IL-35 ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced endothelial dysfunction by inhibiting endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) caused mainly by bacterial infection. The morbidity and mortality rates of sepsis are extremely high. About 18 million people worldwide suffer from severe sepsis each year, and about 14,000 people die from it every day. Previous studies have revealed that endothelial dysfunction plays a vital role in the pathological change of sepsis. Furthermore, endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT, EndoMT) is capable of triggering endothelial dysfunction. And yet, it remains obscure whether interleukin-35 (IL-35) can alleviate endothelial dysfunction by attenuating LPS-induced EndMT. Here, through in vivo and in vitro experiments, we revealed that IL-35 has a previously unknown function to attenuate LPS-induced endothelial dysfunction by inhibiting LPS-induced EndMT. Mechanistically, IL-35 acts by regulating the NFκB signaling pathway.

A molecular framework for lc controlled locule development of the floral meristem in tomato.

Malformed tomato fruit with multiple locules is a common physiological disorder that significantly affects the quality of tomatoes. Research has shown that the occurrence of malformed fruit in tomatoes is closely linked to the number of locules, and two key QTLs, lc and fas, are involved in controlling this trait. It has been observed that lc has a relatively weaker effect on increasing locule number, which is associated with two SNPs in the CArG repressor element downstream of the SlWUS. However, the precise molecular mechanism underlying lc is not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of lc in tomato locule development. We found that the number of floral organs and fruit locules significantly increased in tomato lc knockout mutants. Additionally, these mutants showed higher expression levels of the SlWUS during carpel formation. Through cDNA library construction and yeast one-hybrid screening, we identified the MADS-box transcription factor SlSEP3, which was found to bind to lc. Furthermore, we observed an increase in floral organs and fruit locules similar to the lc CR plant on SlSEP3 silencing plants. However, it should be noted that the lc site is located after the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of SlWUS in the tomato genome. As a result, SlSEP3 may not be able to exert regulatory functions on the promoter of the gene like other transcription factors. In the yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that several histone deacetylases (SlHDA1, SlHDA3, SlHDA4, SlHDA5, SlHDA6, SlHDA7, and SlHDA8) can interact with SlSEP3. This indicated that SlSEP3 can recruit these proteins to repress nucleosome relaxation, thereby inhibiting SlWUS transcription and affecting the number of locules in tomato fruit. Therefore, our findings reveal a new mechanism for lc playing a significant role in the genetic pathway regulating tomato locule development.

Association of gamma-tocopherol serum concentrations and blood pressure among adults in the United States: a cross-sectional study.

Background: hypertension is one of the major preventable risk factors for numerous diseases. The role of vitamin E in blood pressure (BP) has been controversial. We aimed to investigate the relationship between gamma-tocopherol serum concentration (GTSC) and BP. Methods: Data from 15,687 US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. The correlations of GTSC with systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and prevalence of hypertension were investigated by multivariate logistic regression models, generalized summation models, and fitted smoothing curves. Subgroup analyses were performed to investigate possible effect modifiers between them. Results: With each natural log increase in GTSC, SBP, and DBP increased by 1.28 mmHg (ß 1.28, 95% CI 0.71-1.84) and 1.15 mmHg (ß 1.15, 95% CI 0.72-1.57), respectively, both P for trend < 0.001; the prevalence of hypertension increased by 12% (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.22), P for trend 0.008. In subgroup analysis, in drinkers, with each natural log increase in GTSC, SBP, and DBP increased by 1.77 mmHg (ß 1.77,95% CI 1.13-2.41) and 1.37 mmHg (ß 1.37,95% CI 0.9-1.85), respectively, whereas they were not correlated in non-drinkers. Conclusion: GTSC was linearly and positively associated with SBP, DBP, and the prevalence of hypertension, and alcohol consumption may modify the relationship of GTSC with SBP and DBP.

Effects of Low Temperature on Pedicel Abscission and Auxin Synthesis Key Genes of Tomato.

Cold stress usually causes the abscission of floral organs and a decline in fruit setting rate, seriously reducing tomato yield. Auxin is one of the key hormones that affects the abscission of plant floral organs; the YUCCA (YUC) family is a key gene in the auxin biosynthesis pathway, but there are few research reports on the abscission of tomato flower organs. This experiment found that, under low temperature stress, the expression of auxin synthesis genes increased in stamens but decreased in pistils. Low temperature treatment decreased pollen vigor and pollen germination rate. Low night temperature reduced the tomato fruit setting rate and led to parthenocarpy, and the treatment effect was most obvious in the early stage of tomato pollen development. The abscission rate of tomato pTRV-Slfzy3 and pTRV-Slfzy5 silenced plants was higher than that of the control, which is the key auxin synthesis gene affecting the abscission rate. The expression of Solyc07g043580 was down-regulated after low night temperature treatment. Solyc07g043580 encodes the bHLH-type transcription factor SlPIF4. It has been reported that PIF4 regulates the expression of auxin synthesis and synthesis genes, and is a key protein in the interaction between low temperature stress and light in regulating plant development.

Establishment and application of a method of tagged-amplicon deep sequencing for low-abundance drug resistance in HIV-1.

