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Neolamarckia cadamba is an economically-important fast-growing tree species in South China and Southeast Asia. As a prerequisite first step for future gene expression studies, we have identified and characterized a series of stable reference genes that can be used as controls for quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) expression analysis in this study. The expression stability of 15 candidate reference genes in various tissues and mature leaves under different conditions was evaluated using four different algorithms, i.e., geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and RefFinder. Our results showed that SAMDC was the most stable of the selected reference genes across the set of all samples, mature leaves at different photosynthetic cycles and under drought stress, whereas RPL10A had the most stable expression in various tissues. PGK and RPS25 were considered the most suitable reference for mature leaves at different developmental stages and under cold treatment, respectively. Additionally, the gene expression profiles of sucrose transporter 4 (NcSUT4), and 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 3 (NcNCED3) were used to confirm the validity of candidate reference genes. Collectively, our study is the first report to validate the optimal reference genes for normalization under various conditions in N. cadamba and will benefit the future discovery of gene function in this species.

Objectives: Studies on treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in China are scarce. We performed a study to investigate empiric antibiotic practices for patients hospitalized with CAP in China and the risk factors for treatment failure., Methods: Data were collected from a national Chinese hospitalization database. Adult patients who were diagnosed with CAP between 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2015 were identified. We studied initial empiric antibiotic regimens, microbiologic sampling, treatment failure, in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay., Results: We included 18 043 adult patients from 185 hospitals who met all the study inclusion criteria. The most common initial antibiotic regimen for CAP was monotherapy with a fluoroquinolone (14.8%, 2671/18 043). The most common initial antibiotic (used alone or in combination with other antibiotics) was levofloxacin (15.7%, 4597/29 278 (this denominator represents the total number of initial antibiotics)). The microbiologic sampling rate was 26.9% (4851/18 043). A total of 4050 (22.4%) of 18 043 patients experienced treatment failure. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that older age, male sex, coexisting lung cancer and use of regimens not covering atypical pathogens were risk factors for treatment failure. In-hospital mortality was 2.1% (380/18 043). The median hospital length of stay was 11 days (interquartile range, 8-15 days)., Conclusions: Patients receiving Chinese guideline-adherent regimens had better outcomes, and atypical pathogen active regimens were associated with a lower treatment failure rate and shorter length of hospital stay., (Copyright © 2017 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) has been indicated to serve an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. It was previously demonstrated that the PI3K/Akt inhibitor wortmannin alleviated the severity of inflammation and improved the survival rate in rats with induced severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), which indicates that PI3K/Akt may serve a role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. To date, the mechanism by which PI3K/Akt regulates inflammation has not been elucidated. In the present study, it was hypothesized that PI3K/Akt may be invovled in SAP inflammation via regulation of the Toll‑like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway. Rats with SAP were treated with the PI3K/Akt agonist insulin‑like growth factor (IGF)‑1, which alleviated the severity of inflammation in a dose‑dependent manner. Furthermore, to better understand the role of PI3K/Akt in inflammation, RAW264.7 murine macrophages were stimulated with IGF‑1 and wortmannin alone or together before the induction of inflammation by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results indicated that LPS stimulated overexpression of TLR4, myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88), PI3K, Akt, p38MAPK and NF‑κBp65 mRNA, and increased the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α and interleukin (IL)‑6 in RAW264.7 cells compared with the control group. The levels of all detected factors were increased by stimulation with IGF‑1, whereas these levels were decreased following treatment with wortmannin alone, and the effect of IGF‑1 was abolished by wortmannin in RAW264.7 cells. In vivo studies indicated that IGF‑1 produced the same anti‑inflammatory effect as wortmannin and that expression of TLR4, p38MAPK and NF‑κBp65 decreased following treatment with IGF‑1. These findings indicate that PI3K/Akt may take part in the progression of SAP by regulating the TLR4 signaling pathway and that IGF‑1 can inhibit inflammation in SAP rats.

Strain SYSU D8004 T was isolated from a sample collected from an arid area in Saudi Arabia. The isolate was Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, aerobic and non-spore-forming. It could grow at 4-45 °C, at pH 6.0-10.0 and in the presence of up to 17 % (w/v) NaCl. Pairwise comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSU D8004 T shared highest sequence similarity with Georgenia halophila YIM 93316 T (96.5 %). Menaquinone MK-8(H4) was detected as the respiratory quinone. The polar lipid profile of strain SYSU D8004 T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, two phosphatidylinositol mannosides, two unidentified phospholipids and an unidentified glycolipid. Strain SYSU D8004 T contained anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and C14 : 0 as the predominant fatty acids (>10 %). Galactose, glucose and rhamnose were detected as whole-cell sugars. Based on analyses of the phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, it was determined that strain SYSU D8004 T could be differentiated from other closely related members of the genus Georgenia. Strain SYSU D8004 T is therefore considered to represent a novel species of the genus Georgenia, for which the name Georgenia deserti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSU D8004 T (=CGMCC 1.15793 T =KCTC 39987 T ).

Study Question: Does second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure from husbands have adverse effects on sex hormones, metabolic profiles, clinical phenotypes and fertility outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing ovulation induction?, Summary Answer: SHS exposure is associated with worsened biochemical hyperandrogenism, higher incidence of metabolic syndrome and reduced conception rates in women with PCOS., What Is Known Already: Smoking in women impairs fecundity at some stages of the reproductive process including folliculogenesis, embryo transport, endometrial angiogenesis and uterine blood flow. Yet little is known about the hazard of SHS exposure in women with PCOS., Study Design, Size, Duration: This study was a secondary analysis of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Acupuncture and Clomiphene Trial (PCOSAct), a large randomized controlled trial conducted at 27 hospitals from 2012 to 2015 in mainland China., Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Out of 1000 women with PCOS, SHS exposure status were available in 500 women, of whom 271 women were non-exposed and 229 exposed to cigarette smoke (170 women ≤10 cigarettes per day as low-SHS exposed and 59 women >10 cigarettes per day as high-SHS exposed). We compared circulating sex steroids, glucose and lipid metabolism, metabolic syndrome and phenotypes, fertility and obstetric outcomes between non-exposed and exposed women., Main Results and the Role of Chance: Women exposed to SHS, compared to non-exposed women, had a higher serum total testosterone (1.7 vs 1.5 nmol/L, P = 0.01), free androgen index (5.7 vs 4.0, P = 0.001) and lower sex hormone binding globulin (30.1 vs 35.6 nmol/L, P = 0.03). Metabolic syndrome, but not other phenotypes, was more frequent in exposed women as compared to non-exposed women (21.8 vs 13.3%, adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.66; 95% CI, 1.02-2.71, P = 0.04). Ovulation rates between exposed and non-exposed groups were not significantly different (76.9 vs 82.9%, adjusted OR=0.72; 95% CI, 0.45-1.15, P = 0.17). Conception rates were significant lower in the exposed group (26.6 vs 36.9%; adjusted OR=0.61; 95% CI, 0.41-0.91; P = 0.01), while clinical pregnancy and live birth rates showed a similar trend that was not statistically significant. Gestational age, birth weight and other obstetric outcomes were not affected by SHS exposure., Limitations, Reasons for Caution: Data on SHS exposure were missing in 50% of the women. We did not assay serum nicotine or cotinine levels to quantify the SHS exposure status., Wider Implications of the Findings: These data suggest that smoking partners of infertile women with PCOS who seek treatment should be advised to quit smoking., Study Funding/competing Interest(s): Funding was provided by the National Public Welfare Projects for Chinese Medicine (201107005 and 200807002) and the National Clinical Trial Base in Chinese Medicine Special Projects (JDZX2012036 and 2015B009). There are no conflicts of interest., Trial Registration Number: ClinicalTrial.gov number: NCT01573858 and chictr.org.cn number: ChiCTR-TRC-12002081.

