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Rough set theory is a mathematical tool for dealing with uncertain information.The core notions of rough set theory is approximation operators of approximation spaces.Pawlak approximation operators are established by using equivalence relations on the universe.They are extended to generalized rough approximation operators based on arbitrary binary relations.The topolo-gical structures of approximation operators are important topics in rough set theory.This paper is devoted to the study of topological properties of generalized rough approximation operators induced by arbitrary binary relations.Four types of topologies induced by generalized approximation operators based on granules and subsystems are presented and the relationships among these four types of topologies are discussed.The bases of the topologies induced by generalized approximation operators based on granules are presented by the right-neighborhood systems for objects,and the normality and regularity for related topologies are investigated.By analyzing the properties of the generalized upper approximation operators based on the subsystem,it is proved that the topologies induced by the subsystem-based generalized upper approximation operators can be transformed into the topologies induced by the generalized lower approximation operators based on the objects.

Objective To understand intake frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and the consumption habit among primary and secondary students. To explore the relationship of SSBs cognition and behavior, and to provide a basis for reducing students' intake of SSBs. Methods A multi-stage sampling process was employed to select subjects from primary and middle school in Shenzhen. Network questionnaire survey was conducted to collecting information in September and October, 2021. Spearman rank correlations was used to analyze relationships of various types of SSBs consumption frequency. Multivariable linear regression model was used to examine the relationship between SSBs cognition score and consumption frequency score. Hierarchical analysis to explore the interactions. Results A total of 16 840 primary and secondary students aged 6 to 18 years old were included. The prevalence of SSBs consumption at least 3 time/week was 58.9%, the grades 1-3, 4-6 and middle school students were 52.3%, 60.3% and 67.6%. Parents (73.3%) were the main buyers of SSBs, convenience stores (73.7%) were the main places and delicious (77.2%) was the major cause of choices. There was a positive correlation between the intake frequency of different types of SSBs (P < 0.001). The results of multivariate linear regression showed that the higher the cognition was, the lower the intake frequency of SSBs was (β = 0.179, 95%CI: 0.155-0.204). There was a multiplicative interaction between the cognitive score of SSBs and the educational level of parents (P < 0.00l). Conclusion The intake frequency of SSBs was high among primary and middle school students in Shenzhen, and the cognitive level of SSBs was related to the intake frequency and the educational level of parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the image quality of brain MRI sequences accelerated by constellation shuttling imaging (uCS) to provide a basis for clinical application. Methods: Twenty volunteers underwent brain MRI scanning （TSE axial T1WI, T2-FLAIR, sagittal T1WI and GRE sagittal 3D-T1WI） twice using parallel imaging (routine scanning) and corresponding uCS accelerated acquisition. The evaluation of images in each sequence was conducted through combining the subjective (Likert five-point scale method, image artifact and overall quality) and objective (signal-to-noise ratio measurement) methods. Results: The scanning time of using uCS in each MRI sequence was shorter than that of conventional scanning. The total scanning time of uCS in each volunteer was 542 s, while that of conventional scanning was 735 s, which decreased 26.3%. The scanning time of 3D sequence was nearly reduced 39%. There is no statistically difference between uCS and conventional sequence in subjective evaluation (overall image quality and image artifact degree). The SNR of uCS axial T1WI and sagittal T1WI sequences was significantly higher than those of conventional axial T1WI and sagittal T1WI sequences(P

