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Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Drug exposure during pregnancy lacks global fetal safety data. The maternal drug exposure birth cohort (DEBC) study, a prospective longitudinal investigation, aims to explore the correlation of maternal drug exposure during pregnancy with pregnancy outcomes, and establish a human biospecimen biobank. Here we describe the process of establishing DEBC and show that the drug exposure rate in the first trimester of pregnant women in DEBC (n = 112,986) is 30.70%. Among the drugs used, dydrogesterone and progesterone have the highest exposure rates, which are 11.97% and 10.82%, respectively. The overall incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes is 13.49%. Dydrogesterone exposure during the first trimester is correlated with higher incidences of stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, and birth defects, along with a lower incidence of miscarriage/abortion. Due to the limitations of this cohort study, causative conclusions cannot be drawn. Further follow-up and in-depth data analysis are planned for future studies. Drug exposure during pregnancy lacks sufficient fetal safety information world-widely. Here, the authors report the establishment a multi-center birth cohort to explore the correlation of maternal drug exposure during pregnancy with pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of GLI-Similar 3 (GLIS3) function in mice and humans causes congenital hypothyroidism (CH). In this study, we demonstrate that GLIS3 protein is first detectable at E15.5 of murine thyroid development, a time at which GLIS3 target genes, such as Slc5a5 (Nis), become expressed. This, together with observations showing that ubiquitous Glis3KO mice do not display major changes in prenatal thyroid gland morphology, indicated that CH in Glis3KO mice is due to dyshormonogenesis rather than thyroid dysgenesis. Analysis of GLIS3 in postnatal thyroid suggested a link between GLIS3 protein expression and blood TSH levels. This was supported by data showing that treatment with TSH, cAMP, or adenylyl cyclase activators or expression of constitutively active PKA enhanced GLIS3 protein stability and transcriptional activity, indicating that GLIS3 activity is regulated at least in part by TSH/TSHR-mediated activation of PKA. The TSH-dependent increase in GLIS3 transcriptional activity would be critical for the induction of GLIS3 target gene expression, including several thyroid hormone (TH) biosynthetic genes, in thyroid follicular cells of mice fed a low iodine diet (LID) when blood TSH levels are highly elevated. Like TH biosynthetic genes, the expression of cell cycle genes is suppressed in ubiquitous Glis3KO mice fed a LID; however, in thyroid-specific Glis3 knockout mice, the expression of cell cycle genes was not repressed, in contrast to TH biosynthetic genes. This indicated that the inhibition of cell cycle genes in ubiquitous Glis3KO mice is dependent on changes in gene expression in GLIS3 target tissues other than the thyroid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy (NVP) on the risk of Preterm Birth (PTB) and Low Birth Weight (LBW), and explore the effect of genetic polymorphisms on the severity of NVP. Methods: A prospective study was conducted. Participants' experience of NVP prior to 12 gestational weeks were evaluated by a Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis and Nausea (PUQE) scale. 11 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) loci located in growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and leucine-rich repeat containing 25 (LRRC25) gene of chr19p13.11 and intergenic region of chr4q12 were genotyped, which were implicated as genetic risk factors for NVP. Logistic regression models were applied to determine the effect of NVP in the first trimester on the risk of PTB and LBW, and genetic polymorphisms on the risk of NVP. Results: Among 413 pregnant women, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was 85.5% (n = 353) in the first trimester, including 38.7% (n = 160) mild vomiting, 42.6% (n = 176) moderate vomiting and 4.1% (n = 17) severe vomiting. 33 were PTB, 20 were LBW. Compared with pregnant women without NVP, women with mild, moderate or severe NVP in the first trimester were not associated with the risk of PTB and LBW. Besides, the polymorphisms of 11 SNPs loci were not associated with the risk of NVP. Conclusions: Our study indicated that symptoms of nausea and vomiting in the first trimester were not significantly associated with PTB and LBW, and there were also no associations between GDF15 and LRRC25 polymorphisms and NVP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intellectual disability (ID) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significantly impaired adaptive behavior and cognitive capacity. High throughput sequencing approaches have revealed the genetic etiologies for 25–50% of ID patients, while inherited genetic mutations were detected in <5% cases. Here, we investigated the genetic cause for non-syndromic ID in a Han Chinese family. Whole genome sequencing was performed on identical twin sisters diagnosed with ID, their respective children, and their asymptomatic parents. Data was filtered for rare variants, and in silico prediction tools were used to establish pathogenic alleles. Candidate mutations were validated by Sanger sequencing. In silico modeling was used to evaluate the mutation's effects on the protein encoded by a candidate coding gene. A novel heterozygous variant in the ZBTB18 gene c.1323C>G (p.His441Gln) was identified. This variant co-segregated with affected individuals in an autosomal dominant pattern and was not detected in asymptomatic family members. Molecular studies reveal that a p.His441Gln substitution disrupts zinc binding within the second zinc finger and disrupts the capacity for ZBTB18 to bind DNA. This is the first report of an inherited ZBTB18 mutation for ID. This study further validates WGS for the accurate molecular diagnosis of ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activated toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling has been well investigated in major depressive disorder (MDD). We previously reported that TNFAIP3, TLR4, TNIP2, miR-146a, and miR-155 play important roles in regulating the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway and may serve as novel targets in the pathogenesis of MDD. Recently, aberrant histone modification has been implicated in several psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and mood disorder; the most thoroughly studied modification is histone 3 lysine 4 tri-methylation (H3K4me3). In this work, we aimed to explore H3K4me3 differences in the promotors of genes encoding the abovementioned factors in patients with MDD, and whether they were altered after antidepressant treatment. A total of 30 MDD patients and 28 healthy controls were recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected. The levels of H3K4me3 in the promoters of TNFAIP3, TLR4, TNIP2, miR-146a, and miR-155 were measured through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by DNA methylation assay. Analysis of covariance was used to evaluate between-group differences after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and smoking. In comparison with healthy controls, patients with MDD showed significantly lower H3K4me3 levels in the promoters of TNFAIP3, TLR4, TNIP2, miR-146a, and miR-155 in PBMCs. These levels were not significantly altered after completion of a 4-week antidepressant treatment. To explore the association between depression severity and H3K4me3 levels, a multiple linear