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Hao JF, Chen P, Li HY, Li YJ, Zhang YL. Cancer Manag Res. 2020;12:13347–13356 The Editor and Publisher of Cancer Management and Research are retracting the published article. An investigation found images from Figure 5 had been duplicated. Specifically, The image for Figure 5C, 769-P, miR-214-3p-mimics+pcDNA3.1-HCP5 has been duplicated with the same image for Figure 5C, 769-P, miR-214-3p-inhibit+si-HCP5#1. The authors cooperated with the investigation and provided data associated with the reported study. However, despite the authors’ assistance, a satisfactory explanation for how the images came to be duplicated could not be provided, and the validity of the published work could not be verified. The decision was made to retract the article and the authors agree with this. We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.

Jun-Feng Hao,1,* Pei Chen,2,* He-Yi Li,3 Ya-Jing Li,1 Yu-Ling Zhang2 1Department of Nephrology and Blood Purification Center, Jin Qiu Hospital of Liaoning Province (Geriatric Hospital of Liaoning Province), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai’an, Jiangsu Province 223000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Jin Qiu Hospital of Liaoning Province (Geriatric Hospital of Liaoning Province), Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yu-Ling Zhang Tel +86-15162920912Email yulingzhang2009@163.comBackground: Recent researches have shown that long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) is often disordered and acts in many carcinomas. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the main reason for carcinoma-related deaths, which are mainly caused by the metastasis. HCP5 is a newly discovered LcnRNA. Early studies have found that HCP5 acts in neoplasm metastasis, but the mechanism of HCP5 in ccRCC is still unclear.Methods: The expression of HCP5 in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The biological effect of LncRNAs in proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis of RCC cells was explored by gain-of-function and loss-of-function tests. The molecular mechanism of LncRNAs was explored by RNA immunoprecipitation and Western blot.Results: qRT-PCR revealed that HCP5 was enhanced in neoplasm tissues of ccRCC patients and correlated with the metastatic characteristics of RCC. Over-expression of HCP5 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of renal carcinoma cells. The deletion of HCP5 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of RCC in vitro and the metastasis of RCC in vivo. Mechanically, HCP5 inhibited the growth and metastasis of ccRCC cells by regulating miR-214-3p/MAPK1 axis.Conclusion: HCP5, as a key LncRNA, can promote ccRCC metastasis by regulating miR-214-3p/MAPK1 axis and may be a biomarker and be helpful for judging the prognosis of ccRCC.Keywords: HCP5, miR-214-3p, MAPK1, clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Jifu Hao1, Xinsheng Fang2, Yanfang Zhou3, Jianzhu Wang1, Fengguang Guo1, Fei Li1, Xinsheng Peng31College of Pharmacy, Taishan Medical University, Taian, PR China; 2Agronomy Department of Shandong Agriculture University, Taian, PR China; 3School of pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan, PR ChinaAbstract: The purpose of the present study was to optimize a solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) of chloramphenicol by investigating the relationship between design factors and experimental data using response surface methodology. A Box-Behnken design was constructed using solid lipid (X1), surfactant (X2), and drug/lipid ratio (X3) level as independent factors. SLN was successfully prepared by a modified method of melt-emulsion ultrasonication and low temperature-solidification technique using glyceryl monostearate as the solid lipid, and poloxamer 188 as the surfactant. The dependent variables were entrapment efficiency (EE), drug loading (DL), and turbidity. Properties of SLN such as the morphology, particle size, zeta potential, EE, DL, and drug release behavior were investigated, respectively. As a result, the nanoparticle designed showed nearly spherical particles with a mean particle size of 248 nm. The polydispersity index of particle size was 0.277 ± 0.058 and zeta potential was -8.74 mV. The EE (%) and DL (%) could reach up to 83.29% ± 1.23% and 10.11% ± 2.02%, respectively. In vitro release studies showed a burst release at the initial stage followed by a prolonged release of chloramphenicol from SLN up to 48 hours. The release kinetics of the optimized formulation best fitted the Peppas–Korsmeyer model. These results indicated that the chloramphenicol-loaded SLN could potentially be exploited as a delivery system with improved drug entrapment efficiency and controlled drug release.Keywords: chloramphenicol, solid lipid nanoparticle, Box-Behnken design, melt-emulsion ultrasonication and low temperature-solidification technique

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risk of stroke and mortality. It has been reported that the process of atrial fibrosis was regulated by β-catenin in rats with AF. However, pathophysiological mechanisms of this process in human with AF remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the possible mechanisms of β-catenin in participating in the atrial fibrosis using human right atrial appendage (hRAA) tissues ., Methods: We compared the difference of β-catenin expression in hRAA tissues between the patients with AF and sinus rhythm (SR). The possible function of β-catenin in the development of AF was also explored in mice and primary cells., Results: Firstly, the space between the membrane of the gap junctions of cardiomyocytes was wider in the AF group. Secondly, the expression of the gap junction function related proteins, Connexin40 and Connexin43, was decreased, while the expression of β-catenin and its binding partner E-cadherin was increased in hRAA and cardiomyocytes of the AF group. Thirdly, β-catenin colocalized with E-cadherin on the plasma membrane of cardiomyocytes in the SR group, while they were dissociated and accumulated intracellularly in the AF group. Furthermore, the expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) and Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC), which participated in the degradation of β-catenin, was decreased in hRAA tissues and cardiomyocytes of the AF group. Finally, the development of atrial fibrosis and AF were proved to be prevented after inhibiting β-catenin expression in the AF model mice., Conclusions: Based on human atrial pathological and molecular analyses, our findings provided evidence that β-catenin was associated with atrial fibrosis and AF progression., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The photosystem of filamentous anoxygenic phototroph Roseiflexus ( Rfl .) castenholzii comprises a light-harvesting (LH) complex encircling a reaction center (RC), which intensely absorbs blue-green light by carotenoid (Car) and near-infrared light by bacteriochlorophyll (BChl). To explore the influence of light quality (color) on the photosynthetic activity, we compared the pigment compositions and triplet excitation dynamics of the LH-RCs from Rfl . castenholzii was adapted to blue-green light ( bg -LH-RC) and to near-infrared light ( nir -LH-RC). Both LH-RCs bind γ-carotene derivatives; however, compared to that of nir -LH-RC (12%), bg -LH-RC contains substantially higher keto-γ-carotene content (43%) and shows considerably faster BChl-to-Car triplet excitation transfer (10.9 ns vs 15.0 ns). For bg -LH-RC, but not nir -LH-RC, selective photoexcitation of Car and the 800 nm-absorbing BChl led to Car-to-Car triplet transfer and BChl-Car singlet fission reactions, respectively. The unique excitation dynamics of bg -LH-RC enhances its photoprotection, which is crucial for the survival of aquatic anoxygenic phototrophs from photooxidative stress.

