VIK-Mediated Auxin Signaling Regulates Lateral Root Development in Arabidopsis.

The crucial role of TIR1-receptor-mediated gene transcription regulation in auxin signaling has long been established. In recent years, the significant role of protein phosphorylation modifications in auxin signal transduction has gradually emerged. To further elucidate the significant role of protein phosphorylation modifications in auxin signaling, a phosphoproteomic analysis in conjunction with auxin treatment has identified an auxin activated Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase (MAPKKK) VH1-INTERACTING Kinase (VIK), which plays an important role in auxin-induced lateral root (LR) development. In the vik mutant, auxin-induced LR development is significantly attenuated. Further investigations show that VIK interacts separately with the positive regulator of LR development, LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES-DOMAIN18 (LBD18), and the negative regulator of LR emergence, Ethylene Responsive Factor 13 (ERF13). VIK directly phosphorylates and stabilizes the positive transcription factor LBD18 in LR formation. In the meantime, VIK directly phosphorylates the negative regulator ERF13 at Ser168 and Ser172 sites, causing its degradation and releasing the repression by ERF13 on LR emergence. In summary, VIK-mediated auxin signaling regulates LR development by enhancing the protein stability of LBD18 and inducing the degradation of ERF13, respectively.

Dual-constrained physics-enhanced untrained neural network for lensless imaging.

An untrained neural network (UNN) paves a new way to realize lensless imaging from single-frame intensity data. Based on the physics engine, such methods utilize the smoothness property of a convolutional kernel and provide an iterative self-supervised learning framework to release the needs of an end-to-end training scheme with a large dataset. However, the intrinsic overfitting problem of UNN is a challenging issue for stable and robust reconstruction. To address it, we model the phase retrieval problem into a dual-constrained untrained network, in which a phase-amplitude alternating optimization framework is designed to split the intensity-to-phase problem into two tasks: phase and amplitude optimization. In the process of phase optimization, we combine a deep image prior with a total variation prior to retrain the loss function for the phase update. In the process of amplitude optimization, a total variation denoising-based Wirtinger gradient descent method is constructed to form an amplitude constraint. Alternative iterations of the two tasks result in high-performance wavefield reconstruction. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our method.

Lensless masked imaging with self-calibrated phase retrieval.

Lensless imaging with a mask is an attractive topic as it enables a compact configuration to acquire wavefront information of a sample with computational approaches. Most existing methods choose a customized phase mask for wavefront modulation and then decode the sample's wave field from modulated diffraction patterns. Different from phase masks, lensless imaging with a binary amplitude mask facilitates a cheaper fabrication cost, but high-quality mask calibration and image reconstruction have not been well resolved. Here we propose a self-calibrated phase retrieval (SCPR) method to realize a joint recovery of a binary mask and sample's wave field for a lensless masked imaging system. Compared with conventional methods, our method shows a high-performance and flexible image recovery without the help of an extra calibration device. Experimental results of different samples demonstrate the superiority of our method.

Total extract of Abelmoschus manihot L. alleviates uric acid-induced renal tubular epithelial injury via inhibition of caspase-8/caspase-3/NLRP3/GSDME signaling.

Purpose: The incidence of uric acid (UA)-induced kidney injury is increasing owing to the high incidence of hyperuricemia in recent years. The flower of Abelmoschus manihot (Linneus) Medik is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb widely used in the treatment of some kidney diseases. In our previous study, we reported that the total extract of A. manihot L. flower (TEA) attenuated adriamycin-induced renal tubular cell injury. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of TEA in UA-induced tubular cell injury. Methods: Normal rat proximal epithelial NRK-52E cells were incubated with UA to mimic hyperuricemia conditions. The role of TEA in the renal tubular cells was also assessed. The cellular morphology was observed using phase-contrast microscopy, and cell viability was analyzed using the Cell Counting kit-8. Living and dead cells were stained using a Calcein-AM/PI double stain kit. The release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was analyzed by LDH cytotoxicity Assay Kit. The expression of target proteins was analyzed using western blot analysis. Results: UA triggered NRK-52E cell injury, as evidenced by morphological changes, detachment of cells from the bottom, cell swelling, large bubbles blowing from cell membrane and loss of cell viability. UA increased release of LDH. UA induced the expression of p-ERK1/2 and the subsequent activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and NLRP3 inflammasomes. Pyroptosis was elicited by UA after gasdermin E N-terminal (GSDME-NT) was cleaved from gasdermin E (GSDME). Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor, suppressed the expression of both NLRP3 and GSDME-NT, but not that of caspase-8. INF39, an NLRP3 inhibitor, altered the expression of GSDME-NT expression, but not that caspase-3 and caspase-8. TEA alleviated UA-induced cell injury by suppressing ERK1/2/caspase-8/caspase-3/NLRP3/GSDME signaling. Conclusion: GSDME-mediated pyroptosis was involved in UA-induced renal tubular cell injury. This is the first study to report that TEA protects renal tubular epithelial cells against UA by inhibiting the ERK/1/2/caspase-8/caspase-3/NLRP3/GSDME pathway.

