Search

Artemisiaqingheensis (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), a new species from Qinghe County, Xinjiang, China, is described and illustrated. We investigated its phylogenetic position and relationships with 35 other species of Artemisia using whole chloroplast DNA sequence data. The molecular phylogenetic results and morphological evidence (multi-layered involucral bracts and homogamous capitula with bisexual flowers) showed that the new species belongs to ArtemisiasubgenusSeriphidium. A diagnostic table and discussion of morphological characters are provided to distinguish the new species from A.amoena , A.gracilescens , A.lessingiana and A.terrae-albae ., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Guang-Zhao Jin, Mariya Sheludyakova, Wen-Jun Li, Feng Song, Zhi-Bin Wen, Ying Feng.)

Numerous biological systems in nature provide much inspiration for humanity to master diverse coloration strategies for creating stimuli-responsive materials and display devices, such as to access gorgeous structural colors from well-defined photonic structures. Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) are a fascinating genre of photonic materials displaying iridescent colors responsive to circumstance changes; however, it is still a big challenge to design materials with broadband color variation as well as good flexibility and freestanding capacity. Herein, we report a feasible and flexible strategy to fabricate cholesteric liquid-crystal networks (CLCNs) with precise colors across the entire visible spectrum through molecular structure tailoring and topology engineering and demonstrate their application as smart displays and rewritable photonic paper. Influences of chiral and achiral LC monomers on the thermochromic behaviors of CLC precursors as well as on the topology of the polymerized CLCNs are systematically investigated, demonstrating that the monoacrylate achiral LC facilitated the formation of a smectic phase-chiral phase (Sm-Ch) pretransitional phase in the CLC mixture and improved the flexibility of the photopolymerized CLCNs. High-resolution multicolor patterns in one CLCN film are generated through photomask polymerization. In addition, the freestanding CLCN films show perceivable mechanochromic behaviors and repeated erasing-rewriting performances. This work opens avenues toward the realization of pixelated colorful patterns and rewritable CLCN films promising in technology fields ranging from information storage and smart camouflage to anti-counterfeiting and smart display.

Artemisia borotalensis Poljakov is an endemic and endangered herb in China. In this study, we sequenced and analyzed the complete chloroplast genome of this species. Sequencing revealed the genome to be 151,179 bp in length, containing a large single copy region (82,862 bp), a small single copy region (18,377 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (24,970 bp each). Our analyses demonstrated that it contained 133 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and one pseudogene ( ycf1 ). Furthermore, we found the genome to have an overall GC content of 37.4%. A phylogenetic analysis indicated that A. borotalensis and A. maritima clustered together as sister group to A. annua and A. fukudo clade., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

Objectives: To investigate age-related changes on passive muscle stiffness in healthy individuals and measure the shear modulus in different age groups., Methods: Shear wave elastography (SWE) movies of gastrocnemius medialis (GM) were collected during passive stretching induced by ankle rotation from plantarflexion (PF) to dorsiflexion (DF). A series of SWE images at ankle angles of PF 40°, PF 30°, PF 20°, PF 10°, 0°, DF 10°, DF 20°, and DF 30° were collected and shear moduli measured accordingly for analyses., Results: Eighty-six healthy volunteers (27 children, 31 middle-aged adults, and 28 older people) were recruited. No significant difference was observed in the shear modulus between the three groups at ankle angles of PF 40°, PF 30°, PF 20°, PF 10°, and 0° (p > 0.05). The difference in the shear modulus among the three groups became significant as DF increased. At ankle angles of DF 10°, DF 20°, and DF 30°, the shear modulus was the greatest in the older group, followed by the middle-aged group and then the children group (p = 0.007, 0.000, and 0.000, respectively)., Conclusions: Passive muscle stiffness increases with age, and the difference between age groups was pronounced only after reaching a certain degree of stretching., Key Points: • The influence of age on passive muscle stiffness becomes pronounced only after reaching a certain degree of stretching. • Age should be considered when evaluating passive muscle stiffness in muscular disorders.

Herein, a novel three-dimensional (3D) DNA nanomachine with high walking efficiency via free DNA walker movement on biomimetic lipid bilayers supported by hard silica@CdTe quantum dots (SiO 2 @CdTe) was constructed for ultrasensitive fluorescence detection of microRNA. The synthesized SiO 2 @CdTe nanoparticles were adopted as the fluorescence indicator and spherical carrier of lipid bilayers, and then the DNA substrates were anchored on lipid bilayers with biomimetic fluidity through the cholesterol-lipid interaction. Once target microRNA-141 interacted with the 3D DNA nanomachine to release cholesterol labeled arm (Chol-arm), the Chol-arm could generate a series of strand displacement reactions by moving freely on the lipid bilayers, resulting in the releasement of numerous quenchers from the SiO 2 @CdTe nanoparticles and inducing a strong fluorescence signal. Impressively, compared with traditional 3D DNA nanomachine conjugating DNA substrates on hard surfaces (such as gold or silica) with limited reactivity, the proposed biomimetic 3D DNA nanomachine not only immobilized DNA substrates rapidly and effectively but also kept it with a favorable fluidity, which significantly enhanced the walking efficiency. As expected, the biomimetic 3D DNA nanomachine for fluorescence detection of microRNA-141 exhibited an excellent performance with a detection limit of 0.21 pM and presented promising properties in cell lysate detection and intracellular imaging. Thus, the described biomimetic 3D DNA nanomachine provided a novel avenue for sensitive detection of biomolecules, which could be useful for bioanalysis and early clinical diagnoses of disease.

