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Background: Stroke often results in significant respiratory dysfunction in patients. Respiratory muscle training (RMT) has been proposed as a rehabilitative intervention to address these challenges, but its effectiveness compared to routine training remains debated. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the effects of RMT on exercise tolerance, muscle strength, and pulmonary function in post-stroke patients., Aim: To systematically assess the efficacy of RMT in improving exercise tolerance, respiratory muscle strength, and pulmonary function in patients recovering from a stroke, and to evaluate whether RMT offers a significant advantage over routine training modalities in enhancing these critical health outcomes in the post-stroke population., Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a comprehensive search across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted on October 19, 2023, without temporal restrictions. Studies were selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria focusing on various forms of RMT, control groups, and outcome measures [including forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), peak expiratory flow (PEF), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and 6-min walking test (6MWT)]. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Statistical analyses, including those using the fixed-effect and random-effects models, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias assessment, were performed using Review Manager software., Results: A total of 15 RCTs were included. Results indicated significant improvements in MIP (12.51 cmH 2 O increase), MEP (6.24 cmH 2 O increase), and various pulmonary function parameters (including FEV1, FVC, MVV, and PEF). A substantial increase in 6MWT distance (22.26 meters) was also noted. However, the heterogeneity among studies was variable, and no significant publication bias was detected., Conclusion: RMT significantly enhances walking ability, respiratory muscle strength (MIP and MEP), and key pulmonary function parameters (FEV1, FVC, MVV, and PEF) in post-stroke patients. These findings support the incorporation of RMT into post-stroke rehabilitative protocols., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Microcystins (MCs) are the most common cyanobacterial toxins. Epidemiological investigation showed that exposure to MCs can cause gastro-intestinal symptoms, gastroenteritis and gastric cancer. MCs can also accumulate in and cause histopathological damage to stomach. However, the exact mechanisms by which MCs cause gastric injury were unclear. In this study, Wistar rats were administrated 50, 75 or 100 μg microcystin-LR (MC-LR)/kg, body mass (bm) via tail vein, and histopathology, response of anti-oxidant system and the proteome of gastric tissues at 24 h after exposure were studied. Bleeding of fore-stomach and gastric corpus, inflammation and necrosis in gastric corpus and exfoliation of mucosal epithelial cells in gastric antrum were observed following acute MC-LR exposure. Compared with controls, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly greater in gastric tissues of exposed rats, while activities of catalase (CAT) were less in rats administrated 50 μg MC-LR/kg, bm, and concentrations of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were greater in rats administrated 75 or 100 μg MC-LR/kg, bm. These results indicated that MC-LR could disrupt the anti-oxidant system and cause oxidative stress. The proteomic results revealed that MC-LR could affect expressions of proteins related to cytoskeleton, immune system, gastric functions, and some signaling pathways, including platelet activation, complement and coagulation cascades, and ferroptosis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that transcriptions of genes for ferroptosis and gastric function were altered, which confirmed results of proteomics. Overall, this study illustrated that MC-LR could induce gastric dysfunction, and ferroptosis might be involved in MC-LR-induced gastric injury. This study provided novel insights into mechanisms of digestive diseases induced by MCs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Genotyping of gDNA rs12041331 (PEAR1), rs6065 (GP1BA), and rs730012 (LTC4S) can provide systematic guidance on the use of aspirin. However, an accurate, reliable and economical approach to simultaneous detection of the above single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is not reported. Herein, we designed and substantiated an allele-specific (AS) forward primer-superposed amplification analysis for measurement of the SNPs in PEAR1, GP1BA and LTC4S genes, in which the values of ∆Cq (differences in threshold cycles between the wild-type forward primer-based assay and the mutated-type forward primer-based assay) were employed to decide genotype. Mismatch AS forward primers were screened with the singleplex amplification analysis. Moreover, Cq extension optimized by AS forward primer superposition was observed in the selected forward primer-based triplex analysis. Further, robustness assessment of the triplex analysis showed the amplification efficiency ranging from 0.9 to 1.1. Precision test demonstrated the coefficient of variation of less than 2%. And the detective results of 189 DNA samples was completely concordant with that of commercial Sanger sequencing. In summary, we developed a simple, accurate and economical approach to genotyping of rs12041331 (PEAR1), rs6065 (GP1BA) and rs730012 (LTC4S) to provide a valuable pharmacogenomics tool for guidance of aspirin delivery., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Microcystins (MCs) can cause reproductive and developmental toxicity and disrupt endocrine homeostasis in mammals. In the present study, male, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were administrated 3 or 30 μg MC-LR/kg, body mass (bm) per day via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections for 6 weeks. Effects of MC-LR on histology, hormone concentrations, gene transcriptional profiles and protein expressions along the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), -gonad (HPG) and -thyroid (HPT) axes were assessed. Sub-chronic administration with MC-LR caused histological damage to hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, testes and thyroid and affected relative masses of pituitary, adrenal and testes. The HPA axis was activated and serum concentrations of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) were significantly augmented. Along the HPG axis, serum concentrations of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were diminished, while concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) were augmented. For the HPT axis, only concentrations of free tetra-iodothyronine (fT4) were significantly diminished, while concentrations of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) or free tri-iodothyronine (fT3) were not significantly changed. Also, several genes and proteins related to synthesis of steroid hormones were significantly altered. Findings of the present study illustrate that MC-LR can cause endocrine-disrupting effects through the disruption of synthesis and secretion of hormones along the HPA, HPG and HPT axes and negative feedback regulation. Also, there could be crosstalk among HPA, HPG and HPT axes. These findings elucidate mechanisms of endocrine-disrupting effects of MCs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Palmitoylation, which is mediated by protein acyltransferase (PAT) and performs important biological functions, is the only reversible lipid modification in organism. To study the effect of protein palmitoylation on hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC), the expression levels of 23 PATs in tumor tissues of 8 HPSCC patients were determined, and high mRNA and protein levels of DHHC9 and DHHC15 were found. Subsequently, we investigated the effect of 2-bromopalmitate (2BP), a small-molecular inhibitor of protein palmitoylation, on the behavior of Fadu cells in vitro (50 μM) and in nude mouse xenograft models (50 μmol/kg), and found that 2BP suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and migration of Fadu cells without increasing cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, the effect of 2BP on the transduction of BMP, Wnt, Shh, and FGF signaling pathways was tested with qRT-PCR, and its drug target was explored with western blotting and acyl-biotinyl exchange assay. Our results showed that 2BP inhibited the transduction of the FGF/ERK signaling pathway. The palmitoylation level of Ras protein decreased after 2BP treatment, and its distribution in the cell membrane structure was reduced significantly. The findings of this work reveal that protein palmitoylation mediated by DHHC9 and DHHC15 may play important roles in the occurrence and development of HPSCC. 2BP is able to inhibit the malignant biological behaviors of HPSCC cells, possibly via hindering the palmitoylation and membrane location of Ras protein, which might, in turn, offer a low-toxicity anti-cancer drug for targeting the treatment of HPSCC., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Actinidia chinensis 'Hongyang', also known as red yangtao (red heart kiwifruit), is a vine fruit tree native to China possessing significant nutritional and economic value. However, information on its genetic diversity and phylogeny is still very limited. The first chloroplast (cp) genome of A. chinensis 'Hongyang' cultivated in China was sequenced using de novo technology in this study. A. chinensis 'Hongyang' possesses a cp genome that spans 156,267 base pairs (bp), exhibiting an overall GC content of 37.20%. There were 132 genes that were annotated, with 85 of them being protein-coding genes, 39 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. A total of 49 microsatellite sequences (SSRs) were detected, mainly single nucleotide repeats, mostly consisting of A or T base repeats. Compared with 14 other species, the cp genomes of A. chinensis 'Hongyang' were biased towards the use of codons containing A/U, and the non-protein coding regions in the A. chinensis 'Hongyang' cpDNA showed greater variation than the coding regions. The nucleotide polymorphism analysis (Pi) yielded nine highly variable region hotspots, most in the large single copy (LSC) region. The cp genome boundary analysis revealed a conservative order of gene arrangement in the inverted repeats (IRs) region of the cp genomes of 15 Actinidia plants, with small expansions and contractions of the boundaries. Furthermore, phylogenetic tree indicated that A. chinensis 'Hongyang' was the closest relative to A. indochinensis . This research provides a useful basis for future genetic and evolutionary studies of A. chinensis 'Hongyang', and enriches the biological information of Actinidia species.

