Transcriptional regulation and post-translational modifications in the glycolytic pathway for targeted cancer therapy.

Cancer cells largely rely on aerobic glycolysis or the Warburg effect to generate essential biomolecules and energy for their rapid growth. The key modulators in glycolysis including glucose transporters and enzymes, e.g. hexokinase 2, enolase 1, pyruvate kinase M2, lactate dehydrogenase A, play indispensable roles in glucose uptake, glucose consumption, ATP generation, lactate production, etc. Transcriptional regulation and post-translational modifications (PTMs) of these critical modulators are important for signal transduction and metabolic reprogramming in the glycolytic pathway, which can provide energy advantages to cancer cell growth. In this review we recapitulate the recent advances in research on glycolytic modulators of cancer cells and analyze the strategies targeting these vital modulators including small-molecule inhibitors and microRNAs (miRNAs) for targeted cancer therapy. We focus on the regulation of the glycolytic pathway at the transcription level (e.g., hypoxia-inducible factor 1, c-MYC, p53, sine oculis homeobox homolog 1, N6-methyladenosine modification) and PTMs (including phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, etc.) of the key regulators in these processes. This review will provide a comprehensive understanding of the regulation of the key modulators in the glycolytic pathway and might shed light on the targeted cancer therapy at different molecular levels.

Clinical guideline on magnetically controlled capsule gastroscopy (2021 edition).

With the development and generalization of endoscopic technology and screening, clinical application of magnetically controlled capsule gastroscopy (MCCG) has been increasing. In recent years, various types of MCCG are used globally. Therefore, establishing relevant guidelines on MCCG is of great significance. The current guidelines containing 23 statements were established based on clinical evidence and expert opinions, mainly focus on aspects including definition and diagnostic accuracy, application population, technical optimization, inspection process, and quality control of MCCG. The level of evidence and strength of recommendations were evaluated. The guidelines are expected to guide the standardized application and scientific innovation of MCCG for the reference of clinicians.

A Novel Manner of Anchoring Cobalt Phthalocyanine on Edge-Defected Carbon for Highly Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

Cobalt phthalocyanine anchored on carbon material has attracted an enormous amount of attention due to its superior performance in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. However, the interaction between cobalt phthalocyanine and the carbon substrate remains problematic, and the role of intrinsic carbon defects is unfortunately ignored in the anchoring of cobalt phthalocyanine on carbon. Herein, new interactions between the bridging N atoms of cobalt phthalocyanine and the edge defects of carbon have been discovered, which result in a novel model of anchoring of cobalt phthalocyanine on ketjen black carbon. Such anchored cobalt phthalocyanine has been found to be responsible for superior catalysis for electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO with high selectivity and low overpotential.

[The influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents: the mediating role of emotional neglect]. / å®¶åº­ç»“æž„å¯¹é’å°‘å¹´æŠ‘éƒå’Œç„¦è™‘ç—‡çŠ¶çš„å½±å“ï¼šæƒ æ„Ÿå¿½è§†çš„ä¸­ä»‹ä½œç”¨.

OBJECTIVES: To study the influence of family structure on depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and its mechanism. METHODS: The cluster sampling method was used to select the students from seven middle schools in Shanghai, China. An online questionnaire survey was conducted using a self-made general status questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Children's Depression Inventory, and Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The methods including one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, binary logistic regression analysis, and mediating effect analysis were used to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and the difference in childhood trauma and its mediating effect. RESULTS: Compared with the adolescents from nuclear families, the adolescents from three-generation lineal families had a lower risk of depression symptoms (OR=0.794, 95%CI: 0.649-0.972, P<0.05), while those from host families had a higher risk of depression symptoms (OR=4.548, 95%CI: 1.113-18.580, P<0.05). The adolescents from inter-generational families and host families had a significantly higher score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire subscale of emotional neglect (P<0.05). Emotional neglect played a mediating role in the influence of inter-generational families and host families on depression symptoms in adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Parents and grandparents have a certain positive effect in family structures. Separation from parents may make adolescents perceive more emotional neglect, which may increase the occurrence of depression symptoms.

