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Ubiquitin/26 S proteasome system(UPS) is one of the main ways to regulate the degradation of proteins in plants, and plays an important role in physiological processes such as secondary metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction. As indicated recently, UPS is involved in plant-microbe interactions, and presumably regulates arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis to affect its effects. This study investigated the effects of interaction between Cbz-leu-leu-leucinal(MG132) and the mycorrhiza on the growth and effective components of Salvia miltiorrhiza by inoculation with Glomus intraradices and spraying MG132 solution. The results showed that the inoculation with G. intraradices could promote the growth of S. miltiorrhiza, increase the accumulation of effective components in the aerial and underground parts, and decrease the relative expression level of JMT. Additionally, MG132 could strengthen the growth-promoting effect of G. intraradices. As compared with the control group, the inoculation with G. intraradices could significantly increase aerial and underground fresh weights by 267% and 95%, respectively, under the treatment with MG132 spraying, while under the MG132 spraying-free condition, the increase was 195% and 32%, respectively. Meanwhile, MG132 spraying could enhance the promotion of mycorrhizal fungi on the accumulation of active components of S. miltiorrhiza. On the other hand, regardless of inoculation with G. intraradices or not, MG132 treatment could promote the root division of S. miltiorrhiza, reduce the content of effective components in the aerial parts, and increase the content in the underground part. The inoculation with G. intraradices could alleviate the inhibitory effect of MG132 on the accumulation of effective components in the aerial part of S. miltiorrhiza. The results show that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) can promote the growth of S. miltiorrhiza and the accumulation of effective components, and MG132 treatment can strengthen such promotion effect, which lays a foundation for the application of MG132 in the mycorrhizal cultivation of S. miltiorrhiza in the future.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a commonly used bulk medicinal material in China. Due to the increasing demand in recent years, the planting area is expanding. In the artificial cultivation of S. miltiorrhiza, continuous cropping obstacles are prominent, which has seriously restrained the growth of S. miltiorrhiza, resulted in serious root diseases, and affected the yield and quality of medicinal materials. The pathogen infection can induce plant resistance. Previously, this research group isolated Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium dahlia from the roots of diseased S. miltiorrhiza. In this study, 7 days after inoculation of S. miltiorrhiza with F. oxysporum(Foc group) and V. dahlia(Vd group), the incidence rates in S. miltiorrhiza were 48% and 26%, respectively. Both the two pathogens significantly reduced the aboveground biomass of S. miltiorrhiza. Five days after inoculation, the activities of defensive enzymes, such as peroxidase(POD), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and polyphenol oxidase(PPO) reached the peak. The enzyme activity of the Foc group was significantly higher than that of the Vd group. Three days after inoculation, the expression of defense genes SmPDF2.1 and SmPR10 peaked and then decreased. The results showed that F. oxysporum and V. dahlia showed pathogenicity to S. miltiorrhiza and could strongly induce systemic resistance. In terms of the above indexes, F. oxysporum was superior to V. dahlia.

Here, we investigate the role of SmERF73, a group VII ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR stress response transcription factor, in the regulation of post-modification of the skeleton precursors of diterpene tanshinones in Salvia miltiorrhiza. Most genes found to be involved in tanshinone biosynthesis are located on chromosome 6, and five of these genes comprise a large gene cluster in S. miltiorrhiza. We found that SmERF73 overexpression in S. miltiorrhiza coordinately up-regulated the transcription of seven tanshinone biosynthetic genes, four of which were located in the tanshinone gene cluster, consequently increasing tanshinone accumulation, while SmERF73 silencing reduced corresponding gene transcription and tanshinone accumulation. SmERF73 recognizes GCC-box promoter elements of four tanshinone-associated genes (DXR1, CPS1, KSL1 and CYP76AH3) and activates their expression. Moreover, SmERF73 and its targets were up-regulated by stress elicitors; SmERF73 appears to be at least partly mediated by the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway via interaction with SmJAZ3. SmERF73 coordinately regulates tanshinone biosynthetic gene expression, suggesting a potential link between tanshinone production and plant stress responses.

Bile acids are lipid-emulsifying metabolites synthesized in hepatocytes and maintained in vivo through enterohepatic circulation between the liver and small intestine1. As detergents, bile acids can cause toxicity and inflammation in enterohepatic tissues2. Nuclear receptors maintain bile acid homeostasis in hepatocytes and enterocytes3, but it is unclear how mucosal immune cells tolerate high concentrations of bile acids in the small intestine lamina propria (siLP). CD4+ T effector (Teff) cells upregulate expression of the xenobiotic transporter MDR1 (encoded by Abcb1a) in the siLP to prevent bile acid toxicity and suppress Crohn’s disease-like small bowel inflammation4. Here we identify the nuclear xenobiotic receptor CAR (encoded by Nr1i3) as a regulator of MDR1 expression in T cells that can safeguard against bile acid toxicity and inflammation in the mouse small intestine. Activation of CAR induced large-scale transcriptional reprogramming in Teff cells that infiltrated the siLP, but not the colon. CAR induced the expression of not only detoxifying enzymes and transporters in siLP Teff cells, as in hepatocytes, but also the key anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Accordingly, CAR deficiency in T cells exacerbated bile acid-driven ileitis in T cell-reconstituted Rag1−/− or Rag2−/− mice, whereas pharmacological activation of CAR suppressed it. These data suggest that CAR acts locally in T cells that infiltrate the small intestine to detoxify bile acids and resolve inflammation. Activation of this program offers an unexpected strategy to treat small bowel Crohn’s disease and defines lymphocyte sub-specialization in the small intestine. Activation of the nuclear hormone receptor CAR in T cells protects the small intestine against bile acid-driven inflammation.

