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The breeding of flax and industrial hemp in China began in the 1950s. After the end of the 20th century, the development of related breeding technologies has been accelerating. The current main breeding techniques include cross breeding, mutagenesis, distant hybridization, utilization of male sterile flax, haploid breeding, hybrid breeding, tissue culture, transgene, gene editing, molecular marker assisted selection, and other technologies. Despite many new breeding techniques, cross breeding still are the main breeding method for flax and industrial hemp now. This paper introduced the production status, breeding history, germplasm collection, standard formulation, breeding methods, and new varieties of flax and industrial hemp. Analyzed some problems in flax and industrial hemp breeding, and put forward some suggestions.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the causal interaction between significant sensorimotor network (SMN) regions and other brain regions in Parkinson's disease patients with drooling (droolers). Methods: Twenty‐one droolers, 22 PD patients without drooling (non‐droolers), and 22 matched healthy controls underwent 3T‐MRI resting‐state scans. We performed independent component analysis and Granger causality analysis to determine whether significant SMN regions help predict other brain areas. Pearson's correlation was computed between imaging characteristics and clinical characteristics. ROC curves were plotted to assess the diagnostic performance of effective connectivity (EC). Results: Compared with non‐droolers and healthy controls, droolers showed abnormal EC of the right caudate nucleus (CAU.R) and right postcentral gyrus to extensive brain regions. In droolers, increased EC from the CAU.R to the right middle temporal gyrus was positively correlated with MDS‐UPDRS, MDS‐UPDRS II, NMSS, and HAMD scores; increased EC from the right inferior parietal lobe to CAU.R was positively correlated with MDS‐UPDRS score. ROC curve analysis showed that these abnormal ECs are of great significance in diagnosing drooling in PD. Conclusion: This study identified that PD patients with drooling have abnormal EC in the cortico‐limbic‐striatal‐cerebellar and cortio‐cortical networks, which could be potential biomarkers for drooling in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At optical frequencies, we design an anisotropic metasurface to realize high-Q perfect absorption in numerical calculation. By establishing the Norton equivalent network model, we first reveal that the root cause of this phenomenon is the coupling excitation of the localized surface plasmon (LSP) mode and the surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode. This absorber can realize bifunctional switching and is expected to realize the energy conversion of photons–SPP–photons. Meanwhile, we analyze the control of the structural design on high-Q perfect absorption. This research will provide theoretical guidance for the further development of applications related to high-Q perfect absorption such as absorption filters with specific wavelengths and narrow band photon emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anorectal malformations (ARMs) represent a variety of congenital disorders that involve abnormal termination of the anorectum. This study was to reveal relation between CDX1 and human ARMs phenotypes.Methods: 108 Chinese patients and 120 Chinese controls were included in this study. We analyzed the relation between two by PCR, qRT-PCR, western blot and immunofluorescence.Results: Four heterozygous mutations in CDX1 gene were identified in ARMs patients (3.7%, 4/108), no found in controls. CDX1 protein expression was significantly decreased in the ARMs compared with the control anorectum. All samples analyzed in ARMs group exhibited down-regulated CDX1 mRNA expression in comparison to matched normal group, demonstrated significant differences statistically.Conclusion: The findings represented the relation between CDX1 mutations and CDX1 genotype. Furthermore, it was suggested that the downregulation of CDX1 might be related to the development of ARMs.

