Endothelial Heterogeneity in the Response to Autophagy Drives Small Vessel Muscularization in Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis and proliferation of apoptosis-resistant cells is a hallmark of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Yet, why some ECs die and others proliferate and how this contributes to vascular remodeling is unclear. We hypothesized that this differential response may: (1) relate to different EC subsets, namely pulmonary artery (PAECs) versus microvascular ECs (MVECs); (2) be attributable to autophagic activation in both EC subtypes; and (3) cause replacement of MVECs by PAECs with subsequent distal vessel muscularization. METHODS: EC subset responses to chronic hypoxia were assessed by single-cell RNA sequencing of murine lungs. Proliferative versus apoptotic responses, activation, and role of autophagy were assessed in human and rat PAECs and MVECs, and in precision-cut lung slices of wild-type mice or mice with endothelial deficiency in the autophagy-related gene 7 (Atg7EN-KO). Abundance of PAECs versus MVECs in precapillary microvessels was assessed in lung tissue from patients with PH and animal models on the basis of structural or surface markers. RESULTS: In vitro and in vivo, PAECs proliferated in response to hypoxia, whereas MVECs underwent apoptosis. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses support these findings in that hypoxia induced an antiapoptotic, proliferative phenotype in arterial ECs, whereas capillary ECs showed a propensity for cell death. These distinct responses were prevented in hypoxic Atg7EN-KO mice or after ATG7 silencing, yet replicated by autophagy stimulation. In lung tissue from mice, rats, or patients with PH, the abundance of PAECs in precapillary arterioles was increased, and that of MVECs reduced relative to controls, indicating replacement of microvascular by macrovascular ECs. EC replacement was prevented by genetic or pharmacological inhibition of autophagy in vivo. Conditioned medium from hypoxic PAECs yet not MVECs promoted pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration in a platelet-derived growth factor-dependent manner. Autophagy inhibition attenuated PH development and distal vessel muscularization in preclinical models. CONCLUSIONS: Autophagic activation by hypoxia induces in parallel PAEC proliferation and MVEC apoptosis. These differential responses cause a progressive replacement of MVECs by PAECs in precapillary pulmonary arterioles, thus providing a macrovascular context that in turn promotes pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, ultimately driving distal vessel muscularization and the development of PH.

Correlation between blood inflammatory indices and carotid intima-media thickness in the middle-aged and elderly adults.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the correlations between carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and systemic immune inflammation index (SII), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) ratio. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study enrolling a total of 582 middle-aged and elderly patients. The correlations between SII, PLR, and NLR with IMT were assessed using logistic regression models, which were subsequently incorporated into the underlying models with traditional risk factors and their predictive values for IMT. RESULTS: NLR exhibited a significant correlation with IMT in the simple regression analysis (ß = 0.01, 95 %CI= 0.00-0.02, p < 0.05). After controlling for potential confounding variables in the multivariate analysis, the association between NLR and both Maximum IMT [ß = 0.04, 95 %CI = 0.02-0.07, p = 0.0006] and Mean IMT [ß = 0.05, 95 %CI = 0.02-0.07, p = 0.0001] remained statistically significant. Additionally, PLR was found to be a significant independent predictor of Maximum IMT [ß = 0.04, 95 % CI =0.00-0.07, p = 0.0242] and Mean IMT [ß = 0.04, 95 % CI = 0.01-0.07, p = 0.0061]. Similarly, SII was identified as an independent predictor of Maximum IMT [ß = 1.87, 95 % CI =1.24, p = 0.0003]. The study found a significant positive correlation between Maximum IMT and the levels NLR, PLR, and SII. Specifically, in the Maximum IMT group, higher quartiles of NLR, PLR, and SII were associated with increased odds ratios (OR) for elevated IMT levels, with statistically significant results for NLR (Q4vsQ1: OR 3.87, 95 % CI 1.81-8.29), PLR (Q4vsQ1: OR 2.84, 95 % CI 1.36-5.95), and SII (Q4vsQ1: OR 2.64, 95 % CI 1.30-5.37). Finally, the inclusion of NLR, PLR, and NLR+PLR+SII in the initial model with traditional risk factors resulted in a marginal improvement in the predictive ability for Maximum IMT, as evidenced by the net reclassification index (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study discovered a positive correlation between SII, PLR, NLR, and IMT, which are likely to emerge as new predictors for IMT thickening. These findings lay a theoretical reference for future predictive research and pathophysiological research on carotid intima-media thickening.