Bile acids are cholesterol-derived surfactants that circulate actively between the liver and ileum and that are classically recognized for emulsifying dietary lipids to facilitate absorption. More recent studies, however, have revealed new functions of bile acids; as pleotropic signaling metabolites that regulate diverse metabolic and inflammatory pathways in multiple cell types and tissues through dynamic interactions with both germline-encoded host receptors and the microbiota. Accordingly, perturbed bile acid circulation and/or metabolism is now implicated in the pathogenesis of cholestatic liver diseases, metabolic syndrome, colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Here, we discuss the three-dimensional interplay between bile acids, the microbiota, and the mucosal immune system, focusing on the mechanisms that regulate intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. Although the functions of bile acids in mucosal immune regulation are only beginning to be appreciated, targeting bile acids and their cellular receptors has already proven an important area of new drug discovery.

The labor force participation rate for adults aged 55 years and older has increased nearly 10% over the past two and a half decades. As workers age, they frequently experience increased chronic health conditions and impaired sleep, which may negatively influence their self-rated health (SRH) and work performance. This study aimed to examine the associations between nonrestorative sleep (NRS) and work performance (i.e., difficulty concentrating or having lower productivity at work) and associations between demographic and sleep characteristics with SRH in middle-aged workers. We conducted a secondary data analysis among working middle-aged adults 50 to 65 years of age ( N = 392) from the 2008 Sleep in America Poll. Respondents frequently reported impaired sleep such as frequent insomnia symptoms, NRS, and short sleep duration. Nonrestorative sleep was associated with decreased work performance such as trouble organizing work, doing work over due to mistakes, and lower productivity. Nonrestorative sleep and short sleep duration were significantly associated with lower SRH. Strategies for the early detection of impaired sleep and implementation of interventions to improve sleep may improve SRH and work performance in working middle-aged adults.

Based on the premise of sustainable development of the environment, how to achieve the balance of energy utilization, economic development, and sustainable management of the environment is becoming increasingly important in the process of stable economic development. This paper analyzes the concept of environmental Kuznets curve, taking 35 European countries as the research objects, first discusses the trend of energy utilization efficiency from 1990 to 2013, and then analyzes the relationship between energy efficiency and economic development. Empirical results show that labor has a significant negative impact on energy efficiency and the increase in labor input will reduce energy efficiency. If the added value of national manufacturing accounts for a higher percentage in GDP, it will have a negative impact on the effectiveness of energy utilization. In addition, when the national price level is high, price fluctuation will increase the price of energy utilization, or the cost of energy input in economic activities, which will further reduce the country's energy efficiency performance. Lastly, the empirical study also found that energy efficiency and economic development showed a quadratic U-shaped relationship, indicating that the long-term energy efficiency of the country will first decline and then rise during economic activities.

Physical activity interventions have shown to be potentially effective for preventing mobility impairment and improving life satisfaction in older adults. However, few studies investigated the effect of resistance exercise training on mobility and life satisfaction in older Chinese Americans. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of a 12-week resistance exercise intervention (two times weekly) on mobility (balance, gait speed, and chair stand performance) and life satisfaction in a sample of community-dwelling older Chinese Americans aged 60-89 years (N = 30; mean age 77.9 ± 5.0 years). The study was a two-group randomized controlled trial (RCT). All participants were randomly assigned into either the resistance exercise group or the wait-list control group (15 participants in each group). Participants’ balance, gait speed, chair stand performance, and life satisfaction were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. Descriptive statistics and t tests were used for data analysis. The results indicated that older adults participated in the resistance exercise program had significant improvements in balance, gait speed, chair stand performance, and life satisfaction at the end of the trial. Compared to the control group, the resistance exercise group had significantly greater improvements in balance, gait speed, chair stand performance, and life satisfaction at 12 weeks follow-up. The findings suggest that resistance exercise has beneficial effects in improving mobility and life satisfaction for older adults. This resistance exercise program provides a basis for developing larger RCTs for further determining the efficacy of resistance exercise among older Chinese Americans.

This study investigated the effect of salvia miltiorrhiza-asarum ointment (SMAO) plus Chinese medical massage on knee osteoarthritis in a rat model.Hulth's method was used to establish a Sprague-Dawley rat model of knee osteoarthritis (OA). The levels of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), collagen-II, aggrecan, interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The joint space was assessed by a Perlove X-ray system. Histopathology was examined by hematoxylin-eosin and Safranin O staining. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Notch1, MMP-13, collagen-II, and aggrecan were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively.SMAO plus Chinese medical massage significantly decreased the levels of MMP-13, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, and increased serum collagen-II and aggrecan levels. Pathological injury of the knee joint was improved by SMAO treatment. mRNA and protein expression of Notch1 and MMP-13 was remarkably downregulated, but collagen-II and aggrecan levels were significantly upregulated in cartilage tissues.SMAO combined with Chinese medical massage effectively relieves OA symptoms, which may involve inhibiting inflammation through the Notch1/MMP-13 signaling pathway.

