Diagnostic value of multimodal cardiovascular imaging technology coupled with biomarker detection in elderly patients with coronary heart disease.

Aims/Background Coronary heart disease is a common disease in the elderly and has a complex pathogenesis, which complicates the clinical diagnostic process. Thus, enhancing the diagnostic efficiency for coronary heart disease is imperative to improve the life expectancy of the elderly. This study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of multimodal cardiovascular imaging technology coupled with biomarker detection in elderly patients with coronary heart disease. Methods The medical records of 421 patients with suspected coronary heart disease obtained from the geriatric department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from February 2020 to February 2023 were retrospectively analysed. After excluding 10 patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria, the remaining 411 patients were included in this study. The included subjects had undergone coronary computed tomography angiography and were divided into coronary heart disease group (n=208) and non-coronary heart disease group (n=203) according to the diagnostic results. Multimodal cardiovascular imaging (coronary computed tomography angiography and echocardiography) and detection of serum biomarkers such as small dense low-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein a, and gamma-glutamyl transferase were performed in both groups. The clinical indicators of the two groups were compared, and the combined diagnostic efficacy of multimodal cardiovascular imaging and biomarker detection was evaluated. Results Compared to the non-coronary heart disease group, the coronary heart disease group had significantly higher levels of maximum area stenosis, total plaque volume, total plaque burden and fibrotic plaque volume (p < ..001), and lower left ventricular ejection fraction level (p < ..001). Additionally, the coronary heart disease group exhibited higher levels of left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular end-systolic volume and stroke volume than the non-coronary heart disease group (p < ..001), and had higher levels of small dense low-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein a and gamma-glutamyl transferase (p < ..001). Our results demonstrated that combined diagnosis had better diagnostic efficacy than individual approaches, marked by higher area under the curve and sensitivity of the former (p < ..001). Conclusion Multimodal cardiovascular imaging technology combined with biomarker detection can distinctly improve the accuracy of coronary heart disease diagnosis in elderly patients.

The safety of maxillary sinus floor elevation and the accuracy of implant placement using dynamic navigation.

OBJECTIVE: To date, it remains a challenge to conduct maxillary sinus floor elevation (MSFE) owing to heterogeneity of anatomical structures and limited operative visibility of the maxillary sinus. The aim of this study is to investigate the safety of MSFE and the accuracy of implant placement using dynamic navigation. METHODS: Forty-two implants were placed in thirty-five patients requiring implantation in posterior maxilla with dynamic navigation. They were assigned to either lateral window sinus floor elevation (LWSFE) group (n = 22) or transcrestal sinus floor elevation (TSFE) group (n = 20) according to the residual alveolar bone height (RBH). Platform deviation, apex deviation and angular deviation between actual and planned implant placement were measured in precision evaluation software. Three deviations of two groups were compared via SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS: Neither accidental bleeding nor perforation of Schneiderian membrane occurred in any patients. The actual window position of LWSFE was consistent with the preoperative design. There were no significant differences in platform, apex and angular deviations between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study the dynamic navigation harvested clinically acceptable safety of MSFE and accuracy for implant placement in posterior maxillary region. The dynamic navigation would provide the clinician with assistance in achieving precise preoperative planning and reducing complications in surgical procedures. The granular bone grafts used in the LWSFE did not significantly affection on the accuracy of the simultaneous implant placement under the guidance of dynamic navigation.

Allelopathic Effects of Corn Straw and Its Water Extracts on Four Weed Species and Foxtail Millet.