The association between the serum uric acid to creatinine ratio and all-cause mortality in elderly hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Elderly hemodialysis patients have a higher rate of mortality than nonelderly hemodialysis patients. Recent studies shown that the serum uric acid to creatinine ratio (SUA/Scr) was associated with all-cause mortality in general adults. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between the SUA/Scr and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among elderly hemodialysis patients. METHODS: A total of 222 patients (≥ 60 years) who received hemodialysis more than 8 h per week at Taizhou Second People's Hospital for at least 3 months were enrolled in the present study from January 2015 to December 2019. Clinical characteristics including age, sex and height et. al, were obtained from the hemodialysis database. The laboratory data, including albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TC), serum uric acid (SUA), serum creatinine (Scr) and so on, were collected before hemodialysis and analyzed by automatic biochemical analyzer. Survival information was recorded during the follow-up period. Multiple Cox regression was carried out to analyze the association between SUA/Scr and all-cause mortality. The survival rate of each group was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the ratio of survival curves was analyzed by the log-rank test. The contribution of SUA/Scr for predicting all-cause mortality risk was evaluated by net reclassification improvement (NRI). RESULTS: During the 19-month observation period, 78 patients died. Individuals in the nonsurviving group had significantly older ages (P < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.004), serum creatinine (P = 0.005) and prealbumin (P = 0.006) than surviving patients. After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, prealbumin, dialysis vintage, dialysis frequency, single-pool Kt/V (spKt/V), DM, hypertension and comorbidities, a higher ratio of SUA/Scr was independently associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.292; 95% CI: 1.013-1.648; P = 0.039). The predict value on all-cause mortality of SUA/Scr was superior to SUA (additive NRI = 0.214, P = 0.015) and Scr (additive NRI = 0.476, P < 0.001) among elderly hemodialysis patients. CONCLUSION: The serum uric acid to creatinine ratio is strongly associated with all-cause mortality in elderly hemodialysis patients which is more predictive than SUA or Scr alone.

How and when leader narcissism links to employees' objective career success: The roles of ingratiation and careerist orientation.

Previous researches have emphasized the value of leader narcissism on employees' career success, whereas we still know little about how and when this relationship will materialize. By integrating dramaturgical theory and leader narcissism literatures, we propose a theoretical model to explain the mechanism and boundary of leader narcissism in promoting employees' objective career success (e.g., salary increases and promotions). To test our hypotheses, we carried out a multi-wave research design and collected data from 299 employees in Chinese manufacturing firms. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that leader narcissism motivates employees' ingratiation, which in turn facilitates employees' objective career success, especially when those employees are high in careerist orientation. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

[Progress of researches in acupotomy visualization under ultrasound].

Traditional acupotomy treatment can easily cause re-injury of soft tissues, and its safety is gradually being valued. With the development of imaging technology, visualized acupotomy operations are increasingly used in clinical practice. Starting from the development and evolution of acupotomy, the authors summarize the advantages and clinical application of ultrasound-guided acupotomy in cervical spondylosis, scapulohumeral periarthritis, lumbar disc herniation and knee osteoarthritis.

Effects of Leader Narcissism on Career Success of Employees: An Interpersonal Relationship Perspective.

Previous studies have shown that leader narcissism has a significant impact on the effectiveness of a leader and employee behaviors; however, research on career outcomes of employees is still inadequate. This study explores the effects of leader narcissism on the career success of employees from an interpersonal relationship perspective and examines the mediating role of supervisor-subordinate conflict and the moderating role of dominant personality traits of employees. Data from 291 employees in Chinese companies have revealed that leader narcissism, directly and indirectly, affects the career success of employees through supervisor-subordinate relationship conflict. However, dominant personality traits of employees strengthen the impact of leader narcissism on supervisor-subordinate relationship conflict. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings of this study are further discussed.