The plant root-associated microbiomes include root microbiome and rhizosphere microbiome, which are closely related to plant life activities. Nearly 30% of photosynthesis products of plants are used to synthesize root compounds, there is evidence that root compounds regulate and significantly affect the root microbiome Tanshinones are the main hydrophobic components in Salvia miltiorrhiza. In order to study whether these compounds can regulate the root-associated microbiomes of S. miltiorrhiza, our study first identified a white root S. miltiorrhiza(BG) which contains little tanshinones. Retain of the fifth intron of tanshinones synthesis key enzyme gene SmCPS1 leading to the early termination of the SmCPS1 gene, and a stable white root phenotype. Further, wild type(WT) and BG were planted in greenhouse with nutrient soil(Pindstrup, Denmark) and Shandong soil(collected from the S. miltiorrhiza base in Weifang, Shandong), then high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the root-associated microbiomes. The results showed that the tanshinones significantly affected the root-associated microbiomes of S. miltiorrhiza, and the impact on root microbiomes was more significant. There are significant differences between WT and BG root microbiomes in species richness, dominant strains and co-occurrence network. Tanshinones have a certain repelling effect on Bacilli which belongs to Gram-positive, while specifically attract some Gram-negative bacteria such as Betaproteobacteria and some specific genus of Alphaproteobacteria. This study determined the important role of tanshinones in regulating the structure of root-associated microbiomes from multiple angles, and shed a light for further improving the quality and yield of S. miltiorrhiza through microenvironment regulation.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi provided is beneficial to Salvia miltiorrhiza for increasing yield, promoting the accumulation of active ingredients, and alleviating S. miltiorrhiza disease etc. However, the application of fungicides will affect the benefit of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and there is little research about it. This article study the effect of four different fungicides: carbendazim, polyoxin, methyl mopazine, and mancozeb on mycorrhiza benefit to S. miltiorrhiza by the infection intensity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, the growth of S. miltiorrhiza, and the content of active ingredients. RESULTS:: showed that different fungicides had different effects. The application of mancozeb had the strongest inhibitory effect on the mycorrhizal benefit to S. miltiorrhiza. Mancozeb significantly reduced the mycorrhizal colonization and the beneficial effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and the accumulation of active components of S. miltiorrhiza. The application of polyoxin had no significant effect on mycorrhizal colonization. Instead, it had a synergistic effect with the mycorrhizal benefit to promoting the growth and accumulation of rosmarinic acid of S. miltiorrhiza. The inhibitory strengths of four fungicides are: mancozebgt;thiophanate methyl, carbendazimgt;polyoxin. Therefore, we recommend applying biological fungicides polyoxin and avoid applying chemical fungicides mancozeb for disease control during mycorrhizal cultivation of S. miltiorrhiza.

Previous studies indicated that Tai Chi might be an effective way to improve or prevent cognitive impairments in older populations. However, existing research does not provide clear recommendations about the optimal dose of Tai Chi practice, which is the most effective in improving cognitive function in older adults. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the dose–response relationship between Tai Chi and cognition in community-dwelling older adults. A total of 16 studies with 1121 subjects were included in this study. Meta-regression analyses of Tai Chi duration (Tai Chi session duration, Tai Chi practice duration per week, study duration, and Tai Chi practice duration for the entire study) on the study effect size (ES) were performed to examine the dose–response association of Tai Chi and cognition. The results showed that there was a positive effect of Tai Chi on cognitive function, but there were no statistically significant dose duration effects on cognition. The findings suggest that Tai Chi has beneficial effects on cognitive function, but a longer duration was not associated with larger effects. In order to establish evidence-based clinical interventions using Tai Chi, future research should clearly demonstrate intervention protocol, particularly the style and intensity of Tai Chi.

Background Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has been documented in many herbivorous insects, conferring the ability to digest plant material and promoting their remarkable ecological diversification. Previous reports suggest HGT of antibacterial enzymes may have contributed to the insect immune response and limit bacterial growth. Carnivorous insects also display many evolutionary successful lineages, but in contrast to the plant feeders, the potential role of HGTs has been less well-studied. Results Using genomic and transcriptomic data from 38 species of ladybird beetles, we identified a set of bacterial cell wall hydrolase (cwh) genes acquired by this group of beetles. Infection with Bacillus subtilis led to upregulated expression of these ladybird cwh genes, and their recombinantly produced proteins limited bacterial proliferation. Moreover, RNAi-mediated cwh knockdown led to downregulation of other antibacterial genes, indicating a role in antibacterial immune defense. cwh genes are rare in eukaryotes, but have been maintained in all tested Coccinellinae species, suggesting that this putative immune-related HGT event played a role in the evolution of this speciose subfamily of predominant predatory ladybirds. Conclusion Our work demonstrates that, in a manner analogous to HGT-facilitated plant feeding, enhanced immunity through HGT might have played a key role in the prey adaptation and niche expansion that promoted the diversification of carnivorous beetle lineages. We believe that this represents the first example of immune-related HGT in carnivorous insects with an association with a subsequent successful species radiation.