Herein, by anchoring cholesterol-labelled DNA probes to silicon-supported lipid bilayers via cholesterol-lipid interaction, a dynamic three-dimensional (3D) DNA nanostructure could be facilely assembled, which is applied as a microRNA (miRNA)-induced self-powered 3D DNA nanomachine with high movement efficiency. Once the self-powered 3D DNA nanomachine is triggered by target miRNA, it achieves autonomous operation without external addition of fuel DNA strands or protein enzymes. Impressively, the biocompatible lipid bilayers not only preserve the biological character of the DNA probes, but also improve the movement efficiency of the DNA nanomachine, which directly solves the key challenge of the steric barrier effect of traditional rigid surfaces (Au or silicon) for DNA probe diffusion. As a proof of concept, our proposed DNA nanomachine is successfully applied in rapid and sensitive detection of miRNAs, which gives a new idea for the construction of highly efficient DNA nanomachines for biosensing and clinic diagnosis.

Accumulating evidence indicates that angiotensin (1-7) [Ang-(1-7)] protects against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in animal experiments. However, whether Ang-(1-7) effectively inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) remains unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the eff ;ects of Ang-(1-7) on TGF-β1-induced EMT in human alveolar epithelial cells. We found that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) /Ang-(1-7)/MasR were decreased in the lungs of mice with IPF induced by bleomycin, and were negatively correlated with Tgfb1 mRNA expression. In vitro, our data showed that exogenous Ang-(1-7) restored the expression of E-cadherin and decreased the expressions of α-SMA and Vimentin induced by TGF-β1 in A549 cells. Ang-(1-7) also reduced TGF-β1-induced migration and synthesis of the extracellular matrix, such as collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ. Mechanistically, we observed that Ang-(1-7) directly inhibited TGF-β1-induced phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3, and suppressed the expression of the downstream target gene of TGF-β1-Smad signaling, including ZEB1, ZEB2, TWIST, and SNAIL1. Additionally, phosphorylation of mTOR induced by TGF-β1 also been suppressed by Ang-(1-7) treatment in A549 cells. Interestingly, we found that TGF-β1 strongly suppressed the expression of ACE2 in A549 cells through inhibiting SIRT1. In conclusion, our findings indicate that Ang-(1-7) directly inhibits TGF-β1-induced EMT in alveolar epithelial cells via disruption of TGF-β1-Smad signaling pathway, contributing to the protective effect against IPF., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

In this work, a novel fluorescent assay was proposed for the ultrasensitive detection of microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) based on the efficient immobilization of protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) as signal indicators in massive G-quadruplex structures obtained by target recycling, three-dimensional DNA walker and a rolling circle amplification (RCA) coupled cascade nucleic acid amplification strategy.

Background and Objective: Intussusception is the most frequent pediatric abdominal emergency. Intestinal spasm, ischemia, necrosis and even death may occur without prompt diagnosis and treatment. The ultrasound-guided reduction by saline enema is a preferred non-surgical procedure for intussusception. Muscular relaxants can relieve the intestinal spasm and edema by relaxing the intestinal smooth muscle, which may facilitate the treatment of intussusception. However, controversy persists on whether muscular relaxants are effective in the procedure. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to assess the efficacy of atropine known as a muscular relaxant in ultrasound-guided reduction by saline enema in children with intussusception. Methods: All patients with intussusception diagnosed and treated in our department from July 2016 to February 2018 were included. Four hundred and thirty-seven children were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: an atropine group and a control group. Intramuscular atropine at a dose of 0.02 mg per kilogram of body weight was administrated 15 min before ultrasound-guided reduction by saline enema in the atropine group. In the control group, the ultrasound-guided reduction was performed without using any muscular relaxants. The success rate, duration of the reduction, volume of saline, maximum intra-rectal pressure and complications were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results: The success rate was 95.9% (212 out of 221) and 94.9% (205 out of 216) in the atropine group and the control group, respectively. No significant difference was observed in the success rate between the two groups ( P > 0.05). The duration of reduction was significantly lower in the atropine group than in the control group ( P < 0.01). The volume of saline was also significantly lower in the atropine group than in the control group ( P < 0.05). The maximum intra-rectal pressure showed no difference between the two groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: Atropine premedication can facilitate ultrasound-guided reduction by saline enema in children with intussusception, by reducing the duration of reduction and the volume of saline in the procedure.

Herein, an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-fueled nucleic acid signal amplification strategy based on toehold-mediated strand displacement (TMSD) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was proposed for highly sensitive detection of microRNA-21. More importantly, the target microRNA-21 could be regenerated with ATP as the fuel rather than a nucleotide segment in conventional approaches, which made the proposed strategy simple and efficient due to the high affinity and strength of the aptamer-target interaction.

