Inhibition Effect of Triglyceride Accumulation by Large Yellow Croaker Roe DHA-PC in HepG2 Cells.

peer-reviewedThe phospholipids (PLs) of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea, P. crocea) roe contain a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which can lower blood lipid levels. In previous research, PLs of P. crocea roe were found able to regulate the accumulation of triglycerides. However, none of these involve the function of DHA-containing phosphatidylcholine (DHA-PC), which is the main component of PLs derived from P. crocea roe. The function by which DHA-PC from P. crocea roe exerts its effects has not yet been clarified. Herein, we used purified DHA-PC and oleic acid (OA) induced HepG2 cells to establish a high-fat model, and the cell activity and intracellular lipid levels were then measured. The mRNA and protein expression of Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS), Carnitine Palmitoyl Transferase 1A (CPT1A) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor α (PPARα) in HepG2 cells were detected via RT-qPCR and western blot as well. It was found that DHA-PC can significantly regulate triglyceride accumulation in HepG2 cells, the effect of which was related to the activation of PPARα receptor activity, upregulation of CPT1A, and downregulation of FAS expression. These results can improve the understanding of the biofunction of hyperlipidemia mediated by DHA-PC from P. crocea roe, as well as provide a theoretical basis for the utilization of DHA-PC from P. crocea roe as a functional food additive

The effect of visual attention process and thinking styles on environmental aesthetic preference: An eye-tracking study

People often form different aesthetic preferences for natural and built environments, which affects their behavioral intention; however, it remains unknown whether this difference in aesthetic preference is due to differences in thinking styles. However, whether tourists’ aesthetic preferences differ when using different visual attention processes has not been studied further. This study used eye-tracking and self-reporting to investigate these questions. The results show that natural environment images are more favored visually because they can evoke in tourists larger pupil diameters and longer scan paths, but we found no significant difference in fixation duration and fixation counts. We also found that the scanning path of tourists who predominantly rely on intuitive thinking is modulated by the bottom-up attention process, while the scanning path of tourists who prefer rational thinking is modulated by the top-down attention process. In the bottom-up process, tourists who prefer rational thinking exhibit more positive aesthetic preferences and emotional arousal. In summary, the present study verified that aesthetic preference is more likely to be influenced by both thinking style and visual attention processing. The results of the present work provide preliminary evidence that the aesthetic preference of the environment is not only related to visual attention but also affected by the individual visual attention process and thinking style

Long-term exposure to PM2.5 and fasting plasma glucose in non-diabetic adolescents in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Background: Indonesia is facing serious air pollution. However, very few studies have been conducted to examine the health risks of air pollution in Indonesia, particularly for adolescents. Objective: To assess the association between long-term exposure to ambient particles with a diameter of <2.5 mm (PM2.5) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 482 adolescents aged 14e18 years in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2016. We finally included 469 (97.30%) participants who had no missing data for data analysis. We collected individual data on socio-demographics, behavioral habits, and health information through standardized questionnaires. Satellite-based PM2.5 concentrations from 2013 to 2016 were assigned based on participants’ residential addresses. The association between PM2.5 and FPG was examined using a generalized linear regression model while FPG was modeled as a continuous variable. An ordered logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between PM2.5 and FPG categories. Results: Every 1 mg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 0.34 mg/dL [95 confidence interval (95% CI): 0.08 mg/dL, 0.59 mg/dL] increase in FPG levels. Comparing with the low FPG level (under 86 mg/dL), every 1 mg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 10.20% (95% CI: 1.60%, 19.80%) increase in the odds of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (100e125 mg/dL). Stratified analyses indicated greater effects on participants with hypertension [odds ratio (OR) ¼ 1.30, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.57] and those had higher physical activities (OR ¼ 1.36, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.57). Adolescents’ sex, obesity status and different cutoff points of FPG did not modify the association between the exposure to PM2.5 and FPG levels. Conclusion: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with increased FPG levels in Indonesian nondiabetic adolescents.Wenhua Yu, Dian Caturini Sulistyoningrum, Danijela Gasevic, Rongbin Xu, Madarina Julia, Indah Kartika Murni, Zhuying Chen, Peng Lu, Yuming Guo, Shanshan L

Light-responsive expression atlas reveals the effects of light quality and intensity in Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi, a plant with crassulacean acid metabolism.

BackgroundCrassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), a specialized mode of photosynthesis, enables plant adaptation to water-limited environments and improves photosynthetic efficiency via an inorganic carbon-concentrating mechanism. Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi is an obligate CAM model featuring a relatively small genome and easy stable transformation. However, the molecular responses to light quality and intensity in CAM plants remain understudied.ResultsHere we present a genome-wide expression atlas of K. fedtschenkoi plants grown under 12&nbsp;h/12&nbsp;h photoperiod with different light quality (blue, red, far-red, white light) and intensity (0, 150, 440, and 1,000 μmol m-2 s-1) based on RNA sequencing performed for mature leaf samples collected at dawn (2 h before the light period) and dusk (2 h before the dark period). An eFP web browser was created for easy access of the gene expression data. Based on the expression atlas, we constructed a light-responsive co-expression network to reveal the potential regulatory relationships in K. fedtschenkoi. Measurements of leaf titratable acidity, soluble sugar, and starch turnover provided metabolic indicators of the magnitude of CAM under the different light treatments and were used to provide biological context for the expression dataset. Furthermore, CAM-related subnetworks were highlighted to showcase genes relevant to CAM pathway, circadian clock, and stomatal movement. In comparison with white light, monochrome blue/red/far-red light treatments repressed the expression of several CAM-related genes at dusk, along with a major reduction in acid accumulation. Increasing light intensity from an intermediate level (440 μmol m-2 s-1) of white light to a high light treatment (1,000 μmol m-2 s-1) increased expression of several genes involved in dark CO2 fixation and malate transport at dawn, along with an increase in organic acid accumulation.ConclusionsThis study provides a useful genomics resource for investigating the molecular mechanism underlying the light regulation of physiology and metabolism in CAM plants. Our results support the hypothesis that both light intensity and light quality can modulate the CAM pathway through regulation of CAM-related genes in K. fedtschenkoi

Effects of Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction on Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Current opinions about the effect of intensive blood pressure (BP) reduction for acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intensive BP reduction for acute ICH by analyzing data from several recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). There were six eligible studies that met the inclusion criteria, for a total of 4,385 acute ICH patients in this meta-analysis. After analyzing these data, we found differences between intensive and standard BP lowering treatment groups in total mortality rates, unfavorable outcomes, hematoma expansion, neurologic deterioration, and severe hypotension were not significant. Moreover, compared with the standard treatment, the rate of renal adverse event in intensive treatment group was significantly higher. The intensive treatment approach was recommended in the following situations: (1) longer prehospital duration; (2) lower National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score; (3) no hypertension history

Promoting Cardiac Repair through Simple Engineering of Nanoparticles with Exclusive Targeting Capability toward Myocardial Reperfusion Injury by Thermal Resistant Microfluidic Platform

Nanoparticle (NP)-based intravenous administration represents the most convenient cardiac targeting delivery routine, yet, there are still therapeutic issues due to the lack of targeting efficiency and specificity. Active targeting methods using functionalization of ligands onto the NPs' surface may be limited by trivial modification procedures and reduced targeting yield in vivo. Here, a microfluidics assisted single step, green synthesis method is introduced for producing targeting ligands free heart homing NPs in a tailored manner. The generated beta-glucan-based NPs exhibit precise and efficient targeting capability toward Dectin-1(+) monocytes/macrophages, which are confirmed as main pathogenesis mediators for cardiac ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury, with a sequentially enhanced cardiac NP accumulation, and this targeting strategy is exclusively suitable for cardiac I/R but not for other cardiovascular diseases, as confirmed both in murine and human model. Comparing to FDA-approved nano-micelles formulation, beta-glucan NPs loaded with NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome inhibitor (CY-09) exhibit better efficiency in ameliorating myocardial injury and heart failure induced by surgically induced I/R. These findings indicate a simple production of targeting-ligand free NPs, and demonstrate their potential therapeutic applications for preclinical I/R-induced cardiac injury amelioration.Peer reviewe

Promoting Cardiac Repair through Simple Engineering of Nanoparticles with Exclusive Targeting Capability toward Myocardial Reperfusion Injury by Thermal Resistant Microfluidic Platform

Nanoparticle (NP)-based intravenous administration represents the most convenient cardiac targeting delivery routine, yet, there are still therapeutic issues due to the lack of targeting efficiency and specificity. Active targeting methods using functionalization of ligands onto the NPs' surface may be limited by trivial modification procedures and reduced targeting yield in vivo. Here, a microfluidics assisted single step, green synthesis method is introduced for producing targeting ligands free heart homing NPs in a tailored manner. The generated beta-glucan-based NPs exhibit precise and efficient targeting capability toward Dectin-1(+) monocytes/macrophages, which are confirmed as main pathogenesis mediators for cardiac ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury, with a sequentially enhanced cardiac NP accumulation, and this targeting strategy is exclusively suitable for cardiac I/R but not for other cardiovascular diseases, as confirmed both in murine and human model. Comparing to FDA-approved nano-micelles formulation, beta-glucan NPs loaded with NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome inhibitor (CY-09) exhibit better efficiency in ameliorating myocardial injury and heart failure induced by surgically induced I/R. These findings indicate a simple production of targeting-ligand free NPs, and demonstrate their potential therapeutic applications for preclinical I/R-induced cardiac injury amelioration.Peer reviewe

All-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and wildfire-related ozone: a multicountry two-stage time series analysis.

