Association analysis of MTHFR (rs1801133 and rs1801131) and MTRR (rs1801394) gene polymorphisms towards the development of hypertension in the Bai population from Yunnan, China.

OBJECTIVE: Hypertension is one of the leading causes of human death and disability. MTHFR and MTRR regulate folate metabolism and are closely linked to hypertension, although the relationship is inconsistent among different ethnic groups. The present study aims to investigate the effects of MTHFR C677T (rs1801133), MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131), and MTRR A66G (rs1801394) polymorphisms on hypertension susceptibility in the Bai nationality of the Yunnan Province, China. METHODS: This case-control study included 373 hypertensive patients and 240 healthy controls from the Chinese Bai population. The genotyping of MTHFR and MTRR gene polymorphisms was carried out by using the KASP method. The effects of genetic variations of MTHFR and MTRR genes on hypertension risk were evaluated with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: The present study revealed that the CT and TT genotypes and T allele of MTHFR C677T locus were considerably associated with an increased risk of hypertension. In addition, MTHFR A1298C locus CC genotype could significantly increase the hypertension risk. The T-A and C-C haplotypes of MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C could increase the risk of hypertension. Further stratified analysis by risk rank of folate metabolism indicated that people with poor utilization of folic acid were more prone to develop hypertension. In the hypertension group, the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was significantly associated with fasting blood glucose, fructosamine, apolipoprotein A1, homocysteine, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde levels. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that genetic variations of MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C were significantly associated with susceptibility to hypertension in the Bai population from Yunnan, China.

Antibacterial metabolites from the beetle-associated fungus Penicillium chrysogenum.

The antibacterial secondary metabolites of the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum associated with the beetle Aspongopus chinensis were investigated through chromatographic fractionation methods of ethyl acetate extracts of the fungal cultures. Five compounds were isolated, and their structures were determined as emodin, 4-(methoxymethyl)benzoic acid, isoochracinic acid, secalonic acid D, and dicerandrol A using mass spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic analyses. Emodin exhibited strong antimicrobial activity, especially against Staphylococcus aureus even when growing on cooked pork, with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 6.3 µg/mL. Dimeric tetrahydroxanthones, such as secalonic acid D and dicerandrol A, also exhibited potent activity, with MIC values ranging from 9.5 to 28.5 µg/mL. In summary, P. chrysogenum was isolated as a symbiotic fungus of the beetle A. chinensis for the first time and this strain could generate antibacterial secondary metabolites, which could potently inhibit gram-positive bacteria growth in vitro.

Nature-inspired hierarchical materials for sensing and energy storage applications.

Nature-inspired hierarchical architectures have recently drawn enormous interest in the materials science community, being considered as promising materials for the development of high-performance wearable electronic devices. Their highly dynamic interfacial interactions have opened new horizons towards the fabrication of sustainable sensing and energy storage materials with multifunctional properties. Nature-inspired assemblies can exhibit impressive properties including ultrahigh sensitivity, excellent energy density and coulombic efficiency behaviors as well as ultralong cycling stability and durability, which can be finely tuned and enhanced by controlling synergistic interfacial interactions between their individual components. This tutorial review article aims to address recent breakthroughs in the development of advanced Nature-inspired sensing and energy storage materials, with special emphasis on the influence of interfacial interactions over their improved properties.

Purification of polysaccharides from Phellinus linteus by using an aqueous two-phase system and evaluation of the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of polysaccharides in vitro.

In this study, Phellinus linteus polysaccharides (PLPS) and proteins were simultaneously separated from P. linteus mycelia by using an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) based on choline chloride ([Chol]Cl)/K2HPO4, and the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of PLPS after ATPS extraction were evaluated. Results demonstrated that the maximal extraction efficiencies of 68.53% ± 0.29% PLPS and 82.37% ± 0.41% proteins were obtained when the cholinium-based ATPS contained 68.9% K2HPO4, 20% [Chol]Cl, 10.0 mg mL-1 crude water extract (1.0 mL), and distilled water (4.0 mL) at shaking time and temperature of 30 min and 21.2 °C, respectively. Compared with C-PLPS obtained using traditional ethanol precipitation and isolation protocols, PLPS had higher carbohydrate content (63.58% ± 1.12%), lower molecular weight (15.2 kDa, 80%), different monosaccharide compositions, and showed similar preliminary structural characterizations. Moreover, PLPS exhibited more evident scavenging effects on free radicals and in vitro antioxidant activities than C-PLPS. Therefore, the method of [Chol]Cl/K2HPO4 ATPS can be developed as an effective strategy for the separation/purification of highly bioactive polysaccharides.