Histone demethylase (HDM) play crucial roles in regulating plant growth and environmental adaptation. In this study, the HDM gene family in melon was identified by bioinformatics methods and the expression patterns of the CmHDM family members in different melon tissues were analyzed using transcriptome data. The results showed that 20 CmHDM genes were identified in the melon genome, which were unevenly distributed across each chromosome. These members fall into two major categories: LSD1 and JmjC. The JmjC group could be further divided into five subgroups with different numbers. The results of collinearity analysis of intraspecific and interspecific relationships showed that there were only one pair of segmental duplication in melon HDM genes, and more collinearity in genetic relationship of HDM genes between melon and tomato. The numbers of conserved domains, exons and introns in each member vary and various cis -acting elements responding to hormones and environmental signals existed in the respective promoter regions. Expression analysis showed that the respective gene members were expressed at different levels in male flowers, female flowers, roots, stems, leaves, ovary, and mature fruits of melon. These results will contribute to the understanding on the potential functions of the HDM genes and their potential functions in regulating melon growth and environmental adaptation.

The light harvesting-reaction center complex (LH-RC) of Roseiflexus castenholzii binds bacteriochlorophylls a (BChls a ), B800 and B880, absorbing around 800 and 880 nm, respectively. We comparatively investigated the interband excitation energy transfer (EET) dynamics of the wild-type LH-RC (wt - LH-RC) of Rfl . castenholzii and its carotenoid (Car)-less mutant (m-LH-RC) and found that Car can boost the B800 → B880 EET rate from (2.43 ps) -1 to (1.75 ps) -1 , accounting for 38% acceleration of the EET process. Interestingly, photoexcitation of wt - LH-RC at 800 nm induced pronounced excitation dynamics of Car despite the insufficient photon energy for direct Car excitation, a phenomenon which is attributed to the BChl-Car exciplex 1 [B800(↑↑)···Car(↓↓)]*. Such an exciplex is suggested to play an essential role in promoting the B800 → B880 EET process, as corroborated by the recently reported cryo-EM structures of wt - LH-RC and m - LH-RC. The mechanism of Car-mediated EET will be helpful to deepen the understanding of the role of Car in bacterial photosynthesis.

To understand the distribution characteristics and restoration status of vegetation at Sanxingdui City Wall, we sampled five typical communities of the city wall at the Sanxingdui site and explored the stability and niche characteristics of herbaceous plant communities under different maintenance measures (natural regeneration, planting, abandoned field, shrub removal, and pruning) following the niche theory and the improved contribution law method. A total of 87 herbaceous species belonging to 73 genera and 31 families were recorded. Compositae and Gramineae were dominant, and perennial herbs were the majority. There were differences in the niche breadth of major herbaceous species under different maintenance measures. The niche breadth of annual plants was higher under natural regeneration and shrub removal, and that of perennial plants was higher under planting, abandoned field, and pruning measures. The niche overlap and similarity of herbaceous plants were higher under natural regene-ration, shrub removal and pruning measures, and were the lowest under planting measure. The importance values were positively correlated with the niche breadth, but the ranking was not completely consistent. Species with higher niche breadth usually had higher probability of niche overlap and higher niche similarity. Combined with the M-Godron's stability analysis, community stability was comparable among shrub removal, pruning, and natural regeneration measures whereas the abandoned field and planting showed lower community stability. We recommended the implementation of in situ conservation measures based on natural regeneration, supplemented by scientific artificial maintenance (shrub removal, pruning, etc .) when necessary, so as to achieve a stable species composition and promote the sustainable development and vegetation landscape restoration at Sanxingdui City Wall.

The respiratory and cardiovascular systems are often the most severely impacted by the rapid onset of sepsis, which can lead to multiple organ failure. The mortality has ranged from 10 to 40% when it has evolved into septic shock. This study sought to demonstrate the potential and role of Hmgcs2 in safeguarding against cardiovascular harm in septic mouse models. The cecal ligament and puncture (CLP) model was used to induce sepsis in C57BL/6 mice, with Hmgcs2 expression in the myocardium of the mice being heightened and inflammatory factors being augmented. Subsequently, we utilized ASOs to silence the hmgcs2 gene, and found that silencing accelerated septic myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction in CLP mice models. In contrast, hmgcs2 attenuated inflammation and apoptosis and protected against septic cardiomyopathy in murine septicemia models. Src production, spurred on by Hmgcs2, triggered the PI3K/Akt pathway and augmented M2 macrophage polarization. Moreover, the inhibition of M2 polarization by an Src antagonist significantly contributed to apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Our research revealed that Hmgcs2 inhibited the activation of pro-inflammatory macrophages and, through Src-dependent activation of PI3K/Akt pathway, promoted the anti-inflammatory phenotype, thus safeguarding myocardial damage from sepsis. This offers a novel theoretical basis for prevention and treatment of infectious complications.

