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目的：探討使用決策輔助工具(patient decision aids, PDA)選擇戒菸藥物，是否能提升戒菸成效。 方法：本研究是一篇歷史對照研究(historical control trial)，研發一份紙本決策輔助工具，輔助戒菸者在varenicline與合併尼古丁替代療法(combination nicotine replacement therapy)兩類藥物中做出選擇。2020年1月至2021年3月期間，於家庭醫學科戒菸門診進行收案，針對有意願接受藥物戒菸的民眾，由醫師擔任醫病共享決策的引導員(coach)，使用決策輔助工具協助其決定藥物的種類。對照組為2019年全年度在家庭醫學科戒菸門診接受藥物戒菸服務者，無使用決策輔助工具。以電話訪問調查第三個月以及第六個月的戒菸狀況，再以logistic regression等統計方法探討使用PDA是否影響戒菸成功率。 結果：排除療程中更換處方和失聯者，總共199人被納入研究（PDA組62人：男性佔80.6%，平均年齡為46.0歲；對照組137人，男性佔74.5%，平均年齡為49.4歲）。PDA組傾向選擇varenicline作為戒菸藥物(aOR=1.94, 95% CI 1.02-3.71)；兩組六個月點戒菸率無顯著差異(aOR=1.43, 95% CI 0.74-2.79)。 結論：以決策輔助工具選擇戒菸藥物，民眾偏好varenicline甚於合併尼古丁替代療法，但是並未對戒菸成功率造成顯著影響。醫病共享決策能否提升戒菸藥物的順從性，並增進戒菸治療的效益，需要進一步的研究。 Purpose: The study explored whether the use of patient decision aid (PDA) to select smoking cessation drugs can improve the effectiveness of smoking cessation. Methods: This historical control trail developed a paper-based PDA to help smokers choose between varenicline and a combination of nicotine replacement therapy. From January 2020 to March 2021, people visiting the smoking cessation clinic of a family medicine department and willing to take drugs to quit smoking were enrolled into the PDA group of the study with doctors serving as coaches for shared decision-making and applying the PDA to help them decide on the types of drugs to use. Members in the control group were enrolled from people receiving the drug smoking cessation services in the same smoking cessation clinic in 2019 without using PDA. The smoking status after 3 and 6 months were collected by telephone interview. The effects of using PDA on smoking cessation were analyzed by logistic regression. Results: A total of 199 people participating in the study, excluding those who changed prescriptions and lost contact during the course of treatment. Of the 62 participants in the PDA group, 80.6% were male, and the average age was 46.0. Of the 137 participants in the control group, 74.5% were male, and the average age was 49.4. The PDA group preferred varenicline as the smoking cessation drug (aOR=1.94, 95% CI 1.02-3.71). There was no significant difference in the smoking cessation rate between the two groups at six months (aOR=1.43, 95% CI 0.74-2.79). Conclusion: When using PDA to select smoking cessation drugs, people appear to prefer varenicline over a combination of nicotine replacement therapy; however, this preference produces no significant influence on the success rate of smoking cessation. Whether shared decision-making help improve the compliance with the instructions of smoking cessation products and enhance the effectiveness of smoking cessation treatment requires further research. &nbsp

Whey protein (WP) can increase insulin secretion, produce an incretin effect, delay gastric emptying, and regulate appetite, resulting in improved glycemic control. We hypothesized that WP supplementation is associated with postprandial glycemia regulation in persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to test this hypothesis. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus databases, and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry for relevant RCTs published before March 2022. We assessed the pooled effects using a random-effects model on glucose and insulin levels at 60 and 120 minutes, total glucagon-like peptide-1 (tGLP-1) at 30 and 60 minutes, and the incremental area under the curve (iAUC) of glucose, insulin, tGLP-1, and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. Five RCTs involving 134 persons were included. Postprandial glycemia was significantly lower at 60 minutes (weighted mean difference: -2.67 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, -3.62 to -1.72 mmol/L) and 120 minutes (-1.59 mmol/L; -2.91 to -0.28 mmol/L) in WP group than in placebo group. The iAUC of insulin was significantly higher in WP group (24.66 nmol/L × min, 1.65-47.66 nmol/L × min) than in placebo group. Although other results favored the WP group, differences between the groups were not statistically significant. The present study showed that premeal WP supplementation is beneficial for postprandial glycemia in persons with mild or well-controlled T2DM without substantial adverse effects. However, the level of certainty of current evidence is not high enough. Further larger and well-designed clinical trials are warranted for evaluating optimal dose and long-term effects of WP supplementation.

The contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and methylglyoxal (MG) formation and removal in high-pH-mediated alleviation of plant copper (Cu)-toxicity remains to be elucidated. Seedlings of sweet orange (

Musical performance anxiety (MPA) occurs throughout musicians’ careers. The existing literature on coping with MPA is underdeveloped in its understanding of how college musicians develop their own coping strategies. This article explores the ways in which MPA is self-managed by college musicians, drawing on qualitative data from the local context of Taiwan. A ‘performance diary’ for managing MPA was prepared and semi-structured interviews were carried out with 53 undergraduate students (from Year 1 to Year 4) from a university’s music department. The findings show that college musicians have developed at least nine self-management strategies, which they implement throughout a specific timeline leading up to a performance, from 4 weeks before right up to the performance (concert, exam and recital) itself. These strategies are products of musicians’ self-regulated learning process of developing their own expertise and building up their self-efficacy. The findings also reveal that providing information about psychological strategies in a performance diary could help musicians to become aware of MPA and develop their metacognition of coping strategies. Highlighting the importance of the specific time periods, types of performance and performance environments, this article has implications for college musicians, teachers and institutions that are looking to develop MPA-management strategies.

Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the world and is purported to have a variety of health effects, including endocrine disruption and an elevated risk of several types of cancer. Blood DNA methylation has been shown to be associated with many other environmental exposures, but to our knowledge, no studies to date have examined the association between blood DNA methylation and glyphosate exposure.We conducted an epigenome-wide association study to identify DNA methylation loci associated with urinary glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) levels. Secondary goals were to determine the association of epigenetic age acceleration with glyphosate and AMPA and develop blood DNA methylation indices to predict urinary glyphosate and AMPA levels.For 392 postmenopausal women, white blood cell DNA methylation was measured using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array. Glyphosate and AMPA were measured in two urine samples per participant using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Methylation differences at the probe and regional level associated with glyphosate and AMPA levels were assessed using a resampling-based approach. Probes and regions that had an false discovery rateWe identified 24 CpG sites whose methylation level was associated with urinary glyphosate concentration and two associated with AMPA. Four regions, within the promoters of theGlyphosate and AMPA exposure were associated with DNA methylation differences that could promote the development of cancer and other diseases. Further studies are warranted to replicate our results, determine the functional impact of glyphosate- and AMPA-associated differential DNA methylation, and further explore whether DNA methylation could serve as a biomarker of glyphosate exposure. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10174.

