Posttraumatic stress disorder and spousal relationships in natural disaster victims: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after natural disaster can have a detrimental effect on marital relationships, which may be through parenting-related factor. AIMS: The study aimed to examine the mechanism underlying the long-term effects of PTSD symptoms on marital satisfaction via coparenting, and its differences between men and women following the Super Typhoon Lekima. METHODS: Participants were 465 married victims with children. They reported their PTSD, coparenting, and marital satisfaction at three and fifteen months after the tropical cyclone. RESULTS: The results showed that for women, only higher negative cognitive and emotional alterations (NCEA) symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction through conflict coparenting. For men, higher intrusion, NCEA, and hyperarousal symptoms were associated with marital satisfaction through different coparenting. To be specific, for men, higher intrusion symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via less reprimand coparenting; higher NCEA symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via less integrity coparenting, and associated with higher marital satisfaction via less conflict coparenting; higher hyperarousal symptoms were associated with lower marital satisfaction via more conflict coparenting. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the long-term effect of PTSD symptoms on marital satisfaction via coparenting mainly showed for men.

Effects of instantaneous changes in temperature, light, and salinity on the dynamics of dissolved organic carbon release by Sargassum thunbergii.

Although macroalgae are regarded as the emerging fourth category of "blue carbon", few studies are available on the dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release. Sargassum thunbergii is a typical intertidal macroalgae; and tidal action usually triggers instantaneous changes in temperature, light and salinity. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism of short-term changes in temperature, light and salinity on DOC release by S. thunbergii. As well as these factors coupled with desiccation, the combined effect of DOC release was revealed. The results showed the DOC release rate of S. thunbergii was from 0.028 to 0.037 mg C g -1(FW) h-1 under different photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 0-1500 µmol photons m-2 s-1). The DOC release rate of S. thunbergii was from 0.008 to 0.208 mg C g -1(FW) h-1 under different salinity (5-40). The DOC release rate of S. thunbergii was from 0.031 to 0.034 mg C g -1(FW) h-1 under different temperature (10-30 °C). Either the increase in intracellular organic matter concentration due to increased photosynthesis (change in PAR and temperature, active), cell dehydration due to dry-out process (passive) or the decrease in extracellular salt concentration (passive) would lead to an increase in the difference in osmotic pressure and promote DOC release.

Cadmium-containing windmill-like heteropolyoxoniobate macrocycle with high yield for catalyzing Knoevenagel condensation.

A rare cadmium-containing windmill-like heteropolyoxoniobate macrocycle has been successfully synthesized with stable 1-D cyclic cluster aggregates. The compound exhibited promising basic catalytic ability for Knoevenagel condensation with a high yield under mild reaction conditions and high cycling stability. The theoretical calculation showed that the promising basic catalytic ability is due to the dense and stronger basic sites of the surface terminal O atoms.

The Inhibitory Effect of Phycocyanin Peptide on Pulmonary Fibrosis In Vitro.

Phycocyanin is an excellent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory effects on which recent studies are growing; however, its specific target remains unclear. Linear tetrapyrrole compounds such as bilirubin have been shown to lead to the induction of heme oxygenase 1 expression in vivo, thus achieving antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Phycocyanin is bound internally with linear tetrapyrrole phycocyanobilin in a similar structure to bilirubin. We speculate that there is probably a way of inducing the expression of heme oxygenase 1, with which tissue oxidative stress and inflammation can be inhibited, thus inhibiting pulmonary fibrosis caused by oxidative damage and inflammation of lung. By optimizing the enzymatic hydrolysis process, phycocyanobilin-bound phycocyanin peptide were obtained, and its in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-pulmonary fibrosis activities were investigated. The results show that the phycocyanobilin peptide was able to alleviate oxidative and inflammatory damage in cells through the Keap1-Nrf2-HO-1 pathway, which in turn relieved pulmonary fibrosis symptoms.

The Influence of Host Specificity and Temperature on Bacterial Communities Associated with Sargassum (Phaeophyceae) Species.