A novel poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) supramolecular network exhibiting shape-memory behavior was successfully constructed with pendant UPy units that are highly able to dimerize. The dynamic network was obtained by a simple and versatile strategy consisting of chain-extension reaction between α,ω-dihydroxyoligoPCL and hydroxylated UPy units in the presence of hexamethylene diisocyanate as a coupling agent and further intermolecular dimerization of the UPy along the polyurethane backbone. 1 H NMR analyses confirmed the dynamic features of the system, and DMTA in tensile mode was investigated to assess the SMP properties. Recyclability was also assessed by taking advantage of these supramolecular networks. Further addition of cellulose nanocrystals into the polymer network enabled adjustment of the extent of the net-points and therefore the SMP features. As confirmed by dispersion tests in solution and SEM observations, these bio-based nanofillers were homogeneously distributed in the network via supramolecular interaction between the hydroxyl groups present on their surface and UPy moieties along the polyurethane backbone. Thus, the here developed nanomaterials might reveal applicability in areas where a combination of SMP and biocompatibility is needed., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Heavy metal ions are persistent environmental contaminants and pose a great threat to human health, which has prompted demand for new methods to selectively identify and detect these metal ions. Herein, a novel fluorescent assay based on a rolling-circle-amplification (RCA)-assisted multisite-strand-displacement-reaction (SDR) signal-amplification strategy was proposed for the ultrasensitive detection of heavy metal ions with lead ions (Pb 2+ ) as a model. The proposed strategy not only achieved the target recycling but also introduced RCA induced by released DNAzyme. Most importantly, the RCA product was adapted as the initiator to provide multiple sites for SDR, which could displace signal duplexes from RCA products to effectively avoid the self-quenching of signal-probe assembly on the RCA product. Therefore, the amplification efficiency and the detection sensitivity could be improved significantly. As expected, the proposed strategy demonstrated good performance for the determination of Pb 2+ with a linear range from 0.1 to 50 nM and a detection limit down to 0.03 nM. Using this strategy for intracellular-Pb 2+ detection, a favorable property was obtained. Furthermore, the proposed strategy could be also expanded for the determination of microRNA, proteins, and other biomolecules, offering a novel avenue for environmental assays and clinical diagnostics.

Recently, charge transfer (CT) interactions have received attention for the fabrication of supramolecular architectures due to their inherent compatibilities, directional nature and solvent tolerance. In this study, we report a shape-memory dynamic network constructed by the CT interaction between π-electron-rich naphthalene embedded in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-Np) and π-electron-poor six-arm methyl-viologen-ended poly(ethylene glycol) ( 6 PEG-MV), which was verified by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), fluorescence spectra and swelling tests. Interestingly, the mechanical properties of this CT complex were dramatically enhanced compared with the control without CT interaction. Moreover, the excellent shape-memory effect (SME) was realized due to the good crystallization of the PEG segment and stable netpoints based on the CT interaction. In addition, as we expected, this supramolecular polymer network is self-healable and reprocessable.

Aim: To analyze the bacterial community structure and distribution of intestinal microflora in people with and without metabolic syndrome and combined these data with clinical indicators to determine relationships between selected bacteria and metabolic diseases., Methods: Faecal samples were collected from 20 patients with metabolic syndrome and 16 controls at Cangnan People's Hospital, Zhejiang Province, China. DNA was extracted and the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA genes were amplified for high throughput sequencing. Clear reads were clustered at the 97% sequence similarity level. α and β diversity were used to describe the bacterial community structure and distribution in patients. Combined with the clinical indicators, further analysis was performed., Results: Bacteroidetes , Firmicutes , Actinobacteria , Proteobacteria , Fusobacteria were the dominant phyla, and Prevotella , Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium was the top three genera in faecal samples. α diversity analysis showed that the species richness of metabolic syndrome samples (group D) was significantly higher than the control (group C) ( P < 0.05), and the microbial diversity of group C was greater than that of group D. According to the principal co-ordinates analysis, the samples of group C clustered more tightly, indicating that the distribution of bacteria in healthy patients was similar. The correlation analysis showed that alkaline phosphatase was negatively correlated with the abundance of Prevotella ( P < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between low-density lipoprotein and the abundance of Ruminococcus ( P < 0.05) and a positive correlation between the high-density lipoprotein and the abundance of Ruminococcus ( P < 0.05). The total protein and the alanine aminotransferase was positively correlated with the abundance of Peptostreptococcus ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The changes microbial communities can be used as an indicator of metabolic syndrome, and Prevotella may be a target microorganism in patients with metabolic syndrome., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: To the best of our knowledge, no conflicts of interest exist.

As a special subgroup of multiple intracranial aneurysms, mirror aneurysms are located bilaterally on the corresponding intracranial arteries. The current study sought to compare the clinical and demographic features of patients harboring mirror aneurysm, and to elucidate the corresponding risk factors. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 2641 intracranial aneurysms patients, who were admitted to our hospitals between January 2005 and June 2014. Patients were subdivided into three groups based on the inclusion criteria: (i) single (n=2250); (ii) non-mirror multiple (n=285); and (iii) mirror aneurysms (n=106). Clinical and demographic files of the three groups were collected and compared, and medical histories including stroke, hyperlipemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, valvular heart disease were considered as potential risk factors. Potential morphological reasons for mirror cerebral aneurysms rupture, including aneurysms size, irregular walls and cerebral hemispheric dominance, were also compared. Our data showed that the male to female ratio of mirror aneurysms patients was 1:3.61, which was significantly different from that of single aneurysm (1:1.27) and multiple aneurysms (1:2.00). The prevalence of mirror aneurysms in women is higher than that in men (P<0.001). Older patients (especially 60-69 years old) also appear to be more vulnerable to mirror aneurysm than single aneurysm (P<0.001). In 84 mirror aneurysm patients the aneurysms were located on the internal carotid arteries (79.2%), most typically at the PComA or in the Cavernous ICA. Patients with medical history of hyperlipemia appear to have an increased risk of harboring mirror aneurysms. Larger aneurysm size and presence of an irregular aneurysm wall appear to be the morphological factors that predispose for mirror aneurysms rupture., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Herein, we report a novel thermal/photoresponsive shape-memory polyurethane network with a pendant azobenzene group by utilizing its anisotropic-isotropic phase transitions and photoresponsive feature concurrently. To achieve this goal, the side-chain liquid crystalline polyurethane networks based on the pendant azobenzene group [SCLCPU(AZO)-Ns] were developed in a well-defined architecture. The smectic C nature of an LC phase in the polyurethane networks was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and one-dimensional and two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The well-defined architecture-made SCLCPU(AZO)-N displays two distinct transition temperatures (T trans ) (T g and T cl ), with a difference of about 40 °C. Consequently, the excellent triple-shape-memory effect in this network was demonstrated by cyclic thermomechanical analysis. By making full use of the trans-cis photoisomerization of azobenzene, the reversible bending and unbending behaviors were realized under the light irradiation with wavelengths of 450 and 550 nm, respectively.