Strain SYSU D8010 T was isolated from a desert sand sample collected in Saudi Arabia. The taxonomic position of the isolate was investigated by the polyphasic taxonomic approach. The isolate was found to be Gram-positive and aerobic. The strain was able to grow at 14-40 °C, pH 5.0-9.0 and in the presence of up to 22 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain SYSU D8010 T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as cell-wall diamino acid, and arabinose, fucose, galactose, glucose and rhamnose as the whole-cell sugars. The primary polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositolmannosides. Menaquinone MK-9(H4) was detected as the respiratory quinone; and anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 as the predominant fatty acids. Pairwise comparison of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SYSU D8010 T had a sequence similarity of 97.8 % to Saccharopolyspora halophila YIM 90500 T . The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SYSU D8010 T was determined to be 69.9 mol%. Based on the analyses of the phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain SYSU D8010 T was determined to represent a novel species of the genus Saccharopolyspora, for which the name Saccharopolyspora deserti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is SYSU D8010 T (=KCTC 39989 T =CPCC 204620 T ).

In order to figure out the key acylated anthocyanin compounds accounting for the bioprotective activity of purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), ODS packing column, semi-preparative HPLC method, activity evaluation assays, and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) assays were employed. Additionally, our study revealed that the structures of two acylated monomeric anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-caffeoyl-feruloyl sophoroside-5-glucoside and peonidin 3-dicaffeoyl sophoroside-5-glucoside were found to have the strongest bioprotective activity, which was identified to be closely related with the ortho-dihydroxybenzene structure, suggesting the more the special structures of catechol moieties, such as caffeoyl and cyanidin, the stronger the bioprotective activity will be. Besides, the aglycon of cyanidin had higher antioxidant capacity than the peonidin, and the acylated residues strengthened the capacity which followed the order of caffeoyl>feruloyl>p-hydroxybenzoyl. These results will lay the groundwork for further researching the structure-activity relationships of acylated monomeric anthocyanins from purple sweet potato., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ganoderma lucidum extracts have shown antiepileptic effects in in vivo and in vitro studies. In this work, primary hippocampal neurons cultured in magnesium-free medium were used to study the neuroprotective effects of ganoderic acid A and B (GA-A and GA-B) on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and mitochondrial membrane potential, to improve our understanding of their antiepileptic effect. The activity of SOD was determined by the xanthine oxidase assay, the variations of mitochondrial membrane potential and cell apoptosis were measured by JC-1 fluorescent staining and flow cytometry. It was found that the SOD activity and mitochondrial membrane potential (118.84 U/mg protein and 244.08 Δψm) of the epileptic hippocampal neurons were significantly lower than control values (135.95 U/mg protein and 409.81 Δψm), associated with an increase of cell apoptosis (31.88% vs. 8.84%). These circumstances can be improved by treatment of GA-A/GA-B (for SOD, 127.15±3.82 / 120.52±4.30 U/mg protein; for membrane potential (Δψm), 372.35 / 347.28; and for cell apoptosis (%), 14.93 / 20.52). Results indicated that GA-A significantly improved SOD activity, while both GA-A/GA-B tranquillized the mitochondrial membrane potential of hippocampal neurons, and thereby protected these neurons by inhibiting apoptosis.

This study was designed to study the chemical composition of Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharide and inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage. A new elution (0.3% NaCl aqueous solution) of Cyclocarya paliurus polysaccharide (CPP-3) was characterized by different methods such as fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), UV-vis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high performance gel chromatography (HPGLC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cell viability was measured by MTT test, phagocytosis assay was measured by Neutral red uptake assay, nitrite was measured by Griess assay, TNF-α and IL-1β analysis were measured by ELISA, PGE 2 was measured by enzyme immunoassay system. The results showed that CPP-3 was comprised of two polysaccharides with average molecular weight (Mw) of 5.69×10 4 Da and 4.94×10 3 Da. CPP-3 contains six monosaccharides, of which are rhamnose (Rha), arabinose (Ara), xylose (Xyl), mannose (Man), glucose (Glu), galactose (Gal), the molar ratio of six monosaccharides is 0.060:0.109:0.053:0.128:0.293:0.357. CPP-3 increased the amount of NO released from mouse macrophage RAW264.7 and significantly increased the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and PGE 2 (P<0.01). CPP-3 suppressed LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage to release NO, TNF-α, IL-1β and PGE 2 (P<0.01). CPP-3 and LPS accounted for synergistic effect on the release of NO and TNF-α, CPP-3 and LPS accounted for antagonistic effect on the release of IL-1β and PGE 2 ., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Strains SYSU D8007 T and SYSU D8014 T were isolated from desert soil collected from Saudi Arabia. The two isolates were Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, aerobic and non-spore-forming. These strains were able to grow at 4-45 °C and in the presence of up to 8 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain SYSU D8007 T could grow at pH 6.0-10.0, and strain SYSU D8014 T at pH 5.0-10.0. They shared highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Microbacterium marinilacus YM11-607 T and Microbacterium paludicola US15 T . Menaquinones MK-11 and MK-12 were detected as the respiratory quinones. The polar lipid profiles of strains SYSU D8007 T and SYSU D8014 T consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol, but differed in the number of unidentified glycolipids. Strain SYSU D8007 T contained anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 as the predominant fatty acids, while strain SYSU D8014 T contained anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0 as the major fatty acids (>10 %). While glucose, rhamnose and ribose were detected in strain SYSU D8007 T as the whole-cell sugars, galactose, glucose and rhamnose were present in strain SYSU D8014 T . The genomic DNA G+C content of strains SYSU D8007 T and SYSU D8014 T was 72.2 and 73.6 mol%, respectively. Based on phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic characteristics, it can be concluded that strains SYSU D8007 T and SYSU D8014 T represent two novel species of the genus Microbacterium, for which the names Microbacterium album sp. nov. and Microbacterium deserti sp. nov. are proposed, respectively. The type strains are SYSU D8007 T (=CGMCC 1.15794 T =KCTC 39990 T ) and SYSU D8014 T (=CPCC 204619 T =KCTC39991 T ).

Background: Near surface air temperature and rainfall are major weather factors affecting forest insect dynamics. The recent developments in remote sensing retrieval and geographic information system spatial analysis techniques enable the utilization of weather factors to significantly enhance forest pest forecasting and warning systems. The current study focused on building forest pest digital data structures as a platform of correlation analysis between weather conditions and forest pest dynamics for better pest forecasting and warning systems using the new technologies., Results: The study dataset contained 3 353 425 small polygons with 174 defined attributes covering 95 counties of Guangxi province of China currently registering 292 forest pest species. Field data acquisition and information transfer systems were established with four software licences that provided 15-fold improvement compared to the systems currently used in China. Nine technical specifications were established including codes of forest districts, pest species and host tree species, and standard practices of forest pest monitoring and information management. Attributes can easily be searched using ArcGIS9.3 and/or the free QGIS2.16 software., Conclusions: Small polygons with pest relevant attributes are a new tool of precision farming and detailed forest insect pest management that are technologically advanced. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (UGPN) for the treatment in patients with kidney stones (KS)., Methods: We randomly assigned 86 patients with KS to a UGPN group or a control group, each group comprising 43 patients. Patients from the UGPN group underwent UGPN whereas those from control group underwent fluoroscopic-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy (FGPN). The primary outcome included the stone-free rate. Secondary outcomes included complication rates, operative time, and length of hospitalization., Results: UGPN did not show better efficacy than the FGPN procedure in decreasing stone-free rate (UGPN group 79.1% vs control group 69.8%, P = .45), operative time (UGPN group 108.4 ± 31.7 minute vs control group 113.2 ± 34.5 minute, P = .50), and length of hospitalization (UGPN group 2.7 ± 1.3 days vs control group 3.1 ± 1.5 days, P = .19). Additionally, no complications, except fever (UGPN group 4.7% vs control group 9.3%, P = .41) and hemoglobin slightly reduced (UGPN group 7.0% vs control group 11.6%, P = .46) were noted in patients from both groups in this study., Conclusions: To summarize, we demonstrated that both UGPN and FGPN techniques showed similar efficacy and complications when used for the management of KS., (Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The present study reports the diversity of culturable bacteria associated with the puffer fish Gastrophysus spadiceus . During the study, a total of 31 strains affiliated to the genera Pseudomonas , Janthinobacterium , Rahnella, and Psychrobacter were isolated from liver, intestines, and flesh of G. spadiceus . These strains exhibited a diverse range of metabolites as indicated by the HPLC and TLC profiles of the chemical extracts of their fermentation products. Some of these crude extracts showed strong antimicrobial activities against pathogenic bacterial strains. In addition, few crude extracts exhibit insecticidal activity against Artemia salina .

