Ti-containing NPs in raw water and their removal with conventional treatments in four water treatment plants in Taiwan.

The ingestion of Ti-containing nanoparticles from drinking water has emerged as a concern in recent years. This study therefore aimed to characterize Ti-containing nanoparticles in water samples collected from four water treatment plants in Taiwan and to explore the challenges associated with measuring them at low levels using single particle-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Additionally, the study sought to identify the most effective processes for the removal of Ti-containing nanoparticles. For each water treatment plant, two water samples were collected from raw water, sedimentation effluent, filtration effluent, and finished water, respectively. Results revealed that Ti-containing nanoparticles in raw water, with levels at 8.69 µg/L and 296.8 × 103 particles/L, were removed by approximately 35% and 98%, respectively, in terms of mass concentration and particle number concentration, primarily through flocculation and sedimentation processes. The largest most frequent nanoparticle size in raw water (112.0 ± 2.8 nm) was effectively reduced to 62.0 ± 0.7 nm in finished water, while nanoparticles in the size range of 50-70 nm showed limited changes. Anthracite was identified as a necessary component in the filter beds to further improve removal efficiency at the filtration unit. Moreover, the most frequent sizes of Ti-containing nanoparticles were found to be influenced by salinity. Insights into the challenges associated with measuring low-level Ti-containing nanoparticles in aqueous samples provide valuable information for future research and management of water treatment processes, thereby safeguarding human health.

Catalytic Ozonation of Polluter Benzene from -20 to >50 °C with High Conversion Efficiency and Selectivity on Mullite YMn2O5.

Catalytic decomposition of aromatic polluters at room temperature represents a green route for air purification but is currently challenged by the difficulty of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) on catalysts. Herein, we develop a mullite catalyst YMn2O5 (YMO) with dual active sites of Mn3+ and Mn4+ and use ozone to produce a highly reactive O* upon YMO. Such a strong oxidant species on YMO shows complete removal of benzene from -20 to >50 °C with a high COx selectivity (>90%) through the generated reactive species O* on the catalyst surface (60 000 mL g-1 h-1). Although the accumulation of water and intermediates gradually lowers the reaction rate after 8 h at 25 °C, a simple treatment by ozone purging or drying in the ambient environment regenerates the catalyst. Importantly, when the temperature increases to 50 °C, the catalytic performance remains 100% conversion without any degradation for 30 h. Experiments and theoretical calculations show that such a superior performance stems from the unique coordination environment, which ensures high generation of ROS and adsorption of aromatics. Mullite's catalytic ozonation degradation of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) is applied in a home-developed air cleaner, resulting in high efficiency of benzene removal. This work provides insights into the design of catalysts to decompose highly stable organic polluters.

ZNF703 promotes triple-negative breast cancer cells through cell-cycle signaling and associated with poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND: The oncogenic drivers of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which is characterized by worst prognosis compared with other subtypes, are poorly understood. Although next-generation sequencing technology has facilitated identifying potential targets, few of the findings have been translated into daily clinical practice. The present study is aimed to explore ZNF703 (Zinc finger 703) function and its underlying mechanism in TNBC. METHODS: ZNF703 expressions in tissue microarray were retrospectively examined by immunohistochemistry. The cell proliferation by SRB assay and colony formation assay, as well as cell cycle distribution by flow cytometry were assessed. The protein levels associated with possible underlying molecular mechanisms were evaluated by western blotting. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to plot survival analysis. RESULTS: Our data suggest that ZNF703 expressed in 34.2% of triple-negative human breast tumors by immunohistochemistry. In vitro, ZNF703 knockdown had potent inhibitory effects on TNBC cell proliferation and cell cycle, with cyclin D1, CDK4, CDK6, and E2F1 downregulated, while Rb1 upregulated. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that high mRNA expression of ZNF703 was correlated to worse overall survival (HR for high expression was 3.04; 95% CI, 1.22 to 7.57, P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results identified that targeting ZNF703 contributed to the anti-proliferative effects in TNBC cells, due to induced G1-phase arrest. This study is the first to identify ZNF703 as a potentially important protein that is involved in TNBC progression.