Straw covering is a protective tillage measure in agricultural production, but there is relatively little research on the allelopathic effects of corn straw on weeds and foxtail millet. This experiment studied the allelopathic effects of corn straw on four weeds (Chenopodium album, Setaria viridis, Echinochloa crus-galli and Amaranthus retroflexus) in foxtail millet fields, and also measured the growth indicators of foxtail millet. The study consisted of Petri dish and field experiments. Five treatments were used in the Petri dish experiment: clear water as control (0 g/L, TCK) and four types of corn straw water extracts. They were, respectively, the stock solution (100 g/L, T1), 10 X dilution (10 g/L, T2), 50 X dilution (2 g/L, T3), and 100 X dilution (1 g/L, T4) of corn straw water extracts. Additionally, seven treatments were set up in the field experiment, consisting of three corn straw covering treatments, with covering amounts of 3000 (Z1), 6000 (Z2) and 12,000 kg/ha (Z3), and four control treatments-one treatment with no corn straw cover (CK) and three treatments involving the use of a black film to create the same shading area as the corn straw covered area, with black film coverage areas of 50% (PZ1), 70% (PZ2), and 100% (PZ3), respectively. The results showed that the corn straw water extract reduced the germination rate of the seeds of the four weeds. The T1 treatment resulted in the allelopathic promotion of C. album growth but the inhibition of S. viridis, E. crus-galli, and A. retroflexus growth. Treatments T2, T3, and T4 all induced the allelopathic promotion of the growth of the four weeds. The order of the effects of the corn straw water extracts on the comprehensive allelopathy index of the four weed seeds was as follows: C. album > S. viridis > A. retroflexus > E. crus-galli. With an increase in the corn straw mulching amount, the density and total coverage of the four weeds showed a gradual downward trend, whereas the plant control effect and fresh weight control effect showed a gradual upward trend. All indices showed the best results under 12,000 kg/ha of mulching and returning to the field. Overall, corn straw coverage significantly impacted the net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate of foxtail millet and increased the yield of foxtail millet. Under coverages of 6000 and 12,000 kg/ha, the growth of foxtail millet is better. Based on our findings, we recommend a corn straw coverage of 12,000 kg/ha for the allelopathic control of weeds in foxtail millet fields.

The oncogenic role and regulatory mechanism of ACAA2 in human ovarian cancer.

Acetyl-CoAacyltransferase2 (ACAA2) is a key enzyme in the fatty acid oxidation pathway that catalyzes the final step of mitochondrial ß oxidation, which plays an important role in fatty acid metabolism. The expression of ACAA2 is closely related to the occurrence and malignant progression of tumors. However, the function of ACAA2 in ovarian cancer is unclear. The expression level and prognostic value of ACAA2 were analyzed by databases. Gain and loss of function were carried out to explore the function of ACAA2 in ovarian cancer. RNA-seq and bioinformatics methods were applied to illustrate the regulatory mechanism of ACAA2. ACAA2 overexpression promoted the growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer, and ACAA2 knockdown inhibited the malignant progression of ovarian cancer as well as the ability of subcutaneous tumor formation in nude mice. At the same time, we found that OGT can induce glycosylation modification of ACAA2 and regulate the karyoplasmic distribution of ACAA2. OGT plays a vital role in ovarian cancer as a function of oncogenes. In addition, through RNA-seq sequencing, we found that ACAA2 regulates the expression of DIXDC1. ACAA2 regulated the malignant progression of ovarian cancer through the WNT/ß-Catenin signaling pathway probably. ACAA2 is an oncogene in ovarian cancer and has the potential to be a target for ovarian cancer therapy.

Development and validation of prognostic models for small cell lung cancer patients with liver metastasis: a SEER population-based study.

BACKGROUND: This study was to establish and validate prediction models to predict the cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with liver metastasis. METHODS: In the retrospective cohort study, SCLC patients with liver metastasis between 2010 and 2015 were retrospectively retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients were randomly divided into the training group and testing group (3: 1 ratio). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the predictive factors for CSS and OS in SCLC with liver metastasis. The prediction models were conducted based on the predictive factors. The performances of the prediction models were evaluated by concordance indexes (C-index), and calibration plots. The clinical value of the models was evaluated by decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: In total, 8,587 patients were included, with 154 patients experiencing CSS and 154 patients experiencing OS. The median follow-up was 3 months. Age, gender, marital status, N stage, lung metastases, multiple metastases surgery of metastatic site, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were independent predictive factors for the CSS and OS of SCLC patients with liver metastasis. The prediction models presented good performances of CSS and OS among patients with liver metastasis, with the C-index for CSS being 0.724, whereas the C-index for OS was 0.732, in the training set. The calibration curve showed a high degree of consistency between the actual and predicted CSS and OS. DCA suggested that the prediction models provided greater net clinical benefit to these patients. CONCLUSION: Our prediction models showed good predictive performance for the CSS and OS among SCLC patients with liver metastasis. Our developed nomograms may help clinicians predict CSS and OS in SCLC patients with liver metastasis.

Foliar application of strigolactones improves the desiccation tolerance, grain yield and water use efficiency in dryland wheat through modulation of non-hydraulic root signals and antioxidant defense.