BACKGROUND Wildfire activity is an important source of tropospheric ozone (O3) pollution. However, no study to date has systematically examined the associations of wildfire-related O3 exposure with mortality globally. METHODS We did a multicountry two-stage time series analysis. From the Multi-City Multi-Country (MCC) Collaborative Research Network, data on daily all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory deaths were obtained from 749 locations in 43 countries or areas, representing overlapping periods from Jan 1, 2000, to Dec 31, 2016. We estimated the daily concentration of wildfire-related O3 in study locations using a chemical transport model, and then calibrated and downscaled O3 estimates to a resolution of 0·25° × 0·25° (approximately 28 km2 at the equator). Using a random-effects meta-analysis, we examined the associations of short-term wildfire-related O3 exposure (lag period of 0-2 days) with daily mortality, first at the location level and then pooled at the country, regional, and global levels. Annual excess mortality fraction in each location attributable to wildfire-related O3 was calculated with pooled effect estimates and used to obtain excess mortality fractions at country, regional, and global levels. FINDINGS Between 2000 and 2016, the highest maximum daily wildfire-related O3 concentrations (≥30 μg/m3) were observed in locations in South America, central America, and southeastern Asia, and the country of South Africa. Across all locations, an increase of 1 μg/m3 in the mean daily concentration of wildfire-related O3 during lag 0-2 days was associated with increases of 0·55% (95% CI 0·29 to 0·80) in daily all-cause mortality, 0·44% (-0·10 to 0·99) in daily cardiovascular mortality, and 0·82% (0·18 to 1·47) in daily respiratory mortality. The associations of daily mortality rates with wildfire-related O3 exposure showed substantial geographical heterogeneity at the country and regional levels. Across all locations, estimated annual excess mortality fractions of 0·58% (95% CI 0·31 to 0·85; 31 606 deaths [95% CI 17 038 to 46 027]) for all-cause mortality, 0·41% (-0·10 to 0·91; 5249 [-1244 to 11 620]) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0·86% (0·18 to 1·51; 4657 [999 to 8206]) for respiratory mortality were attributable to short-term exposure to wildfire-related O3. INTERPRETATION In this study, we observed an increase in all-cause and respiratory mortality associated with short-term wildfire-related O3 exposure. Effective risk and smoke management strategies should be implemented to protect the public from the impacts of wildfires. FUNDING Australian Research Council and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council

The Progress of CDAS

The Chinese Data Acquisition System (CDAS) based on FPGA techniques has been developed in China for the purpose of replacing the traditional analog baseband converter. CDAS is a high speed data acquisition and processing system with 1024 Msps sample rate for 512M bandwidth input and up to 16 channels (both USB and LSB) output with VSI interface compatible. The instrument is a flexible environment which can be updated easily. In this paper, the construction, the performance, the experiment results, and the future plans of CDAS will be reported

The Naturally Occurring YMDD Mutation among Patients Chronically Infected HBV and Untreated with Lamivudine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Several recent reports have demonstrated that tyrosine (Y)-methionine (M)-aspartic acid (D)-aspartic acid (D) (YMDD) motif mutations can naturally occur in chronic HBV patients without antiviral treatment such as lamivudine therapy. This paper aims to assess the overall spontaneous incidence and related risk factors of YMDD-motif mutations among lamivudine-naïve chronic HBV carriers, so as to provide some clue for clinical treatment of hepatitis B. Methodology/Principal Findings: Chinese and English literatures were searched for studies reporting natural YMDD mutations among untreated chronic HBV patients from 2001 to 2010. The incidence estimates were summarized and analyzed by meta-analyses. Forty-seven eligible articles from eight countries were selected in this review (13 in English and 34 in Chinese). The pooled incidence of YMDD-motif mutation among untreated chronic HBV patients from eight countries was 12.21 % (95 % CI: 9.69%–14.95%). China had an incidence of 13.38 % (95 % CI: 10.90%–16.07%) and seven other countries had an incidence of 9.90 % (95 % CI: 3.28%–19.55%), respectively. Lamivudine therapy would increase the risk of mutations 5.23 times higher than the untreated patients. A higher HBV DNA copy number was associated with increased incidence of natural YMDD mutation. No significant difference was found in YMDD mutation incidence between groups of different gender, age, HBeAg status, patients ’ ALT (alanine aminotransferase) level, and between the groups of HBV genotype B and C. Conclusions: The YMDD-motif mutations can occur spontaneously with a relatively high incidence in CHB patient