A healthy lifestyle and regular physical activity are highly recommended for older adults. However, there has been limited research into testing lifestyle intervention effects on physical activity in older adults with hypertension. The purpose of this study was to assess the association of lifestyle intervention effects with physical activity and blood pressure in older adults with hypertension, accounting for social support and perceived stress as control variables. This study performed a secondary analysis of a two-arm randomized controlled trial. A total of 196 participants were randomly assigned to a six-month lifestyle intervention group or a control group. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that lifestyle intervention effects were not significantly associated with improvements in physical activity and blood pressure, but the final regression models were statistically significant (all p &lt, 0.001). The result revealed that only physical activity frequency at baseline was significantly related to improvement in physical activity. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) at baseline and monthly income were significantly associated with change in SBP, while age and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at baseline were significantly related to change in DBP. The findings provide empirical evidence for developing and optimizing lifestyle interventions for future research and clinical practice in this population.

Bile acids (BAs) are lipid emulsifying metabolites synthesized in hepatocytes and maintained in vivo through enterohepatic circulation between the liver and small intestine1. As detergents, BAs can cause toxicity and inflammation in enterohepatic tissues2. Nuclear receptors maintain BA homeostasis in hepatocytes and enterocytes3, but it is unclear how mucosal immune cells tolerate high BA concentrations in the small intestine lamina propria (siLP). We previously reported that CD4+ T effector (Teff) cells upregulate expression of the xenobiotic transporter MDR1/ABCB1 in the siLP to prevent BA toxicity and suppress Crohn’s disease-like small bowel inflammation4. Here, we identify the nuclear xenobiotic receptor, constitutive androstane receptor (CAR/NR1I3), as a regulator of MDR1 expression in T cells, and safeguard against BA toxicity and inflammation in the small intestine. CAR was activated and induced large-scale transcriptional reprograming in Teff cells infiltrating the siLP, but not the colon. CAR induced expression of detoxifying enzymes and transporters in siLP Teff cells, as in hepatocytes, but also the key anti-inflammatory cytokine, Il10. Accordingly, CAR-deficiency in T cells exacerbated, whereas pharmacologic CAR activation suppressed, BA-driven ileitis in T cell-reconstituted Rag−/− mice. These data suggest that CAR acts locally in small intestinal T cells to detoxify BAs and resolve inflammation. Activation of this program offers an unexpected strategy to treat small bowel Crohn’s disease, and provides evidence of lymphocyte sub-specialization within the small intestine.

The 5-phosphomevalonate kinase(PMK) is a key enzyme in mevalonate(MVA) pathway which reversibly catalyzes the phosphorylation of mevalonate 5-phosphate(MVAP) to form mevalonate-5-diphosphate(MVAPP) in the presence of ATP and divalent metal ion such as Mg~(2+). In this research, on the basis of the transciptome database of Cinnamomum camphora, the PMK was cloned by cDNA from C. camphora, and was named CcPMK(GenBank number KU886266). The ORF of CcPMK was composed of 1 545 bp, encoding 514 amino acids. The bioinformatics analysis of CcPMK indicated that the molecular weight of the encoded protein was 56.14 kDa, with a theoretically isoelectric point of 7.64, and there was no signal peptide and transmembrane structure in putative protein. By multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis, we found that similarity between CcPMK and PMK amino acid sequence of other plants was as high as 75%. Among the similar sequences, 45% of them belonged to the alpha helix, while 16% belonged to the beta strand. CcPMK obtained 3 PMK protein family motifs and 1 ATP binding site Gly-Leu-Gly-Ser-Ser-Ala-Ala, and its 3 D structure contained a catalytic pocket structure, proving CcPMK as a member of PMK gene family. The result of phylogenetic tree showed that CcPMK was closely related to monocotyledon plants such as Phonenix dactylifera. The results of the Real-time PCR indicated that the expression level of CcPMK in borneol type was higher than that in linalool type, cineol type, iso-nerolidol type and camphor type. CcPMK expressed highest in roots and lowest in branches. Our results revealed that the expression level of CcPMK was different among five chemical types and different plant tissues, and the research provides foundation for further study of the terpenoids biosynthetic pathway in C. camphora.

This study aimed to examine the association of health attitudes, health appraisals and affective experience to leisure-time physical activity in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cross-sectional analyses were conducted with a sample of 274 adults with COPD drawn from the second wave of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2) Study. Chi-square analyses and independent t-tests were used to test the differences between physically active and inactive COPD patients (active group versus inactive group) for all study variables. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the association of each study variable with leisure-time physical activity. The results showed that there were significant differences between the active and inactive groups in terms of age, education, functional limitations, health attitudes, health appraisals and affective experience. After controlling for socio-demographic variables and functional limitations, beliefs about the importance of physical fitness and strength for a good life and comparative health appraisals were significantly related to physical activity. However, neither negative nor positive affect was associated with physical activity status. Modifiable factors, such as health attitudes toward physical fitness and strength, as well as health appraisals, should be considered for developing effective physical activity promotion interventions among COPD patients.

