laparoscopic Kasai portoenterostomy from 2002 to 2006. The age and the sex of the patient, the bilirubin level before the operation, the early clearance of jaundice (total bilirubin <20 µmol/L within 6 months of portoenterostomy), the native liver survival at 2 and 5 years after the operation were reviewed. The results were retrospectively compared with 16 consecutive infants who underwent open Kasai portoenterostomy before 2002. RESULTS: All infants had type III biliary atresia. The early clearance of jaundice rate at 6 months was 50 % (8/16) after laparoscopic operation and was 75 % (12/16) after open operation (p = 0.144). Two years after the operation, the native liver survival was 50 % (8/16) in the laparoscopic group and was 81 % (13/16) in the open group (p = 0.076). Five years after the operation, the native liver survival rate was 50 % (8/16) in the laparoscopic group and was 81 % (13/16) in the open group (p = 0.076). The jaundice-free native liver survival rate at 5 years was 50 % (8/16) in laparoscopic group and was 75 % (12/16) in the open group. In the laparoscopic group, all patients with early clearance of jaundice survived and remained jaundice freed 5 years after the operation. CONCLUSION: The 5-year native liver survival rate after laparoscopic portoenterostomy was 50 %. Apparently superior result was observed in the open group (81 %) although the figures did not reach statistical difference because of the small sample size. A larger scale study is required to draw a more meaningful conclusion.

Comparative proteomic analysis of follicular fluids from normal and cystic follicles in sows.

Follicular fluid (FF) includes various biologically active proteins which can affect follicular growth and maturation. Certain proteins could reflect the physiological and pathological status of follicles. The aim of the present study was to explore the key proteins associated with pathogenesis of follicular cysts, some of which may be candidate biomarkers for the condition. We analysed the proteomes of FF from small, medium, large and cystic follicles by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with mass spectrometry (MS). The protein components in FF were found to be significantly different among groups; about 300 proteins spots in each group were examined, and 32 differentially expressed proteins were identified from different groups. To further reveal the source of identified proteins, transcripts encoding two of these, transferrin and RBP-4, were detected in granulosa cells (GCs) by RT-PCR, as well as the proteins were detected in 24 h culture media of GCs by ELISA. High levels of RBP-4 were examined in FF of cystic follicles by 2-DE analysis, which were significantly different to those in large follicles (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the study enriches our understanding of the proteins of FF; RBP-4 and transferrin originate from passive transfer and follicular synthesized secretion, and RBP-4 might be a candidate biomarker for porcine follicular cysts. Combined with histological studies, these results further suggest that changes of the type and quantity of proteins in FF might be attributed to an abnormal metabolism of follicular cells and structure of follicular wall in cystic follicles. Our findings will contribute to further insight into the pathogenesis of follicular cysts.

PCBs in Donggang River Watershed sediments, Taiwan.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in the sediments of the Donggang River Watershed, one of the most polluted bodies of water in southern Taiwan. Field data showed that detectable concentrations of 121 PCB congeners were found and total PCBs were measured in 32 out of 33 samples, and 98 congeners were detected. The total concentrations of PCBs in the sediment ranged from 25.5-63.5 ngg(-1) dw with a geometric mean ± standard deviation of 4.00 ± 1.73 ngg(-1) dw, with one sample below the detection limit. The highest concentration (20.79 ngg(-1) dw) was found at the most downstream sampling site near the head of the estuary, while average levels were highest at the tributary sampling site, ranging from 8.81-019.4 ngg(-1) dw. In general, the average concentrations in the tributary sampling sites were higher than those in the main stem sampling sites, which were 24.02 ± 10.15 and 19.97 ± 8.9 ngg(-1) dw, respectively. Among the 121 congeners, congener 1, 3, 22, 25, 33, 21, 53, 47, 41, 64, 71, 107, 136, 146, 158, 157, 200, 172, 189, 207, 205, 206, and 209 were all below the detection limit and were not found in any samples. Congeners 191, 85, and 26 were the most commonly detected, however, PCB 26, 12+13, and 52 were the most abundant congeners and contributed 11.5, 8.4, and 6.96% to the total PCBs, respectively. The results indicated that trace PCBs were still detectable in the sediment of the Donggang River and its tributaries. However, the concentrations were considerably lower than those found in other studies of nearby areas in Taiwan and around the world.