Ozone Decomposition below Room Temperature Using Mn-based Mullite YMn2O5.

A super-low-temperature ozone decomposition is realized without energy consumption on a ternary oxide catalyst mullite YMn2O5 for the first time. The YMn2O5 oxide catalyzed ozone decomposition from a low temperature of -40 °C with 29% conversion (reaction rate: 1534.2 µmol g-1 h-1) and quickly reached 100% (5459.5 µmol g-1 h-1) when warmed up to -5 °C. The superior low-temperature performance over YMn2O5 could surpass that of the reported ozone decomposition catalysts. The structure and element valence characterizations confirmed that YMn2O5 remained the same after 100 h of room-temperature reaction, indicating excellent durability of the catalyst. O2-TPD (O2-temperature-programmed desorption) showed that the active sites are the Mn3+ sites bonded with singly coordinated oxygen on the surface. Combined with in situ Raman measurements and density functional theory calculations, we found that the ozone decomposition reaction on YMn2O5 showed a barrier of only 0.29 eV, following the Eley-Rideal (E-R) mechanism with a rate-limiting step of intermediate O22- desorption. The low barrier minimizes the accumulation of intermediate products and realizes the fast O3 decomposition even at super-low temperatures. Fundamentally, the moderate Mn-O bonding strength in the low-symmetry ternary oxides is crucial to produce singly coordinated active species on the surface responsible for the efficient ozone degradation at low temperatures.

Machine learning and theoretical analysis release the non-linear relationship among ozone, secondary organic aerosol and volatile organic compounds.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) pollutions are prevalent air quality issues in China. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have significant impact on the formation of O3 and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) contributing PM2.5. Herein, we investigated 54 VOCs, O3 and SOA in Tianjin from June 2017 to May 2019 to explore the non-linear relationship among O3, SOA and VOCs. The monthly patterns of VOCs and SOA concentrations were characterized by peak values during October to March and reached a minimum from April to September, but the observed O3 was exactly the opposite. Machine learning methods resolved the importance of individual VOCs on O3 and SOA that alkenes (mainly ethylene, propylene, and isoprene) have the highest importance to O3 formation; alkanes (Cn, n ≥ 6) and aromatics were the main source of SOA formation. Machine learning methods revealed and emphasized the importance of photochemical consumptions of VOCs to O3 and SOA formation. Ozone formation potential (OFP) and secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAFP) calculated by consumed VOCs quantitatively indicated that more than 80% of the consumed VOCs were alkenes which dominated the O3 formation, and the importance of consumed aromatics and alkenes to SOAFP were 40.84% and 56.65%, respectively. Therein, isoprene contributed the most to OFP at 41.45% regardless of the season, while aromatics (58.27%) contributed the most to SOAFP in winter. Collectively, our findings can provide scientific evidence on policymaking for VOCs controls on seasonal scales to achieve effective reduction in both SOA and O3.

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and toxic element uptake of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud under zinc/cadmium stress.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in improving plant tolerance and accumulation of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). The growth, physiology and absorption of elements and transport in Phragmites australis (P. australis) were investigated under Zn and Cd stress to identify the transport mechanisms of toxic trace elements (TE) under the influence of AMF. Thus, AMF were observed to alleviate the toxic effects of Zn and Cd on P. australis by increasing plant biomass and through different regulatory patterns under different TE concentrations. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) increased under Zn stress, and the activities of SOD, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and APX significantly increased under high concentrations of Cd. AMF differ in their strategies of regulating the transport of different metals under TE stress. Under Zn stress, the concentration of Zn in P. australis decreased by 10-57%, and the effect on Zn translocation factor (TFZn) was concentration-dependent. AMF increased the TFZn under low concentration stress, but decreased under high concentration stress. Under Cd stress, the concentration of Cd increased by as much as 17-40%, and the TFCd decreased. AMF were also found to change the interaction of Zn×Cd. In the absence of AMF, Cd exposure decreased the Zn concentrations in P. australis at Zn100 mg/L and Zn300 mg/L, while it increased the contents of Zn at Zn700 mg/L. The opposite trend was observed following treatment with AMF. However, regardless of the concentration of Cd, the addition of Zn decreased the concentration of Cd in both treatments in both the presence and absence of AMF. Under different TE stress conditions, the regulation of metal elements by AMF in host plants does not follow a single strategy but a trade-off between different trends of transportations. The findings of our study are important for applying AMF-P. australis systems in the phytoremediation of Zn-Cd co-contaminated ecosystems.