ZmNAC17 Regulates Mesocotyl Elongation by Mediating Auxin and ROS Biosynthetic Pathways in Maize.

The mesocotyl is of great significance in seedling emergence and in responding to biotic and abiotic stress in maize. The NAM, ATAF, and CUC2 (NAC) transcription factor family plays an important role in maize growth and development; however, its function in the elongation of the maize mesocotyl is still unclear. In this study, we found that the mesocotyl length in zmnac17 loss-of-function mutants was lower than that in the B73 wild type. By using transcriptomic sequencing technology, we identified 444 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between zmnac17-1 and B73, which were mainly enriched in the "tryptophan metabolism" and "antioxidant activity" pathways. Compared with the control, the zmnac17-1 mutants exhibited a decrease in the content of indole acetic acid (IAA) and an increase in the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our results provide preliminary evidence that ZmNAC17 regulates the elongation of the maize mesocotyl.

Differential responses of soil phosphorus fractions to varied nitrogen compound additions in a meadow steppe.

Nitrogen (N) addition can greatly influence soil inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and organic phosphorus (Po) transformations. However, whether and how the N compound forms may differentially affect the soil P fractions remain unclear. Here, we investigated the responses of soil Pi (labile Pi, moderately-occluded Pi, and recalcitrant Pi) and Po fractions (labile Po and stable Po) to varying addition rates of three N compounds ((NH4)2SO4, NH4NO3, and urea) in a meadow steppe in northern China. Our studies revealed that with increasing N addition rate, soil labile and moderately-occluded Pi increased, accompanied by decreases in soil recalcitrant Pi. This shift was attributed to N-induced soil acidification, which accelerated the conversion of recalcitrant Pi into labile and moderately-occluded Pi. Soil labile Po decreased with increasing rate of N addition, whilst soil stable Po was not affected. Regardless of the compound forms, N addition increased soil Olsen-P, suggesting a potential alleviation of P limitation in this grassland ecosystem. The effect of N addition on soil labile Pi was significantly greater with addition of urea than with addition of either (NH4)2SO4 or NH4NO3, indicating that urea was more efficient in enhancing soil P availability. Addition of (NH4)2SO4 imposed a more pronounced positive effect on soil moderately-occluded Pi than the addition of either NH4NO3 or urea, mainly due to the greater mobilization of recalcitrant Pi as a result of higher soil acidification strength of (NH4)2SO4. These findings underscore the importance of considering the distinct effects of different N compounds when studying grassland soil P dynamics and availability in response to N addition.

Tuning the CO2 Hydrogenation Selectivity of Rhodium Single-Atom Catalysts on Zirconium Dioxide with Alkali Ions.

Tuning the coordination environments of metal single atoms (M1 ) in single-atom catalysts has shown large impacts on catalytic activity and stability but often barely on selectivity in thermocatalysis. Here, we report that simultaneously regulating both Rh1 atoms and ZrO2 support with alkali ions (e.g., Na) enables efficient switching of the reaction products from nearly 100 % CH4 to above 99 % CO in CO2 hydrogenation in a wide temperature range (240-440 °C) along with a record high activity of 9.4 molCO gRh -1 h-1 at 300 °C and long-term stability. In situ spectroscopic characterization and theoretical calculations unveil that alkali ions on ZrO2 change the surface intermediate from formate to carboxy species during CO2 activation, thus leading to exclusive CO formation. Meanwhile, alkali ions also reinforce the electronic Rh1 -support interactions, endowing the Rh1 atoms more electron deficient, which improves the stability against sintering and inhibits deep hydrogenation of CO to CH4 .