Up to 75% of bladder cancer patients suffer from recurrence due to postoperative tumor implantation. However, clinically used Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment failed to inhibit the recurrence. Here, we report a bispecific glycopeptide (bsGP) that simultaneously targets CD206 on tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and CXCR4 on tumor cells. bsGP repolarizes protumoral M2-like TAMs to antitumor M1-like that mediated cytotoxicity and T cell recruitment. Meanwhile, bsGP is cleaved by the MMP-2 enzyme to form nanostructure for the long-term inhibition of CXCR4 downstream signaling, resulting in reduced tumor metastasis and promoted T cell infiltration. In orthotopic bladder tumor models, bsGP reduced the postoperative recurrence rate to 22%. In parallel, the recurrence rates of 89 and 78% were treated by doxycycline and BCG used in clinic, respectively. Mechanistic studies reveal that bsGP reduces the matrix microenvironment barrier, increasing the spatially redirected CD8 + T cells to tumor cells. We envision that bis-targeting CD206 and CXCR4 may pave the way to inhibit tumor metastasis and recurrence.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by the left ventricular dilatation and impaired myocardial systolic dysfunction with high mortality and morbidity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We first identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the DCM and control group using two expression profiles from GSE3585 and GSE84796. Enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the potential mechanisms underlying DCM. A total of four algorithms, including key module of MCODE, degree, maximum neighborhood component (MNC), and maximal clique centrality (MCC), were used to identify the hub genes within Cytoscape. The correlation between hub genes and infiltrated immune cells was evaluated to determine potential immune-related genes. The expression analysis and diagnosis value analysis of potential immune-related genes were performed. Finally, the expression analysis with GSE57338 and relationship analysis with the comparative toxicogenomics database (CTD) were performed to identify the key immune-related genes in DCM. A total of 80 DEGs were screened for DCM. Enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were involved in the immune-related pathological process. Immune infiltration analysis indicated a potentially abnormal immune response in DCM. Four up-regulated genes (COL1A2, COL3A1, CD53, and POSTN) were identified as potential immune-related genes. Finally, three genes (COL1A2, COL3A1, and POSTN) were determined as the key immune-related genes in DCM via expression analysis with a validation set (GSE57338) and relationship analysis with CTD. Our study suggested that the upregulated COL1A2, COL3A1, and POSTN might be the key immune-related genes for DCM. Further studies are needed to validate the underlying mechanisms., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Hybrid larch is an excellent afforestation species in northern China. The instability of seed yield is an urgent problem to be solved. The biological characteristics related to seed setting in larch are different from those in angiosperms and other gymnosperms. Studying the developmental mechanism of the larch sporophyll can deepen our understanding of conifer reproductive development and help to ensure an adequate supply of seeds in the seed orchard. The results showed that the formation of microstrobilus primordia in hybrid larch could be observed in anatomical sections collected in the middle of July. The contents of endogenous gibberellin 3 (GA3) and abscisic acid (ABA) were higher and the contents of GA4, GA7, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid were lower in multiseeded larch. Transcriptome analysis showed that transcription factors were significantly enriched in the AP2 family. There were 23 differentially expressed genes in the buds of the multiseeded and less-seeded types, and the expression of most of these genes was higher in the buds than in the needles. We conclude that mid-July is the early stage of reproductive organ development in hybrid larch and is suitable for the study of reproductive development. GA3 and ABA may be helpful for improving seed setting in larch, and 23 AP2/EREBP family genes are involved in the regulation of reproductive development in larch., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an important strategy for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the prognostic indicators of RFA therapy are not known, and there are few strategies for RFA sensitization. The transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP)-1 regulates fatty-acid synthesis but also promotes the proliferation or metastasis of HCC cells. Here, the clinical importance of SREBP-1 and potential application of knockdown of SREBP-1 expression in RFA of advanced HCC was elucidated. In patients with advanced HCC receiving RFA, a high level of endogenous SREBP-1 expression correlated to poor survival. Inhibition of SREBP-1 activation using a novel small-molecule inhibitor, SI-1, not only inhibited the aerobic glycolysis of HCC cells, it also enhanced the antitumor effects of RFA on xenograft tumors. Overall, our results: (i) revealed the correlation between SREBP-1 and HCC severity; (ii) indicated that inhibition of SREBP-1 activation could be a promising approach for treatment of advanced HCC., 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 © 2021 Zou, Hao and Zhou.)

Background: Combined ablation and left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is an alternative for atrial fibrillation patients with a high risk of stroke. However, the long-term outcomes of this combined procedure remain elusive., Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched from the establishment of databases to 1 January 2021. Studies on the long-term (defined as a mean follow-up of approximately 12 months or longer) efficacy and safety outcomes of combined ablation and LAAC were included., Results: A total of 16 studies comprising 1428 patients were enrolled. The pooled long-term freedom rate from atrial arrhythmia was 0.66 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-0.71), long-term successful rate sealing of LAAC was 1.00 (95% CI: 1.00-1.00), and ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack/systemic embolism during follow-up was 0.01 (95% CI: 0.00-0.02). Meanwhile, of the periprocedural adverse events, phrenic nerve palsy, intracoronary air embolus, device embolization, and periprocedural death had a rate of 0.00 (95% CI: 0.00-0.00), procedure-related bleeding events of 0.03 (95% CI: 0.02-0.04), and pericardial effusion requiring or not requiring intervention of 0.00 (95% CI: 0.00-0.01). Moreover, for the long-term adverse events, device dislocation, intracranial bleeding, pericardial effusion requiring or not requiring intervention, and all-cause mortality had a rate of 0.00 (95% CI: 0.00-0.00), device embolization of 0.01 (95% CI: 0.00-0.01), and other bleeding events of 0.01 (95% CI: 0.00-0.03)., Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that the combined atrial ablation and LAAC is an effective and safe strategy with long-term benefits., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most fatal malignancies of the digestive system, and shows an especially high incidence in some regions of China. Octamer transcription factors are a family of transcription factors whose DNA-binding domain is a POU domain. OCT transcription factors (OCT-TFs) mediate maintenance of the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. We measured expression of OCT-TFs in ESCC clinical specimens. Among the OCTs tested, OCT1 showed the highest expression in ESCC tissues. Using molecular docking, we discovered a small-molecule inhibitor, which we named "novel inhibitor of OCT1" (NIO-1), for OCT1. Treatment with NIO-1 inhibited recruitment of OCT1 to the promoter region of its downstream genes and, consequently, repressed OCT1 activation. Treatment with NIO-1 enhanced the susceptibility of ESCC cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, OCT1 may be a valuable target for ESCC treatment, and NIO-1 could be a promising therapeutic agent., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Due to the shortage of phosphate and the eutrophication caused by phosphorus pollution, it is urgent to recover phosphate from wastewater. Given their high adsorption capacity and convenient separation from water to which a magnetic field is applied, ferrite composites have received increasing attention for phosphate recovery. In this study, Spinel La@MgFe 2 O 4 was prepared using a one-step co-precipitation method. La 3+ loading on grain boundary defects of MgFe 2 O 4 , and phosphorus absorption capacity were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The structure of La@MgFe 2 O 4 involved La 3+ loading on grain boundary defects of MgFe 2 O 4 in the form of La(OH) 3 . The addition of La changed the crystallinity and morphology of MgFe 2 O 4 , which greatly improved the capacity of MgFe 2 O 4 for phosphorus adsorption. Saturation magnetization remained at 14 emu·g -1 , which was easily separated from water using an external magnetic field. The maximum adsorption capacity was 143.156 mg·g -1 at pH 6 and 10℃, which was comparable to that achieved at 25℃. Kinetic observations showed that a low phosphorus concentration (10 mg·L -1 ) could result in extremely low phosphorus adsorption by La@MgFe 2 O 4 after 30 min. The adsorption mechanism shows that phosphorus is removed through ligand exchange and the formation of inner spherical complexes. La@MgFe 2 O 4 has highly selective adsorption with respect to phosphate, and the adsorbent can be reused many times after desorption. Based on addition of 1 g·L -1 of La@MgFe 2 O 4 in the treatment of low temperature municipal wastewater in Northern China, phosphate concentrations could be reduced to less than 0.5 mg·L -1 an hour, offering a promising means of phosphate adsorption even in cold regions.