Influence of cement-augmented pedicle screw instrumentation in an osteoporotic lumbosacral spine over the adjacent segments: a 3D finite element study.

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of conventional pedicle screw (CPS) and cement-augmented pedicle screw instrumentation (CAPSI) on adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). METHODS: A normal male volunteer without a history of spinal disease was selected, lumbar CT data was collected, an intact L3-S1 three-dimensional finite element model was created by software including Mimics, Geomagic, and SolidWorks, and the fixation methods were performed accordingly. A common pedicle screw model and a cement-augmented pedicle screw model of L4-L5 with fusion and internal fixation were constructed. With ANSYS Workbench 17.0, a 500 N load was applied to the upper surface of L3 to simulate the weight of a human body, and a 7.5 N m moment was applied at the neutral point to simulate flexion, extension, left/right bending, left/right rotation of the spine. The peak von Mises stress of intervertebral disc and the range of motion (ROM) on the adjacent segments (L3-4 and L5-S1) were compared. RESULTS: The validity of the intact model shows that the ROM of the model is similar to that of a cadaveric study. Compared with the intact model, CPS model and CAPSI model in all motion patterns increased the ROM of adjacent segments. The intervertebral disc stress and the ROM of adjacent segments were found to be higher in the CAPSI model than in the CPS model, especially in L3-4. CONCLUSION: In general, the biomechanical analysis of an osteoporotic lumbar spine showed that both CPS and CAPSI can increase the ROM and disc stresses of osteoporotic lumbar models, and compared with CPS, CAPSI is more likely to increase the potential risk of adjacent segment degeneration.

Supervisor Narcissism and Time Theft: Investigating the Mediating Roles of Emotional Exhaustion and the Moderating Roles of Attachment Style.

Although some studies have begun to explore the factors influencing employees' time theft, it has not been uncommon to link employee time theft to leader personality traits. Based on the conservation of resources theory, this paper examines the influence of supervisor narcissism on employee time theft. It is found that supervisor narcissism positively affects employee time theft via the emotional exhaustion of employees. Further, employee's attachment styles moderate the mediation effect of emotional exhaustion between supervisor narcissism and employee time theft. This study adds important insights into employee time theft, leader negative traits and the theory and practice of organizational management.

Neoalbaconol inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth by suppressing EGFR-mediated VEGF production.

Neoalbaconol, derived from Albatrellus confluens, shows anti-cancer activities in the previously study, but its role in angiogenesis is unknown. Here, we determined whether neoalbaconol could attenuate angiogenesis and how does it occur. Data demonstrated that neoalbaconol could inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells and induce apoptosis. Also, neoalbaconol suppressed vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) proliferation, migration, invasion, and capillary-like tube formation in vitro and reduced tumor angiogenesis in vivo. VEGF receptor activation and the downstream signal transduction cascades activation were inhibited by neoalbaconol. Additionally, neoalbaconol blocked EGFR-mediated VEGF production. EGFR overexpression reversed the neoalbaconol-induced VEGF reduction, confirming the importance of the EGFR inhibition in anti-angiogenesis of neoalbaconol. Furthermore, neoalbaconol inhibited tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis in a breast cancer xenograft model in vivo. Taken together, these results indicate that neoalbaconol could inhibit tumor angiogenesis and growth through direct suppression effects on vascular endothelial cells and reduction of proangiogenic factors in cancer cells.

Identification and Characterization of a δ-Cadinol Synthase Potentially Involved in the Formation of Boreovibrins in Boreostereum vibrans of Basidiomycota.

Sesquiterpenoids are very common among natural products. A large number of sesquiterpene synthase genes have been cloned and functionally characterized. However, until now there is no report about the δ-cadinol synthase predominantly forming δ-cadinol (syn. torreyol) from farnesyl diphosphate. Sesquiterpenoids boreovibrins structurally similar to δ-cadinol were previously isolated from culture broths of the basidiomycete fungus Boreostereum vibrans. This led us to expect a corresponding gene coding for a δ-cadinol synthase that may be involved in the biosynthesis of boreovibrins in B. vibrans. Here we report the cloning and heterologous expression of a new sesquiterpene synthase gene from B. vibrans. The crude and purified recombinant enzymes, when incubating with farnesyl diphosphate as substrate, gave δ-cadinol as its principal product and thereby identified as a δ-cadinol synthase. A new sesquiterpene synthase gene was cloned from the basidiomycete fungus Boreostereum vibrans and heterologously expressed in E. coli. The purified recombinant enzyme gave δ-cadinol as its principal product from farnesyl diphosphate and thereby identified as a δ-cadinol synthase (BvCS).

