Response strategies of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) to cadmium stress and the gain effects of inoculation with Herbaspirillum sp. YTG72 in alleviating phytotoxicity and enhancing accumulation of cadmium.

Phytoremediation using fast-growing woody plants assisted by plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) on cadmium (Cd)-contaminated sites is considered a promising technique; however, its remediation efficiency is still affected by multiple factors. In this study, the mining areas' soil conditions were simulated with different Cd addition levels (0, 3, 6, 9 mg kg-1) in order to investigate the response strategy to Cd stress of fast-growing economic tree species, slash pine (Pinus elliottii), and the effects of inoculation with the PGPB strain Herbaspirillum sp. YTG72 on the physiological activity and Cd accumulation of plants. The main results showed that there were significant (p < 0.05) increases in contents of chlorophyll and nutrient elements (P, K, Ca, and Mg) at low Cd addition level (3 mg kg-1) compared to non-Cd addition treatment. When the additive amount of Cd increased, the growth of plants was severely inhibited and the content of proline was increased, as well as Cd in plants. Besides, the ratios of K:P, Ca:P, and Mg:P in plants were negatively correlated with the contents of Cd in plants and soils. Inoculation of P. elliottii with the PGPB strain Herbaspirillum sp. YTG72 improved the physiological functions of the plants under Cd stress and activated the antioxidant system, reduced the accumulation of proline, and decreased the ratios of K:P, Ca:P, and Mg:P in plant. More importantly, planting P. elliottii in Cd-contaminated soil could significantly (p < 0.05) reduce the Cd content in the rhizosphere soil, and furthermore, inoculation treatment could promote the reduction of soil Cd content and increased the accumulation of Cd by root. The results of the present study emphasized the Cd response mechanism of P. elliottii based on multifaceted regulation, as well as the feasibility of strain Herbaspirillum sp. YTG72 assisted P. elliottii for the remediation on Cd-contaminated sites.

A Study on the Surface Quality and Damage Properties of Single-Crystal Silicon Using Different Post-Treatment Processes.

Detecting subsurface defects in optical components has always been challenging. This study utilizes laser scattering and photothermal weak absorption techniques to detect surface and subsurface nano-damage precursors of single-crystal silicon components. Based on laser scattering and photothermal weak absorption techniques, we successfully establish the relationship between damage precursors and laser damage resistance. The photothermal absorption level is used as an important parameter to measure the damage resistance threshold of optical elements. Single-crystal silicon elements are processed and post-processed optimally. This research employs dry etching and wet etching techniques to effectively eliminate damage precursors from optical components. Additionally, detection techniques are utilized to comprehensively characterize these components, resulting in the successful identification of optimal damage precursor removal methods for various polishing types of single-crystal silicon components. Consequently, this method efficiently enhances the damage thresholds of optical components.

Isolation of cadmium-resistance and siderophore-producing endophytic bacteria and their potential use for soil cadmium remediation.

Endophyte-assisted phytoremediation is an emerging technique for soil heavy metals (HMs) remediation and has become a research focus in the world because of the benefits of endophytes on plant growth and uptake of HMs. In this study, multifunctional endophytic bacteria strains were isolated and screened, and the feasibility of these strains for soil cadmium (Cd) remediation was investigated by soil incubation experiments and pot experiments. All endophytic bacteria were isolated from the roots of woody plants grown on Cd-contaminated soil. Seven endophytic bacteria strains had capacities to tolerate Cd toxicity and produce siderophores, and sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene classified these strains as belonging to the genera Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, Pantoea, and Herbaspirillum. All strains were able to produce hydroxamate siderophores (32.40%-91.49%) and had three or more plant growth promoting properties such as phosphorus solubilization, nitrogen fixation, indole acetic acid and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase production. They were all strongly resistant to Cd2+ toxicity, with the minimum inhibitory concentration in LB medium ranging from 1.5 mM to 9.0 mM. Except for strain Burkholderia contaminans JLS17, other strains showed decreasing removal rates within continuously elevated Cd2+ concentration of 10-100 mg L-1. Compared with the uninoculated treatment, the inoculation of strains B.contaminans JLS17, Pseudomonas lurida JLS32, and Pantoea endophytica JLS50 effectively increased the concentration of acid-soluble Cd and decreased the concentration of reducible, oxidizable, and residual Cd in the soils of different Cd contamination levels. In pot experiments, inoculation of strains JLS17 and YTG72 significantly (p < 0.05) promoted the growth of above-ground parts and root system of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) under Cd stress. This study provides a valuable biological resource for endophyte-assisted phytoremediation and a theoretical basis for the application of endophytic bacteria for remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

