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Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a serious cardiovascular disorder across the world. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) codifies a potent immunomodulator and pro-inflammatory cytokine that mediates diverse pathological processes. A promoter 308G>A polymorphism in TNF-α has been implicated in RHD risk. However, the results remain controversial. Therefore, to evaluate more precise estimations of the relationship, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 7 studies including 735 RHD cases and 926 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, our results revealed that there was a significant association with RHD risk in three genetic models (homozygous model: OR = 3.06, 95%CI = 1.22-10.60, P = 0.020; dominant model, OR = 2.03, 95%CI = 1.01-4.07, P = 0.048; and recessive model, OR = 4.26, 95%CI = 2.41-7.55, P < 0.001). Further ethnic population analysis found a significantly increased risk of RHD among Asians and Europeans. Interestingly, similar results were found among hospital-based studies. Begg's funnel plot and Egger's test did not reveal any publication bias. Taken together, this meta-analysis demonstrates that the TNF-α 308G>A polymorphism is associated with RHD susceptibility, and it contributes to the increased risk of RHD. However, additional well-designed studies with larger samples are warranted to confirm these findings.

The angiotensinogen (AGT) gene M235T polymorphism has been suggested to be linked to risk of heart failure (HF). However, association studies on the M235T polymorphism and HF risk have shown conflicting results. PubMed and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases were systematically searched to identify relevant studies. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the association. A total of 1,281 HF cases and 1,376 controls were included in the analysis. The pooled data showed that there was no significant associations between the AGT M235T polymorphism and HF risk for TT vs. MM (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 0.62-2.19, P = 0.635), MT vs. MM (OR = 0.97, 95%CI = 0.77-1.22, P = 0.776), MT/TT vs. MM (OR = 1.07, 95%CI = 0.67-1.69, P = 0.781), and TT vs. MM/MT (OR = 1.23, 95%CI = 0.86-1.76, P = 0.259). In contrast, in the HF subgroup analysis by ethnicity, the AGT M235T polymorphism had a decreased risk of HF among Asians (MT vs. MM, OR = 0.39, 95%CI = 0.17-0.92, P = 0.032). Our results suggest that the AGT M235T polymorphism is a low-penetrant risk factor for the development of HF among Asians.

Physiochemical tissue inducers and mechanical stimulation are both efficient variables in cartilage tissue fabrication and regeneration. In the presence of biomolecules, decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) may trigger and enhance stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Here, we investigated the controlled release of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β1) as an active mediator of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in a biocompatible scaffold and mechanical stimulation for cartilage tissue engineering. ECM-derived hydrogel with TGF-β1-loaded alginate-based microspheres (MSs) was created to promote human MSC chondrogenic development. Ex vivo explants and a complicated multiaxial loading bioreactor replicated the physiological conditions. Hydrogels with/without MSs and TGF-β1 were highly cytocompatible. MSCs in ECM-derived hydrogel containing TGF-β1/MSs showed comparable chondrogenic gene expression levels as those hydrogels with TGF-β1 added in culture media or those without TGF-β1. However, constructs with TGF-β1 directly added within the hydrogel had inferior properties under unloaded conditions. The ECM-derived hydrogel group including TGF-β1/MSs under loading circumstances formed better cartilage matrix in an ex vivo osteochondral defect than control settings. This study demonstrates that controlled local delivery of TGF-β1 using MSs and mechanical loading is essential for neocartilage formation by MSCs and that further optimization is needed to prevent MSC differentiation towards hypertrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the impacts of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on antioxidant, immune, histopathological dynamic changes, and gut microbiota of zebrafish. SMX was carried out five groups: 0 (C), 3 mg/L (T3), 6 mg/L (T6), 12 mg/L (T12), and 24 mg/L (T24), with 5 replicates per group for an 8-weeks chronic toxicity test. It was found that SMX is considered to have low toxicity to adult zebrafish. SMX with the concentration not higher than 24 mg/L has no obvious inhibitory effect on the growth of fish. Under different concentrations of SMX stress, oxidative damage and immune system disorder were caused to the liver and gill, with the 12 and 24 mg/L concentration being the most significant. At the same time, it also causes varying degrees of pathological changes in both intestinal and liver tissues. As the concentration of SMX increases, the composition and abundance of the gut microbiota in zebrafish significantly decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mid-eastern segment of the Qilianshan fault zone (QLF) on the northeastern margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is considered one of the key seismic hazard areas. The Zhangye Ms5.0 earthquake and Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake are the two Ms ≥ 5.0 earthquakes in recent years. The spatio-temporal evolution of Rn across the fault before the two Ms ≥ 5.0 earthquakes were explored by combining a solid seismogenic model and numerical simulation results in this study. The results demonstrates the spatial distribution of Rn concentration intensity varies over time, indicating the evolving characteristics of fracture zone activity. The time-series variation characteristics are closely