Objective: We aim to explore the capacity of perioperative pupillary variables to predict acute pain in the post‐anesthesia care unit (PACU). Methods: Patients scheduled to undergo thoracic or abdominal surgery under general anesthesia between April 2021 and June 2021 were enrolled. We measured the pupil diameter, pupillary light reflex (PLR), and pupillary reflex dilatation 5 min before anesthesia induction (T1), 5 min after intubation (T2), at the end of anesthesia (T3), immediately before extubation (T4), and 5 min after extubation (T5). We assessed the early postoperative pain intensity in the PACU using Numeric Rating Scales (NRS) at recovery, 5 min after recovery, and 10 min after recovery. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between perioperative pupillary variables and postoperative pain intensity. Results: Fifty‐one patients were enrolled, 50 of whom were included in the final analysis. A total of 13 patients (26%) needed remedial analgesia in the PACU. Pupil parameters at T1, T2, T3, and T5 were not associated with NRS in the PACU. Multiple logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves indicated that only latency of PLR at T4 can predict postoperative acute pain. The ROC analysis showed that the cutoff value for latency of PLR at T4 was 0.29 s to discriminate between no pain and pain, and the area under the curve was 0.778 (95% CI 0.634–0.922, p = 0.002) with sensitivity 50.0% and specificity 91.7%. Conclusion: The latency of PLR immediately before extubation may be a useful predictor for postoperative acute pain in the PACU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is little empirical research on the effect of working after retirement on the mental health of the older adults in China. To fill this gap in the literature, this study examines the effects of working after retirement on the mental health of the older adults using data from the China Family Panel Studies. We employed the methods of ordinary least squares, ordered logit, and propensity score matching–difference in differences (PSM–DID). Results show that working after retirement is negatively related to mental health of the older adults in China. The deterioration effect of post-retirement work mainly impacts those aged over 60 years, women, and those with lower education background, urban household registration, higher pension, and higher social status. Working after retirement is negatively related to mental health through the mediating effects of deteriorating interpersonal relationships and lower positive attitude. It is necessary to consider mental health effects and their population differences to evaluate the impact and improve the quality of policies of active aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence reveals that intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) can cause varying degrees of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) later in life. Moreover, epigenetics plays an important role in the fetal origin of adult disease. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of epigenetics in the development of PAH following IUGR. Methods The IUGR rats were established by maternal undernutrition during pregnancy. Pulmonary vascular endothelial cells (PVEC) were isolated from the rat lungs by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). We investigated epigenetic regulation of the endothelin-1 (ET-1) gene in PVEC of 1-day and 6-week IUGR rats, and response of IUGR rats to hypoxia. Results The maternal nutrient restriction increased the histone acetylation and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) binding levels in the ET-1 gene promoter of PVEC in IUGR newborn rats, and continued up to 6 weeks after birth. These epigenetic changes could result in an IUGR rat being highly sensitive to hypoxia later in life, causing more significant PAH or pulmonary vascular remodeling. Conclusions These findings suggest that epigenetics is closely associated with the development of hypoxic PAH following IUGR, further providing a new insight for improved prevention and treatment of IUGR-related PAH.

aimed to investigate the effect of echinacoside on autophagy-related indicators through the mTOR signaling pathway, especially the effect on the clearance of autophagy substrate P62 and α-synuclein, the core pathological products of Parkinson's disease (PD), to provide new strategies for the treatment of PD. Methods: A mouse model of subacute PD was established by the intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). First, the neurobehavioral symptoms in mice of each group were evaluated, and the monoamine neurotransmitters in the striatum in each group were measured with a high-performance liquid phase. Immunofluorescence double staining was adopted to observe the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), α-synuclein, and LC3. The transmission electron microscope was used to observe the changes of ultrastructure in substantia nigra and the formation of autophagosomes. Then, the expressions of TH, α-synuclein, Beclin 1, LC3, P62, mTOR, and the up-stream protein AKT were detected by Western blot. Results: When compared with the model group, the neurobehavioral function significantly improved in the echinacoside group (P < 0.01), together with increased expression of TH, DA, and DOPAC in the brain (P < 0.01). In the echinacoside group, while the expressions of Beclin 1 and LC3-II increased (P < 0.01), the expression levels of P62 and α-synuclein decreased significantly (P < 0.01). Echinacoside could up-regulate the expression level of the survival signal p-AKT/AKT and decrease the expression of mTOR. Conclusion: Echinacoside could increase autophagy by inhibiting the expression of mTOR, thereby promoting the clearance of α-synuclein and the degradation of the autophagy substrate P62 and exerting the neuroprotective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease characterized by hamartomas in multiple organ systems. This study was performed in one familial and two sporadic cases with TSC. Two novel mutations (c.1884_1887delAAAG and c.5266A>G) and two previously reported mutations (c.4258_4261delTCAG and c.1960G>C) were identified by direct DNA sequencing. Of the four mutations, c.1884_1887delAAAG and c.1960G>C were found in a family and identified in the same allele by TA cloning sequencing. However, c.1960G>C was reported to be non‐pathogenic. Furthermore, correlations between genotypes and phenotypes of Chinese Han patients since 2014 were performed by paired χ2‐tests in our published work review, which has not been reported. The results showed that patients with TSC2 mutations had a higher frequency of mental retardation and there were no significant differences of seizures and skin lesions with TSC1 mutations. Genetically, they had a higher frequency of familial inheritance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Androgen receptor (AR) is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of breast cancer; however, the clinical significance of it in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been controversial. There is a limited amount of research regarding the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on AR expression. By examining the expression of AR in patients with TNBC, the aim of the present study is to explore the clinical significance of AR and provide evidence for AR‑directed treatment in TNBC. A total of 188 patients with primary TNBC with complete medical records were included in this retrospective study. Tumor sections from 41 patients (21.8%) were positive for AR, which was more often detected in small tumors (P=0.042) and cases with no lymph node involvement (P=0.032). Among them, 102 were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). A total of 17 patients (16.7%) exhibited pathological complete response. However, the patient response was irrelevant to AR expression. Matched pathological tissues before and after NAC were collected for 49 cases, suggesting an enrichment of AR‑expressing tumors following chemotherapy (P=0.008). Further analysis indicated that AR expression had no correlation with the disease‑free and overall survival of patients with general TNBC; rather, it predicted a poor survival of the patients with stage III TNBC in comparison with those at earlier stages (P=0.035). AR expression occurs more often in small TNBC tumors or in cases with no lymph node metastasis. It is associated with a poor prognosis of the patients with advanced stages of tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Eu doped ACaPO (A = Li, Na, K) phosphors were synthesized by a solid state reaction. The phase, microstructure and luminescent properties of the obtained phosphors were investigated. The XRD results indicate that the Eu doping has no influence on the phases of ACaPO (A = Li, Na, K) hosts. Under the excitation of 365 nm, Eu doped ACaPO (A = Li, Na, K) phosphors exhibit emission bands corresponding to 5d-4f transitions of Eu ion and the emission intensity shows concentration-dependence. The peak wavelengths of emission bands for Eu in LiCaPO, NaCaPO and KCaPO locate at 478, 508 and 487 nm, respectively. With the temperature increasing up to 500 K, the emission intensities of ACaPO:5 mol%Eu (A = Li, Na, K) phosphors are decreased to be 75.1, 84.8 and 77.9% of the initial value (300 K) and the emission wavelengths shift to 470, 491 and 476 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Microglia microvesicles (MVs) has shown to have significant biological functions under normal conditions. A diversity of miRNAs is involved in neuronal development, survival, function, and plasticity, but the exact functional role of NDRG2 and secreted miR-375 in MVs in neuron damage is poorly understood. We investigated the effect of NDRG2 and secreted miR-375 in MVs shed from M1 microglia on neuron damage. Methods Expression of Nos2, Arg-1, miR-375, syntaxin-1A, NDRG2 and Pdk 1 were evaluated using RT-PCR or western blotting. Cell viability of N2A neuron was quantified by a MTT assay. Results Microglia can be polarized into different functional phenotypes. Expression of NDRG2 and Nos2 were significantly increased by LPS treatment on N9 cells, whereas treatment with IL-4 dramatically suppressed the expression of NDRG2 and remarkably elevated expression of Arg-1. Besides, MVs shed from LPS-treated N9 microglia significantly inhibited cell viability of N2A neurons and expression of syntaxin-1A, and NDRG2 interference reversed the up-regulated miR-375 in LPS-treated N9 microglia and MVs shed from LPS-treated N9 cells. Furthermore, NDRG2 could modulate miR-375 expression in N9 microglia and MVs. And miR-375 inhibitor remarkably elevated Pdk1 expression in N2A neurons. Finally, miR-375 inhibitor could reverse suppression effect of NDRG2 overexpression on cell viability of N2A neurons and expression of syntaxin-1A. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that NDRG2 promoted secreted miR-375 in microvesicles shed from M1 microglia, which induced neuron damage. The suppression of NDRG2 and secreted miR-375 in MVs shed from M1 microglia may be potential targets for alleviation of neuron damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

miRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of multiple target genes at the post-transcriptional level. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in miRNA sequences may alter miRNA expression and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis. The present study explored the association between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), miR-146a rs2910164G>C and miR-499 rs3746444T>C, in a Han Chinese population. A case–control study consisting of 102 subjects with AS and 105 healthy controls was designed. The two miRNA SNPs were identified by direct sequencing. Subsequently, their gene and genotype frequencies were compared with healthy controls. A significant difference was observed in the miR-146a rs2910164G>C SNP. The frequency of the G allele was markedly higher in the AS patients than in the healthy controls (P = 0.005, Pc = 0.01, OR = 1.787), and the frequency of the GG genotype was higher in AS patients than in controls (P = 0.014, Pc = 0.042, OR = 2.516). However, no significant association was found between the miR-499 rs3746444T>C variant and susceptibility to AS. This is the first study to address the association between the miR-146a rs2910164G>C and miR-499 rs3746444T>C polymorphisms and AS, and it suggests a potential pathogenic factor for AS. Further studies are needed to validate our findings in a larger series, as well as in other ethnic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RT-qPCR is the accepted technique for the quantification of microRNA (miR) expression: however, stem-loop RT-PCR, the most frequently used method for quantification of miRs, is time- and reagent-consuming as well as inconvenient for scanning. We established a new method called ‘universal stem-loop primer’ (USLP) with 8 random nucleotides instead of a specific sequence at the 3′ end of the traditional stem-loop primer (TSLP), for screening miR profile and to semi-quantify expression of miRs. Peripheral blood samples were cultured with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), and then 87 candidate miRs were scanned in cultured T cells. By USLP, our study revealed that the expression of miR-150-5p (miR-150) decreased nearly 10-fold, and miR-155-5p (miR-155) increased more than 7-fold after treated with PHA. The results of the dissociation curve and gel electrophoresis showed that the PCR production of the USLP and TSLP were specificity. The USLP method has high precision because of its low ICV (ICV<2.5%). The sensitivity of the USLP is up to 103 copies/µl miR. As compared with the TSLP, USLP saved 75% the cost of primers and 60% of the test time. The USLP method is a simple, rapid, precise, sensitive, and cost-effective approach that is suitable for screening miR profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Receptor-like protein kinases (RLKs) play vital roles in sensing outside signals, yet little is known about RLKs functions and roles in stress signal perception and transduction in plants, especially in wild soybean. Through the microarray analysis, GsSRK was identified as an alkaline (NaHCO3)-responsive gene, and was subsequently isolated from Glycine soja by homologous cloning. GsSRK encodes a 93.22kDa protein with a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase catalytic domain, a G-type lectin region, and an S-locus region. Real-time PCR results showed that the expression levels of GsSRK were largely induced by ABA, salt, and drought stresses. Over expression of GsSRK in Arabidopsis promoted seed germination, as well as primary root and rosette leaf growth during the early stages of salt stress. Compared to the wild type Arabidopsis, GsSRK overexpressors exhibited enhanced salt tolerance and higher yields under salt stress, with higher chlorophyll content, lower ion leakage, higher plant height, and more siliques at the adult developmental stage. Our studies suggest that GsSRK plays a crucial role in plant response to salt stress. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Low, but not freezing temperatures are a major factor limiting plant vegetative growth and development. It is not clear what signaling mechanism is used to limit plant growth in response to chronic low temperatures, thus it is important to continue to isolate and characterize genes whose activity/expression correlate well with cold responses. In this study, a novel GASA gene was isolated from Glycine soja and named GsGASA1. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that GsGASA1 expression responded to exogenous gibberellic acid (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. Compared with wild-type plants under long-term cold treatment, the constitutive expression of GsGASA1 in transgenic Arabidopsis plants enhanced the inhibition of root elongation, while also increasing the transcript levels of RGL2 and RGL3, two of five DELLA genes in Arabidopsis. DELLA is a class of transcriptional regulators in GA signaling pathway restraining plant growth. Our results imply that GsGASA1 participates in chronic cold-induced root growth inhibition with the accumulation of DELLA genes. Lastly, a subcellular localization study using a yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) fusion protein indicated that GsGASA1 was localized to the plasma membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Huperzine A (HupA), a novel Lycopodium alkaloid isolated from Chinese folk medicine Huperzia serrata (Qian Ceng Ta), is a potent, selective and well-tolerated inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). It has been proven to significantly improve the learning and memory impairment in Alzheimer''s disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) patients in China. Interestingly, our recent data indicate that HupA also possesses other protective functions. This paper will give an overview on the protective effects of HupA, which includes regulating β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism, protecting against Aβ-mediated oxidative stress, apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as anti-inflammation. The multiple neuroprotective effects of HupA might yield additional beneficial effects in AD and VaD therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To investigate whether optimizing individualized goal-directed therapy (GDT) based on cerebral oxygen balance in high-risk surgical patients would reduce postoperative morbidity. This was a prospective, randomized, controlled study. The study was performed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, from April 2017 to July 2018. 