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The halophyte Karelinia caspia has not only fodder and medical value but also can remediate saline-alkali soils. Our previous study showed that salt-secreting by salt glands is one of main adaptive strategies of K. caspia under high salinity. However, ROS scavenging, ion homeostasis, and photosynthetic characteristics responses to high salinity remain unclear in K. caspia. Here, physio-biochemical responses and gene expression associated with ROS scavenging and ions transport were tested in K. caspia subjected to 100–400 mM NaCl for 7 days. Results showed that both antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX) activities and non-enzymatic antioxidants (chlorogenic acid, α-tocopherol, flavonoids, polyamines) contents were significantly enhanced, accompanied by up-regulating the related enzyme and non-enzymatic antioxidant synthesis gene (KcCu/Zn-SOD, KcAPX6, KcHCT, KcHPT1, Kcγ-TMT, KcF3H, KcSAMS and KcSMS) expression with increasing concentrations of NaCl. These responses are beneficial for removing excess ROS to maintain a stable level of H2O2 and O2− without lipid peroxidation in the K. caspia response to high salt. Meanwhile, up-regulating expression of KcSOS1/2/3, KcNHX1, and KcAVP was linked to Na+ compartmentalization into vacuoles or excretion through salt glands in K. caspia. Notably, salt can improve the function of PSII that facilitate net photosynthetic rates, which is helpful to growing normally in high saline. Overall, the findings suggested that ROS scavenging systems and Na+/K+ transport synergistically contributed to redox equilibrium, ion homeostasis, and the enhancement of PSII function, thereby conferring high salt tolerance.

Astragalus variabilis Bunge is a widespread locoweed that threatens livestock production in desert grassland. No research has reported its possible ecological functions due to focus being on its negative effect on livestock production. This study aimed to assess the effects of A. variabilis on soil properties and its possible role in improving soil quality in desert grassland. Soil samples were collected in Astragalus patches and the adjacent bare patches over two successive growing seasons in Alxa desert grassland where A. variabilis was favoured to spread. Soil properties including texture, water content, dry bulk density, porosity, available nutrients, organic matter, and soil microbial biomass were determined at 15 study sites. There was no significant difference in soil texture between Astragalus-dominant and bare patches; but organic matter (OM), available N and P, and microbial biomass in surface soil (0–30 cm) were significantly higher in Astragalus patches. Furthermore, microbial biomass showed a significantly positive correlation with available nutrients and OM. Levels of water soluble salt were significantly lower in A. variabilis surface soils under drought conditions. Results suggested that A. variabilis was associated with some positive changes in soil properties, and was potentially important in improving soil chemical and microbial properties in desert grassland ecosystems. Consequently, total elimination of locoweed should not necessarily be considered the best solution to locoweed poisoning in livestock.

In order to study the missile separation safety under the condition of full envelope launch, a new type of double parallelogram ejection configuration is adopted in this paper. The combined flexible multi-body launching dynamics simulation method based on ABAQUS and ADAMS is used to obtain the missile separation velocity, angular velocity, overload, dynamic load of key components and lateral deformation of missile carrier system. The simulation results show that the lateral overload has a significant impact on the separation safety of missile carrier and the structural compatibility of weapon and carrier. On this basis, a method to optimize the lateral deformation of missile carrier system is proposed.

Shang Y, Wang Q, Li J, et al. Onco Targets Ther. 2020;13:473– 486. The Editor and Publisher of OncoTargets and Therapywish to retract the published article. The journal was notified of significantly similar imagesand data published in a previous article by the sameauthors:IF203 induced apoptosis in human liver HepG2 cellsthrough mitochondrial pathway. Acta Anatomica Sinica. 2011;42:340– 344 (http://jpxb.bjmu.edu.cn/EN/10.3969/j.issn.0529-1356.2011.03.010). It was found the following images and data appeared to beduplicated across both articles, with no satisfactory explanationprovided by the authors:● Figure 1B in the recent article appeared to be thesame as Figure 2 in the previous publication● Figure 3E in the recent article appeared to be thesame as Figure 3 in the previous publication● Figure 3C in the recent article appeared to be thesame as Figure 4 in the previous publication● Figure 3E in the recent article appeared to be thesame as Table 2 in the previous publication The authors were also unable to provide the original rawdata for the western blots shown in Figure 6. The editordetermined the findings of the study were not supportedand requested for the article to be retracted. The authors wish to apologise for this error. Our decision-making was informed by our policy on publishingethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines onretraction. The retracted article will remain online to maintain thescholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked oneach page as “Retracted”. This retraction relates to this paper

