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Spiroseoflosterol ( 1 ), a 7(8→9)- abeo -ergostane steroid with a unique spiro[4.5]decan-6-one system, was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Butyriboletus roseoflavus . Its structure was determined by interpretation of comprehensive spectroscopic, X-ray, and computational data. A plausible biogenetic pathway for spiroseoflosterol ( 1 ) was postulated based on a key semipinacol rearrangement. Compound 1 was cytotoxic to HepG2 and Huh7/S (sorafenib-resistant Huh7) with IC 50 values of 9.1 and 6.2 μM, respectively.

Background: Patients carrying the HongKongαα (HKαα) allele and -α/ααα could be misdiagnosed as -α/αα by the current conventional thalassemia detection methods, leading to inaccurate genetic counseling and an incorrect prenatal diagnosis. This study was aimed to accurately analyze the genotypes of HKαα carriers and -α/ααα., Methods: Samples were collected in our hospital from July 2017 to October 2019. Twenty-four common types of Chinese thalassemia were screened by gap-polymerase chain reaction (Gap-PCR) and reverse dot blot (RDB). Anti-4.2 multiplex-PCR was used to confirm carriers of the ααα duplication with -α deletion. Two-round nested PCR and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were applied to accurately identify and confirm their genotypes. For data analysis, we used descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact tests., Results: Two thousand five hundred and forty-four cases were identified as thalassemia in 5488 peripheral blood samples. The results showed that α, β, and αβ compound thalassemia were identified in 1190 (46.78%), 1286 (50.55%), and 68 (2.67%) cases, respectively. A total of 227 samples from thalassemia patients were identified as -α/αα by Gap-PCR, and the genotypes of two samples were uncertain. There was a difference between Gap-PCR and combined groups (Gap-PCR combined with nested PCR and MLPA) in detecting HKαα (P < 0.05). Among the 229 patients, 20 patients were identified as HKαα carriers and one was identified as -α/ααα by two-round nested PCR and MLPA, including 15 patients with HKαα/αα, three with HKαα/αα and β-thalassemia coinheritance, one with HKαα/--, one with HKαα/-α and β-thalassemia coinheritance, and one with -α/ααα and β-thalassemia coinheritance., Conclusions: ααα and HKαα genotypes of patients carrying -α need to be detected to reduce the misdiagnosis rate of patients carrying HKαα and -α3.7/ααα alleles. More accurate genetic counseling can be provided in the clinic using nested PCR combined with MLPA.

We analyzed the phylogenetic structure of trees within six diameter classes (1-2, 2-4, 4-7, 7-11, 11-16, >16 cm) in quadrats with different size of 5 m×5 m,10 m×10 m, 20 m×20 m, 50 m×50 m, 100 m×100 m in a Abies georgei var. smithii community in a 4 hm 2 stem-mapping plot located in subalpine dark coniferous forest of Sygera Mountains, southeast Tibet. In various spatial scales, both net relatedness index (NRI) and nearest taxon index (NTI) of the community were larger than zero, indicating a clustered phylogenetic structure with the largest clustering intensity at small spatial scale (5 m×5 m). Community of small-size classes were phylogenetically clustering. In large-size classes (DBH>7 cm) phylogenetic over dispersion became more common, with dispersion increased with increasing tree size under all spatial scales. The intensity of phylogenetic clustering in young trees increased with increasing spatial scales, while the intensity of over dispersion in large trees (DBH>7 cm) increased with spatial scale. Our results suggested that environmental filtering in small-size trees and competitive exclusion in large-size trees might be the main ecological processes driving community assembly in this region.

Glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2) is a key NADPH-dependent flavo-protein oxidoreductase which can catalyze the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH) to protect plant cells from oxidative damage induced by Reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst. To investigate the biochemical characteristics and functional divergence of Populus GR family, three GR genes (PtGR1.1/1.2/2) were cloned from Populus trichocarpa and their biochemical characteristics were analyzed in this study. All the three genes were expressed in root, stem, leaf and bud, and the expression of PtGR genes were general upregulated under salicylic acid and alamethicin treatment. PtGR1.1 and PtGR1.2 were localized in cytoplasm, while PtGR2 was in chloroplast. The three PtGR proteins showed different enzymatic activities, apparent kinetic characteristic and thermal stability profiles. However, they have similar bivalent metal ions (Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , Zn 2+ and Pb 2+ ) sensitivity and optimum pH profiles. Our study sheds light on a comprehensive information of glutathione reductase family in P. trichocarpa, and proved PtGR genes play critical roles when suffering different stresses., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No conflict of interest exits in the submission of the revised manuscript, and it is approved by all authors for publication., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the TiO 2 /dye interface significantly affects photovoltaic performance. However, the adsorption and photoinduced behavior of dye molecules on the TiO 2 substrate remains unclear. Herein, shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) was used to study the adsorption and photoinduced behavior of dye (N719) molecules on different TiO 2 ( hkl ) surfaces. On TiO 2 (001) and TiO 2 (110) surfaces, the in situ SHINERS and mass spectrometry results indicate S[double bond, length as m-dash]C bond cleavage in the anchoring groups of adsorbed N719, whereas negligible bond cleavage occurs on the TiO 2 (111) surface. Furthermore, DFT calculations show the stability of the S[double bond, length as m-dash]C anchoring group on three TiO 2 ( hkl ) surfaces in the order TiO 2 (001) < TiO 2 (110) < TiO 2 (111), which correlated well with the observed photocatalytic activities. This work reveals the photoactivity of different TiO 2 ( hkl ) surface structures and can help with the rational design of DSSCs. Thus, this strategy can be applied to real-time probing of photoinduced processes on semiconductor single crystal surfaces., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

