Correlation Between Intracoronary Vascular Ultrasound Indexes in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease.

Background: Coronary atherosclerosis is a serious and progressive condition characterized by the accumulation of plaques, consisting of fat, cholesterol, and other substances, within the arteries that supply blood to the heart. These plaques can harden and narrow the arteries, leading to reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between specific cardiovascular parameters and intracoronary vascular ultrasound indexes in patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease. This investigation aims to explore the relationships between intracoronary vascular ultrasound measurements and three key cardiovascular parameters: epicardial fat pad thickness, mono-platelet polymer levels, and small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) levels. Methods: In this investigation, we applied a comprehensive method to evaluate atherosclerotic plaque characteristics in patients with diverse stages of coronary heart disease (CHD), contrasting these profiles with those of healthy individuals. Our study included 80 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, 145 with unstable angina pectoris (UAP), 175 with stable angina pectoris (SAP), and 100 controls. We utilized intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), an advanced imaging technique that surpasses traditional angiography by providing detailed, high-resolution images of both the coronary artery lumen and wall, including plaque composition. This approach is pivotal for assessing plaque stability, a key factor in the risk of rupture and subsequent cardiovascular events, indicated by features like lipid-rich cores and thin fibrous caps. During IVUS, we quantified parameters such as plaque area, load, and the remodeling index, the latter offering insights into vascular adaptation to plaque buildup. Additionally, we conducted a correlation analysis between IVUS indices and three cardiovascular markers: epicardial fat pad thickness, monocyte-platelet aggregates, and sdLDL-C levels. The goal was to ascertain the predictive value of these markers in tandem with IVUS for determining the stability of coronary artery atherosclerotic plaques. This integrative approach enhances understanding of plaque formation and destabilization, potentially informing more effective CHD prevention and management strategies. Results: Our study revealed distinct variations in key parameters across patient groups with different forms of CHD and healthy controls. Notably, we observed significant differences in gender distribution, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus prevalence among these groups. In terms of IVUS indexes and cardiovascular parameters, the SAP group exhibited markedly different results compared to the AMI and UAP groups. Specifically, the SAP patients showed the lowest values for EMMA, plaque area, plaque burden, reconstruction index, and positive remodeling. Additionally, they exhibited the thickest fibrous caps. In contrast, the AMI and UAP groups presented similar outcomes in these aspects. Regarding the epicardial fat pad thickness, the positive rate of monocyte-platelet aggregates, and the levels of sdLDL-C, there were no significant differences between the AMI and UAP groups. However, these parameters were notably higher in the AMI and UAP groups compared to the SAP group. Crucially, we established a significant correlation between the thickness of the epicardial fat pad, the positive rate of monocyte-platelet aggregates, and the sdLDL-C levels with plaque loading rate and remodeling index. These correlations underscore the potential utility of these parameters as indicators of plaque stability and cardiovascular risk in patients with CHD. This highlights the complexity of atherosclerotic disease progression and underscores the importance of a multifaceted approach to assessing and managing CHD. Conclusion: Our research delineates the critical role of the remodeling index, epicardial fat pad thickness, monocyte-platelet aggregates, and sdLDL-C levels as key prognostic tools for assessing coronary plaque stability in coronary artery disease (CAD). These biomarkers collectively provide an enhanced perspective on plaque vulnerability, an essential aspect in the genesis of acute coronary events. Clinically, these findings are pivotal. They offer a refined approach to CAD management and risk evaluation, allowing for the precise identification of patients at increased risk of plaque rupture, a precursor to acute coronary syndromes. This precision facilitates the adoption of more individualized treatment strategies, focusing on aggressive interventions for high-risk patients and more conservative management for those with stable plaques.

Metal-phenolic capsules with ROS scavenging reshape the oxidative microenvironment of atherosclerosis.

