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Angelica dahurica is a kind of Chinese traditional herbs with economic and ornament value, widely distributed in China. Despite its significance, there have been limited comprehensive investigations on the genome of A. dahurica, particularly regarding mitochondrial genomes. To investigate the conversion between mitochondrial genome and chloroplast genome, a complete and circular mitochondrial genome was assembled using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long reads. The mitochondrial genome of A. dahurica had a length of 228,315 base pairs (bp) with 45.06% GC content. The mitochondrial genome encodes 56 genes, including 34 protein-coding genes, 19 tRNA genes and 3 rRNA genes. Moreover, we discovered that 9 homologous large fragments between chloroplast genome and mitochondrial genome based on sequence similarity. This is the first report for A. dahurica mitochondrial genome, which could provide an insight for communication between plastid genome, and also give a reference genome for medicinal plants within the Angelica family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Exercise testing is recommended before prescribing individualized exercise intensity. However, there are few data demonstrating how exercise test responses are translated into individualized training intensity using a simple method. We previously developed a simple method to rate dyspnea called the count scale, including the count scale number (CSN) and count scale time. The purpose of this study was to assess the CSN for translation of exercise test response to training intensity. METHODS: Twenty-eight subjects (22 men and 6 women) with COPD age 66.6 ± 8.22 y participated in 2 exercise sessions. During the first session, in which exercise was guided by the heart rate, the CSN and heart rate were obtained (ie, CSN1 and HR1) while the heart rate was increased by 20% compared with the resting heart rate. During the second session, exercise was guided by the CSN. When the CSN was close to the CSN1, the CSN and corresponding heart rate were recorded as CSN2 and HR2. Differences between CSN1 and CSN2 and between HR, and HR2 were compared. The relationship between HR, and HR2 was analyzed. Agreement between HR1 and HR2 was evaluated by Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: No significant differences were seen between HR1 and HR2 (96 ± 11 and 97 ± 11, respectively; P = .14). A high correlation between HR1 and HR2 was found (r = 0.932, P < .001). The 95% CI for the difference between HR1 and HR2 was -1.2 to 8.5 beats/min. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise guided by the CSN alone could result in a given heart rate response, suggesting that the CSN is a simple and practical tool in translating exercise test results into individualized training intensity. With the CSN as the intensity indicator, patients can exercise safely and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined a possible mediating mechanism between servant leadership and the affective commitment in Chinese employees. Servant leadership, perceived organizational support, and affective commitment was assessed among 239 full-time employees in the Chinese public sector in three rounds of surveys. Servant leadership influenced affective commitment through perceived organizational support. The effect of servant leadership exists in Chinese culture as well as Western cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous studies have shown that active brown adipose tissue (BAT) is present in adults and may play important roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis. However, nearly every study has been carried out in patients undergoing scanning for cancer surveillance (CS), whose metabolism and BAT activity may not reflect those of healthy individuals. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and predictors of active BAT in Chinese adults, particularly in healthy individuals. Design: A total of 31 088 consecutive subjects aged ≥18 years who had undergone positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning of BAT were evaluated in this study. Methods: We measured BAT activity via 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in subjects who had undergone scanning for either a routine medical checkup (MC) or CS in Shanghai. Then, we investigated the predictors of active BAT, particularly in healthy individuals. Results: In both groups, the prevalence of BAT was higher in women than in men. Using a multivariate logistic analysis, we found age, sex, BMI, and high thyroid glucose uptake to be significant predictors of BAT activity in the MC group. Similarly, we found age, sex, and BMI to be significant predictors of BAT activity, but not thyroid high glucose uptake, in the CS group. Conclusions: In Chinese adults, BAT activity inversely correlates with BMI and thyroid high glucose uptake, which reinforces the central role of brown fat in adult metabolism and provides clues to a potential means for treating the metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation (EAO) scale is a multidimensional self-report measure of attitudes toward entrepreneurship. Few studies have tested the validity and reliability of the EAO scale in different social and cultural situations. the present study examined the generalizability of the EAO scale in a Chinese context using a two-wave survey. Exploratory factor analysis with the first wave data revealed a four-factor solution consistent with the original scale with 5 items removed. Confirmatory factor analysis of the secondary wave data verified the hypothesized model with a group of parameters and an overall satisfactory it. The analysis indicated that the Cronbach's a of the four subscales were similar to the values reported by the developers of the scale. However, the results of the test-retest r of the four subscales were lower than the original reports. The findings generally support the generalizability of the four-dimensional model of the EAO. Further research questions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorothalonil (2, 4, 5, 6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, TPN) has been widely used as a wide-spectrum fungicide in China and other countries, and is considered to be an important soil and water contaminant. Here we report the isolation and characterization of a novel TPN-degrading bacterial strain TP-D1 from a heavily TPN-polluted soil in Henan Province, China, and identified it as a strain of Ochrobactrum lupini based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and its morphological, biochemical, and physiological characteristics. Strain TP-D1 could degrade 90.4 and 99.7% of TPN after 4- and 7-day incubation in mineral salt broth with 50 mg TPN l and in autoclaved soil with 50 μg TPN g, respectively. Two new metabolites, methyl 2, 5, 6-trichloro-3-cyano-4-methoxy-benzoate (metabolite C) and methyl 3-cyano-2, 4, 5, 6-tetrachlorobenzoate (metabolite D), were detected besides previously reported 4-hydroxy-2, 5, 6-trichloroisophthalonitrile (TPN-OH, metabolite A). This result suggests that the cyano-group in TPN could be converted into amide groups by strain TP-D1, and reveal the biodegradation mechanism of TPN in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During an investigation of mycoparasitic fungi on sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in China, a new fungal species was consistently encountered and isolated from natural soils taken from soybean fields of Shandong and Jiangsu Provinces. The fungus is featured by its sphaeroid conidia with 1–2 transverse septa, but mostly (>65%) with only one septum at the base. It resembles Monacrosporium indicum, M. sphaeroides and M. sinense, but can be distinguished from the first two species by lack of basal hila and large vacuoles on its conidia, respectively, and from M. sinense by its typically two-celled and broadly turbinate to napiform conidia. Colonization frequencies on S. sclerotiorum sclerotia by the new species were 10% and 33.3% in the two field soils, respectively, when the sclerotia were introduced into soils and coincubated at 22–24 °C for 4 wk. Reinoculation tests by placing surface-sterilized sclerotia onto the tested isolate colony for 2 wk and then surface-sterilized again resulted in 23.3% sclerotia colonized. Microscopic observations indicated that the fungus coiled around hyphae of Rhizoctonia solani and grew along and appressed to hyphae of Fusarium solani f.sp. pisi, S. sclerotiorum and Phytophthora cactorum when dual-cultured in slides. Tests on agar plates demonstrated that the fungus formed adhesive networks and was an active predator of Panagrellus redivivus. This study indicated the diverse mechanisms for the fungus to survive in soil. For expression of its mycoparasitic and nematode-trapping capacities, the fungus is named as Monacrosporium janus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moral entrepreneurs have been defined as activists who devote considerable time to influencing people to change their values to a particular value system (Becker, 1963; Posner, 1999). Yurtsever (2003) built a measurement model of the moral personality of entrepreneurs, called the Moral Entrepreneur's Personality (MEP) through an intensive study of members of two nonprofit organizations as well as students, professors, and staff members from two universities. Creating Public Awareness, Resistance, Anticipating Threats, and Mobilizing Power have been identified as the four dimension components of the MEP. In the present study the aim was to examine the generalizability of the MEP measurement model in a Chinese context through a large-scale survey of top managers of Chinese corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is a common form of extrapulmonary TB but it is still a diagnostic dilemma in clinical practice. This study aimed to highlight the clinical features and diagnostic approaches for abdominal TB., Methods: seventy cases of diagnosed abdominal TB were retrospectively collected between August 1st, 2015 and June 30th, 2020. They were classified as peritoneal TB, lymph node TB, gastrointestinal TB, visceral TB or mixed TB., Results: eighteen patients were diagnosed with peritoneal TB, nine with lymph node TB, five with gastrointestinal TB, two with visceral TB and 36 with mixed TB. More than 65 % of the patients had tuberculosis of other sites except the abdomen. The median diagnosis time was 60 days. Ascites (58.6 %), abdominal distension (48.6 %), weight loss (44.3 %) and fever (42.9 %) were the most common symptoms. The overall microbiological and histological detection rates were 70.0 % and 38.6 %, respectively. The non-ascite samples yielded a higher microbiological confirmation rate (63.6 %) than the total samples (40.8 %). Diagnosis was confirmed histologically in 18 patients (69.2 %). Forty-five cases (64.3 %) were clinically diagnosed. Invasive procedures such as surgery (6/7), percutaneous biopsy (7/7) and endoscopy in lymph node TB (4/5) had high confirmation rates., Conclusions: the diagnosis of abdominal TB should be reached by a combination of clinical, laboratory, radiological, microbiological and pathological findings.

Guided by the basic theory of traditional Chinese medicine and using modern scientific methods, Dao-di herbs pharmacology studies the nature, performance, interaction with the body and its clinical application.It is a bridge between the basic research and clinical application of Dao-di herbs. It can objectively describe the law of efficacy of Dao-di herbs, scientifically explain the mechanism of efficacy of Dao-di herbs, explore and establish the standards and methods of Dao-di herbs based on biological effect and clinical efficacy, and provide scientific basis for the special properties, pharmacology and clinical value of Dao-di herbs.Furthermore, we put forward a new idea of building the standard of Dao-di herbs based on the curative effect rather than the origin.The Dao-di herbs standard should come from the systematic research of traditional Dao-di herbs producing areas and form a new characteristic system, through the extraction of environmental, genetic, character, chemical, pharmacological and other characteristics.This standard originates from the tradition, but it is higher than the tradition. It may not have the origin meaning of strict administrative division, but it can better reflect the pharmacological characteristics and excellent clinical value of Dao-di herbs.

Dao-di herbs is one of the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine different from other ethnic medicine. Sichuan province is rich in varieties and resources of Dao-di herbs, and its development scale and benefits are not obvious in recent decades due to the lag of standards behind the development of the times and objective needs. From the point of view of the whole process and the whole industrial chain, the significance of standardization system for quality assurance, healthy development of the industry, and development of the industry of Sichuan Dao-di herbs are presented in this paper. At present, Sichuan has made every effort to promote the construction and practice of the standardization system for Sichuan Dao-di herbs, to promote the rapid and high-quality development of Dao-di herbs industry in Sichuan.

A case of hereditary benign telangiectasia without family history was reported. A 39-year-old woman presented with small and tiny telangiectases on the face, neck, upper trunk and forearms at birth. The numbers and sizes of the lesions increased gradually and she had no hemorrhagic diathesis and systemic diseases. No similar patients were found in her family. Upon physical examination, telangiectases were found on the face, neck, upper trunk and forearms; and a telangiectatic erythema was found on the right forearm 25 mm × 40 mm in size. Histopathology examination showed a normal epidermis and dilation of the capillaries at upper dermis. Hereditary benign telangiectasia without family history was diagnosed.