Zinc regulation of chlorophyll fluorescence and carbohydrate metabolism in saline-sodic stressed rice seedlings.

Saline-sodic stress can limit the absorption of available zinc in rice, subsequently impacting the normal photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism of rice plants. To investigate the impact of exogenous zinc application on photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in rice grown in saline-sodic soil, this study simulated saline-sodic stress conditions using two rice varieties, 'Changbai 9' and 'Tonghe 899', as experimental materials. Rice seedlings at 4 weeks of age underwent various treatments including control (CT), 2 µmol·L-1 zinc treatment alone (Z), 50 mmol·L-1 saline-sodic treatment (S), and 50 mmol·L-1 saline-sodic treatment with 2 µmol·L-1 zinc (Z + S). We utilized JIP-test to analyze the variations in excitation fluorescence and MR820 signal in rice leaves resulting from zinc supplementation under saline-sodic stress, and examined the impact of zinc supplementation on carbohydrate metabolism in both rice leaves and roots under saline-sodic stress. Research shows that zinc increased the chloroplast pigment content, specific energy flow, quantum yield, and performance of active PSII reaction centers (PIABS), as well as the oxidation (VOX) and reduction rate (Vred) of PSI in rice leaves under saline-sodic stress. Additionally, it decreased the relative variable fluorescence (WK and VJ) and quantum energy dissipation yield (φDO) of the rice. Meanwhile, zinc application can reduce the content of soluble sugars and starch in rice leaves and increasing the starch content in the roots. Therefore, the addition of zinc promotes electron and energy transfer in the rice photosystem under saline-sodic stress. It enhances rice carbohydrate metabolism, improving the rice plants' ability to withstand saline-sodic stress and ultimately promoting rice growth and development.

Hedan tablet ameliorated non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by moderating NF-κB and lipid metabolism-related pathways via regulating hepatic metabolites.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of fatty liver disease. If not treated, it can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and even liver cancer. However, advances in treatment have remained relatively slow, and there is thus an urgent need to develop appropriate treatments. Hedan tablet (HDP) is used to treat metabolic syndrome. However, scientific understanding of the therapeutic effect of HDP on NASH remains limited. We used HDP to treat a methionine/choline-deficient diet-induced model of NASH in rats to elucidate the therapeutic effects of HDP on liver injury. In addition, we used untargeted metabolomics to investigate the effects of HDP on metabolites in liver of NASH rats, and further validated its effects on inflammation and lipid metabolism following screening for potential target pathways. HDP had considerable therapeutic, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects on NASH. HDP could also alter the hepatic metabolites changed by NASH. Moreover, HDP considerable moderated NF-κB and lipid metabolism-related pathways. The present study found that HDP had remarkable therapeutic effects in NASH rats. The therapeutic efficacy of HDP in NASH mainly associated with regulation of NF-κB and lipid metabolism-related pathways via arachidonic acid metabolism, glycine-serine-threonine metabolism, as well as steroid hormone biosynthesis.

YIQIFUMAI INJECTION AMELIORATED SEPSIS-INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY BY INHIBITION OF FERROPTOSIS VIA XCT/GPX4 AXIS.

ABSTRACT: Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy ( SIC ) is a distinct form of myocardial injury that disrupts tissue perfusion and stands as the significant cause of mortality among sepsis patients. Currently, effective preventive or treatment strategies for SIC are lacking. YiQiFuMai injection (YQFM), composed of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl., and Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., is widely used in China to treat cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, and SIC . Research has shown that YQFM can improve cardiac function and alleviate heart failure through multiple pathways. Nevertheless, the mechanisms through which YQFM exerts its effects on SIC remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we firstly investigated the therapeutic effects of YQFM on a SIC rat model and explored its effects on myocardial ferroptosis in vivo. Then, LPS-induced myocardial cell death model was used to evaluate the effects of YQFM on ferroptosis and xCT/GPX4 axis in vitro . Furthermore, using GPX4 inhibitors, we aimed to verify whether YQFM improved cardiomyocyte ferroptosis through the xCT/GPX4 axis. The results showed that YQFM was effective in alleviating myocardial injury in septic model rats. Besides, the concentrations of iron and the levels of lipid peroxidation-related factors (ROS, MDA, and 4-HNE) were significantly decreased and the expression of xCT/GPX4 axis was upregulated in SIC rats after YQFM treatment. In vitro studies also showed that YQFM alleviated iron overload and lipid peroxidation and activated xCT/GPX4 axis in LPS-induced myocardial cell death model. Moreover, GPX4 inhibitor could abolish the effects above. In summary, the study highlights the regulatory effect of YQFM in mitigating myocardial injury. It probably achieves this ameliorative effect by enhancing xCT/GPX4 axis and further reducing ferroptosis.

