RESUMEN: Cada vez se presta más atención a la contaminación del aire en la salud respiratoria, particularmente, en relación con los días de neblina. En consecuencia la exposición al humo del cigarrillo aumenta la toxicidad de los contaminantes comunes del aire, lo que además aumenta la complejidad de las enfermedades respiratorias. Aunque existen varios mecanismos involucrados en las enfermedades respiratorias causadas o empeoradas por el tabaquismo, en las que el papel de las AQP en el pulmón respecto a la homeostasis de líquidos sigue siendo difícil de alcanzar. En este artículo, copiamos los modelos de rata basados en el generador de humo e investigamos los cambios morfológicos de la mucosa y las funciones relacionadas según el equilibrio del líquido de revestimiento de los alvéolos a través de la expresión de AQP. En comparación con el grupo normal, se detectó claramente un etiquetado débil de la abundancia de proteínas AQP1 y AQP5 en la parte correspondiente de los grupos de exposición al humo en comparación con el grupo control. Por lo tanto, se sugiere que la contribución de las AQP en el pulmón está disminuida, provocando así un equilibrio perturbado entre la homeostasis del líquido secretor y de reabsorción bajo el hábito de fumar cigarrillos.

SUMMARY: A great deal of attention of air pollution on respiratory health is increasing, particularly in relation to haze days. It is that exposure to cigarette smoke augments the toxicity of common air contaminants, thereby increasing the complexity of respiratory diseases. Although there are various mechanisms involved to respiratory diseases caused or worsen by cigarette smoking, in which the role of AQPs in the lung with regard to fluid homeostasis still remains elusive. In this paper, we copied the rat models based on smoke generator, and investigated the morphological changes of mucosa and related functions depending on the balance of lining liquid of alveoli via AQPs expression. Compared with normal group, weak labelling of AQP1 and AQP5 protein abundance were clearly detected in the corresponding part of smoke exposure groups compared with normal group. Hence, it is suggested that the contribution of AQPs in the lung is diminished, thereby causing perturbed balancing between resorptive and secretory fluid homeostasis under cigarette smoking.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the sex-specific association between hyperuricemia and the risk of hypertension and whether obesity mediates this association. METHODS: This study included 31,395 (47.0% women) adults without hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline who completed at least one follow-up annual examination between 2009 and 2016. Cox regression models were performed to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the effect of body mass index on the association between hyperuricemia and hypertension. RESULTS: During a median 2.9-year follow-up, hyperuricemia was significantly associated with a higher risk of hypertension (HR 1.15, 95%CI 1.07-1.24 for all participants; HR 1.12, 95%CI 1.03-1.22 for men; and HR 1.23, 95%CI 1.02-1.48 for women) after adjustment for potential confounders. Additional adjustment for body mass index attenuated this association (HR 1.09, 95%CI 1.08-1.10 for all participants; HR 1.07; 95%CI 0.98-1.16 for men; HR 1.18; 95%CI 0.96-1.44 for women). Mediation analysis showed that BMI partially mediated the relationship between hyperuricemia and incident hypertension (indirect effect HR 1.09, 95%CI 1.08-1.10; direct effect: HR 1.08, 95%CI 1.02-1.15). The percentage of the mediation effect was 53.2% (95%CI 37.9-84.5). CONCLUSION: Hyperuricemia is associated with a risk of hypertension in both sexes, and BMI partially mediates hyperuricemia-related incident hypertension.

ABSTRACT The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing and is related to sedentary lifestyles and obesity. Many studies were published on the effect of lifestyle interventions on glucose regulation and delay the onset of diabetes in adults with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or prediabetes. This study aimed to investigate the role of lifestyle interventions in individuals with IGT or prediabetes using a meta-analytic approach. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched from their inception up to January 2020 to select eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The weighted mean difference (WMD; for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-hour plasma glucose (2hPPG)) or relative risk (RR; for the risk of diabetes) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for pooled effect estimates using the random-effects model. Thirteen RCTs involving 3376 individuals with IGT or prediabetes were selected for this meta-analysis. The results showed that lifestyle interventions were associated with lower FPG (WMD: -0.14; 95% CI: -0.24 to -0.05 mmol/L; p=0.004) and 2hPPG (WMD: -0.66; 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.20 mmol/L; p=0.005) in adults with IGT or prediabetes. Moreover, the risk of diabetes was significantly reduced in individuals who received lifestyle interventions (RR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.60-0.95; p=0.015). Lifestyle interventions could help improve glucose dysregulation and prevent the progression of diabetes in adults with IGT or prediabetes. Further large-scale RCTs should be conducted to assess the effects of long-term lifestyle interventions on diabetic complications in adults with IGT or prediabetes.

