Comparative skin histological and transcriptomic analysis of Rana kukunoris with two different skin colors.

This study compares the skin structures of Rana kukunoris with two different skin colors living in the same area of Haibei in the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The skin thickness of the khaki R. kukunoris was significantly greater than that of the brown R. kukunoris (P < 0.01), and significantly more mucous and granular glands were present on the dorsal skin of the khaki frog (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the melanocytes on the dorsal skin of the brown frog were significantly larger than those on the khaki one (P < 0.05). Morphological changes in the expansion and aggregation of melanocytes seemed to deepen the skin color of R. kukunoris. Moreover, transcriptome sequencing identified tyrosine metabolism, melanogenesis, and riboflavin metabolism as the main pathways involved in melanin formation and metabolism in brown R. kukunoris. TYR, MC1R was upregulated as the skin color of R. kukunoris was deepened and contributed to melanin production and metabolism. In contrast, the khaki frog had significantly more upregulated genes and metabolic pathways related to autoimmunity. The khaki frog appeared to defend against ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced damage by secreting mucus and small molecular peptides, whereas the brown frog protected itself by distributing a large amount of melanin. Hence, the different skin colors of R. kukunoris might represent different adaptation strategies for survival in the intense UV radiation environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Unraveling the Nanoscale Segregation Mechanism in N-Doped Niobium for Enhanced SRF Performance.

The nitrogen doping (N-doping) treatment for niobium superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities is one of the key enabling technologies that support the development of more efficient future large accelerators. However, the N-doping results have diverged due to a complex chemical profile under the nitrogen-doped surface. Particularly, under industrial-scale production conditions, it is difficult to understand the underlying mechanism thus hindering performance improvement. Herein, a combination of spatially resolved and surface-sensitive approaches is employed to establish the detailed near-surface phase composition of thermally processed niobium. The results show that intermediate phase segregations, particularly the nanometric carbon-rich phase, can impede the nitridation process and limit the interactions between nitrogen and the niobium sub-surface. In comparison, the removal of the carbon-rich layer at the Nb surface leads to enhanced nitrogen binding at the Nb surface. Combining the RF test results, it is shown that the complex uniformity and grain boundary penetrations of impurity elements have a direct correlation with the mid-field quench behavior in the N-doped Nb cavities. Therefore, proper control of the nanometric intermediate phase formation in discrete thermal steps is critical in improving the ultimate performance and production yield of the Nb cavities.

Fermentation of waste water from agar processing with Bacillus subtilis by metabolomic analysis.

Fungal infection has become a major threat to crop loss and affects food safety. The waste water from agar processing industries extraction has a number of active substances, which could be further transformed by microorganisms to synthesize antifungal active substances. In this study, Bacillus subtilis was used to ferment the waste water from agar processing industries extraction to analyze the antifungal activity of the fermentation broth on Alternaria alternata and Alternaria spp. Results showed that 25% of the fermentation broth was the most effective in inhibited A. alternata and Alternaria spp., with fungal inhibition rates of 99.9% and 96.1%, respectively, and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.156 µg/mL. Metabolomic analysis showed that flavonoid polyphenols such as coniferyl aldehyde, glycycoumarin, glycitin, and procyanidin A1 may enhance the inhibitory activity against the two pathogenic fungal strains. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that polyphenols involved in the biosynthesis pathways of isoflavonoid and phenylpropanoid were upregulated after fermentation. The laser confocal microscopy analyses and cell conductivity showed that the cytoplasm of fungi treated with fermentation broth was destroyed. This study provides a research basis for the development of new natural antifungal agents and rational use of seaweed agar waste. KEY POINTS: • Bacillus subtilis fermented waste water has antifungal activity • Bacillus subtilis could transform active substances in waste water • Waste water is a potential raw material for producing antifungal agents.

Biocontrol fungi induced stem-base rot disease resistance of Morinda officinalis How revealed by transcriptome analysis.