Arterial injury makes the tissue in a state of high oxidative stress. At the same time, abnormal lipid metabolism can further lead to bleeding and thrombosis. Therefore, the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant polyphenol, EGCG was organically complexed with Fe3+ to form a metal-phenolic framework carrier. And the antihyperlipidemic drug, atorvastatin (ATV) was loaded into the carrier to enhance the bioavailability, and simultaneously alleviate the oxidative stress of the inflammatory site and abnormal lipid metabolism. The results confirmed that the obtained material EGCG-Fe-ATV had good biocompatibility and biosafety effect. In addition, EGCG-Fe-ATV showed outstanding anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and lipid-lowering properties. These therapeutic outcomes of EGCG-Fe-ATV were achieved by reducing systemic and local oxidative stress and inflammation, alleviating inflammatory cell infiltration in plaques, and modulating lipid synthesis and transferase to alter cholesterol transport. In conclusion, the combination of metal-phenolic capsules with ATV provides a new strategy for reshaping the oxidative microenvironment of atherosclerosis.

Fine-mapping and identification of a candidate gene controlling seed coat color in melon (Cucumis melo L. var. chinensis Pangalo).

KEY MESSAGE: MELO3C019554 encoding a homeobox protein (PHD transcription factor) is a candidate gene that involved in the formation of seed coat color in melon. Seed coat color is related to flavonoid content which is closely related to seed dormancy. According to the genetic analysis of a six-generation population derived from two parents (IC2508 with a yellow seed coat and IC2518 with a brown seed coat), we discovered that the yellow seed coat trait in melon is controlled by a single dominant gene, named CmBS-1. Bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-Seq) revealed that the gene is located at 11,860,000-15,890,000 bp (4.03 Mb) on Chr 6. The F2 population was genotyped using insertion-deletions (InDels), from which cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) markers were derived to construct a genetic map. The gene was then fine-mapped to a 233.98 kb region containing 12 genes. Based on gene sequence analysis with two parents, we found that the MELO3C019554 gene encoding a homeobox protein (PHD transcription factor) had a nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mutation in the coding sequence (CDS), and the SNP mutation resulted in the conversion of an amino acid (A → T) at residue 534. In addition, MELO3C019554 exhibited lower relative expression levels in the yellow seed coat than in the brown seed coat. Furthermore, we found that MELO3C019554 is related to 12 flavonoid metabolites. Thus, we predicted that MELO3C019554 is a candidate gene controlling seed coat color in melon. The study lays a foundation for further cloning projects and functional analysis of this gene, as well as marker-assisted selection breeding.

Red blood cell biomimetic nanoparticle with anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and hypolipidemia effect ameliorated atherosclerosis therapy.

A main pathogenic factor of atherosclerosis is the local oxidative stress microenvironment. Probucol (PU) has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and hypolipidemic effects, showing great potential to treat atherosclerosis. However, its low bioavailability limits its development. Herein, PU was encapsulated to form RP-PU with star-shaped polymers and red blood cell membranes. Star-shaped polymers show lower solution viscosity, a smaller hydrodynamic radius and a higher drug loading content than linear polymers. RP-PU had a good sustained-release effect and excellent biocompatibility. RP-PU can be efficiently internalized by cells to improve biodistribution. ApoE-/- mice were treated with RP-PU, and the contents of lipids and related metabolic enzymes were effectively reduced. The collagen fibers in the aortic root sections were reduced by RP-PU compared with control and PU. Moreover, RP-PU inhibited foam cell formation, decreased ICAM-1 and MCP-1 expression and delayed lesion formation. Consequently, RP-PU biomimetic nanoparticles can be developed as an anti-atherosclerotic nanotherapeutic.