Nitrogen fertilization application strategies improve yield of the rice cultivars with different yield types by regulating phytohormones.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important food crop worldwide, and its sustainable development is essential to ensure global food security. Panicle morphological and physiological characteristics plays an important role in rice yield formation. However, under different nitrogen (N) fertilization strategies, it is not clear whether the morphological and physiological state of panicles at panicle development stage affects the formation of yield. To understand how the panicle differentiation and development, and grain yield are affected by the N fertilization strategies, and clarify the relationship between related traits and yield in the process of panicle development in different cultivars. In this study consisted of no N fertilizer and four N fertilization strategies, a panicle weight type (PWT) rice cultivar, Dongfu 114 (DF114) and a panicle number type (PNT) rice cultivar, Longdao 11 (LD11) were grown in the field. The results showed that N fertilization strategies could improve the nitrogen use efficiency and yield of rice, but the response of different rice varieties to N fertilizer strategies was different. Different from the DF114, the further increase of panicle N fertilizer ratio could not further improve the yield of LD11, and the highest grain yield of DF114 and LD11 was obtained under N4 and N3 conditions, respectively. In addition, this study found that N fertilizer strategies can affect the content of phytohormones in rice at the panicle differentiation stage, and then regulate the differentiation and development of rice panicles to affect yield. It is of great significance to optimize the application mode of N fertilizer according to the characteristics of varieties to improve rice yield and ensure food security.

Exploring the role and mechanism of gut microbiota in methamphetamine addiction using antibiotic treatment followed by fecal microbiota transplantation.

Recently, the role of the gut microbiota in the context of drug addiction has attracted the attention of researchers; however, the specific effects and underlying mechanisms require further exploration. To accomplish this, C57BL/6 mice were firstly treated with methamphetamine (MA). Conditioned place preference (CPP) behavior changes, gut permeability and function, microglial activation, and inflammatory cytokine expression were systematically analyzed in antibiotics-treated mice with microbiota depletion and in fecal microbiota transplantation mice with microbiota reconstitution. MA treatment altered microbiota composition and caused gut dysbiosis. Depletion of gut microbiota with antibiotics inhibited MA-induced CPP formation, and fecal microbiota transplantation reversed this inhibition. Mechanistic analyses indicated that antibiotic treatment decreased gut permeability and neuroinflammation, while fecal microbiota transplantation offset the impact of antibiotic treatment. Additionally, MA-induced microglial activation was suppressed by antibiotics but restored by microbiota transplantation, and this correlated well with the CPP score. Compared to antibiotic treatment, microbiota transplantation significantly increased 5-HT4 receptor expression in both the nucleus accumbens and the hippocampus. Furthermore, when fecal microbiota from healthy mice was transplanted into MA-treated mice, the CPP scores decreased. Our results provide a novel avenue for understanding MA addiction and suggest a potential future intervention strategy.

Acidic Metal-Based Functional Ionic Liquids Catalyze the Synthesis of Bio-Based PEF Polyester.