Evaluation of a new method of calculating breast tumor volume based on automated breast ultrasound.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and advantages of a new method for calculating breast tumor volume based on an automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS). Methods: A total of 42 patients (18-70 years old) with breast lesions were selected for this study. The Ivenia ABUS 2.0 (General Electric Company, USA) was used, with a probe frequency of 6-15 MHz. Adobe Photoshop CS6 software was used to calculate the pixel ratio of each ABUS image, and to draw an outline of the tumor cross-section. The resulting area (in pixels) was multiplied by the pixel ratio to yield the area of the tumor cross-section. The Wilcoxon signed rank test and Bland-Altman plot were used to compare mean differences and mean values, respectively, between the two methods. Results: There was no significant difference between the tumor volumes calculated by pixel method as compared to the traditional method (P>0.05). Repeated measurements of the same tumor volume were more consistent with the pixel method. Conclusion: The new pixel method is feasible for measuring breast tumor volume and has good validity and measurement stability.

The combination of creatine kinase-myocardial band isoenzyme and point-of-care cardiac troponin/ contemporary cardiac troponin for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains challenging, especially for institutions without the high-sensitive cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) assay. Herein, we aim to assess the value of creatine kinase-myocardial band isoenzyme (CK-MB) combined with different cardiac troponin (cTn) assays in AMI diagnosis. METHODS: This multicenter, observational study included 3,706 patients with acute chest pain from September 1, 2015, to September 30, 2017. We classified the participants into three groups according to the cTn assays: the point-of-care cTn (POC-cTn) group, the contemporary cTn (c-cTn) group, and hs-cTn group. The diagnostic value was quantified using sensitivity and the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: Compared to the single POC-cTn/c-cTn assays, combining CK-MB and POC-cTn/c-cTn increased the diagnostic sensitivity of AMI (56.1% vs. 63.9%, P<0.001; 82.7% vs. 84.3%, P=0.025). In contrast, combining CK-MB and hs-cTn did not change the sensitivity compared with hs-cTn alone (95.0% vs. 95.0%, P>0.999). In the subgroup analysis, the sensitivity of combining CK-MB and c-cTn increased with time from symptom onset <6 h compared with c-cTn alone (72.8% vs. 75.0%, P=0.046), while the sensitivity did not increase with time from symptom onset >6 h (97.5% vs. 98.3%, P=0.317). The AUC of the combination of CK-MB and POC-cTn significantly increased compared to the single POC-cTn assay (0.776 vs. 0.750, P=0.002). The AUC of the combined CK-MB and c-cTn/hs-cTn assays did not significantly decrease compared with that of the single c-cTn/hs-cTn assays within 6 h. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of CK-MB and POC-cTn or c-cTn may be valuable for the early diagnosis of AMI, especially when hs-cTn is not available.

Genome-wide TCP transcription factors analysis provides insight into their new functions in seasonal and diurnal growth rhythm in Pinus tabuliformis.

BACKGROUND: Pinus tabuliformis adapts to cold climate with dry winter in northern China, serving as important commercial tree species. The TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, and PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR family(TCP)transcription factors were found to play a role in the circadian clock system in Arabidopsis. However, the role of TCP transcription factors in P. tabuliformis remains little understood. RESULTS: In the present study, 43 TCP genes were identified from P. tabuliformis genome database. Based on the phylogeny tree and sequence similarity, the 43 TCP genes were classified into four groups. The motif results showed that different subfamilies indeed contained different motifs. Clade II genes contain motif 1, clade I genes contain motif 1, 8, 10 and clade III and IV contain more motifs, which is consistent with our grouping results. The structural analysis of PtTCP genes showed that most PtTCPs lacked introns. The distribution of clade I and clade II on the chromosome is relatively scattered, while clade III and clade IV is relatively concentrated. Co-expression network indicated that PtTCP2, PtTCP12, PtTCP36, PtTCP37, PtTCP38, PtTCP41 and PtTCP43 were co-expressed with clock genes in annual cycle and their annual cycle expression profiles both showed obvious seasonal oscillations. PtTCP2, PtTCP12, PtTCP37, PtTCP38, PtTCP40, PtTCP41, PtTCP42 and PtTCP43 were co-expressed with clock genes in diurnal cycle. Only the expression of PtTCP42 showed diurnal oscillation. CONCLUSIONS: The TCP gene family, especially clade II, may play an important role in the regulation of the season and circadian rhythm of P. tabuliformis. In addition, the low temperature in winter may affect the diurnal oscillations.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase adjusts neutrophils recruitment and chemotaxis in Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis.