146 high-risk adult patients undergoing valve replacements or coronary artery bypass surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were enrolled. Patients were randomized to an individualized GDT group or usual care group. Individualized GDT was targeted to achieve the following goals: A less than 20% decline in the regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO 2) level from baseline; a less than 20% decline in the mean arterial pressure (MAP) from baseline, as well as a bispectral index (BIS) of 45–60 before and after CPB and 40–45 during CPB. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of 30-day mortality and major postoperative complications. 128 completed the trial and were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. Early morbidity was similar between the GDT (25 [39%] of 65 patients) and usual care groups (33 [53%] of 63 patients) (relative risk 0.73, 95% CI 0.50–1.08; P = 0.15). Secondary analysis showed that 75 (59%) of 128 patients achieved individual targets (irrespective of intervention) and sustained less morbidity (relative risk 3.41, 95% CI 2.19–5.31; P < 0.001). In high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery, individualized GDT therapy did not yield better outcomes, however, the achievement of preoperative individual targets may be associated with less morbidity. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03103633. Registered on 1 April 2017. • Optimization of cerebral oxygenation have failed to show clinical benefits in cardiac surgery for high-risk populations. • In high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery, individualized goal-directed therapy did not yield better outcomes. • However, the achievement of individual oxygen balance targets may be associated with less morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The social support theory suggested that involving older people in social activities could increase their level of social participation and interaction, which in turn improved their well-being. However, there has been a heated controversy about whether participating in volunteer services could enhance the well-being of older people, especially for the Chinese sample., Method: Based on the data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2013, this paper used an ordered probit model to examine the impact of older people's participation in volunteer services on their well-being, as well as the differences in the impact across groups and the specific transmission mechanism., Result: The empirical study found that Chinese older people's participation in volunteerism significantly enhanced their well-being, which remained robust after eliminating the possible effects of self-selection. Further heterogeneity analysis revealed that for female, non-party members and older adults with good economic status, participation in volunteerism has a higher increase in well-being. The mediating effect test indicated that older people's participation in volunteerism affected well-being mainly through enhancing positive emotions., Conclusion: It is necessary to promote the participation of older people in volunteer services and to clarify the role of government support and advocacy. Proper guidance is given to change the role of older people as care recipients to that of service providers and caregivers, and to continuously enrich the programmes and content of volunteer service to safeguard the well-being of older people., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yang, Zhang, Zhang, Shen, Wang, Cheng, Tao, Zhang, Yang, Yao, Xie, Tang, Wu and Li.)

This study investigated the effect of using the Internet on depression symptoms of older Chinese, based on 7,801 adults aged over 60 years from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies. Results showed that the elderly who used the Internet reported lower depression scores, and the more frequent they use Internet, the lower their depression scores. Moreover, using the Internet for social contact and entertainment decreased the depression scores of the older adults, but when using Internet for learn, work, and commercial activity, the relief of depressive symptoms disappeared. Therelief of depression symptoms through Internet use were heterogeneous among different groups: the elderly aged 60-70, women, rural residents, and those with lower education attainment. Moreover, Internet use decreased the depression scores by increasing the frequency of contact with their children and increasing the importance of their enjoyment of life. According to the relief of depression by using Internet reasonably, policies should be designed to ensure that all ages could have easy access to the Internet., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Yang, Zhang, Zhang, Xie, Wu, Yao, Tang and Li.)