Host-related microbiota are critically important for the adaptation/acclimation of hosts to changing environments, but how environmental factors and host characteristics shape the microbial communities remains largely unknown. We investigated the effects of temperature on habitat-forming macroalgae and their associated bacterial communities. Three Sargassum species (S. horneri, S. fusiforme, and S. thunbergii) and seawater samples were sampled in Gouqi Island, China, and these macroalgal samples were incubated at different temperatures (10, 20, and 27°C) for 7 d. Bacterial communities were identified from the 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 regions. The algae-associated bacterial communities of the field samples were significantly different from seawater, implying host specificity. During laboratory incubation, decreased physiological status (photosynthetic rate and oxidative stress response) was detected for all the species at 10°C, especially with regard to S. horneri and S. fusiforme. For each host, associated bacterial communities at 20 and 27°C clustered closely, and these were separated from samples at 10°C based on constrained PCoA analyses. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance revealed that algae-associated bacterial communities were more affected by host species (23.3%) than by temperature (2.48%) during laboratory incubation. The changes in bacterial community composition may be influenced by algae metabolites, which should be tested in a future study. These results further contribute to our understanding of algal microbiome changes in response to environmental changes.

Integrated biotechnology to mitigate green tides.

Around the world, green tides are happening with increasing frequency because of the dual effects of increasingly intense human activity and climate change; this leads to significant impacts on marine ecology and economies. In the last decade, the world's largest green tide, which is formed by Ulva/Enteromorpha porifera, has become a recurrent phenomenon every year in the southern Yellow Sea (China), and it has been getting worse. To alleviate the impacts of such green tide outbreaks, multiple measures need to be developed. Among these approaches, biotechnology plays important roles in revealing the outbreak mechanism (e.g., molecular identification technology for algal genotypes), controlling and preventing outbreaks at the origin sites (e.g., technology to inhibit propagation), and utilizing valuable algal biomass. This review focuses on the various previously used biotechnological approaches that may be applicable to worldwide seaweed blooms that result from global climate change and environmental degradation.

A Perspective on Developing a Plant 'Holobiont' for Future Saline Agriculture.

Soil salinity adversely affects plant growth and has become a major limiting factor for agricultural development worldwide. There is a continuing demand for sustainable technology innovation in saline agriculture. Among various bio-techniques being used to reduce the salinity hazard, symbiotic microorganisms such as rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have proved to be efficient. These symbiotic associations each deploy an array of well-tuned mechanisms to provide salinity tolerance for the plant. In this review, we first comprehensively cover major research advances in symbiont-induced salinity tolerance in plants. Second, we describe the common signaling process used by legumes to control symbiosis establishment with rhizobia and AM fungi. Multi-omics technologies have enabled us to identify and characterize more genes involved in symbiosis, and eventually, map out the key signaling pathways. These developments have laid the foundation for technological innovations that use symbiotic microorganisms to improve crop salt tolerance on a larger scale. Thus, with the aim of better utilizing symbiotic microorganisms in saline agriculture, we propose the possibility of developing non-legume 'holobionts' by taking advantage of newly developed genome editing technology. This will open a new avenue for capitalizing on symbiotic microorganisms to enhance plant saline tolerance for increased sustainability and yields in saline agriculture.

A Three-Dimensional (3D) Indium-Containing Polyoxoniobate Framework Based on {In5Nb71}n Helical Pillars.

A rare 3D Indium-containing polyoxoniobate framework {H9[Cu(en)2(H2O)2][Cu(en)2]12[In(en)]5[Nb23-O65(OH)3(H2O)2]{Nb24O67(OH)2(H2O)3]2}·68H2O(1), based on the In-containing polyoxoniobate cluster, {[In(en)]5[Nb23O65(OH)3(H2O)2][Nb24O67(OH)2(H2O)3]2}35- ({In5Nb71}) and [Cu(en)2]2+ linkers has been successfully synthesized. The nest-like cluster {In5Nb71} is constructed from one brand-new V-shaped {Nb23O70}, two triangle-shaped {Nb24O72} and five [In(en)]3+. The [In(en)] fragments link {Nb24O72} and {Nb23O70} units into unique {In5Nb71}n helical pillars. The copper-amine complexes connect the {In5Nb71}n helical pillars into a three-dimensional (3D) inorganic-organic hybrid In-Cu-containing framework. This material also exhibits good ionic conductivity and vapor adsorption capacity properties.

The seaweed holobiont: from microecology to biotechnological applications.