Background: Melatonin is considered to be a polyfunctional master regulator in animals and higher plants. Exogenous melatonin inhibits plant infection by multiple diseases; however, the role of melatonin in Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) infection remains unknown., Results: In this study, we demonstrated that exogenous melatonin treatment can effectively control CGMMV infection. The greatest control effect was achieved by 3 days of root irrigation at a melatonin concentration of 50 μM. Exogenous melatonin showed preventive and therapeutic effects against CGMMV infection at early stage in tobacco and cucumber. We utilized RNA sequencing technology to compare the expression profiles of mock-inoculated, CGMMV-infected, and melatonin+CGMMV-infected tobacco leaves. Defense-related gene CRISP1 was specifically upregulated in response to melatonin, but not to salicylic acid (SA). Silencing CRISP1 enhanced the preventive effects of melatonin on CGMMV infection, but had no effect on CGMMV infection. We also found exogenous melatonin has preventive effects against another Tobamovirus, Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) infection., Conclusions: Together, these results indicate that exogenous melatonin controls two Tobamovirus infections and inhibition of CRISP1 enhanced melatonin control effects against CGMMV infection, which may lead to the development of a novel melatonin treatment for Tobamovirus control., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The development and application of botanical insecticides is important for the sustainable development of green agriculture. The abuse of chemical pesticides has caused serious problems of environment and human health. Botanical insecticides have become an environment-friendly insecticides due to their nature, low toxicity, easy degradation and other advantages, which are an important field of insecticide development in the future. Although botanical insecticides have lots of advantages, there are still problems needed to be resolved, such as insecticidal plant species, impact assessment of botanical pesticide and separation and purification of active components. To excavate the resources of highly effective insecticidal plants and understand the mechanism of botanical insecticides, here we reviewed the progress of resources and active components of botanical insecticides, the mechanisms of action of botanical insecticides, the main active components and insecticidal properties of Zingiber officinale . Finally, we analyzed the difficulties faced in the research and development of botanical insecticides, prospected future directions, and discussed the active components of ginger. This review would provide reference for the deve-lopment of new botanical insecticides.

This study aimed to explore the infrared manifestation and role of brown adipose tissue(BAT) in phlegm-dampness me-tabolic syndrome(MS), and to provide objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. Subjects were selected from the department of endocrinology and ward in the South District of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from August 2021 to April 2022, including 20 in healthy control group, 40 in non phlegm-dampness MS group and 40 in phlegm-dampness MS group. General information, height and weight of the subjects were collected and body mass index(BMI) was calculated. Waist circumference(WC), systolic blood pressure(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP) was measured. Triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), fasting blood glucose(FBG), fasting insulin(FINS), leptin(LP), adiponectin(ADP) and fibroblast growth factor-21(FGF-21) were detected. The infrared thermal image of the supraclavicular region(SCR) of the subjects before and after cold stimulation test was collected by infrared thermal imager and the changes of infrared thermal image in the three groups were observed. In addition, the differences in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups were compared, and the changes of BAT in SCR were analyzed. The results showed compared with the conditions in healthy control group, the levels of WC, SBP, DBP, TG and FPG in MS groups were increased(P<0.01), and the HDL-C level was decreased(P<0.01). Compared with non phlegm-dampness MS group, phlegm-dampness MS group had higher conversion score of phlegm dampness physique(P<0.01). According to the infrared heat map, there was no difference in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups before cold stimulation. while after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS groups was lower than that in healthy control group(P<0.05). After cold stimulation, the maximum temperature of SCR and its arrival time in the three groups were as follows: healthy control group(3 min)>non phlegm-dampness MS group(4 min)>phlegm-dampness MS group(5 min). The thermal deviation of SCR was increased and the average body surface temperature of left and right sides were higher(P<0.01) in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, while the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with that in healthy control group, the elevated temperature between left and right sides was lower(P<0.01, P<0.05), and compared with that in non phlegm-dampness MS group, the elevated temperature of left side was lower(P<0.05). The changes of the average body surface temperature of SCR in the three groups were in the order of healthy control group>non phlegm-dampness MS group>phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with the conditions in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, FINS, BMI and FGF-21 levels were increased(P<0.01,P<0.05), while ADP level was decreased(P<0.01, P<0.05) in phlegm-dampness MS group. Moreover, the LP level in phlegm-dampness MS group was higher than that in non phlegm-dampness MS group(P<0.01). It was observed in clinical trials that after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS patients was lower than that of the healthy people; the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS patients, and the difference in their elevated temperature was lower than that in the other two groups. These characteristics provided objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. With abnormal BAT related indicators, it was inferred that the content or activity of BAT in SCR of phlegm-dampness MS patients were reduced. There was a high correlation between BAT and phlegm-dampness MS, and thus BAT might become an important potential target for the intervention in phlegm-dampness MS.

To observe the efficacy and safety of solifenacin and/or mirabegron as a medical expulsive therapy (MET) in patients with double-J stent-related overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. A total of 219 patients with double-J stent-related OAB symptoms were prospectively randomized into two groups. One-hundred and nine cases in the combination group accepted mirabegron and solifenacin therapy and 110 cases as control only accepted solifenacin therapy. The lower urinary tract symptoms and overactive bladder questionnaire (OAB-q) health-related quality of life (HRQol) and symptom bother score between two groups were compared at the 1st, 2nd and 4th week ends. All of 219 patients were randomly assigned to two groups, of which 109 patients were included in the combination group and 110 in the solifenacin group. The incidences of LUTS, including urgency, frequent urination, and incontinence episodes, in the 2nd week (44.9% vs. 64.5%, P = 0.028; 48.6% vs. 62.7%, P = 0.036; and 40.4% vs. 56.4%, P = 0.018) and the 4th week (14.7% vs. 30.9%, P = 0.004; 16.5% vs. 33.6%, P = 0.003; and 11.9% vs. 26.4%, P = 0.007) after combination treatment were significantly lower than those in the solifenacin group. The incidence of drug-related adverse events in the solifenacin group was higher than that in the combination group, but there was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). In terms of secondary variables, the OAB-q HRQol score in the combination group was statistically superior in comparison with that in the solifenacin group between the second and fourth week (77.9 vs. 76.4, P = 0.020; and 87.9 vs. 85.6, P = 0.001). The OAB-q symptom bother score was higher in the solifenacin group than in the combination group (37.6 vs. 36.4, P = 0.016; and 26.2 vs. 24.8, P = 0.003). Combination therapy of solifenacin and mirabegron demonstrated significant improvements over solifenacin monotherapy in reducing OAB symptoms associated with double-J stents, and providing a higher quality of life without increasing bothersome adverse effects., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The present work introduces the multiple CO reduction toward C 3 products promoted by a newly designed single cluster catalyst consisting of defective hBN and embedded dimerized Fe, by means of density functional theory calculations. We find the strong metal-support interactions give rise to the local strain and electron accumulation of the N coordinated with two metals and resultantly form a Fe 2 N active center. The metal-nonmetal synergic effect facilitates the coadsorption and C-C coupling of triple CO molecules and finally generates propane in a highly active and selective way.