Utilizing triethylenediamine (DA), 1,3-propanesultone (PS), whose ring opens during the formation of the dizwiterion-intermediate DA-2PS, and the metal chlorides XCly, where X = Sn(IV), Zn(II),Al(III), Fe(III) and Mn(II), are used for the synthesis of five kinds of acidic metal-based functionalized ionic liquid catalysts ([DA-2PS][XCly]2). Their chemical structures, thermal stability and dual acidic active site were analyzed. We investigated the performance of [DA-2PS][XCly]2 in catalyzing the esterification reaction between 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and ethylene glycol (EG) to synthesize poly (ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate)(PEF). Among the catalysts tested, [DA-2PS][SnCl5]2 exhibited the best catalytic performance under identical process parameters, and the optimal catalyst dosage was determined to be 0.05 mol% based on FDCA. The optimal conditions for the reaction were predicted using response surface methodology: a feed ratio of EG:FDCA = 1.96:1, an esterification temperature of 219.86 °C, a polycondensation temperature of 240.04 °C and a polycondensation time of 6.3 h, with a intrinsic viscosity of 0.67 dL·g-1. The resulting PEF was experimentally verified to exhibit an intrinsic viscosity of 0.68 dL·g-1 and a number average molecular weight of 28,820 g·mol-1. Finally, the structure and thermal properties of PEF were characterized. The results confirmed that PEF possessed the correct structure, exhibited high thermal stability and demonstrated excellent thermal properties.

Research and progress of chemical depolymerization of waste PET and high-value application of its depolymerization products.

PET (polyethylene terephthalate) has good transparency, corrosion resistance, gas barrier properties and mechanical properties, and is widely used in beverage bottles, fabrics, food packaging, tires, films, engineering plastics and other fields. With the rapid growth in demand and use of PET materials, the pollution of waste PET to the environment has become increasingly prominent. The recycling methods of waste PET mainly include primary recycling, mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and energy recycling. The chemical recycling method is of great significance for solving environmental problems and reducing the plastic industry's dependence on petrochemical resources, and is an inevitable choice for realizing PET closed-loop recycling. In this paper, the chemical depolymerization methods of waste PET, the types of alcoholysis catalysts with the greatest possibility of industrialization, and the high-value application research of chemical recovery products are reviewed in order to have a good reference significance and promote the recycling and high-value utilization of waste PET.

A case of unilateral recurrent cerebral cortical encephalitis with anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an independent inflammatory demyelinating disease. A rare phenotype of MOGAD is cerebral cortical encephalitis (CCE). This case report presents unilateral recurrent cerebral cortical encephalitis (CCE) with positive anti-MOG antibodies from a 55 year old man who was admitted with headache, fever and aphasia. This case highlights the findings of hyperintense lesions in the cortex of the right temporal gyrus with slight swelling on T2 FLAIR and anti MOG antibodies in serum (1:20) and CSF (1:80) when the patient presented again to hospital after the initial improvement with IVIG and glucocorticoids. In addition, the patient was found to have atrophy of the whole brain, especially the right temporal lobe, after becoming symptom-free with glucocorticoids. In summary, anti-MOG-associated CCE can be diagnosed with headache, fever, and seizures associated with the presence of anti-MOG antibodies. Unilateral CCE is a special clinical feature of MOGAD and cerebral atrophy can be found. Steroid therapy remains to be the standard treatment.

Evaluating contributions of urbanization and global climate change to urban land surface temperature change: a case study in Lagos, Nigeria.