An ultrasensitive fluorescence assay for intracellular Pb 2+ determination was proposed through target-intermediate recycling amplification based on metal-assisted DNAzyme catalysis and strand displacement reactions. Compared with only target recycling-based fluorescence assay with an M amplification ratio, the proposed assay could achieve an M × N amplification ratio to obtain an improved sensitivity by more than 10 times, in which M and N are the amplification ratios of target recycling and intermediate recycling, respectively. Remarkably, this proposed ultrasensitive fluorescence assay could be applied to the determination of various analytes with the well-designed detection probe, especially in intracellular assay, providing a promising tool for clinical diagnosis and biomedical detection.

Background: Lytic mycobacteriophage D29 has the potential for tuberculosis treatment including multidrug-resistant strains. The aims of this study are to investigate deposition and distribution of aerosolized phage D29 particles in naive Balb/C mice, together with pharmacokinetics and evaluation of acute lung injury., Methods: Pharmacokinetics and BALF (bronchoalveolar lavage fluids) were analyzed after administration of phage D29 aerosols by endotracheal route using Penn-century aerosolizer; Collison 6-jet and Spinning top aerosol nebulizers (STAG) were used to generate phage aerosols with different particle size distributions in nose-only inhalation experiments. After exposure, deposited amounts of phage D29 particles in respiratory tracts were measured, and deposition efficiencies were calculated. A typical path deposition model for mice was developed, and then comparisons were made between predictions and experimentally measured results., Results: Approximately 10% of aerosolized phages D29 reached lung of mouse for pulmonary delivery, and were completely eliminated until 72 h after administration. In contrast, about 0.1% of intraperitoneal injected phages reached the lung, and were almost eliminated at 12 h time point. The inflammation was hardly observed in lung according to the results of BALF analysis. The CMADs (count median aerodynamic diameters) of generated aerosol by Collison and STAG nebulizer were 0.8 μm and 1.5 μm, respectively. After nose-only exposure, measured deposition efficiencies in whole respiratory tract for 0.8 and 1.5 μm phage particles were below 1% and 10%, respectively. Predictions of the computer deposition model compared fairly well with experimentally measured results., Conclusions: This is the first systematic study of phage D29 aerosol respiratory challenge in laboratory animals. It provides evidence that aerosol delivery of phage D29 is an effective way for treating pulmonary infections caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This research will also provide important data for future inhalation experiments.

Background and Purpose: Previous studies of geometric and morphologic parameters of intracranial aneurysms have been conducted to determine rupture risk, which remains incompletely defined due to patient-specific risk factors, such as sex, hypertension, and age. To this end, we compared characteristics of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms in the same patients with symmetric bilateral intracranial aneurysms., Materials and Methods: Between January 2008 and March 2014, 2361 patients with 2674 aneurysms were diagnosed by CT angiography or surgical findings at 4 medical centers. Geometric and morphologic parameters examined for symmetric bilateral intracranial aneurysms comprised aneurysm wall regularity, size, neck width, aspect ratio, size ratio, neck-to-parent artery ratio, and area ratio. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed to determine independent risk factors for rupture., Results: Sixty-three patients (48 women, 15 men; mean age, 62.5 ± 9.8 years) with symmetric bilateral aneurysms were eligible for the study and were included. The most frequent aneurysm location was the posterior communicating artery. Univariate analysis disclosed that aneurysm size, aspect ratio, size ratio, area ratio, and irregular wall differed between patients with ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. Multivariate analysis indicated that aspect ratio of ≥1.6 (adjusted OR, 9.521; 95% CI, 2.182-41.535), area ratio of ≥1.5 (adjusted OR, 4.089; 95% CI, 1.247-13.406), and irregular shape (adjusted OR, 10.443; 95% CI 3.394-32.135) were significant predictive factors for aneurysm rupture after adjustment for aneurysm size., Conclusions: An aspect ratio of ≥1.6, area ratio of ≥1.5, and irregular wall are associated with aneurysm rupture independent of aneurysm size and patient characteristics. These characteristics alone can help in distinguishing ruptured bilateral intracranial aneurysms from unruptured ones., (© 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Objective: To investigate the magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） and computed tomography (CT) features of clonorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma, and provide reference for its clinical diagnosis., Methods: The CT and MRI （including magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, MRCP） data of 60 patients diagnosed to have cholangiocarcinoma（26 cases with clonorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma, group A; 34 cases with simple cholangiocarcinomas, group B） by surgery or biopsy in two hospitals in Guangdong Province during July 2005 and June 2015 were collected. The tumor location, pathological types, imaging features, mode of enhancement, and the bile duct expansion were analyzed., Results: Imaging results showed that the tumor tended to occur in the right liver in group A（46.2%, 12/26） and in the left hepatic duct and the liver explorer in group B （61.8%, 21/34）（P<0.05）. The pathological types of tumor in both groups included the nodule/mass type (group A, 73.1%, 19/26; group B, 52.9%, 18/34), the infiltration type （15.4%, 4/26; 23.5%, 8/34）, and the cavity growth type（11.5%, 3/26; 23.5%, 8/34）（P>0.05）. Plain and enhanced CT and MRI results revealed no significant difference in tumor density, signal characteristics or the mode of enhancement between the two groups. MRCP results showed that the intrahepatic distal bile duct cystic dilatation, the intrahepatic bile duct cane soft tubular ectasia, the bile duct dilatation in the tumor, and the bile duct dilatation surrounding the tumor accounted for 61.5%（16/26）, 19.2% （5/26）, 50% （13/26） and 7.7%（2/26） in group A, and 8.8% （3/34）, 64.8% （22/34）, 20.6% （7/34） and 38.2% （13/34） in group B （P<0.05 for each of the four）， respectively., Conclusion: The clonorchiasis-associated cholangiocarcinoma has certain imaging characteristics. It is different from the simple cholangiocarcinomas in tumor location and intrahepatic bile duct dilatation.