Objective To study the interaction between snoring and hyperuricemia on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children and adolescents, putting forward targeted countermeasures to prevent and control MetS in the specific subpopulation. Methods Demography data, snoring, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical indicators were obtained from children and adolescents aged 7 - 17 years old who participated in the evaluation and monitoring on school - based nutrition and growth in Shenzhen. Logistic regression model was conducted to evaluate the association between snoring and hyperuricemia on MetS, and an additive model to evaluate the impact of their interaction on MetS. Results The median age of 4 466 participants was 12. 16 years, and 2 454 (54. 9% ) were boys. The detection rates of MetS, snoring, and hyperuricemia accounted for 3. 2%, 29. 3%, and 33. 4% of the total population, respectively. The frequency of snoring < 1 time/week, 1-2 times/week, and ^ 3 times/week were positively correlated with MetS disease and showed a gradually increasing trend (P trend <0. 001). Snoring (OR =2.085, 95% CI- 1.462 -2.902) and hyperuricemia (OR = 4. 741, 95% CI- 3. 144 -7. 148) were both associated with MetS. In addition, there was no multiplicative interaction between snoring frequency, snoring, and high uric acid on MetS, but snoring and high uric acid had an additive interaction on MetS [ relative excess risk due to interaction = 3. 801 (0. 060 - 7. 542), attributable proportion of interaction = 0. 418 (0. 154 - 0. 683), synergy index = 1. 887 (1. 101 - 3. 234) ] . Conclusion Snoring and hyperuricemia are both risk factors for MetS. There is a synergistic effect between snoring and hyperuricemia on the risk of MetS. Therefore, it is necessary to actively control weight, maintain positive airway pressure ventilation, orthodontic treatment, limit fried foods, meat, seafood, and increase vegetable intake to improve snoring and uric acid levels in children and adolescents, in order to achieve prevention and management of MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface hydrophilic modification of talcum powder modified by polyoxyethylene (20 ) sorbitan monoleate was firstly carried out, and then it was blended with room temperature vulcanized ( RTV) silicone rubber. The influence of different amount of modified talcum powder on hydrophobicity, mechanical properties, and impression properties of silicone rubber was studied. The results show that the RTV silicone rubber can be vulcanized completely when the mass fraction of talcum powder is 55%, and its surface hydro-philicity can be improred effectively. The rubber has excellent impression performance, with tensile strength of 7. 7 MPa and the elongation at break of 163%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the community structure and diversity of larval gut bacteria in Carposina sasakii and Grapholitha molesta, the V4 regions of the 16S rDNA genes of intestinal bacteria of C. sasakii and G. molesta larvae which fed by golden delicious apple, were amplified and sequenced by Illumina HiSeq technique. The results showed that a total of 229043 high quality reads of gut bacteria in C. sasakii larvae were obtained and clustered to 2112 OTUs, which were annotated into 27 phyla, 65 classes, 124 orders, 205 families and 281 genera. 240389 reads of G. molesta were produced and clustered to 957 OTUs, which were annotated into 22 Phyla, 46 Classes, 89 Orders, 145 Families and 180 Genera. C. sasakii was dominated by the Proteobacteria (87.98%±5.29%), Firmicutes (3.91%±1.19%), Actinobacteria (1.04%±0.47%), and G. molesta was mainly dominated by Proteobacteria (50.06% ± 19.56%), Firmicutes (32.02% ±8.48%) and Cyanobacteria (25.24%± 10.28%). All of Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species of the bacteria were significantly different between C. sasakii and G. molesta. Those results suggested that the gut bacteria community in these two fruit-boring pests was notably different, although they were both fed by apple fruit. The bacteria communities were more complex in C. sasakii than in G. molesta, which might account for different feeding and digestion mechanisms. The results could lay a foundation to reveal the association of the intestinal bacteria with these two fruit borers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptide hormones genes are important in plant growth and development and RALF (rapid alkalinization factor) is one of them. Cruciferae is a big family in Chinese vegetable crops. Polypeptide hormone gene RALFbn was cloned from Brassica campestris (rape) in the authors' previous work. In order to find out the information of RALF homologous genes in Cruciferae vegetable crops, this experiment was done. At this time, the primers were designed according to the sequence of RALFbn gene. The genomic DNAs of 7 important vegetable crops were extracted in advance. The vegetable materials were selected from Brassica, Raphanus, Rorippa and Barbarea and they all belonged to the same family of Cruciferae. Seven sequences homologous to RALF were cloned from the 7 materials from important vegetable crops with the primers designed from RALFbn. Then the 7 DNA sequences together with the RALFbn gene were analyzed. The results showed that all the DNA sequences' open reading frames were about 300 bp long. There was no intron in the 7 genes. The 7 proteins encoded by them were all made by 73 amino acids. All these indicated that the RALF homologous genes were very conservative in the 4 genera of cruciferous species. At the same time , the 7 RALF homologous genes expression analyses were done in four genera in Cruciferae. The result indicated that these genes were not or weakly expressed in root, stem, leaf, inflorescence axis and other vegetative organs, while mainly expressed in reproductive organs, in which, the total amounts of the expression in flower buds and open flowers were generally higher than those in tender siliques. All the expression indicated that the physiological active period of these genes in Cruciferae was in the flower growth period. The system tree was constructed with the 7 RALF homologous genes in the 4 genera of Cruciferae. The NJ tree of RALF homologous genes reflected that RALFbn , Bo-RALFjx and BoRALFzh formed a branch while BjRALFdn4 and BjRALFxlh formed another branch with the rest RALF homologous genes from Raphanus, Rorippa, Barbarea clustered in the same branch. The evolutionary pathway of these RALF homologous genes in a certain extent also reflected the genetic background relationships between these crops. In all , this study enriched the information of the rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) family and expanded the knowledge of the molecular evolution data of Cruciferae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective]The pathogen separation and molecular identification of the infected tomato plants were conducted and the biological characteristics were analyzed to provide theoretical references for breeding the resistant varieties and controlling the tomato bacterial wilt. [Method]Ralstonia solanacearum strains were isolated using the plate dilution method, and the 16S rDNA sequence, carbohydrate utilization, pathogenicity, phylotype and sequevar of the strains were studied. [Result]Strains Tom 1-Tom 9 isolated from tomato plants were identified as Ralstonia solanacearum based on the results of colony characteristics on TTC medium, pathogenicity inoculation test and molecular identification. The result of carbohydrate utilization and pathogenicity tests showed that the 9 strains were able to oxidize three hexoses and three disaccharides, and could strongly infect tobacco, potato, tomato, pepper and eggplant. The results of phylotype multiplex PCR indicated the specific 280 and 144 bp bands were amplified from all 9 strains, respectively. [Conclusion]Nine strains of Ralstonia solanacearum isolated from tomato infected with bacterial wilt has been identified and belong to biovar III, race 1, phylotype 1 and sequcvar 17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study was conducted on the life table parameters of Aphis gossypii reared on five host plant species at (25±1) ° in laboratory. There existed significant differences in the durations of various developmental stages, adult longevity, mean offspring number per day, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, mean generation time, and population doubling time for the A. gossypii populations reared on the host plants. For the aphids on Lagenaria siceraria var. turbinate, they needed the longest time (5. 84 days) to complete one generation, but for those on the other four plants, no significant differences were observed, with the time needed ranged from 5. 24 to 5. 45 days. The adult longevity was the longest (20. 04 days) on Cucumis sativus, but had no significant differences on the other four host plants, being from 14. 76 to 16. 03 days. The populations' survival curves on all test host plants were of Deevey I, i. e. , the death mainly occurred during late period. The survival rate on C. sativus was higher than those on the other four host plants. Based on the intrinsic rates of increase of A. gossypii, its host suitability was in the order of Cucumis melo var. saccharinus > Lagenaria siceraria var. turbinate > Cucurbita moschata var. melonaeformis > Cucumis sativus > Cucurbita pepo var. medullosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A measurement was made on the vertical direction tree ring stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) and tree ring width of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in northern Daxing'an Mountains of Northeast China, with the relationship between the vertical direction variations of the tree ring δ13C and tree ring width analyzed. In the whole ring of xylem, earlywood (EW) and bark endodermis, the δ13C all exhibited an increasing trend from the top to the base at first, with the maximum at the bottom of tree crown, and then, decreased rapidly to the minimum downward. The EW and latewood (LW) had an increasing ratio of average tree ring width from the base to the top. The average annual sequence of the δ13C in vertical direction had an obvious reverse correspondence with the average annual sequence of tree ring width, and had a trend comparatively in line with the average annual sequence of the tree ring width ratio of EW to LW above tree crown. The variance analysis showed that there existed significant differences in the sequences of tree ring δ13C and ring width in vertical direction, and the magnitude of vertical δ13C variability was basically the same as that of the inter-annual δ13C variability. The year-to-year variation trend of the vertical δ13C sequence was approximately identical. For each sample, the δ13C sequence at the same heights was negatively correlated with the ring width sequence, but the statistical significance differed with tree height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From June 2008 to January 2010, a survey of avian communities was conducted in five habitats (grassland, farmland, town, wetland, and woodland) at Fuyang Airport and its surrounding areas, with the diversity indices in different seasons and different habitats analyzed. A total of 122 avian species belonging to 15 orders and 40 families were recorded. At Fuyang Airport, the avian species number was significantly higher in summer and autumn than in winter and spring, the avian density was the highest in autumn, and the Shannon diversity index and Pielou evenness index were the highest in summer. Among the five habitats at the Airport and its surrounding areas, woodland had the greatest avian species number and density, and the woodland, wetland, and farmland had higher Shannon diversity index than grassland and town. The most dangerous avian species to the airplanes at Fuyang Airport were Passer montanus, Pycnonotus sinensis, Hirundo rustica, Columba livia f. domestica, Pica pica, Streptopelia chinensis, and Sturnus cineraceu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear 0-1 programming, as a special form of integer programming, has numerous applications to theory as well as to engineering. A Lagrangian relaxation-based continuous solution is presented for solving linear 0-1 programming. It transforms the primal problem into an ordinary optimization problem with an explicit dual function and simple constraints, with smaller size than primal constraints. It is convenient for engineering application. Numerical experiments have been made on certain knapsack problems and computational results show that the proposed algorithm is very promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the spatial differences in the water quality and eutrophication characteristics of Songhua Lake, the largest artificial lake in northeast China, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and factor analysis were used to analyze the water quality sampling and testing results in 2017 in three regions, namely the main reservoir area of the Fengman Reservoir (MRAFR), the experimental area of the Songhua River Three Lakes Protection Zone (EASRTLPZ), and the Jiaohe River backwater area (JRBA). The nutrient status of the lake was evaluated by the trophic state index method, and the spatial correlation and aggregation status of the eutrophication level in Songhua Lake were studied using spatial autocorrelation analysis. The main results were as follows: ① the ANOVA showed that, except for dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), there were significant differences ( P <0.05) in the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), water temperature (WT), and pH in the three areas of Songhua Lake, with the clearest difference between TN and TP. ② The factor analysis showed that the changes in the climatic condition factor (WT), nutrient salt factors (TN and TP), and algal biomass factor (Chl-a) dominated the water quality in the lake. ③ The results of the trophic state index showed that the nutrient status of Songhua Lake as a whole is mildly eutrophic, and the eutrophication levels of the three regions from strong to weak are JRBA > MRAFR > EASRTLPZ. ④ The global spatial autocorrelation showed that the eutrophication level of the lake as a whole has significant positive spatial autocorrelation owing to the influence of regional eutrophication levels. The spatial heterogeneity of the eutrophication level of Songhua Lake is low. ⑤ The results of the local spatial autocorrelation showed that the central and northern areas of JRBA are the hot spots (high/high concentration) of eutrophication in the lake ( P <0.01), and the central part of EASRTLPZ is the cold spot (low/low concentration) of eutrophication in the lake ( P <0.05). Therefore, when conducting water environmental management of Songhua Lake, the key areas for eutrophication control should be the JRBA and MRAFR.