Comparison of tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid toxicities in a rat 28-day oral exposure study.

Tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP, CAS no. 78-42-2) is a plasticizer and a flame retardant, while di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA, CAS no. 298-07-7) is an oil additive and extraction solvent. Publicly-available information on repeated exposure to these two related organophosphate compounds is fragmentary. Hence, adult male and female Fischer rats were exposed to TEHP (300, 1000 and 3000 mg/kg body weight [BW]/day) or DEHPA (20, 60 and 180 mg/kg BW/day) by gavage for 28 consecutive days, to assess and compare their toxicities. Although significantly impaired BW gains and evidence of TEHP enzymatic hydrolysis to DEHPA were observed only in males, exposures to the highest TEHP and DEHPA doses often resulted in similar alterations of hematology, serum clinical chemistry and liver enzymatic activities in both males and females. The squamous epithelial hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis observed in the non-glandular forestomach of rats exposed to the middle and high DEHPA doses were most likely caused by the slightly corrosive nature of this chemical. Although tubular degeneration and spermatid retention were observed only in the testes of males exposed to the highest TEHP dose, numerous periodic acid-Schiff stained crystalline inclusions were observed in testis interstitial cells at all TEHP dose levels. No-observed-adverse-effect levels for TEHP and DEHPA are proposed, but the lower serum pituitary hormone levels resulting from TEHP and DEHPA exposures and the perturbations of testicular histology observed in TEHP-treated males deserve further investigation. Improved characterization of the toxicity of flame retardants will contribute to better informed substitution choices for legacy flame retardants phased-out over health concerns.

Protective effect of betaine against lead-induced testicular toxicity in male mice.

Lead (Pb) is an environmental toxicant reported to impair male reproductive system. Betaine is a natural product which has promising beneficial effects against oxidative stress. In this experimental study, we evaluated the ameliorative effect of betaine on sperm quality and oxidative stress induced by lead (Pb) in the testis of adult male mice. Sixty male Kunming mice were divided equally into four groups: control group, betaine group (1% in drinking water), lead group (100 mg kg-1  bw-1  day-1 ) and betaine + lead group. In the last group, mice were supplemented with betaine for two weeks prior to the initiation of lead treatment and concurrently during lead treatment for 3 weeks until sacrificed. Our results indicated that in the lead-administrated group, body weights together with sperm count were significantly decreased (p < .05). The numbers of abnormal sperms were found to be higher in lead-treated mice. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (Cat) were significantly reduced, while the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) content was increased in the testis tissue following lead treatment. The mRNA levels of antioxidant-related genes (SOD1, GPX1 and CAT) were significantly decreased in the lead group. Betaine enhanced these parameters in betaine + lead group. In testis histology span, Johnson score was decreased (p < .05) in lead group and co-treatment with betaine increased Johnson score significantly in betaine + lead group. These results indicate that betaine improves sperm quality and ameliorate oxidative damage in testis of mice exposed to lead.

Heme oxygenase 1 regulates apoptosis induced by heat stress in bovine ovarian granulosa cells via the ERK1/2 pathway.

