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Abstract Background Diabetes is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for vulnerable coronary plaques (VCPs), which are associated with adverse cardiovascular events, and to determine the value of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and VCPs. Methods Ninety-eight T2DM patients who underwent CCTA and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) were retrospectively included and analyzed. The patients were grouped and analyzed according to the presence or absence of VCPs. Results Among the patients with T2DM, time in range [TIR {the percentage of time blood glucose levels were in the target range}] (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.89–0.96; P

Abstract Background Runt-related transcription factor-1 (RUNX1), a key member of the core-binding factor family of transcription factors, has emerged as a novel therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease. There is an urgent need to fully understand the expression pattern of Runx1 in the heart and the mechanisms by which it is controlled under normal conditions and in response to disease. The expression of Runx1 is regulated at the transcriptional level by two promoters designated P1 and P2. Alternative usage of these two promoters creates differential mRNA transcripts diversified in distribution and translational potential. While the significance of P1/P2 promoter-switch in the transcriptional control of Runx1 has been highlighted in the embryogenic process, very little is known about the level of P1- and P2-specific transcripts in adult hearts, and the underlying mechanisms controlling the promoter-switch. Methods To amplify P1/P2 specific sequences in the heart, we used two different sense primers complementary to either P1 or P2 5'-regions to monitor the expression of P1/P2 transcripts. DNA methylation levels were assessed at the Runx1 promoter regions. Rats were grouped by age. Results The expression levels of both P1- and P2-derived Runx1 transcripts were decreased in older rats when compared with that in young adults, paralleled with an age-dependent decline in Runx1 protein level. Furthermore, older rats demonstrated a higher degree of DNA methylation at Runx1 promoter regions. Alternative promoter usage was observed in hearts with increased age, as reflected by altered P1:P2 mRNA ratio. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that the expression of Runx1 in the heart is age-dependent and underscore the importance of gene methylation in the promoter-mediated transcriptional control of Runx1, thereby providing new insights to the role of epigenetic regulation in the heart.

Objective: To evaluate the imaging features of the Segond fracture and explore its clinical value in lateral instability of the knee joint. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 45 cases of the Segond fracture. This involved the analysis of the characteristics of the fracture, including the relationship between the fracture and the ligaments around the knee joint, meniscus injury, and the size and location of the fracture block. Moreover, the significance of the Segond fracture in clinical treatment was discussed. Results: Among 45 cases of the Segond fracture, 41 (91.11%) had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, 31 (68.89%) had anterolateral ligament (ALL) injury, and 12 (26.67%) had iliotibial bundle (ITB) injury. The ALL were all attached to the fracture block, and 25 cases (55.55%) were attached to the ITB. The larger the size of the fracture block and the smaller the distance from the center of Gerdy's nodule, the more likely that the fracture block was attached to the ITB. Conclusion: The Segond fracture is often associated with ACL injury, involving the ALL and ITB. The larger the fracture block and the closer to the center of Gerdy's nodule, the greater the possibility of ITB involvement. Therefore, patients with Segond fractures should be alert to lateral instability of the knee joint.

Sesuvium portulacastrum L. is a dicotyledonous halophyte belonging to the family Aizoaceae. Its young leaves are highly nutritious, and many ecotypes are used as leafy vegetable and medicinal crops. Additionally, due to their tolerance to soil salinity, flooding, and high temperatures, some ecotypes are used for the remediation of saline soils. As a result, there is an increasing need for a large number of disease-free S. portulacastrum propagules. This study developed an efficient protocol for the regeneration of S. portulacastrum through indirect shoot organogenesis. Leaf explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of zeatin (ZT) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Callus was induced in all explants cultured with 1.5 mg/L ZT only or 1.5 mg/L ZT with 0.5 mg/L IAA. The callus was cut into small pieces and cultured on the same medium on which it was initially induced. ZT at 1.5 mg/L induced 73.7% of callus pieces to produce adventitious shoots, and the shoot numbers per callus piece were up to 20. To improve the in vitro rooting of adventitious shoots, commonly known as microshoots or microcuttings, an endophytic fungus, Cladosporium ‘BF-F’, was inoculated onto the rooting medium. ‘BF-F’ substantially enhanced rooting and plantlet growth, as the root numbers were three times more and plantlet heights were 70% greater than those without ‘BF-F’ inoculation. To detect the genes involved in the enhanced rooting and plantlet growth, qRT-PCR analysis was performed. Results showed that genes related to auxin responses and nitrogen uptake and metabolism were highly upregulated in ‘BF-F’-inoculated plantlets. Plants inoculated with ‘BF-F’ grew vigorously after being transplanted into a sand–soil substrate. Thus, this study not only established an efficient protocol for the regeneration of S. portulacastrum but also developed a novel method for improving the rooting of microshoots and plantlet growth. The established propagation system could be used for producing a large number of S. portulacastrum plantlets for commercial use and also for genetic transformation.