In order to study the seasonal variations in the chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM 2.5 ) and its influence on visibility in background areas, atmospheric PM 2.5 samples were collected in spring, summer, autumn, and winter 2016 at Qixingtai in Ji'nan. The pollution characteristics of water-soluble ions components, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) were analyzed, and their regional transmission contributions were studied. The results show that NH 4 + , SO 4 2- , and NO 3 - were the main components of water-soluble ions, accounting for 90.24% of the annual total ion concentration. The secondary water soluble inorganic ions were polluted severely. NO 3 - /SO 4 2- presented obvious seasonal variations of high (low) levels in winter (summer). In each season, SO 4 2- and NH 4 + existed mainly in the form of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . The value of secondary OC (SOC)/OC ranged from 21.17% to 54.21%, indicating the presence of relatively severe secondary organic pollution in this area. The sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) value in all seasons was greater than 0.1, indicating that the secondary generation of SO 4 2- occurs in all seasons in this region, and the value of nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) in all seasons was higher than the SOR value. The secondary transformation of NO 2 in the Qixingtai region was stronger than that of SO 2 . The range of atmospheric extinction coefficient ( B ext ) was 172.68-320.61 Mm -1 , with an annual mean of 256.48 Mm -1 . The atmospheric extinction coefficient showed an obvious seasonal trend of the lowest (highest) in summer (winter). The backward airflow trajectory shows that the Qixingtai was affected mainly by the long-distance transmission from Northwest China and the ocean in spring and summer and by local sources in autumn and winter. A comparison of the characteristics of atmospheric PM 2.5 pollution in Ji'nan in 2008 revealed that the influence of motor vehicles on the atmospheric environment has been significantly improved.