Antibacterial and antioxidant metabolites from the insect-associated fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.

The research on bioactive secondary metabolites from Aspergillus fumigatus afforded six compounds, which were identified by mass spectrometer (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis as cyclopyazonic acid (1), trypacidin A (2), asterric acid (3), methyl asterrate (4), demethylcitreoviranol (5), as well as (5-hydroxy-2-oxo-2H-pyran-4-yl) methyl acetate (6). Cyclopyazonic acid (1) was found to have potent antibacterial effects, especially against Bacillus licheniformis with minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 3.7µg/mL. Its antibacterial effects were possibly related to the olefinic acid group in the structure. Phenyl ether derivatives 3 and 4, and trypacidin A (2) also exhibited antimicrobial effects. In addition, compound 6 showed significant antioxidant effects with half maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 10.2µM in the ABTS (2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay, which was better than the positive control.

Impact of parathyroidectomy on left ventricular function in end stage renal disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a common complication in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, and parathyroidectomy (PTX) is an effective treatment intervention of SHPT. However, the curative impact of PTX on left ventricular function still remains incompletely understood. To evaluate the impact of parathyroidectomy on left ventricular function in ESRD patients, we conducted this retrospective study. METHODS: Between Oct 1, 2010 and Oct 1, 2016, ESRD patients presented with SHPT who underwent parathyroidectomy were enrolled. We retrospectively collected the ultrasonic cardiogram parameter pre- and 1-year post-PTX, and analyzed the influence factor for the overturn of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the improvement of ejection fraction% (EF%). RESULTS: In all the patients (135), the main ultrasonic cardiogram parameter dramatically improved after PTX. Compared with pre-PTX, the left ventricular mass (LVM) (172.82 (135.90, 212.91) g vs. 192.76 (157.56, 237.97) g, p<0.001) and the left ventricular mass index (LVMI) (107.01 (86.79, 128.42) g/m2 vs. 123.54 (105.49, 146.64) g/m2, p<0.001) significantly declined after 1 year of the PTX. Further, 43.75% patients diagnosed with LVH before the PTX have recovered from LVH. In the subgroup analysis of 35 patients with EF% ≤ 60% pre-PTX, EF% and fractional shortening% (FS%) significantly improved after 1 year of the PTX compared with pre-PTX (EF%: 64.90 ± 7.90% vs. 55.71 ± 4.78%, p<0.001; FS% 35.48 ± 6.34% vs. 29.54 ± 2.88%, p<0.001), and 82.86% patients underwent an improvement of left ventricular systolic function post 1year of the PTX. CONCLUSIONS: tPTX+AT is an effective curative intervention of secondary hyperparathyroidism and can significantly overturn the LVH and increase the left ventricular systolic function.

Effect of tween 40 and ethanol on the secretion, structure and antioxidant activities of exopolysaccharides from Inonotus rickii.

In this study, the effects of Tween 40 and ethanol supplementation on the secretion, structure and antioxidant activities of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from Inonotus rickii were investigated. It was observed that Tween 40 and ethanol displayed a stimulatory effect on EPS secretion. The EPSs obtained by the addition of Tween 40 (EPS-T), ethanol (EPS-E) and control (EPS-C) were purified by Sepharose CL-6B gel chromatography and molecular weights of EPS-T, EPS-E and EPS-C were estimated to be 22.1, 30.0, and 40.5 kDa, respectively. Monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that EPS-T, EPS-E and EPS-C were mainly composed of mannose and glucose. Furthermore, EPS-E exhibited better OH• and DPPH scavenging activities than those of EPS-C and EPS-T, which might be associated with its molecular characterization.

Waste-to-wealth: biowaste valorization into valuable bio(nano)materials.

