Vascular calcification (VC) and secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) are important causes of the high incidence of cardiovascular events in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The relationship ...between parathyroid hormone (PTH) and VC is very complex. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between PTH levels and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in patients starting hemodialysis who had not received calcium tablets, calcium-containing phosphorus binders, calcitriol, or vitamin D analogs.
Seventy-one patients were included. Latero-lateral X-ray lumbar radiography, serum intact PTH (iPTH) levels, and predialysis biochemical parameters were obtained. The degree of AAC was evaluated according to the methods described previously by Kauppila et al.
We found that there was a strong negative correlation between serum PTH and AAC (Spearman's rho −0.76, p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that low serum PTH level could predict the presence and extent of AAC (area under the curve values were 0.9013 p < 0.0001 and 0.780 p = 0.0041, respectively).
Our results indicate that serum PTH level is significantly negatively correlated with AAC within a certain concentration range in patients starting hemodialysis who had not received calcium tablets, calcium-containing phosphorus binders, calcitriol, or vitamin D analogs.
Welsh onion constitutes an important crop due to its benefits in traditional medicine. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plant growth and yield; however, little is known about its influence on ...the mechanisms of Welsh onion regulation genes. In this study, we introduced a gene expression and amino acid analysis of Welsh onion treated with different concentrations of nitrogen (N0, N1, and N2 at 0 kg/ha, 130 kg/ha, and 260 kg/ha, respectively). Approximately 1,665 genes were differentially regulated with different concentrations of nitrogen. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the genes involved in metabolic processes, protein biosynthesis, and transportation of amino acids were highly represented. KEGG analysis indicated that the pathways were related to amino acid metabolism, cysteine, beta-alanine, arginine, proline, and glutathione. Differential gene expression in response to varying nitrogen concentrations resulted in different amino acid content. A close relationship between gene expression and the content of amino acids was observed. This work examined the effects of nitrogen on gene expression and amino acid synthesis and provides important evidence on the efficient use of nitrogen in Welsh onion.
Mutations of myotilin (MYOT) have been identified in patients with muscular dystrophy. We identified a novel mutation (NM_006790: c.849G>A/p.W283X) of MYOT in a family with muscular dystrophy and ...postoperative respiratory failure. Functional studies revealed that the mutation led to a truncated protein, as the molecular weight was smaller, the expression level was reduced, and the distribution of MYOT was altered.
Biotechnological production of butanol in heterologous hosts has recently attracted many interests. Of the heterologous hosts investigated to date, engineered Escherichia coli has shown a superior ...butanol yield than the natural butanol-producing clostridial strains. However, all reported butanol-producing E. coli strains contain vectors and inducible promoters, which means antibiotics and inducers are required in the fermentation. The aim of this study was to develop a completely chromosomally engineered E. coli strain capable of producing butanol efficiently in the absence of vectors, antibiotics, and inducers. The challenges are the expression strength of chromosomally engineered genes under constitutive promoters is much weaker than the vector engineered genes under inducible promoters. To address these challenges, the butanol pathway was engineered into the chromosome in the first place, then the host and the butanol pathway was iteratively engineered through rational and non-rational strategies to develop an efficient butanol producer where the heterologous butanol pathway fits the host well. Finally, a systematically chromosomally engineered E. coli strain EB243, in which 33 native genes were deleted and 5 heterologous genes were introduced, was developed. Strain EB243 could produce 20g/L butanol with a yield of 34% (w/w, 83% of theoretical yield) in batch fermentation without any antibiotics and inducers, thus showed great potential for industrial application. This work also demonstrated a procedure on how to integrate the existing knowledge to engineer a strain with industrial application potential.
•A completely chromosomally engineered efficient butanol producing E. coli strain was developed.•This E. coli strain could produce 20g/L butanol, with a mass yield of 34%, without adding any antibiotics or inducers.•This is the first vector-free recombinant E. coli producing the highest titer of butanol without in situ removal of butanol.
The diphenylsulfone-3,3′-disulfo-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid (H4-DPSDSDC) ligand and its coordination polymers, K2Zn(C14H6S3O12)(H2O)4 n (1) and {Cu3(μ3–OH)2(C14H6S3O12)(H2O)3(DMF)·3(H2O)} n (2) ...(C14H6S3O12 = diphenylsulfone-3,3′-disulfo-4,4′-dicarboxylate), were synthesized. The Zn(H2O)4 units in 1 are connected by DPSDSDC4– ligands to generate a one-dimensional (1D) chain, which is bridged by K–O bonds associated with bridging water molecules and sulfonate groups to yield a two-dimensional (2D) layer. In 2, the 1D hydroxyl-bridging Cu(II) chains are connected by DPSDSDC4– ligands to give a 2D layer. The 2D layers in 1 and 2 are further connected by interlayered hydrogen bonds to give three-dimensional (3D) frameworks. Compounds 1 and 2 have good conductivities of 1.57 × 10–4 and 5.32 × 10–5 S cm–1, respectively. Continuous well-defined hydrogen bonding networks associated with water molecules, sulfonate groups, and carboxylate groups were observed in compounds 1 and 2. Such hydrogen bonding networks provide hydrophilic domains and effective transfer pathways for protons. Here, we present elegant examples of a precise determination of the pathways for proton transport.
Insulin resistance (IR) has been confirmed that getting involved in the pathophysiological process of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recently, increasing evidence suggests metabolic score for insulin ...resistance (METS-IR), triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio, triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index, triglyceride glucose-body mass (TyG-BMI) index are simple and reliable surrogates for IR. However, their abilities in predicting cardiovascular outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are not well explored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association and evaluate the predictive performance of each index.
A total of 2533 consecutive participants undergoing PCI were included in this study, and the data from 1461 patients were used to determine the correlation of these non-insulin-based IR indices with major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) via performing the multivariate logistic models and restricted cubic splines (RCS).
