Search

Background Coiled-coil domain-containing protein 34 (CCDC34), which belongs to the CCDCs family, has been recently reported to be up-regulated in various kinds of tumors. However, its role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains unclear. Materials and methods In this study, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis were performed to measure the mRNA and protein levels of CCDC34 in clinical samples. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relationship between CCDC34 and the prognosis in HCC patients. CCK-8 and colony formation assays were conducted to investigate CCDC34's effect on the cell proliferation, and Transwell assays were used to detect CCDC34's effect on the cell metastasis. Moreover, subcutaneous xenograft tumor model and lung metastasis model were applied to confirm the impact of CCDC34 on the HCC development. Lastly, RNA sequencing and Western blot analysis were performed to probe the underlying mechanism of CCDC34's effect on HCC. Results CCDC34 was significantly induced in HCC tissues, and the overexpression of CCDC34 predicted the poor outcomes among HCC patients. It was verified by the in vitro and in vivo experiments that CCDC34-knockdown potently inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. Subsequent results indicated that CCDC34 inhibition can affect the activation of protein kinase B (PKB or AKT) as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Conclusion CCDC34 is significantly associated with HCC. It will become a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target against HCC.

BACKGROUND Free fractions of different blackberry varieties' extracts are high in phenolic compounds with antioxidant activities. However, the phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities against peroxyl radicals of bound fractions of different blackberry varieties' extracts have not been previously reported. In addition, what the key antioxidant phenolic compounds are in free and bound fractions of blackberry extracts remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities of free and bound fractions of eight blackberry varieties' extracts and reveal the key antioxidant phenolic compounds by boosted regression trees. RESULTS Fifteen phenolics (three anthocyanins, four flavonols, three phenolic acids, two proanthocyanidins, and three ellagitannins) were identified in blackberry by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Ferulic acid, ellagic acid, procyanidin C1, kaempferol-O-hexoside, ellagitannins hex, and gallic acid were major bound phenolics. Bound fractions of eight blackberry varieties' extracts were high in phenolics and showed great antioxidant activity. Boosted regression trees analysis showed that cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and chlorogenic acid were the most significant compounds, contributing 48.4% and 15.9% respectively to the antioxidant activity of free fraction. Ferulic acid was the most significant antioxidant compound in bound fraction, with a contribution of 61.5%. Principal component analysis showed that Kiowa was the best among the eight varieties due to its phenolic profile and antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION It was concluded that blackberry varieties contained high amounts of bound phenolics, which confer health benefits through reducing oxidative stress. Ferulic acid was the key compound to explain the antioxidant activities of bound fractions. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background Blackberry postharvest diseases are caused by fungal pathogens, and treatment of fruits with edible, natural products could reduce the postharvest losses and contribute to food sustainability. Based on the hypothesis that inhibition of fungal pathogens will significantly extend the shelf-life of food products, the effects of natural antifungal agents on fungal pathogens were tested. Results Two pathogenic fungal isolates, Aspergillus japonicus and Gilbertella persicaria, from infected blackberry fruits were identified morphologically using scanning electron microscopy and confirmed by DNA sequence analysis. The inhibitory effects and synergistic action of natural antifungal agents against the two fungal isolates were investigated. The results obtained demonstrated that the natamycin, chitosan and ferulic acid exhibited significant antifungal activities against the tested strains based on the calculated minimum inhibitory concentration. The best antifungal activity was obtained using a combination of ferulic acid and natamycin, which generated a total synergistic effect on both tested strains with a fractional inhibitory concentration index of 0.281. Application of the selected agents on postharvest blackberry fruits reduced the rot ratio and weight loss and also increased fruit firmness. In addition, the shelf-life of fresh blackberry fruits was extended up to 12-15 days at 4 °C and 90 ± 5% relative humidity. Conclusion The combined utilization of ferulic acid and natamycin showed synergistic antifungal activity against two pathogenic fungal isolates, and extended the shelf life of fresh blackberry fruits up to 12-15 days. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

A well-designed heteroleptic ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl complex demonstrated stable target-specific in vitro Golgi apparatus imaging abilities in HeLa cell lines. After utilizing photodynamic therapy via UV excitation, the Ru-SL complex could be triggered to generate singlet oxygen (1O2) and red fluorescence signals. 1O2 was highly cytotoxic and could induce DNA damage and the disappearance of the Golgi apparatus. The red fluorescence signals disappeared gradually, suggesting that the live or dead state of the cells can be estimated from the fluorescence signal intensity.

The effects of increasing concentrations of cadmium (Cd) on the ultrastructure, Cd accumulation, nutrient elements contents, levels of chlorophyll pigments, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidants, as well as the activities of antioxidant enzymes were investigated in the leaves of Hydrocharis dubia (Bl.) Backer. Cd exposure resulted in significant damage in chloroplasts and mitochondria, suggesting that Cd hastened the senescence of the tested plants. The accumulation of Cd was found to increase in a concentration dependent manner with a maximum of 1088 μg g−1 at 80 μM. The levels of Ca, P and Cu declined and the levels of Mg increased under all Cd concentrations, but K and Fe contents increased initially and decreased thereafter. Pigment content decreased with the rise of the Cd concentrations. H2O2 content enhanced gradually at all Cd concentrations. MDA content increased progressively up to 60 μM Cd, followed by a decline at higher concentration. The effect of Cd application on ascorbate (AsA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) contents was similar to that seen for H2O2 content. Peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities first increased and then decreased, while superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity markedly decreased. Results suggest that Cd-induced oxidative damage in H. dubia is closely associated with the efficiency of its intrinsic antioxidant mechanisms, both the disorder of nutrient elements and the damage to the ultrastructure were indicative of general disarray in the cellular functions exerted by Cd.

Effective utilization of ultraviolet and visible light for hydrogen evolution in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting approach has been widely investigated, whereas infrared light, another major fraction of solar radiation (∼50%), is rarely reported for implementing PEC water splitting application. In this paper, we first demonstrate the coupling of air and solution stable pyrite iron disulfide (FeS2) with hierarchical top-porous–bottom-tubular TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) to realize high PEC performance not only in the ultraviolet and visible light regions but also in the infrared light region with photocurrent enhancement by more than 3 orders of magnitude compared to that of the pristine TiO2 NTs under illumination of near-infrared light. The significant enhancement of PEC performance can be ascribed to the rational coupling of FeS2 with a small band gap and TiO2 NTs with unique morphology and proper electronic features. We postulate the proposed novel FeS2/TiO2 NTs photoelectrode has the potentia...

Simple, affordable and green methods to improve capacitive properties of commercial activated carbon (AC) are intriguing since ACs possess a predominant role in the commercial supercapacitor market. Herein, we report a green reactivation of commercial ACs by soaking ACs in molten Na 2 CO 3 –K 2 CO 3 (equal in mass ratios) at 850 °C combining the merits of both physical and chemical activation strategies. The mechanism of molten carbonate treatment and structure-capacitive activity correlations of the ACs are rationalized. Characterizations show that the molten carbonate treatment increases the electrical conductivity of AC without compromising its porosity and wettability of electrolytes. Electrochemical tests show the treated AC exhibited higher specific capacitance, enhanced high-rate capability and excellent cycle performance, promising its practical application in supercapacitors. The present study confirms that the molten carbonate reactivation is a green and effective method to enhance capacitive properties of ACs.

Immune memory after hepatitis B vaccination among adults is still under investigation. In this study, adults who had normal and high antibody response to the primary series of hepatitis B vaccination (HepB) were followed up at 5 years after the primary immunization. A booster dose was given to those who had low hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) titers, defined as anti-HBs levels < 10 mIU/mL. Blood samples were collected at two weeks after the booster and anti-HBs levels were measured. We assumed those with ant-HBs levels > = 10 mIU/mL after the booster had anamnestic response. In total, 242 persons completed the booster and the anti-HBs test. The anamnestic response rate was 99.59% (241/242) and geometric mean concentration (GMC) of anti-HBs after the booster was 2989 mIU/mL (95% CI: 255, 35085). Anti-HBs titer after the booster dose had a positive correlation with anti-HBs titers measured right after the primary immunization as well as anti-HBs titers 5 years later just before the booster. After the booster, no significant difference was found in anti-HBs titers between participants who were immunized with the 10μg HepB vaccine and those with the 20μg vaccine. Multivariable analysis showed that 1) vaccine brand used for the primary vaccination, 2) anti-HBs titers after primary vaccination and 3) anti-HBs titers before the booster dose were independently associated with the anti-HBs titers after the booster 1) β = -0.21, 95% CI: -0.33, -0.09, P = 0.001; 2) β = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.09, P < 0.001; 3) β = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.07, P < 0.001). In summary, anamnestic response exists among almost all adults at five years after HepB primary immunization. Vaccine brand used for primary vaccination, initial anti-HBs titers after primary immunization and anti-HBs titers before the booster were the independent predictive factors of HepB anamnestic response titers.

Summary Objectives Epidemiological studies evaluating the association of tea consumption and the risk of oral cancer risk have produced inconsistent results. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the relationship between tea consumption and oral cancer risk. Methods Pertinent studies were identified by a search in PubMed, Web of Knowledge and Wan Fang Med Online. The fixed or random effect model was used based on heterogeneity test. Publication bias was estimated using Egger’s regression asymmetry test. Results Finally, 14 articles with 19 studies comprising 4675 oral cancer cases were included in this meta-analysis. The relative risk (95% confidence interval) of oral cancer for the highest versus the lowest category of tea consumption was 0.853 (0.779–0.934), and the association was significant between oral cancer risk and green tea consumption [0.798 (0.673–0.947)] but not in the black tea consumption [0.953 (0.792–1.146)]. The associations were also significant in Asian and Caucasian. Conclusions Our analysis indicated that tea consumption may have a protective effect on oral cancer, especially in green tea consumption.

Objective: The association between urokinase-plasminogen activator (PLAU) gene rs2227564 polymorphism and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk has been widely reported across different ethnic populations, with inconsistent results. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to assess the association between PLAU rs2227564 polymorphism and AD risk. Methods: Fixed or random effect model was used as the pooling method to assess the basis of homogeneity test among studies. Summarized estimation of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using Q test and I2. Publication bias was estimated using Harbord’s test. Results: A total of 27 studies (comprising 6100 AD cases and 5718 controls) were included in this meta-analysis. The present meta-analysis showed a significant increased effect of T allele on risk of AD in dominant model (fixed effect model [FEM] OR 1.123, 95% CI 1.025-1.231) and heterozygote comparison (CT vs CC; FEM OR 1.126, 95% CI 1.027-1.235). No publication bias was detected. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that T allele of rs2227564 polymorphism in PLAU gene could increase the effects on risk of AD, and this result needs to be confirmed by further studies.

Aims: We performed a meta-analysis to assess the possible association between the MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism and hemorrhagic stroke. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all case–control or cohort design studies of the associations between C677T and HS. The fixed or random effect pooled measure was selected on the basis of a homogeneity test among studies. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the I2. Meta-regression and the “leave-one-out” sensitive analysis of Patsopoulos et al. were used to explore potential sources of between-study heterogeneity. Publication bias was estimated using the Begg's test. Results: Fifteen case–control studies corresponded to the inclusion criteria, including 2034 cases and 4485 controls for the present meta-analysis. After excluding articles that deviated from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in controls and the key contributors to between-study heterogeneity, significant associations between the MTHFR C677T genetic polymorphism and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke were observed in dominant (Odds ratio [OR] 1.611, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.336–1.942), codominant (OR 1.500, 95% CI 1.330–1.692), and recessive (OR 1.695, 95% CI 1.409–2.038) models. Conclusions: The meta-analysis suggests that the MTHFR C667T genetic polymorphism was associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, and the T allele may be an important risk factor for hemorrhagic stroke. The findings are of importance to the genetic epidemiology of hemorrhagic stroke, and to explore genetic diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of hemorrhagic stroke.

Recently, many studies have investigated the association of allelic variants of Wolfram syndrome gene (WFS1) with insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and the risk of hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Although it is clear that WFS1 mutations cause diabetes, the genetic basis of the association of common WFS1 variants with T2D is still unclear. To date, many case-control studies have been carried out to investigate the role of the WFS1 gene polymorphism in the development of T2D. However, these studies are controversial and individual studies may have insufficient power to reach a comprehensive and reliable conclusion. The aim of this study was to investigate association of WFS1 genes polymorphisms (rs734312 and rs10010131) with T2D by conducting a meta-analysis. Seven studies with 6705 T2D cases and 11144 controls were enrolled in the meta-analysis of the association between rs734312 polymorphism and T2D, and 12 studies with 16304 T2D cases and 22004 controls were enrolled in the meta-analysis of rs10010131 polymorphism. Summary odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using fixed and random-effects models. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the I² and Begg's test was used to evaluate publication bias. Sensitivity analysis was also performed. Our results suggested that the G allele of rs734312 polymorphism [dominant: FEM OR 0.873, 95%CI (0.810 - 0.940), recessive: FEM OR 0.876, 95% CI (0.800 - 0.959)] and A allele of rs10010131 polymorphism [dominant:FEM OR 0.853, 95% CI (0.817 - 0.892), recessive:REM OR 0.833, 95% CI (0.756 - 0.917)] in WFS1 gene had significant protective effects on risk of T2D.

Non-Buthidae venomous scorpions are huge natural sources of toxin peptides; however, only a few studies have been done to understand their toxin peptides. Herein, we describe three new potential immunomodulating toxin peptides, Ctri18, Ctry68 and Ctry2908, from two non-Buthidae scorpions, Chaerilus tricostatus and Chaerilus tryznai. Sequence alignment analyses showed that Ctri18, Ctry68 and Ctry2908 are three new members of the scorpion toxin α-KTx15 subfamily. Electrophysiological experiments showed that Ctri18, Ctry68 and Ctry2908 blocked the Kv1.3 channel at micromole to nanomole levels, but had weak effects on potassium channel KCNQ1 and sodium channel Nav1.4, which indicated that Ctri18, Ctry68 and Ctry2908 might have specific inhibiting effects on the Kv1.3 channel. ELISA experiments showed that Ctri18, Ctry68 and Ctry2908 inhibited IL-2 cytokine secretions of activated T lymphocyte in human PBMCs. Excitingly, consistent with the good Kv1.3 channel inhibitory activity, Ctry2908 inhibited cytokine IL-2 secretion in nanomole level, which indicated that Ctry2908 might be a new lead drug template toward Kv1.3 channels. Together, these studies discovered three new toxin peptides, Ctri18, Ctry68 and Ctry2908, with Kv1.3 channel and IL-2 cytokine-inhibiting activities from two scorpions, C. tricostatus and C. tryznai, and highlighted that non-Buthidae venomous scorpions are new natural toxin peptide sources.

ObjectiveWe conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between vitamin E and age-related cataract (ARC).DesignThe fixed- or random-effect model was selected based on heterogeneity. Meta-regression was used to explore potential sources of between-study heterogeneity. Publication bias was evaluated using Begg’s test. The dose–response relationship was assessed by a restricted cubic spline model.SettingRelevant studies were identified by a search of PubMed and the Cochrane Library to May 2014, without language restrictions.SubjectsStudies involved samples of people of all ages.ResultsDietary vitamin E intake, dietary and supplemental vitamin E intake, and high serum tocopherol levels were significantly associated with decreased risk of ARC, the pooled relative risk was 0·73 (95 % CI 0·58, 0·92), 0·86 (95 % CI 0·75, 0·99) and 0·77 (95 % CI 0·66, 0·91), respectively. Supplemental vitamin E intake was non-significantly associated with ARC risk (relative risk=0·92; 95 % CI 0·78, 1·07). The findings from dose–response analysis showed evidence of a non-linear association between dietary vitamin E intake and ARC. The risk of ARC decreased with dietary vitamin E intake from 7 mg/d (relative risk=0·94; 95 % CI 0·90, 0·97).ConclusionsThe findings of the meta-analysis indicated that dietary vitamin E intake, dietary and supplemental vitamin E intake, and high level of serum tocopherol might be significantly associated with reduced ARC risk.

Alcohol consumption had been linked to the risk of gout theoretically, but the results from observational studies were conflicting. Hence, a meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effect of alcohol consumption on the risk of gout. A comprehensive search was performed to identify all eligible studies on the association of alcohol consumption with gout risk. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) from fixed and random effects models were calculated. A total of 12 articles with 17 studies involving 42,924 cases met the inclusion criteria. The pooled RR for highest vs. non/occasional alcohol drinking in every study was 1.98 (95 % CI, 1.52-2.58). The RRs for light (≤1 drink/day), moderate (>1 to

BACKGROUND: The association between polymorphism 4b/a, T-786C and G894T in endothelial NO synthase gene (eNOS) and ischemic stroke (IS) remains controversial in Asian. A meta-analysis was performed to better clarify the association between eNOS gene and IS risk. METHODS: Based on the search of PubMed, Web of Science (ISI), CNKI (National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wan Fang Med Online and CBM (Chinese Biology Medical Literature Database) databases, all eligible case-control or cohort studies were identified. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from fixed and random effect models were calculated. Heterogeneity among studies was evaluated using the I(2). Meta-regression was used to explore the potential sources of between-study heterogeneity. Begg's test was used to estimate publication bias. RESULTS: Our study included 27 articles, contained 28 independent case-control studies, involved a total of 3,742 cases and 3,691 controls about 4b/a, 1,800 cases and 1,751 controls about T-786C and 2,747 cases and 2,872 controls about G894T. A significant association of 4a allele with increased risk of IS was found in dominant (FEM: OR = 1.498, 95% CI = 1.329-1.689), recessive (FEM: OR = 2.132, 95% CI = 1.383-3.286) and codominant (REM: OR = 1.456, 95% CI = 1.235-1.716) models. For T-786C and G894T, there were significant associations with dominant and codominant genetic models, but not with recessive genetic model. CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis indicated that eNOS gene 4b/a, T-786C, G894T polymorphism might be associated with IS.

Findings of a previous meta-analysis demonstrated no association between G894T polymorphism in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and ischemic stroke. Results of other studies have also been inconsistent. Updated meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between the eNOS gene G894T (rs1799983) polymorphism and the risk of ischemic stroke. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from fixed and random effects models were calculated. Heterogeneity in the studies was evaluated using the I2. Meta-regression and the 'leave-one-out' sensitive analysis were used to examine the potential sources of between-study heterogeneity. Publication bias was estimated using the Egger's test. Data were available for 6,607 cases and 6,947 controls from 22 studies. Studies deviating from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in the controls and the key contributors to between-study heterogeneity were excluded. Significant associations between eNOS gene G894T polymorphism and the risk of ischemic stroke were observed in the dominant (OR 1.249; 95% CI, 1.145-1.361), the recessive (OR 1.255; 95% CI, 1.082-1.456) and the codominant models (OR 1.195; 95% CI, 1.115-1.281). Moreover, in the subgroup analysis based on the region (Asia and Europe), significant associations were observed between the dominant and codominant genetic models but not in the recessive model. The results of our meta-analysis suggested that eNOS gene G894T polymorphism was associated with the increased risk of ischemic stroke, and that the T allele may be an important risk factor for ischemic stroke. However, further studies are required to confirm this result.

BACKGROUND: Recently, high proportions (15.6%-98.7%) of intravenous drug users (IDUs) in China were found to be positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Yunnan Province is located in southwestern China and borders one of the world's most important opium-producing regions, thus it is an important drug trafficking route to other regions of China. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we assessed 100 HCV-positive plasma samples from IDUs who were enrolled through the Kunming Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012. HCV C/E1 fragments were PCR-amplified and sequenced. We identified eight HCV subtypes (1a, 1b, 3a, 3b, 6a, 6n, 6u and 6v), of which genotype 6 was most predominant (frequency, 47%) followed by genotypes 3 (41%) and 1 (12%). HCV subtypes 6n (30%) and 3b (29%) were most common and were identified in 59% of the IDUs. We compared HCV genotypes among IDUs in Yunnan Province with those from other regions and found that the distribution patterns of HCV genotypes in Yunnan Province were similar to those in southern China, but different from those in eastern China. However, the distribution patterns of HCV subtypes varied among Yunnan Province and southern China, despite the shared similar genotypes. A comparison of the current data with those previously reported showed that the frequency of HCV genotype 6 increased from 25% to 47% within 5 years, especially subtypes 6a (5% to 15%) and 6n (11.2% to 30%). In contrast, the frequencies of subtypes 3b and 1b decreased by almost 50% within 5 years. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results provided further information to support the assertion that drug trafficking routes influence HCV transmission patterns among IDUs in Yunnan Province. The frequency of HCV genotypes and subtypes changed rapidly among IDUs in Yunnan Province and subtypes 6a and 6n may have originated in Vietnam and Myanmar, respectively.