Association between T-tau protein and Aß42 in plasma neuronal-derived exosomes and cognitive impairment in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation and the role of anticoagulant therapy and inflammatory mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: This study explores whether the differences in cognitive performance among individuals with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) are attributable to the duration of AF and anticoagulant therapy and explores the possible inflammatory mechanism of cognitive dysfunction related to AF. METHODS: A total of 260 patients aged 50-75 years without previous cerebrovascular events were enrolled in this study. These 260 patients had been divided into the AF group (140 patients) and sinus rhythm group (120 patients). In the AF group, we divided participants into cognitive impairment (CI) group (90 patients) and cognitive normal (CN) group (50 patients). In the sinus rhythm group, we also divided participants into CI group (61 patients) and CN group (59 patients). The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess the cognitive function of all participants. Neuronal-derived exosomes were enriched in peripheral blood by immunoprecipitation and were confirmed by a transmission electron microscope, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and western blot. Alzheimer's disease-pathogenic exosomal proteins and inflammatory cytokines were quantified. The association between AF and cognitive function was estimated by logistic regression analysis. ANOVA or Welch's t-test compared the difference in protein concentrations between groups. RESULTS: Non-anticoagulant therapy in patients with AF was significantly associated with CI (OR = 13.99, 95% CI: 2.67-73.36, p < .01). The incidence of dementia in patients with AF > 3 years was significantly higher than in patients with AF ≤ 3 years, but there was no significant difference in total cognitive dysfunction (mild cognitive impairment [MCI] + dementia) (p = .126). The adjusted exosome concentrations of T-tau and amyloid-ß protein 42 (Aß42) in the CI group were significantly higher than in the CN group (p < .001). The serum concentrations of IL-6 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in patients with AF were higher than those in patients with sinus rhythm (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Aß42 and T-tau in peripheral blood neuronal-derived exosomes maybe be associated with the early diagnosis of CI in patients with permanent AF. However, the value of Aß42 and T-tau for CI in patients with permanent AF still needs to be confirmed in future randomized control trials.

QTLs and candidate genes analyses for fruit size under domestication and differentiation in melon (Cucumis melo L.) based on high resolution maps.

BACKGROUND: Melon is a very important horticultural crop produced worldwide with high phenotypic diversity. Fruit size is among the most important domestication and differentiation traits in melon. The molecular mechanisms of fruit size in melon are largely unknown. RESULTS: Two high-density genetic maps were constructed by whole-genome resequencing with two F2 segregating populations (WAP and MAP) derived from two crosses (cultivated agrestis × wild agrestis and cultivated melo × cultivated agrestis). We obtained 1,871,671 and 1,976,589 high quality SNPs that show differences between parents in WAP and MAP. A total of 5138 and 5839 recombination events generated 954 bins in WAP and 1027 bins in MAP with the average size of 321.3 Kb and 301.4 Kb respectively. All bins were mapped onto 12 linkage groups in WAP and MAP. The total lengths of two linkage maps were 904.4 cM (WAP) and 874.5 cM (MAP), covering 86.6% and 87.4% of the melon genome. Two loci for fruit size were identified on chromosome 11 in WAP and chromosome 5 in MAP, respectively. An auxin response factor and a YABBY transcription factor were inferred to be the candidate genes for both loci. CONCLUSION: The high-resolution genetic maps and QTLs analyses for fruit size described here will provide a better understanding the genetic basis of domestication and differentiation, and provide a valuable tool for map-based cloning and molecular marker assisted breeding.

Comprehensive Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Reveals the Flavonoid Metabolic Pathway Is Associated with Fruit Peel Coloration of Melon.

The peel color is an important external quality of melon fruit. To explore the mechanisms of melon peel color formation, we performed an integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome with three different fruit peel samples (grey-green 'W', dark-green 'B', and yellow 'H'). A total of 40 differentially expressed flavonoids were identified. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that flavonoid biosynthesis was associated with the fruit peel coloration of melon. Twelve differentially expressed genes regulated flavonoids synthesis. Among them, nine (two 4CL, F3H, three F3'H, IFS, FNS, and FLS) up-regulated genes were involved in the accumulation of flavones, flavanones, flavonols, and isoflavones, and three (2 ANS and UFGT) down-regulated genes were involved in the accumulation of anthocyanins. This study laid a foundation to understand the molecular mechanisms of melon peel coloration by exploring valuable genes and metabolites.

