Preparation and Properties of Epoxy Adhesives with Fast Curing at Room Temperature and Low-Temperature Resistance.

Developing a highly efficient multifunctional epoxy adhesive is still an enormous challenge, which can rapidly cure at room temperature and has excellent low-temperature resistance performance and is crucial for the epoxy adhesive and electrical sealing fields during severe cold seasons. Herein, diglycidyl phthalate (DP) was synthesized with phthalic anhydride (PA) and epichlorohydrin (ECH) to enhance the curing rate and low-temperature resistance of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA) adhesive. The modified DP/DGEBA adhesives were systematically analyzed by gel time, mechanical properties, and aging resistance (time, temperature, and dry/wet treatment). The results showed that DP with highly active ester groups significantly accelerates the curing speed of DP/DGEBA. DP's rigid aromatic ring-benzene ring and flexible group-ester group gave the adhesive better low-temperature resistance. When the addition of DP was 10 wt % (based on the mass of DGEBA), the gel time of DP/DGEBA epoxy adhesives was reduced by 58 min compared to unmodified DGEBA epoxy adhesive, and after aging at low temperature (-20 °C) for 7 days, the tensile shear strengths of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and aluminum plate increased by 76.2 and 80.6%, respectively. The results of non-isothermal curing kinetics and dynamic mechanical analysis suggested that when the amount of DP was 10 wt %, the reaction activation energy of DP/DGEBA epoxy adhesive decreased by 4.0%, and the cross-linking density increased by 8.9%. Moreover, the toughness of the modified adhesive was also improved. This study opens up a feasible way for the development of a low temperature-resistant epoxy adhesive cured rapidly at room temperature in practical application.

Vanadium Carbide Nanosheets with Broad-Spectrum Antioxidant Activity for Pulmonary Fibrosis Therapy.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and highly lethal lung disease that largely results from oxidative stress; however, effective antioxidant therapy by targeting oxidative stress pathogenesis is still lacking. The big challenge is to develop an ideal antioxidant material with superior antifibrotic effects. Herein, we report that V4C3 nanosheets (NSs) can serve as a potential antioxidant for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis by scavenging reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Interestingly, subtle autoxidation can adjust the valence composition of V4C3 NSs and significantly improve their antioxidant behavior. Valence engineering triggers multiple antioxidant mechanisms including electron transfer, H atom transfer, and enzyme-like catalysis, thus endowing V4C3 NSs with broad-spectrum, high-efficiency, and persistent antioxidant capacity. Benefiting from antioxidant properties and good biocompatibility, V4C3 NSs can significantly prevent myofibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix abnormality, thus alleviating the progression of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in vivo by scavenging ROS, anti-inflammation, and rebuilding antioxidant defenses. This study not only provides an important strategy for designing excellent antioxidant nanomaterials, but also proposes a proof-of-concept demonstration for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and other oxidative stress-related diseases.

Multi-response assessment for carbon emission and hardening effect in laser surface quenching.

Laser surface quenching (LSQ) is gaining popularity in engineering applications, but it generates non-negligible carbon emissions. However, existing research mostly focuses on quenching performance. Little attention has been paid to carbon emissions of LSQ process. In this study, we build an experimental platform including fiber laser system (IPG YLR-4 kW) and carbon emission measurement system for a synergistic study of environmental impacts and processing quality in LSQ. Based on the L16 (43) Taguchi matrix, LSQ experiments are conducted on the shield disc cutter. The influences of laser power, scanning speed, and defocusing distance on carbon emissions and hardening effects are studied. The carbon emission efficiency of LSQ is analyzed and compared with the competitive technology. The geometry and the maximum average hardness (MAH) of LSQ high-hardness zone (HHZ) are studied. A comprehensive evaluation considering carbon emissions and hardening effects is conducted. The results show that the maximum value of carbon emission is 1.4 times the minimum value. The maximum depth and width of HHZ are respectively 0.507 and 3.254 mm. The maximum MAH is 3.5 times the hardness of base metal. Compared to the average experimental responses, the experiment with the highest comprehensive score respectively increases by 26.4%, 17.1%, and 30.3% in depth, width, and MAH of HHZ, and reduces by 5.8% in carbon emissions.

