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Background: Diarrheal irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is a functional bowel disease with diarrhea, and can be associated with common spleen deficiency syndrome of the prevelent traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) could help treating IBS-D, but may provide variable effects. Our study evaluated the efficacy of TCM- shenling Baizhu decoction and FMT in treating IBS-D with spleen deficiency syndrome, with significant implications on gut microbiome and serum metabolites. Methods: The new borne rats were procured from SPF facility and separated as healthy (1 group) and IBS-D model (3 groups) rats were prepared articially using mother's separation and senna leaf treatment. 2 groups of IBS-D models were further treated with TCM- shenling Baizhu decoction and FMT. The efficacy was evaluated by defecation frequency, bristol stool score, and intestinal tight junction proteins (occludin-1 and claudin-1) expression. Microbiomic analysis was conducted using 16 S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatics tools. Metabolomics were detected in sera of rats by LC-MS and annotated by using KEGG database. Results: Significant increment in occludin-1 and claudin-1 protein expression alleviated the diarrheal severity in IBS-D rats (P < 0.05) after treatment with FMT and TCM. FMT and TCM altered the gut microbiota and regulated the tryptophan metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism of IBS-D rats with spleen deficiency syndrome.The microbial abundance were changed in each case e.g., Monoglobus, Dubosiella, and Akkermansia and othe metabolic profiles. Conclusion: FMT and TCM treatment improved the intestinal barrier function by regulating gut microbiota and improved metabolic pathways in IBS-D with spleen deficiency syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although previous study has demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the antidepressant-like effect of oleanolic acid, there is little information regarding the details of the molecular mechanism involved in this effect. Methods: We used a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model to test the antidepressant-like effect of oleanolic acid on depressant-like behaviour, miR-132 expression and synaptic protein expression in the male mouse hippocampus. Furthermore, we explored the possible signalling pathways associated with miR-132 expression that mediate the effect of oleanolic acid on neuronal proliferation. Results: The results demonstrated that a 3-week treatment with oleanolic acid ameliorated CUMS-induced anhedonic and anxiogenic behaviours. Furthermore, we found that oleanolic acid led to the BDNF-related phosphorylation and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB), which was associated with the upregulation of miR-132 and hippocampal neuronal proliferation. Moreover, experiments with an miR-132 antagomir revealed that targeting miR-132 led to inhibition of neuronal proliferation and the postsynaptic density protein 95, but did not affect presynaptic protein synapsin I. Limitations: Several other stimuli can also induce CREB phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Thus, regulation of miR-132 may not be restricted to neurotrophic signalling. Conclusion: Our results show that oleanolic acid induces the upregulation of miR-132, which serves as an important regulator of neurotrophic actions, mainly through the activation of the hippocampal BDNF-ERKCREB signalling pathways., Introduction Depression has become an increasingly prevalent health problem throughout the world. It is generally assumed that multiple mechanisms are responsible for the development of depression. Although clinical and experimental [...]

The slotted p-detection multi-channel and random multi-access （SPMRM） protocol was preseted. This SPMRM protocol can provided multimedia traffic through load equilibrium and multi-priority and p-detection multi-channel, and ensured the wireless channel-utilizing rate. Furthermore, a mathematical model was used to analyze the throughput of SPMRM protocol. The efficiency of the new protocol was validated by theoretical analysis and com-puter simulation. In other words, the simulation results of SPMRM protocol is better than a continuous-time p-detection multi-channel and random multi-access protocol.

