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Periphytic algae is an important primary producer in the river ecosystem, and it is one of the important indicators for the monitoring and evaluation of river water ecology. As a typical plateau river, the assembly process of the algae community in the Yarlung Zangbo River is still unclear. In May 2022 and July and September 2023, algae samples were collected, and water environmental factors were determined in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. The algal species were identified, and cell abundance and biomass were calculated using in vivo observation and fixed staining techniques to explore the diversity pattern of algae communities in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, to clarify the relative importance of deterministic and random processes in the assembly of algal communities, and to reveal the influencing factors driving the assembly process. The results showed that there were significant differences in the time of water environmental factors, mainly concentrated between spring, summer, summer, and autumn. A total of 274 species of algae were identified in the three seasons, belonging to 7 phyla, 9 classes, 18 orders, 31 families, and 63 genera, and the community differences between seasons were significant （ P =0.001）. They all showed Bacillariophyta-Chlorophyta-Cyanophyta, and the community assembly process of algae was affected by both a deterministic process and random process but was dominated by the deterministic process. The interspecific relationship was mainly cooperative, and the co-occurrence network in autumn showed stronger network complexity and connectivity. The pH and turbidity were important water environmental factors affecting the community structure of algae, which could indirectly affect the community assembly process of algae by driving the metabolic rate and ecological adaptability of algae species.

Although IL-22 has been extensively studied, a comprehensive and systematic bibliometric analysis has not yet been conducted on it. This article reviews the research progress of IL-22 using bibliometric methods. On May 20, 2024, publications related to IL-22 were identified and selected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace and VOSviewer are beneficial for IL-22 bibliometric and knowledge graph analysis. From January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2023, 25134 authors from 4206 institutions in 106 countries published 3943 articles on IL-22 research in 940 academic journals. During this period, the number of articles steadily increased. The United States and China are the main contributors to this research field, with the most active institutions being the Medical Research Institute (INSERM) led by De la Sante et al. and the University of California system. The most prolific journal is Frontiers of Immunology, and it is also the journal with the most citations. Guttman Yassky, E. has published the most articles, and Guttman Yassky, E. is also the most frequently cited. The main areas of these publications are immunology and cell biology. After analysis, the high-frequency keywords of IL-22 research involve molecular biology (IL-17) and immune response (T cells) Th17 cells and diseases (autoimmune diseases, cancer). Among them, the involvement of interleukin-22 in microbial populations and cancer cell spread has strong research potential and is currently a hot research topic. Since 2014, IL-22 has received significant attention in scientific research as a key immune regulatory factor. China is at the forefront of research in this field, followed closely by the United States. At present, breakthrough progress is being made in the research of immunotherapy, and in-depth study of IL-22 and its signal transduction mechanisms is crucial for understanding its biological functions. Meanwhile, exploring new possibilities for IL-22 as a therapeutic target will help develop more effective treatment strategies. This study can provide scholars with research directions related to IL-22.

The M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is the major autoantigen of primary membranous nephropathy (MN). Despite many studies on B-cell epitopes recognized by antibodies, little is known about T-cell epitopes. Herein, we synthesized 123 linear peptides, each consisting of 15-22 amino acids with 8-12 amino acid overlaps, across ten domains of PLA2R. Their binding capacity to risk (DRB1∗1501, DRB1∗0301) and protective (DRB1∗0901, DRB1∗0701) HLA molecules was then assessed by flow cytometry. Proliferation of CD4+ T cells from patients with anti-PLA2R positive MN was analyzed after peptide stimulation. Cytokines produced by activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured by cytometric bead arrays. We identified 17 PLA2R peptides that bound to both DRB1∗1501 and DRB1∗0301 molecules with high capacity. Some of these peptides showed decreased binding to heterozygous DRB1∗1501/0901 and DRB1∗0301/0701. Ten of the 17 peptides (CysR1, CysR10, CysR12, FnII-3, CTLD3-9, CTLD3-10, CTLD3-11, CTLD5-2-1, CTLD7-1 and CTLD7-2) induced significant proliferation of CD4+ T cells from patients with MN than cells from healthy individuals. Upon activation by these peptides, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with MN produced higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, predominantly IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-9 and IL-17. Thus, we mapped and identified ten peptides in the CysR, FnII, CTLD3, CTLD5, and CTLD7 domains of PLA2R as potential T-cell epitopes of MN. These findings are a first step towards developing peptide-specific immunotherapies., (Copyright © 2022 International Society of Nephrology. All rights reserved.)