Non-hydraulic root signals (nHRS) are affirmed as a unique positive response to soil drying, and play a crucial role in regulating water use efficiency and yield formation in dryland wheat production. Strigolactones (SLs) can enhance plant drought adaptability. However, the question of whether strigolactones enhance grain yield and water use efficiency by regulating nHRS and antioxidant defense systems in dryland wheat remains unanswered. In this study, pot experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of strigolactones on nHRS, antioxidant defense system, and grain yield and water use efficiency in dryland wheat. The results showed that external application of SLs increased drought-induced abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation and activated an earlier trigger of nHRS at 73.4% field capacity (FC), compared to 68.5% FC in the control group (CK). This phenomenon was mechanically associated with the physiological mediation of SLs. The application of SLs significantly enhanced the activities of leaf antioxidant enzymes, reduced ROS production, and mitigated oxidative damage to lipid membrane. Additionally, root biomass, root length density, and root to shoot ratio were increased under strigolactone treatment. Furthermore, exogenous application of SLs significantly increased grain yield by 34.9% under moderate drought stress. Water use efficiency was also increased by 21.5% and 33.3% under moderate and severe drought conditions respectively, compared to the control group (CK). The results suggested that the application of strigolactones triggered earlier drought-sensing mechanism and improved the antioxidant defense ability, thus enhancing grain yield and water use efficiency in dryland wheat production.

Predictive value of reduced pulmonary arterial elasticity in acute pulmonary embolism for right ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) yields indices, such as the right ventricular/left ventricular (RV/LV) ratio > 1.0, which are commonly used for risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). Although pulmonary artery elasticity (PAE) has been previously described, its relationship with right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) has not been explored. Here, we investigated whether PAE, measured using CTPA, is associated with RVD. METHODS: Patients who underwent retrospective electrocardiogram-gated CTPA and had a definitive diagnosis of APE were included in the study. The subjects were classified into RVD and non-RVD groups according to the RVD on echocardiography. PAE, involving aortic distensibility (AD), aortic compliance (AC), and aortic stiffness (ASI), and right heart function indices were compared between the two groups, and their correlations were examined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the RVD prediction. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients with APE were enrolled in the study (RVD: 18, non-RVD: 17). The groups showed no significant differences in age, sex, number of patients receiving thrombolysis, and number of high-risk conditions (P > 0.05). Regarding PAE parameters, AD was significantly reduced in the RVD group compared to that in the non-RVD group (P < 0.05), whereas AC and ASI were not statistically different (P > 0.05). The ratio of the maximum cross-sectional area of PA and AA (PA/AAmax),the ratio of the minimum cross-sectional area of PA and AA(PA/AAmin), diameter of the coronary sinus, RV/LV diameter, RV/Lvarea, the ratio of the end-diastolic volume of right ventricular and left ventricular (RV/LVDV), the ratio of the end-systolic volume of right ventricular and left ventricular (RV/LVSV) were significantly greater in the RVD group than in the non-RVD group (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis of AD and right heart function parameters showed that AD was negatively correlated with PA/AAmax, PA/AAmin, RV/LV diameter, RV/LVDV, and PAE measured by ultrasound, with correlation coefficients ranging from - 0.336 to - 0.580 (P < 0.05). The ROC curves of AD and RV/LVdiameter to predict RVD had areas under the curve of 0.748 and 0.712, sensitivities of 82.35% and 70.59%, specificities of 66.67% and 72.22%, and cutoff values of 4.9433 and 1.1105, respectively. CONCLUSION: AD obtained by retrospective ECG-gated CTPA may be helpful in assessing RVD in patients with APE while accurately diagnosing APE. It contributes to timely diagnosis and treatment and improves the prognosis of patients with APE.

The effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy on inferior alveolar nerve injury: A systematic review and META-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this META-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy in the treatment of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury due to orthognathic surgeries, extraction of impacted third molars and mandibular fractures. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A electric search was conducted by a combination of manual search and four electric databases including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane library and Web of Science, with no limitation on language and publication date. Gray literature was searched in ClinicalTrials.gov and googlescholar. All retrieved articles were imported into ENDNOTE software (version X9) and screened by two independent reviewers. All analysis was performed using the REVMAN software (version 5.3). RESULTS: Finally, 15 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis and 14 for META-analysis from 219 articles. The results showed that PBM therapy had no effect on nerve injury in a short period of time (0-48h, 14 days), but had significant effect over 30 days. However, the effect of photobiomodulation therapy on thermal discrimination was still controversial, most authors supported no significant improvement. By calculating the effective rate of PBM, it was found that there was no significant difference in the onset time of treatment, whether within or over 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this META-analysis show that PBM therapy is effective in the treatment of IAN injures no matter it begins early or later. However, due to the limited number of well-designed RCTs and small number of patients in each study, it would be necessary to conduct randomized controlled trials with large sample size, long follow-up time and more standardized treatment and evaluation methods in the future to provide more accurate and clinically meaningful results.

LncRNA GAS5-hnRNPK axis inhibited ovarian cancer progression via inhibition of AKT signaling in ovarian cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of ovarian cancer ranks third among gynecologic malignancies, but the mortality rate ranks first. METHODS: The expression of GAS5 is low in ovarian cancer and is associated with the low survival of ovarian cancer patients according to public ovarian cancer databases. GAS5 overexpression inhibited ovarian malignancy by affecting the proliferation and migratory abilities in OVCAR3 and A2780 cells. GAS5 overexpression increased the rate of cell apoptosis, and the cells were blocked in the G1 phase as assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: We found that hnRNPK was a potential target gene, which was regulated negatively by GAS5 based on RNA-pulldown and mass spectrometry analysis. Mechanistically, GAS5 affected the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways and bound the protein of hnRNPK, which influenced hnRNPK stability. Furthermore, rescue assays demonstrated hnRNPK was significantly involved in the progression of ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed one of the mechanisms that GAS5 inhibited ovarian cancer metastasis by down-regulating hnRNPK expression, and GAS5 can be used to predict the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.

Predictive value of coronary stenosis degree combined with CT-FFR and resting-state CTP for major adverse cardiac events in obstructive coronary artery disease.

CT-based flow reserve fraction (CT-FFR) and CT perfusion (CTP), as a complement to coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) have been revealed to be associated with the prognosis of patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the prognostic value of coronary stenosis combined with CT-FFR and resting-state CTP based on CCTA for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) is not known and requires further investigation. Fifty-two patients with obstructive CAD (50%-90% stenosis) examined by CCTA were retrospectively collected and followed-up for the occurrence of MACE. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the effects of the degree of coronary stenosis, resting-state CTP, and CT-FFR in predicting the risk of MACE. MACE prediction models were developed, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive validity of different models for MACE. Ethics approval was provided by the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University (Zhangjiakou, China; No. K2020237). Logistic regression analysis showed that coronary artery stenosis ≥ 70%, CT-FFR ≤ 0.80, and perfusion index (PI) were independent predictors for MACE in patients with obstructive CAD (P < .05). The model based on coronary stenosis combined with PI and CT-FFR (AUC = 0.944) was better than those based on the degree of coronary stenosis combined with PI (AUC = 0.874), coronary stenosis degree combined with CT-FFR (AUC = 0.895), and any single index (P < .05). The combined model established by coronary stenosis, CT-FFR, and resting-state CTP based on a "1-stop" CCTA examination for predicting MACE among patients with obstructive CAD has good diagnostic efficacy and shows incremental discriminatory power.

Remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil by micro-nano nitrogen-doped biochar and its mechanisms.

Cadmium-contaminated soils are an urgent problem that needs to be solved in many countries and regions. In this study, a new heavy metal passivator, micro-nano nitrogen-doped biochar (Nm-NBC), was prepared by introducing nitrogen into biochar. Soybean was used as an experimental plant to compare the effects of corn straw biochar (CBC, not modified), ammonium chloride modified corn straw biochar (NBC), and micro-nano nitrogen-doped biochar (Nm-NBC) on the remediation of Cdcontaminated soil. The results showed that the biomass of soybean, pH, organic matter, and total nitrogen content of the Cd-contaminated soil significantly increased, and the available Cd in soil significantly reduced (P < 0.05) when CBC, NBC, and Nm-NBC were added. The effect was as follows: Nm-NBC > NBC > CBC; Nm-NBC had the best result. When 1% Nm-NBC added to the soil, the Cd content in beans reduced by 68.09%. BET, FTIR, XPS, and SEM were used to analyze the characteristics of Nm-NBC and its mechanisms in the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils. The results showed that Nm-NBC had larger specific surface area and abundant functional groups; -COOH and graphitic nitrogen in Nm-NBC can form Cd-O bond and Cd-π with Cd(II) in the soil. Therefore, Nm-NBC prepared by introducing nitrogen into biochar has a promising application in the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Effects of lactoprotein iron chelates on iron deficiency anaemia in rats / 预防医学