Highly stable and recoverable humidity sensor using fluorescent quantum dot film.

Fluorescent sensors are resistant to electromagnetic interference and are electrically insulated, allowing for highly accurate measurements. Quantum dots (QDs) serve as outstanding sensing materials owing to the unique optical properties such as tunable photoluminescence (PL), excellent visible light activity, and high chemical and physical stability. In this paper, we develop an optical humidity sensor based on a QDs nanocomposite film. The film is made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), SiO2 microsphere (SM), and QDs through the layer-by-layer self-assembly method. The mechanism of humidity detection is moisture-induced quenching of the QDs fluorescence intensity. The results reveal that our sensor shows a good linear response to relative humidity in the range of 5% to 97%, a fast response-recovery time of 25 s and 20 s, and good repeatability for more than 50 cycles as well as high stability for over 180 days. Possessing the remarkable property, optical humidity sensors are envisaged for great potential applications in environmental monitoring.

Induction of Apoptosis via Inactivating PI3K/AKT Pathway in Colorectal Cancer Cells Using Aged Chinese Hakka Stir-Fried Green Tea Extract.

Food extract supplements, with high functional activity and low side effects, play a recognized role in the adjunctive therapy of human colorectal cancer. The present study reported a new functional beverage, which is a type of Chinese Hakka stir-fried green tea (HSGT) aged for several years. The extracts of the lyophilized powder of five HSGT samples with different aging periods were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography. The major components of the extract were found to include polyphenols, catechins, amino acids, catechins, gallic acid and caffeine. The tea extracts were also investigated for their therapeutic activity against human colorectal cancer cells, HT-29, an epithelial cell isolated from the primary tumor. The effect of different aging time of the tea on the anticancer potency was compared. Our results showed that, at the cellular level, all the extracts of the aged teas significantly inhibited the proliferation of HT-29 in a concentration-dependent manner. In particular, two samples prepared in 2015 (15Y, aged for 6 years) and 2019 (19Y, aged for 2 years) exhibited the highest inhibition rate for 48 h treatment (cell viability was 50% at 0.2 mg/mL). Further, all the aged tea extracts examined were able to enhance the apoptosis of HT-29 cells (apoptosis rate > 25%) and block the transition of G1/S phase (cell-cycle distribution (CSD) from <20% to >30%) population to G2/M phase (CSD from nearly 30% to nearly 10%) at 0.2 mg/mL for 24 h or 48 h. Western blotting results also showed that the tea extracts inhibited cyclin-dependent kinases 2/4 (CDK2, CDK4) and CylinB1 protein expression, as well as increased poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PRAP) expression and Bcl2-associated X (Bax)/B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2) ratio. In addition, an upstream signal of one of the above proteins, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signalling, was found to be involved in the regulation, as evidenced by the inhibition of phosphorylated PI3K and AKT by the extracts of the aged tea. Therefore, our study reveals that traditional Chinese aged tea (HSGT) may inhibit colon cancer cell proliferation, cell-cycle progression and promoted apoptosis of colon cancer cells by inactivating PI3K/AKT signalling.

Assessment of heavy metals contamination and water quality characterization in the Nanming River, Guizhou Province.

The analysis to assess the water quality and potential ecological risks in sediments was carried out by means of the distribution characteristics of nutrient properties and heavy metals in water, and heavy metals in sediments from the Nanming River. The results from nutrient properties demonstrated that the majority of TN and TP exceeded the permissible limit and concentrated within the study area. The concentrations of heavy metal in water were lower than the permissible limits but may pose potential threat to aquatic ecosystems. Based on the potential ecological risk results of heavy metals in sediments, Cd posed risk to ecological environment, and the serious contaminations mainly existed in the center of Guiyang City. The multivariate statistical analyses were used to support the idea that the Upstream Area and Midstream Area were significantly dominated by NH4+, TP, TN and CODMn in water. Furthermore, landscape characteristics and hydrology condition better explained the certain trend of water quality. Finally, identifying relationship between nutrient properties and heavy metals that are key ecological components of ecosystem can potentially aid the advances for restoration of geochemical transformations and give rise to river restoration efforts.