The waste-to-wealth concept aims to promote a future sustainable lifestyle where waste valorization is seen not only for its intrinsic benefits to the environment but also to develop new technologies, livelihoods and jobs. Based on the concept of waste valorization and circular economy, this review aims to provide an overview of present trends and future potential in the conversion of residues from different food sectors into valuable bio(nano)materials.

Nanostructured materials for photocatalysis.

Photocatalysis is a green technology which converts abundantly available photonic energy into useful chemical energy. With a rapid rise of flow photoreactors in the last decade, the design and development of novel semiconductor photocatalysts is happening at a blistering rate. Currently, developed synthetic approaches have allowed the design of diverse modified/unmodified semiconductor materials exhibiting enhanced performances in heterogeneous photocatalysis. In this review, we have classified the so far reported highly efficient modified/unmodified semiconductor photocatalysts into four different categories based on the elemental composition, band gap engineering and charge carrier migration mechanism in composite photocatalysts. The recent synthetic developments are reported for each novel semiconductor photocatalyst within the four different categories, namely: pure semiconductors, solid solutions, type-II heterojunction nanocomposites and Z-scheme. The motivation behind the synthetic upgrading of modified/unmodified (pure) semiconductor photocatalysts along with their particular photochemical applications and photoreactor systems have been thoroughly reviewed.

Antioxidant epoxydon and benzolactone derivatives from the insect-associated fungus Phoma sp.

One new epoxydon ester (1) and a new benzolactone derivative (2), along with four known compounds (3-6), were isolated from the insect-associated fungus Phoma sp. Their structures were confirmed by extensive MS and NMR spectroscopic analysis and their absolute configurations were determined by a combination of modified Mosher method and Mo2(OCOCH3)4-induced electronic circular dichroism (ECD) experiments. Compounds 1 and 5 were revealed to have potent antioxidant activities, which were approximate to the potency of the positive control trolox. In addition, 1 also exhibited moderate cytotoxic effect against human MGC-803 tumor cell line.[Formula: see text].

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus infection among women: A population-based study in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China.

Accumulating evidence indicates that persistent infection with high-risk oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes is the most important risk factor for cervical cancer, and that the distribution of HPV genotypes varies regionally. This study explored the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV infection among Han, Yi, and Bai women in various regions of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. This cross-sectional study included 2779 women (20-76 years old) who were referred for 21-HPV genotype array diagnostic from five regions of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture between February 2013 and May 2016. Statistical methods used included a the χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, t test, and logistic regression. Overall HPV prevalence in the study population was 7.6%. HPV-52, HPV-58, HPV-18, HPV-81, and HPV-16 were the most prevalent genotypes in the study area, and notably, the prevalence of HPV-58 was significantly higher among women in Heqing County than that in other regions. Univariate analysis showed that husband's age, region, fertility status, and parity were potential factors associated with HPV infection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Heqing County was an independent risk factor for HPV infection among women in the Dali area, moreover, Yi women showed the highest risk for HPV infections. Overall, our finding emphasizing the urgent need for an HPV screening and prevention program in Heqing County and Yi women. We also suggest that HPV-related health education should be provided not only to women, but also to men, to reduce the risk of infection in women.

Effect of carbon source on production, characterization and bioactivity of exopolysaccharide produced by Phellinus vaninii Ljup.

The effect on different three carbon source (i.e. glucose, fructose and sucrose) on production, chemical characterization and antioxidant activity of exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by Phellinus vaninii Ljup was investigated in this study. Amongst carbon sources examined, glucose and sucrose were favorable for the mycelia growth, while the maximum EPS yield was achieved when sucrose was employed. The predominant carbohydrate compositions in EPSs identified were gluconic acid, glucose, mannose and galactose acid. Then, FT-IR spectral analysis revealed prominent characteristic groups in EPSs. EPSs molecule exist as nearly globular shape form in aqueous solution. The variation also affects antioxidant activities by investigated by using hydroxyl and DPPH radical scavenging assay. Sucrose was best carbon source from the viewpoint of antioxidant activity due to the relatively high contents of galactose in the EPS with moderate molecular weight and polydispersity.

Simultaneous Determination of Furan and Vinyl Acetate in Vapor Phase of Mainstream Cigarette Smoke by GC-MS.