Objective: To explore the related factors of coronary vulnerable plaque in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and to provide an important basis for clinical prediction and management of coronary vulnerable plaque in patients with T2DM. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 150 patients was performed using T2DM-related clinical indicators and coronary plaque CT angiography (CTA) data, and by the presence of vulnerable plaque groups, to explore the independent risk factors of coronary vulnerable plaque in patients with T2DM and related factors of the ROC curve analysis of its diagnostic efficacy. Results: TG was an independent risk factor for vulnerable plaque in T2DM cases (OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.02~2.18); TIR (OR=0.95, 95% CI 0.92~0.97) and HDL (OR=0.32, 95% CI 0.13~0.78) were independent protection factors. The AUC of TIR, TG, and HDL was 0.71, 0.69, and 0.65, respectively. The AUC for joint prediction was 0.76, 95% CI was 0.68~0.83, sensitivity was 75%, and specificity was 70%. Conclusions: When TIR and HDL decrease and TG increases in patients with T2DM, clinicians should be alert to the possibility of a coronary vulnerable plaque.

IntroductionEndophytic microorganisms are bacteria or fungi that inhabit plant internal tissues contributing to various biological processes of plants. Some endophytic microbes can promote plant growth, which are known as plant growth-promoting endophytes (PGPEs). There has been an increasing interest in isolation and identification of PGPEs for sustainable production of crops. This study was undertaken to isolate PGPEs from roots of a halophytic species Sesuvium portulacastrum L. and elucidate potential mechanisms underlying the plant growth promoting effect.MethodsSurface-disinfected seeds of S. portulacastrum were germinated on an in vitro culture medium, and roots of some germinated seedlings were contaminated by bacteria and fungi. From the contamination, an endophytic fungus called BF-F (a fungal strain isolated from bacterial and fungal contamination) was isolated and identified. The genome of BF-F strain was sequenced, its genome structure and function were analyzed using various bioinformatics software. Additionally, the effect of BF-F on plant growth promotion were investigated by gene cluster analyses.ResultsBased on the sequence homology (99%) and phylogenetic analysis, BF-F is likely a new Cladosporium angulosum strain or possibly a new Cladosporium species that is most homologous to C. angulosum. The BF-F significantly promoted the growth of dicot S. portulacastrum and Arabidopsis as well as monocot rice. Whole genome analysis revealed that the BF-F genome has 29,444,740 bp in size with 6,426 annotated genes, including gene clusters associated with the tryptophan synthesis and metabolism pathway, sterol synthesis pathway, and nitrogen metabolism pathway. BF-F produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and also induced the expression of plant N uptake related genes.DiscussionOur results suggest that BF-F is a novel strain of Cladosporium and has potential to be a microbial fertilizer for sustainable production of crop plants. The resulting genomic information will facilitate further investigation of its genetic evolution and its function, particularly mechanisms underlying plant growth promotion.

Abstract Background We aimed to explore the association of serum level of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) and its related inflammatory biomarkers (hypoxia inducible factor-1α, cathepsin B, caspase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9) with malignant brain edema (MBE) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods We prospectively enrolled patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted

Abstract Background Cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) represent a large subfamily of receptor-like kinases and play vital roles in diverse physiological processes in regulating plant growth and development. Results CaCRK5 transcripts were induced in pepper upon the infection of Ralstonia solanacearum and treatment with salicylic acid. The fusions between CaCRK5 and green fluorescence protein were targeted to the plasma membrane. Suppression of CaCRK5 via virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) made pepper plants significantly susceptible to R. solanacearum infection, which was accompanied with decreased expression of defense related genes CaPR1, CaSAR8.2, CaDEF1 and CaACO1. Overexpression of CaCRK5 increased resistance against R. solanacearum in Nicotiana benthamiana. Furthermore, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that a homeodomain zipper I protein CaHDZ27 can active the expression of CaCRK5 through directly binding to its promoter. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analyses suggested that CaCRK5 heterodimerized with the homologous member CaCRK6 on the plasma membrane. Conclusions Our data revealed that CaCRK5 played a positive role in regulating immune responses against R. solanacearum infection in pepper.