Purpose: Chinese Americans represent the largest Asian ethnic subgroup in the United States. Depression is the most common mental health problem among older adults. However, we have a limited understanding of depressive symptoms among older Chinese immigrants. The study aimed to examine the potential factors associated with depressive symptoms among older Chinese immigrants in U.S. Methods: We recruited participants from psychiatric clinics who sought professional help in New York City. Inclusion criteria were Chinese immigrants from Asian countries 50 years or older; able to speak and understand either Mandarin or Cantonese; and had a diagnosis with major depressive disorder. Depressive symptoms were measured with Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology; cognitive function was measured with Montreal cognitive assessment; sleep quality was measured with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and physical activity was measured with International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were performed. Results: Participants were ninety-nine Chinese older immigrants (mean age: 60.69 ± 7.62 years). Participants who had more children (p < .05), poor health status (p < .01), poor quality of life (p < .01), less social support (p < .01), and need help with activities of daily living (p < .05) had more depressive symptoms. Cognitive function, sleep quality, and physical activity were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusions & Implications: Poor cognitive function, poor sleep quality, and less physical activity were associated with depressive symptoms. Our results provide knowledge for developing culturally tailored self-management interventions for older Chinese immigrants with depressive disorder in managed care settings.

Background Ladybird beetles (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) are highly diverse in their feeding habits. Most of them are specialist feeders, while some can have a broad spectrum of prey. As a representative group of generalists, the tribe Coccinellini includes many aphidophagous species, but members of this tribe also feed on other hemipterous insects including coccids, psyllids and whiteflies. As a result, several species are effective biological control agents or invasive species with serious non-target effects. Despite their economic importance, relatively little is known about how they adapt to new prey. Results In this study, comparisons of the life history traits and transcriptomes of ladybirds fed initial (aphids) and alternative prey (mealybugs) were performed in three Coccinellini species. The use of alternative prey greatly decreased performance, implied by the significantly prolonged development time and decreased survival rate and adult weight. Prey shifts resulted in a set of differentially expressed genes encoding chemosensory proteins and digestive and detoxifying enzymes. Conclusions Our results suggest that these generalists do not perform well when they use alternative prey as the sole nutrition source. Although their capacity for predation might have created an opportunity to use varied prey, they must adapt to physiological obstacles including chemosensing, digestion and detoxification in response to a prey shift. These findings challenge the effect of Coccinellini predators on the biological control of non-aphid pests and suggest the possibility of non-target attacks by so-called specialists.

MDR1 is considered a dedicated drug efflux pump in tumor cells. Chen et al. show that endogenous MDR1 expression in CD8+ T cells is required for immunity to pathogens, revealing new concepts in cell-mediated immunity and informing use of MDR1 inhibitors in human cancer trials., Multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1) acts as a chemotherapeutic drug efflux pump in tumor cells, although its physiological functions remain enigmatic. Using a recently developed MDR1-knockin reporter allele (Abcb1aAME), we found that constitutive MDR1 expression among hematopoietic cells was observed in cytolytic lymphocytes—including CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer cells—and regulated by Runt-related (Runx) transcription factors. Whereas MDR1 was dispensable for naive CD8+ T cell development, it was required for both the normal accumulation of effector CTLs following acute viral infection and the protective function of memory CTLs following challenge with an intracellular bacterium. MDR1 acted early after naive CD8+ T cell activation to suppress oxidative stress, enforce survival, and safeguard mitochondrial function in nascent CTLs. These data highlight an important endogenous function of MDR1 in cell-mediated immune responses and suggest that ongoing efforts to intentionally inhibit MDR1 in cancer patients could be counterproductive., Graphical Abstract

To study the effects of fresh-cut drying methods on the appearance and internal components of Panax notoginseng, and explore the feasibility of fresh-cut drying methods of P. notoginseng, so as to provide more effective processing methods for the production of P. notoginseng slices and Chinese patent medicines. In this study, we have compared the effects of 6 different drying methods on drying time, drying rate, density, appearance and internal components of P. notoginseng roots. It takes about 453 h to dry by whole-root drying in the sun, with a long constant speed period and a slow drying rate, the time of whole-root drying at 50 ℃ was shortened by 61.6% compared with whole-root drying in the sun, which resulted in the decrease of density and poor appearance of the medicinal material with hollow and crack appeared in the xylem, while the drying time of fresh-cut drying method was reduced by 61.82% to 91.58% and the drying rate increased greatly, due to the relatively slow drying process in the sun or in the shade after fresh-cut, salting-out and whitening appeared on the surface, and the internal components were all decreased to some extent. The drying time of fresh-cut drying at 50 ℃ was 91.58% and 68.83% shorter than that of whole-root drying in the sun and at 50 ℃, respectively. When drying at 50 ℃ after fresh-cut, the appearance and content of internal components of the medicinal materials were better, the appearance was yellowish green, the cut sections were clear with uniform pore distribution, and the content of saponin components was increased by 7.24% compared with that of the whole-root drying at 50 ℃, When drying at 40 ℃, the surface of slices has salting-out and whitening spots, and the loss of dencichine and total sugar was large, but at 60 ℃, this high temperature made the rate of dehydration of slices was extremely fast, which led to severe cracking and fragmentation, and the loss of total sugar and alcohol extract was large. By vacuum freeze drying after fresh-cut, the structure of medicinal materials slices was loose, the density was greatly reduced, and the appearance was different from those recorded in traditional books. The contents of total saponin components and dencichine were increased by 16.51% and 22.54%, respectively, compared with traditional whole-root drying. The fresh-cut process method is feasible in the production of P. notoginseng slices. In production, it is recommended that drying at 50 ℃ after fresh-cut can make the medicinal materials better in appearance and content of internal components, which is convenient for the subsequent processing and industrial feeding extraction. For the purpose of internal contents, it is better to adopt freeze-drying after fresh-cut processing method.

