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The CONSTANS-LIKE1 (COL1) gene plays an important role in the regulation of photoperiodic flowering in plants. In this study, two COL1 homolog genes, MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B, were isolated from mango (Mangifera indica L.). The open reading frames of MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B are 852 and 822 bp in length and encode 284 and 274 amino acids, respectively. The MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B proteins contain only one CCT domain and belong to the CO/COL group IV protein family. MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B were expressed both in vegetative and reproductive organs but with expression level differences. MiCOL1A was highly expressed in juvenile and adult leaves, but MiCOL1B was highly expressed in flowers. Seasonal expression analysis showed that MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B have similar expression patterns and higher expression levels during flower induction and flower organ differentiation periods. However, MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B exhibited unstable patterns in circadian expression analysis. MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B were localized in the nucleus and had transcriptional activation activity in yeast. Overexpression of MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B resulted in significantly delayed flowering time in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, we also found that overexpression of MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B enhanced drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. The results demonstrated that MiCOL1A and MiCOL1B are not only involved in flowering regulation but also play a role in the stress response of plants.

The three isomeric tetraarylethylene derivatives DPDT-o-CHO, DPDT-m-CHO and DPDT-p-CHO have been designed and synthesized, based on a 1,1-diphenyl-2,2-(2-dithiophen) ethylene (DPDT) core doubly bonded to the phenyl group with an ortho-/meta-/para-aldehyde substituent for unique aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active luminescences. They exhibited remarkable photochromic behaviors based on the UV-light induced photocyclization reaction, including fluorescence enhancement in solution and emission quenching in the solid state. Moreover, the positions of the substituent aldehyde group exert distinct influence on their molecular conformation and spatial arrangement, resulting in distinct photoresponse. Interestingly, the solid-state of meta-substituted isomer DPDT-m-CHO undergoes a fast reversible photo-switch with a high colorimetric contrast and exhibited a rewritable process on filter paper, which highlight the advantage of these AIE-active photochromic molecules in various practical applications. In addition, owing to the reaction of the aldehyde group with hydrogen sulfite (HSO3−) to generate ionic adducts triggering the disaggregation process, the three AIE-active luminogens were capable of exhibiting a “turn-off” fluorescence response to hydrogen sulfite in high water content. Our work provides a general method to design aldehyde group functionalized regioisomeric AIE luminogens with photochromic features by the controllable UV-light induced photocyclization reaction and fluorescence quenching by reverse chemical reaction-based disaggregation, indicating the prospective applications of these luminogens in information security and specific fluorescence sensing.

FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) is a key integrator of environmental signals and internal cues and plays a central role in the photoperiod response mechanism in Arabidopsis. However, the function of FTs in Mangifera indica L. is unknown. In this study, we identified three MiFTs genes from mango and characterized their role in flowering regulation. The open reading frames of MiFT1, MiFT2, and MiFT3 are 540, 516, and 588 bp in length and encode 180, 172, and 196 amino acids, respectively; the genes belong to the PEBP family. MiFTs share the conserved exon/intron structure of FTs. The nucleotide sequence of MiFT1 is 90% identical to that of MiFT2 and 82% identical to that of MiFT3; MiFT2 and MiFT3 share 81% homology with each other. According to expression analysis, MiFTs were detected at different expression levels in all tested tissues. The expression levels of the three MiFTs were significantly different in leaves during flower development, and MiFT1 expression increased sharply in leaves and was significantly higher than that of the other two MiFTs during flower bud development. All three MiFTs showed daily cycles. Ectopic expression of the three MiFTs in transgenic Arabidopsis resulted in an earlier flowering genotype under long-day conditions, and MiFT1 had the strongest effect in promoting flowering. Additionally, overexpression of three MiFTs in Arabidopsis upregulated the expression levels of several flowering-related genes. Our results suggest that the three MiFTs have positive roles in promoting flowering and suggest that MiFT1 may acts as a key regulator in the flowering pathway.