The creatinine concentration of human urine is closely related to human kidney health and its rapid, quantitative, and low-cost detection has always been demanded. Herein, a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) method for rapid and cost-effective quantification of creatinine concentrations in human urine was developed. A Au nanoparticle solution (Au sol) was used as a SERS substrate and the influence of different agglomerating salts on its sensitivity toward detecting creatinine concentrations was studied and optimized, as well as the effect of both the salt and Au sol concentrations. The variation in creatinine spectra over time on different substrates was also examined, demonstrating reproducible quantitative analysis of creatinine concentrations in solution. By adjusting the pH, a simple liquid-liquid solvent extraction procedure, which extracted creatinine from human urine, was used to increase the SERS detection selectivity toward creatinine in complex matrices. The quantitative results were compared to those obtained with a clinically validated enzymatic "creatinine kit (CK)." The limit of detection (LOD) for the SERS technique was 1.45 mg L -1 , compared with 3.4 mg L -1 for the CK method. Furthermore, cross-comparing the results from the two methods, the average difference was 5.84% and the whole SERS detection process could be completed within 2 min compared with 11 min for the CK, indicating the practicality of the quantitative SERS technique. This novel quantitative technique shows promises as a high-throughput platform for relevant clinical and forensic analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major and severe complication of diabetes mellitus. Ferulic acid (FA), a phenolic compound widespread in fruits and plants, displays a variety of pharmacological activities including regulating blood glucose and lipids, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and anti-fibrosis. The study was aimed to investigate the renal protective effects of FA on diabetic rats and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. FA (100 mg kg -1 , i.g., once a day) was administered to DN rats for 8 weeks. The organ coefficient of kidneys was calculated. Levels of UP, BUN, Cr, FBG, TC and TG in serum were measured. Activities of SOD, CAT and GPx and the content of MDA in renal tissues were assayed. Pathological changes in renal tissues were observed by HE staining, PAS staining, PASM staining, Masson staining and transmission electron microscopy. p-NF-κB p65, TNF-α, TGF-β1, collagen IV, nephrin and podocin protein expressed in renal tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. Results showed that FA significantly improved the kidney organ coefficient, decreased the UP, BUN, Cr, FBG, TC and TG levels in serum, increased SOD, CAT and GPx activities, reduced MDA content in renal tissues and alleviated pathological injury of the renal tissues. What's more, long-term treatment with FA considerably down-regulated the expressions of p-NF-κB p65, TNF-α, TGF-β1 and collagen IV proteins, and up-regulated the expressions of nephrin and podocin proteins in renal tissues. FA could be a renoprotective agent by attenuating oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis, as well as improving podocyte injury in STZ-induced DN rats.

In situ monitoring of electrocatalytic processes at solid-liquid interfaces is essential for the fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms, yet quite challenging. Herein, Pt-on-Au nanocatalysts with a Au-core Pt-satellite superstructure have been fabricated. In such Pt-on-Au nanocatalysts, the Au cores can greatly amplify the Raman signals of the species adsorbed on Pt, allowing the in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) study of the electrocatalytic reactions on Pt. Using the combination of an electrochemical method and in situ SERS, size effects of Pt on the catalytic performance of the core-satellite nanocomposites towards CO and methanol electrooxidation are revealed. It is found that such Pt-on-Au nanocomposites show improved activity and long-term stability for the electrooxidation of CO and methanol with a decrease in the Pt size. This work demonstrates an effective strategy to achieve the in situ monitoring of electrocatalytic processes and to simultaneously boost their catalytic performance towards electrooxidation.

Within the family Entolomataceae, many reports of Entoloma and Rhodocybe have been published, but few reports on Clitopilus and allied genera are available. In this study, Clitopilus, Clitocella , and Clitopilopsis from China were studied by morphological and phylogenetic methods. Portions of nuc 28S rDNA (28S), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( rpb2 ), translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( tef1 ), and ATPase subunit 6 ( atp6 ), were employed to elucidate the relationships of Clitopilus and allies. Results indicate that Clitopilus should be divided into three sections, namely, sect. Clitopilus , sect. Scyphoides , and sect. Crispi , the last of which is newly described. In total, 17 species of Clitopilus, Clitocella , and Clitopilopsis are found in China; 14 species belong to Clitopilus , of which 5 are new: C. yunnanensis, C. brunniceps, C. rugosiceps, C. sinoapalus , and C. umbilicatus . Two species of Clitocella , including one new species, Clitocella orientalis , are described. One new species of Clitopilopsis , namely, Clitopilopsis albida , is proposed.

Background and Aim: Our aim was to compare the prognostic value of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7th and 8th editions staging systems for patients with gastric cancer in China., Methods: A total of 1326 gastric cancer patients diagnosed between 2008 and 2012 were included. The discriminative ability of the AJCC 8th and 7th editions was compared using the Harrell's concordance index (C-index)., Results: There are two main modifications in the 8th edition. (i) pN3 staging was divided into pN3a and pN3b. The gastric cancer patients with pN3a experienced significantly better overall survival compared with those with pN3b (5-year overall survival: 34.5% vs. 15.6%, P < 0.001) (stratified by pT: pT3: 5-year overall survival: 33.9% vs. 13.2%, P < 0.001; pT4a: 32.8% vs. 16.9%, P = 0.056; pT4b: 17.0% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.048). (ii) Subgroup staging adjustments. The subgroup staging adjustments (T3N3bM0 (IIIB→IIIC), T4aN3aM0 (IIIC→IIIB), T4bN0M0 (IIIB→IIIA), and T4bN2M0 (IIIC→IIIB)) resulted in more gastric cancer patients being accurately staged. Furthermore, the C-index value of the 8th edition tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging system was significantly higher than that of the AJCC 7th TNM staging system to predict the survival of gastric cancer patients (0.701 vs. 0.685, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: The 8th edition of the TNM staging system is superior to the 7th edition staging system for prediction of survival of gastric cancer patients in China.

Objective To analyze the risk factors for postoperative recurrence of chronic suppurative otitis media(CSOM) and explore the intervention measures to prevent postoperative recurrence of CSOM. Methods A total of 1066 patients with CSOM who underwent concurrent surgical treatment and achieved clinical cure in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2018 were enrolled.The clinical data and laboratory findings were reviewed by using an electronic medical record system and the patients were followed up for 1 year.The patients were divided into the non-recurrent group and the recurrent group.Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare the factors may contribute to the postoperative recurrence. Results The recurrence rate of CSOM was 6.38%.Multi-drug-resistant(MDR) infection before surgery( χ 2 =16.338, P =0.000),aged ≥60 years( χ 2 =5.182, P =0.023),frequency of occurrence ≥3 times/year( χ 2 =4.388, P =0.036),duration of active period>7 d( χ 2 =4.729, P =0.030),repeated upper respiratory tract infection>3 times/year( χ 2 =11.913, P =0.001),accompanied by chronic sinusitis( χ 2 =11.077, P =0.001),blood glucose>6.11 mmol/L( χ 2 =15.327, P =0.000),postoperative serum procalcitonin(PCT)>0.5 μg/L( χ 2 =8.337, P =0.004) were the risk factors for postoperative recurrence.The use of snorkel was a protective factor for postoperative recurrence( χ 2 =5.308, P =0.021).Multivariate analysis showed that MDR infection( OR =3.373,95% CI :1.825-6.234, P =0.000),repeated upper respiratory tract infection>3 times/year( OR =2.727,95% CI :1.479-5.030, P =0.001),accompanied by chronic sinusitis( OR =2.980,95% CI :1.654-5.369, P =0.000),blood glucose>6.11 mmol/L( OR =3.219,95% CI :1.741-5.953, P =0.000),and postoperative serum PCT>0.5 μg/L( OR =2.085,95% CI :1.106-3.931, P =0.023) were independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence in CSOM patients. Conclusions Effective prevention and control of MDR infection,control of blood sugar,prevention of upper respiratory tract infection,and lowering the recurrence of chronic sinusitis are the main measures to reduce postoperative recurrence of CSOM.Monitoring of the infection marker PCT can help to achieve early intervention.