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death, characterized by the accumulation of lipid-reactive oxygen species; various regulatory mechanisms influence the course of ferroptosis. The rapid increase in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is an extremely urgent problem. CVDs are characterized by the progressive deterioration of the heart and blood vessels, eventually leading to circulatory system disorder. Accumulating evidence, however, has highlighted crucial roles of ferroptosis in CVDs. Hydrogen sulfide plays a significant part in anti-oxidative stress, which may participate in the general mechanism of ferroptosis and regulate it by some signaling molecules. This review has primarily summarized the effects of hydrogen sulfide on ferroptosis and cardiovascular disease, especially the antioxidative stress, and would provide a more effective direction for the clinical study of CVDs., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Hippo, an evolutionarily conserved kinase cascade reaction in organisms, can respond to a set of signals, such as mechanical signals and cell metabolism, to maintain cell growth, differentiation, tissue/organ development, and homeostasis. In the past ten years, Hippo has controlled the development of tissues and organs by regulating the process of cell proliferation, especially in the field of cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction. This suggests that Hippo signaling is closely linked to cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis is the most common disease of the cardiovascular system. It is characterised by chronic inflammation of the vascular wall, mainly involving dysfunction of endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and macrophages. Oxidized Low density lipoprotein (LDL) damages the barrier function of endothelial cells, which enter the middle membrane of the vascular wall, accelerate the formation of foam cells, and promote the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. Autophagy is associated with the development of atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism of Hippo regulation of atherosclerosis has not meant to be clarified. In view of the pivotal role of this signaling pathway in maintaining cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation, the imbalance of Hippo is related to atherosclerosis and related diseases. In this review, we emphasized Hippo as a hub for regulating atherosclerosis and discussed its potential targets in pathophysiology, human diseases, and related pharmacology., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a cardiovascular complication that tends to occur in patients with diabetes, obesity, or insulin resistance, with a higher late mortality rate. Sustained hyperglycemia, increased free fatty acids, or insulin resistance induces metabolic disorders in cardiac tissues and cells, leading to myocardial fibrosis, left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic and/or systolic dysfunction, and finally develop into congestive heart failure. The close connection between all signaling pathways and the complex pathogenesis of DCM cause difficulties in finding effective targets for the treatment of DCM. It reported that hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) could regulate cell energy substrate metabolism, reduce insulin resistance, protect cardiomyocytes, and improve myocardial function by acting on related key proteins such as differentiation cluster 36 (CD36) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). In this article, the relative mechanisms of H 2 S in alleviating metabolic disorders of DCM were reviewed, and how H 2 S can better prevent and treat DCM in clinical practice will be discussed., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the pathological basis of numerous lethal diseases, such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke. As we know, almost twenty million people worldwide die of the arterial diseases annually. Sestrin2 is a stress-inducing protein, which serves as a guardian by activating AMPK, inhibiting mTOR, and maintaining redox balance beneath various stress environments. A large number of studies show that Sestrin2 would shield the body from injury by stress. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that Sestrin2 is closely connected with AS. Here, this article reviewed the involvement of Sestrin2 in the pathogenesis of AS from four aspects: cellular mechanism, oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid metabolism. Current evidence reveals that Sestrin2 is a novel target for the prevention and treatment of AS., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Exercise can reduce the incidence of stress-related mental diseases, such as depression and anxiety. Control group was neither exposed to CVMS nor TRE (noCVMS/noTRE). Females were tested and levels of serum17-beta-oestradiol (E 2 ), estrogen receptors α immunoreactive neurons (ERα-IRs), estrogen receptors β immunoreactive neurons (ERβ-IRs) and oxytocin immunoreactive neurons (OT-IRs) were measured. The results showed there's increased anxiety-like behaviors for mice from CVMS/noTRE, CVMS/higher speed TRE (CVMS/HTRE) and noCVMS/HTRE groups when they were put in open field and elevated maze tests. They had lower serum E 2 levels than mice from CVMS/low-moderate speed TRE (CVMS/LMTRE), noCVMS/LMTRE and noCVMS/noTRE groups. The three groups of CVMS/noTRE, CVMS/HTRE and noCVMS/HTRE mice had more ERα-IRs and less ERβ-IRs in the medial preoptic area (mPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and medial amygdala (MeA), hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON). The number of OT-IRs in PVN and SON of CVMS/noTRE, CVMS/HTRE and noCVMS/HTRE mice was also lower than that of mice from CVMS/LMTRE, noCVMS/LMTRE and noCVMS/noTRE groups. Interestingly, CVMS/LMTRE and noCVMS/LMTRE mice were similar to noCVMS/noTRE mice in that they did not show anxiety, while CVMS/HTRE and noCVMS/HTRE mice did not, which were similar to the mice in CVMS/noTRE. We propose that LMTRE instead of HTRE changes the serum concentration of E 2 . ERβ/ERα ratio and OT level in the brain may be responsible for the decrease in anxiety-like behavior in female mice exposed to anxiety-inducing stress conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Brain Research Organization.)

Endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is widely involved in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases. Although there is no direct evidence, it is very promising as an effective target for the treatment of these diseases. Endothelial cells need to respond to the complex cardiovascular environment through EndMT, but sustained stimuli will cause the imbalance of EndMT. Blocking the signal transduction promoting EndMT is an effective method to control the imbalance of EndMT. In particular, we also discussed the potential role of endothelial cell apoptosis and autophagy in regulating the imbalance of EndMT. In addition, promoting mesenchymal-endothelial transformation (MEndT) is also a method to control the imbalance of EndMT. However, targeting EndMT to treat cardiovascular disease still faces many challenges. By reviewing the research progress of EndMT, we have put forward some insights and translated them into challenges and opportunities for new treatment strategies for cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is affected by both environmental and genetic factors. Microenvironmental disorders of the human gut flora are associated with a variety of health problems, not only gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, but also extralintestinal organs. Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is the third gas signaling molecule other than nitric oxide and carbon monoxide. In the cardiovascular system, H 2 S plays important roles in the regulation of blood pressure, angiogenesis, smooth muscle cell proliferation and apoptosis, anti-oxidative stress, cardiac functions. This review is aiming to explore the potential role of gut microbiota in the development of atherosclerosis through hydrogen sulfide production as a novel therapeutic direction for atherosclerosis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in both developed and developing countries. Many pathophysiological factors, including abnormal cholesterol metabolism, vascular inflammatory response, endothelial dysfunction and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and apoptosis, contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of atherosclerosis are not fully understood. Ubiquitination is a multistep post-translational protein modification that participates in many important cellular processes. Emerging evidence suggests that ubiquitination plays important roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in many ways, including regulation of vascular inflammation, endothelial cell and vascular smooth muscle cell function, lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic plaque stability. This review summarizes important contributions of various E3 ligases to the development of atherosclerosis. Targeting ubiquitin E3 ligases may provide a novel strategy for the prevention of the progression of atherosclerosis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