In this study, we evaluated the bacterial, fungal aerosol concentration, and particle size distribution using microbiological aerosol sampler, and analyzed the particles count concentration of PM1.0, PM2.5, PM5.0 and PM10.0 using aerodynamic particle sizer during clear and haze days in Beijing during Jan 8th, 2013 to Feb 4th, 2013. The concentration of bacterial, fungal aerosol, air particulate matter and aerosol distribution were compared between haze days and clear days. Our results indicated that the proportion of fungal particles smaller than 5 micron, which could deposit in lungs or deeper regions, was much higher than bacterial particles. The biological concentration of bacteria and fungi were higher in clear days than in haze days, and there was no statistic difference of the microbiological aerosol distribution. The concentration of air particulate matter were higher in haze days than in clear days, PM10 was the main particulate matters both in clear days and haze days.

Background: The Central Asian flora plays a significant role in Eurasia and the Northern Hemisphere. Calophaca, a member of this flora, includes eight currently recognized species, and is centered in Central Asia, with some taxa extending into adjacent areas. A phylogenetic analysis of the genus utilizing nuclear ribosomal ITS and plastid trnS-trnG and rbcL sequences was carried out in order to confirm its taxonomic status and reconstruct its evolutionary history., Methodology/principal Finding: We employed BEAST Bayesian inference for dating, and S-DIVA and BBM for ancestral area reconstruction, to study its spatiotemporal evolution. Our results show that Calophacais monophyletic and nested within Caragana. The divergence time of Calophaca is estimated at ca. 8.0 Ma, most likely driven by global cooling and aridification, influenced by rapid uplift of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau margins., Conclusions/significance: According to ancestral area reconstructions, the genus most likely originated in the Pamir Mountains, a global biodiversity hotspot and hypothesized Tertiary refugium of many Central Asian plant lineages. Dispersals from this location are inferred to the western Tianshan Mountains, then northward to the Tarbagatai Range, eastward to East Asia, and westward to the Caucasus, Russia, and Europe. The spatiotemporal evolution of Calophaca provides a case contributing to an understanding of the flora and biodiversity of the Central Asian mountains and adjacent regions.

Optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy (ORPAM) is important for various biomedical applications, such as the study of cellular structures, microcirculation systems, and tumor angiogenesis. However, the lateral resolution of a conventional ORPAM is limited by optical diffraction. In this work, we report a simulation study to achieve subdiffraction-limited super-resolution in ORPAM using microspheres. Laser radiation is focused through a microsphere to generate a photonic nanojet, which provides the possibility to break the diffraction limit in ORPAM by reducing the size of the excitation volume. In our simulations using microspheres, we observed improvement in the lateral resolution up to compared to conventional ORPAM. The method is simple, cost effective, and can provide far-field resolution. This approach may provide new opportunities for many biomedical imaging applications that require finer resolution.

Objective: To evaluate the protective performance of a positive pressure bio-protective clothing against viral aerosol., Methods: The suspension of indicating virus phage Phi-X174 was made for viral aerosol generating in a hermetic cabin. The diameter of viral aerosol particles were measured with a aerodynamics size analyzer. By adjusting the inner humidity of the cabin, the protective efficiency of the positive pressure bio-protective clothing against viral aerosol in high and low windshield conditions was determined with Andersen six-stage air sampler sampling and plage forming unit (PFU) counting, respectively., Results: The mass median diameter of Phage Phi-X174 aerosol particles was about 0.922 µm and the background concentration is beyond 2 × 10⁴ particles/m³. The protective efficiency of the clothing against phage Phi-X174 aerosol particles was above 99.9% under different test conditions with the range of viral aerosol concentration between 0 - 23 PFU/m³. Airflow (P = 0.84), environment humidity conditions (P = 0.33) and sampling time (P = 0.07) did not affect the protective efficiency statistically., Conclusion: The positive pressure bio-protective clothing provided a relatively high efficiency against phage Phi-X174 aerosol regardless of airflow rate, environment humidity and sampling time.

Objective: To establish a testing and evaluating method for filtration efficiency of the canister against microbial aerosol., Methods: Serratia marcescens aerosol served as model of bacterial aerosol, Bacillus subtilis var niger aerosol as model of spores aerosol, bacteriophage f(2) aerosol as model of viral aerosol. Employing the microbial aerosol testing platform was established in lab, models of microbial aerosol generated artificially were sampled quantitatively by air samplers before and after filtrating by canisters, respectively. Filtration efficiency was determined by the concentration of microbial aerosol in the air sample before and after filtrating. The four canisters of 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4 were tested for the filtration efficiency against Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis var niger and phage f(2) aerosol. The two canisters of 543 and 544 canisters equipped with active carbon were tested for the filtration efficiencies against Serratia marcescens aerosol., Results: The filtration efficiency of 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 canisters against Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis var niger and phage f(2) aerosol was 100.000%. The filtration efficiency of 1-4 canister filtration efficiency against Bacillus subtilis var niger spores aerosol was 99.997% and efficiency of the other two aerosol was 100.000%. The filtration efficiency of the two canisters of 543 and 544 to those attached with active carbon against Serratia marcescens aerosol was 100.000%., Conclusion: The testing method might be used to evaluate the protective performance of the canister against microbiological aerosol. The effect of the canisters (including those equipped with active carbon) against microbiological aerosol should be reliable.