We investigate here the thickness effect on microstructures and mechanical properties of a quenched and tempered 178 mm thickness ASTM A517 GrQ steel. The microstructures at sub-surface, 1/4 thickness (t/4), and 1/2 thickness (t/2) were characterized. A comparison of hardness, strength, and impact toughness of the different positions shows that the lowest strength and toughness occurred at t/2, where a mixture of coarse, tempered martensite and bainite were found, and their inter-lath boundaries were occupied with highly dense, film-like or coarse, spheroidized carbides. The cooling rate for transformation was measured to be 0.6 &deg, C/s at t/2 from the industrial processing data. In addition, the alloy elements at t/2 were heavily segregated, as revealed by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and a microhardness test. The resulted coarse microstructures thus lowered both the yield strength and the impact energies significantly, e.g., the crack propagation energy was completely lost at &minus, 60 &deg, C. This study correlates the variation of mechanical properties to varied transformed microstructures based on the industrial quenching condition, which shows promise for improving the designing of the hardenability and controlling the carbides for ultra-thick quenched and tempered steel.

Yinghui Shang, 1 Qinghai Wang, 2 Jian Li, 1 Qiangqiang Zhao, 1 Xueyuan Huang, 1 Hang Dong, 1 Haiting Liu, 1 Ye Zhang, 3 Junhua Zhang, 1 Rong Gui, 1 Xinmin Nie 4 1Department of Blood Transfusion, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Clinical Laboratory of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Rong GuiDepartment of Blood Transfusion, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 138 TongziPo Street, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-731-8861 8513Email aguirong@163.comXinmin NieClinical Laboratory of the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, No. 138 TongziPo Street, Changsha, Hunan 410013, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-731-8861 8577Email niexinmin7440@sina.comBackground: Isatin derivatives have extensive biological activities, such as antitumor. IF203, a novel isatin derivative, has not previously been reported to have antitumor activity.Methods: Acid phosphatase assays (APAs) and Ki-67 immunohistochemistry were used to detect the proliferation of HepG2 cells. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was applied to detect ultrastructural changes. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect cell cycle, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of HepG2 cells in vitro. TUNEL, MMP and ROS immunofluorescence assays were applied to assess apoptosis, MMP, and ROS of HepG2 cells in vivo. Western Blotting was applied to assess the levels of apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins.Results: In this study, in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that IF203 possesses antitumor activity. The results of APAs and Ki-67 immunohistochemistry demonstrated that IF203 could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells. Cell cycle assays, downregulation of Cyclin B1 and Cdc2, and upregulation of P53 suggested that IF203 could lead to G2/M cell cycle arrest. In addition, ultrastructural changes, apoptosis assays, TUNEL immunofluorescence results, upregulated expression of Bax, and downregulated expression of Bcl-2 suggest that IF203 can induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells. After IF203 treatment, intracellular ROS levels increased, MMP decreased, JC-1 green fluorescence was enhanced, and the levels of Caspase-9, Caspase-3 and Cytochrome C expression were upregulated, suggesting that IF203 could induce apoptosis of HepG2 cells through the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Moreover, characteristic apoptotic ultrastructural changes were accompanied by the appearance of many autophagy bubbles and upregulation of Atg5, Atg12, ULK1, Beclin-1 and LC3-II proteins, suggesting that IF203 could induce autophagy in HepG2 cells.Conclusion: This study showed that IF203 leads to the death of HepG2 cells through cell cycle arrest, apoptotic induction, and autophagy promotion.Keywords: acetone indigo red dehydrating agent, IF203, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, apoptosis