regression model was generated. The results revealed that levels of H3K4me3 in the TNIP2 promoters a negative correlation with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAND-17) score, whereas that of TLR4 had a positive correlation with this score. The present results suggest that decreased H3K4me3 levels in the promoters of the genes encoding TNFAIP3, TLR4, miR-146a, miR-155, and TNIP2 are involved in psychopathology of major depressive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, remanufacturing approach/technology, which includes a series of the processes of disassembling, cleaning, inspecting, repairing/reconditioning, reassembling components for resale, is becoming more popular as companies look for a way to combat the current climate crisis, and as it allows companies to reduce environmental impacts and to save energy and resources. This study analyzed the reduction effect of six environmental impacts and the savings effect of energy and resources by turbocharger remanufacturing compared to its newly manufacturing using a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The results show that the most significant benefit of the turbocharger remanufacturing related to environmental impacts was the global warming potential (GWP), which could be reduced by 52.2%, followed by the abiotic depletion potential (ADP), terrestrial ecotoxicity potential (TETP), human toxicity potential (HTP), freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential (FAETP) and marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential (MAETP) which could be reduced by 51.9%, 44.8%, 44.2%, 42.6%, and 36.7%, respectively. Also, its resource saving could be obtained from 21.7 to 73.5% depending on the type of resources. Furthermore, turbocharger remanufacturing offered a significant energy saving of 83.9%. The results obtained from this study could be used for national policy-making to a net-zero carbon transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conclusions about the association of maternal pregnancy environment, occupation, and benzene compounds with fetal CHD are not entirely consistent. Eight hundred seven CHD cases and 1008 controls were included in this study. All occupations were classified and coded against the Occupational Classification Dictionary of the People's Republic of China (2015 version). Logistic regressions were used to explore the correlation among environmental factors, occupation types, and CHDs in offspring. We found that living near public facilities and having exposure to chemical reagents and hazardous substances were significant risk factors for CHDs in offspring. We found that offspring of mothers who worked in agriculture and similar work during pregnancy suffered from CHD. The risk of all CHDs in the offspring of pregnant women working in production manufacturing and related work was significantly higher than that in unemployed pregnant women, the risk was also observed in 4 subtypes of CHDs. We compared the concentrations of the five metabolite (MA, mHA, HA, PGA, and SPMA) levels of benzene compounds in the urine of mothers in case and control groups and found no significant differences. Our study suggests that maternal exposure during pregnancy and certain environmental and occupational conditions are risk factors for CHD in offspring, but did not support an association between concentrations of metabolites of benzene compounds in the urine of pregnant women and CHDs in their offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zoysia japonica plant is a warm-season turfgrass and a horticultural crop used in various places and an important genetic resource because it is more resilient to stress from high temperature, drought, coastal salt, disease and pests, and trampling. Genome research on Z. japonica is necessary to find molecular markers related to useful traits. This study analyzed the genome of the Z. japonica 'Yaji' cultivar plant by PacBio-based long-read sequencing and assembly and annotation. Before performing the PacBio-based long-read NGS analysis, the 'Yaji' cultivar was analyzed by the external morphological classification method and the molecular identification method, and it was confirmed that the 'Yaji' cultivar was identified as a Z. japonica plant. Construction of genomic DNA libraries and sequencing with the PacBio RSII platform were performed. As a result of the DNA sequencing, 40 SMRT cells were sequenced, and about 38.6 Gb of reads were produced. De novo assembly was done by the Canu assembler. The resulting assembly consisted of 1,350 contigs. The BUSCO analysis results showed that 1390 (96.5%) of 1440 conserved orthologous are present as complete genes in the Z. japonica 'Yaji' cultivar genome. The PacBio-based assembly found that the predicted putative gene sequences and the number of the genes showed high identity to the previously reported individual genes. Gene predictions and annotation of Z. japonica 'Yaji' cultivar were done with the Augustus gene prediction software and NCBI-nr database. As a result, 50,140 gene sets of the Z. japonica 'Yaji' cultivar were obtained. Target prediction of the 'Yaji' cultivar was performed for conserved miRNAs using psRNATarget. As a result, 8207 miRNA/target site pairs of the 'Yaji' cultivar were predicted. The transposon element of the 'Yaji' cultivar genome was predicted with the REPET package. As a result, 2656 transposon elements of LARD, TRIM of class I (RXX), and TIR of class II (DXX) were predicted. Genomic data of Korean Z. japonica plants were obtained by PacBio long-read sequencing. These genome data of Z. japonica plant will provide valuable basic data for developing molecular markers and molecular identification of Zoysia turfgrass research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cells are attractive candidates for the regeneration of tissue and organ. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been extensively investigated for their potential applications in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. For developing effective stem cell therapy, the mass production of consistent quality cells is required. The cell culture medium is the most critical aspect of the mass production of qualified stem cells. Classically, fetal bovine serum (FBS) has been used as a culture supplement for MSCs. Due to the undefined and heterologous composition of animal origin components in FBS, efforts to replace animal-derived components with non-animal-derived substances led to safe serum free media (SFM). Adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) cultivated in SFM provided a more stable population doubling time (PDT) to later passage and more cells in a shorter time compared to FBS containing media. ADSCs cultivated in SFM had lower cellular senescence, lower immunogenicity, and higher genetic stability than ADSCs cultivated in FBS containing media. Differential expression analysis of mRNAs and proteins showed that the expression of genes related with apoptosis, immune response, and inflammatory response were significantly up-regulated in ADSCs cultivated in FBS containing media. ADSCs cultivated in SFM showed similar therapeutic efficacy in an acute pancreatitis mouse model to ADSCs cultivated in FBS containing media. Consideration of clinical trials, not only pre-clinical trial, suggests that cultivation of MSCs using SFM might offer more safe cell therapeutics as well as repeated administration due to low immunogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the correlation between maternal manganese and iron concentrations and the risk of CHD among their infant. A multi-center hospital-based case control study was conducted in China. There were 