AIM: To explore the effect of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) on recruitment and chemotaxis function of neutrophils in Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) keratitis. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice models of A. fumigatus keratitis were established by inoculating hyphae of A. fumigatus evenly on the corneas. The clinical scores and inflammatory cytokines expression were measured respectively on the 1st, 3rd, 5th day after infection. The 1-MT (1 mg/mL) was administered by gavage to exert an inhibitory effect on IDO during infection. The mice were divided into control group, 1-MT group, A. fumigatus (A.F.) group, and 1-MT+A.F. groups. The corneas were monitored by slit lamp microscopy, and recorded disease scores in 3d after infection. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) assay was done to evaluate the neutrophils infiltration. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the recruitment of neutrophils in murine corneas. The mRNA of inflammatory cytokines was measured with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: The corneal inflammation and the clinical score reached the peak on the 3rd day after the corneal infection. The mRNA of inflammatory cytokines of the A.F. group reached the highest on the 3rd day after the infection accordingly. Meanwhile, the results of slit light photography indicated that inhibitors of IDO made inflammation more serious contrasted with the A.F. group on the 3rd day. Besides, imunofluorescence staining and MPO indicated that 1-MT enhanced the recruitment, infiltration and chemotaxis of neutrophils obviously in contrast to the A.F. group. RT-PCR indicated that 1-MT increased the expression of CXCL-1, ICAM-1, IL-1ß, and IL-8 significantly. CONCLUSION: IDO participates in the pathogenesis of A. fumigatus keratitis and plays an important role in inducing immune protection by inhibiting neutrophils-related inflammatory reaction and suppressing recruitment and chemotaxis of the neutrophils.

LINC02381, a sponge of miR-21, weakens osteogenic differentiation of hUC-MSCs through KLF12-mediated Wnt4 transcriptional repression.

INTRODUCTION: Human umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into osteoblasts. This study investigated the function and potential mechanisms of a novel lncRNA LINC02381 in hUC-MSC osteogenic differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: hUC-MSCs were maintained in osteogenic differentiation medium. RT-qPCR assay was performed to assess LINC02381 expression. Alizarin Red S (ARS) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining were performed to evaluate osteogenic differentiation. The interaction between miR-21 and LINC0238/KLF12 was determined by luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was used to confirm the transcriptional regulation of KLF12 on Wnt4 promoter. The nuclear translocation of ß-catenin was evaluated using immunofluorescence. hUC-MSCs seeded on Bio-Oss Collagen scaffolds were transplanted into nude mice to assess in vivo osteogenesis. Bone formation was observed by H&E and Masson's trichrome staining. OSX and OPN levels were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: LINC02381 was up-regulated in the clinical samples of osteoporotic patients. However, LINC02381 expression was reduced during osteogenic differentiation of hUC-MSCs. Enforced expression of LINC02381 suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of hUC-MSCs. Mechanistically, LINC02381 sponged miR-21 to enhance KLF12 expression, which led to the inactivation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, miR-21 mimics or KLF12 silencing counteracted LINC02381-induced inhibition of osteogenic differentiation, whereas IWP-4 (an inhibitor of Wnt pathway) abolished this effect. CONCLUSION: In summary, LINC02381 repressed osteogenic differentiation of hUS-MSCs through sponging miR-21 to enhance KLF12-mediated inactivation of Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, indicating that LINC02381 might be a therapeutic target for osteoporosis.

