Increased LACTB2 Expression Regulates Oxidative Phosphorylation and mTORC1 Signaling of Colorectal Cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of LACTB2 in colorectal cancer (CRC). Microarrays and sequencing data of CRC were acquired from UCSC Xena, GTEx, Gene Expression Omnibus, and TCGA. Pooled analysis of the mRNA expression of LACTB2 in CRC was performed using Stata software. The protein expression of LACTB2 in CRC tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between immune cell infiltration and LACTB2 expression was investigated using CIBERSORT. The potential signaling pathways and biological mechanisms of LACTB2 were explored using GSEA, KEGG, and GO. Subsequently, further screening of small molecular compounds with potential therapeutic effects on CRC was conducted through the HERB database, followed by molecular docking studies of these compounds with the LACTB2 protein. The integration and analysis of expression data obtained from 2294 CRC samples and 1286 noncancerous colorectal samples showed that LACTB2 was highly expressed in CRC. Immunohistochemistry performed on in-house tissue samples confirmed that LACTB2 protein expression was upregulated in CRC. CIBERSORT revealed lower B cell infiltration levels in the high LACTB2 expression group than in the low expression group. GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses showed that LACTB2 expression and genes positively correlating with it were mainly related to DNA synthesis and repair, mitochondrial translational elongation and translational termination, phosphorylation, and mTORC1 signaling. Finally, molecular docking simulations confirmed the ability of quercitin to target and bind to LACTB2. This is the first study to demonstrate that LACTB2 is upregulated in CRC. LACTB2 promotes colorectal tumorigenesis and tumor progression.

Targeting VDAC: A potential therapeutic approach for mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive decline. Voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), a protein located in the outer mitochondrial membrane, plays a critical role in regulating mitochondrial function and cellular energy metabolism. Recent studies have identified VDAC as a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease. This article aims to provide an overview of the role of VDAC in mitochondrial dysfunction, its association with Alzheimer's disease, and the potential of targeting VDAC for developing novel therapeutic interventions. Understanding the involvement of VDAC in Alzheimer's disease may pave the way for the development of effective treatments that can restore mitochondrial function and halt disease progression.

Combination of Sodium Nitroprusside and Controlled Atmosphere Maintains Postharvest Quality of Chestnuts through Enhancement of Antioxidant Capacity.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of CA (controlled atmosphere, 2-3% O2 + 3% CO2) and NO (nitric oxide, generated by 0.4 nM sodium nitroprusside), alone or combined (CA + NO), on the physio-chemical properties, enzyme activities and antioxidant capacities of chestnuts during storage at 0 °C for 180 d. Compared with control (CT), CA and CA+NO both improved the storage quality of the samples, but only CA resulted in more ethanol production. Moreover, these improvements were further enhanced and ethanol synthesis was inhibited by the addition of NO. A spectrometer was used to assess the production of phenolic content (TPC) and activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), superoxide dismutas (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) as influenced by CA or CA+NO treatments. Higher TPC, PAL, SOD, POD, CAT, and lower PPO were observed in CA alone, and more so in the combination with NO group. The increased antioxidant production and enhanced antioxidant activities contributed to scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reducing malondialdehyde (MDA). This study unveiled the correlations and differences between the effects of CA and CA+NO on storage quality, providing valuable insights into postharvest preservation and suggesting that the combination (CA+NO) was more beneficial for quality maintenance in chestnuts.