related the Zhangye Ms5.0 earthquake and Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake. Overall, in the seismic source area and surrounding medium area of Zhangye Ms5.0 earthquake, the soil gas Rn anomaly across faults characterized by a turning upward trend after continuous decline. The closer to the source area, the more obvious the upward trend. For Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake, the survey line (HT1) located in the main fracture zone of the earthquake and the survey line (HT7,30km from the epicenter) closer to the epicenter also showed a similar trend, while the other measurement lines in far-field exhibit declining trend before the Menyuan Ms6.9 earthquake. Therefore, the continuous decline trend of soil gas may be crucial information for medium-term earthquake preparation in the seismogenic zone, and the trend of turning upward after continuous decline is a significant signal of short-term seismogenic event in far-field. This research could improve the understanding of the anomalous features of soil gas precursors and tracking the active sections of the fault. According to the model, the earthquake area canseismic source area, the surrounding medium area be divided into three sections: the seismic source area, the surrounding medium area, and the fracture fragmentation area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on a direct comparison of conventional hydrothermal and microwave treatment during the synthesis of TiO2–Fe3O4 photocatalyst, which is an effective catalyst for decomposing metronidazole. The photocatalyst underwent various characterization analyses, including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The Raman spectroscopy analysis revealed that the materials obtained through the conventional hydrothermal treatment consisted of separate phases of anatase and magnetite. On the other hand, the materials synthesized using the microwave process showed a noticeable shift in the Eg band (143 cm−1) and its half-width towards higher wavenumbers. This shift is likely due to the introduction of Fe ions into the TiO2 lattice. Additionally, both conventional hydrothermal and microwave synthesis routes produced TiO2–Fe3O4 systems with superparamagnetic properties, as demonstrated by SQUID magnetic measurements. The TEM analysis revealed that the materials synthesized using the microwave process exhibited higher homogeneity, with no noticeable large aggregates observed. Finally, this work proposed a convenient LED photoreactor that effectively utilized the photo-oxidative properties of TiO2–Fe3O4 photocatalysts to remove metronidazole. Combining photoactive TiO2–Fe3O4 catalysts with an energy-efficient LED reactor resulted in a low electrical energy per order (EEO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tree species recognition accuracy greatly affects forest remote sensing mapping and forestry resource monitoring. The multispectral and texture features of the remote sensing images from the ZiYuan-3 (ZY-3) satellite at two phenological phases of autumn and winter (September 29th and December 7th) were selected for constructing and optimizing sensitive spectral indices and texture indices. Multidimensional cloud model and support vector machine (SVM) model were constructed by the screened spectral and texture indices for remote sensing recognition of Quercus acutissima (Q. acutissima) and Robinia pseudoacacia (R. pseudoacacia) on Mount Tai. The results showed that, the correlation intensities of the constructed spectral indices with tree species were preferable in winter than in autumn. The spectral indices constructed by band 4 showed the superior correlation compared with other bands, both in the autumn and winter time phases. The optimal sensitive texture indices for both phases were mean, homogeneity and contrast for Q. acutissima, and contrast, dissimilarity and second moment for R. pseudoacacia. Spectral features were found to have a higher recognition accuracy than textural features for recognizing on both Q. acutissima and R. pseudoacacia, and winter showing superior recognition accuracy than autumn, especially for Q. acutissima. The recognition accuracy of the multidimensional cloud model (89.98%) does not show a superior advantage over the one-dimensional cloud model (90.57%). The highest recognition accuracy derived from a three-dimensional SVM was 84.86%, which was lower than the cloud model (89.98%) in the same dimension. This study is expected to provide technical support for the precise recognition and forestry management on Mount Tai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WeedLock is a broad-spectrum plant-based bioherbicide that is currently on the market as a ready-to-use formulation. In this study, we investigated the physiological and biochemical effects of WeedLock (672.75 L ha-1) on Ageratum conyzoides L., Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn, Zea mays L., and Amaranthus gangeticus L. at four different time points. WeedLock caused significant reductions in chlorophyll pigment content and disrupted photosynthetic processes in all test plants. The greatest inhibition in photosynthesis was recorded in A. conyzoides at 24 h post-treatment with a 74.88% inhibition. Plants treated with WeedLock showed increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline production, which is indicative of phytotoxic stress. Remarkably, MDA contents of all treated plants increased by more than 100% in comparison to untreated. The activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) was elevated following treatment with WeedLock. Significant increases were observed in the SOD activity of A. conyzoides ranging from 69.66 to 118.24% from 6 to 72 h post-treatment. Our findings confirm that WeedLock disrupts the normal physiological and biochemical processes in plants following exposure and that its mode of action is associated with ROS (reactive oxygen species) production, similar to that of PPO (protoporphyrinogen oxidase) inhibitors, although specific site-of-action of this novel bioherbicide warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exotic Tamarix species, T. ramosissima and T. chinensis, were introduced into South Africa in the early 1900s reportedly either for ornamental or soil wind erosion control purposes in the mines. They are, however, currently invading several riparian ecosystems in the country and threatening its biodiversity and proper functioning. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the exotic Tamarix species on the soil physicochemical properties vis-à-vis the indigenous Tamarix at the Leeu River in the Western Cape Province, of South Africa where they are purvasive. Three transects were laid from the riverbank towards the outer land, where the exotic followed by the native Tamarix species predominantly occurred. Soil was sampled from three points per transect and three soil depths (0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm) per point in winter and summer to determine selected soil physicochemical properties. The results showed that total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K) and Magnesium (Mg) concentrations under the native and exotic Tamarix species were significantly higher than those in the open land without Tamarix species. The salinity under the native and exotic Tamarix species was greater (P < 0.05) in the topsoils (0–10 cm) than in the deeper soils (20–30 cm) with 5.05 mS cm−1 and 4.73 mS cm−1, respectively. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) was higher (P < 0.05) during the winter season under the exotic Tamarix species (5.05 mS cm−1) followed by the native species (4.73 mS cm−1) and it was the lowest in the control (0.16 mS cm−1) at 0–10 cm soil depth. Similarly, sodium and sodium absorption ratios (SAR) under the native and exotic Tamarix species were significantly greater than those in the control. The highest levels (P < 0.05) of TC were recorded at the topsoil (0–10 cm soil depth) under the exotic Tamarix species (1.17%), followed by the native Tamarix (1.07%) with the control recording the lowest (0.53%). There were no significant differences (P < 0.05) in K, TC, TN and SOC concentrations at lower soil depths (20–30 cm). The soil texture was significantly affected by the Tamarix species. The soil bulk density was lower under the exotic Tamarix followed by native Tamarix species than the control soils. The soil volumetric water content was higher under the exotic Tamarix species compared to the control. This study concludes that the invasion of the exotic and native Tamarix species altered the soil properties underneath and created conducive soil conditions for their predominance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low efficacy of antipsychotic drugs (e.g., clozapine) for negative symptoms and cognitive impairment has led to the introduction of adjuvant therapies. Because previous data suggest the procognitive potential of the antidiabetic drug metformin, this study aimed to assess the effects of chronic clozapine and metformin oral administration (alone and in combination) on locomotor and exploratory activities and cognitive function in a reward-based test in control and a schizophrenia-like animal model (Wisket rats). As impaired dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) function might play a role in the cognitive dysfunctions observed in patients with schizophrenia, the second goal of this study was to determine the brain-region-specific D1R-mediated signaling, ligand binding, and mRNA expression. None of the treatments affected the behavior of the control animals significantly; however, the combination treatment enhanced D1R binding and activation in the cerebral cortex. The Wisket rats exhibited impaired motivation, attention, and cognitive function, as well as a lower level of cortical D1R binding, signaling, and gene expression. Clozapine caused further deterioration of the behavioral parameters, without a significant effect on the D1R system. Metformin blunted the clozapine-induced impairments, and, similarly to that observed in the control animals, increased the functional activity of D1R. This study highlights the beneficial effects of metformin (at the behavioral and cellular levels) in blunting clozapine-induced adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019 in Wuhan, Zhejiang has become the province with the largest number of cases. The aim of this article is to present Zhejiang province's experience of establishing an accurate and smart control mechanism for epidemic prevention and control and resumption of work and production using a 'five-colour epidemic chart'. The number of confirmed cases, proportion of local cases, and occurrence of clustered outbreaks were used as evaluation indicators to calculate the county-level epidemic risk and were assigned different weight coefficients; the absence of cases for 3 and 7 consecutive days was used as the adjustment index. When the first chart was published on February 9, there were 1 very-high-risk, 12 high-risk, and 12 low-risk counties. Under the five-colour chart, Zhejiang began to adopt precise measures to prevent and control the epidemic and resume work and production. By February 24, the low-risk counties had expanded to 82, with no high-risk and very-high-risk counties. The epidemic situation in Zhejiang province has been effectively controlled. The experience of epidemic prevention and control in Zhejiang is worthy to be emulated and learned by other countries and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this systematic review and meta-analysis our aim was to assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiac outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The search terms were performed from January 2000 to January 2018, only randomized clinical trials (RCT) in