A simple and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of furan and vinyl acetate (VA) in vapor phase of mainstream cigarette smoke with cold trap and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was developed. A Cambridge filter pad (CFP) was placed in front of the impingers of smoking machine to remove the particle phase from cigarette smoke. Furan and VA in vapor phase of mainstream cigarette smoke were collected in two impingers connected in series by filled with methanol at -78°C. The solutions were added with deuterium-labeled furan-d4 and VA-d6 as internal standards and analyzed by GC-MS. The results showed that the calibration curves for furan and VA were linear (r2 > 0.9995) over the studied concentration range. The intra- and inter-day precision values for furan and VA were <7.07% and <9.62%, respectively. The extraction recoveries of furan and VA were in the range of 94.5-97.7% and 92.3-94.9%, respectively. Moreover, the limits of detection for furan and VA were 0.028 µg mL-1 and 1.3 ng mL-1, respectively. The validated method has been successfully applied to determine the emissions of furan and VA in the vapor phase of mainstream cigarette smoke under International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Canadian Intense (CI) smoking regimen.

Long-term renal and overall survival of critically ill patients with acute renal injury who received continuous renal replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with the increased short-term mortality of critically ill patients on continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). The aim of this research was to evaluate the association of kidney function at discharge with the long-term renal and overall survival of critically ill patients with AKI who were on CRRT in an intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS: We retrospectively collected data for critically ill patients with AKI who were admitted to ICU on CRRT at a tertiary metropolitan hospital in China between 2008 and 2013. The patients were followed up to their death or to 30 September 2016 by telephone. RESULTS: A total of 403 patients were enrolled in this study. The 1-, 3- and 5-year patient survival rates were 64.3 ± 2.4, 55.8 ± 2.5 and 46.3 ± 2.7%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, age, sepsis, decreased renal perfusion (including volume contraction, congestive heart failure, hypotension and cardiac arrest), preexisting kidney disease, Apache II score, Saps II score, vasopressors and eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 at discharge were independent factors for worse long-term patient survival. And age, preexisting kidney disease, Apache II score, mechanical ventilation (MV) and eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 at discharge were also associated with worse renal survival. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that impaired kidney function at discharge was shown to be an important risk factor affecting the long-term renal survival rates of critically ill patients with AKI. An eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m2 was an independent risk factor for decreased overall survival and renal survival.

Production, purification and characterization of an exo-polygalacturonase from Penicillium janthinellum sw09.

A soil isolate, Penicillium janthinellum sw09 has been found to produce significant amounts of an extracellular pectinase subsequently characterized as exo-polygalacturonase (exo-PG). By optimizing growth conditions, P. janthinellum sw09 produced high amount of exo-PG (16.54 units/mL). The crude enzyme was purified by gel filtration chromatography and two exo-PG activity peaks (designated as PGI and PGII) were revealed. On SDS-PAGE analysis, purified PGII using DEAE-Sepharose FF column, was found to be a single band with a molecular mass of 66.2 kDa. The purified PGII exhibited maximal activity at the temperature of 45 oC and pH 5.0. The stability profiles show that PGII is more stable in the pH range of 4.0-8.0 and below 60 oC. The Km and Vmax for the enzyme was 1.74 mg/mL and 18.08 µmol/ (mL•min), respectively. Due to this enzymatic characterization, this pectinase is an attractive candidate for applications in degradation of pectin.

Effect of Tween 80 and Acetone on the Secretion, Structure and Antioxidant Activities of Exopolysaccharides from Lentinus tigrinus.

In this study, the effects of the addition of Tween 80 and acetone on secretion, structure and antioxidant activities of Lentinus tigrinus exopolysaccharides (EPS) were investigated. It was found that Tween 80 and acetone displayed a stimulatory effect on EPS secretion. The EPS obtained by the addition of Tween 80 (EPS-T), acetone (EPS-A) and control (EPS--C) were purified by Sepharose CL-6B gel filtration chromatography and molecular mass of purified fractions was estimated to be 22.1, 137 and 12 kDa, respectively. Monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that EPS-T, EPS-A and EPS-C were mainly composed of glucose and mannose. Congo Red test indicated that EPS-T and EPS-A had a highly ordered conformation of triple helix, while EPS-C had a random coil conformation. Furthermore, EPS-A exhibited higher DPPH scavenging and antiproliferative activities than EPS--C and EPS-T, which might be attributed to the molecular mass.