Background: Animal and epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to the weed killer, glyphosate, and its primary metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), is associated with increased risk for cancer, including breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has categorized glyphosate as a “probable carcinogen,” yet glyphosate is the most highly used pesticide in the world. Biomonitoring studies assessing levels of human glyphosate and AMPA exposure in the United States have been limited. Thus, we examined urinary levels of these chemicals in a cohort of postmenopausal women residing in Southern California and evaluated associations with demographics, dietary intake, and other behavioral factors. Methods: 338 postmenopausal women provided two first-morning urine samples and at least one paired 24-hour dietary recall. Participants also reported on demographic and other factors. Urinary glyphosate and AMPA were measured using LC-MS/MS. Results: Glyphosate was detected in nearly 90% of urine samples and AMPA in 67.2%. Urinary glyphosate and AMPA levels were lower in women who reported high levels of organic eating (p=0.04 and p=0.01, respectively). Urinary glyphosate was lower in women who reported higher levels of physical activity (p=0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that grain consumption, particularly refined grains, was significantly associated with higher urinary glyphosate levels (adjusted p=0.004). Alcohol consumption (adjusted p=0.001) and frequency of eating fast-food (adjusted p=0.006) were associated with higher urinary AMPA levels, while fruit (adjusted p=0.03) and corn (adjusted p=0.008) consumption were associated with lower AMPA. Conclusions: In the largest study to date examining paired dietary recall data and measurements of urinary glyphosate and AMPA, the vast majority of women sampled had detectable levels. Consumption of certain foods, including grains and alcoholic beverages, were associated with higher urinary levels of glyphosate and AMPA. Citation Format: Rachel McFarland Lucia, Xiyue Liao, Wei-Lin Huang, Danielle Forman, Alexis Kim, Argyrios Ziogas, Trina M. Norden-Krichmar, Deborah Goodman, Andrea Alvarez, Irene Masunaka, Khyatiben Pathak, Marissa McGilvrey, Victoria David-Dirgo, Apurva Hegde, Patrick Pirrotte, Hannah Lui Park. Glyphosate and AMPA exposure: Associations with dietary intake and other factors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4222.

Copper (Cu) excess is often observed in old Citrus orchards. Little information is available on the characterization of Cu-induced-release of root exudates and their possible roles in plant Cu-tolerance. Using sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv. Xuegan] seedlings as materials, we investigated the impacts of 0, 0.5, 25, 150, 350, 550, 1000, 2000 or 5000 μM CuCl

Highlights • More patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) are surviving into old age. • The late-life health-related quality of life (HRQoL) they might experience remains unclear. • We repeatedly assessed HRQoL in a cohort of older adults with CHB over five years. • The HRQoL changes older CHB patients might experience were delineated. • Extrahepatic organ/system abnormalities were associated with changes in HRQoL., Despite the increasing health burden of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in aging populations, little is known about the course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes. We aimed to assess individual-level longitudinal HRQoL changes in elderly patients with CHB and to examine their correlates. A prospective 5.1 years-cohort study was conducted in community-dwelling adults aged 55 years with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive. Participants underwent serial measurement of HRQoL using the short-form (12) health survey version 2. Of 503 participants, 82.7% remained in good physical health throughout the study period, whereas 9.1% had declining physical health and 8.2% were in poor physical health. We likewise identified three trajectories of mental health changes (“good mental health” [86.9%], “declining mental health” [6.8%], and “poor mental health” [6.4%]). Three baseline characteristics were independently associated with a lower likelihood of remaining physically or mentally healthy: sarcopenic obesity (odds ratio [OR] with 95% confidence interval [95% CI] of 7.5 [2.8–20.5] for poor physical health, 3.1 [1.1–8.4] for declining physical health, 4.3 [1.4–13.0] for poor mental health), a higher number of metabolic abnormalities (OR [95% CI] of 3.6 [1.6–8.0] for poor physical health) and depressed mood (OR [95% CI] of 21.7 [5.8–81.0] for poor physical health, 5.3 [1.4–19.9] for declining physical health, 83.1 [19.7–350.2] for poor mental health, 13.6 [2.9–64.8] for declining mental health). In conclusion, in a cohort of elderly patients with CHB, we demonstrated the heterogeneity and nonlinearity of HRQoL changes and their associations with variations in specific extrahepatic organs/systems.