CONSTANS (CO)/CONSTANS-like (COL) genes play an important role in the photoperiodic flowering pathway. However, the functional roles of the CO/COL genes in mango (Mangifera indica L.) remain unknown. In this study, the MiCO gene was isolated from mango and functionally characterized. The open reading frame is 966 bp in length and encodes 322 amino acids; the protein contains two conserved B-box zinc finger domains and a CCT domain and thus belongs to the CO/COL group I protein family. The MiCO protein fused to green fluorescent protein localized to the nucleus. MiCO was expressed in all tested organs and was highly expressed especially in the leaves and stems of nonflowering branches, but its expression decreased in flowering branches. The expression level of MiCO significantly increased during the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. MiCO was also expressed in accordance with the circadian rhythm, with the greatest expression level detected at 09:00. Overexpression of MiCO in Arabidopsis significantly delayed flowering under both long-day and short-day conditions. In this study, a MiCO gene from mango was characterized. Overexpression of MiCO delayed flowering in transgenic Arabidopsis. The MiCO gene may play an important role in the flowering process of mango.

Alcoholic liver injury (ALI) is a part of alcohol-related liver diseases. These diseases include steatohepatitis, alcoholic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Accumulating data indicates that alcohol metabolism and circulating endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) contribute to macrophage activation, which leads to the development of ALI. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has been shown to be involved in many tissue inflammations as well as liver fibrosis; however, the role of PTP1B in ALI is still unclear. In this study, PTP1B expression was elevated in liver tissues and primary macrophages isolated from EtOH-fed mice. Moreover, PTP1B expression was elevated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with alcohol and LPS. Additional studies showed that silencing of PTP1B reduced the inflammatory response and expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, while overexpression of PTP1B induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells. In addition, we found that NF-κB pathway was activated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with alcohol and LPS, and PTP1B silencing or overexpression could regulate NF-κB signaling. In conclusion, this study revealed the function of PTP1B in ALI via its regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and may provide theoretical support for further research on ALI.

The CO/COL gene family plays an important role in regulating photoperiod-dependent flowering time in plants. In this study, two COL2 gene homologs, MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B, were isolated from 'SiJiMi' mango, and their expression patterns and functions were characterized. The MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B genes both belonged to the group Ⅰ of CO/COL gene family. MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B exhibited distinct circadian rhythms and were highly expressed in leaves during the flowering induction period. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B are localized in the nucleus. The overexpression of MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B significantly delayed flowering time in Arabidopsis under both long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions. The MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B overexpression Arabidopsis plants exhibited more tolerance to slat and drought stress after abiotic stress treatments, with greater ROS scavenging capacity and protective enzyme activity, less cell damage and death and higher expression of stress response genes than wild type plants. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analysis showed that MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B interacted with several stress-related proteins, including zinc finger protein 4 (MiZFP4), MYB30-INTERACTING E3 LIGASE 1 (MiMIEL1) and RING zinc finger protein 34 (MiRZFP34). The results indicate that MiCOL2A and MiCOL2B are not only involved in flowering time but also play a positive role in abiotic stress responses in plants.

Uncontrolled inflammation causes health problems. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) at Ser727, resulting in inflammation. The leaf of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) is a medicinal herb for managing inflammation-associated diseases. Oral administration or topical application of VA leaf extract exerts anti-inflammatory effects in rat models. However, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the herb are not fully understood.In this study, we aimed to investigate the involvement of ERK/STAT3 (Ser727) signaling in the anti-inflammatory effects of an ethanolic extract of VA leaves.Extracts of VA leaves were prepared with different concentrations of ethanol. A LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cell model was used for in vitro assays, and a TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate)-induced ear edema mouse model was employed for in vivo assays. The 95% ethanol extract of VA leaves (VAE) exerted the strongest inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated macrophages; thus it was selected for use in this study. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to examine pathological conditions of mouse ear tissues. Griess reagent was employed to examine NO generation in cell cultures. Immunoblotting and ELISA were used to examine protein levels, and RT-qPCR was employed to examine mRNA levels.Topical application of VAE ameliorated mouse ear edema induced by TPA. VAE suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK (Thr202/Tyr204) and STAT3 (Ser727); and decreased protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the mouse ear tissues and in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. VAE also inhibited NO production, and lowered mRNA levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in the macrophages.VAE ameliorates TPA-induced mouse ear edema. Suppression of ERK/STAT3 (Ser727) signaling is involved in VAE's anti-inflammatory effects. These novel data provide further pharmacological justifications for the medicinal use of VA in treating inflammation-associated diseases, and lay the groundwork for developing VAE into a new anti-inflammatory agent.