Objective: To identify atypical hyperplasia (AH) of the breast by shell-isolated nanoparticle-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS), and to explore the molecular fingerprinting characteristics of breast AH., Methods: Breast hyperplasia was studied in 11 hospitals across China from January 2015 to December 2016. All patients completed questionnaires on women's health. The differences between patients with and without breast AH were compared. AH breast lesions were detected by Raman spectroscopy followed by the SHINERS technique., Results: There were no significant differences in clinical features and risk-related factors between patients with breast AH (n = 37) and the control group (n = 2576). Fifteen cases of breast AH lesions were detected by Raman spectroscopy. The main different Raman peaks in patients with AH appeared at 880, 1001, 1086, 1156, 1260, and 1610 cm -1 , attributed to the different vibrational modes of nucleic acids, β-carotene, and proteins. Shell-isolated nanoparticles had different enhancement effects on the nucleic acid, protein, and lipid components in AH., Conclusion: Raman spectroscopy can detect characteristic molecular changes in breast AH lesions, and may thus be useful for the non-invasive early diagnosis and for investigating the mechanism of tumorigenesis in patients with breast AH.

Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate breast cancer risk conferred by individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms of breast cancer susceptibility genes., Methods: We analyzed the 48 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 8 breast cancer susceptibility genes involved in the monoubiquitinated FANCD2-DNA damage repair pathway in 734 Chinese women with breast cancer and 672 age-matched healthy controls., Results: Forty-five tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms were successfully genotyped by SNPscan, and the call rates for each tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms were above 98.9%. We found that 13 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 5 genes ( Parter and localizer of Breast cancer gene2 ( PALB2), Tumour protein 53 ( TP53), Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1, Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 ( PTEN), and Breast cancer gene 1 ( BRCA1-interacting protein 1)) were significantly associated with breast cancer risk. A total of 5 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2299941 of PTEN, rs2735385, rs6999227, rs1805812, and rs1061302 of Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1) were tightly associated with breast cancer risk in sporadic cases, and 5 other tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1042522 of TP53, rs2735343 of PTEN, rs7220719, rs16945628, and rs11871753 of BRCA1-interacting protein 1) were tightly associated with breast cancer risk in familial and early-onset cases., Conclusions: Some of the tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 5 genes ( PALB2, TP53, Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1, PTEN, and BRCA1-interacting protein 1) involved in the monoubiquitinated FANCD2-DNA damage repair pathway were significantly associated with breast cancer risk.

Studying the evolution of secondary inorganic aerosols, which are important components of PM 2.5 , is crucial to improving our understanding about the air pollution in big cities. This study investigates the evolution and factors of secondary inorganic aerosols based on two pollution incidences in Nanjing in June 2014. A significant characteristic of air pollution complex with the coexistence of higher concentrations of both PM 2.5 and ozone is observed. In the earlier stage of the pollution episode, ozone concentrations were high, which could exceed 250, triggering a stronger oxidation in the atmosphere and a higher production potential of nitric acid that leads to the quick production of nitrate. In the later period of the pollution episode, relative humidity played an essential role. An increase in relative humidity would result in a sharp decrease in the theoretical product of the partial pressures of NH 3 and HNO 3 , especially when relative humidity exceeds the mutual deliquesce relative humidity that makes it easier to form nitrate. The difference in the theoretical and observational partial pressure product could characterize the evolution of nitrate perfectly.