Molecular cloning.

Transcription factor c-Jun is a member of AP-1 transcription complex that can be induced by various pathogens and plays a broad regulatory role in vertebrate immune response. In this study, the complete c-Jun cDNA of large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea (Lcc-Jun) was cloned, whose open reading frame (ORF) is 984 bp long and encodes a protein of 327 amino acids (aa). The deduced Lcc-Jun protein contains three highly conserved domains, a transactivation domain (TAD, Met1-His118), a DNA binding domain (DBD, Lys218-Arg243), and a Leucine zipper domain (LZD, Leu271-Leu299), as found in other specie c-Jun. Lcc-Jun was constitutively expressed in all examined tissues, with the higher levels in blood, heart, and head kidney. Its transcripts were not only induced in spleen and head kidney by poly (I: C) or LPS, but also up-regulated in primary head kidney leukocytes (PKL), macrophages (PKM), and granulocytes (PKG), suggesting that Lcc-Jun may be involved in immune responses induced by poly (I: C), a viral mimic, and LPS, a Gram-negative bacterial component. Overexpression of Lcc-Jun in PKL increased the expression of cytokines and transcription factors involved in T helper 1 (Th1: TNF-α, IFN-γ, and T-bet) and Th2 (IL-4/13 A/B, IL-6, and GATA3) cell development and differentiation, suggesting that Lcc-Jun may play a role in regulation of Th1/Th2 cell response. These results therefore led us to suggest that the c-Jun-mediated signaling pathways may have an important immune-modulatory function in teleost fish.

Identification and bioactivity of a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor a homologue from large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea).

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) is a growth factor that drives the proliferation and differentiation of granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages. Currently, two copies of GCSF, named GCSFa and GCSFb, have been identified in teleost fish, but data on the functions and signal pathways of these fish GCSFs are still limited. In the present study, a GCSFa homologue (LcGCSFa) was identified from large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). The open reading frame (ORF) of LcGCSFa is 636 bp long and encodes a protein of 211 amino acids (aa), with a 19-aa signal peptide and a typical IL-6 domain, conserved in fish GCSF sequences. The phylogenetic analysis showed that LcGCSFa clustered with other fish GCSFa homologues. LcGCSFa was constitutively expressed in all tissues tested and significantly up-regulated in head kidney and spleen by Vibrio alginolyticus or poly(I:C). LcGCSFa transcripts were also detected in primary head kidney leucocytes (PKL), primary head kidney macrophages (PKM), and primary head kidney granulocytes (PKG), and significantly up-regulated in PKL and PKG by LPS or poly(I:C). These data indicated that LcGCSFa may be involved in the immune responses induced by bacterium and virus. The recombinant LcGCSFa protein (rLcGCSFa) produced in Pichia pastoris promoted the proliferation of PKL both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, rLcGCSFa significantly increased both transcription and phosphorylation levels of the signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins (LcSTAT3 and LcSTAT5) in PKL, which are required for the GCSF-dependent proliferation. These results showed that LcGCSFa may promote the proliferation of PKL via the activation of LcSTAT3 and LcSTAT5, suggesting a conserved role across vertebrate GCSFs.

A combination of Citrus reticulata peel and black tea inhibits migration and invasion of liver cancer via PI3K/AKT and MMPs signaling pathway.

Liver cancer, one of the most common malignancies, is the second leading cause of cancer death in the world. The citrus reticulate peel and black tea have been studied for their beneficial health effects. In spite of the many studies have been reported, the underlying molecular mechanisms underlying its health benefits are still not fully understood. In present study, we developed a unique citrus reticulate peel black tea (CRPBT) by combined citrus reticulate peel and black tea and assessed its active ingredients, anti-oxidant and anti-liver cancer effects in vitro. The results suggested that CRPBT exhibited antioxidant capacity and effectively inhibited proliferation and migration of liver cancer cells in a dose- and time- dependent manner. Mechanistically, CRPBT significantly down-regulated phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT, and up-regulated the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, and suppressed the expression of MMP2/9, N-cadherin and Vimetin proteins in liver cancer cells. Taken together, CRPBT has good effect on inhibiting migration, invasion, proliferation, and inducing apoptosis in liver cancer cells.