APETALA1 (AP1), CAULIFLOWER (CAL) and FRUITFULL (FUL) were homologous genes with redundant functions in the process of flower transformation and floral development in Arabidopsis. Two CALs genes, MiCAL1 and MiCAL2, were cloned from mango (Mangifera indica L.). Their full-length sequences contained 717 bp and 714 bp, encoding 239 and 238 amino acids, respectively. Both the MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 proteins contained typical MADS-box and K-box domains and therefore belonged to the CAL-like protein family. MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 were expressed in all tissues at the inflorescence elongation stage and flowering stage, with the highest expression in the leaves at the flowering stage. They had similar expression patterns during flower development, with the highest expression levels in leaves during flower differentiation and the lowest expression levels during fruit development. Overexpression of MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 resulted in significantly earlier flowering in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of MiCAL1 resulted in terminal flowers with normal flower organs, while overexpression of MiCAL2 induced partially variation in floral organs but had no effect on inflorescences. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) experiments showed that MiCAL1 and MiCAL2 can interact with several flower-related proteins as well as stress response proteins, such as SEP1, SVP1, SVP2, SOC1G and Di19-4. These results suggest that these two MiCALs genes may have an important influence on mango flowering.

Background TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) belongs to the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family, which is involved in inflorescence meristem development and represses flowering in several plant species. In the present study, four TFL1 genes were cloned from the mango (Mangifera indica L.) variety ‘SiJiMi’ and named MiTFL1-1, MiTFL1-2, MiTFL1-3 and MiTFL1-4. Results Sequence analysis showed that the encoded MiTFL1 proteins contained a conserved PEBP domain and belonged to the TFL1 group. Expression analysis showed that the MiTFL1 genes were expressed in not only vegetative organs but also reproductive organs and that the expression levels were related to floral development. Overexpression of the four MiTFL1 genes delayed flowering in transgenic Arabidopsis. Additionally, MiTFL1-1 and MiTFL1-3 changed the flower morphology in some transgenic plants. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) analysis showed that several stress-related proteins interacted with MiTFL1 proteins. Conclusions The four MiTFL1 genes exhibited a similar expression pattern, and overexpression in Arabidopsis resulted in delayed flowering. Additionally, MiTFL1-1 and MiTFL1-3 overexpression affected floral organ development. Furthermore, the MiTFL1 proteins could interact with bHLH and 14-3-3 proteins. These results indicate that the MiTFL1 genes may play an important role in the flowering process in mango.

The SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) gene is a transcription factor that integrates flowering signals and plays an important role in the regulation of flowering time in many plants. In this study, two full-length cDNA sequences of SVP homologous genes—MiSVP1 and MiSVP2—were obtained from ‘SiJiMi’ mango. Sequence analysis showed that the MiSVPs had typical MADS-box domains and were highly conserved between each other. The analysis of expression patterns showed that the MiSVPs were expressed during flower development and highly expressed in vegetative tissues, with low expression in flowers/buds. The MiSVPs could responded to low temperature, NaCl, and PEG treatment. Subcellular localization revealed that MiSVP1 and MiSVP2 were localized in the nucleus. Transformation of Arabidopsis revealed that overexpression of MiSVP1 delayed flowering time, overexpression of MiSVP2 accelerated flowering time, and neither MiSVP1 nor MiSVP2 had an effect on the number of rosette leaves. Overexpression of MiSVP1 increased the expression of AtFLC and decreased the expression of AtFT and AtSOC1, and overexpression of MiSVP2 increased the expression levels of AtSOC1 and AtFT and decreased the expression levels of AtFLC. Point-to-point and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays showed that MiSVP1 and MiSVP2 could interact with SEP1-1, SOC1D, and AP1-2. These results suggest that MiSVP1 and MiSVP2 may play a significant roles in the flowering process of mango.