We examined the impacts of slope direction and position on the community structure and species diversity of shrub community in Jiajin Mountains. The results showed that a total of 186 vascular plant species belonging to 50 families and 127 genera were recorded in the 24 sample plots. 32 species belonging to 14 families, 22 genera were recorded in the shrubs layer, with most species distributed at lower position of the shady slope. 154 species belonging to 43 families and 109 genera were recorded in the herbaceous layer, with the species number being the lowest on the shady slope. The average height of the shrub layer showed a decreasing order of sunny slope, semi-sunny slope, and shady slope, while an opposite order was observed for the average density. The average height of the herb layer was in the decreasing order of the shady slope, semi-sunny slope, sunny slope, whereas no significant changes were observed for the average density. The slope position had significant effect only on the average height of the herbaceous layer on the sunny slope. The overall level of species diversity in the shrub layer on the shady slope was relatively high, while that in the herbaceous layer was relatively high at the lower position of the sunny slope and at the middle position of the shady slope. Slope aspect had significant effect on species richness index, Shannon diversity index, Simpson dominance index, Pielou evenness index of shrub and herb layers except for Simpson index of herb layer. Slope position did not affect these indices. The interaction effect of slope aspect and position on the diversity index for herb layer was greater than that for the shrub layer. Results from redundancy analysis showed that species diversity was related to sin(aspect), cos(aspect), and community structure.

Adsorption is an economical and effective method for recovering phosphate from wastewater. In order to improve the adsorption capacity of Fe 3 O 4 for phosphate and for easy separation from water under the action of an external magnetic field, CaO 2 was used in this study as an oxidant to partially oxidize Fe 2+ . A phosphorus recovery adsorbent, Ca doped Fe 3 O 4 (CMIO), was prepared and was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. The results showed that CMIO had a Ca 2+ doped Fe 3 O 4 crystal structure with a saturation magnetization of 38.82 emu·g -1 , which was easily separated from water by using an external magnetic field. The phosphorus adsorption capacity of the CMIO decreased with an increase of pH value. When pH=2 and T =25℃, the maximum adsorption capacity was 24.10 mg·g -1 , which is almost five times the adsorption capacity of pure Fe 3 O 4 . The phosphorus adsorption of CMIO was in accord with the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model, and the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second order kinetic model. The complexation of phosphate occurred on the inner surface of the CMIO to form a ≡Fe-Ca-P ternary complex, which can adsorb phosphorus. Compared with other anions in the aqueous solution, CMIO had good adsorption selectivity to PO 4 3- , and the adsorbed PO 4 3- could be desorbed by NaOH solution.The quality loss of the CMIO was less than 4% once, and multiple recycling was possible.

The present study aimed to investigate the role of microRNA (miR)‑125a in the development of pneumonitis inpatients with non‑small‑cell lung cancer that received radiotherapy. In addition, the study aimed to determine how the miR‑125a affects its target, transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). Bioinformatics tools were used to identify a potential miR‑125a binding site in the 3'untranslated region of TGFβ, which was subsequently confirmed using a dual‑luciferase reporter system. In addition, tissue samples were collected from patients with lung cancer and genotyped as CC (n=36), CT (n=28) or TT (n=6). The expression levels of miR‑125a and TGFβ in these samples were determined, and CC genotype samples demonstrated upregulated miR‑125a expression, and downregulated TGFβ protein and mRNA expression compared with samples carrying the minor allele, T. To further investigate the association between the rs12976445 polymorphism and the risk of pneumonitis in patients with lung cancer that received radiotherapy, 534 lung cancer patients diagnosed with pneumonitis and 489lung cancer patients without pneumonitis were recruited. rs12976445 was shown to be significantly associated with the risk of pneumonitis. In conclusion, the rs12976445 polymorphism increased expression levels of TGFβ by decreasing the expression of miR‑125a, and therefore may be associated with the development of pneumonitis in patients with lung cancer that receive radiotherapy.

Enhancing the acid tolerance of the probiotic bacterial strain Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (L. acidophilus NCFM) is critical for improving its viability during transiting through gastrointestinal tract, which is the basis of eliciting beneficial effects as an intestinal probiotic. In this study, the role of trehalose and the glutamateγ-aminobutyric acid antiporter gene gadC in enhancing the acid tolerance of L. acidophilus NCFM was investigated. Trehalose at a concentration of 0.5% (w/v) was sufficient to significantly increase bacterial viability at pH 2.0, and trehalose of 2.0% can preserve more than 80% of bacterial viability both at pH 2.0 and 3.0. The inactivation of gadC gene in L. acidophilus NCFM significantly reduced bacterial viability at pH 2.0, and diminished the protective effect of trehalose against acid stress. In conclusion, exogeneous trehalose conferred L. acidophilus NCFM enhanced viability at extreme low pH values, an effect that appeared to depend on its endogenous glutamate-depenent acid resistance system.

We analyzed understory species diversity, soil physicochemical traits and their relationships in the 25-year-old non-commercial Pinus massoniana plantations with five different stand densities, i.e., 1057, 1136, 1231, 1383 and 1515 trees·hm -2 , in Wenfeng Mountain, Xinjin District, Sichuan Province, China. The results showed that a total of 110 species were found, belonging to 57 families and 98 genera. With the increase of tree density, the understory species showed a succession pattern from positive to moderate to shady. Different densities had significant effects on the contents of total potassium and organic matter in the soils. With the increase ofdensity, the contents of organic matter and total potassium in understory vegetation first increased and then decreased. The trends of the relationship between both diversity and soil physiochemical characteristics and tree density were similar. Both of them increased with the increase of density, with the maximum value presented at the density of 1136 trees·hm -2 . The concentrations of total phosphorus, available potassium, total potassium and total nitrogen was closely related to plant diversity index. The results suggested that the density at 1136 trees·hm -2 would be more beneficial to improve the stability of species diversity and soil fertility of P. massoniana non-commercial plantations in Wenfeng Mountain.