Profiling of differentially expressed circular RNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Alzheimer's disease patients.

Expression of circular RNA (circRNA), a class of noncoding RNAs that regulates gene expression, is altered in Alzheimer's disease. This study profiled differentially expressed circRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from five patients with Alzheimer's disease compared to healthy controls using circRNA microarrays. We identified a total of 4060 differentially expressed circRNAs (1990 upregulated and 2070 downregulated) in Alzheimer's disease patients. Among these circRNAs, 10 randomly selected circRNAs were verified using qRT-PCR. The top 10 upregulated and downregulated circRNAs were used to predict their target miRNAs. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses revealed that these differentially expressed circRNAs were strongly associated with inflammation, metabolism, and immune responses, which are all risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was most involved in the MAPK, mTOR, AMPK, and WNT signaling pathways in Alzheimer's disease. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated the importance of circRNAs in Alzheimer's disease development. Future studies will evaluate some of these circRNAs as biomarkers for early disease detection and to develop therapeutic strategies to clinically control Alzheimer's disease progression.

Preventative and Therapeutic Potential of Flavonoids in Peptic Ulcers.

Peptic ulcer disease is a common gastrointestinal tract disorder that affects up to 20% of the population of the world. Treatment of peptic ulcer remains challenging due to the limited effectiveness and severe side effects of the currently available drugs. Hence, natural compounds, owing to their medicinal, ecological, and other safe properties, are becoming popular potential candidates in preventing and treating peptic ulcers. Flavonoids, the most abundant polyphenols in plants, exhibit gastroprotective effects against peptic ulcer both in vivo and in vitro. In this review, we summarized the anti-ulcer functions and mechanisms, and also the bioavailability, efficacy, and safety, of flavonoid monomers in the gastrointestinal tract. Flavonoids exerted cytoprotective and rehabilitative effects by not only strengthening defense factors, such as mucus and prostaglandins, but also protecting against potentially harmful factors via their antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. Although controlled clinical studies are limited at present, flavonoids have shown a promising preventable and therapeutic potential in peptic ulcers.

Glial Plasticity in the Trigeminal Root Entry Zone of a Rat Trigeminal Neuralgia Animal Model.

The trigeminal root entry zone (TREZ) is the transitional zone of central and peripheral tissue compartments in the trigeminal root. Microvascular compression on the TREZ is the main etiology of most idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients. However, the pathogenesis of TN is still uncertain. To investigate the glial plasticity changes in oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, astrocytes and microglia/macrophages in the TREZ in TN, immunohistochemical staining and Western blot methods were performed in rats with TN induced by compression injury. The results showed that mechanical compression injury in the trigeminal nerve of the TN rats induced glial plasticity in the TREZ, which dynamically changed the glial interface of the CNS-PNS transitional zone. Additionally, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunoreactive astrocyte processes significantly proliferated and extended distally from the central region to the peripheral side of the TREZ after nerve compression injury in the TN group. Moreover, the expression of p75 in Schwann cells was upregulated on the peripheral side of the TREZ, and activated Iba-1-immunoreactive microglia/macrophages were observed on both sides of the TREZ. A significantly higher number of Schwann cells, astrocytes and microglia/macrophages were found in the TN group than in the sham operation group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, mechanical compression injury in the TN rats activated various glial cells, including oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, Schwann cells and microglia/macrophages, in the CNS-PNS transitional zone of TREZ. Changes in glial cell plasticity in the TREZ after compression injury might be involved in TN pathogenesis.

Identification and bioactivity of a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor b homologue from large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea).