Seedling germplasm resources are important for mango breeding. Genetic diversity analyses based on molecular data can provide useful information for germplasm management and varietal characterization. Start codon targeted (SCoT) markers are efficient and highly polymorphic markers for phylogenetic relationship analyses of multiple species and were used in the present study to determine genetic relatedness and variability among 168 mango (Mangifera indica L.) germplasm resources. Forty-five SCoT primers generated unambiguous and reproducible bands and a total of 337 fragments, with a mean of 7.49 fragments per primer. Of these, 244 (72.4%) were polymorphic. The number of polymorphic bands varied from 1 (SCoT55) to 10 (SCoT4 and 52), with an average of 5.42 amplicons per primer. The average polymorphism information content, Nei’s genetic diversity, Shannon’s information index and marker index were 0.823, 0.426, 0.603 and 4.460, respectively. A dendrogram generated using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean delineated the 168 germplasm resources into two major clusters. Analysis of molecular variance revealed higher genetic diversity (89%) within each population than among the populations (11%). Most mango seedling germplasm resources grouped with their potential parents, and genetic differences were also detected. Thirty-four seedling germplasm resources were identified as potential parents or sister lines. These results demonstrate that SCoT markers are useful for cultivar identification and genetic diversity analyses of mango cultivars. This genetic information will support germplasm management and cultivar improvement.

In this paper, the weak (1,1) boundedness of oscillatory singular integral with variable phase P(x)γ(y) for any x, y ∈ ℝ, $$Tf(x)\;:=\;{\rm{p}}.\>{\rm{v}}.\>\int_{- \infty}^\infty {{{\rm{e}}^{{\rm{i}}P(x)\gamma (y)}}f(x\;-\;y)\frac{dy}{y}}$$ is studied, where P is a real monic polynomial on ℝ.

Histone acetyltransferases are responsible for histone acetylation, while histone deacetylases (HDACs) counteract histone acetylation. An unbalanced dynamic between histone acetylation and deacetylation may lead to aberrant chromatin landscape and chromosomal function. HDAC2, a member of class I HDAC family, serves a crucial role in the modulation of cell signaling, immune response and gene expression. HDAC2 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for liver disease by regulating gene transcription, chromatin remodeling, signal transduction and nuclear reprogramming, thus receiving attention from researchers and clinicians. The present review introduces biological information of HDAC2 and its physiological and biochemical functions. Secondly, the functional roles of HDAC2 in liver disease are discussed in terms of hepatocyte apoptosis and proliferation, liver regeneration, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver fibrosis and non‑alcoholic steatohepatitis. Moreover, abnormal expression of HDAC2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of liver disease, and its expression levels and pharmacological activity may represent potential biomarkers of liver disease. Finally, research on selective HDAC2 inhibitors and non‑coding RNAs relevant to HDAC2 expression in liver disease is also reviewed. The aim of the present review was to improve understanding of the multifunctional role and potential regulatory mechanism of HDAC2 in liver disease.

Background: TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) belongs to the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PEBP) family, which is involved in inflorescence meristem development and represses flowering in several plant species. In the present study, four TFL1 genes were cloned from the mango (Mangifera indica L.) variety ‘SiJiMi’ and named MiTFL1-1, MiTFL1-2, MiTFL1-3 and MiTFL1-4.Results: A sequence analysis showed that the encoded MiTFL1 proteins contained a conserved PEBP domain and belonged to the TFL1 group. The expression of the MiTFL1 genes was examined in several tissues, including juvenile leaves, mature leaves, mature stems, and flowers. The highest MiTFL1 expression level was detected in mature stems followed by juvenile leaves but was lower in mature leaves and flowers during the flowering period. Further expression studies showed that MiTFL1s were highly expressed in leaves during the floral induction and differentiation periods. Overexpression of the four MiTFL1 genes delayed the flowering time in transgenic Arabidopsis. The results also showed that MiTFL1-1 and MiTFL1-3 could change the flower morphology in some transgenic plants. Yeast two-hybrid analysis showed that several stress-related proteins can interact with MiTFL1s.Conclusions: Four MiTFL1 genes exhibit a similar expression pattern, and overexpressed in Arabidopsis resulted in delayed flowering. In addition, MiTFL1-1 and MiTFL1-3 overexpression affected floral organ development. MiTFL1s can interact with bHLH and 14-3-3 proteins. These results indicate that MiTFL1s might play an important role in the flowering process in mango.