In the ocean, seaweed and microorganisms have coexisted since the earliest stages of evolution and formed an inextricable relationship. Recently, seaweed has attracted extensive attention worldwide for ecological and industrial purposes, but the function of its closely related microbes is often ignored. Microbes play an indispensable role in different stages of seaweed growth, development and maturity. A very diverse group of seaweed-associated microbes have important functions and are dynamically reconstructed as the marine environment fluctuates, forming an inseparable 'holobiont' with their host. To further understand the function and significance of holobionts, this review first reports on recent advances in revealing seaweed-associated microbe spatial and temporal distribution. Then, this review discusses the microbe and seaweed interactions and their ecological significance, and summarizes the current applications of the seaweed-microbe relationship in various environmental and biological technologies. Sustainable industries based on seaweed holobionts could become an integral part of the future bioeconomy because they can provide more resource-efficient food, high-value chemicals and medical materials. Moreover, holobionts may provide a new approach to marine environment restoration.

LncRNA UCA1 negatively regulates NF-kB activity in psoriatic keratinocytes through the miR125a-A20 axis.

Psoriasis is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases that affects approximately 3% of the world's population. Hyper proliferation, infiltration of inflammatory cells and aberrant differentiation of keratinocytes are the three most important characteristics of psoriasis. Previous reports showed that NF-κBis the crucial mediator linking psoriatic keratinocytes and immune cell states through its effects on chemokine and cytokine production. To identify the role of NF-κB in psoriasis, we conducted ELISA assay to detect the activity of NF-κB in lesional skin and nonlesional skin of patients with psoriasis. Mounting evidence suggests that the interaction between long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs plays important role in the regulation of the initiation and development of various diseases. In this article, we identified that lncRNA UCA1 was down-regulated in lesional skin of patients with psoriasis. Further studies showed that lncRNA UCA1 could promote the expression of A20 by inhibitingmiR125a, and up-regulated A20 decreased the activity of NF-κB through its ubiquitin editing function. Taken together, we identified and demonstrated that lncRNA UCA1 negatively regulated NF-κB activity in psoriasis through the miR125a-A20 axis.

Limited Genetic Connectivity Among Sargassum horneri (Phaeophyceae) Populations in the Chinese Marginal Seas Despite Their high Dispersal Capacity.

Sargassum horneri is a habitat-forming species in the Northwest Pacific and an important contributor to seaweed rafts. In this study, 131 benthic samples and 156 floating samples were collected in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea (ECS) to test the effects of seaweed rafts on population structure and connectivity. Our results revealed high levels of genetic diversity in both benthic and floating samples based on concatenated mitochondrial markers (rpl5-rps3, rnl-atp9, and cob-cox2). Phylogenetic analyses consistently supported the existence of two lineages (lineages I and II), with divergence dating to c. 0.692 Mya (95% HPD: 0.255-1.841 Mya), indicating that long-term isolation may have occurred during the mid-Pleistocene (0.126-0.781 Mya). Extended Bayesian skyline plots demonstrated a constant population size over time in lineage I and slight demographic expansion in lineage II. Both lineages were found in each marginal sea (including both benthic and floating samples), but PCoA, FST , and AMOVA analyses consistently revealed deep genetic variation between regions. Highly structured phylogeographic pattern supports limited genetic connectivity between regions. IMA analyses demonstrated that asymmetric gene flow between benthic populations in the North Yellow Sea (NYS) and ECS was extremely low (ECS→NYS, 2Nm = 0.6), implying that high dispersal capacity cannot be assumed to lead to widespread population connectivity, even without dispersal barriers. In addition, there were only a few shared haplotypes between benthic and floating samples, suggesting the existence of hidden donors for the floating masses in the Chinese marginal seas.

Inulin with different degrees of polymerization protects against diet-induced endotoxemia and inflammation in association with gut microbiota regulation in mice.

Societal lifestyle changes, especially increased consumption of a high-fat diet lacking dietary fibers, lead to gut microbiota dysbiosis and enhance the incidence of adiposity and chronic inflammatory disease. We aimed to investigate the metabolic effects of inulin with different degrees of polymerization on high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 J mice and to evaluate whether different health outcomes are related to regulation of the gut microbiota. Short-chain and long-chain inulins exert beneficial effects through alleviating endotoxemia and inflammation. Antiinflammation was associated with a proportional increase in short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria and an increase in the concentration of short-chain fatty acids. Inulin might decrease endotoxemia by increasing the proportion of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and their inhibition of endotoxin secretion may also contribute to antiinflammation. Interestingly, the beneficial health effects of long-chain inulin were more pronounced than those of short-chain inulin. Long-chain inulin was more dependent than short-chain inulin on species capable of processing complex polysaccharides, such as Bacteroides. A good understanding of inulin-gut microbiota-host interactions helps to provide a dietary strategy that could target and prevent high-fat diet-induced endotoxemia and inflammation through a prebiotic effect.