Engineering white blood cell membrane-camouflaged nanocarriers for inflammation-related therapeutics.

White blood cells (WBCs) play essential roles against inflammatory disorders, bacterial infections, and cancers. Inspired by nature, WBC membrane-camouflaged nanocarriers (WBC-NCs) have been developed to mimic the "dynamic" functions of WBCs, such as transendothelial migration, adhesion to injured blood vessels, etc, which make them promising for diverse medical applications. WBC-NCs inherit the cell membrane antigens of WBCs, while still exhibiting the robust inflammation-related therapeutic potential of synthetic nanocarriers with excellent (bio)physicochemical performance. This review summarizes the proposed concept of cell membrane engineering, which utilizes physical engineering, chemical modification, and biological functionalization technologies to endow the natural cell membrane with abundant functionalities. In addition, it highlights the recent progress and applications of WBC-NCs for inflammation targeting, biological neutralization, and immune modulation. Finally, the challenges and opportunities in realizing the full potential of WBC-NCs for the manipulation of inflammation-related therapeutics are discussed.

Parental smoking exposure before and during pregnancy and offspring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder risk: A Chinese child and adolescent cohort study.

Background: Previous studies revealed that maternal smoking exposure during pregnancy was an essential risk factor for offspring developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The impact of paternal smoking exposure 1 year before pregnancy on offspring ADHD risk is still unclear. Methods: The present study included 2,477 school-age children and their parents from the Shanghai Child and Adolescent Health Cohort who had complete data for offspring ADHD diagnosis and parents' smoking exposure before and during pregnancy information. A multivariate logistic regression model and Firth's logistic regression model were used to determine the associations of paternal smoking and parental smoke exposure patterns before and during pregnancy with offspring ADHD risk. Results: Children whose fathers smoked before pregnancy had a higher risk of developing ADHD [odds ratio (OR) = 2.59, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.35-4.98] compared to those whose fathers had never been exposed to smoking. Similarly, parents who were exposed to smoking or second-hand smoke before pregnancy had 1.96 times (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.19-3.22) more likely to have offspring with ADHD. Moreover, children whose parents were exposed to smoking both before and during pregnancy were 2.01 times (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.29-3.12) more likely to develop ADHD. Conclusion: Paternal smoking before pregnancy and parental smoking exposure 1 year ahead of and throughout pregnancy were all risk factors for offspring developing ADHD.

Cell membrane-camouflaged inorganic nanoparticles for cancer therapy.

Inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) have been paid great attention in the field of oncology in recent past years since they have enormous potential in drug delivery, gene delivery, photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), bio-imaging, driven motion, etc. To overcome the innate limitations of the conventional INPs, such as fast elimination by the immune system, low accumulation in tumor sites, and severe toxicity to the organism, great efforts have recently been made to modify naked INPs, facilitating their clinical application. Taking inspiration from nature, considerable researchers have exploited cell membrane-camouflaged INPs (CMCINPs) by coating various cell membranes onto INPs. CMCINPs naturally inherit the surface adhesive molecules, receptors, and functional proteins from the original cell membrane, making them versatile as the natural cells. In order to give a timely and representative review on this rapidly developing research subject, we highlighted recent advances in CMCINPs with superior unique merits of various INPs and natural cell membranes for cancer therapy applications. The opportunity and obstacles of CMCINPs for clinical translation were also discussed. The review is expected to assist researchers in better eliciting the effect of CMCINPs for the management of tumors and may catalyze breakthroughs in this area.

Diagnostic efficacy of serum ST2 in patients with ASC.