Two new sesquiterpenoids from cultures of the basidiomycete Tremella foliacea.

Two new sesquiterpenoids, trefoliol B (1) and trefoliol C (2), together with known echinocidin A (3), were isolated from cultures of the basidiomycetes Tremella foliacea. The new structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods. At the same time, trefoliol B (1) and echinocidin A (3) were tested for their cytotoxicities against five human cancer cell lines and for their inhibitory activities against isozymes of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11ß-HSD). No compound showed significant activity (IC50 > 40 µM). Compound 1 showed moderate inhibitory activities against 11ß-HSD1 (human IC50 = 13.1 µM; mouse IC50 = 91.8 µM).

TIGAR regulates DNA damage and repair through pentosephosphate pathway and Cdk5-ATM pathway.

Previous study revealed that the protective effect of TIGAR in cell survival is mediated through the increase in PPP (pentose phosphate pathway) flux. However, it remains unexplored if TIGAR plays an important role in DNA damage and repair. This study investigated the role of TIGAR in DNA damage response (DDR) induced by genotoxic drugs and hypoxia in tumor cells. Results showed that TIGAR was increased and relocated to the nucleus after epirubicin or hypoxia treatment in cancer cells. Knockdown of TIGAR exacerbated DNA damage and the effects were partly reversed by the supplementation of PPP products NADPH, ribose, or the ROS scavenger NAC. Further studies with pharmacological and genetic approaches revealed that TIGAR regulated the phosphorylation of ATM, a key protein in DDR, through Cdk5. The Cdk5-AMT signal pathway involved in regulation of DDR by TIGAR defines a new role of TIGAR in cancer cell survival and it suggests that TIGAR may be a therapeutic target for cancers.

Erratum to "Ameliorating Adriamycin-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease in Rats by Orally Administrated Cardiotoxin from Naja naja atra Venom".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2014/621756.].

Anterolateral intermuscular approach for type A2 intertrochanteric fractures: a cadaveric study.

This cadaveric study was designed to clarify the anatomic basis of using an anterolateral intermuscular approach to repair type A2 intertrochanteric fractures (ITF). The conventional lateral approach to surgery that is used for ITF has several disadvantages that can result in both intraoperative and postoperative complications, especially for type A2 ITF. Previous studies have suggested using minimally-invasive total hip arthroplasty (THA) with an anterolateral approach. The legs of 10 formalin-fixed Asian cadavers were dissected, simulating an anterolateral surgical approach. The distances from the superior gluteal nerve and the lateral femoral circumflex artery branches to the lateral protrusive point of the greater trochanter were measured. The anterolateral intermuscular approach provided excellent exposure of the GT, the lesser trochanter and the femoral neck. The gluteus medius branch of the ascending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery (GMB-LFCA) and the most inferior branch of the superior gluteal nerve (MIB-SGN) were found to cross the spatium intermusculare between the gluteus medius and the tensor fasciae latae. The distance from the GMB-LFCA, in the intermuscular plane, to the lateral protrusive point of the GT was (4.04 ± 1.00 cm, range 2.96-6.62 cm); and the distance from the MIB-SGN to the lateral protrusive point of the GT was (5.47 ± 1.61 cm, range 3.68-9.56 cm). The anterolateral intermuscular approach is relatively safe, provides excellent exposure, and causes less soft-tissue damage than the traditional approach, and it represents a promising new method to surgically treat type A2 ITF.

Neoalbaconol induces cell death through necroptosis by regulating RIPK-dependent autocrine TNFα and ROS production.