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a key role in regulation of hematopoiesis, innate and adaptive immune responses in mammals. However, bioactivity of GCSF in teleost fish remains largely unknown. In this study, a GCSFb homologue from large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) (LcGCSFb) was cloned by RACE-PCR techniques. The open reading frame (ORF) of LcGCSFb is 603 bp long and encoded a protein precursor of 200 amino acids (aa), with a 19-aa signal peptide and a 181-aa mature peptide. In healthy fish, the LcGCSFb was constitutively expressed in all examined tissues, with the highest levels in mucous tissues, such as gills, intestine, and stomach. Its transcripts in head kidney, spleen, gills, intestine and stomach were significantly induced by Vibrio alginolyticus challenge. LcGCSFb transcripts were also detected in primary head kidney leukocytes (PKL), primary head kidney macrophages (PKM), primary head kidney granulocytes (PKG) and head kidney cell line (LYCK), and markedly upregulated by inactivated V. alginolyticus. These data suggested that LcGCSFb may play a role in immune response against bacterial infection. In vivo administration of recombinant LcGCSFb protein (rLcGCSFb) significantly upregulated the expression levels of the inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNFα), and transcription factor C/EBPß, which is required for proliferation of neutrophils. Furthermore, rLcGCSFb showed an ability to strengthen the phagocytosis of PKL in vitro. Taken together, LcGCSFb may be involved in antibacterial immunity via promoting the inflammatory response and the phagocytic activity of leukocytes. To our knowledge, this is the first report on immunoregulatory roles of GCSF in teleost.

Development of monoclonal antibody against IgM of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) and characterization of IgM+ B cells.

In the present study, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against large yellow croaker IgM was produced by immunizing mice with purified large yellow croaker serum IgM. Western blotting showed that this mAb could specifically react with the heavy chain of large yellow croaker serum IgM. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) analysis suggested that the resulting mouse anti-IgM mAb could recognize membrane-bound IgM (mIgM) molecules of large yellow croaker. This mouse anti-IgM mAb also can be used for sorting of large yellow croaker IgM+ B cells through the magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) method, which was further confirmed by RT-PCR analysis of specific marker genes for B cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the percentages of IgM+ B cells in head kidney, spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes were 29.00 ±â€¯1.58%, 33.00 ±â€¯1.64%, and 16.50 ±â€¯2.39%, respectively. Additionally, the phagocytosis rates of IgM+ B cells for 0.5 µm beads in head kidney, spleen and peripheral blood were calculated to be 7.56 ±â€¯0.58%, 4.053 ±â€¯0.62% and 23.17 ±â€¯2.26%, respectively, while only 2.36 ±â€¯0.23%, 1.16 ±â€¯0.44% and 6.41 ±â€¯0.45 of IgM+ B cells in these three tissues ingested 1 µm beads. Taken together, our data demonstrated that the mouse anti-IgM mAb produced in this study could be used as a tool to characterize IgM+ B cells and to study functions of IgM in large yellow croaker.

Composition change and adsorption performance of EPS from Bacillus vallismortis sp. induced by Na2S.

Sodium sulfide (Na2S) was used as an inducer to regulate the components of Bacillus vallismortis sp. EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substances). The main objective of this study was to improve the content of sulfhydryl protein and the adsorption property of EPS to Zn (Ⅱ) that as an typical heavy metal. The results showed that the maximum EPS production of 105.58 mg/g VSS coupling with doubled increase in protein in which the contant of -SH increased by 48.2% from 104.15 to 154.36 µmol/L were recorded in the presence of 20 mg/L Na2S. Under this condition, the adsorption capacity of S-EPS (EPS with added exogenous Na2S) for Zn (Ⅱ) was highest. The kinetics of the adsorption process of Zn (Ⅱ) by the S-EPS can be well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model and the theoretical maximum adsorption amount of 979.09 mg/g EPS could be obtained. The results of 3D-EEM and FTIR analyses, illustrated that -SH, CO, and N-H/C-N played major roles in the removal of Zn (Ⅱ) by S-EPS. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the addition of sulfur source could increase the content of sulfhydryl protein, and effectively regulate the content of chemical composition, expecially for the sulfhydryl of EPS, and thereby greatly improving the removal efficiency of heavy metals, which showed a great application prospect in the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.

