Inadequate invasion and excessive apoptosis of trophoblast cells are associated with the development of preeclampsia. Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women may lead to an increased risk of preeclampsia. However, the underlying mechanisms by which vitamin D is effective in preventing preeclampsia are not fully understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 3 (LAMP3) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation would protect against the development of preeclampsia by regulating LAMP3 expression. Firstly, the mRNA and protein levels of LAMP3 were significantly upregulated in the placentas of preeclampsia patients compared to normal placentas, especially in trophoblast cells (a key component of the human placenta). In the hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-exposed HTR-8/Svneo trophoblast cells, LAMP3 expression was also upregulated. H/R exposure repressed cell viability and invasion and increased apoptosis of trophoblast cells. siRNA-mediated knockdown of LAMP3 increased cell viability and invasion and suppressed apoptosis of H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. We further found that 1,25(OH)2D3 (the hormonally active form of vitamin D) treatment reduced LAMP3 expression in H/R exposed trophoblast cells. In addition, 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment promoted cell viability and invasion and inhibited apoptosis of H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. Notably, overexpression of LAMP3 abrogated the protective effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. Collectively, we demonstrated trophoblast cytoprotection by vitamin D, a process mediated via LAMP3.

Abstract Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents the most common type of sustained cardiac arrhythmia in humans and confers a significantly increased risk for thromboembolic stroke, congestive heart failure and premature death. Aggregating evidence emphasizes the predominant genetic defects underpinning AF and an increasing number of deleterious variations in more than 50 genes have been involved in the pathogenesis of AF. Nevertheless, the genetic basis underlying AF remains incompletely understood. In the current research, by whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing analysis in a family with autosomal-dominant AF and congenital patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a novel heterozygous variation in the PRRX1 gene encoding a homeobox transcription factor critical for cardiovascular development, NM_022716.4:c.373G>T;p.(Glu125*), was identified to be in co-segregation with AF and PDA in the whole family. The truncating variation was not detected in 306 unrelated healthy individuals employed as controls. Quantitative biological measurements with a reporter gene analysis system revealed that the Glu125*-mutant PRRX1 protein failed to transactivate its downstream target genes SHOX2 and ISL1, two genes that have been causally linked to AF. Conclusively, the present study firstly links PRRX1 loss-of-function variation to AF and PDA, suggesting that AF and PDA share a common abnormal developmental basis in a proportion of cases.

Abstract Pea sprouts are derived from sprouted peas and are popular for their high vitamin C and flavonoid content, as well as their rapid growth and ease of production. Enhancing its nutritional value with simple treatments is worth exploring, In the present study, we applied supplemental UV irradiation to pea sprouts and examined various components such as vitamin C and flavonoid substances in the treated pea sprouts. Meanwhile, to investigate the mechanism of action of UV irradiation on pea sprouts, we performed high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to probe the genome-wide expression profile of pea sprouts under UV irradiation, generating 41.90 Gb of Clean Data, the results were also validated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the raw data of sequencing were submitted to the SRA repository. Further transcriptome analysis showed that UV irradiation significantly affected the expression of genes in metabolic pathways, especially those of some key enzymes that affect substance metabolism.

Abstract Time-Temperature Tolerance (TTT) is an efficient and intuitive method of shelf-life prediction or logistics stability evaluation, but specific for frozen foods, while other thermal kinetic models for chemical reactions and microbial growth are complicated for users and widely used in common foods. In this paper, one common law deduced from TTT theory is that the equivalent conversion ratio (ECR) of the elapsed times for one isothermal interval between different temperatures is only related to the temperatures and equal to the ratio of corresponding shelf-lives. The law was demonstrated by 1-order chemical kinetic model and Gompertz model for chemical reaction and microbial growth. Besides, Crimson seedless fresh grape and Mackerel also proved the constancy of the ECRs between fixed temperatures. With the corresponding ECRs of key quality indicator among relevant temperatures, effect of any time-temperature history can be accumulated into one isothermal one equivalently and the remaining shelf life would be easily predicted, which is the theory of TTT. As a results, the quality following the chemical reaction and microbial growth obey the TTT theory, and the TTT theory can be used to predict the shelf-lives of most foods with developed time-temperature monitoring technologies.