Long non-coding RNAs and their potential function in response to postharvest senescence of Sparassis latifolia during cold storage.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play crucial roles in response to aging processes. However, how lncRNAs regulate postharvest senescence of Sparassis latifolia (S. latifolia) with oriented polypropylene (OPP) film packing during cold storage remains unclear. In this study, we performed RNA-seq using the fruiting bodies of S. latifolia stored at 4 â„ƒ for 0, 8, 16 and 24 days after harvest, and profiled the lncRNA and mRNA transcriptome, respectively. In total, 1003 putative lncRNAs were identified, and there were 495, 483 and 162 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, and 3680, 3941 and 1870 differentially expressed mRNAs after 8, 16 and 24 days of storage, respectively, compared to 0 day of storage. Target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs were found to significantly associate with carbon and energy metabolism, response to abiotic stimulus, amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism, and protein synthesis and transcription. In addition, DE-lncRNA-mRNA co-expression networks in response to aging stress were also constructed. Taken together, these results confirm the regulatory role of lncRNAs in postharvest senescence of S. latifolia and will facilitate for improving preservation method.

Effects of ultra-high pressure, thermal pasteurization, and ultra-high temperature sterilization on color and nutritional components of freshly-squeezed lettuce juice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ultra-high pressure (UHP, 600 MPa/2 min), thermal pasteurization (TP, 95 °C/1 min) and ultra-high temperature (UHT, 115 °C/5 s) sterilization on the color, sensory evaluation, microorganisms, physicochemical characteristics and nutritional components of freshly-squeezed lettuce juice (FLJ). Results showed that three sterilization methods demonstrated desirable inactivation effects on total aerobic bacteria, yeast and mold, and there were no significant changes in the main nutritional components, including ash, protein, carbohydrate and total dietary fiber. However, UHT and TP significantly affected the color of FLJ from bright green to light brown and made chlorophyll, ß-carotene and vitamins (VE, VC, VK1, VB6, VB12, and folic acid) contents markedly decreased. By contrast, UHP maintained the original color, fresh-like sensory qualities, vitamins, and carotene of FLJ to the greatest extent. Our results provide a promising application of UHP in the large-scale processing of FLJ.

Ethanol fumigation combined with modified atmosphere packaging delays potato greening under light.

Potato greening under light causes post-harvest loss and compromises progress being made in the potato industry. In this study, we investigated the inhibiting effects of ethanol fumigation treatment on potato greening and water loss under light. This paper also examined the different treatments on the relationship between starch granule size and potato greening. Our results suggested that ethanol fumigation combined with modified atmosphere packaging have an effective in improving the overall visual quality and maintained a higher a* value and lower chlorophyll concentration. Ethanol fumigation combined with modified atmosphere packaging treatment deterred greening and water loss compared to the alone treatment. This was due to the larger starch granule size and fewer grana lamellae around the amyloplasts. Our results provide an effectively strategy that treating potatoes with 600 µL L-1 ethanol combined with modified atmosphere packaging to delay potato greening and explain the underlying mechanism of ethanol inhibition of potato greening.

Exploring the potential of treating chronic liver disease targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway and polarization mechanism of macrophages.

Chronic liver disease is a significant public health issue that can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality, imposing an enormous burden on healthcare resources. Understanding the mechanisms underlying chronic liver disease pathogenesis and developing effective treatment strategies are urgently needed. In this regard, the activation of liver resident macrophages, namely Kupffer cells, plays a vital role in liver inflammation and fibrosis. Macrophages display remarkable plasticity and can polarize into different phenotypes according to diverse microenvironmental stimuli. The polarization of macrophages into M1 pro-inflammatory or M2 anti-inflammatory phenotypes is regulated by complex signaling pathways such as the PI3K/Akt pathway. This review focuses on investigating the potential of using plant chemicals targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway for treating chronic liver disease while elucidating the polarization mechanism of macrophages under different microenvironments. Studies have demonstrated that inhibiting M1-type macrophage polarization or promoting M2-type polarization can effectively combat chronic liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and liver fibrosis. The PI3K/Akt pathway acts as a pivotal modulator of macrophage survival, migration, proliferation, and their responses to metabolism and inflammatory signals. Activating the PI3K/Akt pathway induces anti-inflammatory cytokine expression, resulting in the promotion of M2-like phenotype to facilitate tissue repair and resolution of inflammation. Conversely, inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling could enhance the M1-like phenotype, which exacerbates liver damage. Targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway has tremendous potential as a therapeutic strategy for regulating macrophage polarization and activity to treat chronic liver diseases with plant chemicals, providing new avenues for liver disease treatment.