Research Progress of Mercury Bioaccumulation in the Aquatic Food Chain, China: A Review.

Research on mercury (Hg) in aquatic ecosystems in China has focused mainly on fish, with little research on the base of the food chain and Hg bioaccumulation mechanisms. This paper summarizes research progress pertaining to the characteristics, current status, and trends of Hg accumulation in the aquatic food chain in China, analyzes the effects of human activities on the transmission and accumulation of Hg in aquatic food chains, and assesses their risks to human and ecosystem health. A comparison of fish samples in China between 2000 and 2018 indicates that their total Hg content remains at relatively safe levels. However, because current information is generally insufficient to confirm how anthropogenic activities affect transformation and bioaccumulation in the aqueous environment, Hg isotope studies should be a focus of research on aquatic food webs. Additionally, more attention should be paid to Hg transport and bioaccumulation in the basic food chain by focusing on multi-contaminant joint exposure studies and establishing Hg bio-transport models.

Effects of typical algae species (Aphanizomenon flosaquae and Microcystis aeruginosa) on photoreduction of Hg2+ in water body.

Photoreduction characteristics of divalent inorganic mercury (Hg2+) in the presence of specific algae species are still not well known. Laboratory experiments were conducted in the present study to identify the effects of different concentrations of living/dead algae species, including Aphanizomenon flosaquae (AF) and Microcystis aeruginosa (MA), on the photoreduction rate of Hg2+ under various light conditions. The experimental results showed that percentage reduction of Hg2+ was significantly influenced by radiation wavelengths, and dramatically decreased with the presence of algae. The highest percentage reduction of Hg2+ was induced by UV-A, followed by UV-B, visible light and dark for both living and dead AF, and the order was dark > UV-A > UV-B > visible light for both living and dead MA. There were two aspects, i.e., energy and attenuation rate of light radiation and excrementitious generated from algae metabolisms, were involved in the processes of Hg2+ photoreduction with the presence of algae under different light conditions. The percentage reduction of Hg2+ decreased from 15% to 11% when living and dead AF concentrations increased by 10 times (from 106 to 105 cells/mL), and decreased from11% to ~9% in the case of living and dead MA increased. Algae can adsorb Hg2+ and decrease the concentration of free Hg2+, thus inhibiting Hg2+ photoreduction, especially under the conditions with high concentrations of algae. No significant differences were found in percentage reduction of Hg2+ between living and dead treatments of algae species. The results are of great importance for understanding the role of algae in Hg2+ photoreduction.

Black tea affects obesity by reducing nutrient intake and activating AMP-activated protein kinase in mice.

The effects of certain tea components on the prevention of obesity in humans have been reported recently. However, whether Yinghong NO. 9 black tea consumption has beneficial effects on obesity are not known. Here, we obtained a Yinghong NO. 9 black tea infusion (Y9 BTI) and examined the anti-obesity effects of its oral administration. ICR mice were fed a standard diet supplemented with Y9 BTI at 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 g/kg body weight for two weeks, and the body weight were recorded. HE staining was used to evaluate the effect of Y9 BTI on mice liver. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression levels of related proteins in the mice liver and adipose. We found that the body weights of the mice in the control group were significantly higher than those of the mice in the middle and high dose groups. The results of western blot showed that Y9 BTI up-regulated the expression of liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and also increased in AMPK phosphorylation (p-AMPK) and LKB1 phosphorylation (p-LKB1). Y9 BTI significantly down-regulated Fas Cell Surface Death Receptor(FAS) and activated the phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Furthermore, Y9 BTI (2.0 g/kg BW) down-regulated the expression of three factors (IL-1ß, Cox-2, and iNOS). Altogether, Y9 BTI supplementation reduced the feed intake of mice and may prevent obesity by inhibiting lipid absorption. These results suggest that Y9 BTI may regulate adipogenic processes through the LKB1/AMPK pathway.