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence and analysis of Chaihu plus Longgu oyster decoction combined with five-elements music therapy on inflammatory factors and depression in patients with postoperative reflux cholangitis of cholangiocarcinoma. 90 patients with reflux cholangitis and mild to moderate depression after cholangiocarcinoma surgery were selected and were randomly divided into control and treatment groups. Control group was treated with antibiotics and antidepressant drugs, and treatment group was given Chaihu plus Longgu oyster decoction plus five-elements music therapy based on antibiotics. After treatment, the improvement of the main clinical symptoms, the serum IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, CRP levels, and Hamilton Depression Scale evaluation of depression were analyzed. Follow up for 12 months, analyze the recurrence of the two groups of patients. The levels of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-αand CRP in the treatment group were significantly lower than in the control group. The scores of the main clinical symptoms and the efficacy of relieving depression in the treatment group were better. Therefore, Chaihu plus Longgu oyster decoction combined with five-elements music therapy can reduce the release of serum IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α and CRP inflammatory factors, improve fever, jaundice, abdominal pain and other symptoms, and reduce the degree of depression and the recurrence after treatment.

O objetivo do texto foi analisar a tendência a longo prazo da carga da doença devida a câncer de pulmão atribuível à poluição atmosférica domiciliar na população feminina chinesa de 1990 a 2019 e fazer previsões para a próxima década. Com base nos dados da Carga Global de Doenças 2019 (GBD 2019), o modelo de regressão joinpoint foi utilizado para refletir a tendência temporal da carga da doença devida a câncer de pulmão atribuível à poluição atmosférica domiciliar e um modelo autorregressivo de média móvel integrada (ARIMA), para prevê-la na próxima década. Entre 1990 e 2019, as taxas de mortalidade padronizada por idade e esperança de vida corrigida pela incapacidade (DALYs) da população feminina chinesa foram maiores do que as taxas globais e a diferença devido à exposição residencial a radônio aumentou ao longo do tempo. A carga da doença atribuível a combustíveis sólidos mostrou uma tendência significativa à queda, enquanto aquela devida à exposição residencial a radônio aumentou ligeiramente no geral, mas permanece menor que a primeira. A carga da doença aumentou com a idade, e a idade máxima das taxas de DALYs passou de 70 < 75 anos em 1990 para 75 < 80 anos em 2019. Nosso modelo previu que a carga da doença atribuível aos combustíveis sólidos diminuirá gradualmente na próxima década, enquanto a carga da doença devida ao radônio aumentará paulatinamente e superará a carga devida aos combustíveis sólidos em 2023. A exposição residencial ao radônio se tornará um fator mais importante à poluição atmosférica domiciliar para a população feminina chinesa do que os combustíveis sólidos na próxima década. Futuras intervenções direcionadas à poluição atmosférica domiciliar são necessárias para reduzir a carga do câncer de pulmão.

This study analyzes the long-term trend of the burden of lung cancer attributable to household air pollution in the Chinese female population, from 1990 to 2019, and make predictions for the next decade. Based the data from the 2019 Global Burden of Diseases (GBD 2019), the joinpoint regression model was used to reflect the temporal trend of the burden of lung cancer attributable to household air pollution, and an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used to predict the burden of disease over the next decade. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates of the Chinese female population were higher than the global rates, and the gap due to residential radon increased over time. The burden of lung cancer attributable to solid fuels has shown a significant downward trend while that due to residential radon has increased slightly overall, but remains lower than the former. The burden of lung cancer increased with age, and the peak age of DALYs rates changed from 70 < 75 years in 1990 to 75 < 80 years in 2019. The model predicted that the burden of lung cancer attributable to solid fuels will gradually decrease over the next decade, whereas the burden of lung cancer due to residential radon will gradually increase and surpass the burden due to solid fuels in 2023. Residential radon will become a more important factor of household air pollution than solid fuels in the next decade for the Chinese female population. Future interventions targeted at household air pollution are needed to reduce the burden of lung cancer.

El objetivo fue analizar la tendencia a largo plazo de la carga de morbilidad del cáncer de pulmón atribuible a la contaminación del aire doméstico en la población femenina china de 1990 a 2019 y hacer predicciones para la próxima década. Según los datos de la Carga Global de Enfermedad de 2019 (GBD 2019), se utilizó el modelo de regresión joinpoint para reflejar la tendencia temporal de la carga de morbilidad pulmonar atribuible a la contaminación del aire doméstico y un modelo autorregresivo integrado de media móvil (ARIMA) para predecir la carga de morbilidad durante la próxima década. De 1990 a 2019, las tasas de mortalidad estandarizadas por edad y años de vida ajustados por discapacidad (AVAD) de la población femenina china fueron más altas que las tasas mundiales, y la brecha debida al radón residencial aumentó con el tiempo. La carga de morbilidad atribuible a los combustibles sólidos mostró una significativa tendencia decreciente, mientras que la del radón residencial aumentó ligeramente, pero en niveles inferiores a la anterior. La carga de morbilidad aumentó con la edad, y las tasas de edad máxima de AVAD cambiaron de 70 < 75 años en 1990 a 75 < 80 años en 2019. El modelo predijo que la carga de morbilidad atribuible a los combustibles sólidos disminuirá gradualmente durante la próxima década, mientras que la carga de morbilidad por radón residencial aumentará gradualmente y superará la carga debida a los combustibles sólidos en 2023. El radón residencial se convertirá en un factor más importante de contaminación del aire doméstico que los combustibles sólidos en la próxima década para la población femenina china. Se necesitan intervenciones futuras dirigidas a la contaminación del aire doméstico para reducir la carga del cáncer de pulmón.

This study analyzes the long-term trend of the burden of lung cancer attributable to household air pollution in the Chinese female population, from 1990 to 2019, and make predictions for the next decade. Based the data from the 2019 Global Burden of Diseases (GBD 2019), the joinpoint regression model was used to reflect the temporal trend of the burden of lung cancer attributable to household air pollution, and an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was used to predict the burden of disease over the next decade. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates of the Chinese female population were higher than the global rates, and the gap due to residential radon increased over time. The burden of lung cancer attributable to solid fuels has shown a significant downward trend while that due to residential radon has increased slightly overall, but remains lower than the former. The burden of lung cancer increased with age, and the peak age of DALYs rates changed from 70 < 75 years in 1990 to 75 < 80 years in 2019. The model predicted that the burden of lung cancer attributable to solid fuels will gradually decrease over the next decade, whereas the burden of lung cancer due to residential radon will gradually increase and surpass the burden due to solid fuels in 2023. Residential radon will become a more important factor of household air pollution than solid fuels in the next decade for the Chinese female population. Future interventions targeted at household air pollution are needed to reduce the burden of lung cancer.

O objetivo do texto foi analisar a tendência a longo prazo da carga da doença devida a câncer de pulmão atribuível à poluição atmosférica domiciliar na população feminina chinesa de 1990 a 2019 e fazer previsões para a próxima década. Com base nos dados da Carga Global de Doenças 2019 (GBD 2019), o modelo de regressão joinpoint foi utilizado para refletir a tendência temporal da carga da doença devida a câncer de pulmão atribuível à poluição atmosférica domiciliar e um modelo autorregressivo de média móvel integrada (ARIMA), para prevê-la na próxima década. Entre 1990 e 2019, as taxas de mortalidade padronizada por idade e esperança de vida corrigida pela incapacidade (DALYs) da população feminina chinesa foram maiores do que as taxas globais e a diferença devido à exposição residencial a radônio aumentou ao longo do tempo. A carga da doença atribuível a combustíveis sólidos mostrou uma tendência significativa à queda, enquanto aquela devida à exposição residencial a radônio aumentou ligeiramente no geral, mas permanece menor que a primeira. A carga da doença aumentou com a idade, e a idade máxima das taxas de DALYs passou de 70 < 75 anos em 1990 para 75 < 80 anos em 2019. Nosso modelo previu que a carga da doença atribuível aos combustíveis sólidos diminuirá gradualmente na próxima década, enquanto a carga da doença devida ao radônio aumentará paulatinamente e superará a carga devida aos combustíveis sólidos em 2023. A exposição residencial ao radônio se tornará um fator mais importante à poluição atmosférica domiciliar para a população feminina chinesa do que os combustíveis sólidos na próxima década. Futuras intervenções direcionadas à poluição atmosférica domiciliar são necessárias para reduzir a carga do câncer de pulmão.

El objetivo fue analizar la tendencia a largo plazo de la carga de morbilidad del cáncer de pulmón atribuible a la contaminación del aire doméstico en la población femenina china de 1990 a 2019 y hacer predicciones para la próxima década. Según los datos de la Carga Global de Enfermedad de 2019 (GBD 2019), se utilizó el modelo de regresión joinpoint para reflejar la tendencia temporal de la carga de morbilidad pulmonar atribuible a la contaminación del aire doméstico y un modelo autorregresivo integrado de media móvil (ARIMA) para predecir la carga de morbilidad durante la próxima década. De 1990 a 2019, las tasas de mortalidad estandarizadas por edad y años de vida ajustados por discapacidad (AVAD) de la población femenina china fueron más altas que las tasas mundiales, y la brecha debida al radón residencial aumentó con el tiempo. La carga de morbilidad atribuible a los combustibles sólidos mostró una significativa tendencia decreciente, mientras que la del radón residencial aumentó ligeramente, pero en niveles inferiores a la anterior. La carga de morbilidad aumentó con la edad, y las tasas de edad máxima de AVAD cambiaron de 70 < 75 años en 1990 a 75 < 80 años en 2019. El modelo predijo que la carga de morbilidad atribuible a los combustibles sólidos disminuirá gradualmente durante la próxima década, mientras que la carga de morbilidad por radón residencial aumentará gradualmente y superará la carga debida a los combustibles sólidos en 2023. El radón residencial se convertirá en un factor más importante de contaminación del aire doméstico que los combustibles sólidos en la próxima década para la población femenina china. Se necesitan intervenciones futuras dirigidas a la contaminación del aire doméstico para reducir la carga del cáncer de pulmón.

ABSTRACT Objective There is currently no consensus regarding the optimal management of acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) secondary to pyriform sinus fistula (PSF). To investigate the benefits and adverse events of aspiration with or without lavage for the treatment of AST secondary to PSF. Subjects and methods This was a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with AST secondary to PSF who were admitted at the Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between August 2012 and December 2018. Clinical information, procedural data, and imaging data were analyzed. Results Seven patients (five women; mean age, 16.9 ± 6.3 years; range, 8-26 years) were included. The patients most presented with anterior neck pain and swelling (n = 7), fever (n = 7), or odynophagia (n = 5). Six cases of AST occurred on the left side of the thyroid and 1 on the right. All patients had thyroid abscess. AST was diagnosed by ultrasound-guided needle aspiration cytology in all cases. PSF was diagnosed during the inflammatory stage in five patients and during the quiescent stage in two. All patients were treated with empiric antibiotics. Needle aspiration without lavage was performed in three cases. Needle aspiration with lavage was performed in four cases. Repeat aspiration was performed in three cases. All patients recovered completely, with no procedure-related complications. During 18.3 ± 7.8 months of follow-up, AST recurred in one case. Excision of the PSF was performed in another case. Conclusion Ultrasound-guided aspiration with or without lavage had a good treatment effect and without adverse events for the management of AST secondary to PSF.

Abstract TBX5 has been linked to Holt-Oram syndrome, with congenital heart defect (CHD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) being two major cardiac phenotypes. However, the prevalence of a TBX5 variation in patients with CHD and AF remains obscure. In this research, by sequencing analysis of TBX5 in 178 index patients with both CHD and AF, a novel heterozygous variation, NM_000192.3: c.577G>T; p.(Gly193*), was identified in one index patient with CHD and AF as well as bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), with an allele frequency of approximately 0.28%. Genetic analysis of the proband’s pedigree showed that the variation co-segregated with the diseases. The pathogenic variation was not detected in 292 unrelated healthy subjects. Functional analysis by using a dual-luciferase reporter assay system showed that the Gly193*-mutant TBX5 protein failed to transcriptionally activate its target genes MYH6 and NPPA. Moreover, the mutation nullified the synergistic transactivation between TBX5 and GATA4 as well as NKX2-5. Additionally, whole-exome sequencing analysis showed no other genes contributing to the diseases. This investigation firstly links a pathogenic variant in the TBX5 gene to familial CHD and AF as well as BAV, suggesting that CHD and AF as well as BAV share a common developmental basis in a subset of patients.

Different activated carbons and manganese-modified activated carbons were prepared as deoxidizers for the low-concentration coalbed methane deoxidation. The results show that the deoxidation performance of the different activated carbons is affected by raw materials for preparation of deoxidizers. One type of activated carbon exhibited the best performance of oxygen removal, due to the relatively low ash content and better adsorption performance. Experimental results show that the manganese-modified deoxidizers exhibit an excellent deoxidation efficiency at low temperature. At 200 ºC, one kind of manganese-modified activated carbons decreased the oxygen content to less than 1 vol%, which could maintain about 600 min. This indicated that the addition of manganese greatly improved the reactivity of oxygen with activated carbon. Characterization results demonstrated that the physical structure and species types of oxygen of activated carbons, and manganese have important effects on the activity of deoxidizers in different temperature ranges.

The Ruanjian Sanjie Decoction (RSD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation consisting of Spica Prunellae, Pseudobulbus Cremastrae Seu Pleiones, Concha Ostreae and Semen Coicis, and widely used as an adjuvant in anti-cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of RSD on the extracellular matrix (ECM) of tumors, and on the efficacy of anti-cancer nano-formulations in a tumor-bearing mouse model. The mice were treated with triptolide encapsulated in PEG-modified liposomes (TP-PEG-LPs), either alone or in combination with RSD. The combination treatment significantly retarded tumor growth relative to the untreated controls, indicating the potent adjuvant effect of RSD in targeted anti-cancer therapy. In addition, RSD also reduced the amount of total collagen and collagen I and increased that of collagen III in the tumor ECM, along with decreasing the expression of the pro-angiogenic VEGF. Finally, even high doses of RSD did not significantly affect the liver and kidney function or body weight, indicating low toxicity.

Abstract The aim of this paper is to identify and investigate an endophytic fungus (strain 28) that was isolated from Houttuynia cordata Thunb, a famous and widely-used Traditional Chinese Medicine. Based on morphological methods and a phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequences, this strain was identified as Chaetomium globosum. An antifungal activity bioassay demonstrated that the crude ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts of strain 28 had a wide antifungal spectrum and strong antimicrobial activity, particularly against Exserohilum turcicum (Pass.) Leonard et Suggs, Botrytis cinerea persoon and Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Fr. Furthermore, the fermentation conditions, extraction method and the heat stability of antifungal substances from strain 28 were also studied. The results showed that optimal antifungal activity can be obtained with the following parameters: using potato dextrose broth (PDB) as the base culture medium, fermentation for 4–8 d (initial pH: 7.5), followed by extraction with EtOAc. The extract was stable at temperatures up to 80 °C. This is the first report on the isolation of endophytic C. globosum from H. cordata to identify potential alternative biocontrol agents that could provide new opportunities for practical applications involving H. cordata.