PRDX1 Influences The Occurrence and Progression of Liver Cancer by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of PRDX1 in hepatocellular carcinoma using hepatoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, we elucidated role of PRDX1, using hepatoma cell lines. RESULTS: PRDX1 was upregulated in different types of cancers, including lung adenocarcinoma, breast cancer and liver cancer reported by several studies. nevertheless, mechanism of inducing liver cell death by PRDX1 remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that PRDX1 expression is enhanced in different cell lines. Here, we used western blot, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and different biochemical assays to explore the role of PRDX1. We observed that overexpression of PRDX1 significantly enhanced proliferation of hepatoma cell lines, while knock-down of this gene showed significant inhibitory effects. We found that knock-down of PRDX1 activated cleaved caspase-3, caspase-9 proteins and Poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP-1), which further executed apoptotic process, leading to cell death. We found that PRDX1 knock-down significantly produced mitochondrial fragmentation. We showed that silencing PRDX1 led to the loss of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and activated Bcl-2-like protein 11 (Bim) which further induced Bax activation. Bax further released cytochrome c from mitochondria and induced apoptotic proteins, suggesting a significant role of PRDX1 knock-down in apoptosis. Finally, we showed that knock-down of PRDX1 significantly activated expression of Dynein-related protein 1 (Drp1), fission 1 (Fis1) and dynamin-2 (Dyn2) suggesting a crucial role of PRDX1 in mitochondrial fragmentation and apoptosis conditions. This study highlighted an important role of PRDX1 in regulating proliferation of hepatoma cells and thus future studies are required to validate its effect on hepatcoytes. CONCLUSION: We propose that future works on PRDX1 inhibitors may act as a therapeutic candidate for treatment of liver cancer.

Prognostic Implications of the Admission Cardiac Troponin I Levels and Door-to-Balloon Time on Clinical Outcomes in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic implications of the admission cTnI level and D2B time combined on in-hospital and 1-year heart failure (HF) and mortality in STEMI patients undergoing a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are remain uncertain. METHODS AND RESULTS: We divided the consecutive 1485 STEMI patients who underwent PCI from January 2015 to October 2019 at our hospital into three groups based on their admission cTnI levels: normal group (<0.1 ng/mL), middle group (0.1 to less than 3 ng/mL), and high group (≥3 ng/mL) and into two groups by their D2B times: >90 min (>90-D2B) and ≤90 min (≤90-D2B). During the in-hospital and 1-year follow-up periods, the incidence of composite clinical events increased significantly with the increase in the admission cTnI level (p < 0.05). In-hospital, the composite rate of death and HF events was significantly higher in the >90-D2B group compared to the ≤90-D2B group (p = 0.006), but its influence disappeared in the 1-year follow-up (p > 0.05). A multivariable logistic analysis revealed that, in the ≤90-D2B group, with the exception of the cTnI ≥3 ng/mL patients, the cTnI level had no effect on in-hospital or 1-year outcomes; in >90-D2B group, cTnI ≥3ng/mL increased outcomes in both periods. CONCLUSION: High cTnI levels (≥3 ng/mL) on admission are independent of the D2B time for predicting in-hospital and 1-year cardiac events in STEMI patients undergoing PCI.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor protected against brain injury in a rat cerebral hemorrhage model by modulating inflammation.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been reported to exert a protective effect against secondary brain damage, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We explored the ability of G-CSF to protect the brain from injury in a rat autologous blood-induced model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), with a special focus on the anti-inflammation effect. An ICH was induced in 8-week-old male rats by an infusion of autologous blood, and the rats were then randomly assigned to five treatment groups: sham, ICH, and ICH+ low-dose (25 µg/kg), middle-dose (50 µg/kg), and high-dose (75 µg/kg) G-CSF. We then evaluated the levels of brain inflammation-related genes and proteins. The levels of tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA increased between days 1 and 14 post-ICH, with the highest expression on day 3. These changes were rectified by G-CSF in a dose-dependent manner. At day 3 post-injury, an elevation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 protein level and a reduction of the inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκBα) protein level were observed; G-CSF treatment exerted a beneficial effect on both protein expressions. The expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) proteins were increased; these changes were rectified by the highest dose of G-CSF. The brain-protecting effects of G-CSF are likely to be attributable, at least in part, to attenuation of the TNF-α, IL-6, iNOS, and COX-2 expressions induced by NF-κB activation in the brain tissues of this autologous blood-induced ICH rat model.

PIAS3/SOCS1-STAT3 axis responses to oxidative stress in hepatocellular cancer cells.

The participation of STAT3 and its upstream inhibitors, PIAS3 and SOCS1, in the oxidative response of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells was uncertain. Here, the expression of PIAS3 and SOCS1 in HCC tissues and cell lines was explored, and we sought to determine whether oxidative stress epigenetically regulated PIAS3 and SOCS1 expression and STAT3 activation in HCC cells. The expression of PIAS3 and SOCS1 was markedly decreased in HCC cell lines and tissues compared to normal hepatic cells and tissues. In HCC patients, low PIAS3 and SOCS1 expression were associated with poor survival. Oxidative stress induced by H2O2 in HepG2 cells was indicated by low antioxidant levels and high protein carbonyl content. Moreover, oxidative stress in HepG2 cells contributed to reduced proliferation but increased apoptosis, migration, and invasion capacity, which might be counteracted by antioxidants, such as tocopheryl acetate (TA). PIAS3 and SOCS1 expression was markedly decreased, while STAT3 was activated in HepG2 cells in response to H2O2 exposure. Co-treatment with antioxidant TA effectively increased the expression of PIAS3 and SOCS1, but it dephosphorylated STAT3 in H2O2-treated cells. PIAS1 or SOCS1 overexpression in HepG2 cells after H2O2 treatment restored cell viability and anti-oxidative responses and decreased apoptosis, migration, and invasion ability, and dephosphorylated STAT3 levels. Co-administration of the STAT3 activator, colivelin, partially abolished the effect of PIAS3 and SOCS1 overexpression in these processes. Therefore, oxidative stress in HCC cells may improve their migration and reduce proliferation through STAT3 activation through the repression of PIAS3 and SOCS1 expression.