Introduction: Morinda officinalis How (MO) is a Rubiaceae plant, and its medicinal part is dried root, which is one of the "Four Southern Medicines" in China. At present, the plant MO breed seedlings mainly by cutting methods. Long-term asexual propagation makes pathogenic fungi accumulate in MO, leading to stem-base rot, which is caused by Fusarium oxysporum (Fon). Methods: In this study, we used Trichoderma harzianum and Pestalotiopsis sp. as biocontrol fungi to investigate their antagonistic ability to Fon through in vitro antagonism and pot experiments, and combined with transcriptome sequencing to explore the mechanism of biocontrol. Results: The results showed that both Trichoderma harzianum and Pestalotiopsis sp. could inhibit the growth of Fon. In addition, Trichoderma harzianum and Pestalotiopsis sp. could also enhance the basic immunity to Fon by increasing the activities of defensive enzymes such as POD and SOD, chlorophyll content, soluble sugar content, and oligosaccharide content of MO. The mechanism of biological control of stem-base rot of MO was discussed by transcriptome technology. MO was treated with two treatments, root irrigation with biocontrol fungi or inoculation with Fon after root irrigation with biocontrol fungi. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that nearly 11,188 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in the process of inducing MO systemic resistance to Fon by biocontrol fungi. Meanwhile, Gene Ontology (GO) classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment, as well as transcription factor (TFs) prediction showed that there were significant differences in the expression levels of MO roots under different treatments. Also, the genes of the "MAPK signaling pathway" and "plant hormone signaling pathway" were analyzed, in which the ERFs gene of the ethylene signal transduction pathway participated in the metabolism of glycosyl compounds. It is speculated that the ethylene signal may participate in the immune response of the sugar signal to the infection of Fon. After qRT-PCR verification of 10 DEGs related to the ethylene signal transduction pathway, the expression trend is consistent with the results of transcriptome sequencing, which proves the reliability of transcriptome sequencing. Discussion: In conclusion, this study preliminarily identified the molecular mechanism of the biological control of MO stem-base rot and provided a scientific basis for further research on the prevention and control mechanism of MO stem-base rot.

Mechanisms of Actinidia chinensis Planch in treating colon cancer based on the integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification.

BACKGROUND: As an anticancer Chinese herbal medicine, the effective components and mechanism of Actinidia chinensis Planch (ACP, Tengligen) in the treatment of colon cancer are still unclear. In the present study, the integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cell experiments was employed to study the effective mechanism of ACP against colon cancer. METHODS: The Venn diagram and STRING database were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network (PPI) of ACP-colon cancer, and further topological analysis was used to obtain the key target genes of ACP in colon cancer. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were used to visualize the related functions and pathways. Molecular docking between key targets and compounds was determined using software such as AutoDockTools. Finally, the effect of ACP on CT26 cells was observed in vitro. RESULTS: The study identified 40 ACP-colon key targets, including CASP3, CDK2, GSK3B, and PIK3R1. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses found that these genes were involved in 211 biological processes and 92 pathways, among which pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt, p53, and cell cycle might be the main pathways of ACP against colon cancer. Molecular docking verified that the key components of ACP could stably bind to the corresponding targets. The experimental results showed that ACP could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and downregulate the phosphorylation of PIK3R1, Akt, and GSK3B in CT26 cells. CONCLUSION: ACP is an anti-colon cancer herb with multiple components, and involvement of multiple target genes and signaling pathways. ACP can significantly inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of colon cancer cells, which may be closely related to the regulation of PI3K/AKT/GSK3B signal transduction.

Physiological and transcriptomic analysis reveals the potential mechanism of Morinda officinalis How in response to freezing stress.

BACKGROUND: Morinda officinalis How (MO) is a vine shrub distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, known as one of the "Four Southern Herbal Medicines" in China. The unclear responsive mechanism by which MO adapt to freezing stress limits progress in molecular breeding for MO freezing tolerance. RESULTS: In this study, morphological, physiological and microstructure changes in MO exposed to -2℃ for 0 h, 3 h, 8 h and 24 h were comprehensively characterized. The results showed that freezing stress caused seedling dehydration, palisade cell and spongy mesophyll destruction. A significant increase in the content of proline, soluble protein and soluble sugars, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase was observed. Subsequently, we analyzed the transcriptomic changes of MO leaves at different times under freezing treatment by RNA-seq. A total of 24,498 unigenes were annotated and 3252 unigenes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Most of these DEGs were annotated in starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction and MAPK signaling pathways. Family Enrichment analysis showed that the glucosyl/glucuronosyl transferases, oxidoreductase, chlorophyll a/b binding protein and calcium binding protein families were significantly enriched. We also characterized 7 types of transcription factors responding to freezing stress, among which the most abundant family was the MYBs, followed by the AP2/ERFs and NACs. Furthermore, 10 DEGs were selected for qRT-PCR analysis, which validated the reliability and accuracy of RNA-seq data. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide an overall view of the dynamic changes in physiology and insight into the molecular regulation mechanisms of MO in response to freezing stress. This study will lay a foundation for freezing tolerance molecular breeding and improving the quality of MO.