Prognostic and clinical value of Sirt1 expression in gastric cancer: A systematic meta-analysis.

Many studies have reported that the expression of silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) is associated with the clinical features and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer, but the exact function remains controversial. We conducted this study to illustrate the clinical and prognostic value of Sirt1 in gastric cancer. The related publications before December 2015 were searched in the databases including Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The studies were included and excluded according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and clinical features such as age, T stage, N stage and differentiation were analyzed by software RevMan 5.3. A total of 1650 patients in 7 studies were included according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. The high expression of Sirt1 was found in 58.4% cases by immunohistochemistry. High expression of Sirt1 was closely linked with the 3-year OS (OR=0.25, 95% CI: 0.16-0.39, P<0.00001, fixed), patient's age (≥60 years old vs. <60 years old; OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.06-1.93, P=0.02, fixed), T stage (T3+T4 vs. T1+T2; OR=1.45, 95% CI: 1.08-1.94, P=0.01, fixed), N stage (N1+N2+N3 vs. N0; OR=3.47, 95% CI: 2.39-5.05, P<0.00001, fixed) and tumor differentiation (G1+G2 vs. G3; OR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.35-0.69, P<0.0001, fixed). Nevertheless, it seemed that high expression of Sirt1 was not associated with 5-year OS (OR=0.44, 95% CI: 0.15-1.28, P=0.13, random). It was suggested that the high expression of Sirt1 implies a poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients in a relatively short period (3 years), but not in a long time (≥5 years). The expression of Sirt1 is also linked with patients' age, T stage, N stage and tumor differentiation.

A novel mutation of the KIT gene in a Chinese family with piebaldism.

BACKGROUND: Human piebaldism is a rare autosomal dominant condition characterized by congenital white forelock and depigmented patches of skin, typically on the forehead, anterior trunk and extremities. Mutations in the KIT gene have been proposed to be responsible for the underlying changes in this disorder. The aim of this study was to identify gene mutation in a Chinese family with piebaldism. METHODS: A Chinese family with piebaldism presenting with white forelock and large depigmented skin macules on the abdomen, arms and legs was collected. DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of the family members. The encoding exons with flanking intron regions of the KIT gene were analyzed by polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and direct DNA sequencing. Besides, DNA extracted from 100 ethnically matched population individuals was as controls. RESULTS: A heterozygous missense mutation c.2590T > C was identified in the patients of the family. This mutation converted a serine residue to proline (p.Ser864Pro). The mutation was not found in their unaffected family members or normal controls. CONCLUSION: A novel missense mutation c.2590 T > C was found and it might play a significant role in the piebaldism phenotype in the family.

[The combined fixation with splints and plaster after closed reduction for the treatment of distal fractures of radius in elderly patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of combined fixation with splints and plaster after closed reduction for the treatment of distal fractures of radius in elderly patients METHODS: From January 2009 to January 2011, 122 patients with distal fractures of radius were treated by the united fixation with splints and plaster after closed reduction. There were 43 males and 79 females, ranging in age from 60 to 86 years with an average of 74 years. Among the patients, traffic accident injury was in 12 cases and fall injury was in 109 cases; all fractures were closed, the time form injury to visit was for 30 min to 7 days. The X-rays, wrist pain, functional status, range of motion and grasp force of patients were observed at follow-up. Cooney modified Green-O'Brien standard was used to evaluate the clinical effects. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up from 3 months to 2 years with an average of 15.4 months. Re-displacement occurred in 8 cases (including 4 cases radial displacement, 3 cases dorsal displacement, 1 case palmaris displacement) and re-reduction occurred in 4 cases, surgical treatment was in 2 cases, refused to reset or surgical treatment in 2 cases. Radial shorten in 13 cases middle-later period. All fractures obtained healed. According to the Green-O'Brien standard, 46 cases got excellent results, 65 good, 6 fair, and 5 poor. CONCLUSION: The combined fixation with splints and plaster after closed reduction is a effective method in treatment of distal fractures of radius in elderly patients, which can more overcome redisplacement of distal fractures of radius, recover function of wrist joint.