Heat stress can inhibit follicular development in dairy cows, and thus can affect their reproductive performance. Follicular granulosa cells can synthesize estrogen, that affects the development and differentiation of follicles by apoptosis. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1/heat shock protein 32) plays an antiapoptotic and cytoprotective role in various cells during stress-induced apoptosis, but little is known about its definitive function in bovine (ovarian) granulosa cells (bGCs). In our study, the roles and mechanism of HO-1 on the heat stress-induced apoptosis of bGCs were studied. Our results show that the expression of HO-1 was significantly increased under heat stress. Moreover, HO-1 silencing increased apoptosis, whereas its overexpression dampened apoptosis by regulating the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 and the levels of cleaved caspase-3. In addition, HO-1 can also play a cytoprotective role by affecting estrogen levels and decomposing heme to produce biologically active metabolite carbon monoxide (CO). Meanwhile, CO significantly increased the level of HO-1, decreased Bax/Bcl-2 levels, and inhibited the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway. The apoptosis of ovarian GCs can affect the secretion of estrogen and lead to disorder of the ovarian microenvironment, thus affecting the normal function of the ovary. Our results indicate that HO-1 acts as a cytoprotective enzyme and plays a protective role in heat-induced apoptosis of bGCs. In conclusion, HO-1 and its metabolite CO inhibit the apoptosis of bGCs induced by heat stress through the ERK1/2 pathway. The results of this study provide a valuable clue for improving the fertility of heat stressed cows in summer.

4-Hydroxytamoxifen enhances sensitivity of estrogen receptor α-positive breast cancer to docetaxel in an estrogen and ZNF423 SNP-dependent fashion.

PURPOSE: In early stage, ERα-positive breast cancer, concurrent use of endocrine therapy and chemotherapy has not been shown to be superior to sequential use. We hypothesized that genetic biomarkers can aid in selecting patients who would benefit from chemo-endocrine therapy. Our previous studies revealed that ZNF423 is a transcription factor for BRCA1 and an intronic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in ZNF423, rs9940645, determines tamoxifen response. Here, we identified mitosis-related genes that are regulated by ZNF423 which led us to investigate taxane response in a rs9940645 SNP- and tamoxifen-dependent fashion. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer dataset was used to identify genes correlated with ZNF423. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter assays were used to validate the gene regulation. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer paired ZR-75-1 cells which differ only in ZNF423 rs9940645 SNP genotype to test SNP-dependent phenotypes including cell cycle and cell viability. We validated our findings in an additional two breast cancer cell lines, Hs578T-ERα and HCC1500. RESULTS: Mitosis-related genes VRK1 and PBK, which encode histone H3 kinases, were experimentally validated to be regulated by ZNF423. ZNF423 knockdown decreased VRK1 and PBK expression and activity. Additionally, ZNF423 knockdown enhanced docetaxel-induced G2/M arrest and cytotoxicity through VRK1 or PBK regulation. Lastly, cells carrying the rs9940645 variant genotype had increased G2/M arrest and decreased cell viability when treated with docetaxel in combination with estradiol and 4-OH-TAM. CONCLUSIONS: We identified ZNF423 regulated genes involved in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. 4-OH-TAM sensitized ERα-positive breast cancer cells to docetaxel in a ZNF423 SNP-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that patients with rs9940645 variant genotype may benefit from concurrent tamoxifen and docetaxel. This would impact a substantial proportion of patients because this SNP has a minor allele frequency of 0.47.

Microwave irradiation followed by zinc oxide based dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with HPLC for simultaneous extraction and determination of flavonoids in Veronicastrum latifolium (Hemsl.) Yamazaki.

In this study, a sample preparation method involving microwave irradiation followed by dispersive solid-phase extraction was used to extract and separate flavonoids from Veronicastrum latifolium (Hemsl.) Yamazaki. Ethyl lactate was selected as the extraction solvent during microwave irradiation. Zinc oxide and ethanol were used as the adsorbents and the eluent, respectively, in dispersive solid-phase extraction. Several experimental parameters affected the extraction performance, such as the extraction solvent and method, the microwave irradiation time, temperature, and solid-to-liquid ratio, the type of adsorbent, the amount of sample solution, the adsorption time and method, and the type and volume of the eluent, and were investigated by single-factor and Box-Behnken design experiments in the pretreatment process. The recommended method was applied to extract flavonoids in Veronicastrum latifolium (Hemsl.) Yamazaki. The enriched flavonoids were analyzed for the first time by high-performance liquid chromatography, and seven flavonoids-vitexin, luteolin, wogonoside, apigenin, chrysoeriol, acacetin, and pectolinarigenin-were identified. Additionally, the method exhibited good linearity (r2 ≥ 0.9992) for flavonoids under the optimum conditions. Moreover, the relative standard deviation of the intraday and interday precision was less than 3.97%. The mean recoveries for flavonoids were more than 98.10%. This work is the first to report a method to extract, separate, and analyze flavonoids from Veronicastrum latifolium (Hemsl.) Yamazaki. Graphical Abstract Microwave irradiation followed by ZnO-based dispersive solid-phase extraction for the pretreatment of Veronicastrum latifolium (Hemsl.) Yamazaki samples, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for analysis of enriched flavonoids.