Objective@#To investigate the effects of lactoprotein iron chelates on rats with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), so as to provide insights into developing and utilizing novel iron supplements.@*Methods@#Seventy weaning female SPF-graded rats of the SD strain were randomly divided into the control group (A), model group (B), ferrous sulfate group (C), lactoferrin group (D), lactoferrin iron chelate group (E), Casein oligopeptide iron chelate group (F) and whey protein oligopeptide iron chelate group (G), with 10 rats in each group. The rats in group A were fed with normal diet, and the others were fed with poor iron diet for IDA modeling. The corresponding interventions were given by intragastric administration once a day. The iron ion concentrations of group C, E, F and G were 2.0 mg/kg, and the protein and oligopeptide concentrations of group D, E, F and G were 2 000 mg/kg. Body weight and hemoglobin of rats were measured weekly during 21-day intervention. At the end, peripheral blood samples were collected, and blood routine, iron metabolism and liver function indicators were determined. @*Results@#After the intervention, among blood routine indicators, the rats in group C, E, F and G showed elevated hemoglobin, red blood cell, mean corpuscular volume and hematocrit, and decreased free protoporphyrin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration when compared with the rats in group B (all P<0.05); among iron metabolism indicators, the rats in group C, E and G showed elevated serum ferritin, the rats in group C, E, F and G showed elevated serum iron, the rats in group C, D, E, F and G showed decreased unsaturated iron binding capacity and total iron binding capacity when compared with the rats in group B (all P<0.05); among liver function indicators, the rats in group E and G showed decreased alanine transaminase when compared with the rats in group B (both P<0.05). @*Conclusions@#Lactoprotein alone could not completely improve IDA in rats compared with traditional iron supplement (ferrous sulfate). Lactoprotein iron chelate, especially whey protein oligopeptide iron chelate, could significantly improve IDA, iron reserve and liver function damage in rats.

Microbial community roles and chemical mechanisms in the parasitic development of Orobanche cumana.

Orobanche cumana Wallr. is a holoparasite weed that extracts water and nutrients from its host the sunflower, thereby causing yield reductions and quality losses. However, the number of O. cumana parasites in the same farmland is distinctly different. The roots of some hosts have been heavily parasitized, while others have not been parasitized. What are the factors contributing to this phenomenon? Is it possible that sunflower interroot microorganisms are playing a regulatory role in this phenomenon? The role of the microbial community in this remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the rhizosphere soil microbiome for sunflowers with different degrees of O. cumana parasitism, that is, healthy, light infection, moderate infection, and severe infection on the sunflower roots. The microbial structures differed significantly according to the degree of parasitism, where Xanthomonadaceae was enriched in severe infections. Metagenomic analyses revealed that amino acid, carbohydrate, energy, and lipid metabolism were increased in the rhizosphere soils of severely infected sunflowers, which were attributed to the proliferation of Lysobacter. Lysobacter antibioticus (HX79) was isolated and its capacity to promote O. cumana seed germination and increase the germ tube length was confirmed by germination and pot experiments. Cyclo(Pro-Val), an active metabolite of strain HX79, was identified and metabolomic and molecular docking approaches confirmed it was responsible for promoting O. cumana seed germination and growth. And we found that Pseudomonas mandelii HX1 inhibited the growth of O. cumana in the host rhizosphere soil. Our findings clarify the role of rhizosphere microbiota in regulating the parasite O. cumana to possibly facilitate the development of a new weed suppression strategy.

Discovery of a Broad-Spectrum Fluorogenic Agonist for Strigolactone Receptors through a Computational Approach.