The establishment, reproduction, dispersal, and distribution of alien plants are affected by various factors during the transition from being newly introduced in a habitat to being invasive. In the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, comprising farmlands and natural grasslands, the biological characteristics of alien plant species were the key intrinsic factors (propagation characteristics and competitive ability), followed by such extrinsic factors as human interference and environmental heterogeneity. Among biological characteristics, the life form may be an important and useful indicator of the invasive ability of a species, and the risk of invasion is greater from alien species that are poisonous, inedible, and have traits that facilitate wide dispersal. Farmlands may serve as initial shelters for alien species, from which they spread into neighbouring habitats, whereas natural grassland may act as a barrier to plant invasions. Management practices detrimental to grasslands, including overgrazing, reclamation, and road construction, often facilitate the invasions; therefore, counter measures such as reseeding and a ban on grazing need special attention. Environmental factors including precipitation, nutrients, prevailing winds, fires, and topography may be other factors that promote or block the process of invasion. In studying ways of preventing or controlling such invasions, alien plants with short life cycle, prolific seed production, and strong competitiveness, deserve particular attention and so do human activities that may damage the environment and fragile habitats.

Using the published literature and records, this study investigated the historical introduction, geographical distribution, and biological characteristics of 404 alien plants in 32 provinces (including municipalities) in China. The results showed that three fifths of the alien plants was introduced for intentional purposes, and the introduction of alien plants increased with time from 139 BC to the current time, especially during historical events that played an important part in the process of introduction. The geographical distribution of alien plant species tended to decrease from the south and the east to the north and the west. Annual average precipitation (Y = 7.51X + 7.05, R2 = 0.67) and temperature (Y = 0.07X + 41.54, R2 = 0.67) had a linear relationship with alien plant introduction throughout China. Furthermore, population density and economic conditions also affected and promoted plant invasions in China. The life forms were well adapted to regional precipitation and temperature, but different life forms of alien plants were not consistent with the distribution tendency based on the quantity of alien plants. There was a higher percentage of annual and biennial plants in the northern provinces (e.g. 66.7 and 15.7% in Inner Mongolia), whereas there were more perennial and woody plant species in the southern provinces (e.g. 37.0 and 21.2% in Hainan). Family characteristics could not accurately predict plant invasions; however, predictions based on genera were acceptable. In addition, the origin of alien plants can also predict the distribution and potential risk of invasions. Thus, our study investigated the factors affecting plant invasions in order to provide information on the prevention and control of alien plants.

Objective To investigate the effect and safety of bilirubin serum adsorption (BSA) in the treatment of patients with chronic severe hepatitis B. MethodsA prospective study was performed for 40 patients with chronic severe hepatitis B［prothrombin activity (PTA)＞25%］ who were hospitalized in The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015, and all the patients were given BSA. The results of routine blood test ［white blood cell (WBC) count, red blood cell (RBC) count, hemoglobin (Hb), and platelet (PLT) count］, coagulation function ［prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and fibrinogen (Fib)］, liver function ［total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), total bile acid (TBA), albumin (Alb), and globulin (Glb)］, and electrolytes (K+, Na+, Cl-, and Ca2+) were collected before treatment and at 1 week after treatment. Blood pressure, breath, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were observed and recorded before, during, and after treatment, and the presence or absence of symptoms such as fear of cold, pyrexia, dizziness, chest distress, and abdominal pain was observed. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. ResultsAll the patients had good tolerance of the treatment, and clinical symptoms were improved after treatment. TBil, DBil, and TBA showed significant reductions, Alb, Glb, and Fib showed slight reductions, and PT and APTT were significantly prolonged (t=21.254, 22.395, 7.821, 6.986, 7.580, 9.852, 10.705, and 5.528, all P＜0.001). After treatment, Ca2+ level was significantly reduced and WBC count increased significantly (t=6.924 and 9.852, both P＜0.001). At the 1-week follow-up, Alb, Glb, Fib, PT, APTT, Ca2+ level, and WBC count almost returned to the same levels before treatment, and TBil, DBil, and TBA showed varying degrees of increases compared with the values after treatment, but remained lower than the values before treatment. Of all the 40 patients, 12(30%) experienced adverse events, among whom 3(7.5%) experienced fear of cold (or chills), 3(7.5%) experienced reduced blood pressure, 2(5.0%) experienced reduced heart rate, 1(2.5%) experienced nausea and vomit, 1(2.5%) experienced abdominal pain, and 1(2.5%) experienced cold sweat. ConclusionBSA therapy is safe and effective in the treatment of patients with chronic severe hepatitis B and PTA＞25% and has transient effects on patients′ coagulation function, serum calcium, and WBC count.