In the latest HIV-1 global drug resistance report released by WHO, countries are advised to strengthen pre-treatment monitoring of drug resistance in AIDS patients. In this study, we established an NGS-based segmented amplification HIV-1 drug resistance mutation detection method. The pol region of HIV-1 was divided into three short fragments for NGS. The entire amplification and sequencing panel were more cost-effective and batched by using the barcode sequence corresponding to the sample. Each parameter was evaluated using samples with known resistance variants frequencies. The nucleotide sequence error rate, amino acid error rate, and noise value of the NGS-based segmented amplification method were both less than 1%. When the threshold was 2%, the consensus sequences of the HIV-1 NL4-3 strain were completely consistent with the Sanger sequences. This method can detect the minimum viral load of the sample at 102 copies/ml, and the input frequency and detection frequency of HIV-1 resistance mutations within the range of 1%-100% had good conformity (R2 = 0.9963; R2 = 0.9955). This method had no non-specific amplification for Hepatitis B and C. Under the 2% threshold, the incidence of surveillance drug resistance mutations in ART-naive HIV-infected patients was 20.69%, among which NRTIs class resistance mutations were mainly.

Experimental Study on Consolidation-Creep Behavior of Subgrade Modified Soil in Seasonally Frozen Areas.

Frost heaving and boiling are the most common road disorders due to the special climatic conditions in a seasonal frozen area. From the perspective of controlling road disorders in seasonally frozen areas and making effective use of industrial waste residue, two kinds of subgrade modified soil-crumb rubber modified fly ash soil (CRFS) and oil shale waste residue modified fly ash soil (OSFS)-were proposed by the research group. The research results proved that the two new subgrade fillers both have excellent engineering characteristics in cold areas, such as high strength and low thermal conductivity, and both have the function of waste utilization, giving them broad application prospects. In road engineering, the instability of slopes and retaining walls and the uneven settlement of the subgrade are closely related to soil creep, which are problems that cannot be ignored in road design and use. As a new material to treat road disorders in seasonally frozen areas, more attention should be paid to the continuous deformation property of modified soil under long-term load. The study on the creep characteristics of the modified soil can provide reliable parameters for the design of the modified soil subgrade and predict the settlement of the subgrade after construction, which is of great significance to the stability of the subgrade. In this paper, an experimental study on the consolidation-creep characteristics of two kinds of subgrade modified soil in a seasonal frozen region was carried out, the relationship between modified soil deformation and time is discussed, and the effects of different moisture contents and compaction degrees on the creep characteristics of modified soil were analyzed. The test results provide parameters for the engineering design of modified soil subgrade and provide data support for the popularization and application of modified soil in seasonally frozen subgrade.

Near Full-Length Genomic Characterization of Two Novel HIV-1 Unique Recombinant Forms (CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC) Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, China.

Unique recombinant forms (URFs) are more likely developed among HIV-1 infections through men who have sex with men (MSM) because of cocirculation of multiple subtypes. In this study, two novel URFs deriving from two HIV-positive subjects (HB010014, HB010063) were identified in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, China, and two sequences formed a distinct monophyletic cluster. Further recombination analysis showed that of two new URFs were consisted of circulating recombinant form (CRF)01_AE and CRF07_BC. The subregion phylogenetic analysis indicated that CRF01_AE segments were traced back to cluster 4 of CRF01_AE strains, which were prevalent among HIV-1 infections through MSM in China. New URFs being developing gradually and spreading released that more and more novel recombinant strains of HIV-1 could be developed, which means that the past prevention strategies need to be adjusted.

Infection by Diverse HIV-1 Subtypes Leads to Different Elevations in HERV-K Transcriptional Levels in Human T Cell Lines.

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) make up ~8% of the human genome, and for millions of years, they have been subject to strict biological regulation. Many HERVs do not participate in normal physiological activities in the body. However, in some pathological conditions, they can be abnormally activated. For example, HIV infection can cause abnormal activation of HERVs, and under different infection conditions, HERV expression may be different. We observed significant differences in HERV-K transcription levels among HIV-1 subtype-infected individuals. The transcriptional levels in the HERV-K gag region were significantly increased in HIV-1 B subtype-infected patients, while the transcriptional levels in the HERV-K pol region were significantly increased in CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC subtype-infected patients. In vitro, the transcriptional levels of HEVR-K were increased 5-fold and 15-fold in MT2 cells transfected with two different HIV-1 strains (B and CRF01_AE, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in transcriptional levels among regions of HERV-K. When MT2 cells were infected with different subtypes of HIV-1 Tat proteins (B, CRF01_AE), which is constructed by lentiviruses, and the transcription levels of HERV-K were increased 4-fold and 2-fold, respectively. Thus, different subtypes of HIV-1 have different effects on HERV-K transcription levels, which may be caused by many factors, not only Tat protein.

Durability and Electrical Conductivity of Carbon Fiber Cloth/Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber Composite for Active Deicing and Snow Melting.

To reduce the impact of road ice and snow disaster, it is necessary to adopt low energy consumption and efficient active deicing and snow melting methods. In this article, three functional components are combined into a conductive ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber composite material with good interface bonding. Among them, the mechanical and electrical properties of the composite material are enhanced by using carbon fiber cloth as a heating layer. EPDM rubber plays a mainly protective role. Further, aluminum silicate fiber cloth is used as a thermal insulation layer. The mechanical properties of EPDM rubber composites reinforced by carbon fiber cloth and the thermal behaviors of the composite material in high and low temperature environments were studied. The heat generation and heat transfer effect of the composite were analyzed by electrothermal tests. The results show that the conductive EPDM rubber composite material has good temperature durability, outstanding mechanical stability, and excellent heat production capacity. The feasibility of the material for road active deicing and snow melting is verified. It is a kind of electric heating deicing material with broad application prospects.