Probing Heteroatomic Dopant-Activity Synergy over Co3O4/Doped Carbon Nanotube Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Understanding and predicting how heteroatomic dopants of carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based catalysts alter their catalytic performance at nanoscale is essential to design superior electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). This report describes findings of an investigation of the heteroatomic dopant-activity relationship for Co3O4/doped CNTs catalysts with different heteroatoms including N, O, and P atoms in ORR. By using an array of techniques to probe the structure and elementary valence of the catalysts, the incorporation of the Co3O4 nanoparticles can introduce defects into the doped CNTs, especially the N-CNTs, which should contribute to the generation of active sites. The Co3O4/N-CNTs are shown to exhibit both the highest ORR activity and stability compared with Co3O4/O-CNTs, Co3O4/P-CNTs, and Co3O4/CNTs, manifesting the synergistic correlation of Co3O4 nanoparticles, heteroatoms, and CNTs. This kind of synergy is assessed by density functional theory calculations based on the electronic properties and molecular orbitals. It is found that N, O, or P atoms can tune the charge distribution of CNTs by decreasing the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital-highest occupied molecular orbital energy gap, thus activating the adjacent C atoms. And the addition of Co3O4 will further redistribute the charge of CNTs from CNTs to Co3O4 toward enhanced ORR activity. Moreover, the Co3O4/N-CNTs catalyst exhibits a maximum structural stability due to the strong electronic interaction between Co2+ ions and N atoms, which is believed to result in its high ORR stability. Analysis of the results, along with a combined theoretical and experimental study, has provided implications for the design of catalysts with controlled activity and stability for ORR.

The phyllosphere indigenous microbiota of Brassica campestris L. change its diversity in responding to di-n-butyl phthalate pollution.

In this study, the effects of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) on the phyllosphere bacterial community of field mustard (Brassica campestris L.) at the five-leaf stage were investigated. The indigenous alpha-diversity of the phyllosphere bacteria was altered after spraying with different concentrations of DBP. Shannon diversity indices were significantly changed on day 5 after treatment at DBP concentrations > 400 mg L-1 (P > 0.05). Nevertheless, the difference between treatment and control was not significant on day 9 after DBP treatment (P > 0.05). Exposure to DBP resulted in a decrease in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, and an increase in Actinobacteria at all sampling intervals. These changes included significant increases in the relative abundance of Paracoccus and Rhodococcus, and significant decreases in that of Pseudomonas, Exiguobacterium, an unclassified genus of Pseudomonadaceae, and an unclassified genus of Enterobacteriaceae. This study provides new evidence for the possibility of using phyllosphere microbiota to remediate DBP contamination.

Transcriptome Analysis of Early Lateral Root Formation in Tomato.

Lateral roots (LRs) receive signals from the inter-root environment and absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Auxin regulates LR formation, but the mechanism in tomato remains largely unknown. In this study, 'Ailsa Craig' tomato LRs appeared on the third day and were unevenly distributed in primary roots. According to the location of LR occurrence, roots were divided into three equal parts: the shootward part of the root (RB), the middle part of the root (RM), and the tip part of the root (RT). Transverse sections of roots from days 1 to 6 revealed that the number of RB cells and the root diameter were significantly increased compared with RM and RT. Using roots from days 1 to 3, we carried out transcriptome sequencing analysis. Identified genes were classified into 16 co-expression clusters based on K-means, and genes in four associated clusters were highly expressed in RB. These four clusters (3, 5, 8, and 16) were enriched in cellulose metabolism, microtubule, and peptide metabolism pathways, all closely related to LR development. The four clusters contain numerous transcription factors linked to LR development including transcription factors of LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDRIES (LOB) and MADS-box families. Additionally, auxin-related genes GATA23, ARF7, LBD16, EXP, IAA4, IAA7, PIN1, PIN2, YUC3, and YUC4 were highly expressed in RB tissue. Free IAA content in 3 d RB was notably higher, reaching 3.3-5.5 ng/g, relative to RB in 1 d and 2 d. The LR number was promoted by 0.1 µM of exogenous IAA and inhibited by exogenous NPA. We analyzed the root cell state and auxin signaling module during LR formation. At a certain stage of pericycle cell development, LR initiation is regulated by auxin signaling modules IAA14-ARF7/ARF19-LBD16-CDKA1 and IAA14-ARF7/ARF19-MUS/MUL-XTR6/EXP. Furthermore, as a key regulatory factor, auxin regulates the process of LR initiation and LR primordia (LRP) through different auxin signaling pathway modules.

Novel Superhydrophobic Copper Mesh-Based Centrifugal Device for Edible Oil-Water Separation.