Rumen-Protected 5-Hydroxytryptophan Improves Sheep Melatonin Synthesis in the Pineal Gland and Intestinal Tract.

BACKGROUND Based on the extensive biological effects of melatonin (MLT), it is beneficial to increase the MLT content in the bodies of animals at a specific physiological stage. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a diet supplemented with rumen-protected (RP) 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) on the pineal gland and intestinal tract MLT synthesis of sheep. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighteen Kazakh sheep were assigned randomly to 3 diet groups: control group (CT, corn-soybean meal basal diet), CT+111 group (111 mg/kg BW RP 5-HTP), and CT+222 group (222 mg/kg BW RP 5-HTP). The gene expressions of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT), hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT), monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), and the intermediates of MLT synthesis were observed from the pineal gland and intestinal tract by the reverse transcription (RT)-PCR method. The 5-HTP, 5-HT, N-acetylserotonin (NAS), MLT, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) contents in the pineal gland and intestinal tract were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS The study showed that the pineal gland HIOMT expression (P<0.05), MLT (P<0.05) and 5-HIAA (P<0.05) levels in the 222 mg/kg group significantly increased compared to those in the CT and CT+111 mg/kg groups. In addition, the AADC (P<0.01) and AA-NAT (P<0.05) gene expression levels in the duodenum and jejunum were increased by the supplementation of RP 5-HTP. CONCLUSIONS Rumen-protected 5-hydroxytryptophan promoted melatonin synthesis in the pineal gland and intestinal tract during the natural light period.

Microfluidics-Based Fabrication of Cell-Laden Hydrogel Microfibers for Potential Applications in Tissue Engineering.

Fibrous hydrogel scaffolds have recently attracted increasing attention for tissue engineering applications. While a number of approaches have been proposed for fabricating microfibers, it remains difficult for current methods to produce materials that meet the essential requirements of being simple, flexible and bio-friendly. It is especially challenging to prepare cell-laden microfibers which have different structures to meet the needs of various applications using a simple device. In this study, we developed a facile two-flow microfluidic system, through which cell-laden hydrogel microfibers with various structures could be easily prepared in one step. Aiming to meet different tissue engineering needs, several types of microfibers with different structures, including single-layer, double-layer and hollow microfibers, have been prepared using an alginate-methacrylated gelatin composite hydrogel by merely changing the inner and outer fluids. Cell-laden single-layer microfibers were obtained by subsequently seeding mouse embryonic osteoblast precursor cells (MC3T3-E1) cells on the surface of the as-prepared microfibers. Cell-laden double-layer and hollow microfibers were prepared by directly encapsulating MC3T3-E1 cells or human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the cores of microfibers upon their fabrication. Prominent proliferation of cells happened in all cell-laden single-layer, double-layer and hollow microfibers, implying potential applications for them in tissue engineering.

SIRT7 depletion inhibits cell proliferation, migration, and increases drug sensitivity by activating p38MAPK in breast cancer cells.

SIRT7 is a member of the sirtuin family of proteins that are known to be associated with tumor development. However, the functional roles and molecular mechanisms underlying the function of SIRT7 in breast cancer cell survival and tumor development remain unclear. Recent studies demonstrated that SIRT7 is upregulated in breast cancer cells and tissues. In the present study, we systematically explored the roles of SIRT7 in the growth of breast cancer cells and tumors both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that SIRT7 plays a major role in facilitating cell survival by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. SIRT7 depletion significantly inhibited cell invasion and wound healing by blocking cell cycle progression and inducing cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, SIRT7 depletion can increase the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to doxorubicin (DOX). Xenograft model studies showed that stable silencing of SIRT7 inhibited tumor growth and enhanced tumor sensitivity to DOX. Further research revealed that p38MAPK is involved in SIRT7-mediated regulation of breast cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. Taken together, our results showed that SIRT7 plays a critical role in breast cancer cell survival, migration, and tumor growth, and increased the efficiency of DOX treatment both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, SIRT7 is a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer treatment.