BACKGROUND: Soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) is closely related to the development of cardiovascular disease, but the level of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and the relationship between ST2 and ACS are unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with the acute coronary syndrome were divided into the unstable angina pectoris (USAP) group (n = 65) and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) group (n = 58), and the healthy population, without chest pain and with normal coronary CT, was included as a control group (n = 55). Laboratory index levels were collected from each participant. The baseline information was reviewed and analyzed. The binary logistic regression was used to explore the relation of ST2 levels with the occurrence of ACS and NSTEMI, and the diagnostic performance of ST2 for diagnosing ACS or NSTEMI was evaluated using a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: The level of ST2 was found significantly higher in NSTEMI than in USAP and was higher in USAP than in control (p < 0.01). ST2 levels were positively correlated with ALT, AST, and BNP in the control group, were negatively correlated with HGB and TG in the USAP group, and were positively correlated with WBC, GLU, BNP, and Gensini scores in the NSTEMI group. Multivariate analysis revealed that the occurrence of ACS was associated with ST2, BNP, GLU, TC, BUN, WBC, and PLT, and the occurrence of NSTEMI was associated with AST, WBC, LDL-C, and ST2. Meanwhile, ST2 levels achieved good performance for ACS and NSTEMI diagnostician. CONCLUSION: ST2 could be used as an auxiliary diagnostic indicator for the occurrence of ACS and NSTEMI.

Ti3C2 nanosheets with broad-spectrum antioxidant activity for cytoprotection against oxidative stress.

Redox regulation in biological systems represents a fascinating method for treatment and prevention of oxidative stress induced diseases. The key and difficult point is to find ideal materials with excellent antioxidant capability and good biocompatibility. To this end, ultra-thin two-dimensional MXene (Ti3C2) nanosheets (NSs) were investigated for their antioxidant capability. It is found that Ti3C2 NSs can scavenge efficiently reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (˙OH, H2O2, and ˙NO), ABTS+˙ and DPPH˙ free radicals in a concentration dependent manner, showing broad-spectrum antioxidant activities. Ti3C2 NSs exhibit higher antioxidant activity and broader antioxidant capability than natural antioxidant molecules. The significant role of PEG modified Ti3C2 with good stability in preventing cell damage against oxidative stress was demonstrated. Upon treatment of H2O2 induced oxidative stress with Ti3C2, the intracellular ROS level decreases and the cell survival rate increases significantly. An antioxidant mechanism based on gradient oxidation was proposed to account for the superior antioxidant activity of Ti3C2. Our result proves that ultra-thin MXenes as antioxidants have great potential in preventing oxidative stress caused biological damage.

Two novel chiral tetranucleate copper-based complexes: syntheses, crystal structures, inhibition of angiogenesis and the growth of human breast cancer in vitro and in vivo.

The single crystals of two novel chiral tetranucleate copper(II)-based complexes (TNCu-A and TNCu-B) containing L-methioninol-derived Schiff-bases were obtained. Their single structures were characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction, infrared (IR) rays, elemental analysis, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. TNCu-A can effectively inhibit human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to form a tubular structure and it induces apoptosis of human triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and HUVECs in vitro in a mitochondria dependent manner. Moreover, in vivo TNCu-A can remarkably inhibit the growth of triple-negative breast cancer from which MDA-MB-231 cells were xenografted into severely immunodeficient nude mice by inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells by dramatically inhibiting the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and up-regulating the expressions of proapoptotic proteins caspase-9 and Bax, and simultaneously inhibiting tumor angiogenesis by decreasing the density of vascular endothelial cells and suppressing migration and even partially inducing apoptosis.