Role of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Humans and Animals with Chronic Stress.

Exposure to psychosocial stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including vascular atherosclerosis-based cardiovascular disease (ACVD). Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) is a complex enzyme that acts as a membrane-anchored cell surface exopeptidase. DPP-4 is upregulated in metabolic and inflammatory cardiovascular disorders. DPP-4 exhibits many physiological and pharmacological functions by regulating its extremely abundant substrates, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Over the last 10 years, emerging data have demonstrated unexpected roles of DPP-4 in extracellular and intracellular signaling, immune activation, inflammation, oxidative stress production, cell apoptosis, insulin resistance, and lipid metabolism. This mini-review focuses on recent novel findings in this field, highlighting a DPP-4-mediated regulation of GLP-1-dependent and -independent signaling pathways as a potential therapeutic molecular target in treatments of chronic psychological stress-related ACVD in humans and animals.

Adaptive immune disorders in hypertension and heart failure: focusing on T-cell subset activation and clinical implications.

: Hypertension is a growing health concern worldwide. Established hypertension is a causative factor of heart failure, which is characterized by increased vascular resistance and intractable uncontrolled blood pressure. Hypertension and heart failure have multiple causes and complex pathophysiology but cellular immunity is thought to contribute to the development of both. Recent studies showed that T cells play critical roles in hypertension and heart failure in humans and animals, with various stimuli leading to the formation of effector T cells that infiltrate the cardiovascular wall. Monocytes/macrophages also accumulate in the cardiovascular wall. Various cytokines (e.g. interleukin-6, interleukin-17, interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interferon-γ) released from immune cells of various subtypes promote vascular senescence and elastic laminal degradation as well as cardiac fibrosis and/or hypertrophy, leading to cardiovascular structural alterations and dysfunction. Recent laboratory evidence has defined a link between inflammation and the immune system in initiation and progression of hypertension and heart failure. Moreover, cross-talk among natural killer cells, adaptive immune cells (T cells and B cells), and innate immune cells (i.e. monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells) contributes to end-cardiovasculature damage and dysfunction in hypertension and heart failure. Clinical and experimental studies on the diagnostic potential of T-cell subsets revealed that blood regulatory T cells, CD4 cells, CD8 T cells, and the ratio of CD4 to CD8 T cells show promise as biomarkers of hypertension and heart failure. Therapeutic interventions to suppress activation of these cells may prove beneficial in reducing end-organ damage and preventing consequences of cardiovascular failure, including hypertension of heart failure.

Enhanced electron transportation of PF-NR2 cathode interface by gold nanoparticles.

In order to achieve a wider organic light-emitting diode (OLED) commercial popularity, solution processing inverted polymer light-emitting diode (iPLED) is a trend for further development, but there is still a gap for solution processing devices to achieve commercialization. The improvement of the performance iPLEDs is a research topic of intense current interest. The modification of the cathode interface layer of poly[(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] (PF-NR2) can greatly improve the performance of the devices. However, the electron transportation of the cathode interface layer of PF-NR2 films is currently poor, and there is substantial interest in improving its electron transportation to further enhance the performance of organic optoelectronic devices. In this paper, gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with a particle size of 20 nm were prepared and doped into the interface layer PF-NR2 at a specified ratio. The electron transportation of the interface layer of PF-NR2 was greatly improved, as judged by conductive atomic force microscopy measurements, which is due to the excellent conductivity of Au NPs. Herein, we demonstrate improved electron transportation of the interface layer by doping Au NPs in PF-NR2 film, which provides important and practical theoretical guidance and technical support for the preparation of high performance organic optoelectronic devices.

Two-dimensional shape retrieval from the interferometric out-of-focus image of a nonspherical particle-Part I: theory.

Shape is one of the important characteristics of nonspherical particles. Herein, the two-dimensional shapes of several micrometer/millimeter-sized particles with a variety of geometrical forms are retrieved from simulated interferometric out-of-focus images using the Hybrid Input-Output algorithm. The particle concerned can be either a single particle or a complex particle with separate parts. The impact of the axial size of the three-dimensional particle on the retrieval of the two-dimensional shape (i.e., the projection of the particle on the image sensor) is analyzed, showing that an increase of the axial size increases the deviation of low frequencies in the interferometric out-of-focus image and eventually degrades the quality of the reconstructed shape. This study demonstrates the capability of the interferometric out-of-focus imaging technique on shape information retrieval for micrometer/millimeter-sized nonspherical particles.