c-MET receptors are activated in cancers through genomic events like tyrosine kinase domain mutations, juxtamembrane splicing mutation and amplified copy numbers, which can be inhibited by c-MET small molecule inhibitors. Here, we discover that the most common polymorphism known to affect MET gene (N375S), involving the semaphorin domain, confers exquisite binding affinity for HER2 and enables MET N375S to interact with HER2 in a ligand-independent fashion. The resultant MET N375S /HER2 dimer transduces potent proliferative, pro-invasive and pro-metastatic cues through the HER2 signaling axis to drive aggressive squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) and lung (LUSC), and is associated with poor prognosis. Accordingly, HER2 blockers, but not c-MET inhibitors, are paradoxically effective at restraining in vivo and in vitro models expressing MET N375S . These results establish MET N375S as a biologically distinct and clinically actionable molecular subset of SCCs that are uniquely amenable to HER2 blocking therapies.

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), a novel gaseous signaling molecule, is a vital physiological signal in mammals. H 2 S protects the cardiovascular system via modulation of vasodilation, vascular remodeling, and inhibition of vascular calcification, and also has anti-atherosclerosis properties. Autophagy is a lysosomal-mediated intracellular degradation mechanism for excessive or abnormal proteins and lipids. The contribution of autophagy to normal and disease-state cell physiology is extremely complicated. Autophagy acts as a double-edged sword in the cardiovascular system. It can defend against damage to cells caused by environmental changes and it can also induce active cell death under certain conditions. In recent years, accumulating evidence indicates that H 2 S can up- or downregulate autophagy in many pathological processes, thereby switching from a harmful to a beneficial role. In this review, we summarize progress on understanding the mechanism by which H 2 S regulates autophagy in cardiovascular disease. We also discuss a H 2 S switch phenomenon that regulates autophagy and provides protection in cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: Myocardial fibrosis (MF) seriously affects normal cardiac function. Meanwhile, MF at post-myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of cardiac dysfunction in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential effect of microRNA-29b on MF and cardiac function after MI in rats., Materials and Methods: In vivo MI model was constructed by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in Sprague-Dawley rats. Lentivirus overexpressing microRNA-29b was established and transfected to up-regulate microRNA-29b expression in rat myocardial tissues. The effect of microRNA-29b on luciferase activity of SH2B3 3'UTR was detected by the luciferase reporter gene assay. The mRNA levels of microRNA-29b, SH1B3, COL1A1, and α-SMA in the infarct border zone and cardiomyocytes were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Meanwhile, the protein levels of SH1B3, COL1A1, and α-SMA in the MI border zone and cardiomyocytes were determined by Western blot. In addition, cardiac function and MF in MI rats were evaluated by echocardiography, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson staining, respectively., Results: MicroRNA-29b expression decreased significantly in the infarct border zone at day 28 after MI (p<0.05). In addition, microRNA-29b overexpression in myocardial tissues of MI rats significantly improved impaired cardiac function, reduced collagen volume fraction and down-regulated the expressions of COL1A1 and ɑ-SMA. Subsequent luciferase reporter gene assay verified the binding relation between microRNA-29b and SH2B3. Furthermore, the expressions of COL1A1 and ɑ-SMA were confirmed negatively regulated by SH2B3., Conclusions: MicroRNA-29b overexpression alleviates MF and cardiac dysfunction in MI rats through targeting SH2B3.