Background and Aims: We aimed to investigate outcomes of pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (P-ESWL) for the removal of large pancreatic stones coexisting with pancreatic pseudocysts (PPCs) in chronic pancreatitis (CP)., Methods: This is a prospective study performed in CP patients with at least 1 stone (≥5 mm). Patients were divided into the PPC group (stones coexisting with PPCs) or the control group (stones alone). Patients were initially subjected to successive P-ESWL treatments, followed by ERCP. Primary outcomes were P-ESWL adverse events, and secondary outcomes were stone clearance, long-term pain relief, improved quality-of-life scores, and PPC regression., Results: A total of 849 patients (59 in the PPC group and 790 in the control group) was subjected to P-ESWL between March 2011 and October 2013. Occurrences of P-ESWL adverse events were similar between the PPC group and the control group (11.86% vs 12.41%, P = .940). After the treatment of initial P-ESWL combined with ERCP, the complete, partial, and nonclearance of stones occurred in 67.24%, 20.69%, and 12.07%, respectively, of patients in PPC group, with no significant difference from the control group (complete, partial, and nonclearance: 83.17%, 10.40%, and 11.39%, respectively; P = .106). Fifty-five of 59 patients (93.22%) with PPCs were followed for a median period of 21.9 months (range, 12.0-45.1). PPCs disappeared in 56.36% (31/55) and 76.36% (42/55) of patients after 3 months and 1 year of follow-up visits, respectively. Moreover, complete and partial pain relief were achieved in 63.64% (35/55) and 25.45% (14/55) of patients, respectively. The scores for quality of life (P < .001), physical health (P < .001), and weight loss (P < .001) improved., Conclusions: In our multispecialty tertiary center, initial P-ESWL followed by ERCP was safe in patients with coexisting pancreatic stones and PPCs and effective for stone clearance, main pancreatic duct drainage, and pain relief., (Copyright © 2016 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate prospectively the safety and efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in Chinese patients., Methods: A total of 214 patients with painful chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic stones who underwent ESWL followed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography from March 2011 to February 2012 in Changhai Hospital were enrolled. The main pancreatic duct clearance rate and complications were recorded prospectively. Symptoms, weight, quality of life, and pancreatic function were assessed before and after ESWL and endotherapy., Results: A total of 473 ESWL procedures were performed in 214 patients. Stones were fragmented in all cases. Complete clearance of main pancreatic duct stones and successful endoscopic decompression were achieved in 155 (72.4%) and 188 (90.8%) of 214 patients, respectively. Complications were observed after 20 sessions (20 of 473, 4.23%). Follow-up (n = 195) after 18.5 ± 3.3 months showed that complete and partial pain relief were achieved in 71.3% and 24.0% of the patients, respectively. The scores for the quality of life (5.8 ± 1.7 vs 8.1 ± 1.2, P < 0.05) and mental health from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form General Health Survey questionnaire (62.2 ± 21.5 vs 68.5 ± 16.4, P < 0.05) improved after ESWL., Conclusions: Thus, ESWL is a safe and effective method to treat Chinese patients with pancreatic stones. This procedure can significantly improve the success rate of endotherapy.

Background: The aim of this study was to optimize the preparation method for self-assembled glyceryl monoolein-based cubosomes containing paeonol and to characterize the properties of this transdermal delivery system to improve the drug penetration ability in the skin., Material and Methods: In this study, the cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles loaded with paeonol were prepared by fragmentation of glyceryl monoolein (GMO)/poloxamer 407 bulk cubic gel by high-pressure homogenization. We evaluated the Zeta potential of these promising skin-targeting drug-delivery systems using the Malvern Zeta sizer examination, and various microscopies and differential scanning calorimetry were also used for property investigation. Stimulating studies were evaluated based on the skin irritation reaction score standard and the skin stimulus intensity evaluation standard for paeonol cubosomes when compared with commercial paeonol ointment. In vitro tests were performed on excised rat skins in an improved Franz diffusion apparatus. The amount of paeonol over time in the in vitro penetration and retention experiments both was determined quantitatively by HPLC., Results: Stimulating studies were compared with the commercial ointment which indicated that the paeonol cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles could reduce the irritation in the skin stimulating test. Thus, based on the attractive characteristics of the cubic crystal system of paeonol, we will further exploit the cosmetic features in the future studies., Conclusions: The transdermal delivery system of paeonol with low-irritation based on the self-assembled cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles prepared in this study might be a promising system of good tropical preparation for skin application.

Background: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective first-line therapy for intermediate stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Acute renal injury may be induced after transarterial chemoembolization because of iodinated radiocontrast medium, but its incidence, risk factors, and prognosis remain unclear., Patients and Methods: This prospective study enrolled 166 HCC patients with a total of 316 TACE treatments. The incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) were examined., Results: The incidence of post-TACE AKI was 21.84% (69/316) according to Barrett and Parfrey criteria, whereas 7.59% (24/316) according to acute kidney injury network (AKIN) criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum total bilirubin (TB) (>13.5 μmol/L; odds ratio [OR]: 1.871 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.044-3.352; P = 0.035) and hemoglobin (HGB) level (<120 g/L; OR: 1.823, 95% CI: 1.019-3.264; P = 0.043) were associated with the development of AKI after TACE procedure in accordance to Barrett and Parfrey criteria. Meanwhile, age (>55 years; OR: 3.456, 95% CI: 1.107-10.790; P = 0.033), post-TACE AKI history (OR: 7.108, 95% CI: 1.387-36.434, P = 0.019), and serum aminotransferase level (>55 U/L; OR: 4.420, 95% CI: 1.792-10.906; P = 0.001) were associated with the development of AKI after TACE procedure in accordance to AKIN criteria. Total hospitalization cost was significantly higher (P = 0.034) in the patients with AKI after TACE procedure according to Barrett and Parfrey criteria. A post-TACE AKI diagnosis was associated with mortality in any definition used (P = 0.034 and P = 0.001 for Barrett and Parfrey and AKIN criteria, respectively)., Conclusion: The present study showed that the incidence of post-TACE AKI was high in HCC patients (i.e., 7.59-21.84%) depending on criteria used. HGB (<120 g/L), serum TB (>13.5), and aminotransferase level (>55 U/L), age (>55 years) and post-TACE AKI history may be predictors of post-TACE AKI in HCC patients. The development of post-TACE AKI was associated with the risk of renal replacement treatment, prolonged renal insufficiency, or mortality according to AKIN criteria.