The present work investigated the binding of atomically dispersed transition metals to the perfect and single/double vacancy (SV/DV)-containing defective β 12 -borophenes and the catalytic performance of those corresponding single-atom catalysts (SACs) and diatomic catalysts (DACs) for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) by means of density functional theory calculations. Although previous theoretical studies proposed that the inherent hexagon hole of the defect-free β 12 -borophene is capable of anchoring single metal atom for NRR, calculations suggested that the interaction between borophene and doped metal is not strong enough to avoid metal aggregation. For the defective β 12 -borophene with SV, even though the single metal could be stabilized in an 8-membered ring, it was found that the SAC was still ineffective for NRR because of the competitive hydrogen evolution process. Regarding the DV-containing β 12 -borophene, a defective configuration with an unexpected 11-membered hole was proved as the most stable structure, which possessed a very similar average atomic energy (6.25 eV atom -1 ) compared to that of the pristine β 12 sheet (6.26 eV atom -1 ). Two metal atoms could be encapsulated into the confined space of the B 11 ring. Compared to SACs, those corresponding DACs were more active for N 2 fixation and hydrogenation, and the hydrogen evolution reaction could be passivated, attributing to the synergistic effect of dual metal centres. Among all candidates, the V 2 /β 12 -DV was predicted as the most promising catalyst for NRR, with the limiting potential of as low as -0.15 V., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is rich in nutritional and medicinal value. However, the organism responsible for grey mould, Botrytis cinerea, causes great economic losses and food safety problems to the kiwifruit industry. Understanding the molecular mechanism underlying postharvest kiwifruit responses to B. cinerea is important for preventing grey mould decay and enhancing resistance breeding. Kiwifruit cv. 'Hongyang' was used as experimental material. The AcPGIP gene was cloned and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was used to explore the function of the polygalacturonase inhibiting protein (PGIP) gene in kiwifruit resistance to B. cinerea. Virus-induced silencing of AcPGIP resulted in enhanced susceptibility of kiwifruit to B. cinerea. Antioxidant enzymes, secondary metabolites and endogenous hormones were analysed to investigate kiwifruit responses to B. cinerea infection. Kiwifruit effectively activated antioxidant enzymes and secondary metabolite production in response to B. cinerea, which significantly increased Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin 3 (GA3) and abscisic acid (ABA) content relative to those in uninfected fruit. Silencing of AcPGIP enabled kiwifruit to quickly activate hormone-signaling pathways through an alternative mechanism to trigger defence responses against B. cinerea infection. These results expand our understanding of the regulatory mechanism for disease resistance in kiwifruit; further, they provide gene-resource reserves for molecular breeding of kiwifruit for disease resistance.

Microarray data of hippocampal tissue(HC) of the cognitively intact elderly(60-99 years old) were compared with those of the middle-aged and the young(20-59 years old) by bioinformatics techniques to initially screen out differentially expressed genes(DEGs) and then predict potential effective Chinese medicinals for the treatment of brain aging. The gene expression profile(accession: GSE11882) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO) and DEGs were screened based on R package. The key DEGs were identified by STRING, Cytoscape and the plug-in, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis. Then the key genes and the medical ontology information retrieval platform(Coremine Medical) were mapped against each other to single out the Chinese medicinals for the treatment of brain aging and construct the " Chinese medicinal-active constituent-target" network. Among the resultant 268 DEGs(246 down-regulated and 22 up-regulated), the 15 key genes were mainly involved in biological processes such as leukocyte migration, neutrophil activation, cell chemotaxis, microglia activation and response to external stimulus, and pathways such as inflammatory process, immune response, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, PI3 K-Akt signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. The potential effective Chinese medicinals were Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Astragali Radix. The analysis of DEGs and key genes enhances the understanding of the mechanisms of brain aging. This study provides potential gene targets and ideas for the development of Chinese medicine for brain aging.

Small cysteine-rich (SCR) proteins, including fungal avirulence proteins, play important roles in pathogen-plant interactions. SCR protein-encoding genes have been discovered in the genomes of Phytophthora pathogens but their functions during pathogenesis remain obscure. Here, we report the characterization of one Phytophthora capsici SCR protein (namely, SCR82) with similarity to Phytophthora cactorum phytotoxic protein PcF. The scr82 gene has 10 allelic sequences in the P. capsici population. Homologs of SCR82 were not identified in fungi or other organisms but in Phytophthora relative species. Initially, scr82 was weakly expressed during the mycelium, sporangium, and zoospore stages but quickly upregulated when the infection initiated. Both ectopic expression of SCR82 and recombinant yeast-expressed protein (rSCR82) caused cell death on tomato leaves. Upon treatment, rSCR82 induced plant defense responses, including the induction of defense gene expression, reactive oxygen species burst, and callose deposition. Knockout of scr82 in P. capsici by CRISPR/Cas9 severely impaired its virulence on host plants and significantly reduced its resistance against oxidative stress. Inversely, its overexpression increased the pathogen's virulence and tolerance to oxidative stress. Our results collectively demonstrate that SCR82 functions as both an important virulence factor and plant defense elicitor, which is conserved across Phytophthora spp.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Background: Elucidation of the regulatory mechanism of kiwifruit response to gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea can provide the basis for its molecular breeding to impart resistance against this disease. In this study, 'Hongyang' kiwifruit served as the experimental material; the TOPLESS/TOPLESS-RELATED (TPL/TPR) co-repressor gene AcTPR2 was cloned into a pTRV2 vector (AcTPR2-TRV) and the virus-induced gene silencing technique was used to establish the functions of the AcTPR2 gene in kiwifruit resistance to Botrytis cinerea., Results: Virus-induced silencing of AcTPR2 enhanced the susceptibility of kiwifruit to Botrytis cinerea. Defensive enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and endogenous phytohormones such as indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GA 3 ), abscisic acid (ABA), and salicylic acid (SA) were detected. Kiwifruit activated these enzymes and endogenous phytohormones in response to pathogen-induced stress and injury. The expression levels of the IAA signaling genes-AcNIT, AcARF1, and AcARF2-were higher in the AcTPR2-TRV treatment group than in the control. The IAA levels were higher and the rot phenotype was more severe in AcTPR2-TRV kiwifruits than that in the control. These results suggested that AcTPR2 downregulation promotes expression of IAA and IAA signaling genes and accelerates postharvest kiwifruit senescence. Further, Botrytis cinerea dramatically upregulated AcTPR2, indicating that AcTPR2 augments kiwifruit defense against pathogens by downregulating the IAA and IAA signaling genes., Conclusions: The results of the present study could help clarify the regulatory mechanisms of disease resistance in kiwifruit and furnish genetic resources for molecular breeding of kiwifruit disease resistance.

Purpose: To review the imaging characteristics and evaluate the diagnostic value of echocardiography for diagnosing anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ARCAPA)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the echocardiographic records and compared these images with operative findings in six children with ARCAPA., Results: ARCAPA was characterized by dilation of the left coronary artery, inappropriate origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery, and collaterals within the interventricular septum. The associated malformations included atrial septal defect in four cases. Four of six cases were diagnosed correctly, while the remaining two cases were misdiagnosed: one of fistula between the pulmonary artery and the left coronary artery and another of ARCAPA diagnosed intraoperatively in one case of atrial septal defect., Conclusion: ARCAPA can be diagnosed by echocardiography but is prone to misdiagnosis. This malformation should be distinguished from coronary artery fistula.