Objective: To observe the effects of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on tissue factor (TF) expression induced by thrombin in human umbilical vein endothelium derived cell line ECV304., Methods: The changes in the total cellular procoagulant activity (PCA) of ECV304 cells exposed to thrombin were observed with one-stage clotting assay. TF mRNA expression in the exposed cells was examined using semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: ECV304 cells stimulated with increasing concentrations of thrombin (1.25-20 U/ml) showed a gradual increase of PCA (r=0.9602, P<0.01). The application of FVII-deficient plasma and the monoclonal antibody of TF confirmed that the PCA of the cells mediated by TF activity. TMP at 125-1000 microg/ml alone did not affect TF expression in ECV304 cells (P>0.20), TMP administered 30 min prior to thrombin exposure showed a significant concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the increments of PCA (r=-0.9644, P<0.01) and TF mRNA expression (r=-0.9576, P<0.05) in ECV304 cells, and 1000 microg/ml TMP produced the strongest effect. In ECV304 cells stimulated with thrombin for 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h, TMP administration significantly inhibited the thrombin-induced PCA, and the effect was especially obvious at 8 h following thrombin exposure (P<0.05)., Conclusion: Thrombin induces TF expression in vascular endothelial cells, and this effect can be inhibited by TMP at the mRNA level.

Objective: To study the clinical implications of changes in plasma tissue factor (TF), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and factor VII (FVII) after the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute cerebral infarction (ACI)., Methods: Sixty-nine patients with AMI, 71 with ACI and 50 age-matched healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were obtained from the healthy subjects and from the patients at the early stage of AMI and ACI onset for examination of plasma TF and TFPI activity using chromogenic assay, and the plasma TF and TFPI antigens were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The plasma FVII coagulation activity (FVII:C) was also measured, and the plasma FVIIa determined using soluble TF assay., Results: Compared with the healthy control group, AMI patients had significantly enhanced plasma TF and TFPI activities and elevated TF and TFPI antigen levels (P<0.05), with also markedly increased FVIIa (P<0.05) but comparable FVII:C (P>0.05). In ACI patients, the plasma TF activity and antigen were obviously increased in comparison with the control group (P<0.05), but plasma TFPI activity and antigen were lowered (P<0.05), and both the FVII:C and FVIIa were markedly higher (P<0.05). Significant differences were noted in plasma TF and TFPI activities and their antigen levels as well as in FVII:C, but not in FVIIa between AMI and ACI patients., Conclusion: V Following the onset of AMI and ACI, TF pathway is initiated and the risk of thrombogenesis increases, and the assessment of TF pathway is therefore of value for understanding the development of the condition.

Aim: To study the plasma des-gamma-carboxy protein C activity, antigen and prothrombin levels in patients with liver diseases and their clinical significance., Methods: Plasma protein C activity (PC:C) was detected by chromogenic assay and antigen (PC:Ag) and des-gamma-carboxy protein C (DCPC) were detected by ELISA. Total prothrombin and unabsorbed prothrombin in plasma were detected by ecarin chromogenic assay., Results: Compared with the control, the levels of PC:C and PC:Ag in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis (LC) were lower (PC:C: 104.65+/-23.0%, 62.50+/-24.89%, 56.75+/-20.14%, PC:Ag: 5.31+/-1.63 microg/mL, 2.28+/-1.15 microg/mL, 2.43+/-0.79 microg/mL, P<0.05). The levels of PC:Ag in patients with acute viral hepatitis (AVH) also was lower (2.98+/-0.91 microg/mL, P<0.01), but PC:C was close to the control (93.76+/-30.49%, P>0.05). The levels of DCPC in patients with HCC were remarkably higher (0.69+/-0.29 microg/mL, 1.18+/-0.63 microg/mL, 0.45+/-0.21 microg/mL, P<0.05) and its average was up to 50% of total PC:Ag. But those of DCPC in patients with AVH were not significantly different from the control. The levels of total prothrombin were lower in patients with LC, but higher in patients with HCC. The levels of unabsorbed prothrombin were predominantly higher than those of other groups., Conclusion: PC:C and PC:Ag in patients with liver diseases (except PC:C in AVH) were lower. The total prothrombin was lower in patients with LC. The higher level of unabsorbed prothrombin may be used as a scanning marker for HCC. DCPC may be used as a complementary marker in the diagnosis of HCC.

Objective: To develop a simple method for evaluating the stability of magnetic resonance (MR) scanner during brain function imaging., Method: A symmetrical water phantom was scanned using the same sequence and parameters as for brain function imaging. The stability of MR scanner was evaluated in view of the signal levels of phantom images., Result: The quality control chart of the mean value, standard deviation and the range of the signal level in the region of interest (ROI) within the same region on 128 phantom images were obtained, demonstrating the state of stability of the MR scanner., Conclusion: The quality control chart of ROI can be used to evaluate the stability of the MR scanner.

