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Wen-Jiao Wu,1,* Chang-Liang Xia,1,* Shuan-Ji Ou,1 Yang Yang,1 Xiao-Zhong Zhou,1 Yun-Fei Ma,2 Yi-Long Hou,2 Fa-Zheng Wang,3 Qing-Po Yang,3 Yong Qi,1,4 Chang-Peng Xu1,4 1Department of Orthopaedics, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Orthopaedics, First People’s Hospital of Kashgar Prefecture, Kashgar, Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China; 4The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yong Qi; Chang-Peng Xu, Tel +86-20-8916-8085, Email gd2hqy@163.com; gd2hxcp@163.comIntroduction: Osteomyelitis is characterized by intensive inflammatory bone disease and remains a clinical challenge in orthopedic surgery, despite the advances made in medical and surgical therapies. Staphylococcus aureusis a major causative agent of osteomyelitis, causing the progressive inflammatory destruction of bone. Prophylaxis of osteomyelitis during orthopedic surgery is necessary. NFκB essential modulator–binding domain (NBD) peptides are cell-permeable peptide inhibitors of the IκB-kinase complex. The prophylactic effect of NBD peptides in relieving inflammation and inhibiting bone defects in osteomyelitis is still under investigation. Our purpose was to determine the preventive effect of NBD peptides in S. aureus infection–induced bone defects in osteomyelitis.Methods: An S. aureus osteomyelitis rabbit model was used in this study. The rabbits were divided into four groups: NBD, cefazolin, control, and PBS. Clinical and laboratory indicators of erythrocyte-sedimentation rate, CRP, and TNFα levels were assessed to monitor systemic reactions. The efficacy of NBD peptides in S. aureus–induced osteomyelitis was evaluated by radiological, histological, and microbiological examinations, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and micro-CT scans.Results: In general, NBD peptides effectively reduced clinical signs in rabbits when compared with the control group. Radiography indicated that there was more severe osteomyelitis in the bacterium-infection control group. There was no significance between cefazolin- and NBD-group average scores. The histological results of the lesion slices further confirmed different severity among the groups. Additionally, significant pathological differences were found between the cefazolin and NBD groups, and the PBS group showed no obvious pathological changes.Conclusion: Prophylactic administration of NBD peptides to bone-defect areas inhibited bacterial spread and promoted bone regeneration, making NBD peptides a possible treatment option for prophylaxis in bone infections.Keywords: NBD peptide, bone infection, Staphylococcus aureus, osteomyelitis

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnant women with pre-eclampsia (PE), complicated with fetal growth restriction (FGR), and establish a prediction model of vaginal delivery to guide the selection of the delivery mode., Patients and Methods: The study included 208 pregnant women with PE complicated with FGR. Of them, 49 patients were in the vaginal delivery group, and 159 patients were in the cesarean section group. The relevant maternal and fetal outcomes were analyzed. Patients were randomly divided into the training sample group and the test group with a ratio of 2:1. The three-layer neural network was used to select 24 maternal and infant outcome factors as the input nodes of the neural network to build a vaginal delivery prediction model., Results: Results showed that the gestational age, the highest systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body weight, body length, and placental weight of the newborns in the vaginal delivery group were significantly higher than those in the cesarean section group. Incidence of preterm birth, amniotic fluid grade III, oligohydramnios, and severe small-for-gestational-age (sSGA) neonates were significantly lower in the vaginal delivery group compared to the cesarean section group (p < 0.05). A three-layer neural network delivery prediction model was constructed, and the accuracy rate of fitting with test samples was 91.80%., Conclusions: There is no significant difference in the incidence of maternal and fetal complications in PE complicated with FGR in different delivery methods. The three-layer neural network prediction model has good prediction ability for vaginal delivery of PE complicated with FGR and may be applied in clinical practice.

The cortex (i.e., absorptive tissue) and stele (transportive vascular tissue) are fundamental to the function of plant roots. Unraveling how these anatomical structures are assembled in absorptive roots is essential for our understanding of plant ecology, physiology, and plant responses to global environmental changes. In this review, we first compile a large data set on anatomical traits in absorptive roots, including cortex thickness and stele radius, across 698 observations and 512 species. Using this data set, we reveal a common root allometry in absorptive root structures, i.e., cortex thickness increases much faster than stele radius with increasing root diameter (hereafter, root allometry). Root allometry is further validated within and across plant growth forms (woody, grass, and liana species), mycorrhiza types (arbuscular mycorrhiza, ectomycorrhiza, and orchid mycorrhizas), phylogenetic gradients (from ferns to Orchidaceae), and environmental change scenarios (e.g., elevation of atmospheric CO 2 concentration and nitrogen fertilization). These findings indicate that root allometry is common in plants. Importantly, root allometry varies greatly across species. We then summarize recent research on the mechanisms of root allometry and potential issues regarding these mechanisms. We further discuss ecological and evolutionary implications of root allometry. Finally, we propose several important research directions that should be pursued regarding root allometry., Competing Interests: We declare that we have no conflict interest., (© 2023 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.)

Temperature lapse rate (TLR), measured as the degree of temperature change along an altitudinal gradient, is a key indicator of multiple ecological processes of mountain systems. Although many studies have examined temperature changes of open air or near-surface along altitudes, we know little about altitudinal variations of soil temperature, which play an important role in regulating growth and reproduction of organisms, as well as ecosystem nutrient cycling. Based on temperature data of near-surface (15 cm above ground) and soil layers (8 cm below ground) from 12 sampling sites of subtropical forest along an altitudinal gradient (300-1300 m) in Jiangxi Guan-shan National Nature Reserve from September 2018 to August 2021, we calculated the lapse rates of mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures, as well as accumulated temperatures by using simple linear regression for both near-surface and soil temperature. The seasonal dynamics of aforementioned variables were also evaluated. The results showed that there were large differences among mean, maximum, and minimum lapse rates for annual near-surface temperature, which were 0.38, 0.31 and 0.51 ℃·(100 m) -1 , respectively. But little variation was documented for soil temperature which were 0.40, 0.38 and 0.42 ℃·(100 m) -1 , respectively. The seasonal variations of temperature lapse rates for near-surface and soil layers were minor except for minimum temperature. The lapse rates of minimum temperature were deeper in spring and winter for near-surface and in spring and autumn for soil layers. For growing degree days (GDD), the accumulated temperature under both layers were negatively correlated with altitude, and the lapse rates of ≥5 ℃ were 163 ℃·d·(100 m) -1 for near-surface and 179 ℃·d·(100 m) -1 for soil. The ≥5 ℃ GDD in soil were about 15 days longer than that in near-surface at the same altitude. The results showed inconsistent patterns of altitudinal variations between near-surface and soil temperature. Soil temperature and its lapse rates had minor seasonal variations compared with the near-surface counterparts, which was related to the strong buffering capacity of soil.

We compared the interspecific differences in leaf nutrient resorption of two dominant understory species ( Lophatherum gracile and Oplimenus unulatifolius ), and analyzed the correlations between the intraspecific efficiency of leaf nutrient resorption and nutrient properties of soil and leaves in Chinese fir plantation. The results showed high soil nutrient heterogeneity in Chinese fir plantation. Soil inorganic nitrogen content and available phosphorus content varied from 8.58 to 65.29 mg·kg -1 and from 2.43 to 15.20 mg·kg -1 in the Chinese fir plantation, respectively. The soil inorganic nitrogen content in O. undulatifolius community was 1.4 times higher than that in L. gra-cile community, but there was no significant difference in soil available phosphorus content between the two communities. Both leaf nitrogen and phosphorus resorption efficiency of O. unulatifolius was significantly lower than that of L. gracile under the three measurement bases of leaf dry weight, leaf area, and lignin content. Resorption efficiency in L. gracile community expressed on leaf dry weight was lower than that expressed on leaf area and lignin content, while resorption efficiency expressed on leaf area was the lowest in O. unulatifolius community. The intraspecific resorption efficiency was significantly correlated with leaf nutrient contents, but was less correlated with soil nutrient content, and only the nitrogen resorption efficiency of L. gracile had significant positive correlation with soil inorganic nitrogen content. The results indicated that there was significant difference in the leaf nutrient resorption efficiency between the two understory species. Soil nutrient heterogeneity exerted a weak effect on the intraspecific nutrient resorption, which might be attributed to high soil nutrient availability and potential disturbance from canopy litter in Chinese fir plantation.