This study develops a general method to evaluate the contributions of localized urbanization and global climate change to long-term urban land surface temperature (ULST) change. The method is based on the understanding that long-term annual ULST is controlled by three factors: (1) localized urbanization, (2) global climate change, and (3) interannual climate variation. Then the method removes the interannual climate fluctuations on long-term observed LST time series via linear regression and separates the contributions of urbanization and climate change to the impacts on long-term ULST via urban-rural comparison. The method is applied to Lagos, a fast-growing metropolis in the tropical West Africa, as an example for reference. Combined time-series daily daytime and nighttime MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) data over the years of 2003-2021 are used as the representation of land surface temperature. To avoid the potentioal interannual data biase due to uneven availability of data in the rainy seasons over years, only MODIS LST data from dry seasons are used in the study. The results are summarized as follows for Lagos: (1) long-term annual ULST is confirmed to be controlled by the three factors; (2) the proposed method can separate the contribution of the three factors to the ULST; (2) both localized urbanization and global warming are verified to contribute to the ULST increase with positive trends; (3) daytime ULST increased the most in the afternoon time at a mean rate of 1.429 °C per decade, with 0.985 °C (10 year)-1 contributed by urbanization and 0.444 °C (10 year)-1 contributed by climate warming; (4) nighttime ULST in Lagos increased the most after midnight at a rate of 0.563 °C (10 year)-1, with 0.56 °C (10 year)-1 contributed by urbanization and 0.003 °C (10 year)-1 contributed by climate warming; and (5) urbanization is generally responsible for around 60.97% of the urban warming in Lagos. Therefore, the increasing urbaniztion-induced urban heat island effect is the major cause for more heat-related health risks and climate extremes that many urban residents are suffering. The results of this study are of useful reference for both urbanization and climate change related issues in the geo-science field.

Celastrol attenuates 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity by regulating the miR-146a/PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways in differentiated rat pheochromocytoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disorder. Recently, celastrol (Cel) has been reported to have neuroprotective properties. We investigated the protective effects of Cel on PD in a cell model with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells and further addressed the underlying protective mechanisms of Cel. METHODS: PC12 cells were treated with 6-OHDA, and Cel was added to the medium at various concentrations. The CCK-8 assay, Hoechst/PI staining, and flow cytometry analysis were performed to detect cellular viability and apoptosis. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was examined by JC-1 staining. ROS level was quantified by ROS staining. The effects of Cel on the expression of miR-146a and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway were then clarified using real-time PCR and Western blotting. Moreover, a miR-146a mimic was synthesized and transfected into PC12 cells to further determine the mechanisms of Cel's neuronal protection against 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity. RESULTS: Cel greatly improved cell viability and lessened apoptosis. Flow cytometry showed that Cel especially inhibited early apoptosis. Cel also obviously restored the MMP and decreased ROS level destroyed by 6-OHDA. Moreover, 6-OHDA increased the expression of miR-146a and decreased pAkt/mTOR protein levels, whereas Cel reversed these changes. In particular, miR-146a targeted and inhibited the expression of PI3K, an upstream molecule of Akt/mTOR. Transfection of 6-OHDA-treated neurons with miR-146a mimic notably attenuated Cel's protective effects. LIMITATIONS: There were no animal experiments in our study. CONCLUSIONS: Cel exerts neuroprotective activity against 6-OHDA-caused neurotoxicity by regulating miR-146a/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which provides a potential application of Cel for treating neurodegenerative diseases.

Near-real-time MODIS-derived vegetation index data products and online services for CONUS based on NASA LANCE.

This paper describes a set of Near-Real-Time (NRT) Vegetation Index (VI) data products for the Conterminous United States (CONUS) based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from Land, Atmosphere Near-real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE), an openly accessible NASA NRT Earth observation data repository. The data set offers a variety of commonly used VIs, including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Mean-referenced Vegetation Condition Index (MVCI), Ratio to Median Vegetation Condition Index (RMVCI), and Ratio to previous-year Vegetation Condition Index (RVCI). LANCE enables the NRT monitoring of U.S. cropland vegetation conditions within 24 hours of observation. With more than 20 years of observations, this continuous data set enables geospatial time series analysis and change detection in many research fields such as agricultural monitoring, natural resource conservation, environmental modeling, and Earth system science. The complete set of VI data products described in the paper is openly distributed via Web Map Service (WMS) and Web Coverage Service (WCS) as well as the VegScape web application ( https://nassgeodata.gmu.edu/VegScape/ ).