The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence of sinusitis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients before and after intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and to analyze factors associated with the incidence of sinusitis following IMRT. We retrospectively analyzed 283 NPC patients who received IMRT in our hospital from March 2009 to May 2011. The diagnostic criteria for sinusitis are based on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. CT or MRI scans were performed before and after IMRT to evaluate the incidence of sinusitis. Factors influencing the incidence of sinusitis were analyzed by log-rank univariate and logistic multivariate analyses. Among the 283 NPC patients, 128 (45.2 %) suffered from sinusitis before radiotherapy. The incidence rates of sinusitis in patients with T1, T2, T3, and T4 NPC before radiotherapy were 22.6, 37.5, 46.8, and 61.3 %, respectively (χ 2 = 14.548, p = 0.002). Among the 155 NPC patients without sinusitis before radiotherapy, the incidence rates of sinusitis at the end of radiotherapy and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months after radiotherapy were 32.9, 43.2, 61.3, 68.4, 73.5, 69.7, and 61.3 %, respectively (χ 2 = 86.461, p < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that T stage, invasion of the nasal cavity, nasal irrigation, and radiation dose to the nasopharynx were associated with the incidence of sinusitis in NPC patients after IMRT (p = 0.003, 0.006, 0.002, and 0.020). Multivariate analysis showed that T stage, invasion of the nasal cavity, and nasal irrigation were influential factors for the incidence of sinusitis in NPC patients after IMRT (p = 0.002, 0.002, and 0.000). There was a higher incidence of sinusitis with higher T stage among NPC patients before radiotherapy, and the incidence of sinusitis in NPC patients after IMRT was high (45.2 %). The incidence of sinusitis increased rapidly within the first 3 months after IMRT, and the number of sinusitis cases peaked at 6-9 months after IMRT and showed a trend toward stabilization after 1 year. Advanced T stage, invasion of the nasal cavity, and nasal irrigation were positively associated with the incidence of sinusitis in NPC patients after IMRT.

Aging population is set to increase in the near future, and will need specialized care when admitted to ICUs. The elderly are beset with chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular, COPD, diabetes, renal complications and depression. Specialist opinions can now be made available through telemedicine facilities. Tele-ICU is a specialized hub consisting of highly skilled staff trained in critical care able to deliver timely, quality care service to patients admitted to ICUs in remote areas using highly advanced information technology services. These specialists in the tele-ICU hub are able to analyze and gather data arriving at timely interventional management decisions and provide this vital feedback to the nursing staff and doctors manning remote ICU locations where specialized intensivist may not be available. Known clinical benefits of such a system include better patient outcomes, reduced medical errors, mortality and reduced hospital length of stay. The main disadvantage in implementation could be the upfront high cost involved, for which low-cost models are being explored. In the face of delivering such remote care, it is up to the local health policy to make legislative changes to include associated legal and ethical issues. Considering the burgeoning aging population, tele-ICU could become the way forward in delivering geriatric critical care.

Background and Study Aims: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is recommended as treatment for stones in chronic pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for complications of pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (P-ESWL)., Patients and Methods: Patients with painful chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic stones (> 5 mm diameter) who were treated with P-ESWL between March 2011 and June 2013 were prospectively included. Adverse events after P-ESWL were classified as complications and transient adverse events, depending on severity. The major complications of P-ESWL included post-ESWL pancreatitis, bleeding, infection, steinstrasse, and perforation. Multivariate analyses based on univariate analysis were performed to detect risk factors of overall and moderate-to-severe complications., Results: A total of 634 patients underwent 1470 P-ESWL procedures. The overall complication rate was 6.7 % of all procedures. Complications occurred in 62 patients (9.8 %) after the first ESWL procedure. The risk factors for complications were pancreas divisum (odds ratio [OR] 1.28) and the interval between diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and P-ESWL (OR 1.28). Protective factors were male sex (OR 0.50), diabetes (OR 0.45), and steatorrhea (OR 0.43). Male sex, the only identified predictor for moderate-to-severe complications, was a protective factor (OR 0.19). For the second P-ESWL procedure, complications occurred in 22/409 patients (5.4 %). Complication and asymptomatic hyperamylasemia after the first ESWL session were significantly associated with higher risk for complications after the second ESWL session (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Patient-related factors were important in determining a high risk of P-ESWL complications when no procedure-related factors were identified. Patients suffering from complications after the first ESWL session were also likely to experience complications in subsequent P-ESWL sessions., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in tumor genesis. miRNA dysregulation has been widely studied and demonstrated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)., Materials and Methods: We applied a newly proposed method for selecting miRNAs that discriminate between healthy controls and cancers. We initially extracted different miRNAs and mRNAs and then selected miRNA-mRNA dysregulation pairs. The pathways that involved mRNAs were acquired according to the functional enrichment. We integrated the miRNAs, mRNAs, and pathways and constructed the miRNA-mRNA pathway relationships based on the derived significant miRNAs., Results: We acquired 566 antiregulated miRNA-mRNA pairs including 56 miRNAs and 485 mRNAs. Three significant pathways related to ccRCC, namely, arginine and proline metabolism, aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption, and oxidative phosphorylation, were observed. Based on the miRNA-mRNA pathway relationships, five significant miRNAs were identified as potential biomarkers: hsa-miR-425, hsa-miR-136, hsa-miR-335, hsa-miR-340, and hsa-miR-320d., Conclusion: This integrative network approach revealed important miRNAs in the ccRCC that can identify specific disease biomarkers, which can be used as targets for cancer treatment.

In order to obtain a salt-tolerant perennial alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), we transferred the halophyte Salicornia europaea L. Na(+)/H(+) antiporter gene, SeNHX1, to alfalfa by using the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. The transformants were confirmed by both PCR and RT-PCR analyses. Of 197 plants that were obtained after transformation, 36 were positive by PCR analysis using 2 primer pairs for the CaMV35S-SeNHX1 and SeNHX1-Nos fragments; 6 plants survived in a greenhouse. RT-PCR analysis revealed that SeNHX1 was expressed in 5 plants. The resultant transgenic alfalfa had better salt tolerance. After stress treatment for 21 days with 0.6% NaCl, the chlorophyll and MDA contents in transgenic plants were lower, but proline content and SOD, POD, and CAT activities were higher than those in wild-type plants. These results suggest that the salt tolerance of transgenic alfalfa was improved by the overexpression of the SeNHX1 gene.

