Association between increased serum interleukin-8 levels and improved cognition in major depressive patients with SSRIs.

BACKGROUND: The effect of neuroinflammatory cytokines on cognitive deficits in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) can be altered by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This study aimed to examine serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels, cognitive function, and their associations in MDD patients with SSRIs. METHODS: Thirty SSRI-treated MDD patients and 101 healthy controls were recruited for this study. We examined cognitive performance using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and serum IL-8 levels using the Human Inflammatory Cytokine Cytometric Bead Array in both cases and controls. RESULTS: The RBANS test scores were significantly lower in MDD patients with SSRIs than in healthy controls after controlling for covariates (all p < 0.001). Serum levels of IL-8 were higher in MDD patients with SSRIs than in healthy controls after adjusting for covariates (F = 3.82, p = 0.05). Serum IL-8 levels were positively correlated with sub-scores of delayed memory (r = 0.37, p = 0.04) and visuospatial/constructional (r = 0.43, p = 0.02) in MDD patients with SSRIs but not in in healthy controls (delayed memory score: r = -0.12, p = 0.24; visuospatial/constructional score: r = 0.02, p = 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that increased serum IL-8 level might not only be involved in the MDD psychopathology or the use of SSRIs but also correspond to improving MDD delayed memory and visuospatial/constructional function.

Multiple pathogenic proteins implicated in neuronopathic Gaucher disease mice.

Gaucher disease, a prevalent lysosomal storage disease (LSD), is caused by insufficient activity of acid ß-glucosidase (GCase) and the resultant glucosylceramide (GC)/glucosylsphingosine (GS) accumulation in visceral organs (Type 1) and the central nervous system (Types 2 and 3). Recent clinical and genetic studies implicate a pathogenic link between Gaucher and neurodegenerative diseases. The aggregation and inclusion bodies of α-synuclein with ubiquitin are present in the brains of Gaucher disease patients and mouse models. Indirect evidence of ß-amyloid pathology promoting α-synuclein fibrillation supports these pathogenic proteins as a common feature in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, multiple proteins are implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic neuronopathic Gaucher disease (nGD). Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses showed significant amounts of ß-amyloid and amyloid precursor protein (APP) aggregates in the cortex, hippocampus, stratum and substantia nigra of the nGD mice. APP aggregates were in neuronal cells and colocalized with α-synuclein signals. A majority of APP co-localized with the mitochondrial markers TOM40 and Cox IV; a small portion co-localized with the autophagy proteins, P62/LC3, and the lysosomal marker, LAMP1. In cultured wild-type brain cortical neural cells, the GCase-irreversible inhibitor, conduritol B epoxide (CBE), reproduced the APP/α-synuclein aggregation and the accumulation of GC/GS. Ultrastructural studies showed numerous larger-sized and electron-dense mitochondria in nGD cerebral cortical neural cells. Significant reductions of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate production and oxygen consumption (28-40%) were detected in nGD brains and in CBE-treated neural cells. These studies implicate defective GCase function and GC/GS accumulation as risk factors for mitochondrial dysfunction and the multi-proteinopathies (α-synuclein-, APP- and Aß-aggregates) in nGD.

Different leaf cost-benefit strategies of ferns distributed in contrasting light habitats of sub-tropical forests.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ferns are abundant in sub-tropical forests in southern China, with some species being restricted to shaded understorey of natural forests, while others are widespread in disturbed, open habitats. To explain this distribution pattern, we hypothesize that ferns that occur in disturbed forests (FDF) have a different leaf cost-benefit strategy compared with ferns that occur in natural forests (FNF), with a quicker return on carbon investment in disturbed habitats compared with old-growth forests. METHODS: We chose 16 fern species from contrasting light habitats (eight FDF and eight FNF) and studied leaf functional traits, including leaf life span (LLS), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations (N and P), maximum net photosynthetic rates (A), leaf construction cost (CC) and payback time (PBT), to conduct a leaf cost-benefit analysis for the two fern groups. KEY RESULTS: The two groups, FDF and FNF, did not differ significantly in SLA, leaf N and P, and CC, but FDF had significantly higher A, greater photosynthetic nitrogen- and phosphorus-use efficiencies (PNUE and PPUE), and shorter PBT and LLS compared with FNF. Further, across the 16 fern species, LLS was significantly correlated with A, PNUE, PPUE and PBT, but not with SLA and CC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that leaf cost-benefit analysis contributes to understanding the distribution pattern of ferns in contrasting light habitats of sub-tropical forests: FDF employing a quick-return strategy can pre-empt resources and rapidly grow in the high-resource environment of open habitats; while a slow-return strategy in FNF allows their persistence in the shaded understorey of old-growth forests.