Chiral assembly and asymmetric synthesis are critically important for the generation of chiral metal clusters with chiroptical activities. Here, a racemic mixture of [K(CH 3 OH) 2 (18-crown-6)] + [Cu 5 (S t Bu) 6 ] - (1⋅CH 3 OH) in the chiral space group was prepared, in which the chiral red-emissive anionic [Cu 5 (S t Bu) 6 ] - cluster was arranged along a twofold screw axis. Interestingly, the release of the coordinated CH 3 OH of the cationic units turned the chiral 1⋅CH 3 OH crystal into a mesomeric crystal [K(18-crown-6)] + [Cu 5 (S t Bu) 6 ] - (1), which has a centrosymmetric space group, by adding symmetry elements of glide and mirror planes through both disordered [Cu 5 (S t Bu) 6 ] - units. The switchable chiral/achiral rearrangement of [Cu 5 (S t Bu) 6 ] - clusters along with the capture/release of CH 3 OH were concomitant with an intense increase/decrease in luminescence. We also used cationic chiral amino alcohols to induce the chiral assembly of a pair of enantiomers, [d/l-valinol(18-crown-6)] + [Cu 5 (S t Bu) 6 ] - (d/l-Cu 5V ), which display impressive circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) in contrast to the CPL-silent racemic mixture of 1⋅CH 3 OH and mesomeric 1., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A new robust strategy was reported for the epimerization-free synthesis of C-terminal Cys-containing peptide acids through mercaptoethanol-mediated hydrolysis of peptide thioesters prepared in situ from peptide hydrazides. This simple-to-operate and highly efficient method avoids the use of derivatization reagents for resin modification, thus providing a practical avenue for the preparation of C-terminal Cys-containing peptide acids.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) reduces the development of atherosclerosis by regulating tissue factor (TF) mediated coagulation pathway. In this review, we focus on recent findings on the inhibitory effects of TFPI on endothelial cell activation, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration, inflammatory cell recruitment and extracellular matrix which are associated with the development of atherosclerosis. Meanwhile, we are also concerned about the impact of TFPI levels and genetic polymorphisms on clinical atherogenesis. This article aims to explain the mechanism in inhibiting the development of atherosclerosis and clinical effects of TFPI, and provide new ideas for the clinical researches and mechanism studies of atherothrombosis., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To study and compare the medication regularities of traditional Chinese medicine formulas(TCMFs) for the six kinds of pains,namely abdominal pain,headache,epigastric pain,hypochondriac pain,heartache and backache,using a data-mining approach,in order to provide reference for relevant studies for the compatibility mechanism and new compound development of related TCMFs. A total of 2 443 TCMFs for pains were collected from the Dictionary of Chinese Medicine Prescriptions,and analyzed using the Apriori algorithm based on three indicators,namely confidence,lift and support,so as to study pivotal traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs) for each pain and their compatibility regularities. The results showed that deficiency tonifying medicines(such as Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Angelicae Sinensis Radix),Qi-regulating medicines(like Aucklandiae Radix) and blood circulation promoting medicines(like Chuanxiong Rhizoma) were commonly used TCMs for pains. However,there were many differences between drugs for various kinds of pains. For example,Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex was used frequently for abdominal pain and epigastric pain,while Saposhnikoviae Radix was used frequently for headache. The latent association rules with significant lift included Carthami Flos → Angelicae Sinensis Radix for abdominal pain,Astragali Radix → Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma for headache,Hordei Fructus Germinatus → Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium for epigastric pain,Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma → Bupleuri Radix for hypochondriac pain,and Caryophylli Flos → Moschus for backache. This study showed that based on the TCMFs from the Dictionary of Chinese Medicine Prescriptions,the data-mining approach can reveal the differences and similarities in the use of TCMs for the six kinds of pains,and discover the latent composition regularities of relevant TCMs.

Silver chalcogenolate cluster assembled materials (SCAMs) are a category of promising light-emitting materials the luminescence of which can be modulated by variation of their building blocks (cluster nodes and organic linkers). The transformation of a singly emissive [Ag 12 (SBu t ) 8 (CF 3 COO) 4 (bpy) 4 ] n (Ag 12 bpy, bpy=4,4'-bipyridine) into a dual-emissive [(Ag 12 (SBu t ) 6 (CF 3 COO) 6 (bpy) 3 )] n (Ag 12 bpy-2) via cluster-node isomerization, the critical importance of which was highlighted in dictating the photoluminescence properties of SCAMs. Moreover, the newly obtained Ag 12 bpy-2 served to construct visual thermochromic Ag 12 bpy-2/NH 2 by a mixed-linker synthesis, together with dichromatic core-shell Ag 12 bpy-2@Ag 12 bpy-NH 2 -2 via solvent-assisted linker exchange. This work provides insight into the significance of metal arrangement on physical properties of nanoclusters., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A novel silver-chalcogenolate cluster-based framework Ag12TPPA·AA with long-lived afterglow was successfully synthesized. It transformed into more densely packed Ag12TPPA·AB and Ag12TPPA·ABC by layer sliding accompanied by macroscopic crystal contraction and changing luminescence.

A polyoxometalate-templated silver(I) thiolate nanocluster has been synthesized by a one-pot reaction in high yield. This novel and stable nanocluster exhibits a core-shell structure with a Ag 67 S 36 shell and two lacunary Keggin [PW 9 O 34 ] 9- cores, which is fully characterized by X-ray crystallography, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis, powder X-ray diffraction, and cyclic voltammetry.

