Bimetal Oxides Anchored on Carbon Nanotubes/Nanosheets as High-Efficiency and Durable Bifunctional Oxygen Catalyst for Advanced Zn-Air Battery: Experiments and DFT Calculations.

To meet increasing requirement for innovative energy storage and conversion technology, it is urgent to prepare effective, affordable, and long-term stable oxygen electrocatalysts to replace precious metal-based counterparts. Herein, a two-step pyrolysis strategy is developed for controlled synthesis of Fe2O3 and Mn3O4 anchored on carbon nanotubes/nanosheets (Fe2O3-Mn3O4-CNTs/NSs). The typical catalyst has a high half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.87 V) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), accompanied with a smaller overpotential (η10 = 290 mV) for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), showing substantial improvement in the ORR and OER performances. As well, density functional theory calculations are performed to illustrate the catalytic mechanism, where the in situ generated Fe2O3 directly correlates to the reduced energy barrier, rather than Mn3O4. The Fe2O3-Mn3O4-CNTs/NSs-based Zn-air battery exhibits a high-power density (153 mW cm-2) and satisfyingly long durability (1650 charge/discharge cycles/550 h). This work provides a new reference for preparation of highly reversible oxygen conversion catalysts.

Efficacy and safety of oral ibrexafungerp in Chinese patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis: a phase III, randomized, double-blind study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral ibrexafungerp (HS-10366) versus placebo in Chinese patients with vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). METHODS: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multicenter phase III study was conducted in symptomatic VVC patients. Patients received (2:1) twice-daily oral ibrexafungerp 300 mg or matching placebo for 1 day. The primary endpoint was clinical cure (vulvovaginal signs and symptoms [VSS] score = 0) at test-of-cure (TOC) on day 11 ± 3. The secondary endpoints included mycological eradication, overall response, and clinical improvement (VSS score ≤ 1) at TOC, and vulvovaginal symptom resolution at follow-up on day 25 ± 4. RESULTS: In total, 360 patients were included in the modified intention-to-treat set (defined as positive Candida cultured and receiving at least one study drug; 239 for ibrexafungerp, 121 for placebo). Compared with placebo, patients receiving ibrexafungerp had a significantly higher proportion of clinical cure (51.0% vs. 25.6%), mycological eradication (55.6% vs. 18.2%), overall response (33.9%, vs. 8.3%) at TOC and complete symptom resolution (74.5% vs. 39.7%, all P < 0.001) at follow-up. Subgroup analysis of clinical cure indicated that patients with C. albicans could benefit from ibrexafungerp over placebo. A similar benefit trend was also observed in those with non-albicans Candida by post-hoc analysis. Further analyses revealed similar efficacy of ibrexafungerp between patients with fluconazole non-susceptible C. albicans and fluconazole susceptible C. albicans regarding clinical cure and mycological eradication. Ibrexafungerp was generally well tolerated. Adverse events were primarily gastrointestinal and were mainly mild in severity. CONCLUSIONS: As a first-in-class antifungal agent, ibrexafungerp demonstrated promising efficacy and favorable safety for VVC treatment in Chinese patients. CHINADRUGTRIALS.ORG. CN REGISTRY NUMBER: CTR20220918.

Molecular and physiological mechanisms of tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) leaf and root in response to nitrogen deficiency.