Unique Tridentate Coordination Tailored Solvation Sheath Toward Highly Stable Lithium Metal Batteries.

Electrolyte optimization by solvent molecule design is recognized as an effective approach for stabilizing lithium (Li) metal batteries. However, the coordination pattern of Li ions (Li+ ) with solvent molecules is sparsely considered. Here, an electrolyte design strategy is reported based on bi/tridentate chelation of Li+ and solvent to tune the solvation structure. As a proof of concept, a novel solvent with multi-oxygen coordination sites is demonstrated to facilitate the formation of an anion-aggregated solvation shell, enhancing the interfacial stability and de-solvation kinetics. As a result, the as-developed electrolyte exhibits ultra-stable cycling over 1400 h in symmetric cells with 50 µm-thin Li foils. When paired with high-loading LiFePO4 , full cells maintain 92% capacity over 500 cycles and deliver improved electrochemical performances over a wide temperature range from -10 to 60 °C. Furthermore, the concept is validated in a pouch cell (570 mAh), achieving a capacity retention of 99.5% after 100 cycles. This brand-new insight on electrolyte engineering provides guidelines for practical high-performance Li metal batteries.

Isothermal Storage Delays the Senescence of Post-Harvest Apple Fruit through the Regulation of Antioxidant Activity and Energy Metabolism.

The purpose of this work was to elucidate the influence of TF (5 ± 5 °C, and 5 ± 1 °C) and CT (5 ± 0.1 °C served as an isothermal state) storage environment on the antioxidant ability and energy metabolism in post-harvest apple fruit during storage. Specifically, compared with fruit in TFs groups, the quality attributes of apples in the CT group, including firmness, fresh weight, contents of SSC, and TA were maintained at a higher level. In addition, fruit stored in the CT environment revealed a suppressed respiration rate and EL, lower MDA, O2·-, and H2O2 accumulation but increased the activities of SOD, CAT, APX, and GR. At the end of storage, the SOD, CAT, APX, and GR activities of fruit in the CT group were 38.14%,48.04%, 115.29%, and 34.85% higher than that of the TF5 group, respectively. Fruit in the CT environment also revealed higher AsA, GSH, total phenols, and total flavonoid content. In addition, fruit stored in the CT environment maintained higher ATP content, EC, and more active H+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, CCO, and SDH. At the end of storage, the SDH and CCO activities of fruit in the TF0.1 group were 1.74, and 2.59 times higher than that in the TF5 group, respectively. Taken together, we attributed the fact that a constant temperature storage environment can retard the fruit senescence to the enhancement of antioxidant capacities and maintaining of higher energy status in apple fruit.

Holistic analysis of lysine acetylation in aquaculture pathogenic bacteria Vibrio alginolyticus under bile salt stress.

Lysine acetylation modification is a dynamic and reversible post-translational modification, which plays an important role in the metabolism and pathogenicity of pathogenic bacteria. Vibrio alginolyticus is a common pathogenic bacterium in aquaculture, and bile salt can trigger the expression of bacterial virulence. However, little is known about the function of lysine acetylation in V. alginolyticus under bile salt stress. In this study, 1,315 acetylated peptides on 689 proteins were identified in V. alginolyticus under bile salt stress by acetyl-lysine antibody enrichment and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Bioinformatics analysis found that the peptides motif ****A*Kac**** and *******Kac****A* were highly conserved, and protein lysine acetylation was involved in regulating various cellular biological processes and maintaining the normal life activities of bacteria, such as ribosome, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, two-component system, and bacterial secretion system. Further, 22 acetylated proteins were also found to be related to the virulence of V. alginolyticus under bile salt stress through secretion system, chemotaxis and motility, and adherence. Finally, comparing un-treated and treated with bile salt stress lysine acetylated proteins, it was found that there were 240 overlapping proteins, and found amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, beta-Lactam resistance, fatty acid degradation, carbon metabolism, and microbial metabolism in diverse environments pathways were significantly enriched in bile salt stress alone. In conclusion, this study is a holistic analysis of lysine acetylation in V. alginolyticus under bile salt stress, especially many virulence factors have also acetylated.