Characterization of a novel thermophilic phospholipase B from Thermotoga lettingae TMO: applicability in enzymatic degumming of vegetable oils.

A novel phospholipase B (TLPLB) from Thermotoga lettingae TMO has been cloned, functionally overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Gas chromatography indicated that the enzyme could efficiently hydrolyze both the sn-1 and sn-2 ester bonds of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine as phospholipase B. TLPLB was optimally active at 70 °C and pH 5.5, respectively. Its thermostability is relatively high with a half-life of 240 min at 90 °C. TLPLB also displayed remarkable organic solvent tolerance and maintained approximately 91-161 % of its initial activity in 20 and 50 % (v/v) hydrophobic organic solvents after incubation for 168 h. Furthermore, TLPLB exhibited high degumming activity towards rapeseed, soybean, peanut and sunflower seed oils, where the phosphorus contents were decreased from 225.2, 189.3, 85.6 and 70.4 mg/kg to 4.9, 4.7, 3.2 and 2.2 mg/kg within 5 h, respectively. TLPLB could therefore be used for the degumming of vegetable oils.

Effects of cigarette smoke condensate on the production and characterization of exopolysaccharides by Bifidobacterium.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of cigarette smoke on the production and characterization of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) produced by Bifidobacterium. Cigarettes of Shanhua brand (nicotine: 1.1 mg, tar: 11 mg) were utilized to prepare a cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). The standard strain of Bifidobacterium animalis was cultured in MRS media under anaerobic addition of CSC. The results showed that CSC significantly decreased the growth of B. animalis as well as EPSs and acetic acid production. Furthermore, two EPSs fractions (Fr-I and Fr-II) were isolated and purified for chemical and molecular determination. By comparison with control, CSC was found to be of great impact on EPSs carbohydrate composition. The molecular weight mass of Fr-I changed from 3.33 × 10(5) g/mol (without CSC) to 2.99 × 10(5) (with CSC). In conclusion, in vitro studies revealed that CSC was directly able to affect the production of metabolites for B. animalis, which could be an essential factor in certain pathological disorders.

Lignin depolymerisation strategies: towards valuable chemicals and fuels.

Research on lignin deconstruction has recently become the center of interest for scientists and companies worldwide, racing towards harvesting fossil-fuel like aromatic compounds which are so durably put together by plants as products of millions of years of evolution. The natural complexity and high stability of lignin bonds (also as an evolutionary adaptation by plants) makes lignin depolymerization a highly challenging task. Several efforts have been directed towards a more profound understanding of the structure and composition of lignin in order to devise pathways to break down the biopolymer into useful compounds. The present contribution aims to provide an overview of key advances in the field of lignin depolymerisation. Protocols and technologies will be discussed as well as critically evaluated in terms of possibilities and potential for further industrial implementation.

Quantitative proteomic analysis identifies targets and pathways of a 2-aminobenzamide HDAC inhibitor in Friedreich's ataxia patient iPSC-derived neural stem cells.

Members of the 2-aminobenzamide class of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors show promise as therapeutics for the neurodegenerative diseases Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) and Huntington's disease (HD). While it is clear that HDAC3 is one of the important targets of the 2-aminobenzamide HDAC inhibitors, inhibition of other class I HDACs (HDACs 1 and 2) may also be involved in the beneficial effects of these compounds in FRDA and HD, and other HDAC interacting proteins may be impacted by the compound. To this end, we synthesized activity-based profiling probe (ABPP) versions of one of our HDAC inhibitors (compound 106), and in the present study we used a quantitative proteomic method coupled with multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) to identify the proteins captured by the ABPP 106 probe. Nuclear proteins were extracted from FRDA patient iPSC-derived neural stem cells, and then were reacted with control and ABPP 106 probe. After reaction, the bound proteins were digested on the beads, and the peptides were modified using stable isotope-labeled formaldehyde to form dimethyl amine. The selectively bound proteins determined by mass spectrometry were subjected to functional and pathway analysis. Our findings suggest that the targets of compound 106 are involved not only in transcriptional regulation but also in posttranscriptional processing of mRNA.