Polydopamine@Gold Nanowaxberry Enabling Improved SERS Sensing of Pesticides, Pollutants, and Explosives in Complex Samples.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a promising analysis technique for detecting various analytes in complex samples due to its unique vibrational fingerprints and high signal enhancement. However, impurity interference and substrate unreliability are direct suppression factors for practical application. Herein, we synthesize polydopamine@gold (PDA@Au) nanowaxberry, where Au nanoparticles are deposited on the surface of PDA sphere with high density and uniformity. Seed-mediated synthesis is used for fabrication of nanowaxberry. Au seeds are deposited on the surface of PDA sphere, then I ion coordinating ligand is employed to form stable AuI4- complex with AuCl4-, which decreases reduction potential of AuCl4- and avails formation of shell structure. Such nanowaxberry has high density of voids and gaps in three-dimensional space, which could absorb analytes and benefit practical SERS detection. Using malachite green as a model analyte, nanowaxberry realizes highly sensitive detection with low limit of detection (1 pM) and good reproducibility (relative standard deviation of about 10%). Meanwhile, the nanowaxberry is employed for practical detection of thiram, benzidine, and 2,4-dinitrotoluene in the environmental water, juice, apple peel, and soil. The high performance makes nanowaxberry to be potentially used for pesticides detection, pollutants monitoring, and forbidden explosives sensing in complex samples.

Sol-Gel Synthesis of Metal-Phenolic Coordination Spheres and Their Derived Carbon Composites.

A formaldehyde-assisted metal-ligand crosslinking strategy is used for the synthesis of metal-phenolic coordination spheres based on sol-gel chemistry. A range of mono-metal (Co, Fe, Al, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ce), bi-metal (Fe-Co, Co-Zn) and multi-metal (Fe-Co-Ni-Cu-Zn) species can be incorporated into the frameworks of the colloidal spheres. The formation of coordination spheres involves the pre-crosslinking of plant polyphenol (such as tannic acid) by formaldehyde in alkaline ethanol/water solvents, followed by the aggregation assembly of polyphenol oligomers via metal-ligand crosslinking. The coordination spheres can be used as sensors for the analysis of nucleic acid variants with single-nucleotide discrimination, and a versatile precursor for electrode materials with high electrocatalytic performance.

Heat stress impairs mice granulosa cell function by diminishing steroids production and inducing apoptosis.

Ovarian injury can be induced by heat stress. Mice granulosa cells (GCs) are critical for normal ovarian function and they synthesize a variety of growth factors and steroids for the follicle. Furthermore, the growth, differentiation, and maturate of theca cells and oocyte are dependent upon the synthesis of GCs. Due to the critical biological functions of GCs, we hypothesized that the apoptosis and dysfunction of GCs could also be induced by heat stress. We analyzed GCs apoptosis and evaluated the expression of apoptosis-related genes (caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2) after heat treatment. Radio immunity assay was used to measure the secretion of 17ß-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression of steroids-related genes (Star, CYP11A1, CYP19A1). Our data suggested that heat stress inhibited GCs proliferation, induced GCs apoptosis, decreased E2 and P4 secretion, reduced the steroids-related genes mRNA expression. Besides, our results indicated that heat treatment-induced apoptosis of GCs through the mitochondrial pathway, which involved caspase-3 and Bax. The reduction in steroids secretion and mRNA expression of Star, CYP11A1, and CYP19A1 might also play a role in heat-induced GCs apoptosis and ovarian injury.

