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Introduction The perceived health benefits and effectiveness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in quitting smoking may affect e-cigarette usage, however, research on the use of e-cigarettes among the Chinese, especially among the rural Chinse, is scarce. This study examined factors associated with perceptions of e-cigarette related harms, benefits, and addictiveness, among smoker and non-smoker households with children in rural China, to support the design of populationbased interventions targeting rural Chinese households. Methods In a cross-sectional study design, using a structured questionnaire, we collected data from the household members of children in two selected rural communities in China. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize respondents; χ 2 test and Fisher’s exact probability test were used to compare the perceptions of e-cigarettes between different sociodemographic groups. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors for e-cigarette harms, benefits, and addictiveness, adjusting for demographic and other characteristics. Results The overall participation rate was 81% (1211/1498). Of the participants, 668 (55%) were smokers and 543 (45%) were non-smokers; 53% knew about e-cigarettes. Participants from rural Dali (77% vs 59%), those who were ethnic minority (76% vs 59%), those who perceived increased COPD risks from smoking (mean score 4.37 vs 4.18) and concerned about harmful effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure to children (mean score 4.48 vs 4.30) and adults (mean score 4.06 vs 3.87) were more likely to believe that e-cigarettes were less harmful (p

Purpose. This study is aimed at investigating the expression, underlying biological function, and clinical significance of coatomer protein complex subunit beta 2 (COPB2) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods. HCC-related data were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. A logistic regression module was applied to analyze the relationship between the expression of COPB2 and clinicopathologic characteristics. The Cox proportional hazard regression model and Kaplan–Meier method were used for survival analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to annotate the underlying biological functions. Loss-of-function experiments were conducted to determine the underlying mechanisms. Results. COPB2 was overexpressed in HCC, and high expression of COPB2 was significantly correlated with higher alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (odds ratio OR = 1.616 , >20 vs. ≤20, p < 0.05 ), stage ( OR = 1.744 , III vs. I, p < 0.05 ), and grade ( OR = 1.746 , G4+G3 vs. G2+G1, p < 0.05 ). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that HCC patients with high COPB2 expression had a worse prognosis than those with low COPB2 expression ( p < 0.0001 for TCGA cohort, p < 0.05 for ICGC cohort). The univariate Cox (hazard ratio HR = 1.068 , p < 0.0001 ) and multivariate Cox ( HR = 2.011 , p < 0.05 ) regression analyses suggested that COPB2 was an independent risk factor. GSEA showed that mTOR and other tumor-related signaling pathways were differentially enriched in the high COPB2 expression phenotype. Silencing of COPB2 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mTOR signaling. Conclusion. COPB2 is a novel prognostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic target for HCC.

Backgrounds. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) has been regarded as a prognostic marker in prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we evaluated FASN expression at both mRNA and protein levels and assessed the association between FASN expression and prognosis in male Han Chinese with PCa treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods. Expression profile and prognostic value of FASN were analyzed in tissue microarray (TMA) and data retrieved from databases including TCGA public database, GEO database, and our sequencing data with whole clinicopathological characteristics. Results. FASN expression was associated with clinical parameters and biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. The relative expression of FASN mRNA was higher in the tumor tissue in all public databases and our sequencing data (p<0.001). A similar result was seen in tissue microarray (TMA) (p<0.001). Analysis of our sequencing data indicated that FASN’s relative expression was associated with tumor stage (p=0.048), and FASN expression was positively associated with the Gleason score (p=0.004) and seminal vesicle invasion (p=0.011) in TMA. We found that high FASN expression was an independent predictor of shorter BCR-free survival with univariate and multivariate survival analysis (p<0.05), rendering FASN an optimal prognostic biomarker in male Han Chinese with prostate cancer. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated that FASN was overexpressed at mRNA and protein levels in PCa. We found that patients with high FASN expression had a shorter BCR-free survival, showing its value as a prognostic biomarker in male Han Chinese with PCa.

Sogatella furcifera is an important rice pest. In order to understand the molecular basis of the sex determination in this pest, we performed de novo transcriptome sequencing of six cDNA libraries (three biological replicates) of female and male fifth-instar nymphs. Total 65,199 unigenes were obtained, with an average length of 971.5 bp and N50 length of 1708 bp. 20,287 open reading frames (ORFs) were predicted and annotated. Total 1019 differentially expressed genes with 873 upregulated and 146 downregulated were found in male compared to female. Total 164 sex-determining genes were identified, including the key sex-determining genes in fruit flies, such as Sxl, tra, dsx, etc. It implied that the sex determination mechanisms of S. furcifera may be the same as that of fruit flies. This study provided transcriptome resource as a fundamental support for future functional studies to elucidate the sex determination regulatory networks governing sexual dimorphism of S. furcifera.