Relationship between Admission Electrolyte Level and Short-term Prognosis of Patients with Acute ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between the electrolyte level of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and short-term prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: The clinical data of 142 patients with acute STEMI who underwent PCI in our hospital from September 2018 to September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the level of serum sodium, potassium, and chloride in patients admitted to the hospital, they were divided into the normal electrolyte group (n = 78), the mild decline group (n = 46), and the severe decline group (n = 16). Univariate and logistic regression multivariate analysis of the relationship between patient electrolyte levels and general clinical data is performed. Statistical analysis of patients' adverse events within 90 days was performed. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analyzed the relationship between the survival period and electrolyte levels in patients with acute STEMI without major acute cardiovascular events (MACE) within 90 days. RESULTS: The levels of creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), myocardial infarction area, and Gensini score in patients with mild decline were significantly higher than those in the normal group, left ventricle ejection fractions (LVEF) value was significantly lower than the normal group, and patients with severe decline were significantly higher in creatine kinase (CK) level than the normal group (P < 0.05). The levels of CK-MB, CK, cTnI, and myocardial infarction area of the patients in the severe decline group were significantly higher than those in the mild decline group, and the LVEF values were significantly lower than those in the mild decline group (P < 0.05). The levels of CK-MB, CK, cTnI, the area of myocardial infarction, and Gensini score in patients with acute STEMI have an independent effect on their electrolyte levels. The patients in the mild decline group and severe decline group had significantly higher rates of cardiogenic shock, heart failure, ventricular aneurysm formation, ventricular septal perforation, or death within 90 days after PCI. The median without MACE survival time of patients with mildly and severely reduced electrolyte levels was significantly lower than that of patients with normal electrolyte levels. CONCLUSION: Patients with acute STEMI are prone to electrolyte disturbances, and their CK-MB, CK, and cTnI levels; myocardial infarction area; and Gensini score have independent effects on electrolyte levels. Patients with electrolyte disturbances are prone to poor prognosis after PCI, and their survival period without MACE at 90 days is significantly lower than that of normal patients.

Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation on serum levels of myeloperoxidase, soluble ST2, and hypersensitive C-reactive protein in acute myocardial infarction patients.

BACKGROUND: Prompt and effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can promote the recovery of spontaneous circulation to some extent and can save patients' lives. The minimum target of cardiac resuscitation is the restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). However, owing to prolonged sudden cardiac arrest, there is relatively high mortality within 24 h after cardiac resuscitation. Moreover, severe cerebral anoxia can deteriorate the prognosis of patients. Therefore, it is important to adopt an effective clinical evaluation of acute myocardial infarct (AMI) patients' prognosis after cardiac resuscitation for the purpose of prevention and management. AIM: To investigate early CPR effects on human myeloperoxidase (MPO), soluble ST2 (sST2), and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in AMI patients. METHODS: In total, 54 patients with cardiac arrest caused by AMI in our hospital were selected as the observation group, and 50 other patients with AMI were selected as the control group. The differences in serum levels of MPO, sST2, and hs-CRP between the observation group and the control group were tested, and the differences in the serum levels of MPO, sST2, and hs-CRP in ROSC and non-ROSC patients, and in patients who died and in those who survived, were analyzed. RESULTS: Serum levels of MPO, sST2, hs-CRP, lactic acid, creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Serum levels of MPO, sST2, hs-CRP, lactic acid, CK-MB, and cTnI in the observation group were lower after CPR than before CPR (P < 0.05). In the observation group, MPO, sST2, hs-CRP, lactic acid, CK-MB, and cTnI serum levels were lower in ROSC patients than in non-ROSC patients (P < 0.05). MPO, sST2, hs-CRP, and lactic acid serum levels of patients who died in the observation group were higher than those of patients who survived (P < 0.05). The areas under receiver operating characteristic curve predicted by MPO, sST2, hs-CRP, lactic acid, CK-MB, and cTnI were 0.616, 0.681, 0.705, 0.704, 0.702, and 0.656, respectively (P < 0.05). The areas under receiver operating characteristic curve for MPO, SST2, hs-CRP, and lactic acid to predict death were 0.724, 0.800, 0.689, and 0.691, respectively (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that MPO, sST2, and hs-CRP were the influencing factors of ROSC [odds ratios = 1.667, 1.589, and 1.409, P < 0.05], while MPO, sST2, hs-CRP, and lactic acid were the influencing factors of death (odds ratios = 1.624, 1.525, 1.451, and 1.365, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum levels of MPO, sST2, hs-CRP, and lactic acid have a certain value in predicting recovery and prognosis of patients with ROSC.