Background: Paranosema locustae Canning, 1953 (Microsporidia) provides effective control of grasshoppers. Horizontal transmission of P. locustae is known to occur, and evidence for the mechanism of this transmission via predatory natural enemies has been found. We conducted a 3-year laboratory and field study to assess the potential impact of feces from both grasshoppers Locusta migratoria L. and their natural enemies on the persistence of P. locustae., Results: We found that P. locustae persisted among grasshopper populations in treated areas and in adjacent untreated areas for up to 2 years, and the density of grasshoppers decreased in both areas. We showed that healthy grasshoppers could be infected by eating food contaminated by feces from their natural enemies. Grasshopper predators retained a large number of spores acquired from eating grasshoppers infected with P. locustae. Spores in the feces of the main natural enemy, the beetle Pterostichus gebleri Dejean 1828, in the treated area showed clear viability., Conclusion: These results demonstrate that predatory natural enemies are important vectors for this microsporidian disease, and suggest that sustainable transmission and continuing population suppression might be achieved by horizontal transmission via natural enemies, which should be maximized to increase the effectiveness of P. locustae. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Objective: Clinical decision making in children with heart disease relies on detailed measurements of cardiac structures using two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography. However, no echocardiographic reference values are available for the Chinese children. We aimed to establish z-score regression equations for left heart structures in a population-based cohort of healthy Chinese Han children., Method: Echocardiography was performed in 545 children with a normal heart. The dimensions of the aortic valve annulus (AVA), aortic sinuses of Valsalva (ASV), sinotubular junction (STJ), ascending aorta (AAO), left atrium (LA), mitral valve annulus (MVA), interventricular septal end-diastolic thickness (IVSd), interventricular septal end-systolic thickness (IVSs), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVIDd), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVIDs), left ventricular posterior wall end-diastolic thickness (LVPWd), left ventricular posterior wall end-systolic thickness (LVPWs) were measured. Regression analyses were conducted to relate the measurements of left heart structures to body surface area (BSA). Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were calculated. Several models were used, and the adjusted R2 values were compared for each model., Results: AVA, ASV, STJ, AAO, LA, MVA, IVSd, IVSs, LVIDd, LVIDs, LVPWd, and LVPWs had a cubic relationship with BSA. LVEF and LVFS fell within a narrow range., Conclusions: Our results provide reference values for z scores and regression equations for left heart structures in Han Chinese children. These data may help make a quick and accurate judgment of the routine clinical measurement of left heart structures in children with heart disease., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Amyloid β-protein (Aβ) is believed to contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we showed that Aβ 25-35 rapidly caused activation of autophagy, subsequently leading to reduction of autophagy associated with cellular apoptosis. Further investigation revealed that the accumulation of β-arrestin 1 (ARRB1) caused by Aβ 25-35 contributed to the induction of autophagic flux. The depletion of ARRB1 led to decreases in the expression of LC3B, Atg7, and Beclin-1, which are essential for the initiation of autophagy. ARRB1 depletion also reduced downstream ERK activity and promoted Aβ 25-35 -induced cell death. As with ARRB1, transient upregulation of ARRB2 by Aβ 25-35 was observed after short treatment durations, whereas genetic reduction of ARRB2 caused a marked increase in the expression of the α7nAch receptor at the cell surface, which resulted in partial reversal of Aβ 25-35 -induced cell death. Although expression of both ARRB1 and ARRB2 was reduced in serum from patients with AD, the levels of ARRB1 were much lower than those of ARRB2 in AD. Thus, our findings indicate that ARRB1/2 play different roles in Aβ 25-35 cytotoxicity, which may provide additional support for exploring the underlying molecular mechanism of AD.

The predatory mite Neoseiulus barkeri (Hughes) is a good biological control agent for many small sucking pests. We aimed to determine whether rearing long term on alternative prey versus target prey species affected the performance of N. barkeri. Therefore, we investigated the prey preference, life tables, and population parameters of N. barkeri between alternative prey Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) and three species of spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, Panonychus citri (McGregor), and Eotetranychus kankitus Ehara. We found that N. barkeri preferred the tetranychid mites to the alternative prey. Between the tetranychid mites, the predator consumed more P. citri and E. kankitus than T. urticae. When reared on T. urticae, the total developmental time and longevity of N. barkeri were the longest, whereas the intrinsic rate of increase was the lowest, indicating that the biotic fitness of predatory mite preyed on target of T. urticae was higher than on alternative prey of T. putrescentiae. However, total developmental time, longevity, and fecundity did not differ between N. barkeri reared on T. putrescentiae and P. citri, although these parameters were higher than those for mites reared on E. kankitus, indicating that the predatory mite reared on T. putrescentiae may not be affected to control P. citri, and that coexistence of P. citri and E. kankitus may enhance the control efficiency of N. barkeri. Altogether, our results demonstrated that long-term feeding on the alternative prey T. putrescentiae did not affect the performance of the predatory mite N. barkeri on various target spider mites., (© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Eotetranychus kankitus Ehara (Acari: Tetranychidae) is an important pest in Chinese citrus orchards. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of Neoseiulus barkeri (Hughes) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for the biological control of E. kankitus. A two-sex life table of E. kankitus and N. barkeri was constructed to estimate development and fecundity. The functional response and stage-specific predation rate were analyzed to evaluate predation capacity. In addition, a timing model was used to project populations of E. kankitus with release of N. barkeri. Results showed that N. barkeri was able to develop and reproduce when fed on E. kankitus. The functional responses of N. barkeri on different stages of E. kankitus all fit the Holling II disc equation. When mixed stages of E. kankitus coexisted, N. barkeri mainly consumed larvae and nymphs. Based on the life tables and stage-specific predation rates, population projection revealed the stage structure and growth rate of N. barkeri on E. kankitus. Although E. kankitus had the higher growth rate, it was maintained at a low population level for several weeks after release of N. barkeri. The results highlighted the potential for utilizing N. barkeri as a biological control agent of E. kankitus., (© The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Clinical decision making in children with congenital and acquired heart disease relies on measurements of cardiac structures using two-dimensional echocardiography. We aimed to establish z-score regression equations for right heart structures in healthy Chinese Han children., Methods: Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography was performed in 515 patients. We measured the dimensions of the pulmonary valve annulus (PVA), main pulmonary artery (MPA), left pulmonary artery (LPA), right pulmonary artery (RPA), right ventricular outflow tract at end-diastole (RVOTd) and at end-systole (RVOTs), tricuspid valve annulus (TVA), right ventricular inflow tract at end-diastole (RVIDd) and at end-systole (RVIDs), and right atrium (RA). Regression analyses were conducted to relate the measurements of right heart structures to 4body surface area (BSA). Right ventricular outflow-tract fractional shortening (RVOTFS) was also calculated. Several models were used, and the best model was chosen to establish a z-score calculator., Results: PVA, MPA, LPA, RPA, RVOTd, RVOTs, TVA, RVIDd, RVIDs, and RA (R 2  = 0.786, 0.705, 0.728, 0.701, 0.706, 0.824, 0.804, 0.663, 0.626, and 0.793, respectively) had a cubic polynomial relationship with BSA; specifically, measurement (M) = β0 + β1 × BSA + β2 × BSA 2  + β3 × BSA. 3 RVOTFS (0.28 ± 0.02) fell within a narrow range (0.12-0.51)., Conclusions: Our results provide reference values for z scores and regression equations for right heart structures in Han Chinese children. These data may help interpreting the routine clinical measurement of right heart structures in children with congenital or acquired heart disease. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:293-303, 2017., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: To study the expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 in human prostate cancer tissue and its effect on the glycometabolism and growth of human prostate cancer cells., Methods: Realtime quantitative RTPCR (qRTPCR) was employed to detect the expression of lncRNA H19 in human prostate tissues from 20 patients with prostate cancer (10 cases of highGleason score prostate cancer ［HGPC］ and 10 cases of lowGleason score prostate cancer ［LGPC］) and another 5 with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). After transfection of H19 siRNA into the DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells, the growth of the cells and the H19 expression in the cells were determined by MTT and qRTPCR respectively, and the changes in the glycometabolism of the prostate cancer cells were analyzed by measuring the contents of glucose and lactate in the culture medium. Nontransfected and transfected negative vectors were used as blank and negative controls respectively., Results: The relative expression of H19 was significantly increased in both the HGPC and LGPC tissues (0.725±0.385 and 2.086±0.542) as compared with that in the BPH tissue (0.210±0.068) (P< 0.01), even higher in the HGPC than in the LGPC tissue (P< 0.01). After transfection of H19 siRNA, the expressions of H19 were remarkably decreased in the DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells in comparison with those in the blank control and negative control groups (P< 0.01), and so were the proliferation of and the glucose and lactate levels in the DU145 and PC3 cells (P< 0.01).

Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) and Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) are the most important pests of maize in China. A laboratory study and a 2-year field study on the efficacy of transgenic maize expressing the Cry1Ac protein BT38 against O. furnacalis and H. armigera were performed. We found that the husks, kernels, and silks of BT38 showed significant efficacy against larvae of O. furnacalis and H. armigera. In the field, when neonate larvae of O. furnacalis and H. armigera were on plants at different growth stages and when levels of leaf-damage or number of damaged silks were used to score efficacy, we found that BT38 showed significant insecticidal efficacy against O. furnacalis and H. armigera, but the non-Bt maize did not show significant efficacy against either pest. These results suggest that the insecticidal efficacy of Bt maize expressing the Cry1Ac protein could be useful in the integrated pest management of these key maize pests.

Objective: Natural killer (NK) cells serve as primary immune surveillance and are partially regulated by combinations of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) ligands. Alterations in NK cell activity have been associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). The aim of this study was to determine whether certain KIR/HLA-C genotype combinations play a role in HT pathogenesis., Methods: The present study enrolled 107 unrelated HT patients and 108 random healthy individuals in a case-control study. Blood was collected for DNA extraction; typing of KIR genes and HLA-C alleles was performed by polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP), followed by electrophoresis on agarose gels., Results: Among a panel of KIR2D/HLA-C genotype combinations, the frequency of KIR2DS2/HLA-C1 was significantly increased in HT patients compared to controls (33.64% vs. 12.96%, P<.001). To further analyze the precise genotype, we investigated inhibitory or activating KIR/HLA-C gene pairs when their corresponding activating or inhibitory KIR genes were absent in the 2 groups. Only the frequency of KIR2DS2(-)2DL2/3(+)HLA-C1(+) was significantly decreased in HT patients compared to controls (48.60% vs. 70.37%, P = .001)., Conclusion: Our data suggest that KIR2DS2/HLA-C1 may correlate with HT pathogenesis. On the contrary, the predominance of KIR2DL2/3/HLA-C1 in the absence of KIR2DS2 suggests a potential inhibitory role in HT pathogenesis. In conclusion, our findings may further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of HT and other autoimmune diseases., Abbreviations: HLA-C = human leukocyte antigen-C HT = Hashimoto thyroiditis KIR = killer immunoglobulin-like receptor NK = natural killer PCR = polymerase chain reaction.

The fast estimation of leaf area index (LAI) is significant for learning the crops growth, monitoring the disease and insect, and assessing the yield of crops. This study used the hyperspectral compact airborne spectrographic imager (CASI) data of Zhangye city, in Heihe River basin, on July 7, 2012, and extracted the spectral reflectance accurately. The potential of broadband and red-edge vegetation index for estimating the LAI of crops was comparatively investigated by combined with the field measured data. On this basis, the sensitive wavebands for estimating the LAI of crops were selected and two new spectral indexes (NDSI and RSI) were constructed, subsequently, the spatial distribution of LAI in study area was analyzed. The result showed that broadband vegetation index NDVI had good effect for estimating the LAI when the vegetation coverage is relatively lower, the R2 and RMSE of estimation model were 0. 52, 0. 45 (p<0. 01) , respectively. For red-edge vegetation index, CIred edge took the different crop types into account fully, thus it gained the same estimation accuracy with NDVI. NDSI(569.00, 654.80) and RSI(597.60, 654.80) were constructed by using waveband combination algorithm, which has superior estimation results than NDVI and CIred edge. The R2 of estimation model used NDSI(569.00, 654.80) was 0. 77(p<0. 000 1), it mainly used the wavebands near the green peak and red valley of vegetation spectrum. The spatial distribution map of LAI was made according to the functional relationship between the NDSI(569.00, 654.80) and LAI. After analyzing this map, the LAI values were lower in the northwest of study area, this indicated that more fertilizer should be increased in this area. This study can provide technical support for the agricultural administrative department to learn the growth of crops quickly and make a suitable fertilization strategy.

Objectives: Previous Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have demonstrated Interleukin-1 receptor 2 (IL-1R2) was strongly associated with susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The aim of this study was to replicate the association of IL-1R2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with AS in the northern Han Chinese., Methods: A total of 490 AS patients and 580 matched healthy controls were enrolled in our study. Six tagSNPs in IL-1R2: rs4851526, rs4851527, rs2302589, rs2072476, rs2072472, and rs2310173 were selected and genotyped by Taqman SNP genotyping method. The differences of allele and genotype frequencies were analyzed by use of PLINK 1.07., Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that one tagSNP rs2302589 in IL-1R2 was significantly associated with AS susceptibility (OR 0.77, 95% CI = 0.64-0.92, P = 0.005). However, no significant association was observed on the other tagSNPs for AS risk. The haplotype analysis further showed that the haplotype "GCGCGG" of IL-1R2 was also associated with the increased risk of AS (OR 1.362, P = 0.0207)., Conclusions: This is the first detection that the genetic variation rs2302589 in IL-1R2 gene was associated with AS in Northern Han Chinese. This result confirmed that IL-1R2 may be genetic biomarker for susceptibility to AS.