Photochemistry in the urban agglomeration along the coastline of southeastern China: Pollution mechanism and control implication.

The concentrations of ground-level ozone (O3) in China have undergone a rapid increase in recent years, resulting in adverse impacts on the air quality and climate change. However, limited research has been conducted on the coastal urban agglomerations with increasingly serious O3 pollution. Therefore, in order to better understand in situ photochemistry, comprehensive field observations of O3 and its precursors, coupled with the model simulation, were conducted in autumn of 2019 at six sites in an urban agglomeration along the coastline of southeastern China. Results indicated that O3 pollution in the southern part of the urban agglomeration was more severe than that in the northern part, due to higher levels of O3 precursors and stronger atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) in the southern regions. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs), NO2, and CO dominated the total OH reactivity, and the site-average daytime Ox (O3 + NO2) increments correlated well (R2 = 0.94) with the total OH reactivity of CO and VOCs at these sites except for Quanzhou, where industrial emissions (35.1 %) and solvent usages (33.7 %) dominated the VOC sources. However, vehicle exhausts (31.1 %) were the most predominant contributors to the VOC sources at other sites. The results of model simulations showed that net O3 formation rates were larger at the southern sites. Furthermore, O3 production was mainly controlled by VOCs at most sites, but co-limited by VOCs and NOx at Quanzhou. The most significant VOC groups contributing to O3 formation were aromatics and alkenes, with m/p-xylene, toluene, propene, and ethene being the main contributors at these sites. This study offers a more comprehensive understanding of the characteristics and formation of photochemical pollutions on the scale of the urban areas, indicating the critical need to reduce VOC emissions as a means of mitigating their photochemical effects.

Exploring the components and mechanism of Solanum nigrum L. for colon cancer treatment based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Background: Solanum nigrum L. (SNL) (Longkui) is a Chinese herb that can be used to treat colon cancer. The present study explored the components and mechanisms of SNL in treating colon cancer by using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods: The components of SNL were collected from the TCMSP, ETCM, HERB, and NPASS databases. Meanwhile, the target proteins of these ingredients were collected/predicted by the TCMSP, SEA, SwissTargetPrediction, and the STITCH databases colon cancer-related target genes were identified from TCGA and GTEx databases. The interaction networks were established via Cytoscape 3.7.2. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathways were enriched by using the David 6.8 online tool. Finally, the binding of key components and targets was verified by molecular docking, and the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) was used to detect the efficiency of apigenin and kaempferol binding to the AURKB protein in CT26 cells. Results: A total of 37 SNL components, 796 SNL targets, 5,356 colon cancer genes, and 241 shared targets of SNL and colon cancer were identified. A total of 43 key targets were obtained through topology analysis. These key targets are involved in multiple biological processes, such as signal transduction and response to drug and protein phosphorylation. At the same time, 104 signaling pathways, such as pathways in cancer, human cytomegalovirus infection, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, are also involved. The binding of the four key components (i.e., quercetin, apigenin, kaempferol, and luteolin) and the key targets was verified by molecular docking. The CETSA results showed that apigenin and kaempferol were able to bind to the AURKB protein to exert anti-CRC effects. Conclusions: Quercetin, apigenin, kaempferol, and luteolin are the main components of SNL in treating colon cancer. SNL regulates multiple bioprocesses via signaling pathways, such as pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt, and cell cycle signaling pathways.

Traditional Chinese medicine for colorectal cancer treatment: potential targets and mechanisms of action.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease with complex pathogenesis, it is prone to metastasis, and its development involves abnormalities in multiple signaling pathways. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, target therapy, and immunotherapy remain the main treatments for CRC, but improvement in the overall survival rate and quality of life is urgently needed. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of preventing and treating CRC. It could affect CRC cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, invasion, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and chemoresistance by regulating multiple signaling pathways, such as PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, MAPK, Wnt/ß-catenin, epidermal growth factor receptors, p53, TGF-ß, mTOR, Hedgehog, and immunomodulatory signaling pathways. In this paper, the main signaling pathways and potential targets of TCM and its active ingredients in the treatment of CRC were systematically summarized, providing a theoretical basis for treating CRC with TCM and new ideas for further exploring the pathogenesis of CRC and developing new anti-CRC drugs.