Background: Small clinical trials have reported that low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) might improve language recovery in patients with aphasia after stroke. However, no systematic reviews or meta-analyses studies have investigated the effect of rTMS on aphasia. The objective of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of studies that explored the effects of low-frequency rTMS on aphasia in stroke patients., Methods: We searched PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, and Journals@Ovid for randomized controlled trials published between January 1965 and October 2013 using the keywords "aphasia OR language disorders OR anomia OR linguistic disorders AND repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation OR rTMS". We used fixed- and random-effects models to estimate the standardized mean difference (SMD) and a 95% CI for the language outcomes., Results: Seven eligible studies involving 160 stroke patients were identified in this meta-analysis. A significant effect size of 1.26 was found for the language outcome severity of impairment (95% CI = 0.80 to 1.71) without heterogeneity (I2 = 0%, P = 0.44). Further analyses demonstrated prominent effects for the naming subtest (SMD = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.18 to 0.87), repetition (SMD = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.16 to 0.92), writing (SMD = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.19 to 1.22), and comprehension (the Token test: SMD = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.07 to 1.09) without heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). The SMD of AAT and BDAE comprehension subtests was 0.32 (95% CI = -0.08 to 0.72) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 32%,P = 0.22). The effect size did not change significantly even when any one trial was eliminated. None of the patients from the 7 included articles reported adverse effects from rTMS., Conclusions: Low-frequency rTMS with a 90% resting motor threshold that targets the triangular part of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) has a positive effect on language recovery in patients with aphasia following stroke. Further well-designed studies with larger populations are required to ascertain the long-term effects of rTMS in aphasia treatment.

Objective: To analyze the output of scientific publications in obstetrics and gynecology journals from 3 principal regions of China: mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong., Methods: Information on article numbers, impact factors, citation reports, and publication in high-impact obstetrics and gynecology journals by Chinese authors between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2009, was extracted from PubMed and WoS databases. Comparisons of quantity and quality were done by Kruskal-Wallis and rank-sum tests., Results: There were 3044 articles from mainland China (n=1042), Taiwan (n=1304), and Hong Kong (n=698). The cumulative impact factors and citations of articles from Taiwan were highest among the 3 regions. In terms of average impact factor and number of citations per article, Hong Kong exceeded mainland China and Taiwan. Fertility and Sterility, Human Reproduction and Gynecologic Oncology were among the most popular obstetrics and gynecology journals used by authors in the 3 regions., Conclusion: The annual number of articles published in obstetrics and gynecology journals from the 3 regions of China increased during the past decade, especially for mainland China. However, the quality of articles from mainland China arouses attention because the average citation of articles from Hong Kong and Taiwan was higher than that of articles from the mainland., (© 2013.)

28 typical wetlands were selected to monitor the contaminants in water monthly, that influenced by urbanization in different scales. On the other hand, the land use types such as impervious area and forest area in the catchments of urban wetlands were analyzed by GIS and landscape ecology. And then the effects of urbanization index (UEI) was employed to reveal the relationship between urbanization level and water quality in Xianlin New City of Nanjing. Results indicated that: (1) the seasonal variations of water quality showed that water quality in summer was worse than those in other seasons, and the water quality in winter was good. However there were no significant differences between the spring and the autumn. (2) the relationship was significant between urbanization level and water quality, and the water quality tended to be getting worse when the urbanization level was getting higher. The concentrations of TP, TN, NH(4+)-N, and Chla were 0.27, 1.07, 0.15 and 17.94 mg x L(-1) respectively in the high urbanization (HU) level wetland while the concentrations were 0.12, 0.56, 0.12 and 4.85 mg x L(-1) in the low urbanization (LW) level wetland. (3) there was a threshold between UEI and the water quality. On the whole, the water quality would get worse quickly when the value of UEI exceeded 2.2.

Exploring the quantitative relationship between landscape characteristics and surface water quality indicators can provide important information to urban landscape planning and water environment protection. Jiuxiang River watershed in Nanjing city, being as a typical case study area, its landscape classification maps was conducted in 2009 by remote sensing digital images interpretation. Based on the remote sensing images and real-time monitoring data from October 2009 to September 2010, geospatial analysis and statistical analysis were integrated to explore the relationship between landscape composition, landscape pattern (landscape-level and class-level) and river water quality at the subwatershed scale. Results showed that most of landscape compositions influenced river water quality. Percentage of built-up land and unused land was positively related to total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH4(+) -N) and permanganate index, while percentage of forestland showed a negative relationship. At the landscape level, the water quality was good when the size of patch was big. But at class-level, the aggregated distribution of the built-up land, unused land and arable land might cause TN, TP, permanganate index and NH4(+) -N concentration increased. But the aggregated distribution of the forestland had the opposite effect on water quality indicators.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of expression of EGFR and nm23 in patients with advanced-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The study population comprised 127 patients with stage III-IVa NPC with sufficient pretreatment tumor biopsy specimens from 2003 to 2004 and clinical follow-up data. The expression of EGFR and nm23 was detected by immunohistochemistry. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method. The correlation between pretreatment expression of EGFR and nm23, and the effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy was analyzed. The EGFR expression was correlated with primary lesion stage and clinical stage (P = 0.001, 0.002, respectively). There was a statistically significant association between nm23 expression and local lymph node stage (P = 0.000). The positive EGFR expression had a higher recurrent rate than the negative (P = 0.015). The positive nm23 expression had a lower distant metastasis rate than the negative (P = 0.021). Negative expression of EGFR had a significantly better 5-year OS and DFS than positive expression (P = 0.015, 0.013, respectively). Positive expression of nm23 had a significantly higher 5-year OS and DFS than negative expression (P = 0.001, 0.006, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated that both pretreatment EGFR and nm23 expression were strong independent factors for the overall survival of patients with NPC (P = 0.000, 0.000, respectively). Our data suggested that EGFR and nm23 can serve as reliable biomarkers for prognosis prediction in patients with NPC who may benefit from alternate treatment strategy and targeted treatment.

Water is the basis of wetland, the degree of water health directly determines the function of wetland ecosystem. The theory and method of water health were established in the study. Water health included both water status health and water process health. Water status health was reflected by hydrologic condition and water quality. Water process health was calculated by water elasticity, water stability and resilience. Xixi Wetland Park was taken as the case study. The results indicated that: 1) Seasonal variations of water health were apparent in Xixi Wetland. Water health index was the highest (46.36) and stayed under the sub-health condition in summer. In contrast, water health index was the lowest (37.35) and unhealth in winter; 2) the degrees of water health were obviously different between ponds and creeks. Water health index in ponds was 42.72, which was higher than that of creeks (37.99); 3) Water in Xixi Wetland Park was sub-health with 53.80 as its water health index. Based on the result of study, to enhance water health of creeks in winter is an effective measure to improve water health in Xixi Wetland Park.