Efficacy and safety between temozolomide alone and temozolomide-based double therapy for malignant melanoma: a meta-analysis.

Temozolomide (TMZ) has received much attention, notably in the treatment of malignant glioma and malignant melanoma. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy and safety of TMZ alone and TMZ-based combination drug therapy in patients with melanoma. Using "temozolomide" as a keyword combined with "melanoma" and "randomized controlled trials" as Medical Subject Headings, the following electronic databases were searched: the Cochrane library, MEDLINE, EBSCO, EMBASE, Ovid, cNKI, and cBMDisc. The evaluating indicators were overall response rate (ORR), 1-year survival rate, and several of the most frequent adverse events. Five randomized controlled trials met our criteria and were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 703 participants (309 patients received TMZ alone, and 394 patients received combined regimens). The meta-analysis showed that the ORR for TMZ-based drug therapy was higher than TMZ alone [relative risk (RR) = 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.95], but the 1-year survival rate was not significantly different between the two groups (RR = 1.13; 95% CI, 0.92-1.40). These results suggested that the impact of these increased response rates was not translated into a survival benefit. Moreover, we found no difference in the incidence of adverse events analyzed. The currently available evidence showed that the TMZ-combination therapy may moderately improve the response rate, but there was no corresponding increased toxicity. Future large-scale, high-quality, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials are needed.

Health-Promoting Lifestyle and Its Predictors in Renal Transplant Recipients in Hunan, China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Kidney transplantation is a critical treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with health-promoting lifestyle (HPL) significantly impacting patient outcomes. HPL involves behaviors like regular exercise, balanced nutrition, stress management, and habit modification. However, few studies have analyzed the HPL of renal transplant recipients, addressing a significant gap in current research. Objective: This study aimed to determine the predictors of HPL in renal transplant recipients using the Chinese Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP). Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled renal transplant recipients completing the revised Chinese HPLP at organ transplant center in a tertiary hospital in Hunan Province of China between May 2022 and July 2022. Results: A total of 450 patients were included, comprising 256 males (56.9%), with a mean age of 44.85 ± 10.57 years. The mean score of self-actualization, health responsibility, interpersonal support, physical activity, stress management, nutrition, and overall HPLP were 15.27 ± 5.03 (possible range: 0-24), 11.41 ± 4.18 (possible range: 0-24), 11.61 ± 3.13 (possible range: 0-18), 7.53 ± 3.79 (possible range: 0-18), 12.68 ± 3.61 (possible range: 0-21), 11.17 ± 2.41 (possible range: 0-15), and 69.66 ± 16.98 (possible range: 0-120), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that urban residence (OR = 2.061, 95% CI: 1.350-3.148, P = 0.001), non-smoking after transplantation (OR = 2.010, 95% CI: 1.123-3.600, P = 0.019) and two post-transplant complications (OR=0.387, 95% CI: 0.218-0.689, P = 0.001). Conclusion: Although renal transplant recipients exhibit a moderate level of HPL, targeted interventions are essential to improve these behaviors. These interventions should focus especially on individuals from rural households, post-transplant smokers, and those experiencing post-transplant complications, to enhance their quality of life and clinical outcomes.

Plant hydraulics and photosynthesis of 34 woody species from different successional stages of subtropical forests.