Background Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are considered the major central events in the process of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Nrf2 is a key regulator of endogenous defense systems. New finds have contacted activation of Nrf2 signaling with anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the outstanding inhibition of neuroinflammation or potent Nrf2 signaling activation holds a promising strategy for PD treatment. Icariin (ICA), a natural compound derived from Herba Epimedii, presents a number of pharmacological properties, including anti-oxidation, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory actions. Recent studies have confirmed ICA exerted neuroprotection against neurodegenerative disorders. However, the underlying mechanisms were not fully elucidated. Methods In the present study, mouse nigral stereotaxic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD model was performed to investigate ICA-conferred dopamine (DA) neuroprotection. In addition, adult Nrf2 knockout mice and primary rat midbrain neuron-glia co-culture was applied to elucidate whether ICA-exerted neuroprotection was through an Nrf2-dependent mechanism. Results Results indicated that ICA attenuated 6-OHDA-induced DA neurotoxicity and glial cells-mediated neuroinflammatory response. Furtherly, activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway in glial cells participated in ICA-produced neuroprotection, as revealed by the following observations. First, ICA enhanced Nrf2 signaling activation in 6-OHDA-induced mouse PD model. Second, ICA failed to generate DA neuroprotection and suppress glial cells-mediated pro-inflammatory factors production in Nrf2 knockout mice. Third, ICA exhibited neuroprotection in primary neuron-glia co-cultures but not in neuron-enriched cultures (without glial cells presence). Either, ICA-mediated neuroprotection was not discerned after Nrf2 siRNA treatment in neuron-glia co-cultures. Conclusions Our findings identify that ICA attenuated glial cells-mediated neuroinflammation and evoked DA neuroprotection via an Nrf2-dependent manner. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12974-019-1472-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The landscape and characteristics of circulating exosomal messenger RNAs (emRNAs) are poorly understood, which hampered the accurate detection of circulating emRNAs. Through comparing RNA sequencing data of circulating exosomes with the corresponding data in tissues, we illustrated the different characteristics of emRNAs compared to tissue mRNAs. We then developed an improved strategy for emRNA detection based on the features of circulating emRNAs. Using the optimized detection strategy, we further validated prostate cancer (PCa) associated emRNAs discovered by emRNA-seq in a large cohort of patients and identified emRNA signatures for PCa screening and diagnosis using logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that the circulating emRNA-based screening signature yielded an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.948 in distinguishing PCa patients from healthy controls. The circulating emRNA-based diagnostic signature also showed a great performance in predicting prostate biopsy results (AUC: 0.851). In conclusion, our study developed an optimized emRNA detection strategy and identified novel emRNA signatures for the detection of PCa. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12943-021-01349-z.

Children&rsquo, s exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is a severe public health problem. There is still a lack of evidence regarding panoramic changes in children&rsquo, s urinary metabolites induced by their involuntary exposure to SHS, and few studies have considered individual differences. This study aims to clarify the SHS-induced changes in urinary metabolites in preschool children by using cross-sectional and longitudinal metabolomics analyses. Urinary metabolites were quantified by using untargeted ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC(c)-MS/MS). Urine cotinine-measured SHS exposure was examined to determine the exposure level. A cross-sectional study including 17 children in a low-exposure group, 17 in a medium-exposure group, and 17 in a high-exposure group was first conducted. Then, a before&ndash, after study in the cohort of children was carried out before and two months after smoking-cessation intervention for family smokers. A total of 43 metabolites were discovered to be related to SHS exposure in children in the cross-sectional analysis (false discovery rate (FDR) corrected p &lt, 0.05, variable importance in the projection (VIP) &gt, 1.0). Only three metabolites were confirmed to be positively associated with children&rsquo, s exposure to SHS (FDR corrected p &lt, 0.05) in a follow-up longitudinal analysis, including kynurenine, tyrosyl-tryptophan, and 1-(3-pyridinyl)-1,4-butanediol, the latter of which belongs to carbonyl compounds, peptides, and pyridines. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that 1-(3-pyridinyl)-1,4-butanediol and kynurenine were significantly enriched in xenobiotic metabolism by cytochrome P450 (p = 0.040) and tryptophan metabolism (p = 0.030), respectively. These findings provide new insights into the pathophysiological mechanism of SHS and indicate the influence of individual differences in SHS-induced changes in urinary metabolites in children.

Background Asthma exacerbations in children often require medications, urgent care, and hospitalization. Multiple environmental triggers have been associated with asthma exacerbations, including particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and ozone, which are primarily generated by motor vehicle exhaust. There is mixed evidence as to whether proximity to highways increases risk of asthma exacerbations. Methods To evaluate the impact of highway proximity, we assessed the association between asthma exacerbations and the distance of child’s primary residence to two types of roadways in Durham County, North Carolina, accounting for other patient-level factors. We abstracted data from the Duke University Health System electronic health record (EHR), identifying 6208 children with asthma between 2014 and 2019. We geocoded each child’s distance to roadways (both 35 MPH+ and 55 MPH+). We classified asthma exacerbation severity into four tiers and fitted a recurrent event survival model to account for multiple exacerbations. Results There was a no observed effect of residential distance from 55+ MPH highway (Hazard Ratio: 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.94, 1.01)) and distance to 35+ MPH roadway (Hazard Ratio: 0.98 (95% confidence interval: 0.83, 1.15)) and any asthma exacerbation. Even those children living closest to highways (less 0.25 miles) had no increased risk of exacerbation. These results were consistent across different demographic strata. Conclusions While the results were non-significant, the characteristics of the study sample – namely farther distance to roadways and generally good ambient environmental pollution may contribute to the lack of effect. Compared to previous studies, which often relied on self-reported measures, we were able to obtain a more objective assessment of outcomes. Overall, this work highlights the opportunity to use EHR data to study environmental impacts on disease.

Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) has been considered as an effective working mode to proceed with syntrophic metabolism, which is not yet established in the anaerobic digesters treating...

Background Crocin (CRO), chlorogenic acid (CGA), geniposide (GEN), and quercetin (QUE) are all natural compounds with anti-obesity properties, in particular, hypolipidemic effects, which have been widely used for the treatment of obesity-related metabolic diseases. However, it is not yet known whether these compounds interact synergistically. Here, we investigated the effects and molecular mechanisms of CRO, CGA, GEN, QUE, and a combination of all four compounds (CCGQ), on lipid accumulation in human hepatoma (HepG2 cells). Methods The optimal concentration of CRO, CGA, GEN, QUE to stimulate HepG2 cells proliferation was determined using MTT assay. HepG2 cells were pretreated with 10 μmol/L simvastatin, 1 μmol/L CRO, 30 μmol/L CGA, 10 μmol/L GEN, 10 μmol/L QUE, and CCGQ (a combination of 1 μmol/L CRO, 30 μmol/L CGA, 10 μmol/L GEN, and 10 μmol/L QUE) for 24 or 48 h. Oil red O staining and extracellular TC and TG levels were detected. The RT-PCR was used to observe on cholesterol metabolism-related gene expression. Immunocytochemistry and western-blot assayed the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme (HMGCR) protein expression in HepG2 cells. Results Compared to those of control, we demonstrated that treating HepG2 cells for 48 h with CCGQ resulted in a strong synergistic effect, causing a marked decrease in lipid deposition in comparison to individual treatments, in both triglyceride and total cholesterol (CRO, 5.74- and 1.49-folds; CGA, 3.38- and 1.12-folds; GEN, 4.04- and 1.44-folds; QUE, 3.36- and 1.24-folds; simvastatin, 5.49- and 1.83-folds; and CCGQ, 7.75- and 2.20-folds), and Oil red O staining assays. In addition, CCGQ treatment increased ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABCA1), cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), and AMP-activated protein kinase 2α (AMPKα2) mRNA expression, while decreasing sterol regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2), and liver X receptor alpha (LXRα) mRNA expression. Notably, CCGQ was more effective in decreasing HMGCR expression than the individual treatments. Conclusion The CCGQ combination has potential, both as a complementary therapy for hyperlipemia, and in preventing further obesity-related complications.

Cyclin D1 (CCND1) has been revealed as a key regulating protein in cell cycle (G1 phase) and plays a critical role in promoting tumor development. The purpose of our study was to investigate the associations between CCND1 and biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer (PCa). We performed immunostaining of CCND1 on a tissue microarray and evaluated the CCND1 expression levels based on the intensity and extent of staining. The clinical data was collected, and the follow-up data was received by searching our follow-up database called “PC-follow”. We revealed that CCND1 expression patterns were different between cytoplasm and nucleus in this study, and the expression of CCND1 in adjacent normal tissues was higher than that in PCa tissues (P<0.001), while nuclear CCND1 showed the opposite distribution characteristic (P<0.001). The cytoplasmic CCND1 also showed correlation with several clinical factors, e.g., tumor T stage (P<0.001), Gleason score (P=0.028), positive surgical margin (P=0.037), and capsule invasion (P=0.04). We also revealed that cytoplasmic CCND1 is a protective prognostic factor in the biochemical recurrence (BCR) free time analysis (P=0.002). However, the nuclear CCND1 showed no correlation with clinical factors or prognostic value in this study. This study found that cytoplasmic and nuclear CCND1 have significant different expression patterns in PCa tissues, and cytoplasmic CCND1 has a certain prognostic value in the BCR analysis.

Introduction Although the use of mobile health (mHealth) to promote tobacco control and smoking cessation interventions has been available in developed countries, their use in low- and middle-income countries (i.e. in China) is lacking. This study examined the acceptance of text messaging and/or WeChat based tobacco control intervention among parents who smoke, in rural China. Methods Using a structured questionnaire, we surveyed smoker households (n=668) of children aged ≤5 years in two rural regions of southern China. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize respondents; multivariate regression analysis was used to test the associations between participants’ sociodemographic and other characteristics, and their acceptability of text messaging and/or WeChat intervention for tobacco control. Results After adjusting for other variables (i.e. region, ethnicity, age, education level, occupation, attitudes towards smoking, perception of cigarettes addictiveness, and quitting smoking), the overall knowledge about smoking and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure significantly predicted a higher acceptance to text messaging/ WeChat intervention (OR=0.567; 95% CI: 0.457–0.704). Participants who thought smoking made people feel relaxed were less likely to accept text messaging/ WeChat intervention than those who did not think so (OR=1.403; 95% CI: 1.080– 1.822). Conclusions Our findings suggest that households in rural China that were more knowledgeable about the hazards of smoking and SHS exposure, and had negative feelings about the benefits of smoking, were more likely to accept text messaging/WeChat for tobacco control intervention. Understanding rural smokers’ preferences to receive intervention and related characteristics can help with the design of targeted tobacco control intervention programs in rural China.

This study evaluated compliance with the comprehensive smoke-free law in public indoor places introduced in Shanghai in March 2017. Observations and PM2.5 monitoring over 30 min intervals in 8 types of the venue were conducted three times: within a month before implementation and 3- and 12-months post implementation. Observations of evidence of smoking decreased from 66.2% before legislation to 52.8% three months after (p = 0.002) and 49.7% one year after (p &lt, 0.001). The density of lit cigarettes also reduced significantly after implementation (p &lt, 0.001). When adjusting for outdoor, indoor PM2.5 levels were significantly lower after the legislation, but only by a small amount (three months later: &minus, 0.27, p = 0.08, one year later: &minus, 0.12, p = 0.03). Evidence of compliance was weakest in farmer&rsquo, s markets and bars, and smoking in male toilets did not change significantly. The reduction in smoking was affected by the management performance of their obligations. The comprehensive smoke-free law led to modest reductions in smoking and PM2.5 levels as a result, but from levels suggesting quite high levels of pre-compliance. However, compliance was limited in some areas, suggesting more effort is required on management to gain better compliance in some places like farmer&rsquo, s markets, bars, and toilets.

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is an important contributor to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Inhibition of neuroinflammation has been proved to be effective in neurodegenerative diseases treatment. Nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key mediator of endogenous inducible defense systems in the body. In response to oxidative stress, Nrf2 translocates to the nucleus and binds to specific DNA sites termed as anti-oxidant response elements to initiate transcription of cytoprotective genes, such as hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate: quinine oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1). However, insufficient Nrf2 activation has been closely associated with the progress of neurodegenerative diseases. New findings have linked activation of Nrf2 signaling to anti-inflammatory effects. Icariin (ICA), a natural compound derived from Herba Epimedii, possesses amounts of pharmacological activities, such as anti-aging, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory effects. Recent studies have confirmed that ICA exerted neuroprotection against neurodegenerative diseases. However, the mechanisms underlying ICA-mediated neuroprotection were not fully understood. In the present study, microglia BV-2 cell lines were performed to investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of ICA and the mechanisms of actions. Results showed that ICA suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial pro-inflammatory factors production. In addition, activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway participated in ICA-mediated anti-neuroinflammation, as evidenced by the following observations. First, Nrf2 siRNA reversed ICA-reduced microglial activation and pro-inflammatory factors release. Second, a selective inhibitor of HO-1 abolished ICA-mediated anti-neuroinflammatory actions. This study will give us an insight into the potential of Nrf2 and neuroinflammation in terms of opening up an alternative therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases.

Commercial natural rubber is traditionally supplied by Hevea brasiliensis, but now there is a big energy problem because of the limited resource and increasing demand. Intensive study of key rubber-related substances is urgently needed for further research of in vitro biosynthesis of natural rubber. Natural rubber is biosynthesized on the surface of rubber particles. A membrane protein called small rubber particle protein (SRPP) is a key protein associated closely with rubber biosynthesis; however, SRPP in different plants has been only qualitatively studied, and there are no quantitative reports so far. In this work, H. brasiliensis was chosen as a model plant. The microscopic distribution of SRPP on the rubber particles during the washing process was investigated by transmission electron microscopy-immunogold labeling. A label-free surface plasmon resonance (SPR) immunosensor was developed to quantify SRPP in H. brasiliensis for the first time. The immunosensor was then used to rapidly detect and analyze SRPP in dandelions and prickly lettuce latex samples. The label-free SPR immunosensor can be a desirable tool for rapid quantitation of the membrane protein SRPP, with excellent assay efficiency, high sensitivity, and high specificity. The method lays the foundation for further study of the functional relationship between SRPP and natural rubber content.

Heterochromatic flicker photometry (HFP), minimum motion (MM), and minimally distinct border (MDB) settings have often been used to determine equiluminance, a relative intensity setting for two chromaticities that, in theory, eliminates the responses of a luminance or achromatic psychophysical mechanism. These settings have been taken to reflect the relative contribution of the long (L) and medium (M) wavelength cones to luminance, which varies widely across individuals. The present study compares HFP, MM, and MDB using stimuli that do not modulate the short (S) wavelength cones, in both practiced and naive observers. MDB was performed with both flashed and steadily viewed stimuli. Results are represented in the (∆L/L, ∆M/M) plane of cone contrast space. Considering both practiced and naive observers, both MM and HFP had excellent within-subject precision and high test-retest reliability, whereas HFP also had low between-subject variability. The MDB tasks were less reliable and less precise. The mean L:M contrast ratios at equiluminance were lower for the two temporal tasks (HFP and MM) compared to the spatial tasks (MDB), perhaps consistent with the existence of multiple luminance mechanisms. Overall, the results suggest that the best method for determining equiluminance is HFP, with MM being a close second.

Huoxue Huayu therapy (HXHY) has been widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) such as hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study describes a meta-analysis of a series of prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials conducted to evaluate the effect of HXHY on patients with CHD after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Biomedical Literature database, and the Wanfang database were searched up until June 2018. A series of randomized controlled clinical trials were included and the subjects were patients with CHD who had undergone PCI. The experimental group was treated with HXHY therapy, and the control group was treated with placebo; meanwhile, all the patients accepted conventional Western medicine. Review Manager 5.3 software was used for the statistical analysis. Ten trials were included in the final study. The overall risk of bias assessment was low. HXHY had a greater beneficial effect on reducing the in-stent restenosis (ISR) rate (RR = 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.40–0.80], P=0.001) and the degree of restenosis (MD = −8.89, 95% CI [−10.62 to −7.17], P0.05). Therefore, HXHY is an effective and safe therapy for CHD patients after PCI.

Objectives Oxidative stress (OS) may play a critical role in cell aging and neurologic disorders that are often seen in Down syndrome (DS) patients. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant enzyme level and lipoperoxidation status in blood from DS children. Design and methods In a cross-sectional study, we recruited a total of 36 DS children and 40 healthy controls (HCs). All subjects were free of infection according to the C reactive protein (CRP) value and routine peripheral blood profile. The activities of total superoxide dismutases (SODs), extracellular glutathione peroxidase (GPx3),malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) concentrations in peripheral blood were measured by spectrophotometric methods. The relationship of SOD and GPx3 was analyzed in the two groups. Results The two groups were similar with respect to age, gender and peripheral blood profiles. The total SOD activity was significantly increased, while the GPx3 activity was significantly reduced in the DS group compared to the HCs (p = 0.000, p = 0.033 respectively). The MDA level was higher in DS children (p = 0.013). There was no significant difference in NOS between DS and HCs (p = 0.708). A significant negative correlation between GPx3 and SOD activity was identified in DS (r = − 0.14, p = 0.018) but not in the HC group. Conclusions Abnormal redox metabolism takes place in DS individuals. Reducing GPx3 may be a compensatory mechanism of protection against intracellular OS. Moreover, monitoring of decreases in GPx3 activity may be a useful biomarker for evaluating OS in DS patients.