Edible oil is essential for people's daily life but also results in a large amount of oily wastewater simultaneously. Oil-water separation is a practical route that can not only purify wastewater but also recycle valuable edible oil. In this study, the superhydrophobic copper mesh (SCM) was prepared by chemical etching, and a novel oil-water centrifugal device was designed for high-efficiency separation of edible oil wastewater. The kernel is a self-prepared SCM, which has a water contact angle (WCA) of 155.1 ± 1.8° and an oil contact angle (OCA) of 0°. Besides, the separation performance of the SCM for edible oil-water mixtures was studied in this study. The results showed that the SCM exhibited excellent oil/water separation performance, with a separation efficiency of up to 96.7% for sunflower seed oil-water wastewater, 93.3% for corn oil-water wastewater, and 98.3% for peanut oil-water wastewater, respectively. Moreover, the separation efficiency was still over 90% after 18 cycles. A model was established to analyze the oil-water separation mechanism via centrifugation. The oil-water centrifugal separation device has great potential for scale-up applications.

Association of Graft Maturity on MRI With Return to Sports at 9 Months After Primary Single-Bundle ACL Reconstruction With Autologous Hamstring Graft.

Background: The relationship between graft maturity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and return to sports (RTS) after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is unclear. Purpose: To compare signal-to-noise quotient (SNQ) values and ACL graft T2* (gradient echo) values between patients who did RTS and those who did not RTS (NRTS) after ACL reconstruction and to evaluate the predictive value of T2* mapping for RTS after ACL reconstruction. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: At a minimum of 9 months after arthroscopic single-bundle ACL reconstruction with autologous hamstring tendon graft, 82 patients underwent RTS assessment as well as MRI evaluation. The patients were classified into RTS (n = 53) and NRTS (n = 29) groups based on the results of the assessment. The SNQ values in the proximal, middle, and distal regions of the graft and the T2* values of the graft were measured on MRI. The correlation between T2* values and RTS was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to compare the diagnostic performance, and the optimal T2* cutoff value for detecting RTS was determined based on the maximum Youden index. Results: At 9 months after ACL reconstruction, the proximal, middle, and mean SNQ values in the RTS group were significantly lower than those in the NRTS group (proximal: 17.15 ± 4.85 vs 19.55 ± 5.05, P = .038; middle: 13.45 ± 5.15 vs. 17.75 ± 5.75, P = .001; mean: 12.37 ± 2.74 vs 15.07 ± 3.32, P < .001). The T2* values were lower in the RTS group (14.92 ± 2.28 vs 17.69 ± 2.48; P < .001) and were correlated with RTS (r = -0.41; P = .02). The area under the curve of T2* was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75-0.83), and the optimal cutoff value for T2* was 16.65, with a sensitivity and specificity for predicting failure to RTS of 67.9% and 88.2%, respectively. Conclusion: Study findings indicated that the SNQs (mean, proximal, and middle) and the T2* values of the graft in the RTS group were significantly lower than those in NRTS group. A T2* value of 16.65 was calculated to predict patients who failed RTS tests with a sensitivity of 67.9% and specificity of 88.2%.

The effect of dapagliflozin on anemia in elderly patients with heart failure by bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Anemia associated with heart failure is frequent and can exacerbate the symptoms of heart failure. Dapagliflozin is the first SGLT-2 inhibitor with significant cardiovascular protection. However, the effect of dapagliflozin on anemia in elderly patients with heart failure is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to study the effect of dapagliflozin on anemia in elderly patients with heart failure by bioinformatics analysis. METHODS: The target genes were determined, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and modules were constructed. The dapagliflozin-targets network in anemia and heart failure was constructed. Molecular docking experiments between dapagliflozin and its key target AKT1 were performed. RESULTS: We found 1 dapagliflozin related target gene and 2 disease related genes. Totally, 134 target genes of dapagliflozin on anemia in elderly patients with heart failure were determined. The pathways may involve lipid and atherosclerosis, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, hepatitis B, insulin signaling pathway, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, neurotrophin signaling pathway, insulin resistance, toxoplasmosis, colorectal cancer, and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance. The hub genes in network were AKT1, TP53, GAPDH, TNF, CASP3, EGFR, and MAPK3. The structure of dapagliflozin and AKT1 molecular docking was exhibited. CONCLUSIONS: The hub genes in network were AKT1, TP53, GAPDH, TNF, CASP3, EGFR, and MAPK3. The structure of dapagliflozin and AKT1 molecular docking was exhibited.