In order to monitor heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils and assess the corresponding health risk in the Yellow River irrigation area, this study applied the Nemero index and the health risk index to evaluate heavy metal pollution in wheat grains and the health risks for residents in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Four towns in Kaifeng, which are within the lower reaches of the Yellow River, were selected as the study area. The examination of wheat samples revealed that the average contents of Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Hg in the wheat grains were 0.034, 0.428, 0.279, 5.363, 29.605, 0.305, and 0.003 mg·kg -1 , respectively. Among the heavy metals, Pb and Zn exceeded the national food hygiene standards. The pollution indices of Pb and Zn in the wheat grains contributed significantly to the comprehensive pollution index, as each was greater than 1 (1.985), although the pollution indices of the other heavy metals were less than 1. The comprehensive pollution index of wheat in each town ranged from 1.116 to 1.847. The health risk indices of non-carcinogenic heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, and Hg) for adults and children were 1.0558 and 0.5450, respectively. The health risk indices of carcinogenic heavy metals (Cd, Cr, and Ni) for adults and children were higher than the maximum acceptable risk level (1×10 -4 ) recommended by the USEPA, which suggests that residents of the study area have a high risk of developing various forms of cancer.

Objective: To study the effect of aqueous extracts of Polygonum multiflorum (AEPM) on bile acid synthesis, metabolism and transfer-related molecules in rat liver and the hepatotoxicity-related mechanism of P. multiflorum., Method: Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered with 30, 60 g x kg(-1) APEM once everyday for consecutively 28 days. At the end of the experiment, mRNA and protein expressions of hepatic MRP3, MRP2, BSEP, FXR and CYP7A1 were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blot, Result: Compared with the normal group, the AEPM high dose group showed significant increases in mRNA expressions of hepatic MRP3 and BSEP of male rats (P < 0.05); AEPM high and low dose groups revealed a notable decrease in mRNA expressions of hepatic FXR (P < 0.05) and remarkable rises in mRNA expressions of hepatic MRP3, MRP2, BSEP, CYP7A1 among female rats (P < 0.05). According to the test results of western blot assay, AEPM high and low dose groups showed consistent changes in protein and mRNA expressions hepatic MRP3, MRP2, BSEP, FXR, CYP7A1., Conclusion: The 28 oral administration with AEPM in rats showed a certain effect on expressions of bile acid synthesis, metabolism and transfer-related proteins, as well as cholestatic or choleretic effects in the mRNA expression.

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of feverfew lactone on inducing autophagic death of hepatocellular carcinoma., Methods: The proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC 7721 cells treated with feverfew lactone was measured by MTT assay. The autophagy of SMMC 7721 induced with feverfew lactone was assessed by acridine orange staining, autophagic marker LC3 and p62 detecting and autophagic flows analyzing. In addition, a role of ROS in this process was stated by treatment with antioxidant agent N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)., Results: The proliferation of SMMC 7721 cells were inhibited by feverfew lactone in a concentration dependence manner. The expression of LC3 and autophagic flows of SMMC 7721 cells were increased by feverfew lactone, while p62 was decreased, which implied that feverfew lactone could induce the autophagy of SMMC 7721 cells. Further more, the autophagy effect induced by feverfew lactone was declined obviously when treated with NAC suggested that ROS played an important role in this effect., Conclusion: Feverfew lactone induces autophagic death of SMMC 7721 cells by stimulating cells to produce ROS. The study will be helpful for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and to provide theoretical basis for the clinical application of feverfew lactone.

Safety assessment is the essential process for commercial application of genetically modified (GM) crops. Omics techniques can be used to evaluate the safety of GM crops unbiasedly at different biological levels, such as transcripts, proteins and metabolites. In the present review, the researches on unintended effects assessment of GM crops using transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic techniques in recent ten years have been summarized. The facts show that the environmental factors (growing area and season) and genotype difference play greater roles than gene insertion does for most unintended variations in GM crops.

Objective: To study the effect of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels on T cell activation and apoptosis of synovial cells in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) rats, and to explore the mechanism of Fengshining Capsule (FSN) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)., Methods: Sixty rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the CIA model group, the Tripterygium Poly-glycoside Tablet (TPT) group, the low dose FSN group (at the daily dose of 0.33 g/kg), the middle dose FSN group (at the daily dose of 0.66 g/kg), and the high dose FSN group (at the daily dose of 1.32 g/kg), 10 in each group. T lymphocyte subsets were detected by flow cytometry. The content of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in plasma of rats were detected by ELISA. Its expression of hydroxyl radicals was detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 protein expressions were measured by Western blot., Results: Compared with the CIA model group, the levels of ROS were elevated in each dose FSN group (P < 0.01). The level of CD4+ / CD8 was significantly reduced in the middle dose FSN group (P < 0.01). The content of IFN-gamma was obviously lowered in each dose FSN group (P < 0.01), while that of IL-4 was obviously elevated in the high dose FSN group (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the expression of Caspase-9 and Caspase-3 significantly increased in each dose FSN group (P < 0.05). Besides, the average gray scale of Caspase-9 was significantly higher in the low and middle FSN groups than in the TPT group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The mechanism of FSN for regulating the immune hyperfunction and inhibiting the proliferation of synovial cells in CIA rats might be associated with up-regulating in vivo ROS levels.