Effects of dam building on the occurrence and activity of comammox bacteria in river sediments and their contribution to nitrification.

The recent discovery of complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox) has fundamentally changed our understanding of nitrification. However, studies on the occurrence and activity of comammox bacteria and their contribution to nitrification remain unclear. Here, we investigated the abundance, activity, and diversity of comammox bacteria and their contribution to nitrification in sediments from dammed rivers in winter and summer. Our results indicated that comammox clade A was ubiquitous in all sediment samples and the community structure in comammox varied between the upper and lower reaches, but not on the time scale (winter and summer). Comammox activity in the dammed river sediments in summer was prominently higher than in winter (summer: 1.08 ±â€¯0.52; winter: 0.197 ±â€¯0.148 mg N kg-1 day-1). Furthermore, the activity of comammox bacteria in summer appeared higher in the vicinity of the dammed river and in the Sanjiang estuary, which is located downstream of the dammed river. The activity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) (0.77 ±â€¯0.478 mg N kg-1 day-1) was higher compared to comammox (0.639 ±â€¯0.588 mg N kg-1 day-1) and ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) (0.026 ±â€¯0.022 mg N kg-1 day-1) in both winter and summer. In terms of contribution to the nitrification process, AOB (winter: 67.13 ±â€¯12.21 %; summer: 50.57 ±â€¯16.14 %) outperformed comammox (winter: 28.59 ±â€¯12.51 %; summer: 48.38 ±â€¯16.62 %) and AOA (winter: <7.39 %; summer: <2.09 %). These findings indicated that the nitrification process in dammed river sediments was mainly dominated by AOB. Additionally, comammox activity was significantly affected by temperature and NH4+, suggesting that these variables were key determinants of the niche partitioning of comammox. Collectively, our findings provide novel perspectives into the widespread distribution and contribution of comammox to nitrification in dammed river ecosystems, thus broadening our understanding of the nitrification processes.

Acteoside and ursolic acid synergistically protects H2O2-induced neurotrosis by regulation of AKT/mTOR signalling: from network pharmacology to experimental validation.

CONTEXT: Ursolic acid (UA) and acteoside (ATS) are important active components that have been used to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) because of their neuroprotective effects, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: Network pharmacology was used to explore the mechanism of UA + ATS in treating AD, and cell experiments were used to verify the mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UA + ATS targets and AD-related genes were retrieved from TCMSP, STITCH, SwissTargetPrediction, GeneCards, DisGeNET and GEO. Key targets were obtained by constructing protein interaction network through STRING. The neuroprotective effects of UA + ATS were verified in H2O2-treated PC12 cells. The subsequent experiments were divided into Normal, Model (H2O2 pre-treatment for 4 h), Control (H2O2+ solvent pre-treatment), UA (5 µM), ATS (40 µM), UA (5 µM) + ATS (40 µM). Then apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-3 activity, ATG5, Beclin-1 protein expression and Akt, mTOR phosphorylation levels were detected. RESULTS: The key targets of UA + ATS-AD network were mainly enriched in Akt/mTOR pathway. Cell experiments showed that UA (ED50: 5 µM) + ATS (ED50: 40 µM) could protect H2O2-induced (IC50: 250 µM) nerve damage by enhancing cells viability, combating apoptosis, restoring MMP, reducing the activation of caspase-3, lessening the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, and increasing the expression of ATG5 and Beclin-1. CONCLUSIONS: ATS and UA regulates multiple targets, bioprocesses and signal pathways against AD pathogenesis. ATS and UA synergistically protects H2O2-induced neurotrosis by regulation of AKT/mTOR signalling.