ObjectiveTo explore the methods for prevention and treatment of endotoxemia and multiple organ failure in patients with severe hepatitis. MethodsA total of 61 patients with severe hepatitis and toxic enteroparalysis were randomly assigned to three groups. The first group was treated with plasmapheresis, the second group with plasmapheresis and colon dialysis, and the third group with plasmapheresis, colon dialysis, and oral probiotics. Analyses were performed on the clinical symptoms and physical signs, hepatic function, endotoxin level, and clinical outcome in each group. Comparison of continuous data between groups was performed by analysis of variance, and further pairwise comparison by SNK test; comparison of categorical data between two groups was performed by chi-square test. ResultsThe liver function improved in all groups after treatment. The endotoxin level was significantly lower in the third group than in the other two groups (P＜005). The symptom improvement rates in the three groups were 35.3%, 64.7%, and 81.5%, respectively; the recurrence rates were 833%, 727%, and 364%, respectively; the clinical remission rates were 5.9%, 17.6%, and 48.1%, respectively, and the third group had a significantly higher rate than the first group (χ2=8.59, P＜0.05). ConclusionA combination of plasmapheresis, colon dialysis, and oral probiotics can effectively improve the prognosis of patients with severe hepatitis and toxic enteroparalysis, and can help prevent and treat multiple organ failure in such patients.

Austenite grain size plays an important role for quenched and tempered A517 GrQ rack steel. In order to investigate the austenite grain growth behavior, in-situ austenizing experiments were conducted at different temperatures with varied holding time. Austenite grain growth, and subsequent bainite and martensite transformation were observed by a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The average austenite grain size increased rapidly from 32.7 μm to 137.9 μm with increasing temperature from 1100 °C to 1250 °C, and abnormal grain growth occurred at 1250 °C for 15 min. While holding from 5 min to 20 min at 1200 °C, the grain size grew gradually from 70.2 μm to 84.8 μm. The grain size distributions under different conditions all obey lognormal function. After austenizing, the rate of subsequent cooling has an significant impact on transformation process. The transformation duration time decreased from over 142 s to 11 s with increasing cooling rate at 1 °C/s and 5 °C/s, which could be corresponding to bainite and martensite transformation respectively.

ZnO thin films were prepared on quartz glass substrates by different sol-gel methods using a spin-coating technique. The structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission spectra analysis. The results show that different factors such as Zn2+ concentration, solvent, sol stabilizer, pre-heat treatment temperature, and annealing temperature have a great impact on the structural and optical properties of ZnO thin films.

The Chinese-English lexical knowledge base based on HNC is an important component of the HNC knowledge base system. As a new stage of the HNC natural language processing, the building of the knowledge base needs a deep development of the association between the target language and the source language in the concept of space. In this paper, the Chinese-English lexical knowledge base model based on the HNC theory is first put forward to provide an effective reference database for the machine translation based on the semantic content, and two examples are provided to introduce its application in the semantic distance calculation and the Chinese-English machine translation. This supplies a gap in the research about the bilingual knowledge database of the HNC theory system.

A field experiment for river restoration was carried out in Chaohe river, a second largest river in Beijing, China. The study site with an area of 2, 800 m2 was set up in the downstream zone of Miyun reservior. Multiple water quality parameters, including pH, TN, TP and COD, were used to evaluate the removal efficiency of the river restoration project. The results showed that pH of water changed in a narrow rang from 6.98 to 7.11 during the investigation period. The pH value had no significant difference between the planted treatment and the non-planted control. From April to October, 2009, TN and TP of water were reduced regularly. At the beginning, the reduction tendency was sharp, then became flat. The mean removal efficiencies of TN and TP were 5.8% and 16%, respectively. No significant difference existed between the TN content of the planted treatment and that of the control. Contrarily, the TP content difference was significant between the two treatments. The maximum removal efficiencies were 30.2% on COD, 7.8% on TN and 25.5% on TP for the aquatic plant-based remediation system. This study suggested that the restoration of aquatic vegetation could potentially be used for mitigating the degradation of water quality and improve water carrying capacity.

A non-Hermitian Hamiltonian has a real positive spectrum and exhibits unitary time evolution if the Hamiltonian possesses an unbroken PT (space-time reflection) symmetry. The proof of unitarity requires the construction of a linear operator called C. It is shown here that C is the complex extension of the intrinsic parity operator and that the C operator transforms under the Lorentz group as a scalar., 13 pages, no figure