As the first national wetland park and the representatively urban wetland, Xixi wetland must provide the services of tourism and recreation especially. Based on the data which had been collected monthly from March to August in 2009, the objectives of this paper were to describe the characteristics of water quality in temporally and spatially. The results indicated that: (1) the characteristics of water quality in spatially are significantly corrected with the function of wetland. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) average concentrations are 0.78 mg/L and 0.07 mg/L respectively in natural ponds, while the concentrations of TN and TP in ornamental ponds are 1.37 mg/L and 0.17 mg/L respectively. The concentrations of TN and TP are 2.91 mg/L and 0.18 mg/L in natural streams and 1.91 mg/L and 0.09 mg/L in sight-seeing streams; (2) the nutrition in Xixi wetland is different in temporally. The nutrition in Xixi is at the level of moderate eutrophication, while the nutrition is higher in summer than it in spring; (3) the level of eutrophication in pounds is lower than it in streams, of which the level of eutrophication in natural ponds is lower than it in ornamental ponds and the level of eutrophication in natural streams is higher than it in sight-seeing streams by contraries. In order to improve water quality in Xixi wetland, the valid measure is to strengthen the management of ornamental ponds and natural streams.

An investigation was made on the water quality and plant community in 17 urban wetlands in east suburb of Nanjing City, and the spatial heterogeneity of the water quality was analyzed at ecosystem scale, catchment scale, and functional landscape scale. Wetland type and the characteristics of plant community were the main factors affecting the water quality at ecosystem scale. Primitive wetland had the best water quality, followed by reconstructed wetland, and secondary wetland. The higher plant coverage the wetland had, the better the water quality was. Land use type was the main factor affecting the water quality at catchment scale. Constructive land had greater effects on water nutrients content, while woodland mainly affected water dissolved oxygen. Human activity was the main factor affecting the water quality at functional landscape scale, and the effects differed with different water quality indices.

Semen Ziziphi spinosae (Suanzaoren in China) and Radix et Rhizoma Salviae miltiorrhizae (Danshen in China) are conventional herbal drugs in traditional Chinese medicine and have been used widely for the treatment of insomnia. In the present study, the sedative-hypnotic activity of the active fractions extracted from Suanzaoren and Danshen were studied using the method of pentobarbital-induced sleep in the mouse model. Qualitative analysis of the standardized extracts was carried out by HPLC-DAD. The results showed that the water extract of Suanzaoren (SWE) (400 and 800 mg/kg body wt.) and the ether extract of Danshen (DTT) (300 and 600 mg/kg body wt.) can shorten sleep latency significantly, increase sleeping time and prolong movement convalescence time induced by sodium pentobarbital (55 mg/kg body wt.) administration in mice. Furthermore, the combination of SWE and DTT showed significant synergistic effect (p<0.05) in decreasing sleep latency and increasing sleeping time, but not in prolonging the movement convalescence time, which might be helpful for energy recovery in the treatment of insomnia. The results suggest that SWE, DTT, and the combination of SWE and DTT possess significant sedative-hypnotic activity, which supports the popular use of Suanzaoren and Danshen for treatment of insomnia and provide the basis for new drug discovery. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the combination of SWE and DTT may be preferable for the treatment of insomnia.

The aims of present study are to estimate the biological risks to the immunity of mice exposed to heavy ion radiation and to investigate the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on (12)C(6+) ion irradiation-induced lymphocyte DNA damage. Results showed that in the brine group, the levels of lymphocyte DNA damage and MN, thymocytes G(2)/M phase arrest and apoptosis percentages (except for activity of NK cells) were up at each time point. A time-response curve for MN and DNA damage appeared in the NAC group. We found that whole-body (12)C(6+) ion irradiation at a dose of 4 Gy could: induce lymphocyte DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs); immunocytes DSBs may lead to acute effects on immunity; and 200 mg/kg NAC showed significant protection against radiation harm.

Survivin is a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) protein family that interferes with post-mitochondrial events including activation of caspases. To examine the regulation of survivin expression in response to irradiation with different linear energy transfer (LET), human hepatoma HepG2 cells were irradiated in vitro with X-rays and carbon ions. Cellular sensitivities to low- and high-LET radiation were determined by colony formation. Survivin expression at mRNA and protein level were measured with RT-PCR and Western blot analyses, respectively. Radiation-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were investigated with flow cytometry. We found that low-LET X-rays induced dose-dependent increases in survivin expression. After exposure to high-LET carbon ions, survivin expression gradually increased from 0 to 4 Gy, and then declined at 6 Gy. More pronounced survivin expression, stronger G(2)/M phase arrest was observed after exposure to carbon ions in comparison with X-rays at doses from 0 to 4 Gy. These observations indicate that there is a differential survivin expression in response to different LET radiations and the cycle arrest mechanism may be associated with it. In addition, our data on induction of apoptosis are compatible with the assumption that survivin expression induced by low-LET X-rays radiation may play a critical role in inhibiting apoptosis. However, after irradiation with ions, an anti-apoptotic function of survivin is not evident, possibly because of the serious damage produced by densely ionizing radiation.

Rickettsia prowazekii Madrid E (E) strain is an effective vaccine, but can revert to virulent status when passaged in animals. The aim of this study is to identify the reverse mutation that may determine the virulence of R. prowazekii by comparing the genetic structures of E strain and its virulent revertant Evir strain. We determined that the gene (Rp028/Rp027) encoding the methyltransferase was mutated by frameshift in avirulent E strain but not in virulent revertant Evir strain and wild type virulent Breinl strain. We conclude that the mutation in the E strain gene reverts to wild type in the virulent revertant Evir strain. Whether the mutation plays an essential role in the attenuation of E strain needs to be further investigated.

Objective: To study the pathological morphological changes of cerebral cortex and hippocampi in rhesus monkey caused by +Gx exposure, and to explore the relation between +Gx level and pathological changes., Method: Healthy rhesus monkeys were randomly divided into one control group and three experimental groups (+15 Gx, +18 Gx, +21 Gx). Monkeys in each group were exposed to the corresponding level of +Gx, after that, the required tissue was qualitatively studied on the basis of pathological morphology., Result: 1) Different morphology changes were observed in pyramidal neurons and astrocytes in the cerebral cortex and hippocampi by light microscopy. The higher the +Gx level, the more the changes were observed. In addition, the trauma was more serious in the hippocampi. 2) Chromatin marginating, karyotheca fold, apoptosis body and swollen mitochondria with blurred cristae were observed in pyramidal cell under electron microscope after +Gx exposure, and degenerative changes were also observed in some cases after higher +Gx., Conclusion: High level of +Gx causes acute pathological trauma of brain tissues in rhesus monkey, and consanguineous relationship exists between pathological changes and level of +Gx.

It is necessary to generate the automorphism group of a chemical graph in computer-aided structure elucidation. In this paper, an algorithm was developed by the all-paths topological symmetry algorithm to build the automorphism group of a chemical graph. A comparison of several topological symmetry algorithms reveals that the all-paths algorithm (APA) could yield the correct class of a chemical graph. It lays a foundation for the ESESOC system in computer-aided structure elucidation.