Relationship between the Height of Alveolar Bone Resorption and Sex and Age in Adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship between the height of alveolar bone resorption and sex and age in the adolescent dentition. METHODS: Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) was used to measure the height of alveolar bone resorption at labial, lingual, mesial and distal sites of teeth in 149 adolescents aged from 10 to 20 years. SPSS 25.0 software was used to analyze the relationship between the height of alveolar bone resorption and sex and age. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the height of alveolar bone resorption between sex (P>0.05). The height of alveolar bone resorption was positively correlated with age in all types of teeth. The model constructed by combining the alveolar bone resorption height data of four sites (y=2.569x1+3.106x2+4.108x3+1.451x4-0.082, R2max=0.756)had a better ability to infer age than that of combining two sites (y=5.942x1+4.489x2+0.612, R2max=0.706) and a single site (R2max=0.638). CONCLUSIONS: The height of alveolar bone resorption is positively correlated with the age of adolescents. The combination of four sites has a stronger ability to infer the relationship between the height of alveolar bone resorption and age in adolescents and has higher accuracy in practical application.

MADS-box transcription factors MADS11 and DAL1 interact to mediate the vegetative-to-reproductive transition in pine.

The reproductive transition is an important event that is crucial for plant survival and reproduction. Relative to the thorough understanding of the vegetative phase transition in angiosperms, a little is known about this process in perennial conifers. To gain insight into the molecular basis of the regulatory mechanism in conifers, we used temporal dynamic transcriptome analysis with samples from seven different ages of Pinus tabuliformis to identify a gene module substantially associated with aging. The results first demonstrated that the phase change in P. tabuliformis occurred as an unexpectedly rapid transition rather than a slow, gradual progression. The age-related gene module contains 33 transcription factors and was enriched in genes that belong to the MADS (MCMl, AGAMOUS, DEFICIENS, SRF)-box family, including six SOC1-like genes and DAL1 and DAL10. Expression analysis in P. tabuliformis and a late-cone-setting P. bungeana mutant showed a tight association between PtMADS11 and reproductive competence. We then confirmed that MADS11 and DAL1 coordinate the aging pathway through physical interaction. Overexpression of PtMADS11 and PtDAL1 partially rescued the flowering of 35S::miR156A and spl1,2,3,4,5,6 mutants in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), but only PtMADS11 could rescue the flowering of the ft-10 mutant, suggesting PtMADS11 and PtDAL1 play different roles in flowering regulatory networks in Arabidopsis. The PtMADS11 could not alter the flowering phenotype of soc1-1-2, indicating it may function differently from AtSOC1 in Arabidopsis. In this study, we identified the MADS11 gene in pine as a regulatory mediator of the juvenile-to-adult transition with functions differentiated from the angiosperm SOC1.

Effect of High Cholesterol Regulation of LRP1 and RAGE on Aß Transport Across the Blood-Brain Barrier in Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: High cholesterol aggravates the risk development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is closely related to the transport impairment of Amyloid-ß (Aß) in the blood-brain barrier. It is unclear whether high cholesterol affects the risk of cognitive impairment in AD by affecting Aß transport. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether high cholesterol regulates Aß transport through low-density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1 (LRP1) and Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE) in the risk development of AD. METHODS: We established high cholesterol AD mice model. The learning and memory functions were evaluated by Morris Water Maze (MWM). Cerebral microvascular endothelial cells were isolated, cultured, and observed. The expression levels of LRP1 and RAGE of endothelial cells and their effect on Aß transport in vivo were observed. The expression level of LRP1 and RAGE was detected in cultured microvessels after using Wnt inhibitor DKK-1 and ß-catenin inhibitor XAV-939. RESULTS: Hypercholesterolemia exacerbated spatial learning and memory impairment. Hypercholesterolemia increased serum Aß40 level, while serum Aß42 level did not change significantly. Hypercholesterolemia decreased LRP1 expression and increased RAGE expression in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. Hypercholesterolemia increased brain apoptosis in AD mice. In in vitro experiment, high cholesterol decreased LRP1 expression and increased RAGE expression, increased Aß40 expression in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. High cholesterol regulated the expressions of LRP1 and RAGE and transcriptional activity of LRP1 and RAGE promoters by the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: High cholesterol decreased LRP1 expression and increased RAGE expression in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, which led to Aß transport disorder in the blood-brain barrier. Increased Aß deposition in the brain aggravated apoptosis in the brain, resulting to cognitive impairment of AD mice.