The implications of preliminary screening and diagnosis: Clinical characteristics of 33 mild patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection in Hunan, China.

BACKGROUND: In December 2019, coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The disease has rapidly spread from Wuhan to other regions. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical manifestations and epidemiological characteristics of patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Hunan Province in 2020. STUDY DESIGN: From January 19 to February 7, 2020, 33 patients with positive in nucleic acid test of pharyngeal swab were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: There are 33 COVID-19 patients (16 male, 17 female), and the median age was 46 years. Nineteen patients (48 %) were associated with a family cluster outbreak. Seventeen patients (52 %) had traveled or lived in Hubei Province. These patients are early mild cases, most common symptoms are fever [23 (70 %)] and cough [13 (39 %)]. Most patients' white blood cell counts are normal, while they manifest as significant reduction in lymphocytes [17/28 (61 %)]. The levels of c-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate suggest a typical viral infection. Procalcitonin did not increase and D-dimer increased slightly. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels have elevated in most patients. CT images of these patients showed bilateral multiple plaques or nodular ground-glass opacities (68.4 %). Fecal nucleic acid results were positive in eight COVID-19 patients accompanied with diarrhea. Tear nucleic acid results were negative in six COVID-19 patients. And four asymptomatic patients were infected with SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical symptoms, laboratory results and imaging reports of patients with COVID-19 in Hunan area are significantly different from those in Wuhan area. For non-Wuhan epidemic areas, more attention should be paid to nucleic acid test results of throat swabs and stools, and it is not easily to diagnose based on clinical symptoms and CT results. Reduced whole blood lymph count can be used as an adjuvant diagnosis of early SARS-CoV-2 infection. Attention should be paid to asymptomatic carriers, which is of great significance for the control of the global epidemic.

The associations between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and cardiometabolic risks in Chinese children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to examine associations between SSB intake and cardiometabolic risks among Chinese children and adolescences. METHODS: Data from 3958 participants aged 6-17 years old were obtained in Shanghai, China, from September to October 2015. A 3-day dietary record and a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were applied to assess SSB consumption and frequency. Anthropometric and laboratory measurements were conducted to measure cardiometabolic indicators. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, sex, daily energy intake, pubertal stage, sedentary time, maternal education, and household income, SSB consumption was positively associated with serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), while it was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure (P < .05). The participants in the highest intake category (≥201.7 mL/day) of SSB consumption had 0.10 (95%CI, 0.02-0.18) mmol/L higher total cholesterol and 0.09 (95%CI, 0.03-0.16) mmol/L higher LDL-C levels than the nonconsumption group (0 mL/day). There was a quasi-U-shaped trend in LDL-C across the categories of >0 mL/day SSB consumption. SSB frequency was positively associated with BMI (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: SSB intake was positively associated with serum cholesterol and was weakly associated with BMI in Chinese children and adolescents, independent of energy intake.

Transcriptional regulation of NIN expression by IPN2 is required for root nodule symbiosis in Lotus japonicus.

Expression of Nodule Inception (NIN) is essential for initiation of legume-rhizobial symbiosis. An existing model regarding the regulation of NIN expression involves two GRAS transcription factors - NSP1 (Nodulation Signaling Pathway 1) and NSP2. NSP2 forms a complex with NSP1 to directly bind to NIN promoter. However, rhizobial treatment-induced NIN expression could still be detected in the nsp1 mutant plants, suggesting that other proteins must be involved in the regulation of NIN expression. A combination of molecular, biochemical and genetic analyses was used to investigate the molecular basis of IPN2 in regulating root development and NIN expression in Lotus japonicus. In this study, we identified that IPN2 is a close homolog of Arabidopsis APL (ALTERED PHLOEM DEVELOPMENT) with essential function in root development. However, Lotus IPN2 has a different expression pattern compared with the Arabidopsis APL gene. IPN2 binds to the IPN2-responsive cis element (IPN2-RE) of NIN promoter and activates NIN expression. IPN2, NSP1 and NSP2 form a protein complex to directly target NIN promoter and activate NIN expression in the legume-rhizobial symbiosis. Our data refine the regulatory model of NIN expression that NSP2 works together with NSP1 and IPN2 to activate the NIN gene allowing nodulation in L. japonicus.