This study described a technique for the reconstruction of large lateral thoracic defects after local advanced breast cancer resection that allows for complete cover of the defect and primary closure of the donor site. The authors performed reconstruction using the newly designed KISS flap in 2 women for coverage of their large skin defect (15 × 13 cm each) following mastectomies with extensive tissue resection. The KISS flap consisting of 2 skin islands (marked Flap A and Flap B; 15 × 6 cm each) was designed and transferred to the thoracic defect through the subcutaneous tunnel, and based on the same vessel. The flap covered properly without causing excessive tension and allowed primary closure of chest wound and donor defect. The security it brings is comparable with that of classical radical mastectomy, and its success rate is similar to that of single skin flap transplantation. Compared with the conventional pedicled latissimus-dorsi-musculocutaneous flap, we believe that the donor zone tension decreases, wherein the KISS flaps can reduce the incidence of incision dehiscence and nonhealing complications to some extent. The study reported good results from this technique and discussed the techniques that referenced previous reports.

The spikelet is an inflorescence structure unique to grasses. The molecular mechanisms underlying spikelet development and evolution are unclear. In this study, we characterized three allelic recessive mutants in rice ( Oryza sativa ): nonstop glumes 1-1 ( nsg1-1 ), nsg1-2 , and nsg1-3 In these mutants, organs such as the rudimentary glume, sterile lemma, palea, lodicule, and filament were elongated and/or widened, or transformed into lemma- and/or marginal region of the palea-like organs. NSG1 encoded a member of the C2H2 zinc finger protein family and was expressed mainly in the organ primordia of the spikelet. In the nsg1-1 mutant spikelet, LHS1 DL , and MFO1 were ectopically expressed in two or more organs, including the rudimentary glume, sterile lemma, palea, lodicule, and stamen, whereas G1 was downregulated in the rudimentary glume and sterile lemma. Furthermore, the NSG1 protein was able to bind to regulatory regions of LHS1 and then recruit the corepressor TOPLESS-RELATED PROTEIN to repress expression by downregulating histone acetylation levels of the chromatin. The results suggest that NSG1 plays a pivotal role in maintaining organ identities in the spikelet by repressing the expression of LHS1 , DL , and MFO1., (© 2020 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)

The horseradish flea beetle Phyllotreta armoraciae exclusively feeds on Brassicaceae, which contain glucosinolates as characteristic defense compounds. Although glucosinolates are usually degraded by plant enzymes (myrosinases) to toxic isothiocyanates after ingestion, P. armoraciae beetles sequester glucosinolates. Between and within brassicaceous plants, the glucosinolate content and composition can differ drastically. But how do these factors influence sequestration in P. armoraciae? To address this question, we performed a five-day feeding experiment with three Arabidopsis thaliana lines that differ four-fold in glucosinolate content and the composition of aliphatic and indolic glucosinolates. We quantified the amounts of ingested, sequestered, and excreted glucosinolates, and analyzed the changes in glucosinolate levels and composition in beetles before and after feeding on Arabidopsis. P. armoraciae accumulated almost all ingested glucosinolate types. However, some glucosinolates were accumulated more efficiently than others, and selected glucosinolates were modified by the beetles. The uptake of new glucosinolates correlated with a decrease in the level of stored glucosinolates so that the total glucosinolate content remained stable at around 35 nmol/mg beetle fresh weight. Beetles excreted previously stored as well as ingested glucosinolates from Arabidopsis, which suggests that P. armoraciae regulate their endogenous glucosinolate level by excretion. The metabolic fate of ingested glucosinolates, i.e. the proportions of sequestered and excreted glucosinolates, depended on glucosinolate type, content, and composition in the food plant. Overall, P. armoraciae sequestered and excreted up to 41% and 31% of the total ingested aliphatic and indolic glucosinolates from Arabidopsis, respectively. In summary, we show that glucosinolate variability in Brassicaceae influences the composition but not the level of sequestered glucosinolates in P. armoraciae beetles.

At present, natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES) has attracted more and more attention worldwide, because of its great advantages including minimal cutaneous trauma and post-operative pain, fast post-operative recovery, short hospital stay, and positive psychological impact. However, NOSES for the treatment of gastric cancer (GC) is still in its infancy, and there is great potential to improve its theoretical system and clinical practice. Especially, several key points including oncological outcomes, bacteriological concerns, indication selection, and standardized surgical procedures are raised with this innovative technique. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve an international consensus to regulate the implementation of GC-NOSES, which is of great significance for healthy and orderly development of NOSES worldwide., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press and Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.)

V-Y flap is widely used in plastic surgery as an important technique for reconstructing deformities and improving appearance. In this paper, a geometrical parameter model and finite element analysis were used to study the rationale of the proposed V-Y flap design and the preoperative evaluation of the V-Y flap design. First, a geometric parameter model of the V-Y flap was established to analyze the five key geometric relationships affecting the flap structure and obtain a reasonable plan for the V-Y flap design through the crossing constraint relationship. Second, in order to verify the effectiveness of the V-Y flap design, the suture and release states of the V-Y flap during surgery were evaluated based on a simulation model of the V-Y flap generated by finite element analysis software. The results revealed that the approach proposed in this paper provides a feasible method for clinical V-Y flap design., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Zong-Lin Yang et al.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between nadir platelet count and acute kidney injury (AKI) or 28-day all-cause mortality induced by hemorrhagic shock (HS), and to determine the cutoff value of nadir platelet count in HS clinical practice. This retrospective study included hospitalized patients enrolled in a tertiary-care teaching hospital from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015. Clinical data from HS admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) were evaluated. Nadir platelet count was defined as the lowest values in the first 48 h. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to assess the correlation between nadir platelet count and AKI or 28-day all-cause mortality induced by HS, respectively; the area under receiver operating characteristic (AU-ROC) and Youde's index were used to determine the optimal cutoff value of nadir platelet count. Kaplan-Meier's method and log-rank test were assessed for the 28-day all-cause mortality in AKI and non-AKI groups. Of 1589 patients screened, 84 patients (mean age,37.1 years; 58 males) were included in the primary analysis in which 30 patients with AKI. Multiple logistic results indicated that nadir platelet count was a risk factor of AKI (OR = 0.71,95% confidence interval [CI] 0.54-0.93, P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that nadir platelet count was independent risk factors for 28-day all-cause mortality (Hazard ratios [HR]0.89,95%CI 0.76-0.99, P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier curve showed that 28-day all-cause mortality was significantly higher in patients with AKI than non-AKI (P < 0.001).These results suggest that nadir platelet count in the first 48 h is a new biomarker for AKI and 28-day all-cause mortality induced by HS. Moreover, the risk for AKI and 28-day all-cause mortality in HS patients decreased by 29% and 11%, respectively, for every 10 × 10 9 /L increase in platelet count. Additional studies are needed to investigate whether elevation of nadir platelet count reduces the risk in different genders.