Objective: In children with coronary disease, clinical decision should be based on detailed measurements of the coronary arteries by two-dimensional echocardiography. We aimed to establish coronary artery reference indexed diameter and z scores regression equations in a large cohort of Chinese Han children., Methods: We measured the diameter of the proximal right (RCA), left main (LMCA), left anterior descending, and left circumflex coronary artery, and of the aortic annulus, and calculated the coronary-aorta index (coronary artery-to-aortic annulus ratio) in 506 Chinese Han children with normal hearts whose ages ranged from 1 day to 18 years. Regression analyses were performed, relating the coronary artery dimensions to body surface area (BSA). Several models were used, and the best model (yielding the maximum adjusted R(2) ) was chosen to establish a z score calculator., Results: Based on cubic regression, (M) = β0 + β1 × BSA + β2 × BSA(2)  + β3 × BSA(3) , the adjusted R(2) values were 0.515, 0.553, 0.505, and 0.518 for the RCA, LMCA, left anterior descending, and left circumflex coronary artery models, respectively. RCA/aortic annulus was 0.14 ± 0.02 (range, 0.07-0.24) and LMCA/AOA was 0.15 ± 0.03 (range, 0.10-0.28)., Conclusions: Our results provide reference values of coronary artery z scores, regression equation, and coronary-aorta index as a quick guide to determine coronary dilation in Chinese Han children., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death, and drug resistance is the leading reason for therapy failure. However, how this occurs is largely unknown. We therrfore aimed to study the response of DU145 cells to cisplatin., Materials and Methods: Du145 prostate cancer cells were treated with a low dose of cisplatin for 24 h and cell viability and number were determined by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively. The real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess responses to cisplatin treatment., Results: After 24h 2 μg/ml treatment did not result in significant reduction in cell viability or number. However, it led to enhanced cancer cell invasiveness. E-cadherin mRNA was reduced, and vimentin, Snail, Slug, metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) mRNA expression increased significantly, a feature of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)., Conclusions: Short time low concentration cisplatin treatment leads to elevated invasiveness of DU145 cancer cells and this is possibly due to EMT.

Background: Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and T cells and organized in highly polymorphic families. Genetic diversity is an important characteristic of KIR genes. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of KIR genotypes and halotypes on the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB)., Methods: A sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) was employed to amplify the KIR genes and pseudogenes in 139 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients and 30 healthy controls. The innovative point of our study was the subdivision of the patient group according to sputum smear test (positive and negative). KIR genotype and haplotype frequencies were compared between the PTB group and the control group by Chi-square test, and p < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant., Results: The genotype AH and FZ14 may be associated with the clearance of Mycobacterium. In addition, haplotype B may be the susceptive haplotype that facilitated the clearance of Mycobacterium and haplotype A may be protective haplotype of PTB., Conclusions: Therefore, the diversity of genotypes and haplotypes induced an inflammatory reaction that resulted in continuous infection.

Objective: Based on the system of regeneration,the genetic transformation system of Lonicera macranthoides was established., Methods: Tissue culture method of seedlings, Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation method of explants, report gene was detected by gus staining and PCR., Results: The efficient transformation time was 8 minutes of infection. The good transformation rate was gained with the kanamycin 35 mg/L and cefotaxime 600 mg/L. The concentration of kanamycin had a leading effect on bud differentiation between two antibiotics, and bud induction rate reached extremely significant difference. Results of gus staining and PCR proved that the gus gene was integrated into Lonicera macranthoides genome., Conclusion: The genetic transformation system of Lonicera macranthoides leaves mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHAlO5 was established for the first time.

Objective: To improve salt resistance of Lonicera macranthoides seedlings and provide reference for its cultivation of salt tolerance., Methods: Pretreatment of seedlings with abscisic acid (ABA) of different concentrations were used to study the effect of ABA on their physiological and biochemical characteristics under 200 mmol/L NaCl for 7 days., Results: Exogenous ABA significantly decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), increased the contents of chlorophyll, soluble sugar, soluble protein and activities of protected enzymes such as peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)., Conclusion: It is proposed that exogenous ABA as chemical activator can induce salt resistance and decrease alleviate damage degree of salt stress of Lonicera macranthoides seedlings in a dose-dependent manner.

Objective: To provide the basis for clinical acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) surveillance and to avoid cross infection in hospital, we study the infection status of AIDS in Shandong province., Methods: The fourth-generated Akzo's ELISA kit and the fourth generated Immunoluminometric detection reagent were used for HIV antibody screening for 399 303 cases of both inpatients and outpatients from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2011. Beijing WanTai ELISA kit and Se-marked rapid detection reagent were used for re-detection, and the positive samples were sent to the local CDC for confirming test by Western Blot., Results: The HIV-1 antibody detection results of 129 (0. 3230 per thousand) patients were confirmed to be positive, including 54 (0. 1352 per thousand) cases of outpatients and 75 (0. 1878 per thousand) cases of inpatients. HIV infection rates in outpatients from 2003 to 2011 were 0.050 per thousand, 0.030 per thousand, 0.111 per thousand, 0.120 per thousand, 0.124 per thousand, 0.113 per thousand, 0.148 per thousand, 0.201 per thousand, 0.2152 per thousand; and that in inpatients were 0. 150 per thousand, 0.089 per thousand, 0.138 per thousand, 0. 144 per thousand, 0. 104 per thousand, 0. 132 per thousand, 0. 197 per thousand, 0. 329 per thousand, 0. 313 per thousand respectively. Among these inpatients, there were 61 cases of medical patients and 14 cases of surgical patients, and most were youths and farmers., Conclusions: HIV infection rate was increasing year by year. Most inpatients whose HIV-1 antibody was positive were in the phase of AIDS. Therefore, it's very necessary to execute routine testing for inpatients and outpatients who need special examination for early diagnosis of HIV infection

The objective of this paper is to identify disease and its severity of soybean by using single leaf spectral data in the field. The soybean spectral were measured in the Sutton Bonington Campus of University of Nottingham (52.8 degrees N, 1.2 degrees W), which infected rust disease (RD) and common mosaic disease (CMD), respectively, and continuum removal method was used to process the original spectral data, and sensitive bands were selected for disease and disease severity, and vegetation index was designed for identifying RD and CMD of soybean. The result showed spectral reflectance of soybean under CMD stressed is more than that of health in the visible region. However, spectral reflectance of soybean under RD stressed will decrease in the green region and that will increase in the red region with disease severity increasing. According to the spectral changing features, a new index R500 x R550/R680 was designed for identifying the disease of soybean. In order to test the index identifying disease ability, the J-M distances were calculated among health, RD and CMD. The result indicated index R500 x R550/R680 can better identify RD and CMD, at the same time, the index has good ability for discriminating the disease severity of soybean. The research results of this paper has important theoretical value for crops disease monitoring and prevention and practical application meanings.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of orbit blowout fracture reconstruction under nasal endoscope., Methods: Forty-one cases of orbit fracture were reconstructed for lost or damaged orbit under nasal endoscope through maxillary sinus, ethmoidal sinus or the both., Results: Among the 35 cases of orbit blowout fracture, enophthalmos in 33 cases were completely improved, 29 cases were symmetrical to normal eye after operation without diplopia except that 6 cases had slight enophthalmos accompanied with slight diplopia. Among these 6 cases, 4 cases returned to normal without diplopia 6 months after operation. In the 6 cases of orbit non-blowout fracture, 4 cases were symmetrical to normal eye after operation without enophthalmos, diplopia and facial malformation. One case had slight enophthalmos and diplopia, 1 case had slight enophthalmos with slight facial malformation., Conclusions: The surgery under nasal endoscope is safe and credible. The method can be easily mastered and its complication is less.