Acid rain is one of most serious environment problems in China. The types of acid rain have gradually transformed from sulfuric acid rain (SAR) to mixed acid rain (MAR) and nitric acid rain (NAR) in recent years. Roots are one source of soil organic carbon and play an important role in the formation of soil aggregates. However, the changes in acid rain type and the effect of root removal on soil organic carbon in forest ecosystems are poorly understood. In this study, we removed roots and simulated acid rain with different types (SO 4 2- :NO 3 - ratio of 4:1, 1:1, and 1:4) for three years in Cunninghamia lanceolata (CP) and Michelia macclurei (MP) plantations to analyze the changes of soil organic carbon and physical properties and to measure the size and mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates. Results showed that root removal in C. lanceolata and M. macclurei remarkably reduced soil organic carbon pool by 16.7 % and 21.5%, and soil recalcitrant carbon by 13.5% and 20.0%, respectively. Root removal substantially decreased the MWD and proportion and organic carbon content of soil macroaggregates in M. macclurei, but not in C. lanceolata . Acid rain did not affect soil organic carbon pool and soil aggregate structures. Our results indicated that roots promote soil organic carbon stabilization and that their contribution to the stability of soil organic carbon varies with forest types. Moreover, soil organic carbon stabilization is not affected by different types of acid rain in the short term.

Plants can alter soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activities related with carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), through litter and root exudates, with consequences on soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (P) cycling. However, it is not well known how the changes in soil phosphorus availability affect the relationships between plants and soil microorganisms. In this study, a factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Chinese fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata ) planting and different levels of P addition (0, 1.95, 3.9, 7.8 and 15.6 g P·m -2 ·a -1 ) on soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activities. The results showed that planting Chinese fir planting significantly altered soil microbial biomass and C- and N- and P-related extracellular enzyme activities, but the effects were dependent on P addition levels. Without P addition, Chinese fir planting significantly reduced soil nutrient availability and pH, which led to the aggravation of P limitation and lower soil microbial biomass. P addition relieved P limitation, and reduced soil acid phosphatase (ACP) activities by 30.0%, 30.5%, 35.3% and 47.1% with the increasing P addition level (1.95, 3.9, 7.8 and 15.6 g P·m -2 ·a -1 ). Under three P addition levels (1.95, 3.9 and 7.8 g P·m -2 ·a -1 ), the negative effects of Chinese fir planting on soil microbial growth were alleviated. Under the high P addition level (15.6 g P·m -2 ·a -1 ), the negative effects of Chinese fir planting on soil microbial growth occurred again due to soil N limitation. Taken together, Chinese fir planting and soil P availability generally affected soil microbial biomass and extracellular enzyme activities, and changed P limitation.

Objectives: To study new biomarkers for the early diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by analyzing the differences in blood metabolites based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and metabolomics., Methods: Dried blood spots were collected from 21 infants with ROP (ROP group) and 21 infants without ROP (non-ROP group) who were hospitalized in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2013 to December 2016. LC-MS/MS was used to measure the metabolites, and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis was used to search for differentially expressed metabolites and biomarkers., Results: There was a significant difference in blood metabolic profiles between the ROP and non-ROP groups. The pattern recognition analysis, Score-plot, and weight analysis obtained 10 amino acids with a relatively large difference. Further statistical analysis showed that the ROP group had significant increases in blood levels of glutamic acid, leucine, aspartic acid, ornithine, and glycine compared with the non-ROP group ( P <0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that glutamic acid and ornithine had the highest value in diagnosing ROP., Conclusions: Blood metabolites in preterm infants with ROP are different from those without ROP. Glutamic acid and ornithine are the metabolic markers for diagnosing ROP. LC-MS/MS combined with metabolomics analysis has a potential application value in the early identification and diagnosis of ROP.

Objective: Explore the mental health status and its influencing factors of local community residents under the post-epidemic era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China., Methods: The basic information scale, self-rating depression scale and self-rating anxiety scale were used to carry out an online questionnaire survey among community residents in Jiangsu Province, China, and the influencing factors of depression and anxiety were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression., Results: A total of 993 residents completed the mental health survey. It was found that the incidence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was 37.06% and 22.86%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that women [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 26.239 (14.743-46.698)], college degree and above [OR (95% CI) = 1.843 (1.085-3.130)] and ordinary residents [OR (95% CI) = 2.222 (1.441-3.425)] were risk factors for depressive symptoms, urban residents had lower risk [OR (95% CI) = 0.655 (0.394-0.829)]. Women [OR (95% CI) = 33.595 (15.812-71.381)] and ordinary residents [OR (95% CI) = 3.017 (1.602-5.680)] were risk factors for anxiety symptoms while the incidence was reduced in professional and technical personnel [OR (95% CI) = 0.271 (0.123-0.597)], workers [OR (95% CI) = 0.383 (0.168-0.876)], soldiers or policemen [OR (95% CI) = 0.200 (0.042-0.961)], married residents [OR (95% CI) = 0.463 (0.230-0.931)] and urban residents [OR (95% CI) = 0.531 (0.251-0.824)]., Conclusion: The incidence of symptoms of depression and anxiety among residents was relatively high under the post-epidemic era of COVID-19, which could be affected by various factors., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Physicians. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: We found microRNA (miR)-1246 to be significantly differentially expressed between severe active alopecia areata (AA) patients and healthy individuals., Objective: To explore the role and mechanism of miR-1246 in severe AA., Methods: Expression of miR-1246, dual-specific tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A), and nuclear factor of activated T cells 1c (NFATc1) in peripheral CD4 + T cells and in scalp tissues of patients were detected using RT-qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry assays. Peripheral CD4 + T cells from the AA patients were transfected with lentiviral vectors overexpressing miR-1246. RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis were used to measure mRNA or protein expression of retinoic-acid-receptor-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma (ROR-γt), interleukin (IL)-17, DYRK1A, NFATc1, and phosphorylated NFATc1. Flow cytometry was used to assay the CD4 + IL-17 + cells proportion. ELISA was used to measure cytokine levels., Results: miR-1246 levels decreased and DYRK1A and NFATc1 mRNA levels significantly increased in the peripheral CD4 + T cells and scalp tissues of severe active AA samples. NFATc1 protein expression was also significantly increased in the peripheral CD4 + T cells but not in the scalp tissues. NFATc1 positive cells were mainly distributed among infiltrating inflammatory cells around hair follicles. In peripheral CD4 + T cells of severe active AA, overexpression of miR-1246 resulted in significant downregulation of DYRK1A, NFATc1, ROR-γt, and IL-17 mRNA and phosphorylated NFATc1 protein, as well as a decrease in the CD4 + IL-17 + cells proportion and the IL-17F level., Conclusion: miR-1246 can inhibit NFAT signaling and Th17 cell activation, which may be beneficial in the severe AA treatment., Competing Interests: The authors have nothing to disclose., (Copyright © The Korean Dermatological Association and The Korean Society for Investigative Dermatology.)