To examine the suitability of为明确桃蚜、萝卜蚜、胡萝卜微管蚜、瓜蚜对异色瓢虫种群扩繁的适宜性,在实验室条件下,以4种蚜为食料构建异色瓢虫两性生命表,研究不同蚜虫对异色瓢虫生长发育和繁殖的影响。结果表明: 取食不同蚜虫,异色瓢虫未成熟期由长到短依次为萝卜蚜(18.18 d)、瓜蚜(17.48 d)、胡萝卜微管蚜(16.23 d)、桃蚜(15.77 d);成虫前期存活率由高到低依次为胡萝卜微管蚜(88.3%)、桃蚜(86.7%)、萝卜蚜(55.0%)、瓜蚜(55.0%);成虫繁殖力由高到低依次为胡萝卜微管蚜(1750.5粒)、桃蚜(1441.5粒)、瓜蚜(1006.3粒)、萝卜蚜(965.2粒);成虫寿命由长到短依次为胡萝卜微管蚜(78.8 d)、桃蚜(63.1 d)、瓜蚜(54.3 d)、萝卜蚜(48.4 d);异色瓢虫种群内禀增长率

SUMOylation and deSUMOylation, a dynamic process, is proved to be involved in various fibrotic diseases. Here, we found SENP2, one of deSUMOylation protease family member, was decreased in CCl4-induced mice fibrotic liver tissues, primary HSCs and restored after spontaneously recovery. In addition, HSC-T6 cells with TGF-β1 treatment resulted in a significant reduction of SENP2. Ectopic expression of SENP2 hindered cells activation and proliferation induced by TGF-β1 while knockdown of SENP2 showed an opposite effect. Importantly, SENP2 promoted apoptosis of HSC-T6 cells activated by TGF-β1. Furthermore, restoration of SENP2 was observed in inactivated HSCs after adipogenic differentiation mixture (MDI) treatment. Inadequate SENP2 inhibited the reversion of HSC-T6 cells, featured as aberrant expressions of α-SMA and col1a1, two markers of liver fibrosis. It has been reported SENP2 was a suppressant regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway. Similarly, we found SENP2 has a negative effect on β-catenin as well as its downstream genes C-myc and CyclinD1 in liver fibrosis. Collectively, our data indicated SENP2 may be involved in HSCs apoptosis and reversion in liver fibrosis.

Phosphopeptide enrichment is essential for the phosphoprotein profiling, due to the low abundance in complex biological samples. Moreover, selective binding of multi-phosphopeptides over mono-phosphopeptides is rarely established, but strongly needed in real sample analysis, especially for the investigation of cell behaviors with the multisite phosphorylation cascades. Here two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets were synthesized of Egyptian blue (CaCuSi4 O10 ), the well-known ancient pigment, and its analogues (SrCuSi4 O10 and BaCuSi4 O10 ), which were employed in the enrichment of phosphopeptides for the first time. Surprisingly, the 2D CaCuSi4 O10 nanosheet was highly selective towards multi-phosphopeptides without enriching the mono-phosphorylated peptides in a wide range of acidic conditions or buffer compositions. Meanwhile, the SrCuSi4 O10 and BaCuSi4 O10 nanosheet analogues do not exhibit this unique selectivity. Moreover, the ultrathin and well-defined 2D morphology, with abundant CaII , of Egyptian blue nanosheet was applied in cortical samples of forebrain specific PDK1 conditional knockout mice and their age-matched littermate controls, that are associated with Alzheimer's disease. The as-prepared 2D CaCuSi4 O10 nanosheet not only showed specific selectivity, but also exhibited high sensitivity (detection limit of 4×10-7 m).

Radar target false alarm detection principle under the Sea clutter environments is discussed first. In this paper, we analyze the performance of the CFAR(Constant False Alarm Rate) on adaptive threshold, the CA-CFAR(Cell Averaging-Constant False Alarm Rate) and OS-CFAR(Order Statistic-Constant False Alarm Rate) in Rayleigh clutter assumption background. We put forward an improved MOSCA-CFAR(Mean of OS and CA-CFAR) algorithm. The performances of these detectors are compared with Matlab simulation, and the results show that MOSCA-CFAR detector in the presence of interfering targets performs better especially with the anti-interference ability and false alarm control capability. This paper designs an Ordered Statistical Constant False Alarm Rate processor with the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) tools.