The Biological Function of TUSC7/miR-1224-3p Axis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), comprising about 20% of breast cancers, have a poor prognosis. Currently, there is no effective target therapy for TNBC. LncRNA TUSC7 has been identified as a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma and colorectal cancer. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance and the biological function of TUSC7 in breast cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the expression level and clinical significance of TUSC7 in 90 paired breast cancer tissues and normal tissues. The proliferation, migration, and invasion assays were performed to investigate the biological function of TUSC7 in breast cancer. Finally, microarray, a luciferase reporter assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to explore the potential underlying mechanism of tumor suppressor role of TUSC7. RESULTS: Low TUSC7 expression was found to be an independent prognostic factor of poor overall survival (OS) in TNBC patients. Ectopic expression of TUSC7 inhibited tumor cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. TUSC7 overexpression significantly promoted the sensitivity of MDA-MB-468 cells to paclitaxel and carboplatin. In terms of the mechanism, TUSC7 might perform its biological function through binding with miR-1224-3P and regulating its expression level. Besides, genes in cell cycle pathways, such as BUB3 (budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 3) and TGF-ß (targeting transforming growth factor ß) pathways were downregulated, and genes involved in the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) (TGFBR2, transforming growth factor-beta receptor 2), PI3K-AKT (phosphoinositide 3-kinase- AKT serine/threonine kinase 1) and NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappa B subunit) pathways were upregulated in TUSC7 knockdown MDA-MB-231 cells. CONCLUSION: The low TUSC7 expression is an independent prognostic factor of poor OS of TNBC patients. TUSC7 might inhibit breast cancer cell growth and metastasis both in vitro and vivo through binding with miR-1224-3P and regulating MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Analysis of potential factors contributing to refusal of invasive strategy after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in China.

BACKGROUND: Reduced application of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with higher mortality rates after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We aimed to evaluate potential factors contributing to the refusal of PCI in STEMI patients in China. METHODS: We studied 957 patients diagnosed with STEMI in the emergency departments (EDs) of six public hospitals in China. The differences in baseline characteristics and 30-day outcome were investigated between patients who refused PCI and those who underwent PCI. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the potential factors associated with refusing PCI. RESULTS: The potential factors contributing to refusing PCI were older than 65 years (odds ratio [OR] 2.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56-4.52, P < 0.001), low body mass index (BMI) (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84-0.98, P = 0.013), not being married (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.17-0.49, P < 0.001), history of myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 2.59, 95% CI 1.33-5.04, P = 0.005), higher heart rate (HR) (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03, P = 0.002), cardiac shock in the ED (OR 5.03, 95% CI 1.48-17.08, P = 0.010), pre-hospital delay (>12 h) (OR 3.31, 95% CI 1.83-6.02, P < 0.001) and not being hospitalized in a tertiary hospital (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.27-0.75, P = 0.002). Compared to men, women were older, were less often married, had a lower BMI and were less often hospitalized in tertiary hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who were older, had lower economic or social status, and had poorer health status were more likely to refuse PCI after STEMI. There was a sex difference in the potential predictors of refusing PCI. Targeted efforts should be made to improve the acceptance of PCI among patients with STEMI in China.

Comparative transcriptome analyses reveal two distinct transcriptional modules associated with pollen shedding time in pine.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal flowering time is an ecologically and economically important trait in temperate trees. Previous studies have shown that temperature in many tree species plays a pivotal role in regulating flowering time. However, genetic control of flowering time is not synchronised in different individual trees under comparable temperature conditions, the underlying molecular mechanism is mainly to be investigated. RESULTS: In the present study, we analysed the transcript abundance in male cones and needles from six early pollen-shedding trees (EPs) and six neighbouring late pollen-shedding trees (LPs) in Pinus tabuliformis at three consecutive time points in early spring. We found that the EPs and LPs had distinct preferred transcriptional modules in their male cones and, interestingly, the expression pattern was also consistently maintained in needles even during the winter dormancy period. Additionally, the preferred pattern in EPs was also adopted by other fast-growing tissues, such as elongating new shoots. Enhancement of nucleic acid synthesis and stress resistance pathways under cold conditions can facilitate rapid growth and maintain higher transcriptional activity. CONCLUSIONS: During the cold winter and early spring seasons, the EPs were more sensitive to relatively warmer temperatures and showed higher transcriptomic activity than the LPs, indicating that EPs required less heat accumulation for pollen shedding than LPs. These results provided a transcriptomic-wide understanding of the temporal regulation of pollen shedding in pines.