Flexible electronics has attracted enormous interest in wearable electronics and human-machine interfacing. Here, a flexible organic tribotronic transistor (FOTT) without a top gate electrode has been demonstrated. The FOTT is fabricated on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate film using the p-type pentacene and poly(methyl methacrylate)/Cytop composites as the conductive channel and dielectric layer, respectively. The charge carriers can be modulated by the contact electrification between the dielectric layer and a mobile triboelectric layer. Based on the fabricated FOTT, pressure and magnetic sensors have been developed, respectively, that exhibit great sensitivity, fast response time, and excellent stability. The FOTT in this simple structure shows bright potentials of tribotronics in human-machine interaction, electronic skins, wearable electronics, intelligent sensing, and so on.

Strain SYSU D8009 T was isolated from a desert sample collected from Saudi Arabia. The taxonomic position of the isolate was investigated by a polyphasic approach. The novel isolate was Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, aerobic and non-spore-forming. It was able to grow at 4-45 °C and pH 4.0-8.0, and exhibited NaCl tolerance of up to 1.5 % (w/v). Strain SYSU D8009 T shared the closest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with members of the family Acetobacteraceae, with a value of less than 96.0 %. In the phylogenetic dendrograms, the strain clustered with the genera Paracraurococcus, Craurococcus and Crenalkalicoccus within the family Acetobacteraceae but with a distinct lineage, thereby demonstrating that the strain should be classified within the family Acetobacteraceae. The respiratory ubiquinone was found to be Q-10. The polar lipids of the strain comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and four unidentified aminolipids. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SYSU D8009 T was determined to be 71.6 mol%. Based on the results of the phylogenetic analyses and differences in the physiological and biochemical characteristics, strain SYSU D8009 T merits representation of a novel species of a new genus within the family Acetobacteraceae, for which the name Siccirubricoccus deserti gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Siccirubricoccus deserti sp. nov. is SYSU D8009 T (=CGMCC 1.15936 T =KCTC 62088 T ).

A novel actinobacterial strain, designated SYSU K10005 T , was isolated from a soil sample collected from a karst cave in Xingyi county, Guizhou province, south-west China. The taxonomic position of the strain was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Cells of the strain were aerobic and Gram-stain-positive. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain SYSU K10005 T was most closely related to the type strains of the genus Nonomuraea, and shared highest sequence similarity of 98.4 % with Nonomuraea candida HMC10 T . DNA-DNA hybridization values between the two strains were less than 70 %. The whole-cell hydrolysates of strain SYSU K10005 T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid (diagnostic diamino acid), and arabinose, madurose and rhamnose (whole-cell sugars). The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-9(H4), while the major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, 10-methyl C17 : 0, C17 : 1ω8c and C17 : 0. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, hydroxyl-phosphatidylethanolamine, lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannosides, an unidentified lipid, two unidentified ninhydrin-positive phosphoglycolipids and two unidentified phospholipids. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SYSU K10005 T was 64.2 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain SYSU K10005 T can be characterized to represent a novel species of the genus Nonomuraea, for which the name Nonomuraea cavernae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SYSU K10005 T (=KCTC 39805 T =CGMCC 4.7368 T ).

Two extremely halophilic archaea, strains YIM 93745 T and YIM 93707, were isolated from a saline soil sample collected from Loulan, China. Cells of the two strains were coccus, non-motile and Gram-stain negative. The strains were aerobic and grew at 25-50 °C (optimum, 37 °C), in the presence of 5-35 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 20 %), 0.01-0.1 M Mg 2 + (optimum, 0.03 M) and pH 6.0-8.5 (optimum, 7.0-7.5). Cells lysed in distilled water and with 0-5 % NaCl. Major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulfate, sulfated mannosyl glycosyl diether and two unidentified glycolipids. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA sequence revealed that the two strains were most closely related to Halovivax cerinus IC35 T (95.1 and 95.2 % sequence similarities, respectively). The two strains, however, shared highest rpoB' gene sequence identities with Natrinema pellirubrum JCM 10476 T (87.8 and 87.7 % respectively). Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' gene sequences demonstrated a robust clade of the two strains with members of related genera of the family Natrialbaceae. The DNA G+C contents of the two strains were 64.6 and 64.4 mol%, respectively. DNA-DNA relatedness values between them were 95±2 %. Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic characteristics and phylogenetic properties suggested that the two strains YIM 93745 T and YIM 93707 represent a novel species in a new genus within the family Natrialbaceae, for which the name Saliphagus infecundisoli gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 93745 T (=KCTC 4228 T =CGMCC 1.15824 T ).

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Ribosome biogenesis regulatory protein homolog (RRS1) is an essential factor involved in ribosome biogenesis, while its role in CRC remains largely unclear. Here, we found that RRS1 expression was significantly higher in CRC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. RRS1 High expression also predicted poor overall survival of CRC patients. Knockdown of RRS1 induced the G2/M cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and suppressed the proliferation of RKO and HCT-116 CRC cells. Furthermore, angiogenesis was also reduced in CRC cells after RRS1 knockdown. In addition, suppression of RRS1 blunted the tumor formation of CRC cells in nude mice. At the molecular level, silencing of RRS1 decreased the expression of M-phase inducer phosphatase 3 (CDC25C), Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), antigen KI-67 (KI67) and increased the protein level of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (CDKN1A) and tumor suppressor p53 (p53). Taken together, our findings provide evidence that RRS1 may promote the development of colon cancer. Therefore, targeting RRS1 may be a promising therapeutic strategy for CRC patients., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

A novel actinobacterial strain, designated YIM A1135T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from a karst cave in Xingyi county, Guizhou province, south-western China. The taxonomic position of the strain was investigated using a polyphasic approach. Cells of the strain were aerobic, Gram-stain-positive and partially acid-alcohol-fast. Strain YIM A1135T shared 98.3 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with Nocardia jejuensis NBRC 103114T and 97.6 % with Nocardia alba YIM 30243T. DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain YIM A1135T and related type strains of the genus Nocardia were less than 70 %. In addition, meso-diaminopimelic acid was the diagnostic diamino acid in cell-wall peptidoglycan. The whole-cell sugars were fructose, mannose, galactose and glucose. The major isoprenoid quinone was MK-8(H4,ω-cycl), while the major fatty acids (>10 %) were C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω9c, C18 : 0 10-methyl and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c). The polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. Mycolic acids were present. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain YIM A1135T was 66.7 mol%. Based on the results of the molecular studies supported by its morphological, physiological, chemotaxnomic and other differential phenotypic characteristics, strain YIM A1135T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Nocardia, for which the name Nocardia cavernae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM A1135T (=KCTC 39595T=CCTCC AA 2017030T).