Soil salinity is an important environmental problem that seriously affects plant growth and crop productivity. Phytoremediation is a cost-effective solution for reducing soil salinity and potentially converting the soils for crop production. Sesuvium portulacastrum is a typical halophyte which can grow at high salt concentrations. In order to explore the salt tolerance mechanism of S. portulacastrum, rooted cuttings were grown in a hydroponic culture containing ½ Hoagland solution with or without addition of 400 mM Na for 21 days. Root and leaf samples were taken 1 h and 21 days after Na treatment, and RNA-Seq was used to analyze transcript differences in roots and leaves of the Na-treated and control plants. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the roots and leaves of plants grown under salt stress. Several key pathways related to salt tolerance were identified through KEGG analysis. Combined with physiological data and expression analysis, it appeared that cyclic nucleotide gated channels (CNGCs) were implicated in Na uptake and Na+/H+ exchangers (NHXs) were responsible for the extrusion and sequestration of Na, which facilitated a balance between Na+ and K+ in S. portulacastrum under salt stress. Soluble sugar and proline were identified as important osmoprotectant in salt-stressed S. portulacastrum plants. Glutathione metabolism played an important role in scavenging reactive oxygen species. Results from this study show that S. portulacastrum as a halophytic species possesses a suite of mechanisms for accumulating and tolerating a high level of Na; thus, it could be a valuable plant species used for phytoremediation of saline soils.

Artificial reefs are frequently deployed in marine ecosystems to increase fishery yields and enhance the production of reef-associated fauna. However, information regarding trophic structures and pathways of faunal assemblages in artificial reef ecosystems in Pearl River Estuary were still in scare. To this end, we compared the abundances and isotopes of functional groups of fishes and macroinvertebrates in three offshore islands, including Wanshan Island with shallow artificial reefs, Miaowan Island with deep artificial reefs, and Wailingding Island with no reef. The results showed that high connection between pelagic and benthic origin in Wanshan and Wailingding Islands, with pelagic production dominating in Wanshan Island and benthic production dominating in Wailingding Island, respectively. The δ13C value of fishes was significantly lower in Wanshan Island compared to Miaowan Island and Wailingding Island, whilst the δ 15N value of macroinvertebrates was highest in Miaowan Island. Based on the trophic niches, Wanshan Island displayed higher trophic diversity and lower trophic redundancy in fish assemblages, while Miaowan Island was the same in macroinvertebrate assemblages. In addition, four key environmental indicators (i.e., salinity, pH, phosphate, and chemical oxygen demand) and five key environmental indicators (i.e., depth, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, total phosphate, and transparency) were the best at explaining the niche variation of fishes and macroinvertebrates, respectively. Our findings provide an understanding of ecosystem functioning within and around the artificial reef systems to further enhance effective management.

The Permian Tethys subduction-accretionary complex (SAC) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is distributed in six geotectonic provinces, which are known as the Zongwulong-Ganjia, the Western Kunlun, the Eastern Kunlun, the Ganzi-Litang, the Xijinwulan-Jinshajiang-Ailaoshan and the Longmucuo-Shuanghu-Nujiang from north to south. The SAC is a set of mélange generated by subduction of oceanic crust at trenches, which consists of relics from mid-ocean ridge, abyssal plains, oceanic island-seamounts, intra-oceanic arcs and trench turbidites. In this paper, we apply the ocean plate stratigraphy (OPS) theory to reconstruct the OPS sequence of the Permian SAC in the QTP. We divided the Permian SAC in the QTP into two types, i.e., convergent zone and accretionary zone according to their tectonic environments. Six relics from mid-ocean ridge, five relics from abyssal plain, five relics from seamount, two relics from intra-oceanic arc, two relics from fore-arc trench, and seven relics from continental fore-arc trench were recognized and then the OPS sequences from different tectonic environments were reconstructed. The spatial-temporal distributions and evolution of ocean basins during the Permian represented by six SACs are discussed.

Abstract The biostratigraphically important Permian radiolarian genera Pseudoalbaillella sensu stricto and Follicucullus (Follicucullidae, Polycystinea) are discriminated by morphological gaps in their wings and segmentation. Previous statistical analyses demonstrated that Longtanella fills morphological gaps between these two genera. Longtanella has long been regarded as a junior synonym of Parafollicucullus, and only a few species have been described. Herein several true Longtanella species are recognized from South China, and eight new species and five indeterminate species are described and illustrated to prove the validity of the genus Longtanella. In addition, a new genus, Parafollicucullinoides gen. nov., is described. Their palaeogeographic distributions and living environments are explored by applying correspondence analysis (CA), with occurrence datasets of selected fusulinacean genera from the Japanese Islands, China and Sundaland. CA results indicate that Longtanella was present to a limited extent in warmer conditions in the fusulinacean Province B and C during Kungurian–Roadian time, and possibly lived above the thermocline and below the deepest limit of fusulinaceans. The Pseudoalbaillella and the Follicucullus group preferred open ocean conditions, living below the thermocline and distributed not only in the ‘Equatorial Warm Water Province’, but also the northern peri-Gondwana Cool Water Province and the southern North Cool Water Province.

Abstract Background Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the most important diseases in pepper worldwide, however, the molecular mechanism underlying pepper resistance to bacterial wilt remains poorly understood. Results Herein, a novel RD leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase, CaLRR-RLK1, was functionally characterized in immunity against R. solanacearum. CaLRR-RLK1 was targeted exclusively to plasma membrane and was up-regulated by R. solanacearum inoculation (RSI) as well as by the exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or ethephon (ETH). The silencing of CaLRR-RLK1 led to enhanced susceptibility of pepper plants to RSI, accompanied by down-regulation of immunity-related genes including CaACO1, CaHIR1, CaPR4 and CaPO2. In contrast, transient overexpression of CaLRR-RLK1 triggered hypersensitive response (HR)-like cell death and H2O2 accumulation in pepper leaves, manifested by darker trypan blue and DAB staining respectively. In addition, the ectopic overexpression of CaLRR-RLK1 in tobacco plants enhanced resistance R. solanacearum, accompanied with the immunity associated marker genes including NtPR2, NtPR2, NtHSR203 and NtHSR515. Furthermore, it was found that CaHDZ27, a positive regulator in pepper response to RSI in our previous study, transcriptionally activated CaLRR-RLK1 by direct targeting its promoter probably in a CAATTATTG dependent manner. Conclusion The study revealed that CaLRR-RLK1 confers pepper resistance to R. solanacearum as the direct targeting of CaHDZ27.

Plant-based removal of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from water bodies is an important method for remediation of aquaculture wastewater. In order to acquire knowledge as to how antibiotic residues in wastewater might affect the microbial community and plant uptake of N and P, this study investigated N and P removal by a coastal plant Sesuvium portulacastrum L. grown in aquaculture wastewater treated with 0, 1, 5, or 50 mg/L sulfonamide antibiotics (sulfadiazine, SD) for 28 days and compared the microbial community structure between the water and rhizosphere. Results showed that SD significantly decreased N removal rates from 87.5% to 22.1% and total P removal rates from 99.6% to 85.5%. Plant fresh weights, root numbers, and moisture contents as well as activities of some enzymes in leaves were also reduced. SD changed the microbial community structure in water, but the microbial community structure in the rhizosphere was less affected by SD. The microbial diversity in water was higher than that in the rhizosphere, indicating microbial community differences. Our results showed that the commonly used antibiotic, SD, in aquaculture can inhibit plant growth, change the structure of microbial community, and reduce the capacity of S. portulacastrum plants to remove N and P from wastewater, and also raised alarm about detrimental effects of antibiotic residues in phytoremediation of wastewater.

Sesuvium portulacastrum L., a member of the family Aizoaceae, is an important coastal halophyte. Due to its adaptability to salinity and heavy metals, S. portulacastrum has now been widely used for the phytoremediation of saline soils and wastewater and the protection of the coast from erosion. The increasing use of this plant requires a large number of propagules. Stem cutting propagation and seed germination cannot meet this demand, and such propagations can initiate and spread diseases. A recent occurrence of Bipolaris sesuvii J.Z. Zhang and Gibbago trianthemae E.G. Simmons in S. portulacastrum resulted in the substantial loss of the plants during the remediation of aquaculture wastewater. Thus, there is an urgent need for establishing efficient methods of propagating disease-free starting materials. In the present study, we evaluated different growth regulators in the induction of axillary shoots from nodal explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium and identified that zeatin (ZT) and α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) was an appropriate combination for inducing high numbers of axillary shoots. The nodal explants were then cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of ZT and NAA, and the combination of ZT at 1.0 mg L−1 and NAA at 0.3 mg L−1 induced more than 12 axillary shoots per explant. The axillary shoots were excised to produce microcuttings or microshoots, which were rooted on half-strength MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The results showed that IBA at 0.6 mg L−1 induced 91.7% of the microcuttings to root with root numbers of over 36 per cutting. The rooted plantlets were healthy and true-to-type and grew vigorously in plug trays or plastic containers with a 100% survey rate in a greenhouse. Thus, this established protocol could be used for the rapid propagation of genetically identical and disease-free plants of S. portulacastrum for phytoremediation and the protection of shoreline soils from erosion.

Microfocus X-ray Computed Tomography (micro-XCT) has been employed recently in radiolarian studies, though so far primarily to generate high quality tomographic images. Although micro-XCT technique cannot always produce high-quality tomographic images, it frequently can provide valuable information on the internal structure of spongy polycystines. Here we employ micro-XCT to understand internal skeletal structures of several Permian specimens of polycystine radiolarians. Structural inferences from micro-XCT images are compared to images of the same specimens made with SEM and transmitted light microscopy (TLM). The utility of micro-XCT for imaging internal structures is first confirmed by examining the spongy, flat, four-spined species Tetraspongodiscus stauracanthus. Micro-XCT method is then used to examine the internal structures of a spherical to elliptical polycystine with two bi-polar main spines, Dalongicaepa bipolaris Xiao and Suzuki gen. et sp. nov., from the Dalong Formation (Changhsingian) of South China. The new genus is characterized by four to seven densely concentric shells with a large spherical hollow in the center and two cylindrical spines at both poles of the cortical shell, and belongs to the family Spongotortilispinidae. Spherical to elliptical polycystines with bi-polar main spines are similar in external appearance, and their phylogenetic relationships are only determinable by examination of the internal structures. We therefore analyzed all Permian and Mesozoic spherical to elliptical polycystines with bi-polar main spines showing internal structures, using cluster analysis to measure similarity. The results show distinctive differences in internal structures and suggest that family level relationships should be revised in the future.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in estuaries is highly variable at different spatial and temporal scales, which is affected by physical, chemical and biological processes. This study analyzed the spatial–temporal distributions of dissolved oxygen concentration and bottom hypoxia in the southeast of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) using monthly water quality monitoring and hydrographic data covering the period 2000–2017. The seasonal spatial–temporal variation of DO concentration was studied using various methods, such as rotated empirical orthogonal functions, harmonic analysis, and correlation analysis. The results showed that DO stratification was significant in summer, but it was not distinct in winter, during which DO concentration peaked. DO stratification exhibited a significantly positive correlation with water stratification. In the south and west of Hong Kong (SHK and WHK, respectively), DO concentration fields exhibited distinct seasonal changes in the recent 18 years. In SHK, the main periods of the surface DO variation were 24, 12, and 6 months, whereas the main period was 12 months in WHK. The main period of the bottom DO variation was 12 months in both SHK and WHK. In SHK, the spatial–temporal variations in surface and bottom DO were highly related to the variations of salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and active phosphorus, and the variation of surface DO was also connected to the variation of temperature and chlorophyll a. In WHK, the variations in surface and bottom DO were highly related to the variations of salinity and temperature, and the variation of surface DO was also connected to the variation of DIN. The river discharge and wind had a different important influence on the temporal variability of DO in WHK and SHK. These findings suggested that the variations of DO may be controlled by coupled physical and biochemical processes in the southeast of PRE. From 2000 to 2017, bottom hypoxia in the southeast of PRE occurred in the summers of 7 years. SHK appeared to be more vulnerable to hypoxia than WHK.

Two new coumarins, 7-methoxy-8-(2-hydroxmethyl-1-O-isovaleryl-4-butenyl)-coumarin (1) and 7-methoxy-8-(1-hydroxy-2-O-b-glucopyranosyl-3-methyl-4-butene-1-yl)coumarin (2), and twelve known coumarins 3–14 were isolated from the stem bark of Micromelum falcatum. The structures of compounds 1–14 were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data analyses. The toxicity of compounds 1–14 was tested using a brine shrimp assay and in vitro antiproliferative assay against mammary cancer (F10) and lung cancer (HvEvc) cell lines by the MTT method. Some compounds had moderate activities. All compounds were also tested against the microorganisms Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis and Escherichia coli, but no activity was observed.

A new flavanone, 4′,5,7-trihydroxy-6,8-di-(2-hydroxy-3-methylbut-3-enyl)- flavanone, was isolated from the aerial parts of Derris trifoliate, together with eleven known compounds: rotenone, tephrosin, 12a-hydroxyrotenone, deguelin, 6a,12a-dehydro-rotenone, dehydrodeguelin, 7a-O-methyldeguelol, 7a-O-methylelliptonol, 5,7,3',4'-tetra-hydroxy-6,8-diprenylisoflavone, daidzein and 4'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone. 7a-O-Methylelliptonol was isolated for the first time from the genus Derris. Their structures were characterized on the basis of spectral data. Eight of the isolated compounds were found to be significantly toxic to brine shrimp (LC50 range 0.06–9.95 μg/mL). The new compound showed weak toxicity (LC50 = 211.31 μg/mL).

For identifying the synergistic compounds from Pongamia pinnata, an approach based on high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) combined with isobolographic analysis was designed to detect the synergistic effects in the complex mixture [...]