Phylogenomic evidence from an increasing number of studies has demonstrated that different data sets and analytical approaches often reconstruct strongly supported but conflicting relationships. In this study, 785 single‐copy nuclear genes and 75 complete plastomes were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships and estimate the historical biogeography of the apple genus Malus sensu lato, an economically important lineage disjunctly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and involved in known and suspected hybridization and allopolyploidy events. The nuclear phylogeny recovered the monophyly of Malus s.l. (including Docynia); however, the genus was supported to be biphyletic in the plastid phylogeny. An ancient chloroplast capture event in the Eocene in western North America best explains the cytonuclear discordance. Our conflict analysis demonstrated that ILS, hybridization, and allopolyploidy could explain the widespread nuclear gene tree discordance. One deep hybridization event (Malus doumeri) and one recent event (Malus coronaria) were detected in Malus s.l. Furthermore, our historical biogeographic analysis integrating living and fossil data supported a widespread East Asian‐western North American origin of Malus s.l. in the Eocene, followed by several extinction and dispersal events in the Northern Hemisphere. We also propose a general workflow for assessing phylogenomic discordance and biogeographic analysis using deep genome skimming data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lodging is one of the main factors affecting the grain yield and mechanized harvesting in maize. Dissecting the genetic basis of lodging related traits can provide a theoretical basis for high yield and mechanized harvest breeding of maize. In this study, genome-wide association study (GWAS) and linkage analysis were combined to identify the significant loci interrelated with lodging related traits using 153 inbred lines from China and abroad. We detected 5, 14, 16, and 21 SNPs significant SNPs related to stem strength, plant height, ear height, and ear height-to-plant height ratio, respectively. Among these significant SNPs, the maximum effect value of a single site was 13.24. Twenty-one QTLs related to lodging related traits were identified by linkage analysis, which explaining the phenotypic variations of 3.86%-16.58% in F5 population constructed by KA105 and KB020. Further, we noticed that two QTL intervals were coincided with the candidate intervals of association analysis. Finally, GRMZM2G105391, GRMZM2G014119, and GRMZM2G341410 candidate genes related to cell wall biosynthesis, cell division and elongation were predicted by functional annotation for these candidate regions. These results can provide a new reference for further analysis of the genetic basis of lodging resistance in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The opposite effects of chemotherapy, which enhance the malignancy of treated cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are not well understood. We investigated this phenomenon and corresponding mechanisms to develop a novel approach for improving chemotherapy efficacy in HCC. Methods Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines HepG2 (with low metastatic potential) and MHCC97L (with moderate metastatic potential) were used for the in vitro study. An orthotopic nude mouse model of human HCC was developed using MHCC97L cells. We then assessed the metastatic potential of surviving tumor cells after in vitro and in vivo oxaliplatin treatment. The molecular changes in surviving tumor cells were evaluated by western blot, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. The Chinese herbal extract Songyou Yin (composed of five herbs) was investigated in vivo to explore its effect on the metastatic potential of oxaliplatin-treated cancer cells. Results MHCC97L and HepG2 cells surviving oxaliplatin treatment showed enhanced migration and invasion in vitro. Residual HCC after in vivo oxaliplatin treatment demonstrated significantly increased metastasis to the lung (10/12 vs. 3/12) when re-inoculated into the livers of new recipient nude mice. Molecular changes consistent with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were observed in oxaliplatin-treated tumor tissues and verified by in vitro experiments. The Chinese herbal extract Songyou Yin (4.2 and 8.4 g/kg) attenuated EMT and inhibited the enhanced metastatic potential of residual HCC in nude mice (6/15 vs. 13/15 and 3/15 vs. 13/15, respectively). Conclusions The surviving HCC after oxaliplatin treatment underwent EMT and demonstrated increased metastatic potential. Attenuation of EMT by Songyou Yin may improve the efficacy of chemotherapy in HCC.

Aroma is an important index of tea quality. The volatile C6‐compounds formed from linoleic and linolenic acids in tea leaf lipids are essential components of tea. C6‐compounds are formed and transformed during the postharvest process of tea leaves. However, the metabolic flux of these C6‐compounds, the activities of related enzymes, and the transcription of related genes during the postharvest process of oolong tea remain unclear. In this study, the chemical profiles of C6‐aldehydes and C6‐alcohols, the pattern of ADH enzyme activity, and the level of CsADH gene expression during the postharvest process of oolong tea were investigated. We found that the turnover process had a positive effect on the accumulation of C6‐alcohols and simultaneously induced ADH activity, especially during the withering stage. The expression of CsADH peaked during the turnover stage. The relative expression level of CSA019598 typically increased during the postharvest process. Correlation analysis demonstrated that CSA019598 expression increased as ADH activity increased. This finding suggests that CSA019598 may play a prominent role in regulating ADH. These results advance our understanding of C6‐compound formation during the postharvest process of oolong tea. We aim to evaluate how green leaf volatiles affect the enzymatic formation and genetic transcription of aromatic compounds in oolong tea in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]