BACKGROUND: As an economically important crop, tea is strongly nitrogen (N)-dependent. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying the response of N deficiency in tea are not fully understood. Tea cultivar "Chunlv2" [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] were cultured with a nutrient solution with 0 mM [N-deficiency] or 3 mM (Control) NH4NO3 in 6 L pottery pots containing clean river sands. RESULTS: N deficiency significantly decreased N content, dry weight, chlorophyll (Chl) content, L-theanine and the activities of N metabolism-related enzymes, but increased the content of total flavonoids and polyphenols in tea leaves. N deficiency delayed the sprouting time of tea buds. By using the RNA-seq technique and subsequent bioinformatics analysis, 3050 up-regulated and 2688 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were isolated in tea leaves in response to N deficiency. However, only 1025 genes were up-regulated and 744 down-regulated in roots. Gene ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis showed that 205 DEGs in tea leaves were enriched in seven GO terms and 152 DEGs in tea roots were enriched in 11 GO items based on P < 0.05. In tea leaves, most GO-enriched DEGs were involved in chlorophyll a/b binding activities, photosynthetic performance, and transport activities. But most of the DEGs in tea roots were involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and plant hormones with regard to the GO terms of biological processes. N deficiency significantly increased the expression level of phosphate transporter genes, which indicated that N deficiency might impair phosphorus metabolism in tea leaves. Furthermore, some DEGs, such as probable anion transporter 3 and high-affinity nitrate transporter 2.7, might be of great potential in improving the tolerance of N deficiency in tea plants and further study could work on this area in the future. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated N deficiency inhibited the growth of tea plant, which might be due to altered N metabolism and expression levels of DEGs involved in the photosynthetic performance, transport activity and oxidation-reduction processes.

High-Activity Fe3 C as pH-Universal Electrocatalyst for Boosting Oxygen Reduction Reaction and Zinc-Air Battery.

Transition metal catalysts are regarded as one of promising alternatives to replace traditional Pt-based catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this work, an efficient ORR catalyst is synthesized by confining Fe3 C nanoparticles into N, S co-doped porous carbon nanosheets (Fe3 C/N,S-CNS) via high-temperature pyrolysis, in which 5-sulfosalicylic acid (SSA) demonstrates as an ideal complexing agent for iron (ΙΙΙ) acetylacetonate while g-C3 N4 behaves as a nitrogen source. The influence of the pyrolysis temperature on the ORR performance is strictly examined in the controlled experiments. The obtained catalyst exhibits excellent ORR performance (E1/2  = 0.86 V; Eonset  = 0.98 V) in alkaline electrolyte, coupled by exhibiting the superior catalytic activity and stability (E1/2  = 0.83 V, Eonset  = 0.95 V) to Pt/C in acidic media. In parallel, its ORR mechanism is carefully illustrated by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, especially the role of the incorporated Fe3 C played in the catalytic process. The catalyst-assembled Zn-air battery also exhibits a much higher power density (163 mW cm-2 ) and ultralong cyclic stability in the charge-discharge test for 750 h with a gap increase down to 20 mV. This study provides some constructive insights for preparation of advanced ORR catalysts in green energy conversion units correlated systems.

The GC-TOF/MS-based Metabolomic analysis reveals altered metabolic profiles in nitrogen-deficient leaves and roots of tea plants (Camellia sinensis).

BACKGROUND: Nitrogen (N) fertilizer is commonly considered as one of the most important limiting factors in the agricultural production. As a result, a large amount of N fertilizer is used to improve the yield in modern tea production. Unfortunately, the large amount of N fertilizer input has led to increased plant nitrogen-tolerance and decreased amplitude of yield improvement, which results in significant N loss, energy waste and environment pollution. However, the effects of N-deficiency on the metabolic profiles of tea leaves and roots are not well understood. RESULTS: In this study, seedlings of Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze Chunlv 2 were treated with 3 mM NH4NO3 (Control) or without NH4NO3 (N-deficiency) for 4 months by sandy culture. The results suggested that N-deficiency induced tea leaf chlorosis, impaired biomass accumulation, decreased the leaf chlorophyll content and N absorption when they were compared to the Control samples. The untargeted metabolomics based on GC-TOF/MS approach revealed a discrimination of the metabolic profiles between N-deficient tea leaves and roots. The identification and classification of the altered metabolites indicated that N deficiency upregulated the relative abundances of most phenylpropanoids and organic acids, while downregulated the relative abundances of most amino acids in tea leaves. Differentially, N-deficiency induced the accumulation of most carbohydrates, organic acids and amino acids in tea roots. The potential biomarkers screened in N-deficient leaves compared to Control implied that N deficiency might reduce the tea quality. Unlike the N-deficient leaves, the potential biomarkers in N-deficient roots indicated an improved stress response might occur in tea roots. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated N deficiency had different effects on the primary and secondary metabolism in tea leaves and roots. The findings of this study will facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the N-deficient tea plants and provide a valuable reference for the optimized N nutrient management and the sustainable development in the tea plantations.