Background Cysteine proteinase inhibitor (cystatin, CPI) is one of the most important molecules involved in plant development and defense, especially in the regulation of stress responses. However, it is still unclear whether the Jatropha curcas CPI (JcCPI) gene functions in salinity response and tolerance. In this study, the sequence of the JcCPI gene, its expression pattern, and the effects of overexpression in Escherichia coli and Nicotiana benthamiana were examined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the regulatory role of JcCPI in salinity stress tolerance. Results The CPI gene, designated JcCPI, was cloned from J. curcas; its sequence shared conserved domains with other plant cystatins. Based on a transcription pattern analysis, JcCPI was expressed in all tissues examined, but its expression was highest in the petiole. Additionally, the expression of JcCPI was induced by salinity stress. A potential role of JcCPI was detected in transgenic E. coli, which exhibited strong CPI activity and high salinity tolerance. JcCPI was also transferred to tobacco plants. In comparison to wild-type plants, transgenic plants expressing JcCPI exhibited increased salinity resistance, better growth performance, lower malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, higher anti-oxidase activity, and higher cell viability under salinity stress. Conclusions Based on the results of this study, overexpression of JcCPI in E. coli and N. benthamiana conferred salinity stress tolerance by blocking cysteine proteinase activity. The JcCPI gene cloned in this study will be very useful for the development of stress-tolerant crops.

Background Triterpenoids are multifunctional secondary metabolites in plants. But little information is available concerning the actual yield, optimal extraction method and pharmacologic activity with regard to triterpenoids from Jatropha curcas leaves (TJL). Hence, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction parameters. The effects of three independent variables, namely liquid-to-solid ratio, ethanol concentration and extraction time on TJL yield were investigated. TJL obtained by silica column chromatography was tested against bacterial and fungal species relevant to oral disease and wounds through broth microdilution. Antioxidant activity was assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assays. Results A second order polynomial model produced a satisfactory fitting of the experimental data with regard to TJL yield (R2 = 0.983, P < 0.01). The optimum extraction conditions were 16 mL/g (liquid-to-solid ratio), 70% (ethanol concentration) and 50 min (extraction time). Predicted values agreed well with the experimental values. TJL had extraordinarily strong antibacterial and antifungal activities (24.42 µg/mL < MIC < 195.31 µg/mL) against all the tested human pathogens except Bacteroides vulgatus (390.62 µg/mL) and Bacteroides stercoris (781.25 µg/mL). The DPPH and ABTS assays revealed a moderate antioxidant activity of TJL compared with ascorbic acid. Conclusion These results provided reliable scientific basis for further investigation of triterpenoids from J. curcas.

Background Jatropha curcas is a rich reservoir of pharmaceutically active terpenoids. More than 25 terpenoids have been isolated from this plant, and their activities are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-cancer, insecticidal, rodenticidal, cytotoxic and molluscicidal. But not much is known about the pathway involved in the biosynthesis of terpenoids. The present investigation describes the cloning, characterization and subcellular localization of isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI) gene from J. curcas. IPI is one of the rate limiting enzymes in the biosynthesis of terpenoids, catalyzing the crucial interconversion of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). Results A full-length JcIPI cDNA consisting of 1355 bp was cloned. It encoded a protein of 305 amino acids. Analysis of deduced amino acid sequence predicted the presence of conserved active sites, metal binding sites and the NUDIX motif, which were consistent with other IPIs. Phylogenetic analysis indicated a significant evolutionary relatedness with Ricinus communis. Southern blot analysis showed the presence of an IPI multigene family in J. curcas. Comparative expression analysis of tissue specific JcIPI demonstrated the highest transcript level in flowers. Abiotic factors could induce the expression of JcIPI. Subcellular distribution showed that JcIPI was localized in chloroplasts. Conclusion This is the first report of cloning and characterization of IPI from J. curcas. Our study will be of significant interest to understanding the regulatory role of IPI in the biosynthesis of terpenoids, although its function still needs further confirmation.