Scutellariae Radix (SR), the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is used as an antipyretic drug and has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory activity. SR is divided into two specifications, "Ku Qin" (KQ) and "Zi Qin" (ZQ), for use against different symptoms (upper energizer heat or lower portion of the triple energizer), according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, differences in the efficacies of these two specifications have not been determined. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the differences in the anti-inflammatory activities between KQ and ZQ and to explore how their differences are manifested in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages. Our results showed that, in RAW264.7 cells (a mouse macrophage cell line derived from ascites), KQ and ZQ displayed anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the release of nitric oxide (NO), inducible NOS (iNOS), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in a dose-dependent manner without distinction. In NR8383 cells (a rat alveolar macrophage cell line), KQ and ZQ displayed similar effects on NO, iNOS, and NF-κB as seen in RAW264.7 cells, but KQ showed a higher inhibition rate for NO and iNOS than that shown by ZQ at the same concentration. These results indicated that there were differences in efficacy between KQ and ZQ in treating lung inflammation. Our findings provided an experimental evidence supporting the different uses of KQ and ZQ in clinic, as noted in ancient herbal records., (Copyright © 2017 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Importance: Acupuncture is used to induce ovulation in some women with polycystic ovary syndrome, without supporting clinical evidence., Objective: To assess whether active acupuncture, either alone or combined with clomiphene, increases the likelihood of live births among women with polycystic ovary syndrome., Design, Setting, and Participants: A double-blind (clomiphene vs placebo), single-blind (active vs control acupuncture) factorial trial was conducted at 21 sites (27 hospitals) in mainland China between July 6, 2012, and November 18, 2014, with 10 months of pregnancy follow-up until October 7, 2015. Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome were randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to 4 groups., Interventions: Active or control acupuncture administered twice a week for 30 minutes per treatment and clomiphene or placebo administered for 5 days per cycle, for up to 4 cycles. The active acupuncture group received deep needle insertion with combined manual and low-frequency electrical stimulation; the control acupuncture group received superficial needle insertion, no manual stimulation, and mock electricity., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was live birth. Secondary outcomes included adverse events., Results: Among the 1000 randomized women (mean [SD] age, 27.9 [3.3] years; mean [SD] body mass index, 24.2 [4.3]), 250 were randomized to each group; a total of 926 women (92.6%) completed the trial. Live births occurred in 69 of 235 women (29.4%) in the active acupuncture plus clomiphene group, 66 of 236 (28.0%) in the control acupuncture plus clomiphene group, 31 of 223 (13.9%) in the active acupuncture plus placebo group, and 39 of 232 (16.8%) in the control acupuncture plus placebo group. There was no significant interaction between active acupuncture and clomiphene (P = .39), so main effects were evaluated. The live birth rate was significantly higher in the women treated with clomiphene than with placebo (135 of 471 [28.7%] vs 70 of 455 [15.4%], respectively; difference, 13.3%; 95% CI, 8.0% to 18.5%) and not significantly different between women treated with active vs control acupuncture (100 of 458 [21.8%] vs 105 of 468 [22.4%], respectively; difference, -0.6%; 95% CI, -5.9% to 4.7%). Diarrhea and bruising were more common in patients receiving active acupuncture than control acupuncture (diarrhea: 25 of 500 [5.0%] vs 8 of 500 [1.6%], respectively; difference, 3.4%; 95% CI, 1.2% to 5.6%; bruising: 37 of 500 [7.4%] vs 9 of 500 [1.8%], respectively; difference, 5.6%; 95% CI, 3.0% to 8.2%)., Conclusions and Relevance: Among Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome, the use of acupuncture with or without clomiphene, compared with control acupuncture and placebo, did not increase live births. This finding does not support acupuncture as an infertility treatment in such women., Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01573858.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a scheme for generating multimode quantum states with single photons carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). Various quantum states have been realized by superposing multiple OAM modes of single photons in two possible paths. These quantum states exhibit NOON-like "super-resolving" interference behavior for the multiple OAM modes of single photons. Compared with the NOON states using many photons, these states are not only easily prepared, but also robust to photon losses. They may find potential applications in quantum optical communication and recognizing defects or objects. The method to identify a particular kind of defect has been demonstrated both theoretically and experimentally.

We previously reported the up-regulation of caspase recruitment domain 9 (CARD9) expressions in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) patients, but little is known about its regulation. In this study, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to reduce the levels of CARD9 expression in sodium taurocholate-stimulated SAP rats. CARD9 was overexpressed in SAP rats, which correlated with the severity of pancreatitis. When compared to the untreated group, the cohort that received the siRNA treatment demonstrated a significant reduction in pancreatic injury, neutrophil infiltration, myeloperoxidase activity and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, siRNAs showed that the reduction of CARD9 in SAP rats down-regulated the expression of NF-κBp65 and P38MAPK which are involved in the transcription and release of a wide variety of inflammatory cytokines. These findings provide evidence that CARD9 is up-regulated in SAP rats and acts as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment thereof. Blocking the activation of NF-κB and P38MAPK via siRNA-mediated gene knock-down of CARD9 appears to reduce the inflammatory response in pancreatic tissue., (© 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.)

There exist controversies in the surgical treatment of maisonneuve injury with regard to reduction and fixation of syndesmosis and management of proximal fibular fracture. It is very important for the orthopaedic surgeons to learn more techniques and avoid pitfalls from clinical practice. We summarized the clinical data of 1 failed case, a 20-year-old girl with big body weight who underwent a primary surgery for the treatment of maisonneuve fracture with minimally invasive reduction and fixation of ankle syndesmosis and posterior malleolus and open reduction and internal fixation of medial malleolus, then a revision surgery for the treatment of iatrogenic syndesmotic malreduction with open reduction and re-stabilization of ankle syndesmosis supplemented with open reduction and internal fixation of proximal fibular facture. The malreduction of distal fibula was not found until finishing the postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan 2 weeks after the primary surgery, then the patient experienced an revision surgery including removal of the screws installed primarily for fixation of ankle syndesmosis, and open reduction and internal fixation of proximal fibular fracture, and limited open reduction and re-stabilization of ankle syndesmosis. Then the patient rehabilitated regularly under the direction of the surgeon who performed these two operations, and the postoperative recovery was smooth, then the hardwares for fixation of ankle syndesmosis and fracture of proximal fibula and medial malleolus were removed at different postoperative time. The patient experienced an excellent outcome at the end of the 3-year follow-up. The reasons for the failure in this case might include the overemphasized minimally invasive technique in the process of reduction, inaccurate assessment of intraoperative fluoroscopy and postoperative radiographs, and inappropriate utilization of the reduction clamp. Attention should be paid to the fact that an obliquely placed clamp for closed reduction of diastasis of ankle syndesmosis could result in syndesmotic malreduction. The worsened alignment of the fracture end of proximal fibula observed by intraoperative fluoroscopy may alert surgeons to syndesmotic malreduction. Partial exposure of syndesmosis and anatomical reduction and fixation of proximal fibular fracture may be useful measurres to avoid malreduction of ankle syndesmosis in the surgical treatment of maisonneuve injury in some patient, especially the patient with critically destabilized ankle.

Objective: To evaluate the rate of basicervical fractures and document their diagnosis and treatment., Methods: From January 2005 to May 2016, 28 basicervical fractures of the 832 trochanteric fractures were collected and evaluated. The patients were treated with multiple screws, dynamic hip screw (DHS), intramedullary nail. Via the operation time, postoperative hospitalization, loss of blood duration the operation, hidden blood loss, total blood loss, mean union time and the final follow-up Harris hip score, the characteristics of different internal fixations were compared and analyzed., Results: The incidence of basicervical fractures was 3.37% (28/832) in our study. In the intramedullary nail group (16 patients), the operation time was 55 (20,120) min, the postoperative hospitalization was 3(2, 7) d, the intraoperative blood loss was 50 (5,100) mL, the hidden blood loss was 533.37 (376.19, 987.15) mL, and the total blood loss 627.35 (406.19, 1037.16) mL. The union time and final follow-up Harris score were 6 (3, 9) months and 90.25 (74,100) min. In the DHS group (8 patients), the operation time was 87.5 (65,115) min, the postoperative hospitalization was 5.5 (2, 17) d, the intraoperative blood loss was 100 (50,300) mL, the hidden blood loss was 278.11 (202.43, 849.97) mL, and the total blood loss 580.19 (368.55, 899.97) mL . The union time and final follow-up Harris score were 5.5 (4, 12) months and 85.5 (84, 87) min. In the multiple screws group (4 patients), the operation time was 47.5 (35, 75) min, the postoperative hospitalization was 5 (2, 12) d, the intraoperative blood loss was 20 (2, 70) mL, the hidden blood loss was 150 (100.00, 412.01) mL, and the total blood loss 195.00 (120.00, 414.01) mL. The union time and final follow-up Harris score were 4 (4, 6) months and 80 (61, 97) min. The patients treated with multiple screws and intramedullary nail had a shorter operation time than the DNS group, but no obvious difference was found between the other two groups (P=0.367). Postoperative hospitalization had no significant difference among the three groups. The intraoperative bleeding was more in the DHS group, the other two groups had no significant difference (P=0.100). However, the hidden blood loss was more in the intramedullary nail group, the other two groups had no significant difference (P=0.134). The total blood loss in the intramedullary nail group was more than multiple screw group, similar to the DHS group (P=0.483). One patient treated with multiple screws underwent internal fixation failure three months after operation. The mean union time and final follow-up Harris scores had no significant difference among the three groups (P>0.05)., Conclusion: Through this study, we found that the incidence of basicervical fractures is low. Fractures with no shift can be confirmed by preoperative X-ray. For displaced fractures, preoperative CT+3D reconstruction is recommended. Surgical treatment by closed reduction and internal fixation with DHS or intramedullary nail is shown to be very effective.