It is important to understand the ecophysiological characters of plants when exploring mechanisms underlying species substitution in the process of plant succession. In the present study, we selected 34 woody species from different stages of secondary succession in subtropical forests of southern China, and measured their hydraulic conductivity, gas exchange rates, leaf nutrients and drought-tolerance traits such as xylem resistance to cavitation, turgor loss point and carbon isotope ratio. Principal component analysis revealed that early-, mid- and late-successional species were significantly separated along axis 1, which was strongly associated with hydraulic-photosynthetic coordination. In contrast to species distributed in late-successional forest, early-successional species had the highest hydraulic conductivity, net photosynthetic rates, photosynthetic nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiencies, but had the lowest photosynthetic water-use efficiency. However, changes of the measured drought-tolerance traits of the 34 species along the succession did not demonstrate a clear trend - no significant correlations between these traits and plant successional stages were found. Moreover, the trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and safety was not identified. Taken together, our results suggested that hydraulic efficiency and photosynthetic function, rather than drought tolerance, play an important role in species distributions along plant succession in subtropical forests.

[Temporal and Spatial Distribution, Utilization Status, and Carbon Emission Reduction Potential of Straw Resources in China].

Based on the crop yield data of China and each region from 1981 to 2020 (excluding data from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan), by using the grain-straw ratio method, this study estimated the total amount of crop straw and collectable amount of crops, including corn, rice, wheat, other cereals, cotton, rapeseeds, peanuts, beans, tubers, sesame, fiber crops, sugarcane, and beetroots, and the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of resource density and per capita resources of crop straw were analyzed. This study analyzed the current utilization mode, development, and change of crop straw in China. Finally, we used the life circle assessment (LCA) method to estimate the carbon emission reduction potential of biochar prepared from crop straw. The main findings were:from 1981 to 2020, the temporal distribution trend of theoretical crop straw resources and collectable straw resources in China generally showed a steady growth trend, and the two increased from 3.33×108 t and 3.04×108 t in 1981 to the highest values of 7.70×108 t and 6.63×108 t in 2020, with a net increase of 4.37×108 t and 3.59×108 t, respectively. The net increase in rice, wheat, and corn straw resources was 3.69×108t, accounting for between 77% and 85% of the total crop straw and always occupying the main position of straw resources in China. The proportion of wheat straw in the total amount of straw was maintained at approximately 20%, rice straw resources decreased from 44% to 28.4%, and corn straw increased from 19.9% to 34.2% from 1981 to 2020. In 2020, the total theoretical resources of crop straw in China were 7.72×108 t, and the source structures were:rice 28.4%, wheat 21.45%, corn 31.45%, other cereals 1.4%, beans 3.4%, tubers 0.82%, cotton 2.28%, peanuts 2.97%, rapeseeds 3.4%, sesame 0.12%, fiber crops 0.06%, beetroots 0.67%, and sugarcane 0.84%. As to the spatial distribution of crop straw resources in China in 2020, the locations with straw resources ≥ 60 million tons included Heilongjiang, Henan, and Shandong, of which Henan had as much as 88.56 million tons; those with between 40 million and 60 million tons included Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, and Anhui; those with between 20 million and 40 million tons included Liaoning, Jilin, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Xinjiang; and the straw resources in the rest of the region were below 20 million tons. Rice straw was mostly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Northeast region, of which the amount of Heilongjiang rice straw was the largest, with 31.86 million tons; wheat straw was mainly distributed in North China, with Henan having the most abundant resources (48.04 million tons). Corn straw was mainly distributed in Northeast China and North China, of which Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia corn straw resources were relatively rich, with 33.18 million tons and 29.90 million tons, respectively. Crop straw resource density and per capita resources were shared in 2020 in China. The average density of crop straw resources in China was 4.61 t·hm-2, and the average densities of crop straw resources in various agricultural areas were 5.39 t·hm-2 in Northeast China, 5.42 t·hm-2 in North China, 4.45 t·hm-2 in the Mengxin Region, 4.44 t·hm-2 in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, 3.92 t·hm-2in Tibet, 3.40 t·hm-2 in the Loess Plateau, 3.08 t·hm-2 in South China, and 2.91 t·hm-2 in Southwest China. The average per capita share of straw resources was 0.55 t. The average values of per capita straw resources in each region were:1.46 t in the Northeast area, 1.20 t in the Mengxin Region, 0.47 t in North China, 0.44 t in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, 0.40 t in the Loess Plateau, 0.37 t in the Southwest area, 0.33 t in the Qinghai-Tibet area, and 0.20 t in the South China area. The utilization of crop straw in China was diversified. Fertilizer and feed were the main utilizations, accounting for 62.1% and 15.4%, respectively. In 2020, collectable crop straw resources for the preparation of biochar totaled 2.04×108 t in China. Renewable energy replaced fossil fuels in the process of preparing biochar, which could reduce CO2e(CO2e:CO2 equivalent) emissions by 1.45×108 t. Biochar could sequester approximately 4.63×108 t of CO2e; biochar application was able to reduce chemical fertilizer application to achieve a CO2 emission reduction of 8.58×105 t; and biochar application could promote crop yield in order to reduce CO2e emissions by approximately 7.77×106 t. The inhibition of N2, respectively. In the process of biochar preparation and application, the total greenhouse gas emission was 3.32×107 t, and the net greenhouse effect emission reduction reached 5.86×108 t, i.e., it could sequester 0.88 t CO2e per ton of raw materials. The net greenhouse gas emission reduction of unused straw was 6.73×107 t in 2020. With the continuous harvest of grain crops in China, the potential of biochar preparation and carbon sequestration will increase yearly. Using crop straw to prepare biochar has great potential and will be one of the most effective ways to achieve carbon emission reduction in agriculture. It is suggested that government departments should pay attention to the preparation of biochar, support the field experiments of biochar application effects after applying soil on policy and funds, and then introduce relevant biochar standards to ensure the scientific application of biochar prepared by crop straw according to local conditions, so as to achieve the dual benefits of carbon emission reduction and soil remediation and yield increase.