Necroptosis/regulated necrosis is a caspase-independent, but receptor interacting protein kinase (RIPK)-dependent form of cell death. In previous studies, neoalbaconol (NA), a constituent extracted from Albatrellus confluens, was demonstrated to induce necroptosis in some cancer cell lines. The molecular mechanism of NA-induced necroptosis is described in this research study. We determined that NA-induced cell death is partly dependent on tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) feed-forward signaling. More importantly, NA abolished the ubiquitination of RIPK1 by down-regulating E3 ubiquitin ligases, cellular inhibitors of apoptosis protein 1/2 (cIAP1/2) and TNFα receptor-associated factors (TRAFs). The suppression of RIPK1 ubiquitination induced the activation of the non-canonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway and stimulated the transcription of TNFα. Moreover, we also found that NA caused RIPK3-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and contribution to cell death. Taken together, these results suggested that two distinct mechanisms are involved in NA-induced necroptosis and include RIPK1/NF-κB-dependent expression of TNFα and RIPK3-dependent generation of ROS.

Naja naja atra Venom Protects against Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in MRL/lpr Mice.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease and effective therapy for this pathology is currently unavailable. We previously reported that oral administration of Naja naja atra venom (NNAV) had anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory actions. We speculated that NNAV may have therapeutic effects in MRL/lpr SLE mice. Twelve-week-old MRL/lpr mice received oral administration of NNAV (20, 40, and 80 µg/kg) or Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosidium (10 mg/kg) daily for 16 weeks. The effects of NNAV on SLE manifestations, including skin erythema, proteinuria, and anxiety-like behaviors, were assessed with visual inspection and Multistix 8 SG strips and open field test, respectively. The pathology of spleen and kidney was examined with H&E staining. The changes in autoimmune antibodies and cytokines were determined with ELISA kits. The results showed that NNAV protected against the manifestation of SLE, including skin erythema and proteinuria. In addition, although no apparent histological change was found in liver and heart in MRL/lpr SLE mice, NNAV reduced the levels of glutamate pyruvate transaminase and creatine kinase. Furthermore, NNAV increased serum C3 and reduced concentrations of circulating globulin, anti-dsDNA antibody, and inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α. NNAV also reduced lymphadenopathy and renal injury. These results suggest that NNAV may have therapeutic values in the treatment of SLE by inhibiting autoimmune responses.

Differential Effects of Naja naja atra Venom on Immune Activity.

Previous studies reported that Naja naja atra venom (NNAV) inhibited inflammation and adjuvant arthritis. Here we investigated the role of NNAV in regulation of immune responses in mice. Oral administration of NNAV to normal mice showed significant increase in natural killer cell activity, B lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by lipopolysaccharides, and antibody production in response to sheep red blood cells. Meanwhile, NNAV markedly decreased T lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by concanavalin A, arrested the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase, and suppressed CD4 and CD8 T cell divisions. Furthermore, NNAV inhibited the dinitrofluorobenzene-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. This modulation of immune responses may be partly attributed to the selective increase in Th1 and Th2 cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4) secretion and inhibition of Th17 cytokine (IL-17) production. In dexamethasone-induced immunosuppressed mice, NNAV restored the concentration of serum IgG and IgM, while decreasing the percentage of CD4 and CD8 T-cell subsets. These results indicate that NNAV enhances the innate and humoral immune responses while inhibiting CD4 Th17 and CD8 T cell actions, suggesting that NNAV could be a potential therapeutic agent for autoimmune diseases.

Ameliorating Adriamycin-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease in Rats by Orally Administrated Cardiotoxin from Naja naja atra Venom.

Previous studies reported the oral administration of Naja naja atra venom (NNAV) reduced adriamycin-induced chronic kidney damage. This study investigated the effects of intragastric administrated cardiotoxin from Naja naja atra venom on chronic kidney disease in rats. Wistar rats were injected with adriamycin (ADR; 6 mg/kg body weight) via the tail vein to induce chronic kidney disease. The cardiotoxin was administrated daily by intragastric injection at doses of 45, 90, and 180 µ g/kg body weight until the end of the protocol. The rats were placed in metabolic cages for 24 hours to collect urine, for determination of proteinuria, once a week. After 6 weeks, the rats were sacrificed to determine serum profiles relevant to chronic kidney disease, including albumin, total cholesterol, phosphorus, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine. Kidney histology was examined with hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, and Masson's trichrome staining. The levels of kidney podocin were analyzed by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence. We found that cardiotoxin reduced proteinuria and can improve biological parameters in the adriamycin-induced kidney disease model. Cardiotoxin also reduced adriamycin-induced kidney pathology, suggesting that cardiotoxin is an active component of NNAV for ameliorating adriamycin-induced kidney damage and may have a potential therapeutic value on chronic kidney disease.