During a median of 29.8 months follow-up, 195 cases of 1461 patients experienced incident MACCEs. In the overall population, both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated no statistically significant connection between these IR indices and MACCEs. Subgroup analyses revealed significant interactions between age subgroups and TyG-BMI index, as well as METS-IR, and between sex subgroups and TyG index. In elderly patients, per 1.0-SD increment in TyG-BMI index and METS-IR had a significant association with MACCEs, with odds ratios (ORs) 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.24 (1.02-1.50) and 1.27 (1.04-1.56), respectively (both P < 0.05). Moreover, in female patients, all the IR indices showed significant associations with MACCEs. Multivariable-adjusted RCS curves demonstrated a linear relationship between METS-IR and MACCEs in elderly and female patients, respectively. However, all the IR indices failed to enhance the predictive performance of the basic risk model for MACCEs.
All the four IR indices showed a significant association with MACCEs in female individuals, whereas only TyG-BMI index and METS-IR showed associations in elderly patients. Although the inclusion of these IR indices did not improve the predictive power of basic risk model in either female or elderly patients, METS-IR appears to be the most promising index for secondary prevention of MACCEs and risk stratification in patients undergoing PCI.
Highly transparent and superhydrophilic sapphire with surface antireflective subwavelength structures were prepared by wet etching using colloidal monolayer silica masks. The film thicknesses of the ...silica masks were adjusted by the volume concentrations of polystyrene spheres. The evolution of etching morphologies of sapphire was studied, and antireflective concave pyramid nanoarrays on sapphire substrates were designed by calculation and were then prepared. The transmission and wettability of as-obtained patterned sapphire substrates were also investigated. As for sapphire with optimum surface concave micropyramid arrays, average visible transmittance can reach 91.7%, which is apparently higher than that of flat sapphire (85.5%). Moreover, the concave pyramid arrays can significantly increase the surface hydrophilicity of sapphire, exhibiting a water contact angle of 12.6° compared with 62.7° of flat sapphire. The proposed method can be an excellent strategy for preparing antireflective and self-cleaning concave micropyramid subwavelength structures on sapphire without complicated equipment and expensive raw materials.
To understand the status and roles of shrubs in recovery processes of desertified land in the semi-arid areas of China, we investigated the effects of shrub canopy on soil properties, organic litter, ...seed bank and understory herbaceous community properties in the Horqin Sand Land, Mongolia. The results showed that in shifting sand dunes, content of very fine sand, silt and clay, organic matter, total N and P, available P and soil moisture at 0–20
cm depth was higher under remnant shrub canopies of
Caragana microphylla and
Salix gordejevii than in open space. Soil seed density was nearly 12 times higher under
Artemisia halodendron canopy than in open space. The herbaceous perennial
Pennisetum centrasiaticum, usually restricted to fixed sand dunes, not only survived under shrub canopy in shifting sand dunes, but also had higher plant densities, plant height, cover and aboveground biomass. After fencing shifting sand dunes and establishing shrub plantings, fine soil particles, soil nutrients, plant species richness, vegetation cover and aboveground biomass increased gradually both under shrub canopy and in open spaces with increasing enclosure or plantation age, but the speed of restoration processes was significantly higher under canopy compared to open spaces. These results suggest that shrubs created significant “islands of fertility” and had an important role in maintaining or augmenting herbaceous species richness in shifting sand dunes, and could improve soil properties and facilitate vegetation recovery for controlling desertification processes.
We have previously shown that a loss of stromal Cav-1 is a biomarker of poor prognosis in breast cancers. Mechanistically, a loss of Cav-1 induces the metabolic reprogramming of stromal cells, with ...increased autophagy/mitophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction and aerobic glycolysis. As a consequence, Cav-1-low CAFs generate nutrients (such as L-lactate) and chemical building blocks that fuel mitochondrial metabolism and the anabolic growth of adjacent breast cancer cells. It is also known that a loss of Cav-1 is associated with hyperactive TGF-β signaling. However, it remains unknown whether hyperactivation of the TGF-β signaling pathway contributes to the metabolic reprogramming of Cav-1-low CAFs. To address these issues, we overexpressed TGF-β ligands and the TGF-β receptor I (TGFβ-RI) in stromal fibroblasts and breast cancer cells. Here, we show that the role of TGF-β in tumorigenesis is compartment-specific, and that TGF-β promotes tumorigenesis by shifting cancer-associated fibroblasts toward catabolic metabolism. Importantly, the tumor-promoting effects of TGF-β are independent of the cell type generating TGF-β. Thus, stromal-derived TGF-β activates signaling in stromal cells in an autocrine fashion, leading to fibroblast activation, as judged by increased expression of myofibroblast markers, and metabolic reprogramming, with a shift toward catabolic metabolism and oxidative stress. We also show that TGF-β-activated fibroblasts promote the mitochondrial activity of adjacent cancer cells, and in a xenograft model, enhancing the growth of breast cancer cells, independently of angiogenesis. Conversely, activation of the TGF-β pathway in cancer cells does not influence tumor growth, but cancer cell-derived-TGF-β ligands affect stromal cells in a paracrine fashion, leading to fibroblast activation and enhanced tumor growth. In conclusion, ligand-dependent or cell-autonomous activation of the TGF-β pathway in stromal cells induces their metabolic reprogramming, with increased oxidative stress, autophagy/mitophagy and glycolysis, and downregulation of Cav-1. These metabolic alterations can spread among neighboring fibroblasts and greatly sustain the growth of breast cancer cells. Our data provide novel insights into the role of the TGF-β pathway in breast tumorigenesis, and establish a clear causative link between the tumor-promoting effects of TGF-β signaling and the metabolic reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment.
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