The genus Psiloboletinus was proposed by Rolf Singer in 1945 based on Phylloporus lariceti , a species that associates with Larix in the Altai Mountains of central and eastern Asia. However, this classification has been controversial due to the morphological similarity to known genera Boletinus and Fuscoboletinus . Because of the lack of fresh material to study, the phylogenetic position of Psiloboletinus has remained unknown since its publication. However, the recently described species Suillus foetidus reported from northeast China allows this issue to be reexamined and resolved. Through morphological observations and comparison, we find that S. foetidus is a heterotypic synonym of Ps. lariceti . Furthermore, Psiloboletinus should be retained as an independent genus sister to Suillus based on molecular phylogenetic evidence and morphological features.

Sevoflurane was found to show protective roles in mice with asthma, however, the mechanism of which needs further exploring. Aquaporins (AQPs) have been demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma, while endoplasmic reticulum stress has been reported to be related to many inflammatory diseases and involved in protein processing, including AQPs. The present study aimed to determine the role of sevoflurane in AQPs (AQP1,3,4,5) expression in mice with allergic airway inflammation and the probable mechanism. The increased number of inflammatory cells infiltrating the lung tissue, and the elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL) 13 (IL-13) were all decreased after sevoflurane treatment (all P<0.05). Meanwhile, mRNA levels of AQP1 and AQP5 but not AQP3 and AQP4 were decreased in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic mice lung. Both the decreased mRNA expression and protein levels of AQP1 and AQP5 in allergic lung tissues were reversed by sevoflurane treatment. Furthermore, we established that sevoflurane inhibited the OVA-induced protein increase in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers BiP and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). Collectively, these findings suggested that sevoflurane modulated the expression and protein level of AOPs (AQP1, AQP5) as well as inhibited ER stress response in OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation of mice., (© 2019 The Author(s).)

Glucosinolates, a characteristic group of specialized metabolites found in Brassicales plants, are converted to toxic isothiocyanates upon herbivory. Several insect herbivores, including the cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala), prevent glucosinolate activation by forming desulfo-glucosinolates. Here we investigated the molecular basis of glucosinolate desulfation in P. chrysocephala, an important pest of oilseed rape. Enzyme activity assays with crude beetle protein extracts revealed that glucosinolate sulfatase (GSS) activity is associated with the gut membrane and has narrow substrate specificity towards the benzenic glucosinolate sinalbin. In agreement with GSS activity localization in vivo, we identified six genes encoding arylsulfatase-like enzymes with a predicted C-terminal transmembrane domain, of which five showed GSS activity upon heterologous expression in insect cells. PcGSS1 and PcGSS2 used sinalbin and indol-3-ylmethyl glucosinolate as substrates, respectively, whereas PcGSS3, PcGSS4, and PcGSS5 showed weak activity in enzyme assays. RNAi-mediated knock-down of PcGSS1 and PcGSS2 expression in adult beetles confirmed their function in vivo. In a phylogenetic analysis of coleopteran and lepidopteran arylsulfatases, the P. chrysocephala GSSs formed a cluster within a coleopteran-specific sulfatase clade distant from the previously identified GSSs of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, suggesting an independent evolution of GSS activity in ermine moths and flea beetles.

Competing Interests: None

Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential effects of terahertz (THz) waves on primary cultured neurons from 4 rat brain regions (hippocampus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and brainstem) and 3 kinds of neuron-like cells (MN9D, PC12, and HT22 cells) under nonthermal conditions., Methods: THz waves with an output power of 50 (0.16 THz) and 10 (0.17 THz) mW with exposure times of 6 and 60 min were used in this study. Analysis of temperature change, neurite growth, cell membrane roughness, micromorphology, neurotransmitters and synaptic-related proteins (SYN and PSD95) was used to evaluate the potential effects., Results: Temperature increase caused by the THz wave was negligible. THz waves induced significant neurotransmitter changes in primary hippocampal, cerebellar, and brainstem neurons and in MN9D and PC12 cells. THz wave downregulated SYN expression in primary hippocampal neurons and downregulated PSD95 expression in primary cortical neurons., Conclusion: Different types of cells responded differently after THz wave exposure, and primary hippocampal and cortical neurons and MN9D cells were relatively sensitive to the THz waves. The biological effects were positively correlated with the exposure time of the THz waves., (Copyright © 2019 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Larvae of the leaf beetle Phaedon cochleariae synthesize the iridoid chysomelidial via the mevalonate pathway to repel predators. The normal terpenoid biosynthesis is integrated into the dedicated defensive pathway by the ω-hydroxylation of geraniol to (2E,6E)-2,6-dimethylocta-2,6-diene-1,8-diol (ω-OH-geraniol). Here we identify and characterize the P450 monooxygenase CYP6BH5 as the geraniol hydroxylase using integrated transcriptomics, proteomics and RNA interference (RNAi). In the fat body, 73 cytochrome P450s were identified, and CYP6BH5 was among those that were expressed specifically in fat body. Double stranded RNA mediated knockdown of CYP6BH5 led to a significant reduction of ω-hydroxygeraniol glucoside in the hemolymph and, later, of the chrysomelidial in the defensive secretion. Heterologously expressed CYP6BH5 converted geraniol to ω-OH-geraniol. In addition to geraniol, CYP6BH5 also catalyzes hydroxylation of other monoterpenols, such as nerol and citronellol to the corresponding α,ω-dihydroxy compounds., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous gas with several physiological activities. Owing to the NO physiological functions, such as inhibition of platelet aggregation and adhesion, vascular muscle relaxation, modulation of inflammation and immune response, antibacterial and anticancer activity, increasing attensions have been paid to the development of biomaterials with the ability to release this medical gas. Nowadays, numerous prodrugs have been developed to release NO in vivo. However, due to the low payloads and non-controlled delivery of the prodrug, the NO-releasing devices do not fulfil the expectations, which restricts their widespread application. Recently, several methods have been proposed to address the issue above, including physical and chemical methods and specific designs. This review aims to briefly introduce the latest achievements with recent 3 years involving coatings which mimic the vascular endothelium to treat atherosclerosis, nanocarriers which generate NO for a sustained anticancer treatment, and a framework which modifies the prodrug as a stable cardiovascular stent or as an anticancer targeted drug., Competing Interests: None

The short service life of the Ti/BDD coated electrode is the main reason that limits its practical use. In this paper, the effect of structural change on the service life was studied using Ti/BDD coated electrodes prepared with the arc plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. It was found that the microstructural defects and corrosion resistance of BDD coatings were the main factors affecting the electrode service life. By optimizing the process parameters in different deposition stages, reducing the structural defects and improving the corrosion resistance of the BDD coating were conducted successfully, which increased the service life of the Ti/BDD coated electrodes significantly. The lifetime of the Ti/BDD samples increased from 360 h to 655 h under the electrolysis condition with a current density of 0.5 A/cm 2 , with an increase of 82%.

The precise measurement of the spectrum of protons, the most abundant component of the cosmic radiation, is necessary to understand the source and acceleration of cosmic rays in the Milky Way. This work reports the measurement of the cosmic ray proton fluxes with kinetic energies from 40 GeV to 100 TeV, with 2 1 / 2 years of data recorded by the DArk Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE). This is the first time that an experiment directly measures the cosmic ray protons up to ~100 TeV with high statistics. The measured spectrum confirms the spectral hardening at ~300 GeV found by previous experiments and reveals a softening at ~13.6 TeV, with the spectral index changing from ~2.60 to ~2.85. Our result suggests the existence of a new spectral feature of cosmic rays at energies lower than the so-called knee and sheds new light on the origin of Galactic cosmic rays., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

A gap-mode configuration was developed for the in situ SERS study of the structure-activity relationship of Au@Pd core-shell nanocatalysts, which show much better performance in the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol compared to Pd. The in situ SERS results reveal that the tensile strain in the Pd shell could promote the activation of oxygen, thus improving the activity. Such a tensile strain effect decreases with the increase of the Pd shell thickness, leading to a volcano correlation between the activity and the shell thickness.

Solid/liquid interfaces are ubiquitous in nature and knowledge of their atomic-level structure is essential in elucidating many phenomena in chemistry, physics, materials science and Earth science 1 . In electrochemistry, in particular, the detailed structure of interfacial water, such as the orientation and hydrogen-bonding network in electric double layers under bias potentials, has a significant impact on the electrochemical performances of electrode materials 2-4 . To elucidate the structures of electric double layers at electrochemical interfaces, we combine in situ Raman spectroscopy and ab initio molecular dynamics and distinguish two structural transitions of interfacial water at electrified Au single-crystal electrode surfaces. Towards negative potentials, the interfacial water molecules evolve from structurally 'parallel' to 'one-H-down' and then to 'two-H-down'. Concurrently, the number of hydrogen bonds in the interfacial water also undergoes two transitions. Our findings shed light on the fundamental understanding of electric double layers and electrochemical processes at the interfaces.

Aims: The following study examines the FXR and HRG expression in benign and malignant lesions of the pancreas and evaluates the association between FXR and HRG expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of pancreatic cancer., Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry of FXR and HRG was performed with EnVision™ in 106 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) specimens, 35 paracancer samples (2 cm away from the tumor, when possible or available), 55 benign lesions and 13 normal tissue samples., Results: The percentage of cases with positive FXR and negative HRG expression was significantly higher in PDAC compared to pericancerous tissues, benign lesions and normal tissues (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In pancreatic tissues with benign lesions, tissues with positive FXR and/or negative HRG protein expression exhibited dysplasia or intraepithelial neoplasia. The percentage of cases with positive FXR and negative HRG expressions was significantly higher in PDAC with lymph node metastasis, invasion, and TNM stage III+IV disease (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The expression of FXR was negatively correlated with HRG (P<0.05). In addition, the univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that positive FXR and negative HRG expression, poor differentiation, large tumor size, high TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and invasion were closely associated with decreased overall survival in PDAC patients (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that positive FXR and negative HRG expression were independent factors for poor prognosis in PDAC. The AUC for FXR was (AUC=0.709, 95% CI: 0.632-0.787), and for HRG was (AUC=0.719, 95% CI: 0.643-0.796) in PDAC compared to benign lesions., Conclusions: Positive FXR and negative HRG expression are closely associated with the carcinogenesis, clinical, pathological and biological behaviors, and poor prognosis in PDAC., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2019.)

Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic that can active γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABA A ) receptors and generate sedative-hypnotic effects. Propofol has been widely applied clinically to achieve sedation comparable to sleep in humans. The basal forebrain (BF) is a brain region that plays an important role in sleep-wake regulation. Previous studies suggest that propofol affects the sleep-wake circuit via the BF; however, the mechanism remains elusive. In the current study we investigated the effects of propofol on the inherent properties of cholinergic neurons and their ability to convert excitatory inputs into spikes in mouse BF slices using whole-cell patch clamp recordings. Bath application of propofol (10 μM) significantly elevated the threshold potentials (Vts), decreased the number of spikes in response to a depolarizing current injection, and augmented the inter-spike intervals (ISIs), energy barrier (Vts-Vrs), and absolute refractory periods (ARPs). These effects were eliminated by co-application of a GABA A receptor antagonist picrotoxin (50 μM). Altogether, our results reveal that propofol decreases the excitability of cholinergic neurons in mouse BF via GABA A receptors.

Punicalagin has been found to exert cardiac protective effects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury, although the detailed mechanisms remain largely unknown. This experiment was performed to explore the potential involvement of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1)-NFE2-related factor 2 (NRF-2)-heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway in the cardiac protective actions of punicalagin. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to MI/R operation with or without punicalagin treatment (40 mg kg -1 d -1 ). We showed that punicalagin-treated group exhibited enhanced cardiac function, reduced myocardial infarction and decreased cleaved caspase-3 level. Furthermore, myocardial oxidative/nitrosative stress was ameliorated by punicalagin as evidenced by suppressed superoxide generation, gp91 phox and iNOS expressions, NO metabolites as well as myocardial nitrotyrosine level. Additionally, punicalagin decreased myocardial IL-6, TNF-α and the levels of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and IKK-β expressions as well as IκB-α phosphorylation and NF-κB nuclear translocation. However, these effects were abolished by EX527 (5 mg kg -1 d -1 , a selective SIRT1 inhibitor). We further found that punicalagin dose-dependently enhanced SIRT1 nuclear distribution and NRF-2-HO-1 signaling. While EX527 treatment not only reduced SIRT1 activity, but also reversed the activation of NRF-2-HO-1 pathway. Collectively, these results revealed that punicalagin reduced cardiac oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory response induced by MI/R operation through SIRT1-mediated activation of NRF-2-HO-1 signaling., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondrial dysfunction contributed greatly to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R)-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Naringenin is a flavonoid exhibiting potential protective effects on myocardial mitochondria under stress conditions. However, the detailed down-stream signaling pathway involved remains uncovered. This study was designed to elucidate naringenin's mitochondrial protective actions during MI/R with a focus on AMPK-SIRT3 signaling. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with naringenin (50 mg kg-1 d-1) and subjected to MI/R surgery in the presence or absence of compound C (0.25 mg kg-1, Com.C, an AMPK inhibitor) co-treatment. An in vitro study was performed on H9c2 cardiomyoblasts subjected to simulated ischemia-reperfusion treatment. Before the treatment, the cells were administered with naringenin (80 μmol L-1) with or without SIRT3 siRNA/AMPK1α siRNA transfection. Naringenin improved post-reperfusion left ventricular systolic pressure and the instantaneous first derivative of left ventricular pressure, and reduced the infarction size and myocardial apoptosis index by suppressing mitochondrial oxidative stress damage (as evidenced by decreased mitochondrial cytochrome c release and oxidative markers) and enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis [as evidenced by increased NRF1, TFAM and oxidative phosphorylation subunit complexes (II, III and IV)]. These protective actions were abolished by Com.C (in vivo) or SIRT3 siRNA (in vitro) administration. Further investigation revealed that Com.C (in vivo) or AMPK1α siRNA (in vitro) markedly suppressed PGC-1α and SIRT3 levels while SIRT3 siRNA (in vitro) inhibited SIRT3 expression without significantly changing AMPK phosphorylation and PGC-1α levels. Taken together, we found that naringenin directly inhibits mitochondrial oxidative stress damage and preserves mitochondrial biogenesis, thus attenuating MI/R injury. Importantly, AMPK-SIRT3 signaling played a key role in this process.

Aging is a complex life process, and a unified view is that metabolism plays key roles in all biological processes. Here, we determined the lipidomic profile of Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) using ultraperformance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS). Using a nontargeted approach, we detected approximately 3000 species. Analysis of the lipid metabolic profiles at young adult and ten-day-old ages among wild-type N2, glp-1 defective mutant, and double mutant daf-16;glp-1 uncovered significant age-related differences in the total amount of phosphatidylcholines (PC), sphingomyelins (SM), ceramides (Cer), diglycerides (DG), and triglycerides (TG). In addition, the age-associated lipid profiles were characterized by ratio of polyunsaturated (PUFA) over monounsaturated (MUFA) lipid species. Lipid metabolism modulation plays an important role in reproduction-regulated aging; to identify the variations of lipid metabolites during germ line loss-induced longevity, we investigated the lipidomic profiles of long-lived glp-1 /notch receptor mutants, which have reproductive deficiency when grown at nonpermissive temperature. The results showed that there was some age-related lipid variation, including TG 40:2, TG 40:1, and TG 41:1, which contributed to the long-life phenotype. The longevity of glp-1 mutant was daf-16 -dependent; the lipidome analysis of daf-16;glp-1 double mutant revealed that the changes of some metabolites in the glp-1 mutant were daf-16 -dependent, while other metabolites displayed more complex epistatic patterns. We first conducted a comprehensive lipidome analysis to provide novel insights into the relationships between longevity and lipid metabolism regulated by germ line signals in C. elegans .

Background and Objectives: Our aim was to investigate whether the modified American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system based on the node ratio can further improve the capacity of prognosis assessment for gastric cancer (GC) patients regardless of the number of lymph nodes examined (eLNs). Methods: A total of 17,187 GC patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were included. On the basis of a training set of 7,660 GC patients, we built the tumor-node ratio-metastasis (TNrM) staging system, which was then externally validated with a validation set of 9,527 GC patients. Results: For the training set, the C-index value of the TNrM staging system was significantly higher than that of the AJCC 8th TNM staging system to predict survival for GC patients (C-index: 0.688 vs. 0.671, P < 0.001). Moreover, the C-index value of the TNrM staging system was significantly higher than that of the 8th TNM staging system to predict survival for GC patients with ≤15 eLNs (C-index: 0.682 vs. 0.673, P < 0.001), as well as for GC patients with >15 eLNs (C-index: 0.700 vs. 0.694, P < 0.001). Similar results were found in the validation set. Conclusions: The TNrM staging system predicted survival more accurately and discriminatively than the AJCC 8th TNM staging system for GC patients regardless of the number of eLNs.

Plasmonic "hot spots" play a key role in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enabling its ultrahigh surface sensitivity. Thus, precise prediction and control of the location of hot spots in surface nanostructures is of great importance. However, it is difficult to predict the exact location of hot spots due to complex plasmon competition and synergistic effects in three-dimensional (3D) multiparticle surface configurations. In this work, three types of Au@probe@SiO 2 core-shell nanoparticles were prepared and a 3D hot spots matrix was assembled via a consecutive layer on layer deposition method. Combined with SERS, distinct probe molecules were integrated into different layers of the 3D multiparticle nanostructure allowing for the hot spots to be precisely located. Importantly, the hot spots could be controlled and relocated by applying different excitation wavelengths, which was verified by simulations and experimental results. This work proposes a new insight and provides a platform for precisely probing and controlling chemical reactions, which has profound implications in both surface analysis and surface plasmonics.

As major environment factors, drought or high salinity affect crop growth, development and yield. Transgenic approach is an effective way to improve abiotic stress tolerance of crops. In this study, we comparatively analyzed gene structures, genome location, and the evolution of syntaxin proteins containing late embryogenesis abundant (LEA2) domain. GmSYP24 was identified as a dehydration-responsive gene. Our study showed that the GmSYP24 protein was located on the cell membrane. The overexpression of GmSYP24 (GmSYP24ox) in soybean and heteroexpression of GmSYP24 (GmSYP24hx) in Arabidopsis exhibited insensitivity to osmotic/drought and high salinity. However, wild type soybean, Arabidopsis, and the mutant of GmSYP24 homologous gene of Arabidopsis were sensitive to the stresses. Under the abiotic stresses, transgenic soybean plants had greater water content and higher activities of POD, SOD compared with non-transgenic controls. And the leaf stomatal density and opening were reduced in transgenic Arabidopsis. The sensitivity to ABA was decreased during seed germination of GmSYP24ox and GmSYP24hx. GmSYP24hx induced up-regulation of ABA-responsive genes. GmSYP24ox alters the expression of some aquaporins under osmotic/drought, salt, or ABA treatment. These results demonstrated that GmSYP24 played an important role in osmotic/drought or salt tolerance in ABA signal pathway.

The chemokine receptor CCR5 is an important anti-HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) drug target owning to its pivotal role in HIV-1 viral entry as a co-receptor. Here, we present a 2.9 Å resolution crystal structure of CCR5 bound to PF-232798, a second-generation oral CCR5 antagonist currently in phase II clinical trials. PF-232798 and the marketed HIV drug maraviroc share a similar tropane scaffold with different amino (N)- and carboxyl (C)- substituents. Comparison of the CCR5-PF-232798 structure with the previously determined structure of CCR5 in complex with maraviroc reveals different binding modes of the two allosteric antagonists and subsequent conformational changes of the receptor. Our results not only offer insights into the phenomenon that PF-232798 has higher affinity and alternative resistance profile to maraviroc, but also will facilitate the design of new anti-HIV drugs.

Background: Genomes of lethal Amanita and Galerina mushrooms have gradually become available in the past ten years; in contrast the other known amanitin-producing genus, Lepiota, is still vacant in this aspect. A fatal mushroom poisoning case in China has led to acquisition of fresh L. venenata fruiting bodies, based on which a draft genome was obtained through PacBio and Illumina sequencing platforms. Toxin-biosynthetic MSDIN family and Porlyl oligopeptidase B (POPB) genes were mined from the genome and used for phylogenetic and statistical studies to gain insights into the evolution of the biosynthetic pathway., Results: The analysis of the genome data illustrated that only one MSDIN, named LvAMA1, exits in the genome, along with a POPB gene. No POPA homolog was identified by direct homology searching, however, one additional POP gene, named LvPOPC, was cloned and the gene structure determined. Similar to ApAMA1 in A. phalloides and GmAMA1 in G. marginata, LvAMA1 directly encodes α-amanitin. The two toxin genes were mapped to the draft genome, and the structures analyzed. Furthermore, phylogenetic and statistical analyses were conducted to study the evolution history of the POPB genes. Compared to our previous report, the phylogenetic trees unambiguously showed that a monophyletic POPB lineage clearly conflicted with the species phylogeny. In contrast, phylogeny of POPA genes resembled the species phylogeny. Topology and divergence tests showed that the POPB lineage was robust and these genes exhibited significantly shorter genetic distances than those of the house-keeping rbp2, a characteristic feature of genes with horizontal gene transfer (HGT) background. Consistently, same scenario applied to the only MSDIN, LvAMA1, in the genome., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported genome of Lepiota. The analyses of the toxin genes indicate that the cyclic peptides are synthesized through a ribosomal mechanism. The toxin genes, LvAMA1 and LvPOPB, are not in the vicinity of each other. Phylogenetic and evolutionary studies suggest that HGT is the underlining cause for the occurrence of POPB and MSDIN in Amanita, Galerina and Lepiota, which are allocated in three distantly-related families.

Objective: To explore the MMP-1/TIMP-1 expressions in rectal submucosa of females with obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) associated with internal rectal prolapse (IRP)., Methods: Fifty-six female patients with ODS associated with IRP were enrolled as Case group, and 43 female hemorrhoids of stages III-IV without constipation and IRP were enrolled as Control group. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were performed to test the expressions of MMP-1/TIMP-1 in the rectal submucosa. Western blotting was used to examine protein expressions of MMP-1/TIMP-1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) in the rectal submucosa. EVG staining was conducted to detect collagen and elastic fibers in rectal submucosa., Results: The increased expression of MMP-1 was negatively linked to the decreased TIMP-1 level in the rectal submucosa of patients with ODS associated with IRP. Besides, the expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α were increased in the Case group as compared with the Control group. Additionally, ODS severity and the pro-inflammatory cytokines was positively linked to MMP-1, but negatively related to TIMP-1 in Case group. EVG staining showed that the area ratios of collagen and elastic fibers were lower in Case group than Control group. Through Pearson's correlation analysis, the area ratios of collagen and elastic fibers were positively associated with MMP-1 expression, but negatively correlated with TIMP-1 expression in rectal submucosa of patients with ODS associated with IRP., Conclusion: Elevated MMP-1 and reduced TIMP-1 were found in ODS associated with IRP, which was related to the ODS severity, inflammation and contents of collagen and elastic fibers.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic value of the number of lymph nodes examined (eLNs) in patients with node-negative gastric cancer (GC) and further to adjust the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th staging system based on the number of eLNs., Methods: Node-negative GC patients diagnosed during 1988-2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were included. On the basis of a primary cohort of 4159 node-negative GC patients, we built the adjusted AJCC 8th staging system, which was then internally validated by a bootstrap method, and externally validated with an independent cohort of 5565 node-negative GC patients., Results: The median number of eLNs was 10. For the training set, the optimal eLNs thresholds were determined to be 9 for node-negative GC patients. The adjusted AJCC 8th staging system for node-negative GC patients based on the number of eLNs had a significantly higher Harrell's concordance index than the initial AJCC 8th staging system (C-index, 0.635 versus 0.616; P < 0.001). Thus, the adjusted AJCC 8th staging system had superior prognostic stratification. Similar results were found in the validation set., Conclusions: For node-negative GC patients in the United States, the adjusted AJCC 8th staging system based on the number of eLNs predicted survival more accurately and discriminatively.

Objective: To analyze the changes of blood biochemical index and the pathological changes of myocardium and kidney in type 2 diabetic mouse at different time points, which can provide the basis for the selection of type 2 diabetic modeling time for later research., Methods: After 6 weeks of feeding with high-fat diet, 24 healthy male ICR mice were injected with streptozocin (STZ, 30 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 5 days to establish diabetic models. After 9 days, a random blood glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol / L was measured as diabetic mice. 4, 6 and 8 weeks after successfully preparing the diabetic mouse, 8 diabetic mice (a group)would be sacrificed each time. Then the biochemical and pathological conditions were analyzed: ① the indexes of heart and kidney were calculated. ②the serum levels of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine (Cr) and blood urine nitrogen (BUN) were determined. ③ Histopathological changes of myocardium and renal tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Masson staining was used to observe the fibrosis of myocardium. PAS staining was adopted to observe the pathological changes of renal tissue. In addition, 8 ICR male mice were taken as the control group., Results: At the 4 th , 6 th and 8 th week, cardiac organ coefficient, the values of LDH and CK were all increased compared with the control group. Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis could be observed. Renal organ coefficient, the values of Cr and BUN were increased. Glomerular hypertrophy, basement membrane thickening and atrophy could be perceived., Conclusion: At the 6 th week, related biochemical and pathological changes in diabetic mice were comparatively obvious and breeding time was relatively short. Thus, 6 weeks after the preparation of the diabetic mice would be the optimal time for type 2 diabetes mellitus modeling, proper for inventions of drugs and other research purposes including pathology, physiology, biochemistry, etc.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress contribute greatly to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Naringenin, a flavonoid derived from the citrus genus, exerts cardioprotective effects. However, the effects of naringenin on ER stress as well as oxidative stress under MI/R condition and the detailed mechanisms remain poorly defined. This study investigated the protective effect of naringenin on MI/R-injured heart with a focus on cyclic guanosine monophosphate- (cGMP-) dependent protein kinase (PKG) signaling. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with naringenin (50 mg/kg/d) and subjected to MI/R surgery with or without KT5823 (2 mg/kg, a selective inhibitor of PKG) cotreatment. Cellular experiment was conducted on H9c2 cardiomyoblasts subjected to simulated ischemia-reperfusion treatment. Before the treatment, the cells were incubated with naringenin (80  μ mol/L). PKGI α siRNA was employed to inhibit PKG signaling. Our in vivo and in vitro data showed that naringenin effectively improved heart function while it attenuated myocardial apoptosis and infarction. Furthermore, pretreatment with naringenin suppressed MI/R-induced oxidative stress as well as ER stress as evidenced by decreased superoxide generation, myocardial MDA level, gp91 phox expression, and phosphorylation of PERK, IRE1 α , and EIF2 α as well as reduced ATF6 and CHOP. Importantly, naringenin significantly activated myocardial cGMP-PKGI α signaling while inhibition of PKG signaling with KT5823 (in vivo) or siRNA (in vitro) not only abolished these actions but also blunted naringenin's inhibitory effects against oxidative stress and ER stress. In summary, our study demonstrates that naringenin treatment protects against MI/R injury by reducing oxidative stress and ER stress via cGMP-PKGI α signaling. Its cardioprotective effect deserves further clinical study.

Objective To analyze the risk factors of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.Methods The clinical data of 221 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis who were treated in our center from January 2010 to January 2017 were collected retrospectively. Specimens were collected for bacterial culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing. The risk factors for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections were analyzed.Results Univariate analysis showed that combined use of 3 or more antibiotics,high visual analogue scale score,high Lund-Kennedy score,long disease course(>5 years),high frequency of acute infections(more than 3 times a year),long duration of acute infection(>7 days),recurrent upper respiratory tract infections(>3 times per year),chronic otitis media,smoking history,allergic rhinitis,poor drainage,high frequency of antimicrobial use(≥3 times/year),use of multiple antibiotics(more than 3 types),aged over 60 years,and use of antibacterial drugs for over 7 days were the risk factors for production of multi-drug-resistant organism(MDRO) in patients with chronic sinusitis(all P<0.05). After adjusting for other factors,combined use of 3 or more antibiotics,high frequency of acute infections(more than 3 times a year),recurrent upper respiratory tract infections(>3 times per year),smoking history,allergic rhinitis,poor drainage,and high frequency of antimicrobial use(≥3 times/year) remained the risk factors for MDRO in patients with chronic sinusitis(all P<0.05).Conclusions Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in patients with chronic sinusitis can be caused by a variety of factors. In the clinical practice,by focusing on the major risk factors,a comprehensive management strategy should be adopted to reduce the production of MDRO and improve the therapeutic outcomes.

Phosphate (Pi), as the main form of phosphorus that can be absorbed by plants, is one of the most limiting macro-nutrients for plants. However, the mechanism for maintaining Pi homeostasis in rice (Oryza sativa) is still not well understood. We identified a Pi-starvation-induced E3 ligase (OsPIE1) in rice. Using an in vitro self-ubiquitination assay, we determined the E3 ligase activities of OsPIE1. Using GUS staining and GFP detection, we analyzed tissue expression patterns of OsPIE1 and the subcellular localization of its encoded protein. The function of OsPIE1 in Pi homeostasis was analyzed using OsPIE1 overexpressors and ospie1 mutants. OsPIE1 was localized to the nucleus, and expressed in epidermis, exodermis and sclerenchyma layers of primary root. Under Pi-sufficient condition, overexpression of OsPIE1 upregulated the expression of OsPT2, OsPT3, OsPT10 and OsPAP21b, resulting in Pi accumulation and acid phosphatases (APases) induction in roots. OsSPX2 was strongly suppressed in OsPIE1 overexpressors. Further comparative transcriptome analysis, tissue expression patterns and genetic interaction analysis indicated that the enhancing of Pi accumulation and APase activities upon overexpression of OsPIE1 was (at least in part) caused by repression of OsSPX2. These results indicate that OsPIE1 plays an important role in maintaining Pi homeostasis in rice.

Species of Heimioporus (Boletaceae, Boletales) in China are investigated on the basis of morphology and molecular phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and nuc 28S rDNA D1-D2 domains (28S) and translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1). Three species are recognized in China: H. conicus, sp. nov., H. gaojiaocong, sp. nov., and the previously described H. japonicus. Heimioporus xerampelinus, originally described from southwestern China, is synonymized with H. japonicus; specimens from China previously regarded as H. retisporus and H. subretisporus are confirmed to represent H. japonicus and H. gaojiaocong, respectively. A key to the Chinese taxa of the genus is provided. A preliminary biogeographical analysis shows that Heimioporus in East Asia and Southeast Asia/Australia are closely related. Heimioporus japonicus is a geographically widespread species occurring in East Asia and Southeast Asia; however, no taxa common to East Asia and Australia were uncovered.

Although taxonomic knowledge on Tricholoma (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) is fairly comprehensive in northwest Europe, knowledge of the global diversity and distribution of Tricholoma spp. is still sparse. In this study, the diversity and distribution of some Tricholoma spp. are analyzed by morphological and molecular methods based on 70 collections from Yunnan, China, 45 from central Europe, 32 from Colorado, USA, 9 from Japan, and 3 from Ukraine. A Holarctic distribution is suggested for several species, based on collections and nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) sequences. Six species new to science are formally described from Yunnan: five in existing sections, Tricholoma forteflavescens, T. olivaceoluteolum, T. melleum, T. olivaceum, and T. sinoportentosum, and one, T. muscarioides, in the newly described section Muscaria alongside several previously described species. Additional putatively new species cannot be formally described because they lack sufficient material. Tricholoma foliicola is recognized as a species of the genus Gerhardtia.

Enhanced nitrogen and carbon removal performance of simultaneous ANAMMOX and denitrification (SAD) process with trehalose addition treating saline wastewater was investigated in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The optimal nitrogen removal was achieved at 0.25 mmol·L -1 trehalose, during which NH 4 + -N, NO 2 - -N, NO 3 - -N, and COD could be completely removed. Compared to no addition of trehalose, ammonium removal efficiency (ARE), nitrite removal efficiency (NRE) and total nitrogen removal efficiency (TNRE) increased by 50%, 43% and 46%. Ammonium removal rate (ARR) and nitrite removal rate (NRR) increased by 81.25% and 75%, respectively. With increasing concentration of trehalose to 0.5 mmol·L -1 , ARE was only 58.82% and the effluent concentration of NH 4 + -N was 33.25 mg·L -1 . Compared to the Haldane model and the Aiba model, the Luong model was the most suitable to simulate the nitrogen removal performance of SAD with trehalose addition treating saline wastewater. The NRR max , K S , S m , and n fitted from Luong model were 0.954 kg·(m 3 ·d) -1 , 0 mg·L -1 , 184.785 mg·L -1 , and 0.718, respectively. Compared to the modified Logistic model and the modified Boltzman model, the modified Gompertz model was the most suitable to describe the degradation of a substrate in a single cycle.