A new facile, rapid, inexpensive, and sensitive method for the analysis of six trace trichlorophenols in seawater samples was developed by magnetic micro-solid-phase extraction coupled to liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Core-shell covalently functionalized ferroferric oxide coated with aminated silicon dioxide and decorated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes was applied as an adsorbent to perform the extraction process. The effect of factors including solution pH, contact time, adsorbent amount, and ionic strength were investigated in detail. The obtained results revealed that the proposed adsorbent was a highly effective and low-cost magnetic micro-solid-phase extraction material for the enrichment of 2,3,4-trichlorophenol, 2,3,5-trichlorophenol, 2,3,6-trichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, and 3,4,5-trichlorophenol from seawater. Under the optimized conditions, the recoveries ranged from 88.0 to 99.5% at the three spiking levels, the limits of detection and the limits of quantification were 0.002 and 0.007 μg/L for the six trichlorophenols, respectively. The intra- and interday relative standard deviations were 2.0-6.7 and 4.5-8.9%, respectively. The calibration curves showed a good linearity in the range of 0.02-5.0 μg/L. The routine run analyses showed that the developed method was fast, simple, accurate, solvent-saving and high resolution, and it was suitable for the determination of trace trichlorophenols in seawater.

Regular exercise has shown to be potentially beneficial for improving mental health in older adults. However, few studies evaluated the effect of resistance exercise on psychological well-being in older Chinese Americans. The purpose of this two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to test the effects of resistance exercise training on stress, depression, and social engagement in community-dwelling older Chinese Americans. A total of 30 older adults (mean age 77.9 ± 5.0 years) were randomly assigned into the resistance exercise intervention group (n = 15) or the wait-list control group (n = 15). The resistance training intervention includes 50-min group exercise session twice weekly for 12 weeks. Participants’ perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and social engagement were measured at baseline and 12 weeks follow-up. Descriptive statistics and t tests were performed for data analysis. The results revealed that the resistance exercise intervention group had significant improvements in perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and social engagement after receiving the 12-week intervention. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the intervention and the control groups on perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and social engagement. However, older adults received resistance exercise training had greater improvements in stress levels, depressive symptoms, and social engagement than their control counterparts at 12 weeks follow-up. The findings suggest resistance exercise has positive effects on psychosocial well-being for older adults. Further larger RCTs are needed to assess long-term effects of the resistance exercise intervention.

This paper examines whether governments should adopt stricter environmental policies-such as raising environmental taxes-in closed and open economies. It reconsidered the policy effects of enterprise heterogeneity in an open economy and studied the relationship between environmental policies and sustainable development. In the case of self-sufficiency, it is possible to replace punitive environmental policies with environmental subsidies, which is beneficial to sustainable development. However, when trade is opened up, as less productive enterprises withdraw from local and export markets, the stricter environmental policy is the optimal strategy for environmental and energy sustainable development.

As many older Americans have uncontrolled high blood pressure, it is important to promote healthy lifestyles for older adults with hypertension. Regular physical activity is an effective way to prevent and control hypertension in older adults. However, older adults in the United States have low participation rates of regular physical activity. The purpose of this study was to test the predictors of changes in blood pressure and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults with hypertension. This study was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (N=196). Participants were randomly assigned to the lifestyle intervention group (n=103) or the wait-list control group (n=93). Descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression were performed to analyze characteristics of the sample and hypotheses testing. The results indicated that the final regression models were statistically significant. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that systolic blood pressure (SBP) at baseline and monthly income were significant predictors for predicting change in SBP (p < .05); age and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at baseline were significant predictors for predicting change in DBP (p < .05). For predicting change in physical activity frequency, physical activity frequency at baseline was the only significant predictor (p < .05). This study suggests that the associations between significant predictors, blood pressure, and physical activity should be considered when developing lifestyle interventions for older adults with hypertension.

Purpose of review Mucosal immune cells in the intestinal tract are continuously exposed to a barrage of both foreign and endogenously generated metabolites, termed xenobiotics, and endobiotics, respectively. This review summarizes recent insights into the mechanisms by which xenobiotics and endobiotics regulate intestinal immunity and inflammation. Recent findings The community of enteric microbes (i.e., microbiota) has profound impacts on the development and function of the mucosal immune system. The composition and function of gut microbiota is dynamically regulated by diet, and this interplay dictates which and how many immunomodulatory xenobiotics are present in the intestine. Microbiota also regulate the concentration and composition of circulating bile acids, an abundant class of liver-derived endobiotics with pleotropic immunoregulatory activities. A growing body of literature is emerging that sheds new light on the mechanisms by which xenobiotics and endobiotics interact with germline-encoded receptors and transporters to shape mucosal immune function. Summary The complex and dynamic interplay among xenobiotics, endobiotics, and the mucosal immune system is a new frontier in mucosal immunology that is proving fruitful for the discovery of novel and pharmacologically accessible mechanisms with relevance to human inflammatory diseases.

Biological control agents usually suffer from a shortage of target prey or hosts in their post-release stage. Some predatory agents turn to attacking other prey organisms, which may induce physiological and evolutionary changes. In this study, we investigated life history traits, gene expression and genotype frequency in the predatory ladybird beetle Cryptolaemus montrouzieri during experimental prey shifts. C. montrouzieri were either continuously fed on aphids Megoura japonica as an alternative prey for four generations or were shifted back to the initial prey mealybugs Planococcus citri in each generation. In general, the utilization of aphids resulted in reduced performance and severe physiological adjustments, indicated by significant changes in development and fecundity traits and a large number of differentially expressed genes between the two offering setup prey treatments. Within the aphid-fed lines, performance regarding the developmental time, the adult weight and the survival rate recovered to some level in subsequent generations, possibly as a result of adaptive evolution. In particular, we found that a shift back to mealybugs caused a gradual increase in fecundity. Accordingly, a genotype of the fecundity-related gene vitellogenin, of which there were several minor alleles in the initial population, became the main genotype within four generations. The present study explored the short-term experimental evolution of a so-call specialist predator under prey shift conditions. This potential rapid adaptation of biological control agents to novel prey will increase environmental risks associated with non-target effects.

By comparing the effects of soil pH on the efficiency of mycorrhizal symbiosis on Salvia miltiorrhiza， the study is aimed to provide guidance for the use of mycorrhiza in the cultivation of S. miltiorrhiza. In this experiment, the inoculant treated and the non-inoculant treated control were grown in different soil pH. The data was collected after 60 days of cultivation including rate of mycorrhizal infection, biomass, and three chemical constituents with known medicinal action. The results showed that Glomus versiforme was more apt to infect S. miltiorrhiza (F94.00%; M69.45%; m73.66%) and promote the growth of S. miltiorrhiza under pH 5-9 soil. The mycorrhizal contribution to the growth of S. miltiorrhiza was the highest when grown in pH 8 soil. Plants grown with mycorrhiza in pH 8 soil had above-ground biomass more than 2 times and root biomass more than 5 times. The uninoculated plants grew better under acidic and neutral conditions, but the inoculated plants grew better under alkaline (pH 8) conditions. This result showed mycorrhiza can play a role in the adaptability of S. miltiorrhiza to the environment. Inoculation of mycorrhiza significantly increased the accumulation of rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, and dihydrotanshinone by 6.59,5.03 and 2.20-folds. Based on our results alkaline soil (pH 8) is most suitable for the cultivation of S. miltiorrhiza by inoculation with the mycorrhiza G. versiforme.

Mobile health applications (app) have shown to be beneficial for chronic disease management. However, few studies assessed older adults’ engagement in tracking self-management activities with app functions and effectiveness on improving their diabetes outcomes. This study investigated tracking patterns of each app function (blood sugar, blood pressure, diet, exercise, medication adherence etc.) in a graphic-based aging-friendly diabetes self-management app (IMTOP app) and associated the patterns with changes in HbA1c, self-care behavior, diabetes empowerment, and health promotion. The sample included 334 community-dwelling older adults with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan (mean age 64.57 ± 6.64 years) participated in the IMTOP training course that designed to motivate and train older adults with diabetes to use mobile tablets and apps. We performed trajectory analyses using SAS TRAJ procedure to identify distinct classes of individuals following similar longitudinal patterns on absence or presence of weekly app use for each individual app function. The relationships between the app engagement class memberships and 4- and 8-month diabetes health outcomes were assessed using an econometric regression analysis approach. The results showed the degree of app engagement on any single function was significantly and positively correlated with diabetes self-care scale scores (all p < .05). Only the engagement on the blood sugar function had statistically significant association with HbA1c improvements (p < .05). The app use was not associated with diabetes empowerment or health promotion. The study findings suggest any app function engagement significantly improved older adults’ overall self-management but blood sugar tracking is critical to improve HbA1c.

The study was established an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of 8 steroidal saponins (polyphyllins Ⅶ, H, Ⅵ, Ⅱ, Ⅰ, and Ⅴ, dioscin, and gracillin) in Paridis Rhizoma, and made an evaluation by determining steroidal saponins in 15 kinds of genus Paris. The analysis was performed on a Waters Acquity H-ClassTM UPLC ultrafine liquid chromatography system coupled with a PDA detector. The chromatographic separation was achieved through a CAPCELL PAK ADME (4.6 mm× 250 mm, 5 μm) column and the optimal mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and water. The column was maintained at 21 ℃, and the flow rate was 0.8 mL•min ⁻¹. The UV detection wavelength was 203 nm. The results showed that ① the detected components can be well separated and all with good correlation coefficients. The standard calibration curves were linearly good (R20.999 9). The linearity was obtained over 0.041 70-3.812 00 μg. The average recoveries ranged from 95.91% to 103.8%. ② there are significant differences in the content of steroidal saponins from different species. The steroidal saponins are low content or almost none in P. mairei, P. polyphylla var. stenophylla, and P. delavayi have low content or almost did not contain, so these species are not suitable for medicinal use. The contents of steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. chinensis are varied from different places. There were high content of steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, P. forrestii, P. daliensis, and P. axialis, even up to 5.0%, which indicated that they had the potential pharmic value of development.