Objective: To investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus-encoded X protein (HBx) on the expression of host-encoded suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) and to explore the possibility of an underlying mechanism involving modulation of CpG island methylation in the SOCS-1 gene promoter., Methods: The immortalized human derived non-tumor liver cell line QSG7701 was transfected with a recombinant HBx plasmid (pcDNA-X) or an empty vector control plasmid (pcDNA3.0) and stably transfected clones were selected by G418 resistance screening. Untransfected cells served as negative controls. Expression of SOCS-1 mRNA and protein was detected by real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting. The methylation status of SOCS-1 was detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). The significance of intergroup differences was analyzed by one-way ANOVA or pairwise comparison with post-hoc LSD test., Results: SOCS-1 mRNA level was significantly lower in the pcDNA-X/QSG7701 cells compared to that in the pcDNA3.0/QSG7701 and untransfected cells (0.3249+/-0.0536 vs. 1.0543+/-0.1937 and 1.00; F = 19.6, P = 0.042). SOCS-1 protein level was similarly lower in the pcDNA-X/QSG7701 cells (0.1496+/-0.0106 vs. 0.1984+/-0.0438 and 0.2152+/-0.0816; F = 19.4, P = 0.048). The SOCS-1 promoter region showed methylation only in the pcDNA-X/QSG7701 cells., Conclusion: HBx-expressing human hepatocytes have down-regulated SOCS-1 expression, both at the mRNA and protein levels, and this effect corresponds to increased methylation in the SOCS-1 promoter region harboring CpG islands.

Objective: To investigate the correlation of MDR1 and ABCG2 genetic polymorphisms with the efficacy and adverse events of irinotecan chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC)., Methods: Clinical data of CRC patients treated with irinotecan-based chemotherapy in the Peking University Cancer Hospital between January 1996 and December 2011 were collected, and their blood samples were collected accordingly. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples. The following SNP detection of MDR1 and ABCG2 genes was conducted by direct sequencing method. The correlation of genetic SNPs with efficacy and toxicity of irinotecan treatment was further analyzed., Results: Allele frequencies of MDR1 2677 G>T/A, ABCG2 421 C>A, 34 G>A, 376 C>T were comparable with previous studies. Genetic SNPs results from peripheral blood samples and tumor tissues were highly consistent. Patients carrying MDR1 2677 wild type had higher clinical benefit than those carrying mutant genotype, while the differences were not significant. The progression-free survival (PFS) was longer in wild-type patients as compared to mutant-type patients in second-line chemotherapy (P=0.012). There were no significant correlations between ABCG2 421 C>A, 34 G>A, 376 C>T and chemotherapy efficacy. No significant correlations were observed between MDR1 2677 G>T/A, ABCG2 421 C>A, ABCG2 34 G>A, ABCG2 376 C>T and irinotecan-related grade 3 and 4 neutropenia or diarrhea., Conclusion: MDR1 2677 G>T/A may be served as a biomarker in predicting the efficacy of irinotecan chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer.

A comparative study was conducted on the life table parameters of Aphis gossypii reared on five host plant species at (25 +/- 1) degrees C in laboratory. There existed significant differences in the durations of various developmental stages, adult longevity, mean offspring number per day, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, mean generation time, and population doubling time for the A. gossypii populations reared on the host plants. For the aphids on Lagenaria siceraria var. turbinate, they needed the longest time (5.84 days) to complete one generation, but for those on the other four plants, no significant differences were observed, with the time needed ranged from 5.24 to 5.45 days. The adult longevity was the longest (20.04 days) on Cucumis sativus, but had no significant differences on the other four host plants, being from 14.76 to 16.03 days. The populations' survival curves on all test host plants were of Deevey I, i. e., the death mainly occurred during late period. The survival rate on C. sativus was higher than those on the other four host plants. Based on the intrinsic rates of increase of A. gossypii, its host suitability was in the order of Cucumis melo var. saccharinus > Lagenaria siceraria var. turbinate > Cucurbita moschata var. melonaeformis > Cucumis sativus > Cucurbita pepo var. medullosa.