Pyroptosis-related prognosis model, immunocyte infiltration characterization, and competing endogenous RNA network of glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) has a high incidence rate, invasive growth, and easy recurrence, and the current therapeutic effect is less than satisfying. Pyroptosis plays an important role in morbidity and progress of GBM. Meanwhile, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is involved in the progress and treatment tolerance of GBM. In the present study, we analyzed prognosis model, immunocyte infiltration characterization, and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of GBM on the basis of pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs). METHODS: The transcriptome and clinical data of 155 patients with GBM and 120 normal subjects were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). Lasso (Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) Cox expression analysis was used in predicting prognostic markers, and its predictive ability was tested using a nomogram. A prognostic risk score formula was constructed, and CIBERSORT, ssGSEA algorithm, Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER), and TISIDB database were used in evaluating the immunocyte infiltration characterization and tumor immune response of differential risk samples. A ceRNA network was constructed with Starbase, mirtarbase, and lncbase, and the mechanism of this regulatory axis was explored using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). RESULTS: Five PRGs (CASP3, NLRP2, TP63, GZMB, and CASP9) were identified as the independent prognostic biomarkers of GBM. Prognostic risk score formula analysis showed that the low-risk group had obvious survival advantage compared with the high-risk group, and significant differences in immunocyte infiltration and immune related function score were found. In addition, a ceRNA network of messenger RNA (CASP3, TP63)-microRNA (hsa-miR-519c-5p)-long noncoding RNA (GABPB1-AS1) was established. GSEA analysis showed that the regulatory axis played a considerable role in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and immune inflammatory response. CONCLUSIONS: Pyroptosis and TME-related independent prognostic markers were screened in this study, and a prognosis risk score formula was established for the first time according to the prognosis PRGs. TME immunocyte infiltration characterization and immune response were assessed using ssGSEA, CIBERSORT algorithm, TIMER, and TISIDB database. Besides a ceRNA network was built up. This study not only laid foundations for further exploring pyroptosis and TME in improving prognosis of GBM, but also provided a new idea for more effective guidance on clinical immunotherapy to patients and developing new immunotherapeutic drugs.

Preparation of Dihydronaphthofurans from α-Hydroxyl Ketones via a One-Pot Multicomponent Reaction Based on Heyns Rearrangement.

Polysubstituted 1,2-dihydronaphthofurans were efficiently obtained in high yields and good diastereoselectivities with readily available substrates. The reaction proceeds smoothly via a series of tandem reactions, including Heyns rearrangement, oxidation, Friedel-Crafts reaction, and cyclization. The high stereoselectivity of the reaction is ascribed to the activation of the imine via an intramolecular hydrogen bond. Air is directly used as the oxidation medium, which makes the reaction safe and easy to perform. Moreover, the reaction features multiple components, which ensures the diversity of products.

Ursolic acid induces apoptosis and anoikis in colorectal carcinoma RKO cells.

BACKGROUND: Ursolic acid (UA) is an anti-cancer herbal compound. In the present study, we observed the effects of UA on anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of human colorectal cancer (CRC) RKO cells. METHODS: RKO cells were cultured in conventional and detached condition and treated with UA. Cell viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was identified by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry analysis. Activities of caspases were measured by commercial kits. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) was recognized by DCFH-DA fluorescent staining. Anoikis was identified by EthD-1 fluorescent staining and flow cytometry analysis. Expression and phosphorylation of proteins were analyzed by western blot. RESULTS: UA inhibited RKO cell viability in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. UA arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis. UA inhibited Bcl-2 expression and increased Bax expression. In addition, UA up-regulated the level of ROS that contributed to UA activated caspase-3, - 8 and - 9, and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, UA inhibited cell growth in a detached condition and induced anoikis in RKO cells that was accompanied by dampened phosphorylation of FAK, PI3K and AKT. UA also inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as indicated by the down-regulation of N-Cad expression and up-regulation of E-Cad expression. CONCLUSIONS: UA induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, and FAK/PI3K/AKT singling and EMT related anoikis in RKO cells. UA was an effective anti-cancer compound against both anchorage-dependent and -independent growth of RKO cells.

Quantifying the fractional concentrations and exchange rates of small-linewidth CEST agents using the QUCESOP method under multi-solute conditions in MRI signals.

PURPOSE: To develop a novel method for quantifying the fractional concentration (fb ) and the exchange rate (kb ) of a specific small-linewidth chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) solute in the presence of other unknown CEST solutes. THEORY AND METHODS: A simplified R1ρ model was proposed assuming a small linewidth of the specific solute and a linear approximation of the other solutes' contribution to R1ρ . Two modes of CEST data acquisition, using various saturation offsets and various saturation powers, were used. The fb and kb of the specific solute could be fitted using the proposed model. In MRI experiments, using either single-solute or multi-solute phantoms with various creatine concentrations and pHs, the fb and kb values of creatine were calculated for each phantom; the fb and kb values of phosphocreatine in rats' skeletal muscles were also evaluated. RESULTS: The fitted fb value of creatine from the phantoms were in excellent agreement. The fitted kb value of creatine from the phantoms coincides with that from the literature, as do the fb and kb values of phosphocreatine in skeletal muscles. CONCLUSION: The proposed approach enables us to quantify the fb and kb values of a specific small-linewidth solute in the presence of other unknown solutes.