Identification through machine learning of potential immune- related gene biomarkers associated with immune cell infiltration in myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the potential role of immune-related genes (IRGs) and immune cells in myocardial infarction (MI) and establish a nomogram model for diagnosing myocardial infarction. METHODS: Raw and processed gene expression profiling datasets were archived from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed immune-related genes (DIRGs), which were screened out by four machine learning algorithms-partial least squares (PLS), random forest model (RF), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine model (SVM) were used in the diagnosis of MI. RESULTS: The six key DIRGs (PTGER2, LGR6, IL17B, IL13RA1, CCL4, and ADM) were identified by the intersection of the minimal root mean square error (RMSE) of four machine learning algorithms, which were screened out to establish the nomogram model to predict the incidence of MI by using the rms package. The nomogram model exhibited the highest predictive accuracy and better potential clinical utility. The relative distribution of 22 types of immune cells was evaluated using cell type identification, which was done by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithm. The distribution of four types of immune cells, such as plasma cells, T cells follicular helper, Mast cells resting, and neutrophils, was significantly upregulated in MI, while five types of immune cell dispersion, T cells CD4 naive, macrophages M1, macrophages M2, dendritic cells resting, and mast cells activated in MI patients, were significantly downregulated in MI. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that IRGs were correlated with MI, suggesting that immune cells may be potential therapeutic targets of immunotherapy in MI.

Innovative natural antimicrobial natamycin incorporated titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2)/ poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) /poly (lactic acid) (PLA) biodegradable active film (NTP@PLA) and application in grape preservation.

Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/polylactic acid (PLA) blended with compatibilizers (polycaprolactone, PCL; poly (ethylene glycol), PEG; titanium dioxide, nano-TiO2) (TP@PLA composites) were developed by melt processing. Natamycin incorporated into TP@PLA blend composites formed NTP@PLA films, which exhibited high tensile strength (24.1-43.5 MPa) and elongation at break (85.8-258.2 %), and exhibited good oxygen permeability, water vapor permeability, surface hydrophobicity and biodegradability. The in vitro results revealed that inhibition of Penicillium expansum cell growth of the NTP@PLA films with addition of 1.0 wt% natamycin reached 95.72 %. The NTP@PLA film with natamycin effectively reduced incidence of decay (1.52 %) on grapes, maintained their quality, and inhibited the growth of pathogenic fungi to up to 0.42 log cfu·g-1. This study generates new insights into the preservation properties of antimicrobial NTP@PLA film, which endow it with great application potential as a novel and eco-friendly packaging material for the food industry.

Distribution and sources of fluvial pollen in the middle reaches of the Yellow River in China and their relationship with vegetation and land use.

Understanding the processes determining the composition of alluvial pollen assemblages and its relationship with watershed vegetation is a prerequisite for alluvial palynological study. Palynological analysis of a total of 45 river water samples collected from the middle reaches of the Yellow River and its major tributaries, identifies the distribution patterns, possible sources of pollen and relationship with the catchment vegetation. The results reveal that the pollen assemblages in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is dominated by herbaceous taxa, and the pollen is mainly derived from fluvial sources. Higher concentrations of the pollen tend to occur in the southern part of the study area. The Luo River is the main source of tree pollen in the Wei River Basin, while the Sanchuan River and Xinshui River are the main sources of tree pollen in the mainstream of the Yellow River. Herbaceous pollen mainly originates from the flood plain, and from channel bars and point bars, and there is no obvious relationship between herbaceous pollen and tributary inputs. The relative proportions of the various land use classes in the middle reaches of the Yellow River can be ordered as follows: grassland (GL) > cultivated land (CL) > forest (FO) > shrubland (SH) > water (WA). The herbaceous pollen of the Huangfuchuan River and Kuye River are closely related to the coverage of GL; cereal pollen is not fully representative of the CL coverage in the watershed; and the pollen of woody plants is extremely over-represented compared to the coverage of FO and SH in the watershed. Our results provide basic information about the sources of fluvial pollen and its indicative significance in the lower Yellow River and they are also potentially applicable to other major river basins.

Alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) agonist DF-006 demonstrates potent efficacy in mouse and primary human hepatocyte (PHH) models of hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, stimulation of innate immunity may lead to hepatitis B virus (HBV) cure. Alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1) is a pattern recognition receptor (PRR) that activates the NF-κB pathway and stimulates innate immunity. Here we characterized the preclinical anti-HBV efficacy of DF-006, an orally active agonist of ALPK1 currently in clinical development for CHB. APPROACH AND RESULTS: In adeno-associated virus (AAV)-HBV mouse models and primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) infected with HBV, we evaluated the antiviral efficacy of DF-006. In the mouse models, DF-006 rapidly reduced serum HBV DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen, and hepatitis B e antigen levels using doses as low as 0.08 µg/kg, 1 µg/kg, and 5 µg/kg, respectively. DF-006 in combination with the HBV nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, entecavir, further reduced HBV DNA. Antiviral efficacy in mice was associated with an increase in immune cell infiltration and decrease of hepatitis B core antigen, encapsidated pregenomic RNA, and covalently closed circular DNA in liver. At subnanomolar concentrations, DF-006 also showed anti-HBV efficacy in PHH with significant reductions of HBV DNA. Following dosing with DF-006, there was upregulation of NF-κB-targeted genes that are involved in innate immunity. CONCLUSION: DF-006 was efficacious in mouse and PHH models of HBV without any indications of overt toxicity. In mice, DF-006 localized primarily to the liver where it potently activated innate immunity. The transcriptional response in mouse liver provides insights into mechanisms that mediate anti-HBV efficacy by DF-006.

AZGP1 Up-Regulation is a Potential Target for Andrographolide Reversing Radioresistance of Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Radiation resistance is a challenge that limits the therapeutic benefit of colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, but the mechanism underlying CRC radiation resistance remains unclear. Andrographolide shows a broad-spectrum anti-tumor effect in various malignancies, including CRC, its effect and how it functions in CRC initiation, and radiation have not been established. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of CRC radiation resistance and the potential mechanisms of andrographolide on CRC radiation. Methods: Two acquired radioresistant cell lines were established and high throughput sequencing was employed to screen out the differentially expressed genes. The expression of AZGP1, which was upregulated in the acquired radioresistant tissues, was verified by microarray data recomputing. The common targets of andrographolide, CRC initiation, and radiation resistance were obtained, and the corresponding functional enrichment and pathway analysis were performed. The interaction between AZGP1 and andrographolide was investigated using molecular docking. Results: AZGP1 was upregulated in both the radioresistant cell model and microarray data. Moreover, AZGP1 was upregulated in cancerous colorectal tissue and displayed a tendency toward elevated expression in patients with an unfavorable prognosis. AZGP1 was identified as the common target of andrographolide, colorectal cancer initiation, and radiotherapy resistance. Ultimately, the protein structure of AZGP1 proved to be closely intertwined with the crystal texture of andrographolide. Conclusion: AZGP1 is recognized as a crucial factor for both CRC initiation and radioresistance. Andrographolide may affect the radioresistance of CRC via the targeting of AZGP1. Thus, the combination of andrographolide and AZGP1 intervention might be a promising strategy for improving the treatment benefit of CRC radiotherapy.

Pollution, Ecological Risk and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in Sediments from the Huafei River in the Eastern Suburbs of Kaifeng, China.