human subjects were considered, with no language restrictions. The electronic databases used in this study were: PubMed; Cochran library; Embase; and Scopus. Two independent expert reviewers carried out data extraction according to Cochrane recommendations. Only four RCTs were found in relation to the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the coronary artery disease. In these 299 patients, vitamin D supplementation had significant favorable effects on Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) (− 2.96, p = 0.02) and Parathyroid hormone (PTH) (− 4.05, p < 0.001). However, it had no significant effects on hs-CRP mean difference (− 0.04, p = 0.25), total cholesterol (TC) (− 0.46, p = 0.83), triglyceride (TG) (0.68, p = 0.89), low-density lipoproteins (LDL) (2.08, p = 0.56), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) (− 2.59, p = 0.16). In conclusion, the use of vitamin D was associated with improvements in some cardiac outcomes of CAD patients with vitamin D deficiency. Also, further research is needed to clarify these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ketone body D-β-hydroxybutyrate (DBHB) has gained attention owing to its cellular signalling function; however, its effect on the human colonic microbiota remains unclear. Here, DBHB dynamics in the human colon were investigated using an in vitro colonic microbiota model, which maintained most of the operational taxonomic units detected in the original faeces. Over 54% of 0.41% (w/v) DBHB was metabolised by microbiota models originating from seven faecal samples after 30 h of fermentation (regarded as DBHB utilisers); however, <19% of DBHB was metabolised by microbiota models from five faecal samples (regarded as non-utilisers of DBHB). In utilisers, DBHB administration increased the relative abundance of the genus Coprococcus, correlated with increased butyrogenesis. Increased butyrogenesis was not observed in DBHB non-utilisers. Based on PICRUSt analysis, the relative abundance of β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase was maintained in microbiota models from DBHB utilisers following DBHB administration; however, it decreased in microbiota models from non-utilisers. After 21 h of fermentation, the intracellular glutamate concentration, which is indicative of growth, showed a positive correlation with DBHB utilisation (R2 = 0.70). Human colonic microbiotas with high growth activity demonstrate efficient utilisation of DBHB for increased butyrate production, which affords health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in medicine, aortic diseases (ADs) such as aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm rupture remain fatal with extremely high mortality rates. Owing to the relatively low prevalence of AD, the risk of AD-related death has not yet been elucidated. The aim of the present study was to examine whether hyperuricemia is a risk factor for AD-related mortality in the general population. We used a nationwide database of 474,725 subjects (age 40–75 years) who participated in the annual "Specific Health Check and Guidance in Japan" between 2008 and 2013. There were 115 deaths from aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm rupture during the follow-up period of 1,803,955 person-years. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that subjects with hyperuricemia had a higher rate of AD-related death than those without hyperuricemia. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis demonstrated that hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for AD-related death in the general population. The net reclassification index was improved by addition of hyperuricemia to the baseline model. This is the first report to demonstrate that hyperuricemia is a risk factor for AD-related death, indicating that hyperuricemia could be a crucial risk for AD-related death in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlled delivery of molecules interfering specifically with target activities in a cell of interest can be a powerful tool for experimental manipulation, because it can be administered at a defined time point and does not require genetic transformation, which in some systems is difficult and time consuming. Peptides as versatile tools that can be tailored for binding numerous binding partners, are of special interest. However, their passage through membranes, their intracellular targeting, and their sensitivity to proteases is limiting. The use of peptoids, where cationic amino-acid side chains are linked to nitrogen (rather than to carbon) of the peptide bond, can circumvent these limitations, because they are not cleavable by proteases. In the current work, we provide a proof-of-concept that such Trojan Peptoids, the plant PeptoQ, can be used to target a functional cargo (i.e. a rhodamine-labelled peptoid and a coenzyme Q10 derivative) into mitochondria of tobacco BY-2 cells as experimental model. We show that the uptake is specific for mitochondria, rapid, dose-dependent, and requires clathrin-mediated endocytosis, as well as actin filaments, while microtubules seem to be dispensable. Viability of the treated cells is not affected, and they show better survival under salt stress, a condition that perturbs oxidative homeostasis in mitochondria. In congruence with improved homeostasis, we observe that the salt induced accumulation of superoxide is mitigated and even inverted by pretreatment with PeptoQ. Using double labelling with appropriate fluorescent markers, we show that targeting of this Trojan Peptoid to the mitochondria is not based on a passage through the plasma membrane (as thought hitherto), but on import via endocytotic vesicles and subsequent accumulation in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, from where it can enter the matrix, e.g. when the permeability of the inner membrane is increased under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]