Dietary exposure of lead in primary, middle and high school students in Pudong new area of Shanghai / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To obtain the dietary exposure of lead in primary, middle and high school students, and to provide basic foundation for food safety risk assessment and management for children and adolecsents.@*Methods@#Weighing method, 3-days hour dietary survey, combining with the food frequency questionnaire, was applied to obtain basic dietary data in 616 primary, middle and high school students selected through multi-stage randdom sampling method from Pudong new area of shanghai. Data on lead concentrations were derived from the food safety risk monitoring system, which included 1 145 samples.@*Results@#Lead was detected in 568 of 1 145 samples (49.61%) from 10 categories of foods. The exceeding standard rate was 3.58% (41 samples exceeded). The average content of lead was (0.12±0.25) mg/kg, fungi and algae, beans and the aquatic products were found to be the primary food sources of lead exposure. The average dietary lead exposure in primary, middle and high school students was 9.94 μg/kg per week, accounted for 39.76% of PTWI. The lead exposure level at the 97.5th percentile which accounted for 118.24% of PTWI was 29.56 μg/kg. Vegetables, beans and cereal foods were the mainly source of dietary lead exposure, with average dietary lead exposure 2.57, 2.44 and 1.43 μg/kg peer week, accounted for 10.26%, 9.76% and 5.74% of PTWI, respectively.@*Conclusion@#Lead is present in some foods available in local markets in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Low level of dietary exposure to lead is found in primary, middle and high school students, however, it depends on dietary pattern. Continued efforts are needed to reduce the dietary exposure of lead in school students.

Mechanism of cadmium poisoning on testicular injury in mice.

Cadmium is a heavy metal that is toxic to humans and the reproductive system. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of cadmium-induced reproductive toxicity in a male Institute of Cancer Research mouse model of cadmium poisoning. Changes in luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), 17α-hydroxylase and endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) expression levels were examined. A total of 24 male mice (4-week-old) were randomly divided into four groups (normal control group and low, medium and high cadmium groups) and subjected to gavage treatment with normal saline or cadmium-containing saline solutions for 8 weeks prior to sacrifice. To assess testicular injury, serum androgen levels were determined by ELISA, testicular tissue pathological changes were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining. In addition, LHR, 17α-hydroxylase and eNOS expressions levels were examined by western blotting, and apoptosis was examined with a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. The results demonstrated that the severity of testes injury increased with cadmium concentration. In addition, LHR, 17α-hydroxylase and eNOS expression levels increased with low and medium concentrations of cadmium; however, they were decreased following treatment with high concentrations of cadmium. The results from the present study demonstrated that cadmium altered LHR, 17α-hydroxylase and eNOS expression levels in testicular stromal cells, which may impact testosterone synthesis. Furthermore, NO was suggested to be involved in cadmium-induced testicular injury by measurements of eNOS expression in testicular stromal cells.

A Dihydroflavonol-4-Reductase-Like Protein Interacts with NFR5 and Regulates Rhizobial Infection in Lotus japonicus.

In almost all symbiotic interactions between rhizobia and leguminous plants, host flavonoid-induced synthesis of Nod factors in rhizobia is required to initiate symbiotic response in plants. In this study, we found that Lotus japonicus Nod factor receptor 5 (LjNFR5) might directly regulate flavonoid biosynthesis during symbiotic interaction with rhizobia. A yeast two-hybrid analysis revealed that a dihydroflavonol-4-reductase-like protein (LjDFL1) interacts with LjNFR5. The interaction between MtDFL1 and MtNFP, two Medicago truncatula proteins with homology to LjDFL1 and LjNFR5, respectively, was also shown, suggesting that interaction between these two proteins might be conserved in different legumes. LjDFL1 was highly expressed in root hairs and epidermal cells of root tips. Lotus ljdfl1 mutants and Medicago mtdfl1 mutants produced significantly fewer infection threads (ITs) than the wild-type control plants following rhizobial treatment. Furthermore, the roots of stable transgenic L. japonicus plants overexpressing LjDFL1 formed more ITs than control roots after exposure to rhizobia. These data indicated that LjDFL1 is a positive regulator of symbiotic signaling. However, the expression of LjDFL1 was suppressed by rhizobial treatment, suggesting that a negative feedback loop might be involved in regulation of the symbiotic response in L. japonicus.