The purposes of the present study were to investigate the inhibitory effect of quercetin (QUE) preconditioning on endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) inducer tunicamycin (TM)-induced apoptosis in RAW264.7 macrophages and the underlying molecular mechanisms. RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with different concentrations (20, 40, and 80 μmol/L) of QUE for 30 min and then treated with TM (5 mg/L) for 12 h. Cell viability and apoptosis were determined using MTT assay and Annexin V-FITC apoptosis detection kit, respectively. The nuclear translocation of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) in cells was detected by immunofluorescence analysis and Western blot. Protein and mRNA expressions of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and Bcl-2 were examined by Western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. The results showed that TM reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis in RAW264.7 macrophages. The cytotoxic effects of TM were significantly inhibited by QUE pretreatment at the concentrations of 40 and 80 μmol/L. Interestingly, we found that QUE also significantly suppressed the TM-induced translocation of ATF6, an ERS sensor, from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. In addition, exposure of RAW264.7 macrophages to TM resulted in a significant increase of the expression of CHOP, a transcription factor regulated by ATF6 under conditions of ERS, as well as a decrease of Bcl-2 at transcript and protein levels. QUE blocked these effects in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicate that QUE can protect RAW264.7 cells from TM-induced apoptosis and that the mechanism at least partially involves its ability to inhibit the ATF6-CHOP signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the expression of miR-34a in stage II-III colorectal cancer and to elucidate its association with recurrence after radical resection., Methods: miR-34a expression level was detected in colorectal cancer patients with recurrence (40 cases) and without recurrence (40 cases) within 3 years after radical operation by real-time RT-PCR., Results: No association was observed between miR-34a and gender, age, location, local invasion, lymph node metastasis, cancer embolus, or tissue differentiation (all P>0.05). The expression level of miR-34a was lower in patients with recurrence compared to those without recurrence after radical surgery (P=0.039). Univariate analysis indicated that the median disease-free surviva l(DFS) of patients with low expression of miR-34a was worse as compared to those with high miR-34a expression (13.4 vs. 18.4 months, P=0.010), especially for stage III (P=0.003). In the recurrence group, the median DFS of patients with low miR-34a expression (n=14) was 13.4 months, which was shorter than that of patients with high miR-34a expression (n=26, 18.4 months, P=0.037). Multivariate analysis showed that miR-34a expression was an independent factor for colorectal cancer recurrence (RR=0.397, 95%CI:0.205-0.768, P=0.006)., Conclusion: The down-regulated expression of miR-34a in colorectal cancer patients is associated with recurrence after radical operation. miR-34a may be a marker to predict tumor recurrence and metastasis of colorectal carcinoma.

A measurement was made on the vertical direction tree ring stable carbon isotope ratio (delta13C) and tree ring width of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in northern Daxing' an Mountains of Northeast China, with the relationship between the vertical direction variations of the tree ring delta13C and tree ring width analyzed. In the whole ring of xylem, earlywood (EW) and bark endodermis, the delta13C all exhibited an increasing trend from the top to the base at first, with the maximum at the bottom of tree crown, and then, decreased rapidly to the minimum downward. The EW and late-wood (LW) had an increasing ratio of average tree ring width from the base to the top. The average annual sequence of the delta13C in vertical direction had an obvious reverse correspondence with the average annual sequence of tree ring width, and had a trend comparatively in line with the average annual sequence of the tree ring width ratio of EW to LW above tree crown. The variance analysis showed that there existed significant differences in the sequences of tree ring delta13C and ring width in vertical direction, and the magnitude of vertical delta13C variability was basically the same as that of the inter-annual delta13C variability. The year-to-year variation trend of the vertical delta13C sequence was approximately identical. For each sample, the delta13C sequence at the same heights was negatively correlated with the ring width sequence, but the statistical significance differed with tree height.

Objective: To identify the mutation rate of KRAS and BRAF in Chinese patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC), and to analyze the associations between KRAS/BRAF mutations and patients' clinicopathological characteristics., Methods: Tumor specimens were obtained from 966 CRC patients treated in Peking University Cancer Hospital from December 2008 to January 2012. Mutation analysis of KRAS (codons 12 and 13 of exon 2) and BRAF (exon 15) was conducted by direct sequencing. The relationships between gene mutations and clinicopathological characteristics were statistically analyzed., Results: The mutation rates of KRAS and BRAF in Chinese CRC patients were 38.8% (375/966) and 4.4% (40/915), respectively. Among patients with wild-type KRAS, the mutation rate of BRAF was 7.4% (40/540). KRAS and BRAF mutations were mutually exclusive. Eight mutation types of KRAS were detected in this study with three common types G12D, G12V and G13D. Three mutation types of BRAF were detected with the most common type V600E. KRAS mutation rate was significantly higher in female, well-differentiated and right side colon tumors (all P < 0.05). Also, the mutation rate in patients ≥ 65 years was higher than that in patients < 65 years (P = 0.05). BRAF mutation rate was higher in poorly-differentiated and right side colon tumors (P < 0.05). No significant associations were observed between KRAS/BRAF mutations and tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM staging (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: In Chinese CRC patients, KRAS mutations are associated with gender, age, tumor differentiation and primary tumor sites, while BRAF mutation is only associated with tumor differentiation and primary tumor sites. The correlations between KRAS/BRAF mutations and patients' prognosis need further investigation.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic predictive value of Wells score and modified Geneva score for acute pulmonary embolism by prospective case series and to explore a more suitable scoring system for Chinese population., Methods: All the patients suspected of pulmonary embolism (PE) and received CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) were enrolled consecutively in Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University, China, from June 2009 to August 2011. Before CTPA test or on condition that test results were unknown, clinical scoring was assessed prospectively by the Wells score and the modified Geneva score. The probability of PE in each patient was assessed and the patients were divided into low, moderate and high probability groups according to the clinical scores. The result of CTPA was used as the diagnostic gold standard for PE. Diagnostic accuracy in each group was analyzed. The predictive accuracy of both scores was compared by AUC(ROC) curve., Results: A total of 139 patients met our enrollment criteria and 117 eligible patients entered our study at last. PE was diagnosed in 47 patients by CTPA with an overall prevalence of 40.2%.Prevalence of PE in the low, moderate and high pretest probability groups assessed by the Wells score and by the simplified modified Geneva score were 7.1% (3/42), 42.9% (21/49), 88.5% (23/26) and 10.0% (3/30), 48.1% (37/77), 7/10, respectively. AUC(ROC) curves for the Wells score and the simplified modified Geneva score were 0.872 (95%CI 0.810 - 0.933) and 0.734 (95%CI 0.643 - 0.825) respectively, with a significant difference (P = 0.005)., Conclusion: The Wells score is more accurate for clinical predicting acute PE than the modified Geneva score.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect and anticoagulation effect of polysaccharides from the sea cucumber (PSU) on acute incomplete cerebral ischemia (AICI)., Methods: Adult SD rats were randomly divided into 5 group (n = 12): sham operation group, model group, low-dose (30 mg/(kg x d)), middle-dose (60 mg/(kg x d)) and high-dose (120 mg/(kg x d)) groups. The cerebral ischemia rat model was established by permanently ligating the common carotid arteries on both sides of rats. We observed the change of behavior disturbance, brain water content, the levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as well as the effects on prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen(FIB)., Results: Due to the use of polysaccharides, the behavioral disturbance was improved, brain water content and the levels of serum CRP were significantly decreased. Also PSU significantly prolonged APTT, TT and reduced the content of FIB (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: PSU has protective effect on acute incomplete cerebral ischemia injured rats and significant anticoagulation effect.