The Cepheid Xpert® Norovirus kit automates sample processing, nucleic acid extraction, and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs) to detect norovirus genogroups I (GI) and II (GII). Eighty-five stool samples collected between February 2015 and May 2017 were used to compare the performance of a user-modified Xpert assay against a clinically validated laboratory-developed test (LDT). Of the 85 samples, 54 were previously archived in -80°C freezer. The remaining 31 were fresh samples tested concurrently with the LDT. The results of all samples tested using the Xpert kit and LDT were found to be concordant, including 12 GI- and 42 GII-positive samples, 1 GI and GII coinfection, and 30 negative samples. Comparison of the assays showed perfect concordance with a kappa coefficient score of 1.00 (95%CI from 1.00 to 1.00). Of the 30 negative stool samples tested, three samples were positive for rotavirus detected using an immunochromatographic assay, with no cross-reactivity shown in both LDT and Xpert assays. In-run sample processing control of the Xpert assay for all negative samples tested showed no/minor inhibition. Compared to the LDT, the Xpert assay produced similar or better Ct values for detection. It also showed better mitigation of PCR inhibition in stool sample testing., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Spike formation rate (SR), which is based on maximum tiller number per unit area and spike number per unit area, is an important yield-related trait in wheat. Increasing the spike formation rate reduces growth competition and wastage of photosynthate from ineffective tillers. Unfortunately, research studies involving quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping for wheat spike formation rate are limited. In the present study, a set of 371 recombinant inbreed line (RIL) population, which were derived from 1BL/LRS wheat-rye translocation lines CN18 and T1208, was analysed by simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Genetic analysis showed that a stable and major QTL (QSR.sicau-4D) for spike formation rate was localized to chromosome 4D and explained 18.24% and 24.48% of the observed phenotypic variance in 2015 and 2016, respectively. This QTL was closely linked to SSR marker Xcfd23, and the genetic distance between the flank markers was 3.28cM. Furthermore, QSR.sicau-4D might be a novel pleiotropic QTL, which also controlled maximum tiller number per unit area (QMTN.sicau-4D) and tiller number during pre-winter per unit area (QTNW.sicau-4D). The marker Xcfd23 associated with SR may be utilized in marker-assisted selection in wheat breeding., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, an analytical method based on ultraviolet spectroscopy was established for the rapid determination of nine components including isophorone, 4-methylene-isophorone, curcumenone, curcumenol, curdione, curzerenone, furanodienone, curcumol and germacrone in the first extraction process of Xingnaojing injection. 166 distillate samples of Gardeniae Fructus and Radix Curcumae were collected in the first extraction process of Xingnaojing injection. The ultraviolet spectra of these samples were collected, and the contents of the nine components in these samples were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Least squares support vector machine and radial basis function artificial neural network were used to establish the multivariate calibration models between the ultraviolet spectra and the contents of the nine components. The results showed that the established ultraviolet spectrum analysis method can determine the contents of the nine components in the distillates accurately, with root mean square error of prediction of 0.068, 0.147, 0.215, 0.319, 1.01, 1.27, 0.764, 0.147, 0.610 mg•L⁻¹, respectively. This proposed method is a rapid, simple and low-cost tool for the monitoring and endpoint determination of the extraction process of Xingnaojing injection to reduce quality defects and variations., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Several studies have investigated the protective functions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in retinitis pigmentosa. However, a BDNF-based therapy for retinitis pigmentosa is not yet available. To develop an efficient treatment for fundus disease, an eukaryotic expression plasmid was generated and used to transfect human 293T cells to assess the expression and bioactivity of BDNF on acute retinal pigment epithelial-19 (ARPE-19) cells, a human retinal epithelial cell line. After 96 hours of co-culture in a Transwell chamber, ARPE-19 cells exposed to BDNF secreted by 293T cells were more viable than ARPE-19 cells not exposed to secreted BDNF . Western blot assay showed that Bax levels were downregulated and that Bcl-2 levels were upregulated in human ARPE-19 cells exposed to BDNF. Furthermore, 293T cells transfected with the BDNF gene steadily secreted the protein. The powerful anti-apoptotic function of this BDNF may be useful for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa and other retinal degenerative diseases., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Protein content (PC) is a crucial factor that determines the end-use and nutritional quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Glutamine synthetase (GS), which is a major participant in nitrogen metabolism, can convert inorganic nitrogen into organic nitrogen. Although many studies have been conducted on PC and GS, a dynamic analysis of all of the filling stages has not been conducted. Therefore, 115 F9-10 recombinant inbred wheat lines of 'R131/R142' were used to analyze PC and GS activity during different developmental stages, using the conditional quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping method. Twenty-two and six conditional QTL were detected for PC and GS activily, respectively. More QTL in leaf PC were detected during the early filling stages than in the later filling stages. Grain PC QTL displayed different dynamic variations to leaf PC QTL during the entire grain-filling stages. All of the QTL were expressed differently over time, and nine conditional QTL were detected across two filling stages. QTL with similar functions may have tended to group in specific locales. This study provides dynamic genetic information on protein accumulation during grain-filling stages.

Introduction: To explore the safety and opportunity of the "waffle-cone" technique for the treatment of intracranial aneurysm., Methods: From November 2009 and May 2012, consecutive data were collected from 136 patients with aneurysms treated by the stent-assisted coiling procedure. Six of these patients were treated using the "waffle-cone" technique., Results: All the 6 patients were complex, wide-neck, bifurcation cerebral aneurysms. And the angles between the parent artery and distal vessels are acute. Two ruptured aneurysms located at the terminus of basilar artery, three ruptured aneurysms located at the anterior communicating artery, and one ruptured aneurysm located at trifurcation MCA. All the 6 patients were treated using the "waffle-cone" technique, 4 patients had Raymond classification Class I and 2 patients had Class II after the procedure. No complications occurred perioperative. There were no lesion-related strokes or deaths during the 6-month follow-up period., Conclusions: The "waffle-cone" technique is a safe, simple and alternative for the complex, wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms with acute angles between the parent artery and distal vessels. Long-term following-up results are needed to evaluate the efficacy of this technique., (Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.)

The 1BL.1RS wheat-rye translocation contained in the Russian cultivar Aurora has been the most widespread alien translocation in wheat-breeding programs all over the world. However, following the prevalence of new biotypes of the pathogens, disease-resistance genes in this translocation chromosome have been overcome and consequently they have been eliminated in modern wheat-breeding programs. In this paper, we report on 12 new primary 1BL.1RS translocation lines derived from the crosses of a Chinese high yield wheat cv. Mianyang 11 with three rye cultivars collected from China. GISH, C-banding and PCR techniques using the specific primers for 1BS, 1RS and centromeres of wheat and rye were applied to identify the constitution of chromosomes. The results confirmed that all 1BL.1RS chromosomes in the 12 primary translocation lines contained integrated 1RS chromosome arms. In the resistance analysis using five kinds of Pst pathotypes, the 12 primary translocation lines showed diversity resistance to stripe rust, which contained at least five different new genes (alleles), significantly different from the Yr9 gene coming from Russian wheat cultivar Aurora. The results indicated that the chromosome arm 1RS in the rye population carries abundant yet untapped genes (alleles) for resistance to wheat stripe rust, which would originate from the neutral diversity in the natural population of rye. It is suggested that creating more primary translocation lines in genome modification will be extremely important to use the diversity of alien R-genes, which was generated by long-term neutral mutation and maintained in the population of alien species.