Non-invasive brain stimulation associated mirror therapy for upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background: Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques and mirror therapy (MT) are promising rehabilitation measures for stroke. While the combination of MT and NIBS has been employed for post-stroke upper limb motor functional rehabilitation, its effectiveness has not been examined. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combined MT and NIBS in the recovery of upper limb motor function in stroke patients. Methods: The search was carried out in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, CNKI, WANFANG and VIP until December 2021. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing MT or NIBS alone with the combination of NIBS and MT in improving upper extremity motor recovery after stroke were selected. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate the mean differences (MD) or the standard mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with random-effect models. Subgroup analyses were also conducted according to the types of control group, the types of NIBS, stimulation timing and phase poststroke. Results: A total of 12 articles, including 17 studies with 628 patients, were reviewed in the meta-analysis. In comparison with MT or NIBS alone, the combined group significantly improved body structure and function (MD = 5.97; 95% CI: 5.01-6.93; P < 0.05), activity levels (SMD = 0.82; 95% CI 0.61-1.02; P < 0.05). For cortical excitability, the motor evoked potential cortical latency (SMD = -1.05; 95% CI:-1.57--0.52; P < 0.05) and the central motor conduction time (SMD=-1.31 95% CI:-2.02--0.61; P < 0.05) of the combined group were significantly shortened. A non-significant homogeneous summary effect size was found for MEP amplitude (SMD = 0.47; 95%CI = -0.29 to 1.23; P = 0.23). Subgroup analysis showed that there is an interaction between the stimulation sequence and the combined treatment effect. Conclusion: In this meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, in comparison to the control groups, MT combined with NIBS promoted the recovery of upper extremity motor function after stroke, which was reflected in the analysis of body structure and function, activity levels, and cortical excitability. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022304455.

Effect of different concentrations of foliar iron fertilizer on chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of iron-deficient rice seedlings under saline sodic conditions.

The effectiveness of iron is reduced in saline conditions, which can easily lead to iron deficiency and inhibit photosynthesis in rice. In this study, 4-week-old Fe-deficient rice seedlings were treated under saline sodic stress (50 mM) to different concentrations (0, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.6%, and 3.2%) of foliar iron fertilizer (FeEDDHA). Differences in prompting fluorescence and the MR820 signal of rice leaves after 7 days of treatment were probed using the JIP-test. The results show that the performances of the two rice varieties were in general agreement. Under iron deficiency and soda salinity stress conditions, rice growth was inhibited, and the pigment content, specific energy flux, quantum yield, performance of the active PSII reaction center (PIABS) and the oxidation (Vox) and reduction rates (Vred) of PSI were reduced. These indicators first increase and then decrease with increasing iron fertiliser concentrations. The best results were obtained with the Fe3 treatment (0.8%). Fluorescence parameters such as the relative variable fluorescence (WK and VJ) and the quantum yield of energy dissipation (φDo) showed opposite trends. This suggests that iron deficiency/excess and soda saline stress disrupt the electron and energy transport in the photosystem. Appropriate iron fertilization concentration can repair the photosynthetic electron transport chain, improve electron transport efficiency and promote balanced energy distribution. Therefore, we suggest that moderate amounts of Fe are beneficial for improving the electron and energy transport properties of the photosystem, while spraying high concentrations of Fe fertilizer has a negative effect on improving salt tolerance in rice.

Er-Chen Decoction Alleviates High-Fat Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats through Remodeling Gut Microbiota and Regulating the Serum Metabolism.

Many studies have found that the dysfunction in gut microbiota and the metabolic dysfunction can promote nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development. Er-Chen decoction (EC) can be used in the treatment of NAFLD. However, the mechanism of this hepatoprotection is still unknown. In this study, we constructed a rat model with NAFLD fed with high-fat chow and administered EC treatment. The therapeutic effects of EC on NAFLD were evaluated by measuring transaminases, blood lipid levels, and pathological changes in the liver. In addition, we measured the effects of EC on liver inflammatory response and oxidative stress. The changes in gut microbiota after EC treatment were studied using 16S rRNA sequencing. Serum untargeted metabolomics analysis was also used to study the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of EC on NAFLD. The results showed that EC decreased the serum transaminases and lipid levels and improved the pathological changes in NAFLD rats. Furthermore, EC enhanced the activities of SOD and GSH-Px and decreased MDA level in the liver. EC treatment also decreased the gene and protein levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in the liver and serum. The 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics indicated that EC treatment affected the gut microbiota and regulated serum metabolism. Correlation analysis showed that the effects of EC on taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and vitamin B6 metabolism pathways were associated with affecting in the abundance of Lactobacillus, Dubosiella, Lachnospiraceae, Desulfovibri, Romboutsia, Akkermansia, Intestinimonas, and Candidatus_saccharimonas in the gut. In conclusion, our study confirmed the protective effect of EC on NAFLD. EC could treat NAFLD by inhibiting oxidative stress, reducing inflammatory responses, and improving the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and the modulation of the taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and vitamin B6 metabolism pathways in serum.