In December 2013,a lasting haze pollution event occurred in the Central and East regions of China.Here in this paper,using a single-particle soot photometer (SP2),we studied mass concentrations,mixing states,and size distributions of black carbon (BC) in this event.The results showed that BC mass concentration in Nanjing during the observation period was in the range of 1.01-14.05 μg·m -3 with an average of 4.39 μg·m -3 ,showing the characteristics of double peaks for lighter pollution,andhigh in the nighttime and low in the daytime during heavier pollution.Using the relative coating thickness ( D p / D c ) to define mixing state of black carbon,diurnal variations were higher in early morning and noon when slightly polluted,and lower during rush hour,indicating the degree of BC ageing was deeper in the morning and afternoon,with fresher particles near the ground source emissions during rush hour.The relative coating thickness did not vary greatly throughout the day when heavily polluted,which was expected to be linked to regional pollutants and it also showed Gas-solid transformation under high relative humidity.The average mass and number size distribution had single peaking with the same BC volume-equivalent diameter in different degrees of pollution,with the peak diameter at 100 nm for the number distribution when heavily polluted,at 91 nm when slightly polluted,and at 210 nm for the mass distribution regardless of the degree of pollution.We could find regional differences of BC sources by comparing the observed research worldwide.This study has very important reference value for the in-depth understanding of BC pollution in Yangtze River Delta.

The size distribution of particulate was analyzed by the FA-3 9 stage sampler in Northern-suburb of Nanjing from January to November in 2014. First, the monitoring result from FA-3 was compared with the results of the same period obtained from a medium flow size grading sampler (KC-120H) and online monitoring instrument of the Environmental Protection Agency. The data correlation coefficients were all greater than 0.95. The fine particle concentration from FA-3 was lower by 13.9% and 16.6%, while PM 10 concentration was higher by 15.2% and 13.3% respectively. However, the deviations were in the acceptable range of atmospheric sampling which could indicate the accurate classification and sampling of particulate for FA-3. Particulate pollution in Northern-suburb Nanjing was serous in which the annual average concentrations of PM 1.1 , PM 2.1 and PM 10 were(65.6±37.6), (91.0±54.7) and (168.0±87.0) μg·m -3 respectively; fine particles dominated and most of them had a diameter of less than 1.1 μm. Particle size distribution was bimodal with peaks at 0.43-0.65 and 9-10 μm; the median diameter was 1.83 μm which was in the accumulation mode. In winter, the concentration of fine particle size was higher and in spring the coarse particle size was higher; in summer, the fine particle size concentration was not significantly reduced but coarse particle size was obviously lower than those in other seasons. The differences of particle size distribution in day and at night were very small in coarse segment and in fine segment, the nocturnal concentrations were mostly higher than diurnal concentrations. The precipitation had cleaning effect for each size range of particulate except in summer and the effect was more distinct in fine particle size. In haze days, with the aggravation of haze level, the particle concentration in the diameter range of 0.43-2.1 μm increased gradually while in this segment the particle concentration was significantly negatively correlated with visibility. Using relative humidity of 70% as the demarcation, the particle size distribution changed significantly:when humidity was greater than 70%, mass concentration of particle with a diameter of less than 0.43 μm reduced significantly but that with diameter range of 0.43-2.1 μm increased obviously which should be related to the particle hygroscopic growth. The air mass sources could be divided into four categories in northern-suburb of Nanjing. Air mass from the northwest with rapid transport velocity was the cleanest in which the fine particle size concentration was significantly lower than those in other directions; the air mass from local and surrounding was the most severely polluted with high concentrations in both fine and coarse segment, its transmission distance was short and wind speed was small which contributed greatly to air pollution of Nanjing with probability of occurrence of pollution reaching 73.9%.

Objective To investigate the changes of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and whether Tregs can modulate the distribution of macrophage subtypes in visceral adipose tissue in the early stage of obesity.Methods After C57BL/6 mice obesity models were successfully established,metabolic parameters and numbers of Tregs and M1/M2 macrophage were measured at 4,10,and 20 weeks.The changes of metabolic parameters and adipose tissue inflammation in obesity mice after rapamycin intervention were evaluated. Results The early-stage obesity models were successfully established.Compared with normal diet mice,high fat diet mice had significantly higher epididymal adipose tissue mass and serum leptin levels(P<0.05).However,there was no statistical difference in blood glucose and insulin levels between these two groups(All P>0.05). Macrophages infiltration in adipose tissue in high fat diet mice gradually increased with time,coincident with decrease in Treg numbers. Increased numbers of Treg,improved metabolic parameters,and decreased ratio of M1/M2 can be seen after rapamycin intervention in mice.Conclusion The decrease of Tregs in the early stage of obesity may contribute to abnormal distribution of macrophage subtypes in visceral adipose.