Liver fibrosis, resulting from chronic and persistent injury to the liver, is a worldwide health problem. Advanced liver fibrosis results in cirrhosis, liver failure and even hepatocellular cancer (HCC), often eventually requiring liver transplantation, poses a huge health burden on the global community. However, the specific pathogenesis of liver fibrosis remains not fully understood. Numerous basic and clinical studies have provided evidence that epigenetic modifications, especially DNA methylation, might contribute to the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the pivotal cell type responsible for the fibrous scar in liver. Here, reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) and bisulfite pyrosequencing PCR (BSP) analysis identified hypermethylation status of Septin9 (Sept9) gene in liver fibrogenesis. Sept9 protein was dramatically decreased in livers of CCl4-treated mice and immortalized HSC-T6 cells exposed to TGF-β1. Nevertheless, the suppression of Sept9 could be blocked by DNMT3a-siRNA and DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadC). Overexpressed Sept9 attenuated TGF-β1-induced expression of myofibroblast markers α-SMA and Col1a1, accompanied by up-regulation of cell apoptosis-related proteins. Conversely, RNAi-mediated silencing of Sept9 enhanced accumulation of extracellular matrix. These observations suggested that Sept9 contributed to alleviate liver fibrosis might partially through promoting activated HSCs apoptosis and this anti-fibrogenesis effect might be blocked by DNMT-3a mediated methylation of Sept9. Therefore, pharmacological agents that inhibit Sept9 methylation and increase its expression could be considered as valuable treatments for liver fibrosis.

Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a significant downstream protein in the Hippo signaling pathway with important functions in cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration. YAP also plays a role in the progression and development of various liver diseases. In hepatic fibrosis development and reversion, the proliferation and apoptosis of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a critical role. However, the contribution of YAP to hepatic fibrosis progression and reversion and the underlying mechanism have not been investigated. Here we investigated the expression and function of YAP in the proliferation and apoptosis of activated HSCs. We found that YAP expression was increased in liver fibrosis tissues from CCl4-induced model mice and restored to normal level after stopping CCl4 injection and 6 weeks of spontaneously recovery. YAP expression was elevated in HSC-T6 cells treated with TGF-β1 and recovered after MDI treatment. Silencing of YAP inhibited the activation and proliferation of HSC-T6 cells stimulated by TGF-β1. In addition, the apoptosis of activated HSC-T6 cells silenced for YAP was slightly enhanced. Furthermore, over-expression of YAP repressed the reversion of activated HSC-T6 cells mediated by MDI reversal. We found that HSC-T6 cells activated by TGF-β1 showed higher levels of nuclear YAP compared with MDI-treated cells, indicating that YAP was activated in HSC-T6 cells treated by TGF-β1. We also found that loss of YAP attenuated Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity in activated HSC-T6 cells. Treatment of VP, an inhibitor of the YAP-TEAD complex, reduced both activation and proliferation of HSC-T6 cells and increased apoptosis. Together these results indicated that reduced expression of YAP contributes to acquisition of the quiescent phenotype in HSCs. Our results suggest that YAP may be a useful target in HSCs activation and reversion.

SUMOylation and deSUMOylation, a dynamic process, is proved to be involved in various fibrotic diseases. Here, we found SENP2, one of deSUMOylation protease family member, was decreased in CCl