Octoploid triticale were derived from common wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'Mianyang11') × rye (Secale cereale L. 'Kustro'), and some progeny were obtained by the backcrossing of triticale with 'Mianyang11' followed by self-fertilization. In situ hybridization using rye genomic DNA and repetitive sequences pAs1 and pSc119.2 as probes was used to analyze the mitotic chromosomes of these progeny. Three wheat-rye 1R monosomic addition lines and a wheat line (12FT-1685) containing a 1R and a 1BL.1RS translocation chromosome were identified. Abnormal mitosis was observed in the two lines. During mitosis of a 1R monosomic addition line (3-8-20-1R-2), lagging chromosomes, micronuclei, chromosomal bridges, and the one pole segregation of 1R chromosome were observed. Abnormal mitotic behaviour of chromosomes was also observed in some of the self-progeny plants of lines 12FT-1685 and 3-8-20-1R-2. These progeny contained 1R chromosome or 1R chromosome arm. In addition, 4B chromosomes were absent from one of the progeny of 3-8-20-1R-2. This abnormal mitotic behaviour of chromosomes was not observed in two other 1R monosomic addition lines. These results indicate that a single 1R chromosome added to wheat might cause abnormal mitotic behaviour of both wheat and rye chromosomes and different genetic variations might occurr among the sibling 1R monosomic addition lines.

The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on the combined effects of its constituents. Variation in chemical composition between batches of TCM has always been the deterring factor in achieving consistency in efficacy. The batch mixing process can significantly reduce the batch-to-batch quality variation in TCM extracts by mixing them in a well-designed proportion. However, reducing the quality variation without sacrificing too much of the production efficiency is one of the challenges. Accordingly, an innovative and practical batch mixing method aimed at providing acceptable efficiency for industrial production of TCM products is proposed in this work, which uses a minimum number of batches of extracts to meet the content limits. The important factors affecting the utilization ratio of the extracts (URE) were studied by simulations. The results have shown that URE was affected by the correlation between the contents of constituents, and URE decreased with the increase in the number of targets and the relative standard deviations of the contents. URE could be increased by increasing the number of storage tanks. The results have provided a reference for designing the batch mixing process. The proposed method has possible application value in reducing the quality variation in TCM and providing acceptable production efficiency simultaneously.

In this work, a rapid analysis method basing on ultraviolet spectroscopy was established for the determination of danshensu, protocatechuic aldehyde, rosmarinci acid, lithospermic acid and salvianolic acid B in the extraction process of Danhong injection. In the extraction process of Danshen and Honghua crude drugs, 44 extraction solution samples were collected and the contents of the five components were determined by HPLC analysis. The ultraviolet spectra of the samples were collected. Partial least square regression was used to establish the multivariate calibration models between the ultraviolet spectra and the contents of the five components. The results showed that the established models could predict the contents of the five components in the extraction solution accurately. The ultraviolet spectroscopy method established in this work can be used for rapid analysis of the intermediates of Danhong injection, which may be applied for the quality control in the manufacturing process.

Objective: To establish a method integrating multi-targets for determining critical process parameters of the manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine., Method: The ethanol precipitation process of Danhong injection was taken as an application case of the method established. Fractional factorial design of experiments were conducted. Mathematical models relating seven process parameters to ten targets in the ethanol precipitation process were established. Then the sums of the absolute values of the regression coefficients in the models were used to evaluate the criticality of process parameters., Result: Water content in the concentrate, ethanol concentration and ethanol consumption were identified as the critical process parameters., Conclusion: The method established can integrate multi-targets effectively for the evaluation of critical process parameters.

In this work, a feedforward control strategy basing on the concept of quality by design was established for the manufacturing process of traditional Chinese medicine to reduce the impact of the quality variation of raw materials on drug. In the research, the ethanol precipitation process of Danhong injection was taken as an application case of the method established. Box-Behnken design of experiments was conducted. Mathematical models relating the attributes of the concentrate, the process parameters and the quality of the supernatants produced were established. Then an optimization model for calculating the best process parameters basing on the attributes of the concentrate was built. The quality of the supernatants produced by ethanol precipitation with optimized and non-optimized process parameters were compared. The results showed that using the feedforward control strategy for process parameters optimization can control the quality of the supernatants effectively. The feedforward control strategy proposed can enhance the batch-to-batch consistency of the supernatants produced by ethanol precipitation.

Humid rain-fed agriculture is a special environment for wheat (Triticum aestivum) culture that tends to negatively affect wheat yield and quality. To identify quality characters of wheat in a humid environment, we conducted quality analysis and quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection in a recombinant inbred line whose parent had a high level of quality for several years. We found that high-quality wheat had less gluten content and lower protein content. Apparently, wheat quality and associated quantity traits were in a dynamic state of equilibrium. We detected 83 QTL for 10 wheat quality traits in this recombinant inbred line population. Nine QTL were detected in both evaluation years; Q.DT.scau-2A, linked to Xwmc522-2A, was detected at the same genetic location in both years. Other QTL for different traits were detected simultaneously in more than one location. Consequently, there appeared to be pleiotropic genes that control wheat quality. Based on previous studies and our research on QTL analysis of grain protein content, we conclude that there must be one or more genes for grain protein content on chromosome 6B, whose expression was little affected by environment. We constructed a consensus map and projected the QTL on it. It was useful for choosing optimal markers for marker-assisted breeding and map-based cloning.