The α(7)-nicotinic ACh receptor (α(7)-nAChR) on sympathetic neurons innervating basilar arteries of pigs crossed bred between Landrace and Yorkshire (LY) is known to mediate nicotine-induced, β-amyloid (Aβ)-sensitive nitrergic neurogenic vasodilation. Preliminary studies, however, demonstrated that nicotine-induced cerebral vasodilation in pigs crossbred among Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc (LYD) was insensitive to Aβ and α-bungarotoxin (α-BGTX). We investigated nAChR subtype on sympathetic neurons innervating LYD basilar arteries. Nicotine-induced relaxation of porcine isolated basilar arteries was examined by tissue bath myography, inward currents on nAChR-expressing oocytes by two-electrode voltage recording, and mRNA and protein expression in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and middle cervical ganglion (MCG) by reverse transcription PCR and Western blotting. Nicotine-induced basilar arterial relaxation was not affected by Aβ, α-BGTX, and α-conotoxin IMI (α(7)-nAChR antagonists), or α-conotoxin AuIB (α(3)β(4)-nAChR antagonist) but was inhibited by tropinone and tropane (α(3)-containing nAChR antagonists) and α-conotoxin MII (selective α(3)β(2)-nAChR antagonist). Nicotine-induced inward currents in α(3)β(2)-nAChR-expressing oocytes were inhibited by α-conotoxin MII but not by α-BGTX, Aβ, or α-conotoxin AuIB. mRNAs of α(3)-, α(7)-, β(2)-, and β(4)-subunits were expressed in both SCGs and MCGs with significantly higher mRNAs of α(3)-, β(2)-, and β(4)-subunits than that of α(7)-subunit. The Aβ-insensitive sympathetic α(3)β(2)-nAChR mediates nicotine-induced cerebral nitrergic neurogenic vasodilation in LYD pigs. The different finding from Aβ-sensitive α(7)-nAChR in basilar arteries of LY pigs may offer a partial explanation for different sensitivities of individuals to Aβ in causing diminished cerebral nitrergic vasodilation in diseases involving Aβ.

Retigeric acid B (RB), a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenic acid, has been noted for its antifungal properties in vitro. Here, we observed that RB inhibited prostate cancer cell proliferation and induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner, but exerted very little inhibitory effect on noncancerous prostate epithelial cell viability. Treatment of androgen-independent PC-3 cells with RB caused a moderate increase in p21(Cip1), and enforced the cell cycle arrest in the S phase. A block of S phase was accompanied with decreases in cyclin B, and increases in cyclin E and cyclin A proteins and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb), whereas the expression of cdk2 remained almost unchanged in PC-3 cells exposed to RB. Moreover, RB significantly inhibited DNA synthesis with a dose-dependent reduction in the incorporation of BrdU into DNA, and enhanced apoptosis of PC-3 cells with induction of a higher ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 proteins, and activation of caspase-3 which, in turn, promoted the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). However, pretreatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk only partially alleviated RB-triggered apoptosis in PC-3 cells, suggesting the involvement of both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways. Additionally, treatment of androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells with RB led to a reduction in the expression of androgen receptor (AR), and subsequently decreased the transactivity of AR. These observations help to support the search for promising candidates to treat prostate cancer., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the current status of prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rate of hypertension in adult residents living in rural area of Liaoning Province, North China., Methods: The screening was finished in 2008, probability proportional to size sampling method was used to select the representative sample. Blood pressure was measured in 153481 adults (aged > 35 yr), information on history of hypertension and use of antihypertensive medications was obtained by use of a standard questionnaire., Results: Overall, hypertension prevalence rate was 41.9%, the age-specific hypertension prevalence rate was 25.0%, 37.7%, 50.2%, and 64.9% in men and 22.1%, 41.1%, 56.6% and 70.2% in women age 35 to 44 years, 45 to 54 years, 55 to 64 years, and above 65 years, respectively. Among hypertensive patients, awareness rate was only 54.1%, 39.7% patients received antihypertensive medication and blood pressure control rate (< 140/90 mm Hg) was 6.9% in all participants and was 9.3% in treated hypertensive patients., Conclusion: Our results indicates that hypertension prevalence is highly while awareness, treatment and control rate of hypertension was low in rural areas of northeast China. These results underscore the urgent need to develop comprehensive strategies to improve prevention, detection, and treatment of hypertension in rural population of Liaoning province.

Objective: Lipopolysaccharide pretreatment potentiates hypoxic ischemic injury. We hypothesized that docosahexaenoic acid pretreatment would improve function and reduce brain volume loss in this rat model of perinatal brain injury and inflammation., Study Design: Seven-day-old rats were divided into 3 groups: intraperitoneal docosahexaenoic acid 1 mg/kg and lipopolysaccharide 0.1 mg/kg, 25% albumin and lipopolysaccharide, and normal saline. Injections were given 2.5 hours before carotid ligation, followed by 90 minutes 8% O2. Rats underwent sensorimotor function testing and brain volume loss assessment on postnatal day 14., Results: Docosahexaenoic acid pretreatment improved vibrissae forepaw placing scores compared with albumin/lipopolysaccharide (mean+/-standard deviation weighted score/20: 17.72+/-0.92 docosahexaenoic acid/lipopolysaccharide vs 13.83+/-0.82 albumin/lipopolysaccharide; P<.007). Albumin/lipopolysaccharide rats scores were worse than those of the normal saline/normal saline rats (13.83+/-0.82 vs 17.21+/-0.71; P=.076). No significant differences in brain volume loss were observed among groups., Conclusion: Lipopolysaccharide inflammatory stimulation in conjunction with hypoxic ischemic resulted in poorer function than hypoxic ischemic alone. Docosahexaenoic acid pretreatment had significantly improved function in neonatal rats exposed to lipopolysaccharide and hypoxic ischemic., (Copyright (c) 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Seizures are associated with adverse outcome in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We hypothesized that early administration of the anticonvulsant phenobarbital after cerebral hypoxia ischemia could enhance the neuroprotective efficacy of delayed-onset hypothermia. We tested this hypothesis in a neonatal rodent model. Seven-d-old rats (n = 104) underwent right carotid ligation, followed by 90 min 8% O2 exposure; 15 min later, they received injections of phenobarbital (40 mg/kg) or saline. One or 3 h later, all were treated with hypothermia (30 degrees C, 3 h). Function and neuropathology were evaluated after 7 d (early outcomes) or 1 mo (late outcomes). Early outcome assessment demonstrated better sensorimotor performance and less cortical damage in phenobarbital-treated groups; there were no differences between groups in which the hypothermia delay was shortened from 3 to 1 h. Late outcome assessment confirmed sustained benefits of phenobarbital + hypothermia treatment; sensorimotor performance was better (persistent attenuation of contralateral forepaw placing deficits and absence of contralateral forepaw neglect); neuropathology scores were lower (median, phenobarbital 2 and saline 8.5, p < 0.05); and less ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere %Damage (mean +/- SD, 11 +/- 17 versus 28 +/- 22, p < 0.05). These results suggest that early posthypoxia-ischemia administration of phenobarbital may augment the neuroprotective efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia.

Aim: To analyze the association of estrogen receptor alpha (OR alpha) gene polymorphisms with cytokine genes expression in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls., Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted and polymorphisms of XbaI, Ukrainian (XX, Xx, or xx genotype) and PvuII (PP, Pp, or pp) in intron 1 of OR alpha gene were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) method. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-4, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and IL-2 were assessed by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)., Results: In patients with SLE with PpXx genotype, IL-10 and IL-4 mRNA expression was higher (P < 0.001 and P = 0.013, respectively), while in patients with SLE with Ppxx genotype IFN-gamma and IL-2 mRNA expression was lower than in controls (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in mRNA expression of 4 cytokines among controls with various genotypes., Conclusion: OR alpha gene polymorphism may be associated with the expression of IL-10, IL-4, IL-2, and IFN-gamma in patients with SLE.