Abstract AlCoCrFeNi alloys are widely studied due to the combination of high strength in a wide temperature range, good corrosion and wear resistance, but they typically present low ductility. Due to this limited ductility, traditional bulk fabrication processes that involve forming are difficult, and casting processes are also non-ideal due to pronounced segregation and coarse microstructure. Therefore, both the selective laser melting and the powder metallurgy are more promising routes for this alloy, both of these use powder as starting material. This work aimed to produce powder of Al20Co20Cr20Fe20Ni20 alloy by gas atomization and to perform its detailed characterization.The results show that the powder is mainly spherical, which resulted in good flowability. Most of the powder (62%) has a size smaller than 75µm, and microscopy analyses confirmed that a B2 dendritic microstructure was formed, with A2 cuboidal precipitates.

Abstract Since the grape skin and seed contain different phenolic substances, the proportion of the skin and seed will affect the wine mouthfeel during the wine making process. During the wine ageing, the interaction between flavanols with anthocyanins is an important reaction and considered linked to astringency. Hence, a major question is whether changing the skin-seed ratio will affect the polymerization of phenolic substances in wine, thus affecting the astringency of wine. To answer this, astringency of wine was studied by changing the content of grape skins and seeds by SDS-PAGE, fluorescence quenching and sensory taste. Besides, acetaldehyde-mediated condensation reaction between different flavan-3-ols and malvidin-3-glucoside were studied in model solution. The result showed that grape skins and seeds contribute differently to astringency sensation, mainly because of the difference in the type and content of flavanols and anthocyanins contained in them. In addition, acetaldehyde-induced flavan-3-ols: anthocyanin mixture presents a strong effect toward the interaction with BSA when compared to other phenolic combinations. Furthermore, it was observed that the protein-binding ability of the polyphenols in red wine has a strong correlation with the wine astringency intensity.

ABSTRACT Phosphorus deficiency can lead to serious reductions in crop yield and quality. Rapid and accurate determination of phosphorus stress status in vegetables is essential for ensuring the appropriate application of water and fertiliser, improving the yield and quality of vegetables, avoiding the waste of resources and serious non-point pollution source caused by the abuse of chemical fertilisers, and promoting green production and sustainability of facility agriculture. Chemical analysis and spectral or visual imaging methods for detection of phosphorus nutritional status are not conducive in facility production owing to their low accuracy and damage to plants. Owing to its penetration and fingerprint characteristics, terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) can distinguish differences in internal components caused by excess phosphorus nutrients and changes in nucleic acids, nuclear proteins, phospholipids, and other macromolecules; thus, it could potentially be used to evaluate the nutritional status of crops. In this study, an innovative THz-TDS-based method was used to detect the nutritional status of phosphorus in lettuce. Lettuce was grown with different phosphorus levels using soilless cultivation and different nutrient solutions. Based on the standard formula of Yamasaki nutrient solution, the phosphorus content in the nutrient solutions was reduced or increased by 20%, 60%, 100%, and 150%, and lettuce samples exposed to each of these phosphorus concentrations were collected. Terahertz spectra are highly sensitive to water; thus, the lettuce samples were freeze-dried to minimise the effect of water and maintain their original quality and bioactivity. The spectra of lettuce were recorded using a TS7400 THz-TDS system; noise and interference were eliminated via normalisation based on Savitzky-Golay smoothing. The correction and validation sets were divided using sample set partitioning based on the joint x-y distance (SPXY). The stability competitive adaptive reweighted algorithm, iterative retention information variable algorithm, and interval combination optimisation algorithm were used to select the terahertz characteristic wavelength, and the successive projection algorithm was then used for secondary optimisation. Finally, a THz-TDS model of lettuce phosphorus was established using the partial least squares method with five principal component variables. The coefficient of determination of the model reached 0.7005, and the root-mean-square error of the predictions was 0.003273, indicating that this method has a high prediction accuracy.