One-step and label-free ratiometric fluorescence assay for the detection of plasma exosome towards cancer diagnosis.

Exosomes are closely associated with tumor development and are regarded as viable biomarkers for cancer. Here, a ratiometric fluorescence method was proposed for the one-step and label-free detection of plasma exosomes. A bicolor streptavidin magnetic beads were specifically created with an immobilized Cy5-labeled hairpin aptamer for CD63 (Cy5-Apt) on its surface to identify exosome, and a green color SYBR Green I (SGI) embedded in the stem of Cy5-Apt to respond to exosomes. After exosome capture, the Cy5-Apt could undergo a conformational shift and release the encapsulated SGI, allowing exosome measurement based on the fluorescence ratio of Cy5 and SGI. The enrichment, separation and detection of exosomes in proposed method could be completed in one step (30 min), which is a significant improvement over previous method. Furthermore, the use of ratiometric fluorescence and magnetic separation allows for exosome enrichment and interference elimination from complex matrices, improving accuracy and sensitivity. Particularly, the assay could detect exosomes in plasma and has potential to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy volunteers with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.85. Besides, the study provided an efficient method for analyzing the various divisions of exosomes by merely modifying the aptamer, which holds great promise for point-of-care applications.

Prognostic effect of atrial fibrillation on survival in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the prognostic impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: The Chinese and English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database were systematically searched to include observational studies on the prognosis of AF in cardiovascular events or death in patients with HCM; these were evaluated using Revman 5.3. RESULTS: After systematic search and screening, a total of 11 studies with a high study quality were included in this study. Meta-analysis showed that patients with HCM accompanied by AF had a higher risk of all-cause death (odds ratio [OR] = 2.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.18-3.47; P < 0.001), heart-related death (OR = 2.62; 95%CI: 2.02-3.40; P < 0.001), sudden cardiac death (OR = 7.09; 95%CI: 5.77-8.70; P < 0.001), heart-failure-related death (OR = 2.04; 95%CI: 1.24-3.36; P = 0.005), and stroke death (OR = 17.05; 95%CI: 6.99-41.58; P < 0.001) compared with patients with HCM without AF. CONCLUSION: Atrial fibrillation is a risk factor for adverse survival outcomes in patients with HCM, and aggressive interventions are needed in this population to avoid the occurrence of adverse outcomes.

The roles of microRNAs in horticultural plant disease resistance.

The development of the horticultural industry is largely limited by disease and excessive pesticide application. MicroRNAs constitute a major portion of the transcriptomes of eukaryotes. Various microRNAs have been recognized as important regulators of the expression of genes involved in essential biological processes throughout the whole life cycle of plants. Recently, small RNA sequencing has been applied to study gene regulation in horticultural plants. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the biogenesis and contributions of microRNAs in horticultural plant disease resistance. These microRNAs may potentially be used as genetic resources for improving disease resistance and for molecular breeding. The challenges in understanding horticultural plant microRNA biology and the possibilities to make better use of these horticultural plant gene resources in the future are discussed in this review.

Highly sensitive H2O2-scavenging nano-bionic system for precise treatment of atherosclerosis.

In atherosclerosis, chronic inflammatory processes in local diseased areas may lead to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we devised a highly sensitive H2O2-scavenging nano-bionic system loaded with probucol (RPP-PU), to treat atherosclerosis more effectively. The RPP material had high sensitivity to H2O2, and the response sensitivity could be reduced from 40 to 10 µmol/L which was close to the lowest concentration of H2O2 levels of the pathological environment. RPP-PU delayed the release and prolonged the duration of PU in vivo. In Apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE‒/‒) mice, RPP-PU effectively eliminated pathological ROS, reduced the level of lipids and related metabolic enzymes, and significantly decreased the area of vascular plaques and fibers. Our study demonstrated that the H2O2-scavenging nano-bionic system could scavenge the abundant ROS in the atherosclerosis lesion, thereby reducing the oxidative stress for treating atherosclerosis and thus achieve the therapeutic goals with atherosclerosis more desirably.