The current systematic review considered research published within the 10 years preceding June 2019, dealing with the topic of obesity and pain. Within the context of the complex biological and behavioral interrelationships among these phenomena, we sought to identify gaps in the literature and to highlight key targets for future transdisciplinary research. The overarching inclusion criteria were that the included studies could directly contribute to our understanding of these complex phenomena. We searched PubMed/Medline/Cochrane databases dating back 10 years, using the primary search terms “obesity” and “pain,” and for a secondary search we used the search terms “pain” and “diet quality.” Included studies (n = 70) are primarily human; however, some animal studies were included to enhance understanding of related basic biological phenomena and/or where human data were absent or significantly limited. Our overall conclusions highlight (1) the mechanisms of obesity-related pain (i.e., mechanical, behavioral, and physiological) and potential biological and behavioral contributors (e.g., gender, distribution of body fat, and dietary factors), (2) the requirement for accurate and reliable objective measurement, (3) the need to integrate biological and behavioral contributors into comprehensive, well-controlled prospective study designs.

Bevacizumab (BVZ) is the first recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) approved by the FDA for the treatment of different kinds of cancers, especially colorectal cancer. Although the anti-tumor effects have been verified, the side effects of BVZ are also noteworthy, among which, cardiotoxicity may be the most serious side effect of BVZ. However, the exact mechanisms of cardiotoxicity induced by BVZ have been little explored. This study was conducted in vitro in a human cardiac myocyte (HCM) model. MTT assay was conducted to determine BVZ-stimulated cell viability. For testing the function and mechanism, the cells were transfected with miR-140-5p mimics, miR-140-5p inhibitor and/or VEGFA small interfering RNA (si-VEGFA). Then, apoptosis of the cells was detected via annexin V/propidium iodide (AV-PI) staining followed by flow cytometry. qRT-PCR and western blot assays were applied to measure gene expression (i.e. mRNA) and protein levels, respectively. The CK, LDH, SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities and MDA level were determined using commercial kits. ROS levels were determined by DCFH-DA assay. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by JC-1 assay. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the interaction between miR-140-5p and VEGFA. BVZ could inhibit HCM proliferation and induce apoptosis. miR-140-5p was upregulated in response to BVZ treatment and miR-140-5p restraint could alleviate HCM damage caused by BVZ treatment. In contrast, VEGFA and 14-3-3γ expressions were down-regulated by BVZ, and miR-140-5p could inhibit the expression of 14-3-3γ by directly targeting VEGFA. Moreover, VEGFA suppression enhanced HCM injury stimulated by BVZ and partially reversed the functional role of the miR-140-5p inhibitor in BVZ-treated cells. Taken together, miR-140-5p promoted BVZ-treated cardiomyocyte toxicity by targeting the VEGFA/14-3-3γ signal pathway. Collectively, miR-140-5p mediated the BVZ-induced cytotoxicity to cardiomyocytes by targeting the VEGFA/14-3-3γ signal pathway, indicating that miR-140-5p may be a novel target for treating BVZ-induced cardiotoxicity.

Peritoneal dissemination is the most frequent metastatic route of ovarian cancer. However, due to the high heterogeneity in ovarian cancer, most conventional studies lack parental tumor controls relevant to metastases and, thus, it is difficult to trace the molecular changes of cancer cells along with the selection by the abdominal microenvironment. Here, we established an in vivo mouse peritoneal dissemination scheme that allowed us to select more aggressive sublines from parental ovarian cancer cells, including A2780 and SKOV‐3. Microarray and gene profiling analyses indicated that autophagy‐related genes were enriched in selected malignant sublines. Detection of LC3‐II, p62 and autophagic puncta demonstrated that these malignant variants were more sensitive to autophagic induction when exposed to diverse stress conditions, such as high cell density, starvation and drug treatment. As compared with parental A2780, the selected variant acquired the ability to grow better under high‐density stress; however, this effect was reversed by addition of autophagic inhibitors or knockdown of ATG5. When analyzing the clinical profiles of autophagy‐related genes identified to be enriched in malignant A2780 variant, 73% of them had prognostic significance for the survival of ovarian cancer patients. Taken together, our findings indicate that an increase in autophagic potency among ovarian cancer cells is crucial for selection of metastatic colonies in the abdominal microenvironment. In addition, the derived autophagic gene profile can not only predict prognosis well but can also be potentially applied to precision medicine for identifying those ovarian cancer patients suitable for taking anti–autophagy cancer drugs.

Post-oxidation was conducted for various times (0–8 min) in MgxZn1−xO/ZnO bi-layers and metal–semiconductor–metal photodetectors (MSM PDs) were fabricated. The effects of post-oxidation on the MgxZn1−xO/ZnO bi-layers and the optoelectronic characteristics of the MSM PDs were studied in detail. The leakage current of the MSM PDs decreased as post-oxidation time increased owing to the improvement of the crystal structure of the MgxZn1−xO/ZnO bi-layers. However, a long post-oxidation time (8 min) destroyed the crystal structure and raised the leakage current. After post-oxidation, the visible response of the MSM PDs was greatly reduced, therefore enhancing the ultraviolet (UV) (320 nm)/visible (500 nm) rejection ratio from 77 to 331 (approximately 4.3 times) for the MSM PDs with 5-min post-oxidation compared to the one without post-oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that, after post-oxidation, the introduced oxygen atoms compensated the oxygen-vacancy-related defects and that the thermal energy forced interstitial oxygen atoms (Oi) to fill in oxygen vacancies (OV). As a result, the number of lattice oxygen atoms (OL) increased, whereas the number of OV and Oi decreased. The improved crystal structure reduced the leakage current and enhanced the UV/visible rejection ratio. However, for a long post-oxidation time (8 min), the weakly-bonded oxygen atoms leaves the MgxZn1−xO surface, hence increasing the number of OV and decreasing that of OL. Increasing the number of defect degrades the performance of MSM PDs.

Background: Altered DNA methylation may be an intermediate phenotype between breast cancer risk factors and disease. Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. However, no studies to date have identified an epigenetic signature of mammographic density. We performed an epigenome-wide association study of mammographic density.Methods: White blood cell DNA methylation was measured for 385 postmenopausal women using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array. Differential methylation was assessed using genome-wide, probe-level, and regional analyses. We implemented a resampling-based approach to improve the stability of our findings.Results: On average, women with elevated mammographic density exhibited DNA hypermethylation within CpG islands and gene promoters compared to women with lower mammographic density. We identified 250 CpG sites for which DNA methylation was significantly associated with mammographic density. The top sites were located within genes associated with cancer, including HDLBP, TGFB2, CCT4, and PAX8, and were more likely to be located in regulatory regions of the genome. We also identified differential DNA methylation in 37 regions, including within the promoters of PAX8 and PF4, a gene involved in the regulation of angiogenesis. Overall, our results paint a picture of epigenetic dysregulation associated with mammographic density.Conclusion: Mammographic density is associated with differential DNA methylation throughout the genome, including within genes associated with cancer. Our results suggest the potential involvement of several genes in the biological mechanisms behind differences in breast density between women. Further studies are warranted to explore these potential mechanisms and potential links to breast cancer risk.

This article focuses on the educational quality of the newly emerged quasi-state schools for rural migrant children in urban China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 government officers, school leaders, teachers and migrant parents in Shanghai. Adopting a theoretical perspective of policy as a temporary settlement of interests, the article deconstructs the power relations that constructed the disadvantaged positionality of these schools in the local school system. What can be identified from the empirical data is the emergence of an “interim quasi-state school system” with three interrelated features: it belongs to the state sector, offers quasi-state education and has an interim nature. Under the local government’s low-cost and inferior schooling approach, the whole system is treated as an emergency mechanism for solving the floating children’s schooling problem, rather than as regular schools offering high quality education. While realising the children’s right to education, this system does not guarantee them a “good” education.

The mechanisms underlying plant tolerance to boron (B) excess are far from fully understood. Here we characterized the role of the miR397-CsiLAC4/CsiLAC17 (from Citrus sinensis) module in regulation of B flow. Live-cell imaging techniques were used in localization studies. A tobacco transient expression system tested modulations of CsiLAC4 and CsiLAC17 by miR397. Transgenic Arabidopsis were generated to analyze the biological functions of CsiLAC4 and CsiLAC17. CsiLAC4's role in xylem lignification was determined by mRNA hybridization and cytochemistry. In situ B distribution was analyzed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. CsiLAC4 and CsiLAC17 are predominantly localized in the apoplast of tobacco epidermal cells. Overexpression of CsiLAC4 in Arabidopsis improves the plants' tolerance to boric acid excess by triggering high-B-dependent lignification of the vascular system's cell wall and reducing free B content in roots and shoots. In Citrus, CsiLAC4 is expressed explicitly in the xylem parenchyma and is modulated by B-responsive miR397. Upregulation of CsiLAC4 in Citrus results in lignification of the xylem cell walls, restricting B flow from xylem vessels to the phloem. CsiLAC4 contributes to plant tolerance to boric acid excess via high-B-dependent lignification of cell walls, which set up a 'physical barrier' preventing B flow.

Little is known about the effects of pH-aluminum (Al) interactions on gene expression and/or metabolite profiles in plants. Eleven-week-old seedlings of Citrus sinensis were fertilized with nutrient solution at an Al level of 0 or 1 mM and a pH of 3.0 or 4.0 for 18 weeks. Increased pH mitigated Al-toxicity-induced accumulation of callose, an Al-sensitive marker. In this study, we identified more differentially expressed genes and differentially abundant metabolites in pH 4.0 + 1 mM Al-treated roots (P4AR) vs pH 4.0 + 0 mM Al-treated roots (P4R) than in pH 3.0 + 1 mM Al-treated roots (P3AR) vs pH 3.0 + 0 mM Al-treated roots (P3R), suggesting that increased pH enhanced root metabolic adaptations to Al-toxicity. Further analysis indicated that increased pH-mediated mitigation of root Al-toxicity might be related to several factors, including: enhanced capacity to maintain the homeostasis of phosphate and energy and the balance between generation and scavenging of reactive oxygen species and aldehydes; and elevated accumulation of secondary metabolites such as polyphenol, proanthocyanidins and phenolamides and adaptations of cell wall and plasma membrane to Al-toxicity.

Environmental factors have been linked to many diseases and health conditions, but reliable assessment of environmental exposures is challenging. Developing biomarkers of environmental exposures, rather than relying on self-report, will improve our ability to assess the association of such exposures with disease. Epigenetic markers, most notably DNA methylation, have been identified for some environmental exposures, but identification of markers for additional exposures is still needed. The rationale behind the Markers for Environmental Exposures (MEE) Study was to (1) identify biomarkers, especially epigenetic markers, of environmental exposures, such as pesticides, air/food/water contaminants, and industrial chemicals that are commonly encountered in the general population, and (2) support the study of potential relationships between environmental exposures and health and health-related factors. The MEE Study is a cross-sectional study with potential for record linkage and follow-up. The well-characterized cohort of 400 postmenopausal women has generated a repository of biospecimens, including blood, urine, and saliva samples. Paired data include an environmental exposures questionnaire, a breast health questionnaire, dietary recalls, and a food frequency questionnaire. This work describes the rationale, study design, and cohort characteristics of the MEE Study. In addition to our primary research goals, we hope that the data and biorepository generated by this study will serve as a resource for future studies and collaboration.

This present study examined excess copper (Cu) effects on seedling growth, leaf Cu concentration, gas exchange, and protein profiles identified by a two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) based mass spectrometry (MS) approach after Citrus sinensis and Citrus grandis seedlings were treated for six months with 0.5 (control), 200, 300, or 400 &mu, M CuCl2. Forty-one and 37 differentially abundant protein (DAP) spots were identified in Cu-treated C. grandis and C. sinensis leaves, respectively, including some novel DAPs that were not reported in leaves and/or roots. Most of these DAPs were identified only in C. grandis or C. sinensis leaves. More DAPs increased in abundances than DAPs decreased in abundances were observed in Cu-treated C. grandis leaves, but the opposite was true in Cu-treated C. sinensis leaves. Over 50% of DAPs were associated with photosynthesis, carbohydrate, and energy metabolism. Cu-toxicity-induced reduction in leaf CO2 assimilation might be caused by decreased abundances of proteins related to photosynthetic electron transport chain (PETC) and CO2 assimilation. Cu-effects on PETC were more pronounced in C. sinensis leaves than in C. grandis leaves. DAPs related to antioxidation and detoxification, protein folding and assembly (viz., chaperones and folding catalysts), and signal transduction might be involved in Citrus Cu-toxicity and Cu-tolerance.

Little is known about the physiological and molecular responses of leaves to aluminum (Al)-toxicity. Seedlings of Al-intolerant Citrus grandis and Al-tolerant Citrus sinensis were supplied daily with nutrient solution containing 0 mM (control) and 1.0 mM (Al-toxicity) AlCl3·6H2O for 18 weeks. We found that Al-treatment only decreased CO2 assimilation in C. grandis leaves, and that the Al-induced alterations of gene expression profiles were less in C. sinensis leaves than those in C. grandis leaves, indicating that C. sinensis seedlings were more tolerant to Al-toxicity than C. grandis ones. Al concentration was similar between Al-treated C. sinensis and C. grandis roots, but it was higher in Al-treated C. grandis stems and leaves than that in Al-treated C. sinensis stems and leaves. Al-treated C. sinensis seedlings accumulated relatively more Al in roots and transported relatively little Al to shoots. This might be responsible for the higher Al-tolerance of C. sinensis. Further analysis showed that the following several aspects might account for the higher Al-tolerance of C. sinensis, including: (a) Al-treated C. sinensis leaves had higher capacity to maintain the homeostasis of energy and phosphate, the stability of lipid composition and the integrity of cell wall than did Al-treated C. grandis leaves; (b) Al-triggered production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the other cytotoxic compounds was less in Al-treated C. sinensis leaves than that in Al-treated C. grandis leaves, because Al-toxicity decreased CO2 assimilation only in C. grandis leaves; accordingly, more upregulated genes involved in the detoxifications of ROS, aldehydes and methylglyoxal were identified in Al-treated C. grandis leaves; in addition, flavonoid concentration was increased only in Al-treated C. grandis leaves; (c) Al-treated C. sinensis leaves could keep a better balance between protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation than did Al-treated C. grandis leaves; and (d) both the equilibrium of hormones and hormone-mediated signal transduction were greatly disrupted in Al-treated C. grandis leaves, but less altered in Al-treated C. sinensis leaves. Finally, we discussed the differences in Al-responsive genes between Citrus roots and leaves.

Currently, exciplex has drawn a great deal of attention due to its potential for efficient electroluminescence and for use as a host. In this study, we used 4,4′,4"-Tris(carbazol-9-yl) triphenylamine (TCTA) and 1,3,5-Tri(m-pyridin-3-ylphenyl) benze nee (TmPyPB) to form an exciplex host, where Bis[2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridinato-C2,N](picolinato)iridium(III)(FIrpic) was used as the dopant to emit blue phosphorescent light. Additional FIrpic and Bis(1phenylisoquinoline) (acetylacetonate) iridium(III) emission layers were inserted in the proposed structure to investigate how the recombination area of carriers shifts with the increase of voltage. TCTA and non-doped FIrpic layers were then inserted in both sides of the emission layer to confine the carriers, and the thickness of the emission layer was also optimized to improve the current efficiency of the proposed devices. The efficiency of the devices was increased from 56 cd/A to 63.6 cd/A with the additional quantum well structure and an emission layer thickness of 15 nm. The current efficiency reported in this paper was fairly high as compared with other published data on blue-emission exciplex-based organic light-emitting diodes. In addition, the device with the quantum well structure exhibited purer blue-light emission, and the color temperature stability was also highly improved.