Rivers in urban environments are significant components of their ecosystems but remain under threat of pollution from unchecked discharges of industrial sewage and domestic wastewater. Such river pollution, particularly over the longer term involving heavy metals, is an issue of worldwide concern regarding risks to the ecological environment and human health. In this study, we investigate the long-term pollution characteristics of the Huafei River, an important urban river in Kaifeng, China. River sedimentary samples were analyzed, assessing the degree and ecological risk of heavy metal pollution using the geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index methods, whilst Pearson's correlation, principal component and cluster analyses were used to identify the sources of pollution. The results show that heavy metal concentrations are significantly higher than their corresponding fluvo-aquic soil background values in China, and the geo-accumulation indexes indicate that of the eight heavy metals identified, Hg is most prevalent, followed in sequence by Cd > Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > As > Cr. The potential ecological risk index of the Huafei River is very high, with the potential ecological risk intensity highest in the midstream and downstream sections, where it is recommended that pollution control is carried out, especially concerning Hg and Cd. Long-term sequence analysis indicates that Cu and Pb dropped sharply from 1998 to 2017, but rebounded in 2019, and that Zn shows a continuous decreasing trend. Four main sources for the heavy metal contaminants were identified: Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg derived mainly from industrial activities, traffic sources and natural sources; Cd originated mainly from industrial and agricultural activities; whilst As was mainly associated with industrial activities. Thus, special attention should be paid to Hg and Cd, and measures must be taken to prevent further anthropogenic influence on heavy metal pollution.

Substantial transition to clean household energy mix in rural China.

The household energy mix has significant impacts on human health and climate, as it contributes greatly to many health- and climate-relevant air pollutants. Compared to the well-established urban energy statistical system, the rural household energy statistical system is incomplete and is often associated with high biases. Via a nationwide investigation, this study revealed high contributions to energy supply from coal and biomass fuels in the rural household energy sector, while electricity comprised ∼20%. Stacking (the use of multiple sources of energy) is significant, and the average number of energy types was 2.8 per household. Compared to 2012, the consumption of biomass and coals in 2017 decreased by 45% and 12%, respectively, while the gas consumption amount increased by 204%. Increased gas and decreased coal consumptions were mainly in cooking, while decreased biomass was in both cooking (41%) and heating (59%). The time-sharing fraction of electricity and gases (E&G) for daily cooking grew, reaching 69% in 2017, but for space heating, traditional solid fuels were still dominant, with the national average shared fraction of E&G being only 20%. The non-uniform spatial distribution and the non-linear increase in the fraction of E&G indicated challenges to achieving universal access to modern cooking energy by 2030, particularly in less-developed rural and mountainous areas. In some non-typical heating zones, the increased share of E&G for heating was significant and largely driven by income growth, but in typical heating zones, the time-sharing fraction was <5% and was not significantly increased, except in areas with policy intervention. The intervention policy not only led to dramatic increases in the clean energy fraction for heating but also accelerated the clean cooking transition. Higher income, higher education, younger age, less energy/stove stacking and smaller family size positively impacted the clean energy transition.

Clinical assessment and molecular mechanism of the upregulation of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases remain ranked first worldwide. Myocardial infarction (MI) is the central cause of death from cardiovascular diseases, seriously endangering human health. The clinical implication of toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) remains contradictory, and its mechanism is still unknown. Hence, the objective of this study was to elucidate the clinical value and molecular mechanism of TLR2 in MI. METHODS: All high-throughput datasets and eligible literature were screened, and the expression levels of TLR2 were collected from the MI. The integrated expression level of TLR2 was displayed by calculating the standardized mean difference (SMD) and the area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (sROC). The related TLR2 genes were sent for pathway analyses by gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genome (KEGG), and disease ontology (DO). Single-cell RNA-seq was applied to ascertain the molecular mechanism of TLR2 in MI. RESULTS: Nine microarrays and four reported data were available to calculate the comprehensive expression level of TLR2 in MI, including 325 cases of MI and 306 cases of controls. The SMD was 2.55 (95% CI = 1.35-3.75), and the AUC was 0.76 (95% CI = 0.72-0.79), indicating the upregulation of TLR2 in MI. The related TLR2 genes were primarily enriched in the pathways of atherosclerosis, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and arteriosclerosis, suggesting the clinical role of TLR2 in the progression of MI. Afterward, TLR2 was upregulated in myeloid cells in MI. CONCLUSIONS: TLR2 may have a crucial role in progressing from coronary atherosclerosis to MI. The upregulation of TLR2 may have a favorable screening value for MI.