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of MR imaging of hepatic lesions using measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of hepatic lesions on diffusion weighted imaging., Methods: MR diffusion weighted images were obtained in patients with 97 hepatic lesions (22 hepatocellular carcinomas, 21 metastatic tumors, 28 hemangiomas, 26 cysts). ADC values were evaluated with different sequences. The ADC ratio of lesion/liver was estimated., Results: Average ADC values of hepatic lesions were as follows: carcinomas (0.91 +/- 0.07) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s, metastatic tumors (1.13 +/- 0.27) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s, cavernous hemangiomas (1.94 +/- 0.37) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s, cysts (3.26 +/- 0.30) x 10(-3) mm(2)/s. The ADC ratio of lesion/liver was significantly different between primary carcinomas and metastatic tumors (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Quantitative study in hepatic lesions using ADC values and the ADC ratio of lesion/liver, would improve the accuracy in diagnosing hepatic lesions.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between injury in the marginal division (MrD) of the striatum and the cognitive impairment., Methods: Twenty patients with injury in the MrD of the striatum were examined routinely by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cognitive tests of each patient were performed and the results evaluated against their MRI findings. A comparative study of the MRI features and the degree of cognitive impairment was also performed between these patients and 10 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD)., Results: Ischemic injury was the main cause of MrD injuries, manifested by abnormal signals (long T1 and T2 signals) in the MrD. The findings in the 10 AD patients were characterized by atrophy of the temporal lobe, hippocampus and the cortex. The average mini-mental-status examination (MMSE) score of the 20 patients was 19.7, with impaired memory and computation abilities as the main manifestations of cognitive impairments. The average MMSE score in the AD group was 11, and the cognitive impairments included all aspects of the cognitive function. No significant difference of the cognitive impairment was noted between the patients with only injury in the MrD and those with also the injury in other areas of the striatum., Conclusion: The MrD is probably a new area related to the memory function of the brain, and the injury of MrD may cause cognitive impairment.

Objective: To establish the possible relationship between some coagulation factors and the onset of acute cerebral infarction (ACI)., Methods: The study population consisted of 71 patients with ACI confirmed by CT and 50 age-matched healthy volunteers. Blood samples were obtained during the onset period of ACI. Tissue factor (TF) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) activity in plasma were assayed with the chromogenic assay. Plasma TF and TFPI antigen were measured with enzyme linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma F VII coagulation activity (F VII: C) and F VIII coagulation activity (F VIII: C) were developed in the one-stage system. Plasma prothrombin (FII) was determined with Ecarin assay. Plasma fibrinogen (Fbg) was measured with thrombin assay. Plasma antithrombin III activity (ATIII) was determined using heparin cofactor activity assay., Results: Compared with the control, plasma TF activity and antigen in patients with ACI were significantly higher (both P<0.05). But plasma TFPI activity and antigen were remarkably lower in the ACI group (both P<0.05). Plasma F VII: C was significantly higher (P<0.01), and F VIII: C was markedly lower (P<0.05). Plasma FII was remarkably higher (P<0.01). Similarly the Fbg was significantly higher in the ACI than that in the control group (P<0.01), whereas ATIII was significantly lower (P<0.01)., Conclusion: The initiation of TF pathway is contributed to the onset of ACI and the blood is in hypercoagulable state during the early period of ACI.

Objective: With the help with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique, we aim to clarify whether the marginal division of the striatum (MrD) is involved in the working memory function of human brain for remembering numbers received through hearing., Methods: Thirteen healthy volunteers were instructed to undertake both a working memory task, in which the subjects were asked to remember as many numbers read to them as possible, and a non-working memory control task, in which the subjects were not asked to remember the numbers. FMRI of the brain was performed in the 2 groups while the tests were being carried out separately, and the activity of the brain regions was compared between these 2 tasks., Results: Eleven volunteers passed the working memory task for digit remembering. Highly active areas were observed in the prefrontal cortex and the MrD with predominance by the left side during performance of the working memory task, while other regions of the neostriatum were not excited. The prefrontal cortex and the MrD were not obviously activated during the performance in the control test., Conclusion: The results suggest that the MrD, along with the prefrontal cortex in the human brain, is involved in working memory function in remembering numbers assigned through hearing. The MrD is probably a subcortical memory center, which is linked to other memory-related brain areas.

Objective: To dynamically monitor the growth of rabbit VX2 hepatoma by CT and MRI, and to understand the CT and MRI features during different periods of tumor growth., Methods: The plain and dual-phase enhanced CT as well as the plain and enhanced MRI were performed in all the 10 rabbit VX2 hepatoma models (with 20 foci) at 1, 2 and 3 weeks after tumor implantation., Results: The detection rate of the VX2 tumors by CT and MRI was low at 1 week after implantation, but was raised to 100% after another week. The tumors were shown to be homogeneously hypointense by unenhanced CT. In arterial phase CT images, peripheral rim enhancement of all the tumors were observed, while the main bodies of the tumors remained hypointense. The nutrient arteries for the tumors stretching straight to the margins of the tumors were detected in 14 (70%) foci and arterial vessels in the tumors visualized in 9 (45%) lesions. On portal venous phase CT the tumors were also shown to be hypointense. The tumors were shown to be homogeneously hypointense in T1-weighted MR images and lightly hyperintense in T2-weighted images, with peripheral rim enhancement of the tumors after injection of the contrast agent. The intensity of most tumors became hetergenerous on plain CT and MRI at week 3 after implantation., Conclusion: Rabbit VX2 hepatomas are hypovascular tumors the growth of which can be monitored by CT and MRI effectively.