Fabrication and structural properties of water-dispersible phytosterol using hot melt extrusion.

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology was employed to improve water dispersibility of phytosterol (P) using glycerol (G), lecithin (L), and gum arabic (A) as emulsifiers and stabilizers. The structural properties and water dispersibility of HME products were investigated. In contrast to physical mixtures, better water dispersibility and storage stability were observed for HME products, especially P:L:G:A extrudate. These improvements may be mainly associated with decreased crystallinity of phytosterol due to the occurrence of co-crystallization of phytosterol with glycerol during HME process, as confirmed by DSC and XRD data. In addition, HME-induced lecithin-arabic gum reaction products effectively stabilize phytosterol microparticle in aqueous dispersion by providing a steric hindrance. These results suggest that HME could be an effectively and potentially solvent-free technique to produce water-dispersible phytosterol on a large scale.

Therapeutic modulators of hepatic stellate cells for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary tumor in the liver and is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are key components of the HCC microenvironment and play an important role in the onset and progression of HCC through the secretion of growth factors and cytokines. Current treatment modalities that include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and ablation are able to activate HSCs and remodel the tumor microenvironment. Growing evidence has demonstrated that the complex interaction between activated HSCs and tumor cells can facilitate cancer chemoresistance and metastasis. Therefore, therapeutic targeting of activated HSCs has emerged as a promising strategy to improve treatment outcomes for HCC. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of HSC activation triggered by treatment modalities, the function of activated HSCs in HCC, as well as the crosstalk between tumor cells and activated HSCs. Pathways of activated HSC reduction are discussed, including inhibition, apoptosis, and reversion to the inactivated state. Finally, we outline the progress and challenges of therapeutic approaches targeting activated HSCs in the development of HCC treatment.

Sandwich-like superstructure of in-situ self-assembled hetero-structured carbon nanocomposite for improving electrocatalytic oxygen reduction.

Developing efficient and highly low-cost electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desirable and challenging for renewable energy devices. In this work, a novel sandwich-like heterostructured nanocomposite was facilely constructed via incorporation of Co9S8 nanoclusters/Co3[Co(CN)6]2 nanocubes in N,S-doped carbon multilayers (Co9S8/Co3[Co(CN)6]2/N,S-CMLs) by a one-pot coordination-modulated pyrolysis of a mixture containing dicyandiamide, Co(NO3)2 and Evans blue at 800 °C. The control tests demonstrated critical roles of the pyrolysis temperature played on the final morphology and shape, and discussed the formation mechanism in detail. The as-prepared catalyst exhibited appealing electrocatalytic performance for ORR with a more positive onset potential (Eonset = 0.96 V vs. RHE) and half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.87 V vs. RHE) in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte, far outperforming other home-made catalysts and commercial Pt/C. This work opens a new avenue to prepare efficient, cost-effectiveness and stable electrocatalysts in sustainable energy storage and conversion devices.

Cobalt phosphide nanoparticles encapsulated in manganese, nitrogen co-doped porous carbon nanosheets with rich nanoholes for high-efficiency oxygen reduction reaction.

It is a challenging task to research oxygen reduction electrocatalysts with cost-effectiveness, high-performance and ultra-stability to replace traditional noble metal catalysts in renewable energy conversion/storage devices. Herein, cobalt phosphide (Co2P) nanoparticles encapsulated in Mn, N co-doped porous carbon nanosheets with abundant nanoholes (Co2P/Mn,N-PCNS) were prepared by a alizarin complexone coordination regulated pyrolysis at 800 °C. In the controlled experiments, the pyrolysis temperature and metal types were investigated in details. The resultant catalyst exhibited rapid mass/charge transfer and superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance (Eonset = 0.96 V; E1/2 = 0.86 V vs RHE), surpassing commercial Pt/C. This work presents some constructive guidelines for synthesis of appealing ORR electrocatalysts in renewable energy technology.

Three-dimensional self-supporting superstructured double-sided nanoneedles arrays of iron carbide nanoclusters embedded in manganese, nitrogen co-doped carbon for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction.

Nitrogen- and transition metal-dual doped carbon materials with low cost and high catalytic performances are considered as one of promising alternatives for noble metal catalysts in acceleration of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this work, three-dimensional (3D) self-supporting superstructures of iron carbide (Fe3C) nanoclusters entrapped in manganese (Mn)- and nitrogen (N)-dual doped carbon nanosheets covered with double-sided nanoneedles carbon arrays (Fe3C/Mn,N-NCAs) are simply synthesized by a coordination pyrolysis method, in which dicyandiamide mainly behaves as nitrogen source and 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) as carbon source. Integration of the unique 3D self-supporting superstructures and synergistic effects of the multi-compositions, the as-obtained catalyst displays appealing ORR performance such as the much positive onset potential (Eonset = 0.98 V vs. RHE) and half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.88 V vs. RHE), as well as a just 10 mV negative shift in E1/2 after 2000 cycles, surpassing commercial Pt/C. This work provides some valuable perspectives for preparation of high-efficiency and low-cost non-noble metal ORR electrocatalysts in energy transformation and storage correlated systems.

Identified novel heterozygous HTRA1 pathogenic variants in Chinese patients with HTRA1-associated dominant cerebral small vessel disease.

Background: Homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations in HTRA1 cause cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL). Recently, heterozygous pathogenic variants in HTRA1 were described in patients with autosomal dominant cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Here, we investigated the genetic variants in a cohort of Chinese patients with CSVD. Methods: A total of 95 Chinese index patients with typical characteristics of CSVD were collected. Whole exome sequencing was performed in the probands, followed by Sanger sequencing. Pathogenicity prediction software was applied to evaluate the pathogenicity of the identified variants. Results: We detected five heterozygous HTRA1 pathogenic variants in five index patients. These pathogenic variants included four known variants (c.543delT, c.854C>T, c.889G>A, and c.824C>T) and one novel variant (c.472 + 1G>A). Among them, c.854C>T, c.824C>T, and c.472 + 1G>A have never been reported in China and c.889G>A was once reported in homozygous but never in heterozygous. Three of them were distributed in exon 4, one in exon 2, and another splicing variant in intron 1. Four out of five probands presented typical features of CARASIL but less severe. The common clinical features included lacunar infarction, cognitive decline, alopecia, and spondylosis. All of them showed leukoencephalopathy, and the main involved cerebral area include periventricular and frontal area, centrum semiovale, thalamus, and corpus callosum. Anterior temporal lobes and external capsule involvement were also observed. Three probands had intracranial microbleeds. Conclusion: Our study expanded the mutation spectrum of HTRA1, especially in Chinese populations, and provided further evidence for "hot regions" in exon 1-4, especially in exon 4, in heterozygous HTRA1 pathogenic variants. Our work further supported that patients with heterozygous HTRA1 pathogenic variants presented with similar but less-severe features than CARASIL but in an autosomal dominantly inherited pattern.

Association of Elevated Plasma FGF21 and Activated FGF21 Signaling in Visceral White Adipose Tissue and Improved Insulin Sensitivity in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Subtype: A Case-Control Study.

Objective: To study the discrepancy of the insulin sensitivity alteration pattern, circulating fibroblast growth factor (FGF21) levels and FGF21 signaling in visceral white adipose tissue (vWAT) of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) subtypes. Methods: 26 GDM women with either a predominant of insulin-secretion defect (GDM-dysfunction, n = 9) or insulin-sensitivity defect (GDM-resistance, n = 17) and 13 normal glucose tolerance (NGT) women scheduled for caesarean-section at term were studied. Blood and vWAT samples were collected at delivery. Results: The insulin sensitivity was improved from the 2nd trimester to delivery in the GDM-resistance group. Elevated circulating FGF21 concentration at delivery, increased FGF receptor 1c and decreased klotho beta gene expression, enhanced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and increased GLUT1, IR-B, PPAR-γ gene expression in vWAT were found in the GDM-resistance group as compared with the NGT group. The circulating FGF21 concentration was negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose (r = -0.574, P < 0.001), and associated with the GDM-resistance group (r = 0.574, P < 0.001) in pregnant women at delivery. However, we observed no insulin sensitivity alteration in GDM-dysfunction and NGT groups during pregnancy. No differences of plasma FGF21 level and FGF21 signaling in vWAT at delivery were found between women in the GDM-dysfunction and the NGT group. Conclusions: Women with GDM heterogeneity exhibited different insulin sensitivity alteration patterns. The improvement of insulin sensitivity may relate to the elevated circulating FGF21 concentration and activated FGF21 signaling in vWAT at delivery in the GDM-resistance group.

Enzyme-Adsorbed Chitosan Nanogel Particles as Edible Pickering Interfacial Biocatalysts and Lipase-Responsive Phase Inversion of Emulsions.

Here, a simple food-grade Pickering emulsion system is prepared and adopted for biphasic biocatalytic reactions. The chitosan nanogels were prepared with strong dispersion of chitosan aggregates approaching neutral pH and then used as the particle emulsifiers to produce oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. The chitosan nanogel exhibited high affinity to negatively charged lipase. As a result of increasing the biphasic interfacial area and loading amount on the oil-water interface, the catalysis activity of lipase and recycling and pH stability were highly enhanced through colorimetric determination of p-nitrophenol (the hydrolysis product of p-nitrophenyl palmitate). A general strategy was proposed to obtain stimulus-responsive Pickering emulsions that can undergo phase inversion. The in situ modification of the wettability of chitosan nanogel could be attributed to the interaction between nanogel and free fatty acids, which was triggered by lipase hydrolysis. This would permit a rapid and controlled release of hydrophobic active components in response to enzymatic triggers.

[Occurrence, Distribution, Source, and Health Risk Assessment of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in Surface Soil from the Shen-Fu Region, Northeast China].

The Shen-Fu region is an important urban area in northeast China. We report on a study of the distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in representative topsoil from this region. In the summer of 2016, 72 soil samples from three cities (Shenyang, Fushun, and Shen-Fu New City) were collected, which covered four land use types:urban, rural residential, cultivated, and woodland. We report on the concentrations, compositions, and distributions of 14 PBDEs in soil and explore their sources, and additionally undertake human exposure analysis and health risk assessments. The results showed that the concentration of ∑14PBDEs in the topsoil ranged from 0.279-50.719 ng·g-1(dry weight), with a mean of (10.466±9.246) ng·g-1. The concentrations of PBDEs was ranked for the cities as:Fushun > Shenyang > Shen-Fu New City > background, and for different land use types as:urban land > rural residential land > cultivated land > forest. Deca-PBDE had the highest proportion of all congeners, accounting for 81.25%-89.23% of all PBDEs. Source analysis indicated that commercial Deca-PBDE was the main source, contributing 66.06% of the total Deca-PBDE according to principal component analysis/multiple linear regression (PCA-MLR). Among five different age groups assessed for exposure, children in Fushun had the highest exposure dose:(20.98±25.01) ng·(kg·d)-1. In terms of different land types, the highest exposure dose was for children living in urban areas:(18.54±20.27) ng·(kg·d)-1. The non-oncogenic health risks in the Shen-Fu region are of a relatively low level.

Impact of Tumor Site on Lymph Node Status and Survival in Colon Cancer.

Objective Our objective was to explore the impact of tumor sites on lymph node (LN) status and prognosis in non-distant metastasis colon cancer after radical operation. Methods Surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database was used to identify 124, 836 early-stage colon cancer patients between 1988 and 2010, treated with radical surgery with a known tumor site. Seven tumor sites were defined as ascending, hepatic, cecum, transverse, descending, splenic, and sigmoid colons by the anatomical location. The associations of tumor site and LN status, including adequate (≥12) LN harvest and LN positivity, were examined with logistic regression, adjusting for multiple covariates. Relative survival was compared in a flexible parametric model. Results The quartile number of LN examined gradually decreased from ascending to sigmoid colon cancer (P<0.001 for all patients, and T2, T3 and T4 stages). More numbers of LN examined and a higher proportion of LN positivity were retrieved in left-half colon cancer than in right-half colon cancer. Cumulative incidence of death (CID) was higher in patients with less LN examined except for the group of cecum colon cancer, but there was no significant difference between all groups (5-year CID: 18.99%~21.98% for LN count ≥ 12 and 23.01%~26.89% for LN count <12). Conclusions LN examined and LN positivity in colon cancer were important prognostic factors. There was no significant CDI difference between groups with different tumor sites. Current guidelines for extent of resection should take this into consideration so that and unnecessary treatment may be avoided.

Preparation and characterization of a novel colorimetric indicator film based on gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol incorporating mulberry anthocyanin extracts for monitoring fish freshness.

This work aimed to develop a novel colorimetric indicator film for monitoring of food freshness based on gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol matrix incorporated with anthocyanin extracts from mulberry. The color of anthocyanin extracts solutions obviously changed from bright red to dark green in the pH range of 2.0-11.0. FTIR spectra and isothermal titration calorimetry showed that the anthocyanin extracts were successfully combined with gelatin/polyvinyl alcohol matrix by hydrogen binding and electrostatic interaction, which enhanced the stability of anthocyanin. The scanning electric microscopy showed that the compatibility between polyvinyl alcohol and gelatin were improved owing to the addition of anthocyanin extracts. With the anthocyanin extracts addition from 0 to 45 mg/100 mL mixed solution, the tensile strength decreased from 30.80 to 21.01 MPa and the elongation at break increased from 589.22% to 905.86%. The color response of film in buffer solution of different pH were in accordance with anthocyanin extracts solutions, and its color changes were clearly visible with naked eye. Finally, the film was evaluated by a test on monitoring fish spoilage, which presented visible color changes due to volatile nitrogenous compounds formed over time. These results showed that this developed film could be used as an effective method for the monitoring of food freshness.

Quillaja saponin-based hollow salt particles as solid carriers for enhancing sensory aroma with reduced sodium intake.

Dietary salt is a vital ingredient associated with sensory performance in processed foods, while reduced salt intake linked to public health is highly desired by consumers and food manufacturers. In this paper, quillaja saponin (QS) based hollow salt particles (∼10 µm) were fabricated by simple spray drying, and utilized as solid carriers to enhance sensory aromas with reduced sodium intake. QS-coated nanodroplets were firstly prepared as a reservoir for flavor oils (lemon and garlic oil), and then served as frameworks to construct hollow salt particles via general spray drying. Headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DHS-GC-MS) and panel sensory analysis conclude that the hollow salt particles loaded with flavor oils enhance typical aroma attributes and saltiness perception in comparison with their mixture control. The QS-based hollow salt particles could be developed into novel vehicles for improving flavor performance with reduced sodium intake, and furthermore used for delivery of hydrophobic bioactives in food systems.

Independent and combined effects of environmental factors and miR-126, miR-143, and miR-145 on the risk of coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of environmental factors and microRNAs (miRNAs) (miR-126, miR-143, and miR-145) on the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: A frequency-matched case-control study (450 patients, 450 controls) was conducted from April 2014 to December 2016 in Fuzhou City, China. Environmental factors were investigated using a self-administered questionnaire, and the expression levels of miR-126, miR-143, and miR-145 were determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Unconditional logistic regression models were used for statistical evaluation. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption, high-salt diets, high-intensity work, and lack of physical activity were significantly associated with increased CHD risk, whereas light diet was significantly associated with decreased risk. MiR-126, miR-143, and miR-145 were highly expressed in the CHD group compared with the control group. After adjustment for other environmental factors, unconditional logistic regression results revealed that miR-126, miR-143, and depression were the independent risk factors of CHD, and light diet was the independent protective factor of CHD. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that a family history of CHD, anxiety, and alcohol consumption was significantly associated with increased CHD risk, whereas light diet was significantly associated with decreased risk. Furthermore, miR-126 and miR-143 in combination with several risk factors, could play a joint role in the development of CHD. Therefore, it is necessary to manage patients with CHD in all directions and multiple level.

[Efficiency of Aerobic Co-composting of Urban Sludge and Chinese Medicinal Herbal Residues].

With Chinese medicinal herbal residues and municipal sludge as raw materials for co-composting experiment, the effect of the material ratio and addition time of Chinese medicinal herbal residues on the composting efficiency were investigated, including the change of the temperature, organic matter, ammonia nitrogen, and activity of protease. The best composting conditions were determined based on the results. The experimental results showed that the temperature of the pile was raised in the presence of 60 g Chinese medicinal herbal residues as carbon source and 300 g municipal sludge, the ammonia volatilization was reduced and the activity of protease was improved. The ammonia volatilization was reduced by 35.9% and the activity of protease was increased by 80.5% in 15 d, respectively. Especially, in the early stage, addition of Chinese medicinal herbal residues as conditioner could increase the organic matter degradation. Thus, the composting process was accelerated. Changes in the UV-visible and fluorescence characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during the co-composting process were discussed. The treatment with Chinese medicinal herbal residues improved the maturity of the compost. Moreover, phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method was used to estimate the microbial community structure changes. It showed that the number of microbial community such as fungi and Gram negative bacteria increased with addition of Chinese medicinal herbal residues.

Carbon dioxide assimilation and photosynthetic electron transport of tea leaves under nitrogen deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Tea plant is famed in humid and sub-humid of tropical regions, sub-tropical regions, and is a leaf-harvested crop. Nitrogen is the most important nutrient for increasing quality of tea leaves. Therefore, large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer are increasingly applied by tea farmers. Appropriate application of nitrogen fertilizer aroused people's concern. This research of physiological response to N deficiency stress will be helpful for appropriate application of nitrogen fertilizer for tea farmers and elucidate a mechanistic basis for the reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) assimilation. RESULTS: To elucidate a mechanistic basis for the reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) assimilation under nitrogen (N) deficiency tea leaves, changes in chlorophyll (Chl), carbohydrates, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and chlorophyll fluorescence transient were examined together with six N treatment (0, 50, 100, 300, 1200 or 6000 µM N). Root, stem and leaves dry weight (DW) increased as N supply increased from 0 to 300 µM, then remained unchanged. The reductions in CO2 assimilation of N-deficient leaves paralleled with high intercellular CO2 concentration. Rubisco activity, protein and Chl content increased linearly or curvilinearly over the range of leaf N content examined except unchanged as leaf N from 2.15 to 2.79 g m-2. Chlorophyll fluorescence transient from N-deficient leaves displayed a depression at the P-step, accompanied by a new step at about 150 µs (L-step). Fv/Fm, REo/ETo, ETo/ABS, Sm, ETo/CSo, PIabs, PItot, abs, were decreased in N-deficient leaves but increased DIo/CSo, DIo/RC and DIo/ABS. Regressive analysis showed that CO2 assimilation decreased linearly or curvilinearly with decreasing initial rubisco, PIabs and Leaf Chl, respectively. Therefore, we concluded the decreased photosynthetic electron transport capacity, leaf chl content and initial rubisco activity are probably the main factors contributing to decreased CO2 assimilation under N deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The decreased photosynthetic electron transport capacity, leaf Chl content and initial rubisco activity are probably the main factors contributing to decreased CO2 assimilation under N deficiency.