We present the first characterization of 360 sequences in six species of the genus Secale of both cultivated and wild accessions. These include four distinct kinds of dispersed repetitive DNA sequences named pSc20H, pSc119.1, pSaO5(411), and pSaD15(940) belonging to the Revolver family. During the evolution of the genus Secale from wild to cultivated accessions, the pSaO5(411)-like sequences became shorter mainly because of the deletion of a trinucleotide tandem repeating unit, the pSc20H-like sequences displayed apparent homogenization in cultivated rye, and the second intron of Revolver became longer. In addition, the pSc20H-, pSc119.1-, and pSaO5(411)-like sequences cloned from wild rye and cultivated rye could be divided into two large clades. No single case of the four kinds of repetitive elements has been inherited by each Secale accession from a lone ancestor. It is reasonable to consider the vertical transmission of the four repetitive elements during the evolution of the genus Secale. The pSc20H- and pSaO5(411)-like sequences showed evolutionary elimination at specific chromosomal locations from wild species to cultivated species. These cases imply that different repetitive DNA sequences have played different roles in the chromosome development and genomic evolution of rye. The present study adds important information to the investigations dealing with characterization of dispersed repetitive elements in wild and cultivated rye.

Eleven weedy or wild species or subspecies of the genus Secale L. were compared with a set of cultivated rye accessions, based on inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to analyze their phylogenetic relationships. A total of 846 bands were amplified from reactions using 12 screening primers, including 79 loci with a mean of 10.1 alleles per locus. The number of amplified bands for each primer ranged from 12 to 134, with a mean of 70.5 amplified bands per primer. The presence and distribution of amplified bands in different accessions demonstrate that a rapid evolutionary trend of microsatellite repeats occurred during the speciation process from the perennial wild form to annual cultivated rye. In addition, variation, amplification, and deletion of microsatellites in genomes revealed phylogenetic relationships in the genus Secale. Analysis of the presence, number, and distribution of amplified bands in genomes, as well as the comparison with genetic similarity (GS) indices based on ISSR, indicate that Secale strictum subsp. africanum (Stapf) Hammer, Secale strictum anatolicum (Boiss.) Hammer, Secale sylvestre Host, and Secale strictum subsp. strictum (C. Presl) Hammer emerged in succession from a common ancestor of Secale following geographic separation and genetic differentiation. The annual weedy rye evolved from S. strictum subsp. strictum, which was domesticated as present-day cultivated rye. Data from ISSR analyses separated all investigated accessions of the genus Secale into three distinct groups. These results support the division of the genus Secale into three species: the annual wild species S. sylvestre; the perennial wild species S. strictum, including several differential subspecies forms such as strictum, africanum, and anatolicum; and S. cereale, including cultivated and weedy rye as subspecies forms.

Based on the livestock statistical data, the nutrient content of livestock manure was calculated and the nutrient transformation from livestock manure to farmland was realized by using the method of spatializing livestock manure nutrient. On this basis, this paper calculated nitrogen load of livestock manure combining with the area of farmland and realized the estimation of nitrogen load of livestock manure and potential pollution evaluation in landmass for unit taking Daxing District in Beijing as an example. The result showed that the average, minimum and maximum nitrogen loads of farmland were 214.02 kg/hm2, 10.64 kg/hm2 and 5996.26 kg/hm2 respectively and near half of farmland was threaten by nitrogen load of livestock manure, accounting for 42.14% of the total farmland. These farmland threaten to polluted had the characters of small area and few nutrient demand and mainly located nearby the inhabitant and the scale raising. The coefficients of variation and average of available nitrogen in topsoil and subsoil were 64.3%, 53.65% and 65.93 microg/g, 45.25 microg/g respectively and the enrichment coefficient was 1.46, which explained the existing pollution risk and the influence degree of livestock manure to soil environment pollution.

To better understand the evolution of allopolyploids, 4 different combinations between wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rye (Secale cereale L.) including 12 F1 hybrids and 12 derived amphiploids were analyzed and compared with their direct parental plants by PCR analysis using 150 wheat SSR (single sequence repeat) markers and by FISH analysis using a rye-specific repetitive sequence (pSc200) as a probe. Nine SSR markers amplified rye-specific fragments whose sizes ranged from 471 bp to 1089 bp. These fragments contain regulatory elements and (or) promoters. Some of these fragments were amplified from all 24 progenies, while others were amplified from a subset of the progenies. The disappearance of rye-specific fragments from some progenies was caused by sequence elimination or DNA modification. Marker Xgwm320 amplified a new fragment (403 bp), a rye-specific tandem repeat, from some of the progenies. Twenty-eight SSR markers displayed microsatellite variation in progenies derived from 'Chinese Spring' x 'Jinzhou-heimai', but none of the 150 SSR markers displayed microsatellite variation in the progenies derived from the other three combinations. FISH signals of pSc200 were eliminated from one telomere/subtelomere of 4 chromosomes of 'Kustro' during allopolyploidization and expanded in amphiploids derived from 'Chinese Spring' x 'AR106BONE'. Thus, allopolyploidization in wheat-rye can be accompanied by rapid variation of tandem repeats, regulatory elements, and promoter regions. The alterations of repetitive sequence pSc200 indicate coordination between the constituent genomes of the newly formed amphiploids. Different genetic backgrounds of parents appear to affect genome changes during allopolyploidization.