Our previous studies showed that direct injury to the sciatic nerve (chronic constriction injury or axotomy) is associated with a numerical increase in synaptic number in the rat spinal dorsal horn. The aim of this study was to determine whether painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) was also associated with numerical changes in the synaptic or neuronal numbers in the spinal dorsal horn. Overall, 17 adult SD rats were allocated randomly into the control group (n=5) and the streptozotocin (STZ) group (n=12). STZ was injected intraperitoneally to induce diabetes. In the STZ group, seven rats (STZ-H) showed hyperglycemia (fasting blood glucose >11.1 mM) and the rest of the five rats (STZ-N) did not. Rats were fed and observed for 28 days after hyperglycemia. Two of the seven STZ-H rats died of infection during the observation period. Body weight and paw withdraw threshold (PWT) decreased in the rest of the five STZ-H rats. Twenty-eight days after hyperglycemia, the L5 segment of the spinal cord was removed; paraffin-embedded sections were prepared and stained with Nissl's method and synaptophysin immunohistochemistry, respectively. The optical dissector (a stereological technique) was used to estimate the numbers of neurons and synapses in the spinal dorsal horn. Compared with the control group, the synaptic number and ratio between the numbers of synapses and neurons in the L5 segment of the spinal dorsal horn were increased significantly in the STZ-H rats (P<0.05), whereas the neuronal number did not change significantly (P>0.05). Parameters of STZ-N rats showed no significant changes. In conclusion, PDN, a form of neuropathic pain, is also associated with a synaptic plasticity (numerical increase) in the spinal dorsal horn. This numerical change might be the reason for central sensitization resulting in reduced pain threshold, enhanced responsiveness, and expanded receptive fields associated with PDN. Therefore, our studies indicate that neuropathic pain conditions with different etiologies might show the same synaptic numerical plasticity changes.

Realizing active interaction with external environment/stimuli is a great challenge for current electronics. In this paper, a tribotronic tuning diode (TTD) is proposed by coupling a variable capacitance diode and a triboelectric nanogenerator in free-standing sliding mode. When the friction layer is sliding on the device surface for electrification, a reverse bias voltage is created and applied to the diode for tuning the junction capacitance. When the sliding distance increases from 0 to 25 mm, the capacitance of the TTD decreases from about 39 to 8 pF. The proposed TTD has been integrated into analog circuits and exhibited excellent performances in frequency modulation, phase shift, and filtering by sliding a finger. This work has demonstrated tunable diode and active analog signal modulation by tribotronics, which has great potential to replace ordinary variable capacitance diodes in various practical applications such as signal processing, electronic tuning circuits, precise tuning circuits, active sensor networks, electronic communications, remote controls, flexible electronics, etc.

Large-scale tactile sensor arrays are of great importance in flexible electronics, human-robot interaction, and medical monitoring. In this paper, a flexible 10 × 10 tribotronic transistor array (TTA) is developed as an active tactile sensing system by incorporating field-effect transistor units and triboelectric nanogenerators into a polyimide substrate. The drain-source current of each tribotronic transistor can be individually modulated by the corresponding external contact, which has induced a local electrostatic potential to act as the conventional gate voltage. By scaling down the pixel size from 5 × 5 to 0.5 × 0.5 mm 2 , the sensitivities of single pixels are systematically investigated. The pixels of the TTA show excellent durability, independence, and synchronicity, which are suitable for applications in real-time tactile sensing, motion monitoring, and spatial mapping. The integrated tribotronics provides an unconventional route to realize an active tactile sensing system, with prospective applications in wearable electronics, human-machine interfaces, fingerprint identification, and so on.

Objective: To study the clinical manifestations and detection method for imported patients of Zika virus disease. Method: The records of symptoms, signs and laboratory results were collected and analyzed. The specimen of blood, saliva and urine from patients were collected. Results: Two of ten patients had mild fever. The visible cutaneous maculopapular rash of the trunk and extremities was observed in all patients. Seven patients were observed congestive conjunctivitis and only one patient gave an account of itching. No patient had symptoms of myalgia or arthralgia. The laboratory results of patients were normal except two patients had mild leucopenia and another one had thrombocytosis. The Zika virus RNA was detected in urine samples for a longest period. The detection rates of Zika virus RNA from the samples of blood, saliva and urine that collected in seventh day after disease onset were 0, 5, 8 cases, respectively. Conclosion: Epidemiology history, maculopapular rash, congestive conjunctivitis and Zika virus RNA being detected in urine can be considered as the important clinical criterion for making a definite diagnosis as Zika virus disease.

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Chinese herbal extract Wenxin Keli, alone or in combination with Western medicine, for ventricular premature beats., Methods: This systematic review was registered at PROSPERO (registration number CRD42013003200). A systematic literature search of 8 core electronic databases and 3 clinical trial registries in Chinese and English, yielded 10 trials whose randomness verified by contacting the authors. The included trials were assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool., Results: Wenxin Keli might be more efficacious than placebo (Change of VPBs numbers, RR, 1.61, 95%CI, 1.48-1.76, P<0.00001, I 2 =0%;VPBs- related symptom, RR, 2.10, 95%CI, 1.91-2.30, P<0.00001, I 2 =0%), and the dual therapy of Wenxin Keli plus amiodarone might also be more effective than the monotherapy of amiodarone (Change of VPBs numbers, RR, 1.23, 95%CI, 1.10-1.39, P=0.0005, I 2 =0%; VPBs- related symptom, RR, 1.51., 95%CI, 1.30-1.76, P<0.00001, I 2 =0%), whereas Wenxin Keli might be comparable to metoprolol, propafenone or mexiletine (Change of VPBs numbers: metoprolol, RR, 1.01, 95%CI, 0.91-1.11, P=0.88, I 2 =0%; propafenone, RR, 1.05, 95%CI, 0.93-1.19, P=0.44, I 2 =0%; mexiletine, RR, 1.06, 95%CI, 0.96-1.17, P=0.28. VPBs- related symptom: metoprolol, RR, 0.95, 95%CI, 0.87-1.04, P=0.27, I 2 =0%, propafenone. RR, 1.10, 95%CI, 0.93-1.30, P=0.29, I 2 =29%, mexiletine,RR, 0.94, 95%CI, 0.78-1.12, P=0.47). Participants with ventricular premature beats' numbers<360 beats/h or with coronary heart disease benefited the most of the Wenxin Keli therapy (Change of VPBs numbers:RR, 1.10, 95%CI, 1.02-1.20, P=0.02, I 2 =44%; RR, 1.71, 95%CI, 1.18-2.49, P=0.005, I 2 =54%, respectively). The safety analysis revealed that Wenxin Keli did not statistically significant differed from the Western medicine in respect of the incidence of total adverse drug reactions (RR, 0.59, 95%CI, 0.35-1.01, P=0.05, I 2 =0%), but Wenxin Keli might be associated with a reduced risk of proarrhythmic reactions (P=0.007). The quality of the methodology of included trials was generally low. Several limitations existed that affected the validity of the findings, including the small sample size, insufficient randomization methods, poorly defined eligibility criteria, short duration of follow-up, absence of hard endpoints, and high risk of publication bias(P=0.013)., Conclusions: Wenxin Keli might be a promising alternative and complementary medicine for ventricular premature beats., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Atmospheric particles, especially water-soluble inorganic ions are hazardous to human body. Motor vehicle exhaust is the greatest contributor to atmosphere pollution in Tianjin. In order to explore the emission characteristics of different road types, PM 2.5 and PM 10 from four types of roads were sampled and analyzed by water-soluble ions component analysis and Pearson correlation analysis during the period of April to May, 2015 to discover the ratio of PM 2.5 to PM 10 and the major pollutants. The results showed that water-soluble inorganic ions mainly existed in fine particles varying with different road types, which mainly came from secondary pollution. The quantities of secondary ions in PM 2.5 were twice as high as that in PM 10 , which were the key components of the water-soluble inorganic ions. This was probably due to the increase of automobiles and their emissions, as well as the transmission and spreading of pollutants in the surroundings. Furthermore, water-soluble inorganic ions might exist in the forms of NaNO 3 , NH 4 Cl, NH 4 NO 3 , (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , KCl, KNO 3 , K 2 SO 4 , MgCl 2 , CaCl 2 , etc. K + , Mg 2+ , Na + and Ca 2+ showed high homology and the contributors of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were mainly the mixture of combustion and secondary pollutants, then followed by the mixture of re-suspended dust and traffic source.

Scope: Pru p 1, the Bet v 1 homologue from peach, has been identified as a clinically relevant allergen. Three isoforms have been described, two in peach fruit (Pru p 1.0101 and Pru p 1.0201) and one in pollen (Pru p 1.0301). The present study aimed to compare their IgE-binding potencies., Methods and Results: Three Pru p 1 isoforms were cloned and expressed as soluble proteins with His-tags in Escherichia coli. Protein identity was confirmed by MS, circular dichroism, and RNAse activity. IgE-binding capacity using ELISA and ImmunoCAP was compared. Three Pru p 1 isoforms had quite similar IgE-binding potencies for 60% of the sera, but more than twofold between any two isoforms among 40% of the 47 sera. The mean IgE binding of Pru p 1.0201 was slightly higher than other two isoforms. In a sera pool, homologous ImmunoCAP inhibition was higher than other two heterologous isoforms. Individual serum with diverse IgE values of three isoforms demonstrated the higher IgE inhibition of specific isoform with higher IgE value., Conclusion: A similar and variable pattern of IgE recognition was observed among three Pru p 1 isoforms. The two new isoforms can be used as more accurate diagnostic reagents., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Polysaccharide is one of the important active ingredients of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja leaves. The aims of this work were to analyze the structure of the polysaccharide of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja leaves (CPP), and to investigate the antihyperlipidemic effect of CPP on high-fat emulsion (HFE)-induced hyperlipidaemic rats. CPP, comprised of two polysaccharides with average molecular weight (Mw) of 1.35×10(5)Da and 9.34×10(3)Da, was consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, glucose and galactose in the molar ratio of 1.00:2.23:0.64:0.49:0.63:4.16. Oral administration of CPP could significantly decrease levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), increase high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) in hyperlipidemic rats. CPP exerts therapeutic effects on hyperlipidaemic rats, by up-regulating expressions of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), via down-regulating fatty acid synthase (FAS) and hydroxy methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoA). This study demonstrates that CPP may be beneficial for the treatment of hyperlipidemia., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Biofertilizers can help improve soil quality, promote crop growth, and sustain soil health. The photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain PS3 (hereafter, PS3), which was isolated from Taiwanese paddy soil, can not only exert beneficial effects on plant growth but also enhance the efficiency of nutrient uptake from applied fertilizer. To produce this elite microbial isolate for practical use, product development and formulation are needed to permit the maintenance of the high quality of the inoculant during storage. The aim of this study was to select a suitable formulation that improves the survival and maintains the beneficial effects of the PS3 inoculant. Six additives (alginate, polyethylene glycol [PEG], polyvinylpyrrolidone-40 [PVP], glycerol, glucose, and horticultural oil) were used in liquid-based formulations, and their capacities for maintaining PS3 cell viability during storage in low, medium, and high temperature ranges were evaluated. Horticultural oil (0.5 %) was chosen as a potential additive because it could maintain a relatively high population and conferred greater microbial vitality under various storage conditions. Furthermore, the growth-promoting effects exerted on Chinese cabbage by the formulated inoculants were significantly greater than those of the unformulated treatments. The fresh and dry weights of the shoots were significantly increased, by 10-27 and 22-40 %, respectively. Horticultural oil is considered a safe, low-cost, and easy-to-process material, and this formulation would facilitate the practical use of strain PS3 in agriculture.

To explore the differences between the extreme SIV infection phenotypes, nonprogression (BEN: benign) to AIDS in sooty mangabeys (SMs) and progression to AIDS (MAL: malignant) in rhesus macaques (RMs), we performed an integrated dual positive-negative connectivity (DPNC) analysis of gene coexpression networks (GCN) based on publicly available big data sets in the GEO database of NCBI. The microarray-based gene expression data sets were generated, respectively, from the peripheral blood of SMs and RMs at several time points of SIV infection. Significant differences of GCN changes in DPNC values were observed in SIV-infected SMs and RMs. There are three groups of enriched genes or pathways (EGPs) that are associated with three SIV infection phenotypes (BEN+, MAL+ and mixed BEN+/MAL+). The MAL+ phenotype in SIV-infected RMs is specifically associated with eight EGPs, including the protein ubiquitin proteasome system, p53, granzyme A, gramzyme B, polo-like kinase, Glucocorticoid receptor, oxidative phosyphorylation and mitochondrial signaling. Mitochondrial (endosymbiotic) dysfunction is solely present in RMs. Specific BEN+ pattern changes in four EGPs are identified in SIV-infected SMs, including the pathways contributing to interferon signaling, BRCA1/DNA damage response, PKR/INF induction and LGALS8. There are three enriched pathways (PRR-activated IRF signaling, RIG1-like receptor and PRR pathway) contributing to the mixed (BEN+/MAL+) phenotypes of SIV infections in RMs and SMs, suggesting that these pathways play a dual role in the host defense against viral infections. Further analysis of Hub genes in these GCNs revealed that the genes LGALS8 and IL-17RA, which positively regulate the barrier function of the gut mucosa and the immune homeostasis with the gut microbiota (exosymbiosis), were significantly differentially expressed in RMs and SMs. Our data suggest that there exists an exo- (dysbiosis of the gut microbiota) and endo- (mitochondrial dysfunction) symbiotic imbalance (EESI) in HIV/SIV infections. Dissecting the mechanisms of the exo-endo symbiotic balance (EESB) that maintains immune homeostasis and the EESI problems in HIV/SIV infections may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of AIDS and the development of novel interventions for the rational control of this disease.

Recently, Ganoderma lucidum spores (GLS) have shown anti-epileptic effects. However, there are no reports on the anti-epileptic effects of its chemical constituents ganoderic acids (GAs), and more research is needed to better understand the mechanism of GLS activity. In this work, rat primary hippocampal neurons in an in vitro model were used to assess the intervention effects of GAs on epileptiform discharge hippocampal neurons and expression of both BDNF and TRPC3, with the aid of immunofluorescence, MTT method and flow cytometry. It was found that BDNF and TRPC3 are expressed in all cells and were mainly localized in the cytoplasm. The fluorescence intensities of BDNF and TRPC3 in GAs groups were higher than those of normal control and model groups, especially at 80 μg/ml (P < 0.05). The apoptosis rate of neurons was inversely proportional to BDNF and TRPC3 changes (P < 0.01). Therefore, BDNF and TRPC3 should be involved in the occurrence and development of epilepsy. GAs might indirectly inhibit mossy fiber sprouting and adjust the synaptic reconstructions by promoting the expression of BDNF and TRPC3. Besides, GAs could exert a protective effect on hippocampal neurons by promoting neuronal survival and the recovery of injured neurons.

Aim: To investigate the changes in clinical symptoms and gastric emptying and their association in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients., Methods: Seventy FD patients were enrolled and divided into 2 groups Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-negative group (28 patients), and H. pylori-positive group (42 patients). Patients in the H. pylori-positive group were further randomly divided into groups: H. pylori-treatment group (21 patients) and conventional treatment group (21 patients). Seventy two healthy subjects were selected as the control group. The proximal and distal stomach area was measured by ultrasound immediately after patients took the test meal, and at 20, 40, 60 and 90 min; then, gastric half-emptying time was calculated. The incidence of symptoms and gastric half-emptying time between the FD and control groups were compared. The H. pylori-negative and conventional treatment groups were given conventional treatment: domperidone 0.6 mg/(kg/d) for 1 mo. The H. pylori-treatment group was given H. pylori eradication treatment + conventional treatment: lansoprazole 30 mg once daily, clarithromycin 0.5 g twice daily and amoxicillin 1.0 g twice daily for 1 wk, then domperidone 0.6 mg/(kg/d) for 1 mo. The incidence of symptoms and gastric emptying were compared between the FD and control groups. The relationship between dyspeptic symptoms and gastric half-emptying time in the FD and control groups were analyzed. Then total symptom scores before and after treatment and gastric half-emptying time were compared among the 3 groups., Results: The incidence of abdominal pain, epigastric burning sensation, abdominal distension, nausea, belching, and early satiety symptoms in the FD group were significantly higher than in the control group (50.0% vs 20.8%; 37.1% vs 12.5%; 78.6% vs 44.4%; 45.7% vs 22.2%; 52.9% vs 15.3%; 57.1% vs 19.4%; all P < 0.05). The gastric half-emptying times of the proximal end, distal end, and the whole stomach in the FD group were slower than in the control group (93.7 ± 26.2 vs 72.0 ± 14.3; 102.2 ± 26.4 vs 87.5 ± 18.2; 102.1 ± 28.6 vs 78.3 ± 14.1; all P < 0.05). Abdominal distension, belching and early satiety had an effect on distal gastric half-emptying time (P < 0.05). Abdominal distension and abdominal pain had an effect on the gastric half-emptying time of the whole stomach (P < 0.05). All were risk factors (odds ratio > 1). The total symptom score of the 3 groups after treatment was lower than before treatment (P < 0.05). Total symptom scores after treatment in the H. pylori-treatment group and H. pylori-negative group were lower than in the conventional treatment group (5.15 ± 2.27 vs 7.02 ± 3.04, 4.93 ± 3.22 vs 7.02 ± 3.04, All P < 0.05). The gastric half-emptying times of the proximal end, distal end, and the whole stomach in the H. pylori-negative and H. pylori-treatment groups were shorter than in the conventional treatment group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: FD patients have delayed gastric emptying. H. pylori infection treatment helps to improve symptoms of dyspepsia and is a reasonable choice for treatment in clinical practice.

The transition-metal-catalyzed direct triflation of naphthyl amides and naphthyl ketones has been accomplished for the first time. Benzophenone (BP) was found to be a suitable ligand for the cross-coupling reactions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that excessive amounts of HOTf inhibit the reductive elimination of the C-F bond to realize the unusual reductive elimination of the C-OTf bond.

Two series of fused benzimidazoles were synthesized via a facile, one-pot procedure under microwave irradiation. This procedure generated the desired products in high yields and could provide a useful synthetic platform with potential applications in medicinal chemistry.

A copper-catalyzed and microwave-assisted synthesis of fully substituted pyrroles has been developed. A series of pentasubstituted pyrroles, especially α-arylpyrroles, could be obtained in moderate to good yields (up to 93%) through a tandem propargylation/alkyne azacyclization/isomerization sequence from readily available β-enamino compounds and propargyl acetates.

Activated mononuclear cells are an early event in the course of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). To date, the molecular mechanism triggering peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is poorly understood. The aim of this paper was to determine the potential role of Card9 in SAP. We collected data from 72 subjects between January 2013 and June 2014. Subsequently, PBMCs were isolated on day 1, 3 and 5 of pancreatitis. Immunofluorescence staining, quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting, immunoprecipitation and ELISA were used to determine the role of Card9 in SAP. Microbial culture showed that SAP patients at the early period did not develop any bacteria and fungi infection. Card9 expression in SAP patients was higher than that in mild acute pancreatitis and volunteer healthy controls, up to the peak on day 1. The monocyte-derived cytokines interleukin (IL)-17, IL-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α mediated by the induction of Card9 markedly increased in SAP patients compared with the control group. Furthermore, the inducible formation of Card9-Bcl10 complex was found in PBMCs, which may be involved in nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and p38 activation in SAP. Receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that Card9 levels had a high sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 67.7%, showing the close correlation with SAP patients. Card9 overexpression was firstly found in aseptic SAP, which may be played an important role in NF-κB and p38 activation in PBMCs. It also provided the new insights into therapeutic interventions by targeting monocytes activation in SAP patients., (© 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.)

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, motile, rod-shaped, endospore-forming bacterium, designated strain R55 T , was isolated from the liverwort Herbertus sendtneri growing at Gawalong glacier, Tibet, and characterized by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The major fatty acids of strain R55 T were anteiso-C 15 : 0 , C 16 : 0 and iso-C 16 : 0 . Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol were the predominant polar lipids and occurred along with two unidentified aminophospholipids, one unidentified phospholipid and one unidentified aminolipid. Strain R55 T contained MK-7 as the dominant menaquinone and meso -diaminopimelic acid as the major diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 36.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain R55 T was affiliated to species of the genus Paenibacillus , and was related most closely to Paenibacillus ferrarius CY1 T (97.1 % similarity). However, the DNA-DNA relatedness between this strain and strain R55 T was only 44.1 %. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties, strain R55 T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus , for which the name Paenibacillus marchantiophytorum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is R55 T ( = CGMCC 1.15043 T  = DSM 29850 T ).

Two series of benzimidazoisoquinoline and fused benzimidazoisoquinoline-benzimidazole derivatives have been synthesized using an efficient one-pot procedure. This process involves an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction and provides facile access to two series of complexes and potentially interesting biologically active scaffolds.

In the title compound, C19H13ClF2N2O2, the conformation of the N-H bond in the amide segment is anti to the C=O bond. The mol-ecule is not planar, with dihedral angles between the central benzene ring and the outer benzene and pyridyl rings of 73.35 (7) and 81.26 (6)°, respectively. A weak intra-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs. In the crystal, N-H⋯N, C-H⋯O and C-H⋯F hydrogen bonds lead to the formation of dimers. The N-H⋯N inversion dimers are linked by π-π contacts between adjacent pyridine rings [centroid-centroid = 3.8541 (12) Å] and C-H⋯π inter-actions. These contacts combine to stack the mol-ecules along the a axis.

By utilizing the rabbit model, previous studies have found good evidence indicating that vasectomy-induced spermatogenic damage is pressure-mediated: the damage occurs when the occluded reproductive tract is unable to accommodate additional spermatozoa produced by the testis. More studies with the more commonly used rat model have shown, however, controversial results on whether and why the damage occurs. In this study, 12 mature male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to unilateral vasectomy: double ligation (without severing) of the vas deferens exposed via a small inguinal incision; 37 days after the operation, the testes, epididymides, vasa deferentia (juxta-epididymal segments), and sperm granulomas (at the vasectomy site) were removed to obtain methacrylate resin-embedded sections and morphometric studies carried out with light microscopy. Marked spermatogenic damage with spermatids and spermatocytes depleted in the seminiferous epithelium in 43% of the seminiferous tubule profiles was demonstrated in 5 of the 12 testes on the vasectomized side, and the damage was associated with smaller or absent sperm granulomas; in the other 7 testes with essentially normal spermatogenesis, there was an increase (by 111% on average) in the volume of the tubule lumen, associated with larger granulomas or granulomas containing more spermatozoa. There was an overall increase (by 66%) in the thickness of the rete testis in the 12 testes; the epididymis or vas deferens showed no distension. It seems therefore that the spermatogenic damage induced by vasectomy in rats is pressure-mediated as well, and that variation in the damage depends mainly on the postoperative development of the sperm granuloma.