Expression and role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis.

AIM: To observe the expression and role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the immune response of mouse cornea infected with Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus). METHODS: Murine models of A. fumigatus keratitis were established by scraping the central epithelium of mouse cornea, daubing A. fumigatus on the cornea and covering with a contact lens. The mice were randomly divided into the control group and the A. fumigatus-infected (A.F.) group for 1, 3 and 5d respectively, which corneas were daily monitored by a slit lamp microscope and the clinical scores were also recorded timely after infection. In this study, immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression and localization of AhR in mouse corneas, and the mRNA and protein of AhR were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. In addition, mouse peritoneal macrophages were stimulated by A. fumigatus with or without the pretreatment of AhR antagonist CH223191 and AhR agonist FICZ, and the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Arg-1 mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: According to the results of the slit light photography, it was clearly indicated that the corneal inflammation were the most severe and the clinical score became the highest as well on the 3rd day after the infection of A. fumigatus. Contrasted with the control group, the expression of AhR in the corneal epithelial cells infected with A. fumigatus was significantly increased detected by immunofluorescence staining. AhR mainly expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of corneal epithelial cells. Consistent with the transcriptional level of AhR mRNA, the expression level of AhR protein reached the peak on the 3rd day after infection which was detected by Western blot. Furthermore, RT-PCR showed that CH223191 up-regulated the expression of TNF-α and iNOS and down-regulated the expression of IL-10 and Arg-1 in peritoneal macrophages; inversely, FICZ reduced the expression of TNF-α and iNOS while elevated the expression of IL-10 and Arg-1. CONCLUSION: AhR is involved in the pathogenesis of A. fumigatus keratitis and induced immune protection in anti-A. fumigatus immune response by inhibiting M1 and increasing M2 phenotype macrophage-related inflammatory factors.

Gibberellin Signaling Is Required for Far-Red Light-Induced Shoot Elongation in Pinus tabuliformis Seedlings.

Gibberellin (GA) is known to play an important role in low red/far-red (R:FR) light ratio-mediated hypocotyl and petiole elongation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). However, the regulatory relationship between low R:FR and GAs remains unclear, especially in gymnosperms. To increase our understanding of the molecular basis of low R:FR-mediated shoot elongation in pines and to determine whether there is an association between low R:FR and GAs action, we explored the morphological and transcriptomic changes triggered by low R:FR, GAs, and paclobutrazol (PAC), a GAs biosynthesis inhibitor, in Pinus tabuliformis seedlings. Transcriptome profiles revealed that low R:FR conditions and GAs have a common set of transcriptional targets in P. tabuliformis We provide evidence that the effect of low R:FR on shoot elongation in P. tabuliformis is at least partially modulated by GAs accumulation, which can be largely attenuated by PAC. GAs are also involved in the cross talk between different phytohormones in the low R:FR response. A GA biosynthesis gene, encoding ent-kaurenoic acid oxidase (KAO), was strongly stimulated by low R:FR without being affected by GAs feedback regulation or the photoperiod. We show that GA signaling is required for low R:FR-induced shoot elongation in P tabuliformis seedlings, and that there are different regulatory targets for low R:FR-mediated GA biosynthesis between conifers and angiosperms.

A Modified Technique Using Levator Aponeurosis-Müller Muscle-Reinforced Plication for Blepharoptosis Correction.