Abstract We studied the correlation between the soil microbial status and the crop yield or medicinal properties of Angelica s.. Soil from different counties of China were collected and used in this study. Readfq, SOAP denovo, MetaGeneMark, and DIAMOND Resistance Gene Identifier (RGI) software were used in the analysis. A total of 131,345 genes of high quality were obtained, with the number of genes in all samples ranging from 483-42,545 and the average length ranging from 354.88-523.47. The acidobacteria in the non-sterilized group were significantly increased by comparing with the sterilized group, while actinobacteria in the non-sterilized group were significantly reduced by comparing with the sterilized group. There was a strong correlation between the two groups of the planting group and the two groups of the non-planting group, while the correlation between the planting and non-planting group was very weak. There were significant differences in the soil microbial community structure between Min county and Yunnan, as well as significant differences between the dominant genera of Min county and Yunnan. In summary, our study showed that the soil microbial flora in different areas affected the characteristics of Angelica s. roots, while sterilized soil was not conducive to the growth of Angelica s.

Abstract Septin14 is an important spermatogenesis related gene involved in the pathogenesis of male infertility that has not been well studied. Here, full-length Septin14 cDNA of the Banna mini-pig inbred line (BMI) was cloned using the RACE method and expressed in pig kidney epithelial cells (PK15) and E. coli Rosetta (DE3) cells. Septin14 expression was identified in somatic tissues and testis in different developmental stages. The pig Septin14 CDS is 1,299 bp long, and encodes a peptide (or protein) of 432 amino acids (MW=50.4 kDa). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that pig Septin14 was highly evolutionarily conserved. Subcellular localization of GFP-tagged Septin14 fusion protein revealed that Septin14 was distributed throughout the testicular cells. Among 34 pig tissues, Septin14 mRNA was found specifically in testis and seminal vesicle. In six different postnatal developmental stages, the testicular level of Septin14 mRNA was barely detectable on day 2, while the highest level occurred on day 75. The spatiotemporal expression profile of Septin14, reported herein for the first time in pig, indicated that Septin14 might be involved in the division, development and apoptosis of germ cells. Furthermore, using a pET prokaryotic expression system, we expressed and isolated recombinant 67.9 kDa Septin14 protein.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Leptin (LEP) is a peptide hormone that acts via leptin receptor (LEPR) binding. Genetic evidence from different human populations has implicated LEP/LEPR in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease (CAD), and suggests that certain LEP/LEPR gene polymorphisms may increase the risk of CAD. The aim of this study was to assess two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LEP genes (rs2167270 and rs7799039) and two in LEPR genes (rs6588147, rs1137100) for association with CAD. METHODS: We enrolled 271 North Chinese Han CAD patients, and 113 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood, and the four SNPs were assessed using a MassArray system. RESULTS: The G allele frequency at rs2167270 was significantly higher among CAD cases than among controls. The AG genotype at rs7799039 was associated with a significantly decreased risk of CAD unlike the AA genotype used as the reference. The A allele was significantly associated with the CAD patient group. Interestingly, statistically significant differences in genotype and allele frequency at LEP rs2167270 and rs7799039 existed among females but not among males. CONCLUSIONS: The current study detected a significant association between genetic variations at LEP rs7799039 and rs2167270 and the risk of CAD in a north Chinese population, and revealed that LEP rs2167270 and rs7799039 gene polymorphisms might act as predisposing factors for CAD.

SUMMARY: One of the key functions of the hepatobiliary system is bile formation. Aquaporins (AQPs) are likely to play a role in water transport that is essential for appropriate hepatobiliary tract function. The increasing prevalence of fatty liver parallels the rise of obesity and its complications over the past several decades. In this paper, general morphology observation, histopathology and AQP1 immunohistochemical expression were observed in livers of the high-fat diet (HFD) rats. For the liver of HFD rats, immunolight microscopy revealed weak labeling of AQP1 on the surface of central veins and liver sinusoid compared with the normal diet (ND) rats. It was suggested that bile secreted by the liver of HFD rats was maybe abnormal, thereby causing abnormalities in the composition and secretion of bile. However, the deeper understanding of mechanisms involved to the fatty liver is still unclear, in particular AQPs in the liver of obesity, additional studies would be required to study the signalling cascades involved in these processes.

RESUMEN: Una de las funciones clave del sistema hepatobiliar es la formación de bilis. Es probable que las acuaporinas (AQP) desempeñen un papel en el transporte de agua que es esencial para la función apropiada del tracto hepatobiliar. En las últimas décadas, la creciente prevalencia de hígado graso es paralela al aumento de la obesidad y sus complicaciones. En este trabajo, se identificaron características morfológicas generales, histopatología y expresión inmunohistoquímica de AQP1 en hígados de ratas con dieta rica en grasas (DRG). En el hígado de ratas con DRG, la expresión inmunohistoquímica determinó un marcaje débil de AQP1 en la superficie de las venas centrales y del sinusoide hepático en comparación con las ratas de dieta normal (DN). Se sugirió que la bilis secretada por el hígado de ratas con DRG era tal vez anormal, lo que causaba anomalías en la composición y secreción de la bilis. Sin embargo, se necesita un conocimiento mayor de los mecanismos involucrados en el hígado graso, en particular de las AQP y se requieren estudios adicionales para determinar las cascadas de señalización involucradas en estos procesos.