Haze Occurrence Caused by High Gas-to-Particle Conversion in Moisture Air under Low Pollutant Emission in a Megacity of China.

Haze occurred in Zhengzhou, a megacity in the northern China, with the PM2.5 as high as 254 µg m-3 on 25 December 2019, despite the emergency response measure of restriction on the emission of anthropogenic pollutants which was implemented on December 19 for suppressing local air pollution. Air pollutant concentrations, chemical compositions, and the origins of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) between 5-26 December were investigated to explore the reasons for the haze occurrence. Results show that the haze was caused by efficient SO2-to-suflate and NOx-to-nitrate conversions under high relative humidity (RH) condition. In comparison with the period before the restriction (5-18 December) when the PM2.5 was low, the concentration of PM2.5 during the haze (19-26 December) was 173 µg m-3 on average with 51% contributed by sulfate (31 µg m-3) and nitrate (57 µg m-3). The conversions of SO2-to-sulfate and NOx-to-nitrate efficiently produced sulfate and nitrate although the concentration of the two precursor gases SO2 and NOx was low. The high RH, which was more than 70% and the consequence of artificial water-vapor spreading in the urban air for reducing air pollutants, was the key factor causing the conversion rates to be enlarged in the constriction period. In addition, the last 48 h movement of the air parcels on 19-26 December was stagnant, and the air mass was from surrounding areas within 200 km, indicating weather conditions favoring the accumulation of locally-originated pollutants. Although emergency response measures were implemented, high gas-to-particle conversions in stagnant and moisture circumstances can still cause severe haze in urban air. Since the artificial water-vapor spreading in the urban air was one of the reasons for the high RH, it is likely that the spreading had unexpected side effects in some certain circumstances and needs to be taken into consideration in future studies.

Metal(loid)s Spatial Distribution, Accumulation, and Potential Health Risk Assessment in Soil-Wheat Systems near a Pb/Zn Smelter in Henan Province, Central China.

To understand the influence of Pb/Zn smelter on surrounding environment, 110 soil and 62 wheat grain samples (62 paired samples) were collected nearby a Pb/Zn smelter in Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, China. The content and spatial distribution of metal(loid)s in the soil-wheat system, and the potential health risk via consumption of wheat grains were determined. Results showed that the average content of Pb, Cd, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni in soil were 129.16, 4.28, 17.95, 20.43, 79.36, and 9.42 mg/kg, respectively. The content of Cd in almost all soil samples (99.1%) exceeded the national limitation of China (0.6 mg/kg). Spatial distribution analysis indicated that atmospheric deposition might be the main pollution source of Pb, Cd, As, and Zn in soil. In addition, the average content of Pb, Cd, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni in wheat grain were 0.62, 0.35, 0.10, 3.7, 35.77, and 0.15 mg/kg, respectively, with the average Pb and Cd content exceeding the national limitation of China. The average bioaccumulation factor of these metal(loid)s followed the following order: Zn (0.507) > Cu (0.239) > Cd (0.134) > Ni (0.024) > Pb (0.007) > As (0.006). Health risk assessment indicated that the average noncarcinogenic risk of children (6.78) was much higher than that of adults (2.83), and the carcinogenic risk of almost all wheat grain is higher than the acceptable range, with an average value of 2.43 × 10−2. These results indicated that humans who regularly consume these wheat grains might have a serious risk of noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic diseases.