BACKGROUND: Blepharoptosis is a common and challenging clinical problem for oculoplastic surgeons, and various surgical techniques have been used to correct ptosis. The aims of this study were to present the clinical results of a modified technique using levator aponeurosis-Müller muscle-reinforced plication for blepharoptosis correction and to demonstrate its advantages over conventional advancement or plication methods. METHODS: This study was conducted in the Plastic Surgery Department of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital between April 2017 and September 2018. By using this modified technique, the levator-Müller complex was reinforced with a plication suture that pierced under and through the levator-Müller complex, and the posterior and lower part of the levator-Müller complex was advanced to the tarsus, which provided permanent, reliable adhesion. The primary outcome was marginal reflex distance 1 preoperatively and postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were the cosmetic outcome, complications, and operative time. RESULTS: Eighty-six patients (169 eyelids) underwent this modified surgery. Patients' average age was 26 ± 7.6 years, and the median follow-up was 14 months. The preoperative and postoperative mean marginal reflex distance 1 values were 1.72 ± 0.32 and 3.69 ± 0.28 mm, respectively. The amount of plication ranged from 4 to 15 mm. The overall surgical success rate was 88.17%. Some complications were observed including undercorrection (5.92%), asymmetry (4.73%), lagophthalmos (0.59%), and conjunctival prolapse (0.59%). CONCLUSIONS: The modified technique provided good functional and cosmetic outcomes for blepharoptosis correction by avoiding unpredicted adhesion, and it has its advantages including simplicity, easy adjustment of the eyelid height intraoperatively, minimal edema formation, and high success rate.

Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Insecticide Resistance in Shandong Province, China.

The Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) complex comprises important pests and virus vectors in agricultural crops worldwide. In China, B. tabaci has spread to more than 20 provinces and caused severe losses of vegetables, fruits, and ornamental plants. However, B. tabaci has developed resistance to many insecticidal classes in Shandong Province, eastern China. In this study, we investigated the cryptic species, insecticide resistance and detoxifying enzymes of B. tabaci from six representative locations exhibiting severe damage in Shandong. At four of the six locations, B. tabaci Mediterranean (MED) comprised 100% of the samples collected. In a further two locations, species composition was predominantly (>94%) MED with B. tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), comprising a low proportion (<6%) of the samples collected. For all field populations, avermectin was the most effective insecticide against adult B. tabaci, pyriproxyfen had a significant effect on B. tabaci eggs and field populations were susceptible to pymetrozine. Six field populations of B. tabaci have developed low-to-moderate resistance to neonicotinoids. The detoxifying enzyme activity of carboxylesterase, glutathione S-transferase, and multifunctional oxidase were quantified. Multifunctional oxidase and glutathione S-transferase activity were positively correlated with insecticide resistance in several B. tabaci populations.

Effective luminescence sensing of Fe3+, Cr2O72-, MnO4- and 4-nitrophenol by lanthanide metal-organic frameworks with a new topology type.

Lanthanide MOFs (Ln-MOFs), {[Ln2(L)2(H2O)2]·5H2O·6DMAC}n, [Ln||| = Eu(1) and Tb(2); H3L = 4,4'-(((5-carboxy-1,3-phenylene)bis(azanediyl))bis(carbonyl)) dibenzoic acid, DMAC = N,N'-dimethylacetamide], with a new topology type have been isolated. Single crystal X-ray diffraction indicates that complexes 1 and 2 are isostructural with binuclear [Eu2(COO)7]n secondary building units as 7-connected nodes and H3L ligands as 3-connected nodes and can be viewed as a (5,7)-connected 3D framework with a new topological point symbol of {32·44·54} {34·46·56·65}. Complexes 1 and 2 exhibit an excellent luminescence sensing response to inorganic ions Fe3+, Cr2O72-, MnO4- and 4-nitrophenol, with a low detection limit and high Ksv value. Interestingly, when the MnO4- ions are detected, the color of the solid sample is observed to change from yellow to brown, visually indicating luminescence induction, which makes the process of detecting MnO4- ions simpler and more practical. Moreover, by using time-resolved photoluminescence techniques, complex 1 can effectively eliminate background fluorescence interference during detection and improve detection accuracy. Solvent luminescence studies, pH stability and PXRD data indicate that complexes 1 and 2 can be used as excellent water-stable multi-response luminescent sensors for detecting a wide variety of toxic substances. In addition, the mechanism of selective detection is explained by the energy competition between the excitation of complexes 1 and 2 and the ultraviolet absorption of the responsive substance.