Objectives: Totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy has been developed with difficulty in intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy. Although mechanical stapling has been widely used for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy, manual suture holds great promise with the emergence of high-resolution 3D vision and robotic surgery. After exploration of how to improve the safety and efficiency of intracorporeal suture for esophagojejunostomy, we recommended the technique of single-layer running "trapezoid-shaped" suture. The cost-effectiveness was analyzed by comparing with conventional mechanical stapling., Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed the patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer from January 2010 to December 2021. The patients were divided into two cohorts based on the methods of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy: manual suture versus stapling suture. Propensity score matching was performed to match patients from the two cohorts at a ratio of 1:1. Then group comparison was made to determine whether manual suture was non-inferior to stapling suture in terms of operation time, anastomotic complications, postoperative hospital stay, and surgical cost., Results: The study included 582 patients with laparoscopic total gastrectomy. The manual and stapling suture for esophagojejunostomy were performed in 50 and 532 patients, respectively. In manual suture cohort, the median time for the whole operation and digestive tract reconstruction were 300 min and 110 min. There was no anastomotic bleeding and stenosis but two cases of anastomotic leak which occurred at 3 days after surgery. The median length of postoperative hospital stay was 11 days. After propensity score matching, group comparison yielded two variables with statistical significance: time for digestive tract reconstruction and surgery cost. The manual suture cohort spent less money but more time for esophagojejunostomy. Intriguingly, the learning curve of manual suture revealed that the time for digestive tract reconstruction was declined with accumulated number of operations., Conclusions: Laparoscopic single-layer running "trapezoid-shaped" suture appears safe and cost-effective for intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy. Although the concern remains about prolonged operation time for beginners of performing the suture method, adequate practice is expected to shorten the operation time based on our learning curve analysis., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: Our aim is to characterize patients with pruritus in type 2 diabetes, determine independent risk factors and explore the impact of the psychological condition of these patients., Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study. From October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, 944 individuals with T2DM who had medical treatment were identified from the database. Electronic medical record information including patient characteristics, complications, laboratory data, and medication usage was obtained from the database. Propensity score matching, univariate analysis and a multivariable logistic regression model were used in this study. Based on observation, we discussed the psychological impact of pruritus on these patients., Results: There were 97 patients with T2DM who suffered from pruritus. After propensity score matching based on age, gender, and family history of diabetes etc., 97 pairs of subjects were matched. 97 patients were categorized as the Pruritus group and 97 patients as the Non-pruritus group. In univariate analysis, there were 5 variables significantly related to pruritus, including BMI, absolute eosinophils, percentage of eosinophils, diabetic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy. After multivariable logistic regression, BMI (OR 1.094, 95%CI 1.010-1.185) and diabetic retinopathy (OR 2.440, 95%CI 1.229-4.847) were considered significant. Patients with pruritus in T2DM suffer greatly in psychological condition in many ways., Conclusions: For patients with pruritus complicated by T2DM, BMI and diabetic retinopathy may be independent risk factors. Mental health problems such as anxiety and depression might exacerbate by pruritus. The intimate partner relationship was also challenged due to the restless sleep caused by their partner. Frequent monitoring of BMI and diabetic retinopathy and psychological assessment may be warranted in these patients.

Two pairs of new enantiomeric flavonolignans, ±stachyols A and B (±1 and ± 2), along with two novel isoflavanelignans, stachyols C and D (3 and 4) were isolated from the roots of Indigofera stachyodes. Their chemical structures and absolute configurations were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance and comparison of experimental and theoretical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, as well as quantum chemical calculations. Of those compounds, 1 and 2 represented the first examples of flavonolignans with 5-deoxyflavonoids adduct phenylpropanoids. Moreover, 3 and 4 possess an unprecedented skeleton with isoflavanes adduct phenylpropanoids. The antioxidant activity was evaluated for all compounds in terms of ABTS + and DPPH bioassays. Compounds 3 and 4 exhibited significant radical-scavenging activity in the ABTS + assay, with IC 50 values of 15.15 and 5.83 μM, respectively., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To observe the main risk factors for pruritic skin evidence complicating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the effectiveness of interventions with comprehensive care measures., Methods: Two hundred and twenty four patients with T2DM admitted to our hospital from June 2020 to November 2021 were selected and divided into Diabetic pruritus group (DP group, n = 71) and T2DM group ( n = 153) according to the patients' complications of pruritus. General information such as gender, age, body mass index (BMI), duration of illness, family history, treatment modalities, other comorbidities, underlying illnesses were collected from all patients. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), renal function [Serum creatinine (Scr), urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid (BUA)], lipid levels [total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)] were measured in all patients on day 2 after admission. Risk factors for pruritus complicating T2DM were identified by single multifactorial analysis. Meanwhile, patients in the DP group were divided into group A ( n = 35) and group B ( n = 36) using the random number table method. Group A adopted the conventional care mode and group B patients adopted the comprehensive care interventions to compare the care effects [visual analog score (VAS) before and after care, treatment efficiency, care satisfaction rate] of patients in groups A and B; the levels of pruritus mediator indicators [substance P,β-endorphin (β-EP) and γ-interferon (INF-γ)] before and after care., Results: Risk factors for pruritus in T2DM were age, duration of DM, combined Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), combined diabetic retinopathy (DR), combined diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and serum FPG levels ( P <0.05). Satisfaction rate of nursing care, treatment efficiency, post-care improvement in VAS scores, serum substance P, β-EP and INF-γ levels and other mediators of pruritus were better in Group B with integrated nursing intervention than in group A with conventional care only ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Pruritus in T2DM is associated with age, duration of DM, combined DPN, combined DR, combined DKD and FPG levels. Comprehensive care according to the above risk factors can effectively relieve patients' clinical symptoms and signs, improve the level of pruritus mediators and patient-care relationship., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yang, Chen, Li and Xu.)

Independence among leaf economics, leaf hydraulics and leaf size confers plants great capability in adapting to heterogeneous environments. However, it remains unclear whether the independence of the leaf traits revealed across species still holds within species, especially under stressed conditions. Here, a suite of traits in these dimensions were measured in leaves and roots of a typical mangrove species, Ceriops tagal , which grows in habitats with a similar sunny and hot environment but different soil salinity in southern China. Compared with C. tagal under low soil salinity, C. tagal under high soil salinity had lower photosynthetic capacity, as indicated directly by a lower leaf nitrogen concentration and higher water use efficiency, and indirectly by a higher investment in defense function and thinner palisade tissue; had lower water transport capacity, as evidenced by thinner leaf minor veins and thinner root vessels; and also had much smaller single leaf area. Leaf economics, hydraulics and leaf size of the mangrove species appear to be coordinated as one trait dimension, which likely stemmed from co-variation of soil water and nutrient availability along the salinity gradient. The intraspecific leaf trait relationship under a stressful environment is insightful for our understanding of plant adaption to the multifarious environments., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)

Introduction: As one of the basic components of Astragalus, Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) has a protective effect on endothelial injury caused by diabetes. AS-IV stimulated endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to secrete exosomes loaded with miR-21. This study aimed to investigate the effects of AS-IV-mediated EPCs exosomal miR-21 (EPC-exos-miR-21) on high glucose (HG) damaged endothelial cells., Materials and Methods: After the isolation of EPCs derived from fetal umbilical cord blood, exosomes of EPCs were obtained by differential centrifugation. The morphology of exosomes was observed by electron microscopy. The particle size distribution of exosomes was detected by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with 33 mM glucose to establish an HG injury model. Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were used to characterize the surface markers of primary EPCs and the apoptosis of HUVECs. The gene and protein expression were detected by qPCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. A dual luciferase assay was used to verify the targeting relationship of miR-21 with PTEN., Results: HG environment led to time- and dose-dependent inhibition and enhancement of autophagy and apoptosis in HUVECs. AS-IV stimulated EPCs to secrete exosomes loaded with miR-21. Exosomes secreted by EPCs pretreated with AS-IV [EPC-exo(ASIV)] promoted autophagy and inhibited apoptosis in HG-impaired HUVECs. PTEN is a target of miR-21. MiR-21 carried by EPC-exo(ASIV) repressed PTEN expression in HG-impaired HUVECs. In contrast, p-AKT, p-mTOR, p-PI3K, cleaved PARP and PARP levels were upregulated. Compared to the HG group, the expression of autophagy regulatory genes (ATG5, beclin1 and LC3) was enhanced in the EPC-exo(ASIV) group and EPC-exo(ASIV)-miR-21 mimic group. In contrast, apoptosis-positive regulatory genes (Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9) were attenuated. Further overexpression of PTEN reversed the expression of these genes., Conclusions: AS-IV-mediated EPC-exos-miR-21 could enhance autophagy and depress apoptosis in HG-damaged endothelial cells via the miR-21/PTEN axis.