322 cases and 333 controls have been selected from pregnant women who received prenatal examinations. Correlations between CHDs and maternal manganese and iron concentrations were estimated by conditional logistic regression. Moreover, the interaction between manganese and iron on CHDs was analyzed. Compared with the controls, mothers whose hair manganese concentration was 3.01 μg/g or more were more likely to have a child with CHD than those with a lower concentration. The adjusted OR was 2.68 (95%CI = 1.44–4.99). The results suggested that mothers whose iron content was 52.95 μg/g or more had a significantly higher risk of having a child with CHD (aOR = 2.87, 95%CI = 1.54–5.37). No interaction between maternal manganese and iron concentrations was observed in the multiplicative or additive model. The concurrently existing high concentration of manganese and iron may bring higher risk of CHD (OR = 7.02). Women with excessive manganese concentrations have a significantly increased risk of having offspring with CHDs. The high maternal iron status also correlates with CHDs. The concurrently existing high concentration of manganese and iron may bring higher risk of CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotary steering systems (RSSs) have been increasingly used to develop horizontal wells. A static push-the-bit RSS uses three hydraulic modules with varying degrees of expansion and contraction to achieve changes in the pushing force acting on the wellbore in different sizes and directions within a circular range, ultimately allowing the wellbore trajectory to be drilled in a predetermined direction. By analyzing its mathematical principles and the actual characteristics of the instrument, a vector force closed-loop control method, including steering and holding modes, was designed. The adjustment criteria for the three hydraulic modules are determined to achieve rapid adjustment of the vector force. The theoretical feasibility of the developed method was verified by comparing its results with the on-site application data of an imported rotary guidance system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tribological performance of epoxy (EP) composites reinforced with short glass fibers (SGF), graphite, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and B4C nanoparticles was investigated under oil lubrication. The effects of different types of SGF, graphite, PTFE, and B4C nanoparticles on the friction and wear properties of EP were examined using a ball-on-block machine. The worn surfaces were characterized using optical microscopy, SEM-EDX, XPS, and TEM. The anti-wear mechanisms were proposed based on the experimental observations and analysis. The results demonstrate that the addition of SGF significantly reduces wear and friction in the EP matrix. In contrast, the incorporation of B4C nanoparticles and other solid lubricants does not have a significant effect on friction and wear. The remarkable tribological properties observed in the SGF-reinforced EP composites can be attributed to the superior load-bearing capabilities and wear durability of SGF. These fibers effectively withstand the load and exhibit excellent durability during sliding, resulting in reduced wear and friction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) has been reported to be involved in infectious diseases, but it is unknown whether it plays a role in infectious pleural effusions (IPEs). We observed the levels of NAMPT in pleural effusions of different etiologies and investigated the clinical value of NAMPT in the differential diagnosis of infectious pleural effusions. A total of 111 patients with pleural effusion were enrolled in the study, including 25 parapneumonic effusions (PPEs) (17 uncomplicated PPEs, 3 complicated PPEs, and 5 empyemas), 30 tuberculous pleural effusions (TPEs), 36 malignant pleural effusions (MPEs), and 20 transudative effusions. Pleural fluid NAMPT levels were highest in the patients with empyemas [575.4 (457.7, 649.3) ng/ml], followed by those with complicated PPEs [113.5 (103.5, 155.29) ng/ml], uncomplicated PPEs [24.9 (20.2, 46.7) ng/ml] and TPEs [88 (19.4, 182.6) ng/ml], and lower in patients with MPEs [11.5 (6.5, 18.4) ng/ml] and transudative effusions [4.3 (2.6, 5.1) ng/ml]. Pleural fluid NAMPT levels were significantly higher in PPEs (P < 0.001) or TPEs (P < 0.001) than in MPEs. Moreover, Pleural fluid NAMPT levels were positively correlated with the neutrophil percentage and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and inversely correlated with glucose levels in both PPEs and TPEs, indicating that NAMPT was implicated in the neutrophil-associated inflammatory response in infectious pleural effusion. Further, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed pleural fluid NAMPT was a significant predictor distinguishing PPEs from MPEs [odds ratio (OR) 1.180, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.052–1.324, P = 0.005]. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated that NAMPT was a promising diagnostic factor for the diagnosis of infectious effusions, with the areas under the curve for pleural fluid NAMPT distinguishing PPEs from MPEs, TPEs from MPEs, and IPEs (PPEs and TPEs) from NIPEs were 0.92, 0.85, and 0.88, respectively. In conclusion, pleural fluid NAMPT could be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis of infectious pleural effusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The guidelines for reducing surgical site infection in colorectal surgery recommend mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics; however, this recommendation remains controversial. This study aimed to reveal the effect of oral antibiotics combined with mechanical bowel preparation in colorectal surgery. Methods: This study was a nationwide population-based retrospective study. Data between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018, from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database were analyzed. Patients who underwent elective colorectal cancer surgery were included. Results: A total of 20,740 patients were finally included, comprising 14,554 (70.2%) who underwent mechanical bowel preparation alone and 6186 (29.8%) who underwent mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics. The mechanical bowel preparation alone group was older than the mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics group (65.7 ± 11.9 vs. 64.7 ± 11.8 years, p < 0.001). Rectal cancer patients and patients who underwent open surgery were more likely to receive mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics. Patients who underwent mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics demonstrated lower surgical-site infection rate (2.9% vs. 9.4%, p < 0.001), shorter hospital stay (11.7 ± 5.5 vs. 13.5 ± 7.3 days, p < 0.001), and lower medical cost (US$7414 ± 2762 vs. US$7791 ± 3235, p < 0.001) than those who underwent mechanical bowel preparation alone. The 30-day readmission rates and mortality were not significantly different. Conclusions: The use of mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics reduces surgical site infection, hospital stay, and medical cost in colorectal cancer surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a simple and effective scheme of a dynamic switch for DNA nanostructures. Under such a framework of toehold-free strand displacement, blocking strands at an excess amount are applied to displace the complementation of specific segments of paired duplexes. The functional mechanism of the scheme is illustrated by modelling the base pairing kinetics of competing strands on a target strand. Simulation reveals the unique properties of toehold-free strand displacement in equilibrium control, which can be leveraged for information processing. Based on the controllable dynamics in the binding of preformed DNA nanostructures, a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) Boolean function is controlled by the presence of the blockers. In conclusion, we implement two MIMO Boolean functions (one with 4-bit input and 2-bit output, and the other with 16-bit input and 8-bit output) to showcase the controllable dynamics. Synthetic DNA constructs can to used to recognise and respond to input signals. Here the authors present complex DNA nanostructures with toehold-free strand displacement for generation of ON/OFF switches and Boolean gates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronically elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the major risk factor of primary open-angle glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. Dysfunction of the trabecular meshwork (TM), which controls the outflow of aqueous humor (AqH) from the anterior chamber, is the major cause of elevated IOP. Here, we demonstrate that mice deficient in the Krüppel-like zinc finger transcriptional factor GLI-similar-1 (GLIS1) develop chronically elevated IOP. Magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological analysis reveal that deficiency in GLIS1 expression induces progressive degeneration of the TM, leading to inefficient AqH drainage from the anterior chamber and elevated IOP. Transcriptome and cistrome analyses identified several glaucoma- and extracellular matrix-associated genes as direct transcriptional targets of GLIS1. We also identified a significant association between GLIS1 variant rs941125 and glaucoma in humans (P = 4.73 × 10−6), further supporting a role for GLIS1 into glaucoma etiology. Our study identifies GLIS1 as a critical regulator of TM function and maintenance, AqH dynamics, and IOP. Dysfunction of the trabecular meshwork (TM) is the chief cause of elevated intraocular pressure, the major risk factor of glaucoma. Here, the authors identify the transcription factor, GLIS1, as a critical regulator of TM maintenance and intraocular pressure, and as a glaucoma risk gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Right-sided diverticulitis has different epidemiologic features compared to left-sided diverticulitis. However, data on the appropriate treatment of right-sided diverticulitis are lacking. This systematic review aimed to examine the outcomes of conservative treatment for uncomplicated right-sided diverticulitis. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published from January 1, 1990, to May 31, 2020. A total of 21 studies were included in the systematic review. We calculated proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the outcomes of individual studies and pooled the results using a random effects model. Results: A total of 2811 patients (59.1% men; mean and median age, 37–54 years) with right-sided diverticulitis were included. The pooled rate of treatment failure was 2.5% (95% CI 1.2–4.3%; p <0.01; I2 = 64.0%). The recurrence rate ranged from 0 to 26.9%, and the pooled recurrence rate was 10.9% (95% CI 8.1–14.1%; p <0.01; I2 = 78.2%). The pooled rate of complicated diverticulitis at recurrence was 4.4% (95% CI 1.4–9.0%; p = 0.84; I2 = 0%). The pooled rate of emergency surgery at recurrence was 9.0% (95% CI 4.6–14.7%; p = 0.12; I2 = 30.3%). Conclusions: Conservative treatment of uncomplicated right-sided diverticulitis results in a low rate of recurrence and complicated diverticulitis at recurrence. Based on these results, unnecessary surgery may be avoided and a new treatment paradigm for uncomplicated right-sided diverticulitis may be introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the effects of different energy density LLLT on TMD patients' pain reduction.Methods: Reviewers searched RCTs published in Embase, PubMed and The Cochrane Library before 1 April 2020. Reviewers included parallelRCTs that compared the effects of LLLT with placebo or different energy density LLLT for TMD patients' pain reduction. Reviewers did network meta-analysis and evaluated the quality of evidence using the GRADE process.Results: From 352 studies, reviewers included 16 RCTs. Immediately after treatment, the d1 laser therapy (energy density ranging from 0 to 10 J/cm2) ranked first. The d1 laser therapy showed more pain reduction than placebo ( MD = 2.49, 95% CI ranging from 1.28 to 3.71). The quality of "d1 vs p" comparison was assessed as "moderate" quality. A month after treatment, the d1 laser therapy also performed better than placebo (MD = 1.69, 95%CI = [-0.78, 4.16]). The quality of secondary outcome was assessed as "low" quality.Conclusions: For clinical application, d1 laser therapy (energy density ranging from 0 to 10 J/cm2) is recommended for short-term pain management of TMD patients (moderate quality evidence). A month after treatment, the d1 laser therapy also performed better than placebo and other laser groups but the result didn't reach the point of statistical significance (low quality evidence).Trial Registration: PROSPERO-CRD42018118313. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Weed control can be most effectively achieved through the use of herbicide-resistance transgene. A preliminary study bar-transgenic Zoysia japonica posed no serious risk on the unintended escape of the transgene from its cultivation site. The present follow-up investigation of the dispersion of pollen and its short-distance escape outside of the bar-transgenic Zoysia japonica habitats were ascertained in terms of environmental factors affecting anthesis and pollen viability. In a 24-h day cycle, zoysiagrass pollen was released predominantly between 08:00 and 10:00, and the pollen was most viable during the same time interval. Optimal temperature and humidity for pollen viability was 15–20 °C and 80–90%, respectively. The pollen germinated in 120 min after anthesis, but under cloudy conditions germination time doubled. No differences in pollen viability/longevity between the transgenic and non-transgenic plants were observed. The pollen-mediated gene flow of transgenic Zoysia japonica to wild-type non-transgenic zoysiagrass species was monitored by measuring the cross-over rate of the bar gene in the context of three different models. At distances within 5 m, the rate of gene flow ranged from 3 to 5.7% according to the models used. The greater the distance from the transgenic plant site, the lower the gene flow rate. The furthest transgene detected was 38 m away and exhibited a 0.25% gene flow rate. The radial model yielded a 3.7% escape rate within a 3 m radius and was wind direction dependent. The distance- and direction-dependent gene flow events were influenced by wind direction and velocity during flowering season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically modified (GM) plants have been mainly advanced for the mass production of agricultural plants. However, there are concerns about GM crops which cause side effects on ecosystems and human beings. Zebrafish is a better in vivo model and possess the advantages; small size, large clutches, transparency, low cost, and physiological similarity to mammals. The objective of this study was to assess the safety of non-GM and GM grasses (Zoysia japonica) including JG21, JG21-MS1, JG21-MS2 in zebrafish embryos by examining the survival rates, heart-beating rate, yolk sac edema size, cell death, and morphology. The survival rates, heart-beating rates, and yolk sac edema sizes in non-GM and GM grass-treated zebrafish were similar change with the control group. And, all the groups did not show a significant difference within less than 1.0-fold in cell death by fluorescence levels. These results indicate that the zebrafish model is a useful and simple tool and can be used for risk assessment of GM plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has started shifting from relying on supply management to demand management strategy in addressing its water shortage problems. Water option, a financial derivative for water commodity, has been utilized to manage water demands in the United States and Europe since the 1990s but is still novel to China. In this study we analyzed the pros and cons of China's existing system for water rights transfers and proposed an alternative, flexible trading instrument-water options for China. Incorporating the uncertainty to water option pricing, this study first conducted an empirical analysis of the water option in the water-receiving area of the Hanjiang-Weihe River Transfer Project of China, and then evaluated the benefits of the water option applications. Results show that water option trading can bring water cost saving and increase the potential industrially added value for industrial enterprises in the receiving area, and trading of short-and-medium term water options is more favorable than the long-term water options trading. The novel water option trading proposed in this study, once verified through pilot studies, will be helpful in addressing water shortage problems in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work experimentally studied the weld-seam cross section characteristics and the fatigue performance of AA2024 aluminum alloy friction stir linear welded joints. The Vickers hardness values on the cross section of the weld-seam have a tendency of being lower than those of the upper sheet, whereas in the lower sheet there is a significant downward profile across the nugget, like a "V" shape. The grains in the welded nugget are finer than those of the base material. Within low-cycle regime, the fracture always occurred at the hook vertex on the loading-carrying upper sheet, while on the loading-carrying lower sheet within relatively high-cycle regime. The typical SEM fractographs of the upper and lower sheets are observed and compared accordingly. The fatigue lives of these specimens were assessed by fictitious notch radius approach and two local damage equations, Morrow's modified Manson–Coffin damage equation and the Smith–Watson–Topper damage equation, combined with stress and strain at the weld-seam periphery obtained from finite element analyses. Results showed that both the Morrow's modified Manson–Coffin damage equation and fictitious notch radius approach can give more reasonable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoysia japonica Steud. is a native turfgrass in the Korean peninsula and is used worldwide. Abnormal conditions of soil salinity inhibit plant growth and adversely affect the quality of the turfgrass. AT-hook motif nuclear-localized (AHL) family proteins known to co-regulate the transcription of genes as a chromatin remodeling factor play a role in plant developmental processes and stress responses. In this study, AT-Hook Protein of Genomine 1 (ATHG1)/AT-Hook motif nuclear-Localized protein 23 (AHL23) and AT-hook Protein of Genomine 3 (ATPG3)/AT-Hook motif nuclear-Localized protein 20 (AHL20), two AHL genes from A. thaliana, were transformed into Z. japonica under the control of a constitutive ubiquitin promoter. Southern blot analysis proved that ATHG1/AHL23 and ATPG3/AHL20 were introduced into the ATHG1/AHL23-transgenic plants and ATPG3/AHL20-transgenic plants, respectively. Overexpression of each ATHG1/AHL23 and ATPG3/AHL20 in all of the transgenic plants was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). To evaluate a tolerant response to salt stress of the transgenic plants, 4 transgenic plants including ATHG1-overexpressing line 1 (ATHG1-OE1) and ATHG1-OE2, and ATPG3-overexpressing line 1 (ATPG3-OE1) and ATPG3-OE2 were selected, respectively. All the transgenic plants showed higher salt-tolerant phenotype with higher chlorophyll and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) contents under salt treatment, compared to the wild types. Also, under salt treatment, the transgenic plants revealed higher activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzymes, than those of the wild-type plant. These results suggest that overexpression of ATHG1/AHL23 or ATPG3/AHL20 belonging to the AHL gene family confers salt tolerance to the transgenic zoysiagrass plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: ZjICE2 works as a positive regulator in abiotic stress responses and ZjICE2 is a valuable genetic resource to improve abiotic stress tolerance in the molecular breeding program of Zoysia japonica. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in response to biotic or abiotic stresses in plants. However, the functions of bHLH TFs in Zoysia japonica, one of the warm-season turfgrasses, remain poorly understood. Here, we identified ZjICE2 from Z. japonica, a novel MYC-type bHLH transcription factor that was closely related to ICE homologs in the phylogenetic tree, and its expression was regulated by various abiotic stresses. Transient expression of ZjICE2-GFP in onion epidermal cells revealed that ZjICE2 was a nuclear-localized protein. Also, ZjICE2 bound the MYC cis-element in the promoter of dehydration responsive element binding 1 of Z. japonica (ZjDREB1) using yeast one-hybrid assay. A phenotypic analysis showed that overexpression of the ZjICE2 in Arabidopsis enhanced tolerance to cold, drought, and salt stresses. The transgenic Arabidopsis and Z. japonica accumulated more transcripts of cold-responsive DREB/CBFs and their downstream genes than the wild type (WT) after cold treatment. Furthermore, the transgenic plants exhibited an enhanced Reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability, which resulted in an efficient maintenance of oxidant–antioxidant homeostasis. In addition, overexpression of the ZjICE2 in Z. japonica displayed intensive cold tolerance with increases in chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic efficiency. Our study suggests that ZjICE2 works as a positive regulator in abiotic stress responses and the ICE-DREB/CBFs response pathway involved in cold stress tolerance is also conserved in Z. japonica. These results provide a valuable genetic resource for the molecular breeding program especially for warm-season grasses as well as other leaf crop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoysia japonica Steud. is a warm-season lawn grass popular in Korea and elsewhere. They are cultivated in many places such as river banks, roadside, and play grounds. However, there still is a disadvantage of frequent mowing, and the grass grows poorly under the chilly conditions. To develop a grass variety that circumvents these drawbacks, we cloned the chitin-inducible gibberellins-responsive1 gene (CIGR1) from zoysiagrass. The full length of the ZjCIGR1 (Zj; Zoysia japonica Steud.) gene was obtained by 5′/3′ RACE PCR and the phylogenetic tree showed that it belonged to the CIGR1-subgroup in the PAT1-group of GRAS protein family. Expression of the ZjCIGR1 in wild-type plants was confirmed in roots, meristems, leaves, and flowers, especially high in the flowers. The transgenic zoysiagrass was confirmed by PCR using gene-specific primers, phosphinothricin-acetyl-transferase (PAT) strip test, and Southern blot analysis. ZjCIGR1-overexpressing plants acquired tolerance to cold stress displaying morphological phenotypes characteristic of stress resistance. In addition, in the transformants, expression of the ZjCIGR1 as well as cold-regulated (COR) gene was increased compared to the wild-type plants under cold stress condition. These results suggest that ZjCIGR1 gene is an important candidate for regulating cold stress resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare functional outcomes and tendon integrity between the suture bridge and modified tension band techniques for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.Methods: A consecutive series of 128 patients who underwent the modified tension band (MTB group; 69 patients) and suture bridge (SB group; 59 patients) techniques were enrolled. The pain visual analogue scale (VAS), Constant, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores were determined preoperatively and at the final follow-up. Rotator cuff hypotrophy was quantified by calculating the occupation ratio (OR). Rotator cuff integrity and the global fatty degeneration index were determined by using magnetic resonance imaging at 6 months postoperatively.Results: The average VAS, Constant, and ASES scores improved significantly at the final follow-up in both groups (p < 0.05 for all scores). The retear rate of small-to-medium tears was similar in the modified tension band and suture bridge groups (7.0 vs. 6.8%, respectively; p = n.s.). The retear rate of large-to-massive tears was significantly lower in the suture bridge group than in the modified tension band group (33.3 vs. 70%; p = 0.035). Fatty infiltration (postoperative global fatty degeneration index, p = 0.022) and muscle hypotrophy (postoperative OR, p = 0.038) outcomes were significantly better with the suture bridge technique.Conclusion: The retear rate was lower with the suture bridge technique in the case of large-to-massive rotator cuff tears. Additionally, significant improvements in hypotrophy and fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff were obtained with the suture bridge technique, possibly resulting in better anatomical outcomes. The suture bridge technique was a more effective method for the repair of rotator cuff tears of all sizes as compared to the modified tension band technique.Level Of Evidence: Retrospective Cohort Design, Treatment Study, level III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sink mark is one common defect of the injection-molded thermoplastics, which is harmful to the part appearance. A procedure for the sink mark prediction was proposed to build the finite element method (FEM) model in Abaqus. The temperature and pressure distributions were imported as boundary conditions at a different time from the injection molding simulation software Moldflow. The user subroutines UEXPAN and UMAT were coded and implemented in Abaqus to describe the pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) behaviors under actual cooling conditions and the polymer constitutive relationship. The PVT curves of the thermoplastic were obtained by the piston-die method at a cooling rate of 5 °C/min. The crystallizing behaviors were measured by a differential scanning calorimetry and adapted to modify the PVT curves at different cooling rates. The tension-compression tests at different temperatures were performed to obtain the stress-strain curves. The simulation of injection molding was conducted in the software Moldflow. The deflection tests were conducted on the coordinate measuring machine (CMM) to validate the predicted sink mark. It was found that the subroutines of UEXPAN described the volume variations under different cooling rates successfully. Furthermore, the subroutine UMAT predicted stress-strain curves successfully at different temperatures and strain rates. The predicted sink mark in Abaqus agreed well with the measured one. The sink mark depth from Abaqus reached one third of the experimental one and had obvious improvement than that from Moldflow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall can cause serious soil loss in the Loess Plateau hilly and gully region, but little focus has been placed on the extreme rainstorm effects on unpaved loess road soil erosion. A field survey method was used to investigate the erosional effects of the "7.26" heavy rainfall event on unpaved loess roads in the Jiuyuangou watershed of the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed that the average and maximum widths of the eroded gullies that formed on the unpaved roads were 0.65–1.48 m and 1.00–3.60 m, respectively. The average and maximum depths of the eroded gullies were 0.42–1.13 m and 0.75–4.30 m, respectively. The average width-to-depth ratio was 1.31, indicating that the widening effect was greater than the downcutting effect in the eroded gullies. In addition, the gully density ranged from 0.07 to 0.29 m m−2, and the road surface dissection degree ranged from 0.03 to 0.41 km2 km−2. Eroded gullies generally developed at the slope toe of the cut bank side. The average eroded gully width and depth at turns in the road were 1.47–2.64 times and 1.30–3.47 times greater, respectively, than those in other road sections. The road erosion modulus increased from the upper section to the lower section of the roads. The average road erosion modulus of the study catchment was 235,000 t km−2. Turns in the road were associated with collapses, sinkholes and other gravitational erosion phenomena. The amount of road erosion under extreme rainfall conditions is mainly related to the interactions among road length, width, slope and soil bulk density. Our results provide a useful reference for developing further measures for preventing road erosion on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous genes are known to regulate the cold response in plants. The ICE1 gene is a regulator of coldinduced transcriptome playing an important role in cold tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, the Arabidopsis ICE1 gene was cloned and transformed into A. thaliana and Korean lawn grass (Zoysia japonica) respectively, under the control of a maize ubiquitin promoter. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed higher survival rate, less MDA content, and higher levels of proline, SOD, and POD after freezing treatment. In the case of Z. japonica, 43 transgenic plants were produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Southern blot analysis showed that 9 transgenic lines selected by phosphinothricin (PPT) were transformed with ICE1 independently. Cold treatment significantly induced the transcripts abundant in the up-regulated ZjCBF and ZjDREB1 in transgenic lines OE-18 and OE-19. Meanwhile, transgenic plants showed increased proline level but decreased MDA content and with higher activities of SOD and POD compared with wild type under cold stress. These results suggest that overexpression of the ICE1 gene could improve the antioxidative capacity in conferring cold tolerance to the transgenic zoysiagrass plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) with less adverse effects by lowering the pKa values of nitrogen atoms in pyrimidine rings has been previously suggested by our group. In this work, we proposed that new PPIs should have the following features: (1) number of ring II = number of ring I + 1; (2) preferably five, six, or seven-membered heteroatomic ring for stability; and (3) 1 < pKa1 < 4. Six molecular scaffolds based on the aforementioned criteria were constructed, and R groups were extracted from compounds in extensive data sources. A virtual molecule dataset was established, and the pKa values of specific atoms on the molecules in the dataset were calculated to select the molecules with required pKa values. Drug-likeness screening was further conducted to obtain the candidates that significantly reduced the adverse effects of long-term PPI use. This study provided insights and tools for designing targeted molecules in silico that are suitable for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are thought to play a critical role in the success of IVF. The relationships between oxidative stress parameters in culture media and IVF outcomes have not been extensively investigated. The objective of this study is to examine the relationships between early human embryonic parameters and levels of ROS in culture media.Methods: This prospective study was conducted with 2633 spent culture media collected from patients undergoing conventional IVF (n = 101) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (n = 60). Both fertilization and early culture were performed in universal IVF medium and G series medium. ROS levels were measured by chemiluminescence assays using luminol as the probe on days 1, 3, and 5 and determined the relationships of ROS levels with zygote condition, embryo quality, and clinical pregnancy rate.Results: ROS levels per embryo in culture media on the corresponding days 1, 3, and 5 showed significant correlations between each pair in the total cohort. Similar results were observed in the IVF and ICSI groups, but day 1 and day 3 ROS levels were significantly higher in culture media of IVF than of ICSI embryos. ROS levels in culture medium were not significantly associated with embryo quality, blastocyst formation, or arrest. ROS levels on day 1 were similar in media of normally fertilized zygotes, unfertilized oocytes, and polyspermic zygotes and were not associated with delayed embryonic development, high fragmentation, blastocyst formation, or arrest after prolonged culture. ROS levels in media were not associated with the likelihood of conception.Conclusions: ROS levels in culture media may not be an effective indicator of embryo selection for IVF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Obesity is thought to influence postoperative complications and recurrence of mid and low rectal cancer (MLRC) because of intraoperative technical difficulties. However, few reports have described the relationship between obesity indices and the clinical outcomes of MLRC. This study aimed to investigate the association between visceral obesity on computed tomography (CT) and oncolofical outcomes after surgery for MLRC and identify the obesity index that most accurately reflects clinical outcomes.Methods: We investigated 125 patients who underwent curative resection for MLRC between 2004 and 2010. Visceral fat area (VFA) was defined as the umbilicus-level intra-abdominal adipose tissue area measured by CT. Body mass index (BMI), total fat area, VFA, subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and VFA/SFA ratio (V/S ratio) were analysed.Results: The median follow-up time was 60.3 months (range, 38.2-122.6 months). Recurrence was detected in 28 (22.4%) patients. Among the various obesity indices, recurrence was significantly associated with V/S ratio only (1.02 ± 0.45 versus 0.86 ± 0.34; P = 0.046). Stage, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level, V/S ratio, lymphatic invasion and perineural invasion were significantly associated with recurrence on univariate analysis, while only V/S ratio (P = 0.019; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 9.09) was significantly associated with recurrence on multivariate analysis. Disease-free and overall survival of the obese group (V/S ratio > 1.0) were shorter than those of the non-obese group.Conclusions: V/S ratio is the optimal obesity index for predicting stage I-III MLRC recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isocyanate-treated graphite oxides (iGOs) were well-dispersed into the polystyrene (PS) thin films and formed a novel network structure. With control in fabrication, an iGOs-web layer was horizontally embedded near the surface of the films and thus formed a composite slightly doped by iGOs. This work demonstrated that the iGOs network can remarkably depress the dewetting process in the polymer matrix of the composite, while dewetting often leads to rupture of polymer films and is considered as a major practical limit in using polymeric materials above their glass transition temperatures (Tg). Via annealing the 50-120 nm thick composite and associated neat PS films at temperatures ranging from 35 °C to 70 °C above Tg, surface morphology evolution of the films was monitored by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The iGOs-doped PS exhibited excellent thermal stability, i.e., the number of dewetting holes was greatly reduced and the long-term hole growth was fairly restricted. In contrast, the neat PS film showed serious surface fluctuation and a final rupture induced by ordinary dewetting. The method developed in this work may pave a road to reinforce thin polymer films and enhance their thermal stability, in order to meet requirements by technological advances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile industry has a high environmental impact, discharging significant amounts of industrial water, consuming high levels of energy, and emitting vast amounts of air pollutants. To meet the requirement of sustainable manufacturing, we built a system-oriented improved design framework based on life cycle assessment (LCA) for an existing polyester-cotton production system to reduce the environmental impacts of the production process. LCA was used to identify candidates for best available technology (BAT) development. The effect of the BATs on environmental, economic, and product performance was evaluated. LCA identified that polyester-cotton production exerted the greatest environmental impacts on marine aquatic ecotoxicity potential, global warming potential, and abiotic depletion. The printing and dyeing stages of the production process were the most damaging to the environment. Six BATs were proposed and all were feasible with clear economic and environmental benefits, as the resource depletion, ecological influence, and human health values were reduced by 50.13, 50.08, and 7.65%, respectively, compared with the existing process. In addition, the quality of the products, such as color fastness and color shade, was greatly improved. We suggest that future studies should also take into consideration the distribution and use stage using accurate and representative original data, to further improve the sustainability of the production process. Human health, fertilizer leakage, land use, and pesticides should also be taken into account within the life cycle of textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remanufacturing industry refers to industry that remanufactures used products through disassembling, cleaning, testing, repairing, adjusting and reassembling, so that their original function or condition would be maintained. This industry can bring excellent effects environmentally and economically. Especially, the labor intensive nature of remanufacturing provides an opportunity for job creation. The study was conducted to refine the understandings on the current status of the remanufacturing industry in Korea by investigating and analyzing the latest trend of Korea’s remanufacturing industry. The research works are based on literature reviews, on/off line contacts with remanufacturing companies, and field studies. The result showed that the remanufacturing business in Korea is well-established in the field of automobile parts, print cartridges, SCR (selective catalytic reduction)-coated products (modules), and electrical and electronic equipment sectors. The market size of the remanufacturing industry in Korea is approximately 700 million USD based on 2015 which is increased by 16% compared to 2010. However, the number of companies and the scale of employees were