Electroacupuncture has therapeutic effects on ischemic brain injury, but its mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study, mice were stimulated by electroacupuncture at the Baihui (GV20) acupoint for 30 minutes at 1 mA and 2/15 Hz for 5 consecutive days. A cerebral ischemia model was established by ligating the bilateral common carotid artery for 15 minutes. At 72 hours after injury, neuronal injury in the mouse hippocampus had lessened, and the number of terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells reduced after electroacupuncture treatment. Moreover, expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) and phosphorylated AMPKα was up-regulated. Intraperitoneal injection of the AMPK antagonist, compound C, suppressed this phenomenon. Our findings suggest that electroacupuncture preconditioning alleviates ischemic brain injury via AMPK activation.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease and the pathogenesis remains unclear. Previous studies suggested that fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) play an important role in RA pathogenesis, including the injury of cartilage, the hyperplasia of the synovium and the release of inflammatory cytokines. We used complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) induced rats as animal models for studying the RA pathogenesis. NLRC5 as the largest member of the NLR family has been reported to play a critical role in regulating immune responses. Increasing evidence suggests that NLRC5 is an pivotal negative modulator of inflammatory pathways. We investigated the mechanisms and signaling pathways of NLRC5 in RA progression. Significantly increased expression of NLRC5 was found in AA rats synovial tissues and cells. And high expression of inflammatory cytokine and cell proliferation of FLSs accompanied with NLRC5 overexpression, but inhibited in cells with NLRC5 silencing treatment. Interestingly, we found that overexpression of NLRC5 also coordinated the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. These results suggested that NLRC5 promotes RA progression via the NF-κB signaling pathway potentially.

APETALA1 (AP1) encodes a key MADS-box transcription factor that plays a crucial role in the floral transition and floral organ development. Here we describe two AP1 homologues gene MiAP1-1 and MiAP1-2 from mango (Mangifera indica L.). The full-length MiAP1-1 and MiAP1-2 were 960 bp and 906 bp, respectively, including 741 bp and 744 bp open reading frame encoding 247 and 248 amino acids, respectively. MiAP1-1 and MiAP1-2 exhibited high expression levels in floral organs and low transcript levels in vegetative organs. MiAP1-1 was more highly expressed in leaves during the floral transition stage, while MiAP1-2 was more highly expressed in leaves during the floral transition stage, floral differentiation stage and inflorescence elongation stage. Overexpression of MiAP1-1 and MiAP1-2 in Arabidopsis resulted in significant early flowering, meanwhile MiAP1-2 in transgenic tobacco also promote early flowering. Ectopic expression of MiAP1-1 and MiAP1-2 causes different flower phenotypes. MiAP1-1 caused the side branch flower organs mutate, while MiAP1-2 produced terminal flowers in the main stem shoots and also in the side branch. Several floral integrator genes were upregulated in the overexpression transgenic plant lines. These observations indicated that the two MiAP1 homologue genes in mango functions in the floral transition and floral organ development.

In this paper, we will select and use stepper motor which is comparatively important and widely used in ships for the study. Through the study, we can propose a method that we can use the synchronous repeater compass for the high-precision digital conversion, and then statistics will be put into SCM AT89C52 with the simple handling of circuit conversion, thus, we can take a series of processes, such as data processing, initial value setting, directional displaying and serial port outputting. Foremost, the precision of this converting circuit can reach 0.1°that can ensure the numbers continuously change behind the decimal point one digit. So it is not only inexpensive, but also flexible and convenient in use.

This paper presented an automatic gain control (AGC) circuit suitable for FM/cw ladar. The proposed architecture was based on two-stage variable gain amplifier (VGA) chain with a novel DC offset canceller circuit, which contained an improved Gilbert cell and a Gm-C feedback loop. To keep the VGA with a linearity in dB characteristic, an improved exponential gain control circuit was introduced. The AGC was implemented in 0.18 μm standard CMOS process. Simulation and measurement results verified that its gain ranged from −20 dB to 30 dB, and bandwidth ranged from 100 kHz to 10 MHz. Its power consumption was 19.8 mW under a voltage supply of 3.3 V.

The technical and economic feasibility of high strength low alloy structural steel is analyzed used in highway semi-rigid guardrail. In principle of improving safety performance and reducing cost, a kind of high strength low alloy structural steel guardrail is designed. Through the finite element simulation method, the safety performance of this guardrail structure is validated to satisfy the grade-A conditions (160kJ kinetic energy). Compared with the guardrail of same protection level made of ordinary carbon structural steel, high strength low alloy structural steel guardrail can reduce the probability of penetrating when the accident vehicle impact the guardrail and decrease the accident damage, the steel consumption is above 20% lower and the construction cost can be saved as well, thus, remarkable economic and social benefits can be obtained.