[Removal of Cr(â ¥) via a Nickel Ferrite@Activated Carbon Composite Under Batch Experiments: Study of Characterization, Performance, and Mechanism].

A magnetic activated carbon adsorbent named NiFe2O4@AC was synthesized by modifying activated carbon with NiFe2O4 and used for the adsorption of Cr(Ⅵ) ions from waste water. The influencing factors, adsorption kinetics, and adsorption isotherms of Cr(Ⅵ) adsorption by the adsorbent were investigated. The results showed that the removal rate of Cr(Ⅵ) adsorption by NiFe2O4@AC reached 96.92%, and the adsorption amount reached 72.62 mg·g-1 at the adsorption conditions of temperature (298 K), pH 2, Cr(Ⅵ) initial concentration (150 mg·L-1), adsorbent dosage (0.1 g), and contact time (720 min). The experimental data were best described by the proposed secondary kinetics and Langmuir model, indicating that the adsorption process was a monolayer chemisorption process. The increase in temperature favored the adsorption of Cr(Ⅵ) on NiFe2O4@AC because the adsorption process was a spontaneous, heat-absorbing reaction. The adsorption mechanism of NiFe2O4@AC was mainly through complexation and electrostatic attraction to adsorb Cr(Ⅵ); meanwhile, the applied magnetic field could be separated from the solution, which has good application prospects.

ATP catabolism and bacterial succession in postmortem tissues of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) and their roles in freshness.

The seafood microbiome is highly diverse and plays an essential role in the spoilage of seafood. Nevertheless, how such a diverse microbiome influences freshness of mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) remains unclear. Here we investigated the postmortem ATP catabolism and succession of the bacterial community in the hepatopancreas and muscle of S. paramamosain using a high-performance liquid chromatography method and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Our results showed a tissue-dependent change in ATP catabolism determinized the differences in the changes of nucleotide freshness indices of hepatopancreas and muscle over postmortem time of mud crab. The muscle K value could be used as an optimal nucleotide freshness indicator for the freshness of mud crab, with a proposed threshold of 20%. From a microbiota perspective, a more significant bacterial community change was observed in the muscle than in the hepatopancreas. These changes could result in a close relationship between ATP and its catabolites and microbial taxa in the muscle. Moreover, Photobacterium, Peptostreptococcaceae, average path distance, OTU richness, and Shannon index of muscle bacterial community markedly contributed to K value. These findings suggest that the mud crab of 4 h postmortem at room temperature is still edible. Notably, the importance of microbial community composition and interaction for the spoilage of mud crab should be carefully considered.