found out to decrease by 26 and 33%, respectively. In Korea, the market size of the remanufacturing industry is relatively small compared to other advanced countries; the U.S. remanufacturing market size per capita is 135 USD, the world’s highest while that of Korea is 14 USD, only one-tenth of the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban mine industry plays an essential role in environmental sustainability to minimize the creation of landfills and to maximize the reuse of resources. The first step in improving the efficiency of the industry is to identify the status of existing urban mines. This study identifies the scale of urban mine resources in Korea by examining both the current quantity of discarded resources and the accumulation quantity which is to be discarded in the future. The discarded and accumulation quantity are calculated by first applying the normal distribution to the product life distribution and then applying statistical data to the consumption and discard of products. Based on these calculations, as of 2011, there are 11 million tons of discarded urban mine resources and 478 million tons of accumulated urban mine resources. The discard value based on metal prices is found to be 12,779 million dollars and the accumulation value is found to be 454,220 million dollars. The discard value of 12,770 million dollars accounts for 14% of the demand for metal resources in the Korea. Including process by-products, which are excluded from this study, at least 20% of the demand for metal resources can be secured via urban mine resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of a single Oscillating water column (OWC) in normal and opposite configuration employing a Savonius rotor is investigated. For the normal OWC, the peak performance occurred at wave period T = 1.7 s with rotor speed of 86 rpm at wave height H = 80 mm. The opposite OWC recorded peak performance at the same wave period and the rotor had a maximum speed of 65 rpm at H = 80 mm. Furthermore, a novel double OWC configuration was tested and the peak performance of the rotor in the front and rear OWC occurred at T = 1.675 s with respective rotor speeds of 74 rpm and 53 rpm. The double OWC was analyzed by combining the performance of the rotor in the front and rear OWC. The Particle image velocimetry (PIV) results showed regions of re-circulating flow in the chamber as well as around the rotor. It was interesting to note that when comparing the advancing flow and the retreating flow, the flow had more energy when retreating hence suggesting more energy is imparted onto the rotor during this time. The PIV results provided a deeper insight into the flow characteristics and the rotor performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoysiagrass ( Zoysia japonica Steud.) is an important turfgrass species used in golf courses and athletic fields. However, zoysiagrass is susceptible to large patch disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG2-2 (IV). Chitinases are pathogen-related (PR) proteins induced by viruses, bacteria, and fungi that hydrolyze chitin. Recently, we isolated a class II chitinase gene ( Zjchi2) from zoysiagrass. The purified recombinant Zjchi2 showed broad-spectrum activity against various fungi, including R. solani AG2-2 (IV). In the current study, we generated transgenic zoysiagrass overexpressing Zjchi2 and then verified the resistance of transgenic plants to R. solani AG2-2 (IV). Polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot hybridization showed the integration of transgenes in zoysiagrass genomes and constitutive expression of Zjchi2, respectively. Antifungal activity was enhanced significantly in the transgenic zoysiagrass compared with wild-type plants. To our knowledge, this report is the first on the antifungal activity of a class II chitinase in transgenic zoysiagrass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microcrystalline structure and microvoid structure in carbon fibers during graphitization process (2300−2700 °C) were characterized employing laser micro-Raman scattering (Raman), X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The crystalline sizes ( L , L ) increased and interlayer spacing ( d ) decreased with increasing heat treatment temperature (HTT). The microvoids in the fibers grew up and contacted to the neighbors with the development of microcrystalline. In addition, the preferred orientation of graphite crystallite along fiber axis decreased and microvoids increased. The results are crucial for analyzing the evolution of microstructure of carbon fibers in the process of heat treatment and important for the preparation of high strength and high modulus carbon fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify key symptoms of two major syndromes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), which can be the clinical evidence for Chinese medicine (CM) doctors to make decisions. Methods: Standardization scales on diagnosis for CHB in CM were designed including physical symptoms, tongue and pulse appearance. The total of 695 CHB cases with dampness-heat (DH) syndrome or Pi (Spleen) deficiency (SD) syndrome were collected for feature selection and modeling, another 275 CHB patients were collected in different locations for validation. Key symptoms were selected based on modified information gain (IG), and 5 classifiers were applied to assist with models training and validation. Classification accuracy and area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were evaluated. Results: (1) Thirteen DH syndrome key symptoms and 13 SD syndrome key symptoms were selected from original 125 symptoms; (2) The key symptoms could achieve similar or better diagnostic accuracy than the original total symptoms; (3) In the validation phase, the key symptoms could identify syndromes effectively, especially in DH syndrome, which average prediction accuracy on 5 classifiers could achieve 0.864 with the average AUC 0.772. Conclusion: The selected key symptoms could be simple DH and SD syndromes diagnostic elements applied in clinical directly. (Registration N0.: ChiCTR-DCC-10000759) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation of plant species with extremely small populations (PSESP) is a focus of wild plant conservation in China at present. A relevant strategy for PSESP conservation requires improvement from previous programs for rare and endangered plants and national key protected plants. An integrated strategy for PSESP conservation of the Nyssa yunnanensis was initiated and applied over a 7-year period (2009-2015). Here, we reviewed the processes to implement the strategy: resource inventory, formulation of conservation action plan (CAP), in situ conservation, seedling propagation, near situ conservation, ex situ conservation and scientific research. Major concerns and technical requirements for each action are described and further analyzed within a broad scope to conserve PSESPs. A detailed resource inventory that highlights both the change in population status and the participation of local residents is recommended before the formulation of the CAP. Techniques for determination of the area of a mini-reserve is developed for in situ conservation of N. yunnanensis. Near situ conservation is a novel approach whereby establishing new viable population in contiguous areas with a similar climate, habitat and community, in which techniques for seedling preparation, soil preparation, and early management are introduced. A population-based species conservation strategy for N. yunnanensis may aid additional PSESP conservation, so as to contribute to overall wild plant conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]