Aim: To investigate the effect of interleukin-17 (IL-17) on the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) in the primary cultured cardiac myocytes., Methods: The cardiac myocytes were isolated from neonatal mice by different adhesion method. The expressions of IL-17R and MCP-1 in the cardiac myocytes were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). And the concentration of MCP-1 in the culture supernatant of the cardiac myocytes was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)., Results: There was the expression of IL-17R in the cardiac myocytes. After stimulated by IL-17, the expressions of MCP-1 in the cardiac myocytes were significantly increased in dose-dependent manner compared with that of culture medium control (P<0.05). The amount of MCP-1 mRNA in the cardiac myocytes was the highest at 4 h after stimulated by IL-17. And then the amount of MCP-1 mRNA in the cardiac myocytes began to descend. The concentrations of MCP-1 in the culture supernatant of the cardiac myocytes increased in time-dependent manner and had significant differences with the control group (P<0.05)., Conclusion: The cardiac myocytes could express IL-17R. IL-17 could up-regulate the expression of MCP-1 in the cardiac myocytes, which was associated with the dose and stimulation time of IL-17.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between the expression of miR-218 and CDK6 in glioma cells, and their biological impacts on the tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis., Methods: Expression levels of miR-218 as well as CDK6 and Ki-67 proteins were analyzed in 60 cases of gliomas with various grades and 10 control brain tissue samples by tissue microarray, locked oligonucleotide probe in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Glioblastoma multiform cell line (U87MG) was transfected with miR-218 mimics (mimics group) and a control sequence (control group), followed by qRT-PCR detection of miR-218 and immunocytochemical stain of CDK6 and Ki-67, respectively. Single cell gel electrophoresis was used to detect the presence of apoptotic cell., Results: The miR-218 labeling indexes (LI) were statistically different (P<0.05) among all groups including control (22.45 +/- 0.59) and various glioma groups (grades I - II 4.00 +/- 1.07, grade III 1.87 +/- 1.06 and grade IV 0.94 +/- 0.78, respectively). The CDK6 LI of the four groups was 7.25 +/- 1.20, 16.71 +/- 0.80, 24.43 +/- 0.62 and 32.05 +/- 0.43, respectively. Significant differences existed between the control group and the glioma groups, and between grade IV and grades I - II glioma groups (P<0.01). Ki-67 positive cell densities of the above four groups (0.00 +/- 0.00, 9.30 +/- 3.48, 31.15 +/- 9.44 and 60.15 +/- 13.60) were significantly different from one and another (P<0.01). The expression of miR-218 negatively correlated with CDK-6 LI (r = -0.480, P<0. 01) and Ki-67 positive cell density (r = - 0.534, P<0.01), while the latter two positively correlated with each other (r = 0.530, P<0.01). U87MG transfection experiment showed that the miR-218 level of the mimics group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.01). CDK6 and Ki-67 LI of the mimics group (14.74 +/- 1.19 and 30.88 +/- 3.31) were significantly lower than those of the control group (79.06 +/- 2.07 and 64.94 +/- 3.96, P<0.01), whilst its apoptotic index (AI) (68.44 +/- 7.05) was significantly higher than that of the control group (13.04 +/- 0.97, P<0.01)., Conclusions: The expression level of miR-218 is an important reference indicator for the assessment of the grade of gliomas. An aberrant decrease of its expression may lead to an increase of the CDK6 expression and proliferative activity of giloma cells. Introducing exogenous miR-218 may effectively down-regulate the CDK6 expression, inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis of malignant giloma cells. These findings imply that miR-218 may serve as a therapeutic agent against malignant glioma.

From June 2008 to January 2010, a survey of avian communities was conducted in five habitats (grassland, farmland, town, wetland, and woodland) at Fuyang Airport and its surrounding areas, with the diversity indices in different seasons and different habitats analyzed. A total of 122 avian species belonging to 15 orders and 40 families were recorded. At Fuyang Airport, the avian species number was significantly higher in summer and autumn than in winter and spring, the avian density was the highest in autumn, and the Shannon diversity index and Pielou evenness index were the highest in summer. Among the five habitats at the Airport and its surrounding areas, woodland had the greatest avian species number and density, and the woodland, wetland, and farmland had higher Shannon diversity index than grassland and town. The most dangerous avian species to the airplanes at Fuyang Airport were Passer montanus, Pycnonotus sinensis, Hirundo rustica, Columba livia f. domestica, Pica pica, Streptopelia chinensis, and Sturnus cineraceu.