Salvia miltiorrhiza (S. miltiorrhiza) Bunge is one of the most economically important medicinal crops in China. In traditional Chinese medicine, its root is used as an important ingredient in formulas for treatment of atherosclerosis-related disorders. The continuous cropping of S. miltiorrhiza increases the proportion of dried seedlings and decreases the biomass of the shoots and roots and the contents of active components. In this study, three field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of Glomus mosseae (G. mosseae) inoculation on the growth and contents of active ingredients and nutrients in continuously cropped S. miltiorrhiza. The results showed that inoculation with G. mosseae increased the shoot biomass of S. miltiorrhiza by 48.1% and the root biomass by 39.2%, and decreased the dried seedling rate by nearly 75%. Inoculation with G. mosseae also increased the salvianolic acid B concentration by 21.9% in the shoots and 9.2% in the roots of S. miltiorrhiza, and also significantly increased Mn concentration in the roots and shoots (by 65.1% and 93.4%, respectively) and Fe concentration in the roots (by 75%). The accumulation of salvianolic acid B, Mn, and Fe in G. mosseae inoculated S. miltiorrhiza may be a mechanism that imparts tolerance to continuous cropping. Inoculation of S. miltiorrhiza with G. mosseae can serve as an effective approach of biocontrol to improve the performance of continuously cropped S. miltiorrhiza.

The poor quality and low productivity of cultivated liquorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) continues to put pressure on wild plant populations. As arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are known to support plant growth and in some cases even to enhance the accumulation of valuable molecules in the plant, the effect of Glomus mosseae on the growth and active ingredient contents was evaluated in liquorice plants grown under nutrient deficiency. We created a nutrient-deficient environment by mixing paddy soil, washed river sand, and pumice at a ratio of 1:5:1. Our results showed that the inoculation of pot-grown liquorice plants with G. mosseae significantly increased the shoot and root biomass (by 25- and 17-folds, respectively) and the contents of glycyrrhizic acid, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, and isoliquiritigenin in the main root (by 1.6-, 4.8-, 6.5-, and 4.4-folds, respectively). Both isoliquiritin and isoliquiritigenin were detectable in the lateral roots of the plants inoculated with G. mosseae, but not in plants without G. mosseae inoculation. G. mosseae inoculation improved the features of the root system and increased photosynthetic efficiency of liquorice. The uptake of P and K by liquorice increased when G. mosseae was inoculated, leading to the depletion of these macronutrients in the soil; G. mosseae also improved the availability of Mg, Cu, Zn, and Mn. Based on these results, we concluded that the inoculation of liquorice plants with G. mosseae is beneficial, particularly for those grown in nutrient-deficient soil, and such positive effect is related to the improvement of the root system and an increased photosynthetic efficiency.

Correction for ‘Surface core–shell magnetic polymer modified graphene oxide-based material for 2,4,6-trichlorophenol removal’ by Mei-Lan Chen et al., RSC Adv., 2014, 4, 63494–63501.

Regular exercise is potentially an effective way to prevent or reduce depressive symptoms for older adults. However, little research has focused on gender differences in exercise dose effects on depressive symptoms in older people. The purpose of this study was to test gender differences in the preventive effects of different exercise doses on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Taiwan. This study was a secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study in a sample of older Taiwanese adults (N = 2,673; mean age 74.2 ± 5.7 years). Four different doses of moderate-intensity exercise were examined including three 15-min sessions/week, three 30-min sessions/week, six 15-min sessions/week, and six 30-min sessions/week. Descriptive statistics and generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze characteristics of the sample and hypotheses testing. All analysis models were adjusted according to age, gender, education, marital status, smoking, social participation, and chronic conditions. The results indicated that regular exercise with at least 15 min per session, 3 times a week of moderate intensity was significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms for women, but there were no significant preventive effects on depressive symptoms for men. This study suggests that moderate-intensity exercise may play a protective role in depression prevention for older women, even with a very low dose (three 15-min sessions/week). Gender differences should be considered for future research and clinical practice when designing exercise interventions on preventing depression for older adults.

An ionic liquid-based ultrasonic-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-USA-DLLME) method was proposed for highly effective extraction of trace bromadiolone and brodifacoum in environmental water samples. The ionic liquid, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C6mim][PF6] was quickly disrupted by ultrasonication and dispersed in water as fine droplets. At this stage, the analytes were extracted into the fine ionic liquid droplets. After centrifugation, the concentration of the enriched rodenticides in the sedimented phase was determined. Extraction conditions including extraction solvent, dispersive solvent volume, pH, ultrasonic time and centrifugation time were investigated thoroughly. Compared with the conventional solvent extraction, the proposed approach exhibited higher efficiency, which indicated the IL-USA-DLLME method was an efficient, rapid and simple sample preparation technique. Under optimized extraction conditions, the enrichment factors were up to 122–137 times, achieving the limits of quantitation, which based on the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 10 were 0.005 μg L−1 for both. The linearities for both analytes were in the range of 0.005–1.0 μg L−1 with a correlation coefficient >0.999, and the recoveries were between 88.8–98.3% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) between 1.1% and 9.3%. The proposed method shows high reproducibility, and it is suitable for analysis of trace bromadiolone and brodifacoum in environmental water samples.