Tumor necrosis factor- α is a common cytokine that increases in inflammatory processes, slows the differentiation of bone formation, and induces osteodystrophy in the long-term inflammatory microenvironment. Our previous study confirmed that the Elongation protein 2 (ELP2) plays a significant role in osteogenesis and osteogenic differentiation, which is considered a drug discovery target in diseases related to bone formation and differentiation. In this study, we applied an in silico virtual screening method to select molecules that bind to the ELP2 protein from a chemical drug molecule library and obtained 95 candidates. Then, we included 11 candidates by observing the docking patterns and the noncovalent bonds. The binding affinity of the ELP2 protein with the candidate compounds was examined by SPR analysis, and 5 out of 11 compounds performed good binding affinity to the mouse ELP2 protein. After in vitro cell differentiation assay, candidates 2# and 5# were shown to reduce differentiation inhibition after tumor necrosis factor- α stimulation, allowing further optimization and development for potential clinical treatment of inflammation-mediated orthopedic diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declared no conflicts of interests to this study., (Copyright © 2021 Wen-Jiao Wu et al.)

The photochemical reactivity of humic substances plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle, and influences the toxicity, mobility, and bioavailability of contaminants by altering their molecular structure and the mineralization of organic carbon to CO 2 . Here, we examined the simulated irradiation process of Chinese standard fulvic acid (FA) and humic acid (HA) by using excitation-emission matrix fluorescence combined with fluorescence regional integration (FRI), parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis, and kinetic models. Humic-like and fulvic-like materials were the main materials (constituting more than 90%) of both FA and HA, according to the FRI analysis. Four components were identified by the PARAFAC analysis: fulvic-like components composed of both carboxylic-like and phenolic-like chromophores (C1), terrestrial humic-like components primarily composed of carboxylic-like chromophores (C2), microbial humic-like overwhelming composed of phenolic-like fluorophores (C3), and protein-like components (C4). After irradiation for 72 h, the maximum fluorescence intensity ( F max ) of C1 and C2 of FA was reduced to 36.01-58.34%, while the F max of C3 of both FA and HA also decreased to 0-9.63%. By contrast, for HA, the F max of its C1 and C2 increased to 236.18-294.77% when irradiated for 72 h due to greater aromaticity and photorefractive tendencies. The first-order kinetic model ( R 2 = 0.908-0.990) fitted better than zero-order kinetic model ( R 2 = 0-0.754) for the C1, C2, and C3, of both FA and HA, during their photochemical reactivity. The photodegradation rate constant ( k 1 ) of C1 had values (0.105 for FA; 0.154 for HA) that surpassed those of C2 (0.059 for FA, 0.079 for HA) and C3 (0.079 for both FA and HA) based on the first-order kinetic model. The half-life times of C1, C2, and C3 ranged from 6.61-11.77 h to 4.50-8.81 h for FA and HA, respectively. Combining an excitation-emission matrix with FRI and PARAFAC analyses is a powerful approach for elucidating changes to humic substances during their irradiation, which is helpful for predicting the environmental toxicity of contaminants in natural ecosystems., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wang, Yang, Tian, Song, Guo, Huang, Tan and Bai.)

Acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation of fatty acids. Previous studies have reported that ACOX1 was correlated with the meat quality of livestock, while the role of ACOX1 in intramuscular adipogenesis of beef cattle and its transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays demonstrated that ACOX1 positively regulated the adipogenesis of bovine intramuscular preadipocytes. The C/EBPα-binding sites in the bovine ACOX1 promoter region at -1142 to -1129 bp, -831 to -826 bp, and -303 to -298 bp were identified by promoter deletion analysis and site-directed mutagenesis. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) further showed that these three regions are C/EBPα-binding sites, both in vitro and in vivo, indicating that C/EBPα directly interacts with the bovine ACOX1 promoter and inhibits its transcription. Furthermore, the results from bioinformatics analysis, dual luciferase assay, site-directed mutagenesis, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting demonstrated that miR-25-3p directly targeted the ACOX1 3'UTR (3'UTR). Taken together, our findings suggest that ACOX1, regulated by transcription factor C/EBPα and miR-25-3p, promotes adipogenesis of bovine intramuscular preadipocytes via regulating peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between both quality and duration of sleep and type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly people in Shanghai. Method: Baseline data was from the '2017 epidemiological survey in Shanghai community residents aged 35 and above on type 2 diabetes'. Restricted cubic splines were used to draw dose-response curves to show the relationship between PSQI score, sleep duration and type 2 diabetes. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the effects of quality and duration of sleep as well as the interaction, on type 2 diabetes. Results: Results showed that the average PSQI score was (4.09±0.10) points, the proportion of poor sleep quality was 12.55% (95% CI : 10.77-14.58) and the average sleep duration was (7.19±0.03) hours. The relationship between PSQI score and diabetes appeared linear, with the relationship between sleep duration and diabetes as U-shaped. After adjusting for confounders, both poor sleep quality (>7 for PSQI score) and short sleep duration (sleep duration <6 hours) significantly increased the risk of type 2 diabetes, with OR =1.17 (95% CI : 1.06-1.30) and 1.20 (95% CI : 1.01-1.41), respectively. From the interaction analysis, data showed that after adjusting for confounders, both sleep duration <6 hours ( OR =1.30, 95% CI : 1.12-1.52) and ≥8 hours ( OR =1.79, 95% CI : 1.04-3.07) with poor sleep quality would increase the risks on diabetes. Conclusion: Both poor sleep quality and short sleep duration were associated with the risk of diabetes, while long sleep duration was only associated with the risk of diabetes when accompanied by poor quality of sleep.

Purpose: Treatment of chronic osteomyelitis (bone infection) remains a clinical challenge. Our previous study had demonstrated that NEMO-binding domain (NBD) peptide effectively ameliorates the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation by TNF-α in vitro. In this work, NBD peptide was evaluated in vivo for treating chronic osteomyelitis induced by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a rabbit model., Methods: Tibial osteomyelitis was induced in 50 New Zealand white rabbits by tibial canal inoculation of MRSA strain. After 3 weeks, 45 rabbits with osteomyelitis were randomly divided into four groups that correspondingly received the following interventions: 1) Control group (9 rabbits, no treatment); 2) Van group (12 rabbits, debridement and parenteral treatment with vancomycin); 3) NBD + Van group (12 rabbits, debridement and local NBD peptide injection, plus parenteral treatment with vancomycin); 4) NBD group (12 rabbits, debridement and local NBD peptide injection). Blood samples were collected weekly for the measurement of leucocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The rabbits in all four groups were sacrificed 6 weeks after debridement; the anti-infective efficacy was evaluated by radiological, histological, and microbiological examination, and promotion of bone remodeling was quantified by micro-CT using the newly formed bone., Results: Except two rabbits in the Control group and one in the NBD group that died from severe infection before the end point, the remaining 42 animals (7, 12, 12, 11 in the Control, Van, NBD + Van, and NBD group respectively) were sacrificed 6 weeks after debridement. In general, there was no significant difference in the leucocyte count, and ESR and CRP levels, although there were fluctuations throughout the follow-up period after debridement. MRSA was still detectable in bone tissue samples of all animals. Interestingly, treatment with NBD peptide plus vancomycin significantly reduced radiological and histological severity scores compared to that in other groups. The best therapeutic efficacy in bone defect repair was observed in the NBD peptide + Van group., Conclusions: In a model of osteomyelitis induced by MRSA, despite the failure in demonstrating antibacterial effectiveness of NBD peptide in vivo, the results suggest antibiotics in conjunction with NBD peptide to possibly have promising therapeutic potential in osteomyelitis., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s). 2019.)