Magnetic-nanowaxberry-based microfluidic ExoSIC for affinity and continuous separation of circulating exosomes towards cancer diagnosis.

Exosomes are seen as promising biomarkers for minimally invasive liquid biopsies and disease surveillance. However, the complexity of body fluids, inherent heterogeneity, and tiny size of exosomes impede their extraction, consequently restricting their clinical application. In this study, in order to efficiently isolate exosomes from clinical samples, an irregular serpentine channel microfluidic chip (ExoSIC) was designed to continuously separate exosomes from plasma based on a magnetic-nanowaxberry (MNWB). In the ExoSIC, irregular serpentine microchannels are utilized to increase fluid chaotic mixing, hence improving exosome capture efficiency. In comparison to commonly used spherical magnetic particles, the designed MNWB can not only enhance the capture efficiency of exosomes, but also possess a size-exclusion effect to improve exosome purity. Consequently, the ExoSIC exhibited a large yield (24 times higher than differential centrifugation), optimum purity (greater than precipitation and similar to differential centrifugation), and high specificity. Furthermore, the ExoSIC was utilized for plasma-based cancer diagnosis by multiplex monitoring of five exosomal biomarkers (exosomal concentration, EGFR, EpCAM, SAA1 and FV), and the AUC reached 0.791. This work provides a comprehensive framework for exosome-based cancer diagnostics in order to meet clinical requirements for exosome isolation and downstream analysis.

The Role of Mental Health and Sustainable Learning Behavior of Students in Education Sector Influences Sustainable Environment.

Mental health has been declared as the essential component of overall human wellbeing. However, there has been a very steep rate of depression and anxiety in students that exhibit their social and personal burdens. It has been widely accepted that the wellbeing and mental health of individuals are a mix of psychological, genetic, social, lifestyle factors, and environmental exposure. Due to the pandemic, the shift from traditional classroom learning to e-learning has also disturbed the mental health of students, which consequently affects environmental stability. The current study has also measured the effect on the mental health of e-learning behaviors (psychological motivation, peer collaboration, cognitive problem-solving, interaction with the instructor, community support, and learning management). The population of the study was the undergraduate students enrolled in the colleges of China, and they were chosen via convenient sampling. The findings of the study show that mental health has a significant positive effect on the e-learning behavior of the students and consequently affects environmental sustainability. Educational institutions are improving their e-learning programs by understanding the preferences and challenges of students regarding online learning. Educational institutions should revise their policies on online education and teaching methodologies. Furthermore, the current study has taken undergraduate students as the sample. In future studies, these relationships can be checked in higher education as well.

Evaluation of ABC Bleeding Score and SAMe-TT2R2 Score on the Risk of Bleeding after Anticoagulation in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Complicated with Coronary Heart Disease.

Objective: To explore the predictive value of ABC bleeding score and SAMe-TT2R2 score on the risk of bleeding in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) complicated with coronary heart disease (CHD) after anticoagulation. Methods: 149 patients with NVAF complicated with CHD were followed up in our hospital for one year. The bleeding events during the follow-up period were observed, the ABC bleeding score and SAMe-TT2R2 score were calculated, the predictive value of the two scoring methods for the main bleeding risk was analyzed by the ROC curve, and the AUC area under the ROC curve of the two scoring methods was compared by the Delong test. Results: There were 32 bleeding events during the follow-up period. The AUC of ABC bleeding score and SAMe-TT2R2 score were 0.775 (P < 0.01) and 0.624 (P < 0.05), respectively. The Delong test showed that the AUC of ABC bleeding score was significantly higher than that of SAMe-TT2R2 score (d = 2.177, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Both the ABC bleeding score and SAMe-TT2R2 score can predict the risk of bleeding after anticoagulation in patients with NVAF and CHD. The critical value of the SAMe-TT2R2 score for predicting bleeding events in patients with NVAF and CHD may need to be increased to 4 or 5, and the prediction ability of ABC bleeding score is significantly better than that of the SAMe-TT2R2 score.