Diagnostic value of serum PIVKA-II levels for BCLC early hepatocellular carcinoma and correlation with HBV DNA.

BACKGROUND: It is reported that prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) has a better performance of diagnosis for HCC, and has also been known to be an independent risk factor for vascular invasion. Few studies study the relationship between PIVKA-II and HBV DNA. OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical value of serum Prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) in early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to explore its relationship with vascular invasion and HBV DNA. METHODS: In a Chinese cohort, we conducted a case-control study to compare the performances of a-fetoprotein (AFP) and PIVKA-II serum levels for diagnosis of HCC and early HCC. Fifty one healthy controls, 37 chronic hepatitis patients, 43 cirrhotic patients and 143 HCC cases of which 48 (33.57%) had early stage HCC (n= 19 very early, n= 29 early) were enrolled. We explored the correlation between PIVKA-II serum level and several pathological features such as vascular invasion. The serum levels of and AFP were measured by chemiluminescence assay (CLIA) and electrochemiluminescence assay (ECLA). RESULTS: The serum levels of both PIVKA-II and AFP in HCC group were higher than that in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and healthy control groups. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and kappa of PIVKA-II were higher than AFP in the diagnosis of HCC. Serum PIVKA-II level was correlated with tumor size, tumor cell differentiation and BCLC staging (P< 0.05). For the diagnosis of early HCC, the combination of PIVKA-II (AUC 0.812; 95% CI, 0.702-0.894) and AFP (0.797; 95% CI, 0.686-0.883) slightly improve the diagnostic performance for early HCC(AUC 0.849; 95% CI, 0.745-0.923). PIVKA-II > 166 mAU/ml is an independent risk factor for vascular invasion. The serum HBV DNA level in cirrhosis and HCC patients was significantly higher than in chronic hepatitis patients. We detected a negative association between serum PIVKA-II and serum HBV DNA levels. CONCLUSIONS: PIVKA-II was more efficient than AFP for the diagnosis of early HCC and has no correlation with serum HBV DNA levels.

A C3HC4-type RING finger protein regulates rhizobial infection and nodule organogenesis in Lotus japonicus.

During the establishment of rhizobia-legume symbiosis, the cytokinin receptor LHK1 (Lotus Histidine Kinase 1) is essential for nodule formation. However, the mechanism by which cytokinin signaling regulates symbiosis remains largely unknown. In this study, an LHK1-interacting protein, LjCZF1, was identified and further characterized. LjCZF1 is a C3HC4-type RING finger protein that is highly conserved in plants. LjCZF1 specifically interacted with LHK1 in yeast two-hybrid, in vitro pull-down and co-immunoprecipitation assays conducted in tobacco. Phosphomimetic mutation of the potential threonine (T167D) phosphorylation site enhanced the interaction between LjCZF1 and LHK1, whereas phosphorylation mutation (T167A) eliminated this interaction. Transcript abundance of LjCZF1 was up-regulated significantly after inoculation with rhizobia. The LORE1 insertion mutant and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9-mediated knockout mutant Lotus japonicus plants demonstrated significantly reduced number of infection threads and nodules. In contrast, plants over-expressing LjCZF1 exhibited increased numbers of infection threads and nodules. Collectively, these data support the notion that LjCZF1 is a positive regulator of symbiotic nodulation, possibly through interaction with LHK1.