This report describes a new experimental model to evaluate the effect of a recurrent systemic inflammatory challenge, after cerebral hypoxia-ischemia in immature mice, on the progression of brain injury. Treatment with a low dose of lipopolysaccharide (E. coli O55:B5, 0.2mg/kg for 3 days, then 0.1mg/kg for 2 days) daily for 5 days after unilateral cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (right carotid ligation followed by 35min in 10% O2) in 10-day-old mice resulted in increased right forebrain tissue damage (35.6% reduction in right hemisphere volume compared to 20.6% reduction in saline-injected controls), in bilateral reductions in corpus callosum area (by 12%) and myelin basic protein immunostaining (by 19%), and in suppression of injury-related right subventricular zone cellular proliferation. The post-hypoxic-ischemic lipopolysaccharide regimen that amplified brain injury was not associated with increased mortality, nor with changes in body temperature, weight gain or blood glucose concentrations. The results of the present study demonstrate that systemic inflammation influences the evolution of tissue injury after neonatal cerebral hypoxia-ischemia and may also impair potential recovery mechanisms.

Asb-4 is a gene that is specifically expressed in the hypothalamic energy homeostasis-associated areas and is down-regulated in the arcuate nucleus of fasted Sprague Dawley and obese Zucker rats. It has two functional domains, the ankyrin repeat and the SOCS box. The function of Asb-4 is unclear. We used yeast two hybridization to search for protein(s) that interact with Asb-4. With Asb-4 minus its SOCS box (Asb-4/Deltasb) as a bait, we screened mouse testis and arcuate nucleus cDNA libraries and identified G-protein pathway suppressor 1 (GPS1, also known as CSN1) as an Asb-4 interacting protein. GPS1 co-immunoprecipitated with Asb-4 both in vitro and in human HEK293 cells. When Asb-4 and GPS1 were co-transfected into HEK293 cells, expression of Asb-4 reduced the protein level of GPS1. Deletion of the SOCS box (Asb4/Deltasb) did not abolish the inhibitory effect of Asb-4 on GPS1, indicating that the SOCS box was not needed for its inhibitory effect. In NIH 3T3 L1 cells, expression of GPS1 enhanced c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activity. Co-expression of Asb-4 with GPS1 inhibited JNK activity. Treatment of the cells with insulin (20 nM) stimulated JNK activity. Expression of GPS1 potentiated the stimulatory effect of insulin, whereas co-expression of Asb-4 along with GPS1 inhibited JNK activity. In HEK293 cells expression of GPS1 elevated phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) at serine307, co-expression of Asb-4 with GPS1 reduced the IRS-1ser307 phosphorylation. The present study demonstrates that Asb-4 interacts with GPS1 and inhibits JNK activity.

Aim: To assess CT manifestations and its diagnostic value for lymphoma in the abdominal lymph nodes (LALN)., Methods: CT findings in 52 cases of LALN proved by surgery or biopsy, including Hodgkin's disease (HD) in 16 cases and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in 36 cases, were retrospectively analyzed., Results: (1) CT manifestations based on distribution of the lesions of LALN: Solitary mass type was found in 10 cases, including solitary, round, uniform-density, enlarged lymph nodes in 3 cases; and multiple, enlarged lymph nodes fusing into singular lobular mass in 7 cases. Thirty-four cases of multiple-nodular type showed multiple, round, enlarged lymph nodes with uniform density and clear margins. Vessels-embedded signs, including mesenteric vessels, renal vessels, abdominal aorta or inferior vena cava, were seen in 6 cases, and duodenum-embedded signs were seen in 2 cases. Eight cases of diffuse type showed characteristic "cobblestone signs". (2) CT manifestations correlated with pathological type: CT manifestations of 12 cases of HD were different from those of 40 cases of NHL in distribution, size, quantity and fused lesion of enlarged lymph nodes. (3) Twenty-eight cases of 52 patients were accompanied with extra-nodal lymphoma in the abdomen, especially gastrointestinal lymphoma, which had characteristic CT findings. (4) In follow-up examinations, CT images showed uniform, heterogeneous or rim enhancement in 15 cases, and occasional calcifications accompanied with reduction of the lesion size and quantity in 12 cases, whereas the lesions disappeared in 3 cases after treatment., Conclusion: CT images show many characteristic manifestations valuable for qualitative diagnosis of LALN, and it is also helpful for pathological classification of LALN and therapeutic evaluation in follow-up of patients.

To clone human interleukin-26 (hIL-26) and express it in E. coli efficiently. Two pairs of primers were synthesized according to the hIL-26 gene reported on GenBank. The hIL-26 gene was cloned by nest PCR following the first round RT-PCR from human peripherial blood monocytes total RNA, and then the PCR product was cloned into pMD18-T vector. Colony PCR, restriction analysis and sequence analysis showed that the gene cloned was the same as the reported hIL-26. The recombinant was cut with BamHI and EcoR I to obtain the hIL-26 fragment, and then the fragment was inserted into pBV220 which was cut with the same enzymes. The recombinant expression vector was induced to express hIL-26 at 42 degrees C, SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the recombinant protein accounted for up to 20% of the whole protein of E. coli, and the protein was also confirmed by Western blotting. Purity of the protein was found to be above 90% after purified with molecular sieve. After renaturalized with glutathione buffer, the promoting effect of it on the production of IFN-y in PBMC was detected by RT-PCR. A recombinant bacterial strain for expressing hIL-26 with biological activity was constructed successfully.

Objective: To investigate the nasal expression of CYP2A proteins in human., Methods: Immunoblot analysis was used to detect fetal tissues at 96-185 days of gestational age and in surgical biopsy tissues from different regions of nasal cavity of 36 adult patients, and immunohistochemical methods were used to localize CYP2A proteins' cellular distribution., Results: In adults, CYP2A protein was detected in olfactory microsomes from 8 of 10 individual, but not in the respiratory nasal microsomes from 37 individual. Quantitative immunoblot analysis confirmed that CYP2A proteins were selectively expressed in the olfactory region in both adult and fetal tissues. Interestingly, the levels of CYP2A proteins in nasal microsomes were generally higher in fetuses than in adults. The CYP2A protein content in olfactory microsomes ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 pmol/mg among adult nasal microsomes, while among five fetuses ranged from 0.8 to 5.3 pmol/mg microsomal protein, with a trend of developmental increase in expression level. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed that the CYP2A proteins were expressed in the supporting cells in the olfactory epithelium and in the Bowman's glands in the lamina propria., Conclusions: CYP2A proteins expression in human olfactory mucosa indicates that olfactory mucosa is metabolic target site of the xenobiotics. Also CYP2A has a relationship with olfaction. The prenatal expression of the CYP2A proteins in the OM suggests potential risks of developmental toxicity from maternally derived xenobiotics.

The neonatal rat model of unilateral cerebral hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is commonly used to test the efficacy of therapeutic strategies for prevention or treatment of stroke in the immature brain. Traditionally neuroprotection has been defined as reduction in tissue injury; there is growing interest in complementary functional assessment. Our objectives were to determine whether lateralizing performance deficits could be detected in two sensorimotor tests not previously used after neonatal HI, and to determine whether performance reflected the extent of tissue damage. Seven-day-old rats that underwent right carotid ligation followed by 1.5 h in 8% O2 and age-matched controls were tested for sensorimotor performance on postnatal day 35 (P35). We evaluated initial forepaw placement on the wall of a cylinder, and time taken to contact and remove adhesive stickers from the dorsum of each forepaw. Cortical, striatal and hippocampal damage severity was evaluated on P36 by calculating the contralateral-ipsilateral percent difference in regional areas. There was an inverse relationship between cortical and striatal damage severity and percent contralateral forepaw initiation in the cylinder. There was a direct linear relationship between damage severity and the delay from contact to removal of the contralateral sticker. These two tests revealed quantifiable contralateral sensorimotor deficits 4 weeks after unilateral neonatal cerebral HI in animals with cortical and striatal damage., (Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel)