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Ying-Ying Zhang,1 Wen-Tao Tang,2 Hong Zhang,3 Jing Wang,3 Xiao-Xu Bai,3 Yan-Hui Liao,4 Nicola Robinson,1,5 Jian-Ping Liu1 1Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China; 2Pingyi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Linyi, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 3Fangshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Psychiatry, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310016, People’s Republic of China; 5Institute of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, UKCorrespondence: Jian-Ping Liu, Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China, Email liujp@bucm.edu.cn; jianping_l@hotmail.comBackground: Smoking cessation is recommended as a key intervention for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) smokers. However, in China, few COPD smokers quit successfully. The aim of this study was to explore in depth the barriers and facilitators for smoking cessation among smokers with COPD in China.Methods: A purposive sample of 32 hospitalized smokers with COPD were included, 17 ex-smokers and 15 current smokers, participated in the semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed thematically and using a deductive approach guided by Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) framework.Results: Three inter-related themes were generated: smokers’ motivation was a prerequisite for quitting, maintaining capability to quit smoking, and opportunities that facilitated smokers to quit. Motivation to quit for most participants was activated by COPD-related symptoms, although they had a limited knowledge of COPD. Physical benefits from quitting and strong willpower were facilitators for maintaining quitting, while exposure to smoking environment and strong addiction to nicotine were frequent reasons for relapse. Most ex-smokers quit smoking by their own willpower rather than professionally delivered smoking cessation interventions. Smokers’ attitudes toward these interventions depended on their effectiveness and convenience. Very few participants had experienced pharmacotherapy or behavioral support from physicians. However, interviewees preferred auricular acupressure to pharmacotherapy.Conclusion: Motivation to quit among smokers with COPD was usually initiated by COPD-related symptoms. Physical benefits observed by quitting and strong willpower facilitated smoking cessation, while exposure to smoking environment and strong addiction to nicotine led to relapse. COPD smokers in China preferred auricular acupressure to pharmacotherapy.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking cessation, tobacco, qualitative research, acupuncture

Background: The rapid aging of the global population presents pressing public health challenges, notably an increase in suicide rates among older adults. Despite this critical issue, there is a scarcity of comprehensive assessments regarding the existing literature on suicide within this demographic. This study seeks to employ bibliometric analysis and knowledge mapping to elucidate prevailing research trends and the overall status of this field., Methods: We performed a comprehensive computer-based search of the Web of Science Core Collection to identify relevant articles and reviews concerning suicide in the elderly. A bibliometric analysis was conducted, examining various aspects including countries or regions, institutions, authors, journals, keywords, and references. This analysis utilized tools such as CiteSpace, VOSViewer, Pajek, and Excel 365 to facilitate a thorough assessment., Results: The analysis covered 1,116 publications from 2005 to 2024. The annual number of publications showed a fluctuating upward trend, with notable decreases in 2007, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2022, and increases in 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2019, peaking at 121 in 2021, with citations reaching 4,741 in 2022, but declining since then. The United States stands out as the most productive and influential country in the field, boasting the highest number of publications and citations. The country is home to institutions leading in both publication and citation metrics. Prominent authors contributing significantly to this domain include Conwell Yeates, Van Orden Kimberly A., and Waern Margda. Key journals disseminating crucial research are the Journal of Affective Disorders, American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, and Lancet. Frequent keywords in this field encompass depression, suicidal ideation, suicide, older-adults, risk, risk factors, prevalence, older adults, ideation, behavior, health, mental health, life, age, people, prevention, symptoms, scale, population, and elderly. The contemporary research emphasis is primarily on identifying, treating, and preventing the suicide risk associated with depression in older adults., Conclusions: This study highlights the growing research focus on suicide in older adults, particularly related to depression and the identification, treatment, and prevention of suicide risk. The findings underscore the need for targeted prevention strategies and further investigation in this critical public health area., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Kan, Zhang, Bai and Peng.)

Primulinaxingyiensis X.X.Bai & F.Wen, a new species of Gesneriaceae in the karst landforms of Xingyi City, Guizhou Province, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, the species is similar to P.davidioides on corolla, while it is distinguished from P.davidioides by characteristics of thinner and smaller leaves, shorter peduncles, fewer flowers, smaller corolla, glabrous staminodes, and ovary shorter than style. Molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the combined dataset of rpl 32- trn L, trn L- trn F, atp B- rbc L, and ITS sequences of the new species and 151 other species of Primulina Hance showed that the two populations of P.xingyiensis clustered into a clade, while it was most closely related to P.malingheensis . Following criteria D1 in the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, the new species should be assessed as 'vulnerable' (VU)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Jiang-Miao Gu, Song-Tao He, Fang Wen, Xin-Xiang Bai, Mei-Jun Li.)

Objective: To explore clinical efficacy of unilateral and bilateral nail-rod system fixation in single-level intervertebral fusion fixation of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and instability with unilateral dual-channel spinal endoscopy., Methods: The clinical data of 63 patients with LDH complicated with instability treated by unilateral double-channel spinal endoscopy from March 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to intraoperative fixation methods, the patients were divided into two groups, included unilateral nail rod system fixation group(unilateral group) and bilateral nail rod system fixation group(bilateral group). There were 31 patients in unilateral group, including 15 males and 16 females; aged from 40 to 67 years old with an average of (54.65±7.32) years old; 3 patients with L 3,4 , 15 patients with L 4,5 , 13 patients with L 5 S 1 . There were 32 patients in bilateral group, including 18 males and 14 females, aged from 43 to 68 years old with an average of (56.19±6.63) years old;4 patients with L 3,4 , 17 patients with L 4,5 , 11 patients with L 5 S 1 . The time of operation, length of incision, operation time, length of hospital stay, cost of treatment, occurrence of complications and adverse events were recorded and compared between two groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) of lumbar and leg pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared before operation, 3 and 12 months after operation. MacNab standard was used to evaluate clinical effect., Results: Both of two groups were successfully completed operation and followed up. In unilateral fixation group, follow-up time, operation time, incision length, postoperative ambulation time, hospital stay and treatment cost were (11.81±1.08) months, (122.48±13.86) min, (3.15±0.45) cm, (3.06±0.73) d, (6.87±1.09) d, and (3.49±0.09) ten thousand yuan;while (11.47±1.16) months, (134.94±10.94) min, (6.45±0.83) cm, (3.19±0.86) d, (7.03±1.03) d, (3.77±0.12) ten thousand yuan in bilateral fixation group, respectively;there were significant differences in operation time, incision length and treatment cost between two groups ( P <0.05), no significant difference in follow-up time, postoperative ambulation time and hospital stay ( P >0.05). There were no significant difference in VAS of low back pain, JOA score, ODI and MacNab grade between two groups before and after operation ( P >0.05). No significant complications and adverse events were observed between two groups after operation., Conclusion: Both of unilateral and bilateral nail rod system for the treatment of LDH with instability could achieve the expected results. Unilateral fixation has more advantageous than bilateral fixation in terms of operation time, incision length and treatment cost. For patients with osteoporosis before operation or insufficient fixation strength of unilateral pedicle nails during surgery, bilateral fixation is feasible to enhance reliability of fixation.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in indeterminate phase with a low viral load. Methods: One hundred and thirty-nine cases with persistent normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection with low viral load who visited the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Affiliated Hospital of Yan'an University from September 2013 to July 2021 were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into low hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) group ( n =59) and high HBsAg group ( n =80) according to the baseline hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) level. The changes of various indicators at baseline and follow-up endpoints were analyzed between the two groups. The rate of HBsAg decrease ≥0.5 log 10 IU/ml, HBV DNA negative conversion rate, ALT persistently normal rate, and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) persistently normal rate at the end of the follow-up were compared. The t -test, or non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for comparison of continuous data between the two groups. The χ 2 test, or Fisher's exact probability method, was used for comparing count data between the two groups. Results: There were statistically significant differences in age, gender, and HBsAg at baseline, but there was no statistically significant difference in terms of family history of hepatitis B, follow-up time, anti-HBe, anti-HBc, HBV DNA, ALT, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (Alb), and LSM between the two groups. There were statistically significant differences in HBsAg, anti-HBc, and ALT levels before and after follow-up in the low HBsAg group, but no statistically significant differences in anti-HBe, HBV DNA, AST, Alb, and LSM levels. There were statistically significant differences in HBsAg and anti-HBc before and after follow-up in the high HBsAg group, but no statistically significant differences in anti-HBe, HBV DNA, ALT, AST, Alb, and LSM. A liver biopsy was performed in 66 patients during follow-up, and 27.27% of the patients had moderate liver damage. In the low HBsAg group, 45.76% of patients had a HBsAg decrease rate of ≥0.5 log 10 IU/ml, 10.17% of patients had HBV DNA negative conversion, 88.14% of patients had a persistently normal ALT, and 96.61% of patients had a persistently normal LSM at the end of follow-up. In the high HBsAg group, 3.75% of patients had a HBsAg decrease of ≥0.5 log 10 IU/ml, no patient had a HBV DNA negative conversion, 90% of patients had a persistently normal ALT, and 98.75% of patients had a persistently normal LSM. There were statistically significant differences in the HBsAg decrease rate (45.76% vs. 3.75%, χ 2 =32.975, P ＜0.001) and HBV DNA negative conversion rate (10.17% vs. 0, χ 2 =6.219, P =0.013) between the two groups at the end of follow-up, but there were no statistically significant differences in the persistently normal ALT and LSM rates. Conclusion: The vast majority of patients with HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection in the indeterminate phase with low viral load had persistent hypoviremia over the long term. Some patients have liver tissue damage and may progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer as a result of HBV DNA positivity, so antiviral treatment should be initiated in all.

Objective: A hybrid manufacturing technique that combines selective laser melting (SLM) and computer numerical control (CNC) has been developed for the fabrication of implant-platform/framework interfaces (PFIs) for mandibular and maxillary full-arch implant-supported titanium frameworks. The aim of this study was to compare the discrepancies in specimens fabricated using the hybrid technique (termed SLM/m hereafter) with those in specimens fabricated by conventional CNC milling., Materials and Methods: Based on a mandibular four-PFI CAD model and a maxillary six-PFI CAD model, four groups of titanium frameworks (eight per group, totaling 32) were fabricated according to the fabrication technique (SLM/m or milling) and number of PFIs (four or six). The frameworks were scanned by a structured light scanner and aligned with the CAD model in Geomagic Control X. Discrepancy was defined as the difference between the PFIs of the scanned framework and those of the CAD model. Discrepancies were measured and evaluated by multilevel analysis using a mixed-effects model (α = 0.05), followed by independent samples t-tests (α = 0.0125). Furthermore, the manufacturing times and raw-material costs were recorded and compared., Results: The maximum discrepancy values for the four-PFI and six-PFI hybrid frameworks were 52.2 and 64.3 μm, respectively. Multilevel analysis revealed that the fabrication technique and the number of PFIs had no significant effect on the discrepancy value. However, a significant interaction between the two factors was observed (P = 0.020). The discrepancies for the four-PFI hybrid frameworks were significantly lower than those for the four-PFI milled frameworks (P = 0.001). No significant difference in discrepancies between the six-PFI hybrid frameworks and six-PFI milled frameworks was observed (P = 0.697). Furthermore, the hybrid frameworks required only 11% of the raw materials and 25% of the milling time required for the conventionally milled frameworks., Conclusion: SLM/m hybrid frameworks are viable, accurate alternatives to CNC-milled frameworks, with the added benefit of substantial cost reduction., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: We investigated the potential relationship between age-related conditions, particularly sarcopenia and ischemic stroke (IS), through a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study., Methods: We conducted a two-sample bidirectional MR study to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and stroke. Genetic instruments for sarcopenia were derived from the UK Biobank, while data on IS and its subtypes were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) served as the primary analytical method. Additionally, heterogeneity and pleiotropy were assessed to ensure the robustness of the findings., Results: The analysis indicates a negative correlation between appendicular lean mass (ALM) and small vessel stroke (SVS; OR = 0.790, 95% CI: 0.703-0.888, p  < 0.001), a positive correlation with cardioembolic stroke (CES; OR = 1.165, 95% CI: 1.058-1.284, p  = 0.002), and no causal relationship with any ischemic stroke (AIS) or large artery stroke (LAS). Additionally, SVS is negatively associated with right-hand grip strength (OR = 0.639, 95% CI: 0.437-0.934, p  = 0.021), while AIS, LAS, and CES do not exhibit a causal relationship with grip strength. Furthermore, no causal relationship was identified between left-hand grip strength, usual walking pace, and IS or its subtypes. MR analysis reveals only a negative association between CES and usual walking pace (OR = 0.989, 95% CI: 0.980-0.998, p  = 0.013), with no associations found between other IS subtypes and sarcopenia-related traits., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that a reduction in ALM and right-hand grip strength is associated with SVS, whereas decreased ALM may serve as a protective factor against CES. Conversely, our analysis suggests that CES can impact walking speed. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights into the prevention and treatment of these conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Meng, Zhang, Bai, Kong and Li.)

Background: The gut microbiota has been demonstrated to have a significant role in the pathogenesis and progression of a variety of diseases, including prostate cancer, prostatitis, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. Potential links between prostate diseases, immune cells and the gut microbiota have not been adequately investigated., Methods: MR studies were conducted to estimate the effects of instrumental variables obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of 196 gut microbial taxa and 731 immune cells on the risk of prostate diseases. The primary method for analysing causal relationships was inverse variance-weighted (IVW) analysis, and the MR results were validated through various sensitivity analyses., Results: MR analysis revealed that 28 gut microbiome taxa and 75 immune cell types were significantly associated with prostate diseases. Furthermore, reverse MR analysis did not support a causal relationship between prostate diseases and the intestinal microbiota or immune cells. Finally, the results of the mediation analysis indicated that Secreting Treg % CD4 Treg, Activated & resting Treg % CD4 Treg, and Mo MDSC AC inhibited the role of the class Mollicutes in reducing the risk of PCa. In prostatitis, CD8+ T cells on EM CD8br hinder the increased risk associated with the genus Eubacterium nodatum group. Interestingly, in BPH, CD28- CD25++CD8br AC and CD16-CD56 on HLA DR+ NK promoted the role of the genus Dorea in reducing the risk of BPH., Conclusion: This study highlights the complex relationships among the gut microbiota, immune cells and prostate diseases. The involvement of the gut microbiota in regulating immune cells to impact prostate diseases could provide novel methods and concepts for its therapy and management., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yue, Li, Xu, Bai, Xu, Wang, Ding, Chen, Du, Xu, Niu and Liang.)

Oreocharisleveilleana Fedde was collected in Ta-pin in 1910 and published in 1911. The collected location was verified within western Luodian County, Guizhou Province, China. However, there have been no records of the species' collection for more than 100 years since then. After extensive investigations by our research team on the type locality and its surrounding areas, we found that it is widely distributed in western Luodian County and eastern Wangmo County, Guizhou Province, China. During further research on the original literature, type specimens and type locality of O.leveilleana , the taxonomic position of O.leveilleana , which was once treated as a synonym of O.auricula (S.Moore) C.B.Clarke, was found to have a taxonomic problem. Through morphological research combined with geographical distribution analysis, it has been determined that it should belong to the genus Petrocodon Hance and it is the same species as P.coccineus (C.Y.Wu ex H.W.Li) Yin Z.Wang. According to the regulations and suggestions of the 2018 "International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Shenzhen Code)", we propose and confirm a new combination - Petrocodonleveilleanus (Fedde) X.X.Bai & F.Wen and treat P.coccineus as a synonym of the new combination. Due to its unique bright red flowers within Petrocodon , its original Chinese name has been retained., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Xiao-Kai Xiong, Song-Tao He, Yu-Lu Zhou, Fang Wen, Xin-Xiang Bai.)

Objective: This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the calculi components of upper urinary tract calculi and to explore the relationship between calculus components, demographic characteristics, and underlying diseases., Patients and Methods: Clinical data of 1,495 patients with upper urinary tract calculi were retrospectively collected. The calculi were divided into simple calcium oxalate, calcium oxalate mixed, calcium phosphate mixed, uric acid, magnesium ammonium phosphate, and other components. Statistical software SPSS 22.0 was used to analyze the differences between the stone compositions and various factors. The influencing factors (p < 0.05) were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis., Results: Among 1,495 patients with upper urinary tract calculi, simple calcium oxalate calculi were the most common component (39.7%), followed by calcium oxalate mixed calculi (30.4%), uric acid calculi (13.6%), calcium phosphate mixed calculi (10.4%), magnesium ammonium phosphate calculi (5.8%) and other component calculi (0.1%). Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in stone composition according to gender, age, and hyperuricemia (p < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that compared to men, the odds ratio (OR) values of calcium oxalate mixed stones, calcium phosphate mixed stones, and magnesium ammonium phosphate stones in women were 1.61, 2.50, and 4.17, respectively (p < 0.001). Compared with elderly patients, the OR values of calcium phosphate mixed stones in young and middle-aged patients were 3.14 and 2.70, respectively (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Patients with different stone components had different demographic characteristics, and stone components were significantly different between gender and age. Calcium oxalate mixed stones were more common in females, and calcium phosphate mixed stones and magnesium ammonium phosphate stones were more common in females, young patients, and middle-aged patients.

Similar to other orchid species, Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum (Lindl.ex Hook.) Stein, relies on nutrients provided by mycorrhizal fungus for seed germination and seedling development in the wild owing to a lack of endosperm in its seeds. Therefore, obtaining suitable and specialized fungi to enhance seed germination, seedling formation, and further development is considered a powerful tool for orchid seedling propagation, reintroduction, and species conservation. In this study, we investigated the diversity, abundance, and frequency of endophytic fungal strains in the root organs of P. hirsutissimum . One family and five genera of the fungi were isolated and identified through rDNA-ITS sequencing. The ability of isolated fungi to germinate in vitro from the seeds of this species was evaluated, and the development of P. hirsutissimum protocorm has been described. The findings showed that the treatments inoculated with endophytic fungal DYXY033 may successfully support the advanced developmental stage of seedlings up to stage 5. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the mycelium of this strain began to invade from either end of the seeds up to the embryo, extending rapidly from the inside to the outside. Its lengthening resulted in the bursting of the seed coat to form protocorms, which developed into seedlings. The results showed that DYXY033 has a high degree of mycobiont specificity under in vitro symbiotic seed germination conditions and is a representative mycorrhizal fungus with ecological value for the species. In summary, this strain may particularly be significant for the protection of P. hirsutissimum species that are endangered in China. In the long run, it may also contribute to global efforts in reintroducing orchid species and in realizing in situ restorations of threatened orchid populations.

Objective: To analyze the ultrasonic manifestations, clinical features, high risk factors and key points of pregnancy management in prenatal diagnosis of umbilical artery thrombosis (UAT). Methods: The data of 31 pregnant women of UAT diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography and confirmed after birth from July 2017 to July 2022 at the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed, including the maternal characteristics, pregnancy outcomes and fetal complications. In addition, the baseline data and pregnancy outcomes were compared in 21 patients who continued pregnancy after diagnosis of UAT. Of the 21 UAT cases that continued pregnancy, 10 cases were treated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH; LMWH treatment group), while the other 11 patients had expectant treatment(expectant treatment group). Results: The age of the 31 pregnant women was (30.2±4.7) years, of which 5 cases (16%,5/31) were advanced age pregnant women. The gestational age at diagnosis was (32.9±4.0) weeks, and the gestational age at termination of pregnancy was (35.6±2.9) weeks. In 31 fetuses with UAT, 15 cases (48%) had fetal distress, 11 cases (35%) had fetal growth restriction, and 3 cases (10%) had intrauterine stillbirth. There were 28 cases of live births, including 26 cases by cesarean section and 2 cases by vaginal delivery. There were also 3 stillbirths, all delivered vaginally. Four neonates had mild asphyxia and two newborns had severe asphyxia. Among the 31 cases, 10 cases were terminated immediately after diagnosis, the gestational age at diagnosis was (35.9±2.9) weeks. Another 21 pregnancies continued, and their gestational age at diagnosis was (31.4±3.7) weeks. The median prolonged gestational age in LMWH treatment group was 7.9 weeks (4.6-9.4 weeks), and all were live births. The median prolonged gestational age in the expectant treatment group was 0.6 weeks (0.0-1.0 weeks), and 2 cases were stillbirths. There was a statistically significant difference in prolonged gestational age ( P =0.002). Conclusions: Ultrasound is the preferred method for prenatal detection of UAT. Clinicians need to be vigilant for UAT when a newly identified single umbilical artery is detected by ultrasound in the second or third trimesters. The decision to continue or terminate the pregnancy depends on the gestational age and the condition of fetus. Attention should be paid to fetal movements as the pregnancy continues. The treatment of LMWH as soon as possible after diagnosis of UAT may improve the pregnancy outcome.

In the revision on the genus Impatiens L. in China, we found that there were synonyms amongst some species. Impatiensprocumbens Franch. morphologically resembled I.reptans Hook.f., I.crassiloba Hook.f., I.ganpiuana Hook.f., I.atherosepala Hook.f. and I.rhombifolia Y.Q.Lu & Y.L.Chen. After a thorough morphological study, based on original literature, type specimens and field surveys, it was found that the above six species of Impatiens had no substantial differences in morphological characters and there was continuity in geographical distribution. Therefore, we determined that I.reptans , I.crassiloba , I.ganpiuana , I.atherosepala and I.rhombifolia are the synonyms of I.procumbens . At the same time, we present the color photographs, supplementary descriptions of morphology, and geographical distribution. The lectotype of I.procumbens and I.reptans are also designated here., (Rong-Xin Huang, Tao-Hua Yuan, Yi Chen, Mei-Jun Li, Xin-Xiang Bai.)

This study provides a comprehensive compilation of published toxicological and environmental data further used to assess the ecological risks of six antifouling biocides, including tributyltin (TBT), Irgarol 1051, Diuron, Chlorothalonil, 4,5-Dichloro-N-octyl-3(2H)-isothiazolone (DCOIT), and Dichlofluanid. The standard maximum concentration and standard continuous concentration of antifouling biocides were derived by the species susceptibility distribution method. Following that, the ecological risk assessment of antifouling biocides in the aquatic environment was conducted using the hazard quotient, margin of safety, joint probability curve, and Monte Carlo random sampling method. The following is a concise list of the antifouling biocide dangers associated with acute and chronic risks: Irgarol 1051 > TBT > Diuron > DCOIT > Chlorothalonil > Dichlofluanid. It is strongly advised that systematic and ongoing monitoring of these biocides in coastal areas take place, as well as the creation of acceptable and efficient environmental protection measures, to safeguard the coastal environment's services and functions., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Seed germination and seedling development in nearly all orchid species rely on a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi; however, this is not the case with all mycorrhizal fungi. This study aims to provide an understanding about the important role of mycorrhiza in seed germination and growth of Paphiopedilum barbigerum . Therefore, we isolated and identified endophytic fungi from the roots of wild P. barbigerum . The beneficial mycorrhizal fungi Epulorhiza sp. FQXY019 and Tulasnella calospora FQXY017 were screened by seed symbiotic germination tests and found to promote seed germination. However, only the seeds inoculated with FQXY019 progressed from the seed germination to rooting stage. This shows that mycorrhizal fungi and P. barbigerum have a specific relation at different growth phases. In addition, we selected FQXY019 and inoculated it into MS medium, B5 medium, OMA medium, and PDA medium. The results showed that FQXY019 co-cultured on PDA significantly promoted the increase in seedling fresh weight, leaf length, and root length ( p < .01). Furthermore, it significantly promoted the root number and leaf number of seedlings compared with those co-cultured on MS, B5, and OMA media and control ( p < .05). Thus, this study demonstrated the promoting effect of Epulorhiza sp. FQXY019 on seed germination and seedling development, making it an alternative method for the artificial propagation of P. barbigerum.

As an emerging pollutant to the environment, microplastics have received widespread attention worldwide. The Loess Plateau, as one of the major agricultural production areas in China, has various land use types, but how the abundance and morphological patterns of microplastics differ among soils under different land use types remains unclear. In this study, we collected soils from three different land use types:croplands, apple orchards, and landfills in the Wangdonggou Catchment. Microplastics were separated and extracted using a modified density centrifugation method, and the abundance, composition, and morphological characteristics of the soil were analyzed and characterized using a laser infrared imaging system. The results showed that the average abundance of microplastics in the Wangdonggou Catchment was 4715 n·kg -1 , mainly composed of PET, PU, and alkyd varnish(ALK), respectively accounting for 30.39%, 29.58%, and 8.42%. More than 80% of the microplastics were fragmented, and more than 60% of the microplastics were of a size ≤ 50 μm. The average abundance of microplastics varied significantly among land use types:cropland soil (7550 n·kg -1 )>apple orchard soil (3440 n·kg -1 )>landfill soil (2283 n·kg -1 ). The average area, width, height, eccentricity, circularity, and other morphological characteristics of microplastics in apple orchard soil were significantly different from those in the cropland and landfill soil.

Impatiensliupanshuiensis (Balsamianceae), belonging to I.subgen.Impatiens, is recognised as a new species from Guizhou, China and it is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to I.xanthocephala W.W. Sm. in its yellow flowers, extremely small basal lobes on lateral united petals, broadly-dolabriform distal lobes and funnelform lower sepal. However, it is distinctive in the number of lateral sepals, teeth on the margin of lateral sepals, the recurvature of the dorsal petal, the number of lateral veins, the shape and size of the lamina and the type of lamina margin. A detailed description of the new species and colour photographs are provided. Its geographical distribution and morphology are also compared to similar species., (Tao-Hua Yuan, Yi Chen, Shuang Yu, Liu-Yi Ren, Rong-Xin Huang, Mei-Jun Li, Xin-Xiang Bai.)

Impatiensbijieensis X.X. Bai & L.Y. Ren, sp. nov. from northwest Guizhou Province, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is distributed discontinuously in Jiulongshan, Dafang County and Dajiucaiping, Hezhang County, both of which are in the Wumeng Mountain area, a karst plateau landform. The new species is morphologically similar to I.pterosepala Hook.f., I.lasiophyton Hook.f. and I.leptocaulon Hook.f. in height and flower shape and it especially resembles I.lasiophyton in pilosity. However, it differs in its deep purplish-red flower, 2-lobed lower sepal apex and cylindrical capsule. A detailed description, colour photographs and a provisional IUCN Red List assessment are provided along with discussions of its geographical distribution, ecology and morphological relationships with other similar species., (Liu-Yi Ren, Yi Chen, Tao-Hua Yuan, Rong-Xin Huang, Mei-Jun Li, Xin-Xiang Bai.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of apoptosis-associated protein kinase-like 1 (DAPL1) hypomethylation on prognosis of lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor gene exon 19 deletion (EGFR Del19) mutation. Methods: The clinicopathological data of lung cancer patients in databases of genomic data sharing (GDC) TCGA lung adenocarcinoma, TCGA lung adenocarcinoma, and TCGA lung cancer were collected to analyze the effect of DAPL1 methylation level on the prognosis of patients with EGFR Del19 mutation. Linear regression model was used for correlation analysis, Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and the difference of survival curve between the two groups was tested by Log rank. Results: In GDC TCGA lung adenocarcinoma, TCGA lung adenocarcinoma and TCGA lung cancer databases, the 5-year survival rates of lung cancer patients with high DAPL1 expression (31.9%, 27.5% and 33.0%, respectively) were higher than those with low DAPL1 expression (11.0%, 11.6% and 13.8%, respectively). The differences were statistically significant ( P =0.006, 0.028 and 0.025, respectively). The median expression levels of DAPL1 in patients with EGFR Del19 mutation (12.8, 2.75 and 2.9, respectively) were higher than those in patients with other EGFR mutations (11.6, 1.75 and 1.8, respectively, P <0.05). In TCGA lung adenocarcinoma and TCGA lung cancer database, the 5-year survival rate of lung cancer patients with lower DAPL1 methylation levels (22.4% and 16.4%, respectively) were higher than those of lung cancer patients with higher DAPL1 methylation levels (15.1% and 14.2%, respectively), with statistical significance ( P <0.05). The expression level of DAPL1 was positively correlated with the EGFR mutant subtype ( r =0.909, P <0.05), and negatively correlated with DNA methylation ( r =-0.891, P <0.05). The expression of DAPL1 in lung cancer patients was regulated by DNA methylation, which affected the prognosis of lung cancer patients. Conclusion: High DAPL1 expression, or hypomethylation, is associated with lung cancer EGFR Del19 mutation subtype, and DAPL1 hypomethylated lung cancer patients have longer overall survival.

Primulinasilaniae X.X.Bai & F.Wen, a new species of Primulina Hance (Gesneriaceae) from the limestone area of Wangmo County, Guizhou Province, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to P.spiradiclioides Z.B.Xin & F.Wen, but can be easily distinguished from the latter by a combination of characteristics, especially in the lateral veins of its leaf and floral shape and tube. At present, three populations in one locality of this new taxon were found, totaling about 600 mature individuals. According to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (Version 3.1), the species is provisionally assessed as Vulnerable [VU D1]., (Jin-Quan Zhang, Hong Huang, Mei-Jun Li, Mei Huang, Quan-Yuan Li, Yu-Lu Zhou, Yi Chen, Fang Wen, Xin-Xiang Bai.)

Background: Mifepristone-induced abortion (MIA) has been used worldwide to terminate pregnancies. However, the association between placenta accrete (PA) and MIA has seldom been reported., Case Summary: A 26-year-old pregnant woman presented with painless vaginal bleeding at 35 wk of gestation. She had a medical abortion (mifepristone followed by misoprostol) 1 year ago at the sixth week of gestation. Her personal history for previous surgery was negative. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a normal foetus with complete placenta previa. The foetal membrane ruptured with massive vaginal bleeding and severe abdominal pain. An emergency Caesarean section was performed, and the newborn was delivered. The placenta failed to expel and manual extraction was carried out. A large defect was noted in the uterine fundus and repair of the uterine rupture was conducted immediately. The postoperative pathology report showed placenta accreta., Conclusion: The evidence suggests a possible etiologic role of MIA in PA, as the incidence of PA after MIA is much higher than general population. Millions of pregnancies are complicated by PA each year, some of which result in fatality. To prevent subsequent placental complications after MIA, hormonal supplementation might be a promising therapeutic options. However, further studies are needed to identify the high-risk factors and to confirm the effectiveness of estrogen supplement therapy., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declared no conflict of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and publication of this article., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in the pathogenesis and development of many diseases, including cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of LncRNA-Potassium Voltage-Gated Channel Subfamily Q Member 1 opposite strand/antisense transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) in cerebral I/R induced neuronal injury, and its underlying mechanisms., Methods: Primary mouse cerebral cortical neurons treated with oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) in vitro and mice subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion were used to mimic cerebral I/R injury. Small inference RNA (siRNA) was used to knockdown KCNQ1OT1 or microRNA-153-3p (miR-153-3p). Dual-luciferase assay was performed to detect the interaction between KCNQ1OT1 and miR-153-3p and interaction between miR-153-3p and Fork head box O3a (Foxo3). Flow cytometry analysis was performed to detect neuronal apoptosis. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect RNA and protein expressions., Results: KCNQ1OT1 and Foxo3 expressions were significantly increased in neurons subjected to I/R injury in vitro and in vivo, and miR-153-3p expression were significantly decreased. Knockdown of KCNQ1OT1 or overexpression of miR-153-3p weakened OGD/R-induced neuronal injury and regulated Foxo3 expressions. Dual-luciferase analysis showed that KCNQ1OT1 directly interacted with miR-153-3p and Foxo3 is a direct target of miR-153-3p., Conclusions: Our results indicate that LncRNA-KCNQ1OT1 promotes OGD/R-induced neuronal injury at least partially through acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-153-3p to regulate Foxo3a expression, suggesting LncRNA-KCNQ1OT1 as a potential therapeutic target for cerebral I/R injury., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts of interest to disclose for all authors., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aimed to describe some of the characteristics of the inhabitants of Beijing with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who had received treatment at the Stomatology Hospital of Peking University and to analyze the survival rate and the prognostic factors of patients following surgical treatment., Methods: Data for 603 consecutive cases with primary OSCC between 2004 and 2013 were obtained from the Stomatology Hospital of Peking University. Clinical data including age, sex, living district, primary tumor site, TNM stage, history of drinking and smoking, pathological differentiation, treatment, and survival were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The male:female ratio was 1.1:1. The frequency of site involvement in descending order was tongue (34.3%), gingiva (25.0%), buccal mucosa (13.8%), oral floor (9.0%), oropharynx (8.5%), lip (6.3%) and palate (3.2%). Female OSCC patients tended to be significantly older than men with OSCC (P < 0.05). The percentage of patients with TNM stage III-IV OSCC was 52.4%. The results revealed that 65.3% of male patients and only 6.3% of female patients smoked or drank. The overall 5-year survival rate was 64%. Female patients had a worse prognosis than male patients. Among the patients who received surgery, tumor size and lymph node involvement were independent prognostic factors. Smoking and drinking were not prognostic factors., Conclusion: Among the Beijing inhabitants who were diagnosed with OSCC and treated in our hospital in the past 10 years, more than half were in the advanced stage, and the cancer stage was the main prognostic factor of oral cancer. Therefore, the recognition of oral cancer should be strengthened, and early detection and treatment of OSCC should be achieved to improve the survival rate.

The normal estrus in weaned primiparous sows has a great impact on pig production and abnormal estrus is the main reason for the elimination of primiparous sows. In this study, we studied the long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis of anestrous and estrous primiparous sows. These long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) were screened and compared through RNA-seq analysis. The expression profiles of lincRNAs were obtained and their characteristics and functions were preliminarily analyzed. There are 3519 novel lincRNAs identified in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis of anestrous and estrous primiparous sows. Compared with estrous primiparous sows, 17 differentially expressed lincRNAs were indentified, including 12 up-regulated lincRNAs and 5 down-regulated lincRNAs (FC≥2, P <0.05). The four lincRNA transcripts obtained through selection were verified by qRT-PCR, which are consistent with the RNA-seq results. The GO, KEGG pathway, and lincRNA-mRNA co-expression network analysis of these 17 lincRNAs revealed that these lincRNAs were mainly involved in reproductive activities, such as oocyte meiosis mature, ovarian cells differentiation and granulosa cells apoptosis. The results enriched the data resources of pig lincRNAs and provided useful information for further research about the reproductive performance of primiparous sows.

Oxidative stress is a causal factor and key promoter of all kinds of reproductive disorders related to granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis that acts by dysregulating the expression of related genes. Various studies have suggested that grape seed procyanidin B2 (GSPB2) may protect GCs from oxidative injury, though the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Therefore, whether the beneficial effects of GSPB2 are associated with microRNAs, which have been suggested to play a critical role in GC apoptosis by regulating the expression of protein-coding genes, was investigated in this study. The results showed that GSPB2 treatment protected GCs from a H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis, as detected by an MTT assay and TUNEL staining, and increased let-7a expression in GCs. Furthermore, let-7a overexpression markedly increased cell viability and inhibited H 2 O 2 -induced GC apoptosis. Furthermore, the overexpression of let-7a reduced the upregulation of Fas expression in H 2 O 2 -treated GCs at the mRNA and protein levels. Dual-luciferase reporter assay results indicated that let-7a directly targets the Fas 3'-UTR. Furthermore, the overexpression of let-7a enhanced the protective effects of GSPB2 against GC apoptosis induced by H 2 O 2 . These results indicate that GSPB2 inhibits H 2 O 2 -induced apoptosis of GCs, possibly through the upregulation of let-7a., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2019 Jia-Qing Zhang et al.)

Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) has been identified as playing critical roles in multiple diseases. However, little is known regarding its roles and mechanisms in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. This study is aimed to explore the roles of YY1 in regulating neuronal apoptosis in cerebral I/R injury and its underlying mechanisms. Primary mouse cerebral cortical neurons were isolated and subjected to OGD/R to mimic cerebral I/R injury in vitro. The roles of YY1 on OGD/R-induced neuronal injury were investigated by performing western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, TUNEL, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, chromatin isolation by RNA purification assay, glucose uptake assay, lactate production assay, and extracellular acidification rate assay. YY1-binding long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) in neurons subjected to OGD/R were identified by RIP and RNA sequencing. The roles of YY1 on cerebral I/R in vivo were detected by assessing neuronbehaviour, infarct size, and neuronal apoptosis. We found that YY1 expression is downregulated, and LncRNA GAS5 is upregulated in neurons subjected to OGD/R. OGD/R treatment promotes YY1 interacting with GAS5 in neurons, and YY1 negatively regulates GAS5 expression by binding to GAS5 promoter to repress its transcription. Besides, YY1 and GAS5 bind to the same region of PFKFB3 promoter to promote PFKFB3 expression and strengthen neuronal glycolysis, resulting in aggravating OGD/R-induced neuronal apoptosis. Knockdown of YY1 or GAS5 protects against I/R-induced ischemic brain damage and improves overall neurological functions in vivo. Overall, YY1 interacts with LncRNA GAS5 to promote PFKFB3 transcription to enhance neuronal glycolysis, resulting in aggravating cerebral I/R injury., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the mycotoxins most frequently encountering in cereal-based foods throughout the world. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to alleviate porcine jejunal epithelia cell (IPEC-J2) injury induced by DON in this study. The results indicated that cell viability and proliferation rates were significantly decreased when DON concentrations were increased from 0 to 64 µM after 24 h incubation (p < 0.05). The longer incubation time and higher DON concentrations would cause more serious effects on cell viability. S. cerevisiae could significantly degrade DON and decrease lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release in the cells induced by DON (p < 0.05). DON (4 µM) could increase necrotic and apoptotic cell rates as well as decrease viable cell rates, compared with the control group (p < 0.05). However, S. cerevisiae addition in the DON group could decrease necrotic, late apoptotic and early apoptotic cell rates by 38.05%, 46.37% and 44.78% respectively, increase viable cell rates by 2.35%, compared with the single DON group (p < 0.05). In addition, S. cerevisiae addition could up-regulate mRNA abundances of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in IPEC-J2 cells (p < 0.05), but down-regulate mRNA abundances of tight junction proteins (TJP-1) and occludin by 36.13% and 50.18% at 1 µM of DON (p < 0.05). It could be concluded that S. cerevisiae was able to alleviate IPEC-J2 cell damage exposed to DON.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is xenogeneic that is influenced by many generated factors related to epigenetic factors to accelerate tumor metastasis. This study was conducted with the objective of investigating the effect of microRNA-23a-3p (miR-23a) on the biological characteristics of OC stem cells by targeting discs large homolog 2 (DLG2). OC-related differentially expressed genes were screened by microarray-based gene expression analysis, after which a list of miRNAs that regulate the genes was predicted. In total, 50 patients diagnosed with OC were enrolled in this study. DLG2 positive protein expression was measured in OC tissues. The interaction between DLG2 and miR-23a was predicted and analyzed through luciferase activity measurement. With the intervention of miR-23a and/or DLG2 expression in OC stem cells, the expression of miR-23a, DLG2, Bax, Bcl-2, Oct-4, and Nanog was determined. Afterward, different cell experiments were conducted to examine the regulation effect of miR-23a in OC stem cells. Tumor formation in vivo was also evaluated in nude mice. DLG2 had low expression in OC. The results showed that there was a decrease in the expression of Bcl-2, Oct-4, and Nanog, while DLG2 and Bax were increased as a result of miR-23a depletion. In addition, when miR-23a was suppressed, cell viability, migration, invasion, cloning, and renewal abilities of OC stem cells were decreased, while apoptosis ability was enhanced. As a target gene of miR-23a, DLG2 downregulation reversed the suppressive function of miR-23a in the inhibition of OC development. Finally, in vivo experiment verified that miR-23a downregulation restrained the tumor growth in OC stem cells. In conclusion, our findings suggested that the inhibition of miR-23a results in the suppression of OC progression by releasing DLG2, which provides new understanding on the potential therapeutic effect of miR-23a inhibition in OC patients.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, transformation and death. Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1 (MKP1) has an inhibitory effect on the p38MAPK and JNK pathways, but it is unknown whether it plays a role in Aβ-induced oxidative stress and neuronal inflammation. In this study, PC12 cells were infected with MKP1 shRNA, MKP1 lentivirus or control lentivirus for 12 hours, and then treated with 0.1, 1, 10 or 100 μM amyloid beta 42 (Aβ 42 ). The cell survival rate was measured using the cell counting kit-8 assay. MKP1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA expression levels were analyzed using quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction. MKP1 and phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) expression levels were assessed using western blot assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured using flow cytometry. Superoxide dismutase activity and malondialdehyde levels were evaluated using the colorimetric method. Lactate dehydrogenase activity was measured using a microplate reader. Caspase-3 expression levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Apoptosis was evaluated using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling method. MKP1 overexpression inhibited Aβ-induced JNK phosphorylation and the increase in ROS levels. It also suppressed the Aβ-induced increase in TNF-α and IL-1β levels as well as apoptosis in PC12 cells. In contrast, MKP1 knockdown by RNA interference aggravated Aβ-induced oxidative stress, inflammation and cell damage in PC12 cells. Furthermore, the JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125 abolished this effect of MKP1 knockdown on Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. Collectively, these results show that MKP1 mitigates Aβ-induced apoptosis, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation by inhibiting the JNK signaling pathway, thereby playing a neuroprotective role., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest

Clinical epidemiological studies have shown that there is a link between Parkinson's disease (PD) and cancer, but how PD regulates cancer development remains unknown. In our study, the effect of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu 5 ) on hepatoma was explored in a rotenone-induced PD model both in vitro and in vivo. We found that conditioned media derived from MN9D dopaminergic neuronal cells by rotenone-induced toxicity inhibited the growth, migration, invasion and promoted apoptosis of Hepa1-6 cells, which corresponded with decreased expression of mGlu 5 . Furthermore, treatment with 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP), a mGlu 5 antagonist and knockdown of mGlu 5 , further reduced ATP levels and migration distance, and increased cleavage of caspase-3 in Hepa1-6 cells. Additionally, we found that conditioned media derived from rotenone-treated MN9D dopaminergic neuronal cells enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and JNK phosphorylation, which could be further increased by MPEP treatment, and attenuated by mGlu 5 agonist, (RS)-2-Chloro-5-hydroxyphenylglycine (CHPG) and ROS scavenger, N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC). The results indicated that down-regulation of mGlu 5 promoted cell apoptosis through the intracellular ROS/JNK signaling pathway in a rotenone-induced cellular PD model. These findings were confirmed in vivo in a rotenone-induced rat model of PD combined with diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatoma. Expression of Ki67 was decreased, and the levels of caspase-3 and p-JNK were increased in this model, which was accompanied by a decrease in protein expression of mGlu 5 . The study suggest that negative regulation of mGlu 5 may inhibit hepatoma development in a rotenone-induced PD model, and as such may help with our further understanding of the correlation between PD and cancer., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The major pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease are beta amyloid deposits and cognitive impairment. Calycosin is a typical phytoestrogen derived from radix astragali that binds to estrogen receptors to produce estrogen-like effects. Radix astragali Calycosin has been shown to relieve cognitive impairment induced by diabetes mellitus, suggesting calycosin may improve the cognitive function of Alzheimer's disease patients. The protein kinase C pathway is upstream of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and exerts a neuroprotective effect by regulating Alzheimer's disease-related beta amyloid degradation. We hypothesized that calycosin improves the cognitive function of a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease by activating the protein kinase C pathway. Various doses of calycosin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) were intraperitoneally injected into APP/PS1 transgenic mice that model Alzheimer's disease. Calycosin diminished hippocampal beta amyloid, Tau protein, interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, acetylcholinesterase and malondialdehyde levels in a dose-dependent manner, and increased acetylcholine and glutathione activities. The administration of a protein kinase C inhibitor, calphostin C, abolished the neuroprotective effects of calycosin including improving cognitive ability, and anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Our data demonstrated that calycosin mitigated oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease model mice by activating the protein kinase C pathway, and thereby improving cognitive function., Competing Interests: None declared

Numerous epidemiological studies suggested that there is a variable cancer risk in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, the role of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) has been investigated in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PD combined with liver cancer both in vitro and in vivo. We found that PD cellular model from 6-OHDA-lesioned MN9D cells suppressed the growth, migration, and invasion of Hepa1-6 cells via down-regulation of mGluR5-mediated ERK and Akt pathway. The application of 2-methyl-6-(phenylethyl)-pyridine and knockdown of mGluR5 further decreased the effect on Hepa-1-6 cells when co-cultured with conditioned media. The effect was increased by (S)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine and overexpression of mGluR5. Moreover, more release of glutamate from 6-OHDA-lesioned MN9D cells suppressed mGluR5-mediated effect of Hepa1-6 cells. Application of riluzole eliminated the increased glutamate release induced by 6-OHDA in MN9D cells and aggravated the suppressive effect on Hepa-1-6 cells. In addition, the growth of implanted liver cancer was inhibited in 6-OHDA induced PD-like rats, and was associated with increased glutamate release in the serum and down-regulation of mGluR5 in tumor tissue. Collectively, these results indicate that selective antagonism of glutamate and mGluR5 has a potentially beneficial effect in both liver cancer and PD, and thus may provide more understanding for the clinical investigation and further an additional therapeutic target for these two diseases., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The demand for the chemopreventive drug from the plant source is increasing in recent times, owing to its various biological activities without any adverse effect. The intention of this current study was to examine the anti-glioma effect of Withaferin A (WFA) on C6 glioma cell line model., Materials and Methods: C6 glioma cells were administrated with different concentration of WFA (50, 100, 200 and 500 μg/mL) and DMSO (control) group to examine its anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic activities., Results: Treatment with WFA showed a significant decline in the glioma cell count in a dose-dependent manner and thus proving its anti-proliferative effect. Similarly, inflammatory markers were also substantially lowered upon treatment with different concentration of WFA. However, DNA fragmentation and apoptotic markers like Caspase-3 and 9 were concomitantly enhanced after co-cultured with different concentration of WFA and thus exhibiting its cytotoxicity efficacy. Furthermore, the protein expression of Bcl2 and Bax were markedly downregulated and upregulated respectively; upon treatment with WFA on C6 glioma cells., Conclusion: The outcome of this study evidently demonstrates that C6 glioma cells co-cultured with increased concentration of WFA, showed an anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic effect in a dose-dependent fashion.

Background/aims: Type I interferon (IFN-1) production and IFN-1 signaling play critical roles in the host antiviral innate immune responses. Although transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) has been reported to have a dual activator/repressor role during the regulation of interferon beta (IFN-β) promoter activity, the roles of YY1 in the regulation of upstream signaling pathways leading to IFN-1 induction and IFN-1 signaling during viral infection remain to be elucidated., Methods: The roles of YY1 in IFN-1 production and IFN-1 signaling were investigated using immunoblotting, real-time PCR, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated YY1 knockdown, YY1 overexpression by transient transfection, and co-immunoprecipitation, using mouse cells., Results: YY1 was shown to interact with STAT1 in the absence of viral infection. Following viral infection, YY1 protein expression levels were decreased. YY1 knockdown led to a considerable downregulation of phosphorylated (p) TBK1 and pIRF3 expressions, while YY1 overexpression significantly upregulated pTBK1 and pIRF3 expression levels and promoted virus-induced IFN-β production. Additionally, YY1 knockdown led to a significant upregulation of pSTAT1, pSTAT2 and antiviral interferon-stimulated genes, and inhibited viral replication., Conclusion: We demonstrated here that YY1 interacts with STAT1 and dynamically regulates the induction of IFN-1 production and activation of IFN-1 signaling in different stages during viral infection., (© 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

This study aimed to explore the effects of miR-21 and PTEN/Akt signaling pathway on TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in gastric cancer (GC). GC tissues and adjacent tissues were collected from 83 patients. The qRT-PCR assay was performed to detect miR-21 expression. The expressions of PTEN, Akt and p-Akt were detected by immunohistochemistry. After 48 h of treatment with TGF-β1 (10 ng/mL), the SGC-7901 and KATO-III cells were divided into the blank, negative control (NC), miR-21 inhibitors, PTEN-siRNA and miR-21 inhibitors + PTEN-siRNA groups. EMT related factors and PTEN expressions were detected by qRT-PCR assay and Western blotting. The scratch test was conducted to observe cell migration. Xenograft tumor model in nude mice was used to evaluate the effects of miR-21 on EMT of GC cells in vivo. In GC tissues, the expressions of miR-21, Akt and p-Akt were up-regulated, while PTEN expression was down-regulated. Gene and protein expressions of E-cadherin and PTEN in the miR-21 inhibitors group were higher than the blank, NC, PTEN-siRNA and miR-21 inhibitors + PTEN-siRNA groups, while the expressions of N-cadherin, β-catenin, Vimentin and Slug in the miR-21 inhibitors group were lower than other groups. MiR-21 inhibitors significantly inhibit cell migration and invasion in GC cell lines. In vivo xenograft experiment revealed that miR-21 inhibitor inhibits the growth of transplanted tumor through up-regulating E-cadherin and PTEN expressions and down-regulating the expressions of N-cadherin, β-catenin, Vimentin and Slug. These results suggest that miR-21 could promote TGF-β1-induced EMT in GC cells through up-regulating PTEN expression.

To verify the hypothesis that upregulation of microRNA-31 (miR-31) targeting integrin α5 (ITGA5) suppresses tumor cell invasion and metastasis by indirectly regulating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway in human SGC7901 gastric cancer (GC) cells. The miRTarBase was used to predict whether ITGA5 is the target gene of miR-31, which was further confirmed by luciferase reporter gene assay. The SGC7901 GC cells were divided into five groups including the blank, miR-31 mimic, miR-31 mimic control, miR-31 inhibitor, and miR-31 inhibitor control groups. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting, cell scratch test, and transwell assays were respectively performed in our study. TGA5 was found as the target gene of miR-31. The RT-PCR detection revealed that, compared with the blank group, ITGA5 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression decreased in the miR-31 mimic group, but increased in the miR-31 inhibitor group. The western blotting examination suggested that the expressions of ITGA5, PI3K, and AKT proteins reduced in the miR-31 mimic group, but enhanced in the miR-31 inhibitor group when compared to the blank group, respectively. The cell scratch and transwell assays indicated that the miR-31 expressions were negatively associated with GC cell migration and invasion. Besides, RT-PCR combined with western blotting demonstrated that the miR-31 expressions were higher in the normal tissues than those in the GC tissues, while the ITGA5 mRNA and protein showed lower expression in the normal tissues than they did in the GC tissues. Our study concluded that upregulation of miR-31 targeting ITGA5 may suppress tumor cell invasion and metastasis by indirectly regulating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in human SGC7901 GC cells.

To compare the microbial compositions and diversities in soils of different forest ages and types in Baotianman forest, Henan Province, China, genomic DNA of forest soils was extracted for amplifying the 16S rRNA V4 hyper variable region by PCR and sequencing by Illumina MiSeq. The BIPES, UCHIME and QIIME were employed to analyze the soil bacterial community. It was shown that 60 phyla were identified, with Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia representing the most dominant lineages and accounting for 29%, 18.5% and 10% of all sequences, respectively. At the genus level, 1209 genera were identified, the most abundant phylotypes were DA101 (6.3%), Acidobacteria-2 (5.9%), Candidatus Solibacter (2.9%) and Candidatus Nitrososphaera (2.6%). Different forest age and type soil samples had unique compositions and specific high and rare genus. Forest type and age both impacted the soil microbial community structure, and the influence of the former was stronger than the latter. The soil microbial diversity of the 80-year-old Quercus aliena forest was the lowest among all age and type forest soil samples. Soil pH, soil nitrogen and organic carbon contents were the most important factors affecting soil bacterial community structure.

Objectives: We examined the changes in waking electroencephalography (EEG) biomarkers with modafinil during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) withdrawal in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to investigate neurophysiological evidence for potential neurocognitive improvements., Design: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study. CPAP was used for the first night and then withdrawn for 2 subsequent nights. Each morning after the 2 CPAP withdrawal nights, patients received either 200 mg modafinil or placebo. After a 5-w washout, the procedure repeated with the crossover drug., Settings: University teaching hospital., Participants: Stable CPAP users (n = 23 men with OSA)., Measurement and Results: Karolinska Drowsiness Test (KDT) (awake EEG measurement with eyes open and closed), Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), and driving simulator Performance were assessed bihourly during the 3 testing days following CPAP treatment and CPAP withdrawal nights. Compared to placebo, modafinil significantly increased awake EEG activation (faster EEG frequency) with increased alpha/delta (A/D) ratio (P < 0.0001) and fast ratio = (alpha+beta)/(delta+theta) (P < 0.0001) across the 2 days of CPAP withdrawal. The A/D ratio significantly correlated with the driving simulator response time (P = 0.015), steering variation (P = 0.002), and PVT reaction time (P = 0.006). In contrast, individual EEG band power of alpha, beta, theta, and delta did not correlate with any neurocognitive performance., Conclusions: Modafinil administration during continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) withdrawal increased awake EEG activation, which correlated to improved performance. This study provides supporting neurophysiological evidence that modafinil is a potential short-term treatment option during acute CPAP withdrawal., (© 2015 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.)

Objective: To study the phenolic constituents from Ampelopsis grossedentata., Methods: Compounds were isolated using column chromatographic techniques (silica gel, polyamide gel, Sephadex LH-20) and semi-preparative HPLC. Structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral data (NMR and HR-MS)., Results: Eight compounds were isolated and identified as ampelopsin (I), 5, 7, 3',4',5'-pentahydroxyflavanone (II), galloyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (III), gallic acid (IV), ethyl gallate (V), myricitrin (VI), (2R, 3S)-5,7,3',4',5'-pentahydroxyflavanonol (VII) and myricetin (VIII)., Conclusion: Compounds II and VII are obtained from this genus for the first time.

Background: Heterotopic cesarean scar pregnancy (HCSP) is a very rare but life-threatening entity and there is no optimal management strategy. Here we report a successfully managed case of HCSP with expectant treatment in a tertiary referral hospital., Methods: A woman with HCSP after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer opted for expectant treatment after five days of mild bleeding and ultrasound demonstrated cardiac activity disappearance of the scar pregnancy at 8(+4) weeks of gestation., Results: The patient had mild to moderate bleeding during close monitoring. Three days later, speculum examination revealed the gestational mass was partly protruding at the os of the cervix and it was removed with forceps without massive hemorrhage. A healthy male baby was delivered by cesarean section at gestational age of 36(+4) weeks., Conclusions: The expectant method might be an alternative option for a HCSP with loss of cardiac activity of the scar pregnancy, when applied under supportive management and with available emergency surgery facilities.

Objective: To explore the expression and significance of chemokine CXC receptor (CXCR) 3 and CXCR4 and their ligands (CXCL) at the early pregnancy decidua and villi., Methods: Decidual mononuclear cells were isolated from the normal decidua of 5 - 8 weeks pregnant women by lymphocyte separation medium in vitro. CD(56)(+) natural killer (NK) cells were purified by dynabeads cell sorter kit. Purity and phenotype of CD(56)(+) decidua NK cells were analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Gene expression of CXCR3 and CXCR4 in decidua NK cells and CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 in early pregnancy decidua and villi was assessed by RT-PCR. Protein expression of CXCL9, CXCL10 in normal endometrium and early pregnancy decidua was characterized and quantified by streptavidin-biotin peroxidase chain reaction (SP) immunohistochemistry and computered image analysis system. Correlations between the gray degree of CXCL9 and CXCL10 and the number of CD(56)(+)NK cells in upper tissue were analyzed by Spearman's correlation coefficient rank test., Results: The phenotype of 98.7% decidua NK cells was CD(56)(bright). The genes of CXCR3 and CXCR4 were expressed in decidua NK cells and that of CXCL9 and CXCL10 were expressed in early pregnancy decidua and CXCL12 in early pregnancy villi. CXCL9 and CXCL10 were expressed in the cytoplasm of surface epithelia, glandular epithelia and stromal cells of early pregnancy decidua and were not expressed in villi by immunohistochemistry. The gray degree of CXCL9 and CXCL10 in the secretory phase endometrium (56 +/- 43, 59 +/- 47) was stronger than that in the proliferative phase (16 +/- 18, 8 +/- 14, P < 0.05) and reached the highest (143 +/- 35, 158 +/- 29, P < 0.05) in the early pregnancy decidua. The number of CD(56)(+) NK cell in the secretory phase endometrium (60 +/- 20) was more than that in the proliferative phase endometrium (23 +/- 4, P < 0.05) and was the most in the early pregnancy decidua (114 +/- 15, P < 0.05). The gray degree of CXCL9 in upper tissue had a positive correlation with the number of CD(56)(+) cells (r = 0.88, P < 0.05) and that of CXCL10 had a similar pattern to CXCL9 (r = 0.86, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The interactions between CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL12 expressed in decidua and villi and CXCR3, CXCR4 expressed in CD(56)(+) decidua NK cells may influence the CD(56)(+)NK cell recruitment at the maternal-fetal interface.

Objective: To explore the effect of estradiol benzoate on the expressions of heat shock protein (HSP) 70, 90 in endometrial glandular epithelial cell., Methods: Normal endometrial glandular epithelial cells were isolated, and cultured by enzymolysis method and identified by electron microscopy and immunohistochemical analysis. The normal endometrial glandular epithelial cells were treated with culture medium only, estradiol benzoate (10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7) or 10(-6) mol/L), estradiol benzoate (10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7) or 10(-6) mol/L) and antiestrogen ICI 182780 (fulvestrant, faslodex, 1 micromol/L) and ICI 182780 only for 6, 12, 18, 24 hours respectively. The dose- and time-related effect of estradiol benzoate and ICI 182780 on the cell growth was measured by mononuclear cell direct cytotoxicity assay (methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay), and that on the expression of HSP70 and HSP90 in normal endometrial glandular epithelial cell in vitro was measured by immunohistochemical analysis and computerized image analysis system., Results: Estradiol benzoate stimulated cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner and the effect was attenuated by the antiestrogen ICI 182780. The average cell growth rates of 10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7), 10(-6) mol/L estradiol benzoate for 24 hours were (170 +/- 9)%, (207 +/- 11)%, (231 +/- 12)%, (257 +/- 10)%, which were significantly higher than those of 6 hours [(117 +/- 13)%, (129 +/- 10)%, (146 +/- 10)%, (176 +/- 6)%, P < 0.05] and that those estradiol + ICI 182780 for 24 hours [(137 +/- 4)%, (145 +/- 10)%, (151 +/- 9)%, (167 +/- 3)%, P < 0.05]. Estradiol benzoate treatment resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase of the expression of HSP90 and decrease of HSP70 in human endometrial glandular epithelial cell. The expression of HSP90 in 10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7), 10(-6) mol/L estradiol benzoate for 24 hours were (64.8 +/- 10.7)%, (75.9 +/- 12.6)%, (80.4 +/- 8.2)%, (83.2 +/- 7.6)%, which were significantly higher than that of the control [(28.0 +/- 3.3)%, (29.0 +/- 5.6)%, (29.0 +/- 5.0)%, (30.0 +/- 6.4)%, P < 0.05] and that of estradiol benzoate + ICI 182780 for 24 hours [(28.2 +/- 2.1)%, (29.7 +/- 3.2)%, (35.0 +/- 4.7)%, (34.7 +/- 6.5)%, P < 0.05]. The expression of HSP70 in 10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7), 10(-6) mol/L estradiol benzoate for 24 hours were (38.4 +/- 5.7)%, (35.3 +/- 4.9)%, (32.5 +/- 3.1)%, (25.3 +/- 6.2)%, which were significantly lower than that of the control. The estradiol benzoate-induced effects on HSP70 levels were not attenuated by the antiestrogen ICI 182780., Conclusions: The effects of estradiol benzoate on the cell growth and HSP90 expression are estrogen receptor-dependent and the expression of HSP90 may be beneficial to the cell growth. The effect of estradiol on the expression of HSP70 is estrogen receptor-independent and the expression of HSP70 may protect the cell from damage.

Aim: To explore the expression and significance of heat shock protein (HSP)70, 90 in endometrial carcinomas., Methods: Expresssions of HSP70 and HSP90 in 30 normal endometrium, 30 endometrial hyperplasia and 53 endometrial carcinomas were detected by Envision immunohistochemical staining and imaging pattern analyser., Results: Gray Scale value(GS) of HSP70 in endometrial carcinoma being (209.06+/-5.36) GS was obviously higher than that in normal endometrium (145.21+/-4.09)GS, P<0.01 and endometrial hyperplasia(148.59+/-4.23)GS, P<0.01. GS of HSP90 in endometrial carcinoma being (166.98+/-5.71)GS was markedly lower than that in normal endometrium (208.57+/-3.14)GS,P<0.05 and endometrial hyperplasia (249.73+/-4.94)GS, P<0.01. Expression of HSP70 increased with increased pathological grading of tumor P<0.01, whereas HSP90 expression decreased with increased pathological grading P<0.01. Expression of HSP70 in nonendometrioid carcinoma (229.90+/-3.77)GS was higher than in endometrioid carcinoma (198.37+/-3.15)GS,P<0.01 and the expression pattern of HSP90(140.21+/-3.22)was contrary to that of HSP70 (176.59+/-2.79)GS,P<0.01. There was no correlations among expression of HSP70, 90 in endometrial carcinoma and depth invaded into muscular layer, clinical stage and lymph node metastasis., Conclusion: Both HSP70 and HSP90 may have relation to the genesis and prognosis of endometrial carcinoma.

Measurements of food consumption of randomly selected families and fluorine levels in food and beverages were used to calculate the fluorine intake of Tibetan people living in nomadic or semi-nomadic areas of the region and regularly consuming brick tea both as a beverage and in food. The fluorine intake of these groups (children 5.49-7.62 mg day; adults 10.43-14.48 mg/day) was much higher than that of members of a Han population living in the region (children 1.44 mg/day; adults 2.54 mg/day). The amounts of fluorine consumed by the Tibetan inhabitants are at least twice the WHO suggested limit (2 mg/day). Tea plants are rich in fluorine, and the highest levels are found in older leaves which are used to make brick tea. We conclude that brick tea is the major source of fluorine intake by the Tibetan population studied.