Strigolactones (SLs) are plant hormones that play various roles in plant physiology, including provoking the germination of parasitic weeds Orobanche and Striga. A family of α/ß-hydrolases have been proposed to be the SL receptor proteins. Effective assays for measuring the activity of SL receptors could promote the development of SL-related biology and chemistry. In this study, we developed a new approach called pharmacophore-linked probe virtual screening (PPVS). Its application yielded an effective "off-on" probe named Xilatone Red (XLR). This probe showed a broad spectrum and excellent sensitivity toward SL receptors, including ShD14 (Striga D14), for which the detection limit was determined to be in the micromolar range, outperforming that of the commercial fluorogenic agonist Yoshimulactone Green (YLG). Upon hydrolysis by SL receptors, XLR provided fluorogenic and colorimetric signaling responses. Furthermore, XLR could induce germination of Phelipanche aegyptiaca seeds and prevent Arabidopsis max4-1 branching defects at micromolar concentrations. Our molecular simulations revealed the essential factors in the molecular perception of XLR. We anticipate that this study can prompt the discovery of high-performance SL agonists/antagonists to combat parasitic weeds.

Influence of Rahnella aquatilis on arsenic accumulation by Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara for the phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated water.

Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara is a suitable submerged plant for the phytoremediation of As-contaminated water. Rahnella aquatilis is one of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Influences of R. aquatilis on the arsenic accumulation and detoxification of V. natans were investigated. The results showed that As accumulation by V. natans could be significantly improved after R. aquatilis inoculated at the lower level of As (< 2 mg/L). At 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L As levels, the As concentrations of V. natans with R. aquatilis were respectively 100.40%, 57.96%, and 22.62% higher than that of V. natans with no R. aquatilis. The concentration of As in V. natans was increased with the increasing the As concentration up to 1 mg/L, but it was decreased at 2 mg/L As. The correlation analysis showed that the As accumulated in the plant was positive correlated (R2 = 0.977, p < 0.01) with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) produced by R. aquatilis under different As levels. IAA may be the major factor affecting the As accumulation of V. natans. The results of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase, hydrogen peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase indicated that IAA produced by R. aquatilis had alleviated the arsenic stress on V. natans. The synthesis of IAA by R. aquatilis was related to the As levels. When the As was at 2 mg/L, the IAA that produced by R. aquatilis decreased and the promotion of R. aquatilis on As accumulation by V. natans reduced. However, R. aquatilis has a positive influence on the arsenic accumulation by V. natans at the lower As levels (< 2 mg/L), and it may be a potentially useful way to improve the removal of arsenic from contaminated water using submerged plants.

Oyster oligopeptide improving cyclophosphamide-induced partial androgen deficiency of the aging male by promotion of testosterone synthesis.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oyster oligopeptide (OOP) at different doses on testosterone secretion and its regulating mechanism in partial androgen deficiency syndrome of aging male. METHODS: The cyclophosphamide-induced partial androgen deficiency syndrome of the aging male rats were treated with a low, medium and high dose of OOP for 6 weeks. RESULTS: Cyclophosphamide could decrease levels of total testosterone and luteinizing hormone in serum, and testosterone and glutathione peroxidase in testis, and increase malondialdehyde, and downregulate the mRNA expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, steroidogenic acute regulatory-related lipid transfer domain 7 and P450 cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme in testis (P < 0.05). All these changes were reversed by OOP co-administration with different doses, although, OOP at a low dose did not increase serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone and testicular glutathione peroxidase levels. CONCLUSIONS: OOP treatment with different doses can effectively reduce oxidative stress in testicular tissue, promote the synthesis of testosterone and then prevent the formation of partial androgen deficiency syndrome of the aging male, with optimal effect at medium dose. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 268-275.

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles enhance cyanobactericidal effect of allelopathic p-hydroxybenzoic acid on Microcystis aeruginosa by enhancing hydroxyl radical production.

Recently, considerable progress has been made in the environmental application of nanotechnology. However, little is known about how nanomaterials might affect the cyanobacterial suppression potential of allelochemicals. In this study, a microcosm was employed to simulate and verify the effect of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (MFN) on the inhibitory influence of allelopathic hydroxybenzoic acid (p-Ha) on bloom-forming Microcystis aeruginosa. MFN had a hormetic effect on cyanobacterial growth. At a neutral concentration of 182 mg/L, MFN enhanced the algal suppression by p-Ha and decreased the IC50 by half, which was significantly and positively associated with the amount of OH. Furthermore, adding MFN induced a stronger physiological response than treatment with only p-Ha. The cellular integrity was severely disrupted for the cyanobacterium M. aeruginosa. The total protein content decreased rapidly to inactivate the algae by limiting the amounts of extracellular microcystin and polysaccharide released. The modification of the effect of p-Ha by MFN was reflected by the intracellular NO content of M. aeruginosa. In addition, the typical radical scavengers ascorbic acid and 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide decreased OH production to weaken algal suppression under the combined treatment with p-Ha and MFN. By contrast, the addition of Fe3+ and increasing the light intensity triggered the generation of OH and strong cyanobacterial suppression. Thus, MFN could enhance the cyanobacterial control efficiency of p-Ha and decrease the input of allelochemicals in the field. These findings suggest a novel mode of allelochemical modification by nanomaterials as a promising cyanobactericide for harmful algal bloom management.