The wheat-rye translocation 1RS/1BL has spread to wheat breeding programs and commercial wheat cultivars throughout the world. But the 1RS arm in the translocation carries locus Sec-1, which encodes rye storage proteins (secalins) and affects bread- making quality. In this study an attempt was made to remedy the quality defect of the 1RS translocation in wheat by developing new 1RS/1BL lines. The chromosomal constitution of 200 advanced lines from 1R monosomic addition lines between the wheat cultivar Mianyang11 (MY11) and different rye lines R3, R12, and Baili-rye was studied by the improved C-banding and A-PAGE method. The result showed that 45 lines were identified as 1RS/1BL translocation lines congruously by the two methods. But a line (843-1-1), originated from an 1R addition line of wheat cultivar MY11 and rye line R12, was identified as 1RS/1BL translocation line by C-banding and genomic in situ hybridization(GISH), but the secalin block from chromosome arm 1RS of rye was absent in the A-PAGE pattern of its seed proteins. It is sure that the wheat line 843-1-1 carries a pairs of 1RS/1BL chromosomes with expression absence of the Sec-1 site. It is a rarely material for further study on the effect of 1RS/1BL translocation on wheat quality. The results indicated that wide genetic variability may exist in rye population, which can be exploited for wheat breeding.

Objective: To compare the effect of right anterolateral minithoractomy and median sternotomy for atrial septal defect closure., Methods: In this study, 82 patients, whose age ranged from 4 to 46 years with a mean of 15.7+/-8.6 years, underwent surgical repair of the atrial septal defects on the beating heart through right anterolateral minithoractomy. Ten of these cases were complicated by moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension, and 3 by partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection. Another 67 patients with an age range of 3 to 49 years (mean 17.0+/-12.5 years) underwent surgical repair of the atrial septal defects through full-length median sternotomy with the heart beat arrested, and complication of moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension was identified in 11 cases and partial anomalous venous connection in 5. Comparisons were performed between the 2 groups in terms of the length of skin incision, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, intensive care unit stay, postoperative hospital stay, and the volume of postoperative drainage., Results: There was no operative mortality in either of the 2 groups. In the former group, the CPB time (35.2+/-14.1 min), postoperative mechanical ventilation time (6.5+/-2.5 h), postoperative drainage volume (237.6+/-172.5 ml), postoperative hospital stay (7.4+/-1.2 d) and skin incision length (6.5+/-0.9 cm) were all significantly less than those of the latter group of patients, whose CPB time was 42.7+/-11.8 min, postoperative mechanical ventilation time 7.9+/-3.8 h, postoperative drainage volume 304.3+/-192.4 ml, postoperative hospital stay 9.0+/-2.9 d and skin incision length 15.9+/-1.7 cm (P < 0.01). The intensive care unit stay did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (35.1+/-16.2 h vs 32.3+/-24.1 h, P > 0.05)., Conclusion: A right anterolateral minithoracotomy for repairs of atrial septal defects is a safe, effective and simple technique to ensure minimal surgical invasion with shorter postoperative hospital stay. Minithoracotomy can be performed to replace median sternotomy in the correction of atrial septal defects, including those complicated by partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

Objective: To determine the incidence of resistance to ciprofloxacin in respiratory pathogens isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) compared with that of isolates from patients without CF. The hypothesis was that repeated exposure of these respiratory pathogens to ciprofloxacin would reduce their sensitivity., Design: Isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were obtained prospectively from sputa of patients with CF, as part of their routine care. The sensitivities of these isolates to ciprofloxacin were determined by standard agar dilution techniques., Setting and Patients: The study was carried out in patients who attended the outpatient clinic or were treated as inpatients of a tertiary referral hospital. Sputa were obtained from 71 patients with CF (age range, 2-31 years) and isolates of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus were compared with those from 54 hospital patients who did not have CF., Outcome Measures: Sensitivities to ciprofloxacin, expressed as the minimal concentrations required to inhibit growth of the organisms (MIC), were used to make comparisons between different isolates and the same isolates within patients at different times., Results: A higher incidence of ciprofloxacin resistance was displayed by isolates of P. aeruginosa from CF patients who had been previously prescribed ciprofloxacin (MIC50 of 2.0 mg/L and 4.0 mg/L for mucoid and non-mucoid strains respectively). The MIC of individual organisms tended to rise after a course of ciprofloxacin had been given to their host. A much lower incidence of resistance was displayed by isolates of P. aeruginosa from patients without CF (MIC50, 0.25 mg/L). Similarly, S. aureus isolates from patients with CF exhibited greater resistance to ciprofloxacin (MIC50, 32 mg/L) than isolates from other patients (MIC50, 0.75 mg/L)., Conclusion: The resistance of P. aeruginosa appears to be related to ciprofloxacin exposure, so further development of resistance may be diminished by restricting the frequency of ciprofloxacin administration to individual patients.

A cross-section study was carried out to assess the general patterns in use of antimicrobial agents and the trends of bacterial resistance in Huashan Hospital. Of 2,400 patients whose charts were reviewed, 61% were given such drugs. 3,596 antibiotic courses were prescribed. Gentamicin was most frequently used. Results of the susceptibility test of 320 bacterial strains showed a high percentage of resistance against gentamicin, ampicillin, and chloramphenicol. Our findings suggest that antibiotic policies in the hospital need reappraising.