The air pollution governed by subtropical high in a coastal city in Southeast China: Formation processes and influencing mechanisms.

To investigate the impact of the Western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) on the air pollution episode of Xiamen, a coastal city in Southeastern China, this study focused on formation processes and influencing mechanisms of an air pollution episode from 17th to 23rd September 2017. The results showed that the WPSH fluctuated in this period and intensified this air pollution with local emissions. The episode was divided into four stages according to WPSH center locations to diagnose the air pollution. Visibility declined below 10 km twice while fine particulate matte (PM2.5) concentration was up to 89.05 µg/m3 during this episode. As a consequence of high temperature (28.33 ±â€¯1.25 °C) resulted from WPSH, atmospheric oxidation at high level (140.81 ±â€¯56.49 µg/m3) was the driving force of secondary aerosols generations. Oxidation determined photo-chemical reactions with the pathways of gas-phase and heterogeneous formation. Sulfate was formed from gas-phase oxidation by SO2 in daytime while heterogeneous reaction occurred at night. Nitrate generation was dominated by not only excess ammonium but also intense oxidation. Reconstruction light extinction results coupling with trajectories revealed that (NH4)2SO4, NH4NO3 and OM were the priority factors to the reduction of atmospheric visibility. These findings provided new insights of air pollution episode diagnosis and indicative function of WPSH impacts on local air quality in Southeast China.

Characterization of a halophilic heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacterium and its application on treatment of saline wastewater.

A novel halophilic bacterium capable of heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification was isolated from marine sediments and identified as Vibrio diabolicus SF16. It had ability to remove 91.82% of NH4(+)-N (119.77 mg/L) and 99.71% of NO3(-)-N (136.43 mg/L). The nitrogen balance showed that 35.83% of initial NH4(+)-N (119.77 mg/L) was changed to intracellular nitrogen, and 53.98% of the initial NH4(+)-N was converted to gaseous denitrification products. The existence of napA gene further proved the aerobic denitrification ability of strain SF16. The optimum culture conditions were salinity 1-5%, sodium acetate as carbon source, C/N 10, and pH 7.5-9.5. When an aerated biological filter system inoculated with strain SF16 was employed to treat saline wastewater, the average removal efficiency of NH4(+)-N and TN reached 97.14% and 73.92%, respectively, indicating great potential of strain SF16 for future full-scale applications.

[Expressions of Th17 cells and interleukin 17 in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia and their clinical significance].

The aim of this study was to detect the rate of T-helper (Th)17 cells and interleukin (IL)-17 level in peripheral blood of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and to explore their clinical significance. The proportion of Th17 cells from 48 patients with ITP and 28 healthy controls was detected by flow cytometry, and the IL-17 level was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that the percentage of Th17 cells in ITP group was (1.40 ± 1.35)%, which was significantly higher than that in healthy control group (P < 0.05), but in the glucocorticoid hormone-treated group it was significantly lower than that in treated group without glucocorticoid hormone(P < 0.05). The level of IL-17 expressed by Th17 cells in ITP patients was (19.624 ± 5.187) pg/ml, which was higher than that in the healthy control group (P < 0.05), it was lower in the glucocorticoid hormone treated group than that in treated group without glucocorticoid hormone, but there was no statistically significant difference between the glucocorticoid treated and treated group without glucocorticoid hormone (P > 0.05). It is concluded that the Th17 cells may involve in the pathogenesis of ITP, and the glucocorticoid hormone probably plays a therapeutic role through inhibiting Th17 cells.

Soluble epoxide hydrolase: a promising therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases.

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are cytochrome P450 (CYP450) products of arachidonic acid and EETs are endogenous lipid mediators synthesized by the vascular endothelium which perform important biological functions, including vasodilation, anti-inflammation, antimigratory, and cellular signaling regulations. However, EETs are rapidly degraded by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) to the corresponding diols: dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs), which have little active in causing vasorelaxation. A number of studies have supported that the inhibition of sEH (sEHIs) had cardiovascular protective effects in hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and ischemic stroke. Moreover, sEHIs could slow the progression of inflammation, protect end-organ damage and prevent ischemic events, also, attenuate endothelial dysfunction, suggesting that the pharmacological blockade of sEH might provide a broad and novel avenue for the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases.