The Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper (HD-Zip) transcription factors play critical regulatory functions in plant developmental programming and abiotic stress adaptation. While the HD-Zip gene family have been well characterized in model plants, its molecular evolution and biological functions in oat (Avena sativa L.) remain largely unexplored. In this study, a total of 60 AsHD-Zip family members (designated AsHD-Zip1 to AsHD-Zip60) were identified, phylogenetically categorized into four evolutionarily conserved subfamilies (I-IV). Cis-regulatory elements linked to plant growth, developmental processes, stress responses, and phytohormone signaling were detected through promoter analysis of AsHD-Zip genes, suggesting their functional significance in environmental adaptation. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that salt stress and polyethylene glycol-mediated drought stress significantly up-regulated the expression of AsHD-Zip15, 34, 38, 39, 49, and 60 genes. It is noteworthy that AsHD-Zip49 was able to consistently respond to drought stress. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H), bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and split luciferase complementation (Split-luc) assay indicate that AsHD-Zip49 interacts with AsHD-Zip39. The heterologous overexpression of AsHD-Zip49 in Arabidopsis thaliana, combined with the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of this gene in oat, strongly suggests that AsHD-Zip49 plays a positive and crucial role in enhancing drought tolerance. In summary, this study comprehensively characterized the AsHD-Zip gene family, analyzed its expression pattern under drought and salt stress, validated the biological function of AsHD-Zip49, and laid the foundation for further research into the roles of HD-Zip in oat abiotic stress.

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) hypersensitivity still represents one of the major deals for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASHD), especially for those requiring percutaneous coronary interventions in the absence of validated alternative options. Despite symptoms after ASA administration being reported in 6-20% of cases, true ASA allergy only represents a minority of the patients, pointing to the importance of challenge tests and potential strategies for tolerance induction. ASA desensitization protocols were proposed several decades ago, with accumulating the literature on their use in patients undergoing PCI either for chronic disease or acute coronary syndromes. Nevertheless, the promising results of the studies and meta-analyses have not been validated so far by the support of large-scale randomized trials or unique indications from guidelines. Therefore, ASA desensitization is still largely unapplied, leaving the management of ASA hypersensitivity to the individualized approach of cardiologists.

Epidemiological evidence has shown a significant association between short-term exposure to air pollution and mortality risk for circulatory system diseases (CSD). However, informative insights on the significance and magnitude of its relationship in the process of government interventions on abating air pollution are still lacking, particularly in a burgeoning Chinese city. In this study, we conducted a time series study in Lishui District, Nanjing, to examine the effect of ambient particulate matter (PM), e.g., PM2.5 and PM10, on daily death counts of CSD which included cardiovascular disease (CVD), cerebrovascular disease (CEVD), and arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) mortality from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. The results revealed that each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration at lag0 day was associated with an increase of 1.33% (95% confidence interval, 0.08%, 2.60%) and 1.12% (0.43%, 1.82%) in CSD mortality; 2.42% (0.44%, 4.43%) and 1.43% (0.32%, 2.55%) in CVD mortality; 1.20% (- 0.31%, 2.73%) and 1.21% (0.38%, 2.05%) in CEVD mortality; and 2.78% (0.00%, 5.62%) and 1.66% (0.14%, 3.21%) in ASHD mortality, respectively. For cumulative risk, the corresponding increase in daily mortality for the same change in PM2.5 concentration at lag03 day was significantly associated with 1.94% (0.23%, 3.68%), 3.17% (0.58%, 5.84%), 2.38% (0.17%, 4.63%), and 4.92% (1.18%, 8.81%) for CSD, CVD, CEVD, and ASHD, respectively. The exposure-response curves were approximately nonlinear over the entire exposure range of the PM concentrations. We also analyzed the effect modifications by season (warm or cold), age group (0-64 years, 65-74 years, or ≥ 75 years), and sex (male or female). Although not statistically significant, stratified analysis showed greater vulnerability to PM exposure for cold season, population over 65 years of age, and female group.

The associations between exposure to short-term ambient air pollution and daily atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) mortality in cool climate have not been established. We performed a time-series analysis in Shenyang, the largest city of Northeastern China. We identified 7659 ASHD deaths and obtained deaths, ambient air pollution levels, and meteorological data for Shenyang during 2014-2017. The impact of ambient air pollution on daily ASHD deaths was analyzed using generalized additive models (GAMs). Cumulative lag effects were investigated using distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM). We found ASHD deaths significantly increased during days with higher air pollution. Particulate matter with diameter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5), PM10, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were positively associated with ASHD deaths among the total population. Both single- and multi-pollutants models indicated that PM2.5, PM10, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were positively associated with the deaths of women with AHSD, whereas only SO2 was significant in men. This suggests significant gender-based differences in the fatal effects of ambient air pollution. Up to 28 days of single-day lag effects were observed for PM2.5 and PM10 in women. The cumulative lag effects of PM2.5 and PM10 showed increasing trends in both men and women; however, exposure to higher pollutant concentrations did not necessarily translate to greater risks. The ERRs differences between women and men were larger in cold days than in hot days, suggesting that lower temperature may exacerbate the adverse effects of air pollution on vulnerable women.