First Report of Neofusicoccum vitifusiforme Causing Blueberry Blight of Blueberry in China.

In May 2008, symptoms of blueberry blight were observed on half-high blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in a plant nursery in Anning, Yunnan Province. Symptoms included dieback and bud and branch blight. Symptomatic plant samples were washed with running tap water, disinfected with 2% sodium hypochlorite and then 70% alcohol, rinsed in sterile distilled water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 26°C. Conidia forming on PDA were hyaline, granular, fusoid to ellipsoid, widest in the upper third with an obtuse apex and flattened, subtruncate base, and 18 to 21 × 4.5 to 8 µm. The pathogen was also identified to the species level by sequencing the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 (ITSI-5.8S-ITS2) and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-α). BLAST searches at GenBank showed the highest nucleotide sequence identity with Neofusicoccum vitifusiforme reference sequence (ITS: >98%, EF638785; EF1-α: 100%, EF638744 and AY343343). Representative sequences of isolates from both regions were deposited in GenBank (ITS: Accession No. HM131604; EF1-α: Accession No. HM454277). Pathogenicity tests were conducted on 2-year-old blueberry seedlings (half-high blueberry). Mycelial plugs (3 mm in diameter) of N. vitifusiforme from actively growing colonies (PDA) were applied to same-size bark wounds in the center of the stems. Inoculation wounds were wrapped with Parafilm. Control seedlings received sterile PDA plugs. Inoculated and control seedlings (five each) were kept in a greenhouse and watered as needed. After 2 weeks, all of the inoculated but none of the control blueberry seedlings showed dark vascular stem tissue. N. vitifusiforme was reisolated from symptomatic tissues, thus fulfilling Koch's postulates. N. vitifusiforme has been reported as a pathogen of olive (2), plum, peach (1), and grapevine (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. vitifusiforme on blueberry in China as well as worldwide. References: (1) U. Damm et al. Mycologia 99:664, 2007. (2) C. Lazzizera et al. Plant Pathol. 57:948, 2008. (3) J. M. van Niekerk et al. Mycologia 96:781, 2004.

Characteristics and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from Donggang river and its tributaries, Taiwan.

Analyses of environmental xenobiotic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were an important worldwide issue because of their detrimental effects on aquatic biota. In this study, we had investigated the distribution, origin and toxicity of PAHs in the Donggang watershed sediments in southwestern Taiwan. The study results showed that the sixteen representative PAHs were detected in all collected samples with concentrations ranging from 23 to 2534 ngg(-1) dw. The highest concentration was detected in the downstream end at near the estuarine portion of the river. The mean ± standard deviation and median of ΣPAH concentrations were 528.5 ± 72.3 and 156 ngg(-1) of dry matrix in collected samples. The highest and lowest concentrations of Σ16 PAHs samples differed significantly (p < 0.05) and naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene were detected in all sediment samples. The random variations between sampling sites were consistent with watershed land use. The present study showed that the ratios of phenanthrene/anthracene (Phe/Ant) and fluoranthane/pyrene (FLu/Pyr) in samples suggested that PAHs sources exhibited mixed pattern of petrogenic and pyrolytic inputs. The PAHs with high molecular weight (5-6 ring) accounted for 95.5% of total-BaPeq while the low molecular weight PAHs (2-3 ring) only appeared 0.20%. There was a high correlation (R(2)= 0.967) between mean concentrations and the BaPeq of the PAHs within the sediments. In summary, the adverse biological effect was low according to the effects-range-low (ERL) values of the Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) in sediments from Donggang river and its tributaries in Taiwan.