The low efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a significant barrier to the production of highly valuable transgenic livestock. It is generally believed that the principal cause of the low SCNT efficiency is the aberrant nuclear epigenetic reprogramming of donor somatic cell. DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification of the genome and plays a crucial role in nuclear reprogramming during SCNT. In order to assess whether the abnormal epigenetic modifications of the imprinted gene in placenta are correlated with the development abnormality and death of the cloned transgenic calves, the DNA methylation patterns of PEG10 were compared in the placentas from different kinds of cattle. This comparison included transgenic cloned calves died during perinatal stage and showed developmental defects (Death group), transgenic cloned calves survived and lived on healthily (Live group) and the normal reproduced calves (N group) used as the control group analyzed by Bisulfite Sequencing PCR (BSP) method and Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analy-sis (COBRA). Comparing to the control group, PEG10 gene in the Death group showed abnormal hypermethylation, but was not significant different in methylation level from the Live group. It can be postulated from the results that the incom-plete or abnormal DNA methylation epigenetic reprogramming of imprinting gene in placenta may be one of the main causes of the abnormal development and death of the transgenic cloned cattle.

Objective: To establish a rat model of frostbite and to evaluate the effects of different administration methods of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction (HGWD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for warming meridians to disperse cold, on rats with frostbite., Methods: Frostbite in rats was induced by the method of soaking feet in hypothermia ethanol-water mixture. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-beta), thromboxane B(2) (TXB(2)) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F(1alpha) (6-keto-PGF(1alpha)) in serum of rats treated with different administration methods of HGWD, such as oral administration (Oral HGWD), soak (Soak HGWD), and oral administration plus soak (Oral-soak HGWD), were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: IL-6, TNF-beta, TXB(2) levels were significantly higher (P<0.01) and 6-keto-PGFbeta level was lower (P<0.01) in serum of rats in the untreated group than in the normal control group. Compared with the untreated group, the level of IL-6 obviously decreased (P<0.05) in serum of the rats treated by oral HGWD, while no significant decrease (P>0.05) was observed in the soak HGWD group, and there was no interaction (P>0.05) between the two administration methods in regulating the level of IL-6. The levels of TNF-beta obviously decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05) in serum of the rats treated by oral and soak HGWD, and there was interaction between the two administration methods. The level of TNF-beta in the oral HGWD group was significantly lower than that in the soak HGWD group (P<0.01). Compared with the untreated group, level of TXB(2) in oral HGWD or soak HGWD group did not decrease significantly (P>0.05) and there was no interaction (P>0.05) between the two administration methods. The level of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) was obviously increased (P<0.01) in serum of the rats treated by oral HGWD, while there was no significant decrease (P>0.05) in the soak HGWD group as compared with the untreated group, and there was interaction (P<0.05) between the two administration methods in regulating the level of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha)., Conclusion: Rats with frostbite has immunologic dysfunction and a state of forming thrombus easily. The oral-soak HGWD can improve frostbite of local skin in rats. The therapeutic mechanism of HGWD may be to regulate the dysfunction of immune system and the imbalance of TXB(2)-PGF(1alpha).

Objective: To study the role of flow cytometry (FCM) in detection of polymorphic post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD)., Methods and Results: Two patients presented with fever and multiple lymphadenopathy on day 46 and day 50 respectively after successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The symptoms couldn't be controlled by antibiotics. The polymorphic PTLD was diagnosed based on the elevation of bone marrow EB virus DNA and detection of subsets of light chain restricted B cells and/or plasma cells in peripheral blood (PB) samples. The lymphocyte immunophenotypes from PB and/or bone marrow (BM) samples were serially tested by FCM after lowering the dose of immunosupressive agents and treating with antivirus drugs, anti-CD20 antibodies, and cytotoxic T cell infusion. B cells were undetable in two patient, but monoclonal plasma cells appeared or maintained. One patient died after two weeks. Another patient was still on treatment. B cells and plasms cells couldn't be detected in her PB, but there were monoclonal plasma cells in her BM. FCM have a prominent advantage in detect polymorphic PTLD, since it can effectively recognize different cell groups in blood and identify monoclonal subsets. Besides, the immunophenotype of plasma cells in polymorphic PTLD might be different from that in typical plasma cell myeloma., Conclusion: Polymorphic PTLD can be detected and followed up by FCM. BM is more suitable than PB for monitoing the disease. Besides lymph node biopsy, B cell abnormaliity could be detected in PB in allo-HSCT patients.

Objective: To investigate the effects of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) gene on Tenon's capsule fibroblasts in vitro., Methods: Using lipofectAMINE, IFN-gamma gene was transferred to human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts with plasmid pcDNA3IFN-gamma in vitro. Cells treated with plasmid pcDNA3 without IFN-gamma gene were used as the controls. The transfected fibroblasts were screened by G418. The expression of IFN-gamma was determined by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry assay. The effects of IFN-gamma on the proliferation of Tenon's capsule fibroblasts were evaluated by flow cytometry and MTT., Results: The Tenon's capsule fibroblasts transferred the IFN-gamma gene could express the IFN-gamma RNA and protein transiently. The proliferation of the fibroblasts transferred the IFN-gamma gene was inhibited., Conclusion: The proliferation of the Tenon's capsule fibroblasts in vitro can be inhibited by transferred IFN-gamma gene.