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common mental and behavioral disorder in school-aged children. This study evaluated the effect of osmotic-release oral system (OROS) methylphenidate (MPH) on cognitive function and academic performance of Chinese school-aged children with ADHD., Methods: This 12-week, prospective, multicenter, open-label, self-controlled study enrolled 153 Chinese school-aged children with ADHD and 41 non-ADHD children. Children with ADHD were treated with once-daily OROS-MPH (18 mg, 36 mg, or 54 mg). The primary endpoints were Inattention/Overactivity (I/O) with Aggression Conners Behavior Rating Scale (IOWA) and Digit Span Test at week 12 compared with baseline. Secondary endpoints included opposition/defiant (O/D) subscale of IOWA, Clinical Global Impression (CGI), Coding Test, Stroop Color-word Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), academic performance on teacher-rated school examinations, and safety at week 12 compared with baseline. Both non-ADHD and ADHD children received the same frequency of cognitive operational test to avoid the possible bias caused by training., Results: A total of 128 patients were evaluated with cognitive assessments. The OROS-MPH treatment significantly improved IOWA Conners I/O subscale scores at week 12 (3.8 ± 2.3) versus baseline (10.0 ± 2.4; P < 0.0001). Digit Span Test scores improved significantly (P < 0.0001) with a high remission rate (81.1%) at week 12 versus baseline. A significant (P < 0.0001) improvement was observed in O/D subscale of IOWA, CGI, Coding Test, Stroop Color-word Test, WCST, and academic performance at week 12 versus baseline. Very few practice-related improvements were noticed in the non-ADHD group at week 12 compared with baseline. No serious adverse events and deaths were reported during the study., Conclusions: The OROS-MPH treatment effectively controlled symptoms of ADHD and significantly improved academic performance and cognitive function of Chinese school-aged children with ADHD. The treatment was found to be safe and generally well-tolerated over 12 weeks., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01933880; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01933880?term=CONCERTAATT4099&rank=1.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is an acute abdominal disease with the strong systemic inflammatory response, and rapidly progresses from a local pancreatic damage into multiple organ dysfunction. For many decades, the contributions of neutrophils to the pathology of SAP were traditionally thought to be the chemokine and cytokine cascades that accompany inflammation. In this review, we focus mainly on those recently recognized aspects of neutrophils in SAP processes. First, emerging evidence suggests that therapeutic interventions targeting neutrophils significantly lower tissue damage and protect against the occurrence of pancreatitis. Second, trypsin activation promotes the initial neutrophils recruitment into local pancreas, and subsequently neutrophils infiltration in turn triggers trypsin production. Finally, neutrophils have the unique ability to release neutrophil extracellular traps even in the absence of pathogens., (© 2015 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.)

Mitochondria are an important intracellular pharmacological target because damage to this organelle results in a variety of human disorders and because mitochondria are involved in complex processes such as energy generation, apoptosis and lipid metabolism. To expedite the search for natural bioactive compounds targeting mitochondria, we initially developed an efficient mitochondria-based screening method by combining centrifugal ultrafiltration (CU) with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), which is called screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents (SM-MBC) and is compatible with the search of mitochondria-targeted compounds from complex matrixes such as herbal medicines extracts. Functionally active, structurally intact and pure mitochondria were obtained from rat myocardium using an optimized protocol for mitochondrial isolation comprising organelle release followed by differential and Nycodenz density gradient centrifugation. After evaluating the reliability of the method using thiabendazole (TZ), rotenone (RN), amiodarone (AR) and trimetazidine (TD) as positive controls, this method was successfully applied to screen bioactive constituents from extracts of Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix (PCRR) and Scutellariae Radix (SR). Nineteen active compounds were detected and identified by LC/MS, of which 17 were new mitochondria-targeted compounds. The activity of 9 of the 19 hit compounds was confirmed by in vitro pharmacological trials. These results demonstrate that SM-MBC can be used for the efficient screening of mitochondria-targeted constituents in complex preparations used to treat mitochondrial disorders, such as PCRR and SR. The results may be meaningful for an in-depth understanding of drug mechanism of action and drug discovery from medicinal herbs., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To comprehensively understand the underlying molecular events accounting for aberrant Wnt signaling activation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Methods: This study was retrospective. The HCC tissue specimens used in this research were obtained from patients who underwent liver surgery. The Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC) database was searched for the mutation statuses of CTNNB1, TP53, and protein degradation regulator genes of CTNNB1. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed with TOP/FOP reporters to detect whether TP53 gain-of-function (GOF) mutations could enhance the transcriptional activity of Wnt signaling. Methylation sensitive restriction enzyme-quantitative PCR was used to explore the methylation status of CpG islands located in the promoters of APC, SFRP1, and SFRP5 in HCCs with different risk factors. Finally, nested-reverse transcription PCR was performed to examine the integration of HBx in front of LINE1 element and the existence of HBx-LINE1 chimeric transcript in Hepatitis B virus-related HCC. All results in this article were analyzed with the software SPSS version 19.0 for Windows, and different groups were compared by χ(2) test as appropriate., Results: Based on the data from COSMIC database, compared with other solid tumors, mutation frequency of CTNNB1 was significantly higher in HCC (P < 0.01). The rate of CTNNB1 mutation was significantly less frequent in Hepatitis B virus-related HCC than in other etiologies (P < 0.01). Dual-luciferase reporter system and TOP/FOP reporter assays confirmed that TP53 GOF mutants were able to enhance the transcriptional ability of Wnt signaling. An exclusive relationship between the status of TP53 and CTNNB1 mutations was observed. However, according to the COSMIC database, TP53 GOF mutation is rare in HCC, which indicates that TP53 GOF mutation is not a reason for the aberrant activation of Wnt signaling in HCC. APC and AXIN1 were mutated in HCC. By using methylation sensitive restriction enzyme-quantitative PCR, hypermethylation of APC was detected in HCC with different risk factors, whereas SFRP1 and SFRP5 were not hypermethylated in any of the HCC etiologies, which indicates that the mutation of APC and AXIN1, together with the methylation of APC could take part in the overactivation of Wnt signaling. Nested-reverse transcription PCR failed to detect the integration of HBx before the LINE1 element, or the existence of an HBx-LINE1 chimeric transcript, suggesting that integration could not play a role in the aberrant activation of Wnt signaling in HCC., Conclusion: In HCC, genetic/epigenetic aberration of CTNNB1 and its protein degradation regulators are the major cause of Wnt signaling overactivation.

Objective: To study the effectiveness of inferior pole fracture of patella treating by the new tension band., Methods: From Dec. 2011 to Dec. 2013, 21 patients with inferior pole fracture of patella were treated with the new tension band which consisted of cannulated screw, titanium cable and shims. There were 21 patients[10 males, 11 females, the average age was 54 years(21 to 79)],of whom,all were "fell on knees"., Results: The average operation time was 89 min (57-197 min),the follow-up visits were done from 7-31 months (average 18 months), the bone healing time was from 8-12 weeks (average 10.5 weeks). The post operation assessment was done by Bostman score, from 20-30 (average 27),10 excellent,and 11 good. No complication occurred., Conclusion: The new tension band is the effective treatment for inferior pole fracture of patella. The internal fixation is reliable, it is simple to operate, and patients can take exercises as early as possible. Therefore, the new tension band has a better clinical value.