Recent progress in sensing application of metal nanoarchitecture-enhanced fluorescence.

Fluorescence analytical methods, as real time and in situ analytical approaches to target analytes, can offer advantages of high sensitivity/selectivity, great versatility, non-invasive measurement and easy transmission over long distances. However, the conventional fluorescence assay still suffers from low specificity, insufficient sensitivity, poor reliability and false-positive responses. By exploiting various metal nanoarchitectures to manipulate fluorescence, both increased fluorescence quantum yield and improved photostability can be realized. This metal nanoarchitecture-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) phenomenon has been extensively studied and used in various sensors over the past years, which greatly improved their sensing performance. Thus in this review, we primarily give a general overview of MEF based sensors from mechanisms to state-of-the-art applications in environmental assays, biological/medical analysis and diagnosis areas. Finally, their pros and cons as well as further development directions are also discussed.

Some Physiological and Biochemical Mechanisms during Seed-to-Seedling Transition in Tomato as Influenced by Garlic Allelochemicals.

The effects of aqueous garlic extracts (AGEs), diallyl disulfide (DADS), and allicin (AAS) were investigated during seed-to-seedling transition of tomato. Independent bioassays were performed including seed priming with AGE (0, 100, and 200 µg∙mL-1), germination under the allelochemical influence of AGE, DADS, and AAS, and germination under volatile application of AGE. Noticeable differences in germination indices and seedling growth (particularly root growth and fresh weights) were observed in a dose-dependent manner. When germinated under 50 mM NaCl, seeds primed with AGE exhibited induced defense via antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT)), lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde content (MDA)), and H2O2 scavenging. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent analysis (ELISA) of the endogenous phytohormones auxin (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinin (ZR), and gibberellic acid (GA3) in the roots and shoots of the obtained seedlings and the relative expression levels of auxin-responsive protein (IAA2), like-auxin (LAX5), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK7 and MPK2), respiratory burst oxidase homolog (RBOH1), CHI3 and SODCC1 suggested allelopathic functions in stimulating growth responses. Our findings suggest that garlic allelochemicals act as plant biostimulants to enhance auxin biosynthesis and transportation, resulting in root growth promotion. Additionally, the relative expressions of defense-related genes, antioxidant enzymes activities and phytohormonal regulations indicate activation of the defense responses in tomato seedlings resulting in better growth and development. These results, thus, provide a basis to understand the biological functions of garlic allelochemicals from the induced resistance perspective in plants.

Improved adsorption and degradation performance by S-doping of (001)-TiO2.

In this work, sulfur-doped (S-doped) TiO2 with the (001) face exposed was synthesized by thermal chemical vapor deposition at 180 or 250 °C using S/Ti molar ratios R S/Ti of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The S-doped samples synthesized at 250 °C exhibit a significantly improved photocatalytic performance. More precisely, S-doping has the following effects on the material: (1) S can adopt different chemical states in the samples. Specifically, it exists in the form of S2- replacing O2- at a ratio of R S/Ti = 1 and also in the form of S6+ replacing Ti4+ at R S/Ti ≥ 2. As a result, S-doping causes a lattice distortion, because the ionic radii of S2- and S6+ differ from that of the O2- and Ti4+ ions. (2) S-doping increases the adsorption coefficient A e for methylene blue (MB) from 0.9% to 68.5% due to the synergistic effects of the oxygen vacancies, increased number of surface chemical adsorption centers as a result of SO4 2- adsorption on the TiO2 surface and the larger pore size. (3) S-doping increases the MB degradation rate from 6.9 × 10-2 min-1 to 18.2 × 10-2 min-1 due to an increase in the amount of •OH and •O2- radicals.