SUMMARY: Recent evidence has indicated that adipose tissue produces bioactive substances that contribute to obesity-related kidney disease, altering the renal function and structure. Eight of the AQPs are expressed in the kidney, where several of them contribute to water absorption and maintenance of body water balance. In the study, we mainly examined the localization of AQP2, AQP3 and V2R in renal medulla of Normal Diet (ND) and High-fat Diet (HFD) of rats, respectively. In renal medulla of HFD, immunolight microscopy revealed weak expression of AQP2 at the apical plasma membrane and intracellular vesicles of principal cells of the IMCD and OMCD. AQP3 and V2R expression also observed a decrease in immunolabelling in the IMCD and OMCD. It was suggested that excess lipid accumulation may lead to lipotoxicity and may be the major driver of organ dysfunction such as water reabsorption dysfunction, which may be resulted from abnormal response of rphan G-protein-coupled receptors in kidney.

RESUMEN: La evidencia reciente ha indicado que el tejido adiposo produce sustancias bioactivas que contribuyen a la enfermedad renal relacionada con la obesidad, alterando la función y la estructura renal. Ocho de los AQP se expresan en el riñón, donde varios de ellos contribuyen a la absorción de agua y al mantenimiento del equilibrio hídrico corporal. En el estudio, examinamos principalmente la localización de AQP2, AQP3 y V2R en la médula renal de ratas con dieta normal (ND) y ratas con dieta alta en grasas (HFD). En la médula renal del grupo HFD, la microscopía electrónica de barrido reveló una expresión débil de AQP2 en la membrana plasmática apical y las vesículas intracelulares de las células principales de IMCD y OMCD. La expresión de AQP3 y V2R también observó una disminución en el inmunomarcador en IMCD y OMCD. Se sugiere que el exceso de acumulación de lípidos puede conducir a lipotoxicidad y ser el principal impulsor de la disfunción orgánica, como la disfunción de reabsorción de agua, que puede ser el resultado de la respuesta anormal de los receptores acoplados a proteína rphan G en el riñón.

SUMMARY: AQP1 plays an essential role in maintaining body water balance. In the kidney, AQP1 is localized to the apical and basolateral membrane of epithelial cells in the proximal tubule and descending thin limb of Ansa nephroni (Henle’s loop) where it reabsorbs the vast majority of filtered water. The growing epidemic of obesity and metabolic diseases particularly obesity-related kidney disease is getting more and more attention in this century. However, a full understanding of mechanisms involved to the progressive renal disease is still unclear, in particular AQPs in the kidney of obesity. In this paper, we examined the localization of AQP1 in renal cortex and medulla of ND (normal diet) and HFD (high-fat diet) at rats. In the renal cortex and medulla, immunolight microscopy revealed weak expression of AQP1 in the apical and basolateral membrane of epithelial cells at the proximal straight/convoluted tubule of HFD compared with ND, respectively. The same result was confirmed in the thick descending limb and descending thin limb of Henle’s loop. In the high-fat nutritional obesity of rats, decreased AQP1 levels may not directly cause serious obesity-related kidney disease, e.g. chronic kidney disease, even end-stage renal disease. But at least, AQPs (AQP1 in this study) was one of initially conditions to the incentive of obesity-related kidney disease.

RESUMEN: Las acuoporinas tipo 1 (AQP1) constituyen una parte esencial en el mantenimiento del equilibrio del agua en el cuerpo. En el riñón, la AQP1 se localiza en la membrana apical y basolateral de las células epiteliales, en el túbulo proximal y en el segmento descendente del Ansa nephroni o asa nefrónica (asa de Henle), donde reabsorbe la gran mayoría de agua filtrada. La creciente epidemia de obesidad y enfermedades metabólicas en el siglo actual, hacen que la enfermedad renal relacionada con la obesidad esté recibiendo cada vez más atención. Sin embargo, aún no existe un conocimiento definitivo de los mecanismos implicados en la enfermedad renal progresiva, en particular los relacionados a las acuoporinas renales en la obesidad. En este trabajo, examinamos la localización de AQP1 en la corteza y la médula renales de la dieta normal (DN) y dieta alta en grasa (DAG) en ratas. En la corteza y médula renales, la microscopía de luz reveló una expresión débil de AQP1 en la membrana apical y basolateral de las células epiteliales en el túbulo contorneado proximal del grupo DAG en comparación con el grupo DN, respectivamente. El mismo resultado se confirmó en la porción descendente gruesa y en la porción descendente delgada del asa nefrónica. En ratas del grupo DAG, la disminución de los niveles de AQP1 pudo no ser la causa directa de una enfermedad renal grave relacionada con obesidad, como por ejemplo, enfermedad renal crónica, o una enfermedad renal terminal. No obstante, en este estudio, la expresión renal de AQP1 constituyó una de las condiciones iniciales para inducir la enfermedad renal relacionada con obesidad.