Previous studies identified a new brain area, the marginal division (MrD), at the caudomedial border of the neostriatum in the brain of the rat, cat and monkey. The MrD was distinguishable from the rest of the striatum by the presence of spindle-shaped neurons, specific connections, and dense immunoreactivity for neuropeptides and monoamines in fibers, terminals and neuronal somata. Behavioral testing demonstrated that the MrD contributes to learning and memory in the rat. In the present study, the structure and the function of the MrD were investigated in the human brain. The presence of spindle-shaped neurons and the distribution of neurotransmitters in the MrD were evaluated by immunocytochemical methods. The function of the MrD was identified with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of healthy volunteers tested with an auditory digital working memory task. Highly active areas were observed in the prefrontal cortex and MrD with left sided predominance during performance of the task, but other parts of the neostriatum were not excited and the MrD was not activated in a control test of non-working memory. The results of the present investigation therefore indicate the existence of a new area associated with learning and memory function in the human brain. The MrD probably plays an important role in the execution of digital working memory and appears to link the limbic system and the basal nucleus of Meynert. The MrD may also be involved in the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease.

Bilateral cerebral hemorrhages in the medial areas of bilateral putamens that impair the memory and calculation abilities are rare clinical entities. In the case presently reported, the patient suffered initial cerebral hemorrhage 3 years ago in the medial area of putamen on the right side with light left paralysis but the learning and memory functions were intact. A recent cerebral hemorrhage on the left side leaving mild paralysis of the right upper limb, however, had caused considerable loss of his recent memory and calculation ability. As the 2 cerebral hemorrhages were found to cause damage to the marginal devision, the symptoms developed in this special case had provided clinical evidence for the postulation that the marginal division is associated with memory and calculation function.

Objective: To explore the effects and mechanism of thrombin on the expression of tissue factor (TF) activity in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells(BAECs)., Methods: BAECs were cultured according to Schwartz's method, and one stage clotting time assay was used to measure TF activity., Results: 1. Thrombin enhanced the expression of TF activity in cultured BAECs. 2. A23187, a calcium ionophore, induced slightly the expression of TF activity, but markedly promoted the thrombin-induced TF activity in BAECs(P < 0.05). 3. TFP, a Ca2+/CaM inhibitor, inhibited the inductive effects of thrombin. 4. Pentoxifylline, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, inhibited thrombin-induced TF activity in BAECs., Conclusion: Thrombin can induce the expression of TF activity in cultured BAECs, and the processes of signal transduction may be associated with Ca2+/CaM-dependent pathway and cAMP.

Objective: To study the effects of Buyang huanwu decoction (BHD) on the release of von Willebrand factor(vWF) and the expression of tissue factor(TF) activity induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs)., Methods: BAECs from neonatal cox were cultured and 4-8 passages were used. Cells were incubated for 8 hours after addition of different treatments. The supernatant was used to measure vWF and BAECs lysate to determine TF activity., Results: 1. Compared with the control, TNF alpha enhanced the expression of TF activity(12.79 +/- 2.59 vs. 4.69 +/- 0.83, P < 0.01) and the effects were in dose-dependent manner(r = 0.9712, P < 0.01); BHD inhibited the effects of TNF alpha(P < 0.01). 2. Compared with the control, TNF alpha promoted the release of vWF from endothelial cells (13.28 +/- 4.76 vs. 6.42 +/- 2.84, P < 0.01) and BHD inhibited the effect of TNF alpha(P < 0.01)., Conclusion: BHD can inhibit the expression of TF and the release of vWF induced by TNF alpha.

Background and Objective: "Bu-yang huanwu tang", a decoction of Chinese herbs widely used in the treatment for cardio- and cerebro-vascular diseases, has been demonstrated to be able to inhibit platelet adhesion and aggregation, to lower blood lipids, to regulate vascular tone from animal experiments. The aim of this study is to determine whether this decoction inhibits the pathogentic process of atherosclerosis induced by cholesterol-rich diet in rabbits., Methods: Three groups of rabbits received the following different diets for 9 weeks: 1. standard diet; 2. atherogenic diet(standard diet plus 1% cholesterol and 3.3% fat); 3. atherogenic diet plus this decoction(5 g.kg-1.d-1). Plasma lipids, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, endothelin levels were detected and the histological atherosclerotic changes were evaluated., Results: This decoction inhibited the progression of aortic and abdominal aortic intimal plaques and reduced aortic intimal thickening., Conclusion: The anti-atherogenic mechanism might be related to the decrease of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides and the increase of PGI2. The facts suggest that "Bu-yang huanwu tang" has antiatherogenic and antithrombotic effects.

The aim of this study was to observe the expression of tissue factor (TF) of astrocytes in basic culture medium and under the condition stimulated by thrombin and to explore the relevant signal transduction pathways. The results showed that 4-bromo calcium ionophore (A23187) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) enhanced significantly the TF expression of astrocytes, but the expression was decreased markedly by trifluoperazine (TFP) and 1-(5-isoquinolinyl sulfonyl)-3-methyl-piperazine (H7) in the basic medium. Thrombin increased significantly the TF expression of astrocytes, which was obviously inhibited by TFP and H7. The results above indicate that astrocytes can express TF activity in the basic medium, which is promoted by thrombin, probably through some pathways involving Ca2+/CaM and protein kinase C (PKC).

Fifty-two cases of hypertension were treated with verapamil. The obvious effective rate was 86.5% and the total effective rate 98.1%. The antihypertensive effect of verapamil was confirmed, as compared with nifedipine. A preliminary approach of the dosage of verapamil showed that a total dose of 120-240 mg daily could achieve satisfactory result clinically in most patients.