Effect of Jiangan-Jiangzhi Pill on Gut Microbiota and Chronic Inflammatory Response in Rats with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease with high rates of occurrence. Research has found that NAFLD patients experience varying degrees of intestinal flora imbalance. There is evidence that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) positively regulates imbalances in the gut microbiota caused by liver diseases. Jiangan-Jiangzhi pill (JGJZ) is a common Chinese remedy that can treat NAFLD clinically. This article investigates how JGJZ affects NAFLD and assesses related changes in the intestinal flora. We established a NAFLD rat model by feeding them a high-fat diet (HFD) and gave different interventions. After twelve weeks, the results revealed that JGJZ decreased the total cholesterol, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase in the serum of NAFLD rats. Histopathological staining demonstrated that JGJZ relieved cellular fat accumulation in the liver. Inflammatory cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α) were down-regulated. Analysis of 16S rRNA demonstrated that JGJZ changed the community compositional structure of gut microbiota, characterized by a decrease in the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio, and increased gut microbiota diversity and the abundance of dominant groups. Accordingly, our study illustrated that JGJZ exerted a better effect in treating HFD-induced NAFLD, which may be closely related to ameliorating gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Validation and refinement of cropland data layer using a spatial-temporal decision tree algorithm.

Space-based crop identification and acreage estimation have played a significant role in agricultural studies in recent years, due to the development of Remote Sensing technology. The Cropland Data Layer (CDL), which was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been widely used in agricultural studies and achieved massive success in recent years. Although the CDL's accuracy assessments report high overall accuracy on various crops classifications, misclassification is still common and easy to discern from visual inspection. This study is aimed to identify and resolve inaccurate crop classification in CDL. A decision tree method was employed to find questionable pixels and refine them with spatial and temporal crop information. The refined data was then evaluated with high-resolution satellite images and official acreage estimates from USDA. Two validation experiments were also developed to examine the data at both the pixel and county level. Data generated from this research was published online in two repositories, while both applications allow users to download the entire dataset at no cost.

PEGylation and antioxidant effects of a human glutathione peroxidase 1 mutant.

Human glutathione peroxidase1 (hGPx1) is a good antioxidant and potential drug, but the limited availability and poor stability of hGPx1 have affected its development and application. To solve this problem, we prepared a hGPx1 mutant (GPx1M) with high activity in an Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)cys auxotrophic strain using a single protein production (SPP) system. In this study, the GPx1M was conjugated with methoxypolyethylene glycol-succinimidyl succinate (SS-mPEG, Mw = 5 kDa) chains to enhance its stability. SS-mPEG-GPx1M and GPx1M exhibited similar enzymatic activity and stability toward pH and temperature change, and in a few cases, SS-mPEG-GPx1M was discovered to widen the range of pH stability and increase the temperature stability. Lys 38 was confirmed as PEGylated site by liquid-mass spectrometry. H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to evaluate the effects of GPx1M and SS-mPEG-GPx1M on preventing or alleviating adriamycin (ADR)-mediated cardiotoxicity, respectively. The results indicated that GPx1M and SS-mPEG-GPx1M had good antioxidant effects in vitro and in vivo, and the effect of SS-mPEG-GPx1M is more prominent than GPx1M in vivo. Thus, PEGylation might be a promising method for the application of GPx1M as an important antioxidant and potential drug.