Comparisons of Serum Interleukin-8 Levels in Major Depressive Patients With Drug-Free Versus SSRIs Versus Healthy Controls.

Objective: The interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been reported to play an important role in depression, which might be modulated by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate serum IL-8 levels, depressive symptom, and their associations in drug-free MDD patients, MDD patients with SSRIs, and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: Fifty-seven drug-free MDD patients (male/female = 35/22, mean age: 39.24 years), 30 MDD patients with SSRIs (male/female = 11/19, mean age: 39.73 years), and 101 HCs (male/female = 52/49, mean age: 37.38 years) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Serum IL-8 levels and depressive symptom were assessed using the Flow Cytometer and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). The analysis of variance was used for the comparison between groups. The relationship between serum log10 IL-8 levels and HAMD score was analyzed by Pearson correlation. Results: Serum log10IL-8 levels were lower in all patients than HCs after controlling for covariates (F = 4.86, p = 0.03). There was significant difference in serum Log10IL-8 levels among three groups after controlling for covariates (F = 14.63, p < 0.001). Serum Log10IL-8 levels in drug-free patients were lower compared to HCs (F = 19.38, p < 0.001) or patients with SSRIs (F = 21.89, p < 0.001) after controlling for covariates. However, there was not difference in serum log10IL-8 levels between patients with SSRIs and HCs after controlling for covariates. Moreover, serum Log10IL-8 levels were negatively correlated with HAMD score in all patients (r = -0.37, p = 0.02). Also, serum Log10IL-8 levels were negatively correlated with HAMD score in drug-free patients (r = -0.74, p = 0.01), but not in patients with SSRIs. Conclusion: Our data supported that the decline in serum IL-8 levels was association with depression. Moreover, the SSRIs might modulate increased serum IL-8 levels of depression.

Effect of silibinin on ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced damge of mouse primary hepatocytes in vitro.

Silibinin, one of the flavonoids isolated from milk thistle seeds of Silybum marianum, has hepatoprotective properties against toxins in clinical. However, the detailed mechanisms have remained unclear. This study investigates the underlying mechanism of silibinin in the protection against ethanol- or acetaldehyde-induced damage of neonatal mouse primary hepatocytes in vitro. The results show that ethanol inhibited proliferation of hepatocytes in a time (12, 24, 36 h) and dose-dependent (0-800 mM) manner. However, silibinin did not show protective effect on ethanol (500 mM)-induced suppression of hepatocyte proliferation. Acetaldehyde, the toxic metabolite of ethanol, appearing immediately in individuals after drink also inhibited the proliferation of hepatocytes in a dose-dependent (0-12 mM) manner. Surprisingly, silibinin significantly increased the cell viability and reduced the leakage of alanine amino transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase (AST) in acetaldehyde-treated hepatocytes, suggesting that silibinin protected cell injury caused by acetaldehyde treatment. The apoptosis-inducing effect of acetaldehyde was demonstrated by the increased number of cells in sub-G1 phase as well as caspase-3 activation. Further study shows that acetaldehyde induced autophagy in the hepatocytes. The autophagy inhibitors, 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine (CQ), further decreased the viability of cells treated with acetaldehyde, suggesting that autophagy plays a protective role against apoptosis. Consistently, silibinin (20 µM) significantly reduced the activation of caspase 3 or apoptosis and increased the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II or autophagy. Taken together, it is concluded that silibinin does not repress the ethanol- induced hepatocyte injury, whereas silibinin reduces acetaldehyde-caused hepatocyte injury through down-regulation of apoptosis and up-regulation of autophagy.

[About the mutual compensation between advantages of Chinese and Western medical subjective indices for measurement and evaluation].

Upon the background of new medical model being formed, to make measurement/evaluation with subjective indices (SIM/E) has become a new hot-spot in Western medical researches and much methodological achievements have been made, but difficulties in comprehensive evaluation and result interpretation are still encountered. SIM/E has played important guideline roles in Chinese medicine (CM) clinical practice, and since it is characterized by holism and syndrome differentiation, it showed great advantage in comprehensive evaluation and result interpretation, though further standardization is yet required. To analyze the related tools and scientific regulations of SIM/E in Western medicine, and establish the concept, domain and conceptual framework of a SIM/E system based on the CM syndrome theory should be feasible to realize the mutual compensation between advantages of the two medical sciences, and promote the progress of SIM/E.

Suppression of KIF22 Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Xenograft Tumor Growth in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Oral carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer and is a serious public health problem, and tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is the most common type of oral carcinoma. Kinesin family member 22 (KIF22), also called as kinesin-like DNA binding protein (KID), is a microtubule-based motor protein and binds to both microtubules and chromosomes, transporting organelles, protein, and mRNA. This research aimed at investigating the prognostic significance of KIF22 in TSCC. Patients and Methods. This retrospective research collected 82 paired tissues with TSCC. KIF22 protein expression level was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Suppression of KIF22 with shRNA in CAL-27 and SCC-15 cells was to observe cell proliferation in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: In TSCC tissues, the protein expression level of KIF22 was increased and correlated with tumor stage, clinical stage, and lymphatic metastasis (P=0.013, P=0.013, P=0.013. CONCLUSION: KIF22 might play an important role in the progression of TSCC and could serve as a therapeutic target for TSCC.

Large branch and leaf hydraulic safety margins in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest.

As a global biodiversity hotspot, the subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest (SEBF) in southern China is strongly influenced by the humid monsoon climate, with distinct hot-wet and cool-dry seasons. However, the hydraulic strategies of this forest are not well understood. Branch and leaf hydraulic safety margins (HSMbranch and HSMleaf, respectively), as well as seasonal changes in predawn and midday leaf water potential (Ψpd and Ψmd), stomatal conductance (Gs), leaf to sapwood area ratio (AL/AS) and turgor loss point (Ψtlp), were examined for woody species in a mature SEBF. For comparison, we compiled these traits of tropical dry forests (TDFs) and Mediterranean-type woodlands (MWs) from the literature because they experience a hot-dry season. We found that on average, SEBF showed larger HSMbranch and HSMleaf than TDF and MW. During the dry season, TDF and MW species displayed a significant decrease in Ψpd and Ψmd. However, SEBF species showed a slight decrease in Ψpd but an increase in Ψmd. Similar to TDF and MW species, Gs was substantially lower in the dry season for SEBF species, but this might be primarily because of the low atmospheric temperature (low vapor pressure deficit). On the other hand, AL/AS and Ψtlp were not significant different between seasons for any SEBF species. Most SEBF species had leaves that were more resistant to cavitation than branches. Additionally, species with stronger leaf-to-branch vulnerability segmentation tended to have smaller HSMleaf but larger HSMbranch. Our results suggest that SEBF is at low hydraulic risk under the current climate.

[Mitochondrial tRNAThr G15927A mutation may influence the phenotypic manifestation of deafness-associated 12S rRNA A1555G mutation.].

We report here the clinical and genetic evaluations as well as mutational analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in a four-generation Chinese Han family with aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss. Strikingly, this family exhibited a high penetrance and expressivity of hearing loss. The penetrances of hearing loss in this family were 75% and 41.7% respectively, when aminoglycoside-induced deafness was included or was excluded. The severity of hearing loss in matrilineal relatives varied from profound hearing loss to normal hearing. Mutational analysis of mtDNA identified the homoplasmic A1555G mutation and a distinct set of mtDNA variants belonging to the Asian haplogroup B5b. Of these, the G15927A mutation absent in 156 Chinese controls is localized at the anticodon-stem of tRNAThr at conventional position 42. The guanine at this position (G42) of tRNAThr is highly conserved from bacteria to human mitochondria. Thus, it is antici-pated that the G15927A disrupted the highly conserved C-G base-pairing at the anticodon-stem of tRNAThr. The alteration of structure of this tRNA likely leads to a failure in tRNA metabolism, thereby worsens the mitochondrial dysfunction asso-ciated with the A1555G mutation. Thus, the G15927A mutation has a potential modifying role in increasing the penetrance and expressivity of hearing loss associated with the deafness-associated 12S rRNA A1555G mutation in this Chinese pedigree.

MicroRNA-23a-5p regulates osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase-13.

The molecular mechanisms of osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) remain to be fully elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRs) serve vital roles in the process of regulating osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR­23a­5p in osteogenic differentiation of human (h)BMSCs, and the underlying molecular mechanism. The results of reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that miR­23a­5p was significantly downregulated in the process of osteogenic differentiation. Upregulation of miR­23a­5p inhibited osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, and down­regulated expression of miR­23a­5p enhanced this process, which was confirmed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin Red S staining. A dual­luciferase reporter assay confirmed that mitogen­activated protein kinase 13 (MAPK13) was a direct target of miR­23a­5p. In addition, knockdown of MAPK13 inhibited osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, similar to the effect of upregulation of miR­23a­5p. Finally, the knockdown of MAPK13 also blocked the effect of miR­23a­5p in osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, which was also confirmed by ALP and Alizarin Red S staining. These results indicated that by targeting MAPK13, miR­23a­5p serves a vital role in osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, which may provide novel clinical treatments for bone injury however, further studies are required.

[Effect of Ca-bentonite on Cu and Zn Forms in Compost and Soil, and Their Absorption by Chinese Cabbage].

Aerobic composting was conducted to evaluate the effects of the different ratios (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%) of Ca-bentonite (CB) on the speciation of Cu and Zn during pig manure composting, while pot experiment was performed to investigate the role of CB-added compost on the bio-availability of Cu and Zn to Chinese cabbage and its biomass. The results showed that the exchangeable fractions of Cu and Zn decreased, while their oxidized and residual fractions gradually increased during composting; CB addition reduced the distribution ratios of bio-available Cu and Zn in mature compost by approximately 19.84%-48.90% and 4.94%-16.39%, compared to those in the 0% CB-added treatment, and the best result was found in the 10% CB-added treatment.. Meanwhile, the pot experiment confirmed that the addition of compost considerably increased soil organic matter (OM) and electrical conductivity (EC) but decreased soil pH value. On the contrary, the application of CB effectively decreased EC and increased soil pH but inhibited OM mineralization in soil as compared to non-amended treatment. While addition of compost significantly increased plant dry biomass as compared to that with soil alone, maximum biomass was obtained[(6.51±0.34) g·pot-1] in 10% CB-added compost. After the application of CB-added compost, the contents of the bio-available factions of Cu in the harvested soil increased, while the contents of the exchangeable fractions of Zn decreased by 38.91%, 43.69%, 46.02%, 45.12%, and 54.65%, respectively. The absorption of Cu and Zn by Chinese cabbage was considerably reduced after the application of compost, while the uptake of Zn in the plant declined as the CB rates increased, and the absorption of Cu increased. The study indicated that 10% CB addition could significantly reduce the bioavailability of Cu and Zn in compost, and also showed a continuous effect on restricting the bioavailability of Zn after land utilization. Meanwhile CB amendment enhanced Chinese cabbage biomass and reduced the uptake of Zn.

Leaf turgor loss point is correlated with drought tolerance and leaf carbon economics traits.

Leaf turgor loss point (πtlp) indicates the capacity of a plant to maintain cell turgor pressure during dehydration, which has been proven to be strongly predictive of the plant response to drought. In this study, we compiled a data set of πtlp for 1752 woody plant individuals belonging to 389 species from nine major woody biomes in China, along with reduced sample size of hydraulic and leaf carbon economics data. We aimed to investigate the variation of πtlp across biomes varying in water availability. We also tested two hypotheses: (i) πtlp predicts leaf hydraulic safety margins and (ii) it is correlated with leaf carbon economics traits. Our results showed that there was a positive relationship between πtlp and aridity index: biomes from humid regions had less negative values than those from arid regions. This supports the idea that πtlp may reflect drought tolerance at the scale of woody biomes. As expected, πtlp was significantly positively correlated with leaf hydraulic safety margins that varied significantly across biomes, indicating that this trait may be useful in modelling changes of forest components in response to increasing drought. Moreover, πtlp was correlated with a suite of coordinated hydraulic and economics traits; therefore, it can be used to predict the position of a given species along the 'fast-slow' whole-plant economics spectrum. This study expands our understanding of the biological significance of πtlp not only in drought tolerance, but also in the plant economics spectrum.

[Effects of Bentonite Amendment on Detoxification, Heavy Metal Passivation and Estrone Elimination of Sewage Sludge Compost].

Sewage sludge was amended with calcium-based bentonite with addition of no more than 10% in dry weight during the 52-day aerobic composting process, the variations of temperature, pH, organic carbon, EC, total nitrogen, nitrate(NH4+-N) and ammonium(NO3--N) were investigated, as well as the compost detoxification(germination test), heavy metals(Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd) passivation and estrone(E1) elimination. The results showed that the amendment facilitated the thermophilic phase, promoted the compost heat inactivation and brought the organic carbon mineral up to more than 15.27% -19.71%. During the composting, the compost pH increased at the beginning and then gradually decreased before reaching values of 6.76-7.05, while the amendments alleviated the dramatic pH value fluctuation. The bentonite amendment reduced the salinity of the compost with final product EC remarkably lower than 1132 µS·cm-1 of the control treatment, and the effect was enhanced with the increase of addition amount. The total nitrogen content increased with time, and there was a remarkable ammonia loss in the beginning stage for the control treatment, while the bentonite addition could facilitate the total nitrogen content increase by reducing the ammonia loss. With the composting variation, the contents of NH4+-N increased and then decreased while the NO3--N content increased gradually. The bentonite addition had a slight inhibitory effect on the plant germination but did not influence the compost maturity and detoxification; meanwhile, the amendment improved the heavy metal passivation and reduced the E1 content, especially from 90.48 to 28.27 µg·kg-1 with 5% treatment during the composting. The study indicated that bentonite addition of lower than 5% was acceptable for the sludge compost amendment, which had great potential in sludge hygienization, detoxification, heavy metal passivation and E1 elimination.

[Cd(â ¡) Ion Adsorption and Sealing onto SBA-15 Mesoporous Particles and the Related Potential on Cd(â ¡) Polluted Soil Remediation].

Aiming to expand the utilization of porous silicate minerals in the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil,the mesoporous material SBA-15 was successfully synthesized by using sodium silicate as silica source in this study.And the obtained SBA-15 samples were characterized by TEM,X-ray diffraction,N2 adsorption-desorption and FTIR.Furthermore,characterization of Cd (Ⅱ) adsorption and sealing performance onto SBA-15 were evaluated through batch experiment,and the remediation potential of Cd (Ⅱ) contaminated soil was investigated by brassica planting in a pot experiment.The results showed that SBA-15 had the mesoporous structure with surface area of 507.3 m2·g-1 and pore size of 7.38 nm.The maximum Cd (Ⅱ) adsorption capacity was 76.43 mg·g-1 at pH above 7.0 with the adsorption isotherm fitting the Langmuir model in the solution of 100 mg·L-1 Cd (Ⅱ).The increase in ionic strength reduced the Cd (Ⅱ) adsorption capacity.The Cd (Ⅱ) loaded SBA-15 could be regenerated with 0.1 mol·L-1 HNO3,while Cd (Ⅱ) could be strongly sealed in the pore structure after introduction of sodium silicate into the system.The pot experiment proved that the addition of SBA-15(4.5 g·kg-1) into Cd-contaminated soil could reduce Cd (Ⅱ) availability,enhance the transformation of soluble and exchangeable Cd (Ⅱ) fractions into carbonate and Fe-Mn oxides bounded forms,inhibit the Cd (Ⅱ) accumulation in the plant tissue and improve the brassica growth.Based on these results,it can be concluded that combination of the SBA-15 particle with sodium silicate has great potential to remediate Cd (Ⅱ) contaminated soil through adsorption and sealing properties.