Potentiation activity of multiple antibacterial agents by Salvianolate from the Chinese medicine Danshen against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Salvianolate (SAL) is a prescribed medicine from the Chinese herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge). It has been widely used in treatment of coronary and other diseases with significant effects. The in vitro antimicrobial activities of SAL against infectious pathogens were assayed and its combined effects on 10 clinical isolates of SCCmec III type methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with ten antibiotics were evaluated. Susceptibility to each agent alone was tested using a broth microdilution method, and the chequerboard and time-kill experiments were used for the combined activities. The results showed MIC was 128-256 mg/L for SAL used alone against MRSA. Significant synergies were observed for SAL/Ampicillin (Fosfomycin, Erythromycin, Piperacillin-tazobactam or Clindamycin) combination against over half of the isolates, with their MICs reduced by times of dilution (TOD) to 4-32 (FICIs 0.375-0.5), respectively. SAL/AMP combination showed the best combined effect of synergy on bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities, while SAL/AMK combination reversed the resistance of MRSA to AMK. The results demonstrated that SAL enhanced widely the in vitro anti-MRSA efficacy of the ten antibacterial agents, which had potential for combinatory therapy of patients infected with MRSA and warrants further investigations.

Urban Air Pollution in Taiwan before and after the Installation of a Mass Rapid Transit System.

Urbanization causes air pollution in metropolitan areas, coupled with meteorological factors that affect air quality. Although previous studies focused on the relationships of urbanization, air pollution, and climate change in Western countries, this study evaluated long-term variations of air quality and meteorological factors in Taiwanese metropolitan areas (Taipei area, Taichung City, and Kaohsiung City) and a rural area (Hualien County) between 1993 and 2012. The influence of a mass rapid transit (MRT) system on air quality was also evaluated. Air pollutant concentrations and meteorology data were collected from Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (TEPA) air monitoring stations and Central Weather Bureau stations in the surveyed areas, respectively. Analyses indicate that levels of air pollution in metropolitan areas were greater than in the rural area. Kaohsiung City had the highest levels of O, SO, and particulate matter 2.5 or 10 µm in diameter (PM and PM). Clear downward trends for CO, NO, PM, PM, and especially SO concentrations were found in the surveyed areas, whereas O showed no decrease. Both O and PM concentrations showed similar bimodal seasonal distributions. Taiwan's air quality has improved significantly since 1993, indicating the effectiveness of promoting air pollution strategies and policies by the TEPA. Air pollution had an obvious improvement in Taipei area after the MRT system began operations in 1996. Because global climate may potentially affect urban air pollution in Taiwan, further study to clarify the mechanisms by which air pollution may affect human health and other biological effects is warranted.

Gut immune deficits in LEW.1AR1-iddm rats partially overcome by feeding a diabetes-protective diet.

The gut immune system and its modification by diet have been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Therefore, we investigated gut immune status in non-diabetes-prone LEW.1AR1 and diabetes-prone LEW.1AR1-iddm rats and evaluated the effect of a low antigen, hydrolysed casein (HC)-based diet on gut immunity and T1D. Rats were weaned onto a cereal-based or HC-based diet and monitored for T1D. Strain and dietary effects on immune homeostasis were assessed in non-diabetic rats (50-60 days old) and rats with recent-onset diabetes using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Immune gene expression was analysed in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and jejunum using quantitative RT-PCR and PCR arrays. T1D was prevented in LEW.1AR1-iddm rats by feeding an HC diet. Diabetic LEW.1AR1-iddm rats had fewer lymphoid tissue T cells compared with LEW.1AR1 rats. The percentage of CD4(+)  Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells was decreased in pancreatic lymph nodes (PLN) of diabetic rats. The jejunum of 50-day LEW.1AR1-iddm rats contained fewer CD3(+) T cells, CD163(+) M2 macrophages and Foxp3(+) Treg cells. Ifng expression was increased in MLN and Foxp3 expression was decreased in the jejunum of LEW.1AR1-iddm rats; Ifng/Il4 was decreased in jejunum of LEW.1AR1-iddm rats fed HC. PCR arrays revealed decreased expression of M2-associated macrophage factors in 50-day LEW.1AR1-iddm rats. Wheat peptides stimulated T-cell proliferation and activation in MLN and PLN cells from diabetic LEW.1AR1-iddm rats. LEW.1AR1-iddm rats displayed gut immune cell deficits and decreased immunoregulatory capacity, which were partially corrected in animals fed a low antigen, protective HC diet consistent with other models of T1D.