Brassinosteroids are involved in ethylene-induced Pst DC3000 resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Plant immunity is regulated by a huge phytohormone regulation network. Ethylene(ET) and brassinosteroids (BRs) play critical roles in plant response to biotic stress; however, the relationship between BR and ET in plant immunity is unclear. We used chemical treatments, genetic approaches and inoculation experiments to investigate the relationship between ET and BR in plant defense against Pst DC3000 in Nicotiana benthamiana. Foliar applications of ET and BR enhanced plant resistance to Pst DC3000 inoculation, while treatment with brassinazole (BRZ, a specific BR biosynthesis inhibitor) eliminated the ET induced plant resistance to Pst DC3000. Silencing of DWARF 4(DWF4, a key BR biosynthetic gene), BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1, aBR receptor) and BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE 1 (BSK1, downstream of BRI1) also neutralised the ET-induced plant resistance to Pst DC3000. ET can induce callose deposition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation to resistPst DC3000, BRZ-treated and gene-silenced were completely eliminate this response. Our results suggest BR is involved in ET-induced plant resistance, the involvement of ET in plant resistance is possibly by the induction of callose deposition and ROS accumulation, in a BR-dependent manner.

MiR-21 regulates pulmonary hypertension in rats via TGF-ß1/Smad2 signaling pathway.

The article "MiR-21 regulates pulmonary hypertension in rats via TGF-ß1/Smad2 signaling pathway, by F. Ding, T. You, X.-D. Hou, K. Yi, X.-G. Liu, P. Zhang, X.-K. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (9): 3984-3992-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201905_17828-PMID: 31115027" has been withdrawn from the authors. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17828.

Self-aligned growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes using optical near-field effects.

Self-aligned growth of ultra-short single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was realized by utilizing optical near-field effects in a laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) process. By introducing the optical near-field effects, bridge structures containing single suspended SWNT channels were successfully fabricated through the LCVD process at a relatively low substrate temperature. Raman spectroscopy and I-V analyses have been carried out to characterize the SWNT-bridge structures. Numerical simulations using a high-frequency structure simulator revealed that significant enhancement of local heating occurs at metallic electrode tips under laser irradiation; it is about one order of magnitude higher than that in the rest of the electrodes. This technique suggests a novel approach to in situ low-temperature fabrication of SWNT-based devices in a precisely controlled manner, based on the nanoscale heating enhancement induced by the optical near-field effects.

MiR-21 regulates pulmonary hypertension in rats via TGF-ß1/Smad2 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-21 on pulmonary hypertension (PH) in rats via regulating tumor growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1)/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (Smad2) signaling pathway and the possible underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MiR-21 inhibition vector (pLKO-anti-miR-21) was first constructed. The rat model of PH was established by hypoxia feeding induction. A total of three groups were established, including: blank control group, model group and miR-21 low-expression group were set up, with 12 rats in each group. The expression level of miR-21 in lung tissues of rats in each group was detected via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) and right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) of rats in each group were measured. The pathological changes in lung tissues of rats were detected using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to detect the level of apoptosis in lung tissues of rats in each group. Furthermore, Western blotting was adopted to detect the expression levels of TGF-ß1/Smad2 signal pathway-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins in lung tissues of rats in each group. RESULTS: Compared with blank control group, the expression level of miR-21 in lung tissues of rats in model group was significantly increased (p<0.01). Meanwhile, miR-21 expression in lung tissues of rats in miR-21 low-expression group was significantly decreased by transfection of miR-21 inhibition vector (p<0.01). The RVSP and RVHI of rats in model group were significantly higher than those of blank control group and miR-21 low-expression group (p<0.01). H&E staining results indicated that the degree of lung tissue injury in model group was remarkably higher than blank control group and miR-21 low-expression group (p<0.01). According to TUNEL staining results, the number of apoptotic cells in lung tissues of rats in model group was markedly smaller than that of miR-21 low-expression group (p<0.01). Moreover, the expression level of Caspase 3 in lung tissues of rats in model group was significantly lower than that of miR-21 low-expression group, while the expression level of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) was markedly higher. The expression levels of TGF-ß1 and phosphorylated (p)-Smad2 in lung tissues of rats in model group were evidently higher than those of blank control group (p<0.01). In addition, lowly expressed miR-21 could effectively reduce the expressions of TGF-ß1 and p-Smad2 (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-21 regulates the symptoms of PH in rats by activating TGF-ß1/Smad2 signaling pathway.