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a pluripotent signaling molecule. The biological effect of TNF-α includes slowing down osteogenic differentiation, which can lead to bone dysplasia in long-term inflammatory microenvironments. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)-interacting protein 1 (StIP1, also known as elongator complex protein 2, ELP2) play a role in inhibiting TNF-α-induced osteoblast differentiation. In the present study, we investigated whether and how ELP2 activation mediates the effects of TNF-α on osteoblastic differentiation. Using in vitro cell cultures of preosteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, we found that TNF-α inhibited osteoblastic differentiation accompanied by an increase in ELP2 expression and STAT3 activation. Forced ELP2 expression inhibited osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells, with a decrease in the expression of osteoblast marker genes, alkaline phosphatase activity, and matrix mineralization capacity. In contrast, ELP2 silencing ameliorated osteogenic differentiation in MC3T3-E1 cells, even after TNF-α stimulation. The TNF-α-induced inhibitory effect on osteoblastic differentiation was therefore mediated by ELP2, which was associated with Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/STAT3 activation. These results suggest that ELP2 is upregulated at the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells into osteoblasts and inhibits osteogenic differentiation in response to TNF-α through STAT3 activation., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic cytokine that becomes elevated in chronic inflammatory states, including slowing down osteogenic differentiation, which leads to bone dysplasia in long-term inflammatory microenvironments. The elongator complex plays a role in gene regulation and association with various cellular activities, including the downstream signal transduction of TNF-α in osteogenic cells. To find an inhibitor of Elongator Protein 2 (Elp2), we performed a compound library screen and verified the pharmaceutical effects of candidate compounds on the mouse myoblast cell (C2C12) and mouse osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1). The commercial FDA-approved drug (FD) library and the bioactive compound (BC) library were used as candidate libraries. After a label-free, high-throughput affinity measurement with surface plasmon resonance (SPRi), seven kinds of compounds showed binding affinity with mouse Elp2 protein. The seven candidates were then used to perform an inhibition test with TNF-α-induced C2C12 and MC3T3-E1 cell lines. One candidate compound reduced the differentiation suppression caused by TNF-α with resuscitated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mineralization intensity and expression of osteogenic differentiation marker genes. The results of our study provide a competitive candidate to mitigate the TNF-α-induced osteogenic differentia., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Objective: To evaluate the effects of miR-29a on the high glucose (HG)-induced apoptosis and the correlation between miR-29a and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and the underlying molecular mechanism., Materials and Methods: The cell apoptosis was analyzed by the flow cytometry, and the cells autophagy was evaluated using the transmission electron microscopy. Luciferase reporter assay was carried out to detect the correlation between miR-29a and HO-1. Besides, reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein levels., Results: The expression of miR-29a was significantly decreased in the HG-treated podocytes. Besides, miR-29a overexpression could promote cellular autophagy and significantly reduce HG-induced podocytes apoptosis. Moreover, HO-1 was a direct target of miR-29a and the pre-autophagy and the anti-apoptotic effects of miR-29a on HG-treated podocytes could be significantly reversed by the HO-1 siRNA administration., Conclusions: MiR-29a functionally promoted podocytes autophagy and inhibited apoptosis through the HO-1dependent pathway in the HG condition.

Malectin is a newly discovered endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident lectin, which specifically recognizes Glc2Man9GlcNAc2 on newly synthesized glycoproteins. We have previously demonstrated that malectin forms a complex with ribophorin I for selective retention of misfolded glycoproteins inside the cell. Here, we showed that ribophorin I also functions to regulate the subcellular localization of malectin under various conditions. Even though malectin does not contain an ER-retention signal motif, we found that endogenous malectin mainly localizes in the ER, which is disrupted upon suppression of ribophorin I, leading to its movement from ER to Golgi. In contrast, under ER-stress conditions, malectin mainly localizes in the Golgi, which is restored to ER localization by overexpression of ribophorin I. These results indicate that the subcellular localization of malectin is accurately regulated by the expression level of ribophorin I, which will provide further insights into the understanding of the function of malectin.

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features of lymphoproliferative disease by lymph node core needle biopsy(CNB)and to evaluate the diagnostic significance of CNB for lymphoproliferative disease. Methods: The annual distribution, entity constitute, clinical finding, gross feature, morphologic change, affiliate study and repeat biopsy diagnosis of 1 013 cases of lymph node CNB diagnosed at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2009 to December 2015 were investigated. Results: (1) Proportion of lymph node CNB in total amount of biopsy specimens increased from 0.2% in 2009 to 0.8% in 2015.(2) The study cohort included 471 lymphomas, 12 atypical lymphoid hyperplasia (ALH), 136 suspected lymphomas, 372 benign lesions, and 22 cases of descriptive diagnoses. The most common types were diffuse large B cell lymphoma and T-lymphoblastic lymphoma. (3) Majority of patients were adolescents and children younger than 20 years or the elderly older than 60 years. 53.1% CNB tumor specimen consisted of ≥4 tissue cores and 40.5% were >2 cm in length. (4) 104 CNB cases with previous history of excision biopsy was included 45 carcinomas(no metastatic carcinoma was found), 32 lymphomas for treatment observation.1/14 suspicious lymphomas, 1/1 ALH and 3/22 cases benign lesions were diagnosed as lymphoma by repeat biopsy respectively. (5) 217 CNB cases were diagnosed as lymphoma by subsequent CNB (70), or subsequent excision biopsy (147) including 78.5%(73/93) suspected lymphomas, 5/7 ALH and 32.3%(20/62)benign lesions. Conclusions: Lymph node CNB has certain clinical indications, although limited for the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders. Suspected lymphomas and ALH diagnosed by CNB should be followed by repeat tissue biopsy. For the benign lesions by CNB it does not rule out additional biopsy to further investigate the lesion.

The effects of Phyllostachys edulis and Oligostachyum oedogonatum expansion on species diversity of broad-leaved forests were investigated in Wuyishan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China. Ph. edulis and/or O. oedogonatum expansion changed community structure and species composition. The co expansion of the two bamboos in high intensity (Ph. edulis was 30-50 ind·100 m -2 , O. oedogonatum was 300-500 ind·100 m -2 ) changed the density ratio of arbor and shrub from 2:8 to 1:9, and density ratio of bamboo and tree from 0:10 to 9:1. The main effects of Ph. edulis and O. oedogonatum on the species diversity were significant. Ph. edulis mainly influe-nced arbor layer, while O. oedogonatum influenced shrub layer more, and the interaction effect of two bamboos was not remarkable. There existed addition effects between Ph. edulis and O. oedogonatum on species diversity. The co-occurrence of two bamboos in high intensity decreased the Shannon index of community by 91.3%. Ph. edulis and O. oedogonatum did not compete obviously unless in high density. It was addition effect rather than interaction effect that changed the community structure and reduced species diversity when broad leaved forest suffered invasion by Ph. edulis and O. oedogonatum.

Water and nitrogen are two of the most important factors for plant growth and development. However, little is known about effects of N on water translocation between connected bamboo ramets. We performed experiment connected Indocalamus decorus ramets in adjacent pots with different soil water contents and three N levels. We determined antioxidase activities, concentration of osmotic adjustment products, O 2 · - , MDA and photosynthetic pigments, and electrolyte leakage rate in paired unit. When N supply to supporting ramets increased, their electrolyte leakage rates and contents of O 2 · - and MDA significantly increased, while antioxidase activities and contents of osmotic adjustment products and photosynthetic pigments in connected dependent ramets increased markedly as their electrolyte leakage rates and contents of O 2 · - and MDA decreased greatly. When N addition to dependent ramets increased, antioxidant enzyme activity and contents of osmotic adjustment products and photosynthetic pigments decreased in both ramets, but electrolyte leakage rates and O 2 · - and MDA contents increased significantly. Therefore, N addition to either supporting or dependent ramets can improve water integration among I. decorus ramets. N addition to supporting ramets promotes water translocation and alleviates water stress of dependent ramets, but N addition to dependent ramets exacerbates drought stress damage to dependent ramets.

To investigate the clinical significance of hepatic parenchyma incision by lithotomy near the second hepatic portal area for the treatment of complex hepatolithiasis.A retrospective study was conducted with 35 patients who had complicated hepatolithiasis in our hospital from January 2008 to December 2013, who underwent hepatic parenchyma incision by lithotomy near the second hepatic portal area. The perioperative and long-term outcomes included the stone clearance rate, operative morbidity and mortality, and the stone recurrence rate. Patients with a preoperative diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma were excluded from the study.All patients with hepatic duct stones were mainly located at S2, S4, and S8 regions. Surgical methods included were hepatic parenchyma incision by lithotomy near the second hepatic portal area, or by combined partial hepatectomy. The mean follow-up period was 51 months. One patient died during hospitalization. The surgical morbidity was 17.6%, stone clearance rate was 88.2%, and final clearance rate was 94.1% followed by postoperative choledochoscopic lithotripsy. The stone recurrence rate was 15.6% and the occurrence of postoperative cholangitis was 11.8% during the follow-up period.Hepatic parenchyma incision by lithotomy near the second hepatic portal area is safe with satisfactory short and long-term outcome results for complicated hepatolithiasis.

Canopies in evergreen coniferous plantations often consist of various-aged needles. However, the effect of needle age on the photosynthetic responses to thinning remains ambiguous. Photosynthetic responses of different-aged needles to thinning were investigated in a Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantation. A dual isotope approach [simultaneous measurements of stable carbon (δ 13 C) and oxygen (δ 18 O) isotopes] was employed to distinguish between biochemical and stomatal limitations to photosynthesis. Our results showed that increases in net photosynthesis rates upon thinning only occurred in the current-year and one-year-old needles, and not in the two- to four-year-old needles. The increased δ 13 C and declined δ 18 O in current year needles of trees from thinned stands indicated that both the photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance resulted in increasing photosynthesis. In one-year-old needles of trees from thinned stands, an increased needle δ 13 C and a constant needle δ 18 O were observed, indicating the photosynthetic capacity rather than stomatal conductance contributed to the increasing photosynthesis. The higher water-soluble nitrogen content in current-year and one-year-old needles in thinned trees also supported that the photosynthetic capacity plays an important role in the enhancement of photosynthesis. In contrast, the δ 13 C, δ 18 O and water-soluble nitrogen in the two- to four-year-old needles were not significantly different between the control and thinned trees. Thus, the thinning effect on photosynthesis depends on needle age in a Chinese fir plantation. Our results highlight that the different responses of different-aged needles to thinning have to be taken into account for understanding and modelling ecosystem responses to management, especially under the expected environmental changes in future., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) expansion into adjacent forests is a widespread phenomenon in subtropical regions, and it has greatly changed the dominance hierarchy from trees to bamboos. This process may be accompanied by changes in productivity, nutrients accumulation and biogeochemical cycles. We compared the net primary production (NPP) and major pools and fluxes of nitrogen (N) in bamboo-dominant forest (BDF) and neighboring secondary evergreen broadleaved forest (EBF) in South China using the space-for-time substitution method. We found that the mean NPP of the BDF was 30.0 t ha -1 yr -1 , which was 51.5% greater than that of the EBF (19.8 t ha -1 yr -1 ). The plant N pool for the BDF was 37.5% larger than that of the EBF, whereas the soil inorganic N pool significantly decreased by 31.2% with conversion of the EBF to BDF. Additionally, the ratio of N return to N uptake was 0.69 in the BDF and 0.88 in the EBF because of the lower litter N return of the BDF compared with that of the EBF. These results indicated that the expansion of P. pubescens significantly increased the NPP and plant N accumulation but reduced the soil N available pool and slowed the N cycling rate, which could lead to soil degradation.

Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) may have a biphasic effect on melanin synthesis and melanosome transfer. High H 2 O 2 concentrations are involved in impaired melanosome transfer in vitiligo. However, low H 2 O 2 concentration promotes the beneficial proliferation and migration of melanocytes. The aim of this study was to explore low H 2 O 2 and its mechanism in melanosome transfer, protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) expression and calcium balance. Melanosomes were fluorescein-labeled for clear visualization of their transfer. The expression of protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) in keratinocytes was determined by western blot analysis. Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate the effects of H 2 O 2 on calcium levels in keratinocytes. Fluorescence microscopy showed the upregulation of melanosome transfer into keratinocytes following 0.3 mM H 2 O 2 treatment in the co-cultures rather than in the untreated control groups, which was associated with higher expression of PAR-2 protein and increased calcium concentration. The addition of a PAR-2 antagonist inhibited the positive activity of H 2 O 2 and calcium flow in keratinocytes. When calcium flow was blocked by a calcium chelator, the addition of H 2 O 2 did not increase the PAR-2 expression level in keratinocytes, therefore, inhibiting dendrite formation and melanosome transfer. Low H 2 O 2 concentration promotes melanosome transfer with increased PAR-2 expression level and calcium concentration in keratinocytes. In addition, the interaction between melanocytes and keratinocytes is more beneficial to enhance calcium levels in keratinocytes which mediate melanin transfer. Moreover, low H 2 O 2 concentration promotes dendrite formation, in which extracellular calcium and Par-2 were involved.

The "sandwich" protocol, was first proposed by us and comprised of l-asparaginase, vincristine, and prednisone chemotherapy with radiotherapy, results in 2-year overall survival and progression-free survival rates that surpass traditional therapies for patients with newly diagnosed, stage IE-IIE, nasal type, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma. The results had been published by cancer. These patients were followed up over a median period of 67 months, for which updates and the results of prognostic factors analyses are presented. The 5-year overall survival and progress-free survival rates were both 64%. The highest rates of death occurred during the first 6 months, and between the second and third year after enrollment. The initial therapeutic response (odds ratio = 5.83; P = 0.001) and B symptoms (odds ratio = 6.13; P = 0.043) were significant prognostic factors for overall survival. However, the international prognostic index was not significant for progress-free survival and overall survival. There were no severe long-term side effects. These results indicate that the "sandwich" protocol may benefit the long-term survival of patients with newly diagnosed stage IE-IIE, nasal type, extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma. However, additional studies with larger samples are required to confirm these results. This study is registered at www.Chictr.org (ChicTR-TNC-09000394)., (© 2015 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

To detect the ecological process of the succession series of Phyllostachys glauca forest in a limestone mountain, five niche models, i.e., broken stick model (BSM), niche preemption model (NPM), dominance preemption model (DPM), random assortment model (RAM) and overlap- ping niche model (ONM) were employed to describe the species-abundance distribution patterns (SDPs) of 15 samples. χ² test and Akaike information criterion (AIC) were used to test the fitting effects of the five models. The results showed that the optimal SDP models for P. glauca forest, bamboo-broadleaved mixed forest and broadleaved forest were DPM (χ² = 35.86, AIC = -69.77), NPM (χ² = 1.60, AIC = -94.68) and NPM (χ² = 0.35, AIC = -364.61), respectively. BSM also well fitted the SDP of bamboo-broadleaved mixed forest and broad-leaved forest, while it was unsuitable to describe the SDP of P. glauca forest. The fittings of RAM and ONM in the three forest types were all rejected by the χ² test and AIC. With the development of community succession from P. glauca forest to broadleaved forest, the species richness and evenness increased, and the optimal SDP model changed from DPM to NPM. It was inferred that the change of ecological process from habitat filtration to interspecific competition was the main driving force of the forest succession. The results also indicated that the application of multiple SDP models and test methods would be beneficial to select the best model and deeply understand the ecological process of community succession.

The research was to approach the growth strategy of rhizome and roots based on the morphology, biomass and nutrient in Phyllostachys rivalis under long-term waterlogged conditions, and provided a theoretical basis for its application for vegetation restoration in wetland and water-level fluctuation belts. The morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical indexes of annual bamboo rhizome and roots were investigated with an experiment using individually potted P. rivalis which was treated by artificial water-logging for 3, 6, and 12 months. Accordingly the morphological characteristics, biomass allocation, nutrient absorption and balance in rhizome and roots of P. rivalis were analyzed. The results showed that there was no obvious impact of long-term water-logging on the length and diameter of rhizomes, diameter of roots in P. rivalis. The morphological characteristics of rhizome had been less affected generally under water-logging for 3 months. And less rhizomes were submerged, while the growth of roots was inhibited to some extent. Furthermore, with waterlogging time extended, submerged roots and rhizomes grew abundantly, and the roots and rhizomes in soil were promoted. Moreover for ratios of rhizome biomass in soil and water, there were no obvious variations, the same for the root biomass in soil to total biomass. The ratio of root biomass in water to total biomass and the ratio of root biomass in water to root biomass in soil both increased significantly. The results indicated that P. rivalis could adapt to waterlogged conditions gradually through growth regulation and reasonable biomass distribution. However, the activity of rhizome roots in soil decreased and the nutrient absorption was inhibited by long-term water-logging, although it had no effect on stoichiometric ratios of root nutrient in soil. The activity of rhizome root in water increased and the stoichiometric ratios adjusted adaptively to waterlogged conditions, the ratio of N/P increased, while N/K and P/K decreased, which implied that roots in water absorbed oxygen and nutrients could help P. rivalis adapt to long-term waterlogged environment effectively.

There is mounting evidence that T helper (Th)17 cells and regulatory T cells (Treg) play parts in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. Hence, levels of these T-cell subsets in patients with alopecia areata (AA) merit investigation. Our goal was to assess Th17 and Treg levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and scalp lesions of patients with AA, correlating the findings with clinical characteristics. PBMC of 177 patients with AA (test group) and 42 healthy controls and scalp tissues of 33 patients and 15 healthy controls were collected. Levels of Th17 and Treg subsets were then determined via flow cytometry and immunohistochemical staining, correlating results in test subjects with clinical features of AA. Th17 levels were significantly higher in patients, whereas Treg levels were lower by comparison. Furthermore, Th17 levels in patients with disease of short duration or in the active phase were significantly higher, relative to their respective counterparts. Th17 levels also negatively correlated with disease duration. While Treg levels were higher in severe AA than in mild AA. Results of lesions were parallel to findings of PBMC. Our data indicates an imbalance in the immune state of patients with AA., (© 2015 Japanese Dermatological Association.)

The impact of reforestation on soil organic carbon (OC), especially in deep layer, is poorly understood and deep soil OC stabilization in relation with aggregation and vegetation type in afforested area is unknown. Here, we collected topsoil (0-15 cm) and deep soil (30-45 cm) from six paired coniferous forests (CF) and broad-leaved forests (BF) reforested in the early 1990s in subtropical China. Soil aggregates were separated by size by dry sieving and OC stability was measured by closed-jar alkali-absorption in 71 incubation days. Soil OC concentration and mean weight diameter were higher in BF than CF. The cumulative carbon mineralization (Cmin, mg CO2-C kg-1 soil) varied with aggregate size in BF and CF topsoils, and in deep soil, it was higher in larger aggregates than in smaller aggregates in BF, but not CF. The percentage of soil OC mineralized (SOCmin, % SOC) was in general higher in larger aggregates than in smaller aggregates. Meanwhile, SOCmin was greater in CF than in BF at topsoil and deep soil aggregates. In comparison to topsoil, deep soil aggregates generally exhibited a lower Cmin, and higher SOCmin. Total nitrogen (N) and the ratio of carbon to phosphorus (C/P) were generally higher in BF than in CF in topsoil and deep soil aggregates, while the same trend of N/P was only found in deep soil aggregates. Moreover, the SOCmin negatively correlated with OC, total N, C/P and N/P. This work suggests that reforested vegetation type might play an important role in soil OC storage through internal nutrient cycling. Soil depth and aggregate size influenced OC stability, and deep soil OC stability could be altered by vegetation reforested about 20 years.

To understand the physiological adaptive mechanism of Phyllostachys violascens to intensive mulching management, the effect of mulching management (CK, 1, 3 and 6 years) on the concentrations and ratios of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in bamboo foliage, and their stoichiometry was investigated. The results showed the concentrations of NSC and soluble sugar increased, while the starch content and N/P decreased markedly in bamboo stand with 1-year mulching, compared to CK stand, which suggested the N limitation to bamboo growth was strengthened. Foliar soluble sugar content decreased significantly, while the starch content increased dramatically, and the NSC content by per unit mass of N and P reached the maximum in the bamboo stand with 3-year mulching, compared to all other treatments. Foliar NSC and soluble sugar contents decreased significantly, while foliar starch content and N/P increased dramatically in the stand with 6-year mulching, which suggested the P limitation to bamboo growth was strengthened. Foliar NSC content was positively correlated with N and P concentrations in a short-term mulching management stand (≤ 3 years), while showed negative relationship with N/P. The foliar starch content in the stand with 6-year mulching was negatively correlated with N and P contents, while was positively correlated with N/P. The results indicated that short-term mulching management accelerated the accumulation of soluble sugar and decomposition of starch in foliage, thus the growth and activity of Ph. violascens was enhanced greatly. Long-term mulching management promoted the starch accumulation, which led to the transition from N limitation to P limitation for bamboo growth. In summary, long-term (6 years) mulching management caused the decrease of growth and activity of Ph. violascens dramatically, thus enhancing the bamboo stand degradation. The utilization efficiency of N and P reached the highest in the stand with 3-year mulching, which implied 3-year was the best suitable period for intensive mulching management for maintaining bamboo stand quality.

A novel anion sensor array based on supramolecular metallogels has been developed. It could accurately identify CN(-), SCN(-), S(2-) and I(-) in water. Interestingly, this sensor array is based on a novel design approach termed "competitive coordination control AIE mode" to develop anion-responsive gels which need only one synthesized gelator G1.

Novel therapeutic regimens for tissue renewal incorporate mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as they differentiate into a variety of cell types and are a stem cell type that is easy to harvest and to expand in vitro. However, surface chemokine receptors, such as CXCR4, which are involved in the mobilization of MSCs, are expressed only on the surface of a small proportion of MSCs, and the lack of CXCR4 expression may underlie the low efficiency of homing of MSCs toward tissue damage, which results in a poor curative effect. Here, a rat CXCR4 expressing lentiviral vector was constructed and introduced into MSCs freshly prepared from rat bone marrow. The influence of CXCR4 expression on migration, proliferation, differentiation, and paracrine effects of MSCs was examined in vitro. The in vivo properties of CXCR4-MSCs were also investigated in a model of acute lung injury in rats induced by lipopolysaccharide. Expression of CXCR4 in MSCs significantly enhanced the chemotactic and paracrine characteristics of the cells in vitro but did not affect self-renewal or differentiation into alveolar and vascular endothelial cells. In vivo, CXCR4 improved MSC homing and colonization of damaged lung tissue, and furthermore, the transplanted CXCR4-MSCs suppressed the development of acute lung injury in part by modulating levels of inflammatory molecules and the neutrophil count. These results indicated that efficient mobilization of MSCs to sites of tissue injury may be due to CXCR4, and therefore, increased expression of CXCR4 may improve their therapeutic potential in the treatment of diseases where tissue damage develops., (© 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

An organogelator (G2) based on multi self-assembly driving forces, fluorescent signal groups and coordination binding sites was designed and synthesized. G2 could form a stable Cd(2+)-coordinated supramolecular metallogel (CdG) accompanied by strong brilliant blue aggregation-induced fluorescence emission (AIE). By the competitive coordination of Cd(2+) with gelator and I(−), the AIE of CdG could be reversibly switched "on-off-on" under gel–gel states via alternative adding I(−) and Cd(2+) into CdG. Interestingly, because of the competitive coordination of Cd(2+) with I(−), the micro structure of the CdG xerogel carried out dramatic changes and formed lots of micro cavities. These micro cavities could absorb iodine vapour and caused the color of CdG xerogel change from white to brown. The CdG could not only act as a convenient high selective and sensitive I(-) detection test kit (detection limit for I(-) is 1.0 × 10(-7) M) but also as rewritable dual-channel security display materials.

To analyze the differentiation characteristics of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, one nude mouse model, cell lines SNK6 and SNT8, and 16 fresh human samples were analyzed by flow cytometry immunophenotyping and immunohistochemistry staining; and 115 archived cases were used for phenotypic detection and prognostic analysis. We found that CD25 was expressed by most tumor cells in all samples, and CD56(+)CD25(+) cells were the predominant population in the mouse model, the 2 cell lines, and 10 of the 16 fresh tumor samples; in the other 6 fresh tumor samples, the predominant cell population was of the CD16(+)CD25(+) phenotype, and only a minor population showed the CD56(+)CD25(+) phenotype. The phenotype detected by immunohistochemistry staining generally was consistent with the phenotype found by flow cytometry immunophenotyping. According to the expression of CD56 and CD16, 115 cases could be classified into 3 phenotypic subtypes: CD56(-)CD16(-), CD56(+)CD16(-), and CD56(dim/-)CD16(+). Patients with tumors of the CD56(dim/-)CD16(+) phenotype had a poorer prognosis than patients with tumors of the other phenotypes. Differentiation of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type apparently resembles the normal natural killer cell developmental pattern, and these tumors can be classified into 3 phenotypic subtypes of different aggressiveness. Expression of CD56(dim/-)CD16(+) implies a poorer prognosis., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

By rationally introducing Ca(2+) and Fe(3+) into a supramolecular gel, a bimetal-gel CaFeG was prepared. CaFeG could reversibly "turn-on" its fluorescence upon sensing H2PO4(-) with specific selectivity under gel-gel states through the competitive coordination of Ca(2+) and Fe(3+) with gelators and H2PO4(-). Thus, CaFeG could act as a H2PO4(-) test kit and could be utilised in rewritable security display materials.

A facile approach to the design of stimuli-responsive supramolecular gels (SRSGs) termed double-metal-ion competitive coordination control is reported. By this means, the fluorescence signals and guest-selective responsiveness of the SRSGs are controlled by the competitive coordination of two different metal ions with the gelators and the target guest. To demonstrate this approach, a gelator G2 based on multiple self-assembly driving forces was synthesized. G2 could form Ca(2+) -coordinated metallogel CaG with strong aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Doping of CaG with Cu(2+) results in AIE quenching of CaG and formation of Ca(2+) - and Cu(2+) -based metallogel CaCuG. CaCuG could fluorescently detect CN(-) with specific selectivity through the competitive coordination of CN(-) with the Cu(2+) and the coordination of Ca(2+) with G2 again. This approach may open up routes to novel stimuli-responsive supramolecular materials., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) are an important energy source for the metabolism of plants. The size of the NSC pool is likely to mirror the overall carbon supply status and its dynamics strongly influences physiological processes in plants. In order to predict the response and adaptation of trees to climate change, this review summarized the current understanding of NSC pool in trees, and mainly focused on its seasonal and spatial variation for analyzing the relationships between environmental factors and NSC allocation. Moreover, the response and adaptation strategies of NSC pool in trees to climate change were also discussed. Finally, some suggestions were proposed for the potential study orientation of NSC pool in trees in future climate conditions.

By using open-top chambers (OTCs) to simulate the scenes of elevated CO2 concentrations [500 micromol x mol(-1) (T1) and 700 micromol x mol(-1) (T2)], and taking ambient atmospheric CO2 concentration as the control (CK), this paper studied the effects of elevated CO2 concentration on the lipid peroxidation and anti-oxidation enzyme system in Indocalamus decorus, Pleioblastus kongosanensis, and Sasa glabra leaves. After 103 days treatment, the O2(-)* and MDA contents, relative electron conduction, and soluble sugar content in the three dwarf ornamental bamboo species leaves in T1 had no obvious change, but the activities of anti-oxidation enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) changed to a certain extent. In T2, the MDA content and relative electron conduction had no obvious change, but the O2(-)* and soluble sugar contents and the anti-oxidation enzymes activities changed obviously. The adaptation capacity of the three bamboo species to elevated CO2 concentration was in the order of I. decorus > P. kongosanensis > S. glabra.

Objective: To investigate the effect of doxorubicin on TRAIL resistance and TRAIL receptor expression in lymphoma cell line SNK-6 cells., Methods: SNK-6 cells treated with doxorubicin at different concentrations alone or in combination with tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL). Cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay. Apoptosis and the expression of TRAIL receptors were determined by flow cytometry., Results: MTT assay showed that treatment with 100 and 1000 ng/ml doxorubicin for 24 h, the survival rates of SNK-6 cells were (80.9 ± 7.2)% and (53.7 ± 2.8)%, significantly higher than that by treatment combined with 500 ng/ml TRAIL (64.9 ± 1.1)% and (34.0 ± 3.9)%, respectively (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry showed that after treatment with 100 and 1000 ng/ml doxorubicin for 48 h, the survival rates of SNK-6 cells were (69.9 ± 6.1)% and (31.1 ± 1.9)%, while treated in combination with 500 ng/ml TRAIL, the cell survival rates were (37.5 ± 6.4)% and (15.0 ± 1.8)%, respectively. The early apoptosis rate was (14.8 ± 0.6)% and (30.8 ± 1.5)%, significantly lower than that [(28.7 ± 0.6)% and (46.6 ± 2.8)%] after treatment in combination with TRAIL (P < 0.05). The expressions of TRAIL receptors and decoy receptors were increased when SNK-6 cells were treated with 100 ng/ml doxorubicin for 24 hours., Conclusions: Doxorubicin can overcome to a certain extent the TRAIL resistance of SNK-6 cells and induce upregulation of TRAIL death receptors and decoy receptors on the surface of SNK-6 cells. However, a higher dose is needed.