The Re2Sn2O7 (Re = Nd, Sm, Gd) on the enhancement of fire safety and physical performance of Polyolefin/IFR cable materials.

Polyolefin (PO) cables used in confined spaces need to have low smoke, low heat release, low toxic gas release and excellent physical properties. In this work, a series of rare earth stannates Re2Sn2O7 (RES, Re = Nd, Sm, Gd) with high temperature catalytic performance were prepared by hydrothermal method for synergistic flame retardant PO/IFR. The flame retardancy, heat release, smoke density, toxic gas release and physical properties of PO composites were thoroughly studied in detail. The RES could enhance the vertical burning rating and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of PO/IFR composites. Moreover, the residual char of the thermogravimetric analysis increased from 9.7% to 11.4 wt% after the RES added in PO/IFR system. Interestingly, the PO/IFR system containing Gd2Sn2O7 exhibits the lowest peak heat release rate of 233.7 kW/m2. Excellent flame resistance due to the formation of a complete and compact protective char layer. In addition, the toxic release of PO during combustion is also effectively reduced by introducing the RES. The tube furnace combustion test shows that the emission of carbon oxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) of PO/IFR/Gd2Sn2O7 are the lowest. It can be attributed to the catalytic effect of rare earth elements and the blocking effect of the dense char layer. In addition, compared with the PO/IFR composites, the PO/IFR/RES system demonstrate higher mechanical properties and volume resistivity. Therefore, the addition of RES has a positive effect on improving the physical properties and fire safety properties of the PO/IFR cable composites, especially suitable for using in confined spaces.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Ganshuang Granules Attenuate CCl4 -Induced Hepatic Fibrosis by Modulating Gut Microbiota.

Gut dysbiosis contributes to hepatic fibrosis. Emerging evidence revealed the major role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in gut microbiota homeostasis. Here, we aimed to investigate the anti-fibrotic activity and underlying mechanism of ganshuang granules (GS), particularly regarding gut microbiota homeostasis. CCl4 -induced hepatic fibrosis models were allocated into 4 groups receiving normal saline (model), 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 g/kg GS for 5 weeks. As result, GS treatment alleviated liver injury in CCl4 -induced hepatic fibrosis, presenting as decreases of the liver index, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate transaminase. Histological staining and expression revealed that the enhanced oxidative stress, inflammatory and hepatic fibrosis in CCl4 -induced models were attenuated by GS. Immunohistochemical staining showed that tight junction-associated proteins in intestinal mucosa were up-regulated by GS. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that GS rebalanced the gut dysbiosis manifested as improving alpha and beta diversity of gut microbiota, reducing the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, and regulating the relative abundance of various bacteria. In summary, GS decreased the intestinal permeability and rebalanced the gut microbiota to reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation, eventually attenuating CCl4 -induced hepatic fibrosis.

Nano-Gold PCR in Detection of TERT Methylation and Its Correlation with Hepatitis B-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

This study aimed to introduce nano-gold PCR for detection of TERT methylation, and explore the correlation between TERT methylation and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). From March 2016 to March 2018, 154 HBV carriers treated in our hospital were enrolled in the study and divided into HCC (68 cases), cirrhosis (45 cases) and chronic hepatitis (CH) groups (41 cases) based on clinical disease. HCC patients were further divided into methylation (30 cases) and non-methylation (38 cases) subgroup based on methylation status of the TERT. TERT methylation of HCC specimens were 44.12% and 35.24% by nano-PCR and conventional PCR, respectively. The TERT methylation and TERT expression in HCC specimens were higher than for cirrhosis and CH specimens. A significant positive correlation was observed between TERT methylation and TERT expression. AFP, Edmondson classification, tumor size, hilar lymph node and intrahepatic metastasis, and TNM staging in the methylation group were higher than in non-methylation group. Further, overall survival and progression-free survival were significantly shorter. Nano-gold PCR is more sensitive in detecting TERT methylation. As CHB progresses, TERT methylation increases. Greater methylation of the gene is associated with worse prognosis in HCC patients.