Abstract Local administration of toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), agonist cytidine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODNs), and CD40 ligand (CD40L) can decrease ligature-induced periodontal inflammation and bone loss in wild type (WT) mouse. Objective: This study aimed to explore whether such effect is dependent on TLR9 signaling. Material and Methods: Purified spleen B cells isolated from WT C57BL/6J mice and TLR9 knockout (KO) mice were cultured for 48 hours under the following conditions: CD40L, CpG+CD40L, CpG at low, medium and high doses. We determined B cell numbers using a hemocytometer at 24 h and 48 h. Percentages of CD1dhiCD5+ B cells were detected by flow cytometry. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA expression and protein secretion were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and by ELISA, respectively. The silk ligature was tied around the maxillary second molars for 14 days, during which the CpG+CD40L mixture or PBS was injected into palatal gingiva on days 3, 6, and 9. Results: For both WT and TLR9 KO mice, CpG significantly induced B cell proliferation, increased IL-10 mRNA expression and protein secretion of IL-10 but reduced CD1dhiCD5+ B cells population; local injection of CpG+CD40L mixture significantly decreased alveolar bone loss and the number of TRAP-positive cells adjacent to the alveolar bone surface, and significantly increased the gingival mRNA expression of IL-10 and decreased RANKL and IFN-γ mRNA expression. Conclusions: These results indicated that CpG plus CD40L decreased periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss in a TLR9-independent manner in ligature-induced experimental periodontitis.

Mn-doped CeO2 flower-like microstructures have been synthesized by a facile one-step composite-hydroxide-mediated method. The structure, morphology, optical and the surface properties of Mn doped CeO2 have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XRD results confirmed the successful incorporation of Mn into the CeO2 lattice through the formation of face-centered cubic solid solution. The photocatalytic activities of the catalysts were evaluated by measuring the photodegradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB) under ultraviolet light irradiation. With an optimal molar ratio of 1% in Mn/CeO2 the highest rate photodegradation was achieved under the experimental conditions. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the incorporation of multivalent Mn in CeO2 promoted the separation of photogenerated charges, inhibited the recombination of photogenerated carriers, and thus prolonged the charges lifetime to participate in the photocatalytic reaction.

Abstract IL-10 expressing regulatory B cells (B10) play a key role in immune system balance by limiting excessive inflammatory responses. Effects of toll-like receptor signaling and co-stimulatory molecules on B10 activity during innate and adaptive immune responses are not fully understood. Objective This study is to determine the effects of P. gingivalis LPS and CpG on B10 cell expansion and IL-10 competency in vitro. Material and Methods Spleen B cells were isolated from C57BL/6J mice with or without formalin-fixed P. gingivalis immunization. B cells were cultured for 48 hours under the following conditions: CD40L, CD40L+LPS, CD40L+CpG, and CD40L+LPS+CpG in the presence or absence of fixed P. gingivalis. Percentages of CD1dhiCD5+ B cells were measured by flow cytometry. IL-10 mRNA expression and secreted IL-10 were measured by real-time quantitative PCR and by ELISA respectively. Results P. gingivalis LPS plus CD40L significantly increased CD1dhiCD5+ B cell percentages and secreted IL-10 levels in both immunized and non-immunized mice B cells in the presence or absence of P. gingivalis, compared with control group. Secreted IL-10 levels were significantly increased in CD40L+LPS treated group compared with CD40L treatment group in the absence of P. gingivalis. CpG plus CD40L significantly decreased CD1dhiCD5+ B cell percentages, but greatly elevated secreted IL-10 levels in immunized and non-immunized mice B cells in the absence of P. gingivalis, compared with CD40L treatment group. Conclusions P. gingivalis LPS and CpG differentially enhance IL-10 secretion and expansion of mouse B10 cells during innate and adaptive immune responses.