In practical applications, the DSSS signal has very low power spectral density, and its application range is very wide, so in the non cooperative communication, if on the premise that the spread spectrum sequence is unaware, how to detect and estimate the existence of DSSS signal is very important, this has very strong application background. This paper introduces the time domain correlation detection method of DSSS signal, through the simulation can validate that this way can detect the existence of signal; it lays the theoretical foundation for practical application.

Proline-serine-threonine-phosphatase-interacting protein 2 (PSTPIP2) is related to inflammation. In this study, we investigated the function of PSTPIP2 in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) by using adeno-associated virus (AAV) to overexpress PSTPIP2 in rat. AIA rats were developed by injecting Lewis rats with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) on day 0. AAV-empty or AAV-PSTPIP2, or PBS was administered intraarticularly into each knee joint on day 8 postinduction. All animals were killed at day 18 after adjuvant injection. WB was used to detect the expression of PSTPIP2 in rat synovial tissues. Fluorescence microscopy showed the transduction efficiency in synovial tissue. The morphology of arthritic joints was examined by HE, safranin O/fast green, or Toluidine blue staining. The bone destruction was examined via X-ray and micro-CT analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis or TRAP staining were used to investigate the role of PSTPIP2 in osteoclasts and the expression of PSTPIP2 in synovial tissue. RT-qPCR and ELISA were used to examine the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in synovial tissue or serum. AIA rats were found to have decreased PSTPIP2 expression and AIA-associated bone loss and inflammatory infiltration. We showed that administration of AAV-PSTPIP2 before arthritis onset significantly reduces the severity of AIA. PSTPIP2 was highly expressed in synovial cells. In addition, inflammatory responses and the number of osteoclasts were reduced with AAV-PSTPIP2 treatment. These findings demonstrate that PSTPIP2 may improve the severity of AIA by inhibiting the function of fibroblast-like synoviocytes, suppressing inflammation and reducing the number of osteoclasts.

Purpose Cigarette smoking causes many kinds of cancer, and it is more closely related with lung cancer, rather than other cancers. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer and ninety percent of the smokers are male in China, but there is little published data concerning the psychological responses in the male smokers with lung cancer and its influence on the symptom burden. The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis that male smokers with lung cancer have more positive attitude and less symptom burden, comparing to male non-smokers. Methods A total of 194 men with cancer in West China Hospital, Sichuan, China, were assessed by self-administered questionnaire. Psychological response was measured by the Chinese version of Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale (Mini-MAC), and symptom burden was measured by the physical symptom distress scale from the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL). Results We found that smokers with lung cancer got higher scores in positive attitude and a smaller symptom burden than non-smokers. Patients with education lower than high school got higher scores of positive attitude compared to college graduate patients (p=0.038). Smokers with lung cancer who knew the potential carcinogenicity of cigarette showed less negative emotions (p=0.011). The psychological response was not affected by age, clinical stage, cell type, smoking duration and amount. Conclusions Male smokers with lung cancer have a more positive attitude and fewer symptoms, comparing to male non-smokers. Appropriate psychological intervention for non-smokers with lung cancer deserves more attention.

SummaryAbscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) proteins are low molecular weight plant-specific proteins that play important roles in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, including drought, cold, salinity, wounding, and pathogen attack. In addition, they function in plant development and in fruit ripening, and have a regulatory role in the cross-talk between primary carbon metabolism and hormone signalling. In a previous study, an ASR gene fragment was obtained from stress-induced leaves and stems of Mangifera indica L. using the cDNA–Start Codon Targeted marker (SCoT) technique. Using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), we have obtained the full-length cDNA sequence of the mango ASR gene, named MiASR. MiASR contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 516 nucleotides, encoding a predicted protein of 172 amino acid residues. Sequence analysis showed that MiASR displayed similarity to all previously characterised ASR gene sequences and its product shared the major characteristics of...

The frequency hopping (FH) communication is one of the anti-interference effective means in military wireless communication, the FH number and FH rate of FH radio are the main parameters that determines the performance of the FH radio, these parameters are determined by the structure and the index of the frequency synthesizer, therefore the performance of the FH radio depends very much on the frequency synthesizer, this paper introduces the basic principle of FH radio, the basic methods of frequency synthesizer in the radio, the design scheme frequency synthesizer, and the DDS CMOS chip and the PLL CMOS chip that those used in scheme.