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The global‐scale empirical analysis of how renewable energy policies (REPs) affect carbon emissions and the mediating role of renewable energy development (RED) in this mechanism remains underexplored. To fill this research gap, we extracted and organized REPs data from IEA's databases for 135 countries until 2018 and conducted empirical analyses of these issues. We find that: (a) REPs significantly reduce global carbon emissions, especially through regulatory, economic, and R&D policies. (b) REPs' effectiveness in mitigating carbon emissions is enhanced by robust energy infrastructure, strong control of corruption, and adherence to the rule of law. Besides, the balance of REPs types does not influence their efficiency, but REPs prioritizing certain renewable energy (RE) types aligns better with carbon reduction goals. (c) RED displays a Janus‐faced influence on REPs' carbon reduction effect—renewable energy consumption (REC) positively mediates it, whereas renewable energy share (RES) exerts a negative mediation. Specifically, REC consistently reduces carbon emissions, while RES initially increases and then decreases carbon emissions, exhibiting an inverted U‐shape. (d) The initial rise in carbon emissions with RES is due to the low substitution of RE for fossil energy and the country‐specific heterogeneity in organizational, geographic, industrial, economic, demographic, and temporal factors. Plain Language Summary: This study looked at how renewable energy policies (REPs) help lower carbon emissions worldwide and the role of renewable energy development (RED) in this process. We used data from the International Energy Agency on 135 countries up to 2018. Our findings show that REPs are effective in reducing carbon emissions, particularly through laws, economic incentives, and research and development. The success of these policies is better in countries with strong energy infrastructure, good governance, and rule of law. Interestingly, not all types of REPs are equally effective; those focusing on specific types of renewable energy (RE) align more closely with carbon reduction goals. We also discovered a dual role of RED in this scenario. While the use of RE helps lower emissions, just increasing the share of RE in the overall energy mix can initially lead to more emissions before eventually decreasing them. This increase at first happens because RE doesn't immediately replace fossil fuels and because countries are different in terms of their organization, geography, industry, economy, population, and changes over time. Key Points: Renewable energy policies (REPs) cut global carbon emissions, mainly via regulatory, economic, and R&D policiesREPs' carbon reduction boosted by robust infrastructure, anti‐corruption, and law adherenceRenewable energy development has a Janus‐faced impact on REPs' carbon reduction effect [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To elucidate how proinsulin synthesis and insulin was affected by metformin under conditions of nutrient overstimulation. Materials and Methods: Isolated human pancreatic islets from seven donors were cultured at 5.5 mmol/L glucose and 0.5 mmol/L palmitate for 12, 24 or 72 h. Metformin (25 μmol/L) was introduced after initial 12 h with palmitate. Proinsulin and insulin were measured. Expression of prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3) and carboxypeptidase E (CPE), was determined by western blot. Adolescents with obesity, treated with metformin and with normal glucose tolerance (n = 5), prediabetes (n = 14), or type 2 diabetes (T2DM; n = 7) were included. Fasting proinsulin, insulin, glucose, 2‐h glucose and glycated haemoglobin were measured. Proinsulin/insulin ratio (PI/I) was calculated. Results: In human islets, palmitate treatment for 12 and 24 h increased proinsulin and insulin proportionally. After 72 h, proinsulin but not insulin continued to increase which was coupled with reduced expression of PC1/3 and CPE. Metformin normalized expression of PC1/3 and CPE, and proinsulin and insulin secretion. In adolescents with obesity, before treatment, fasting proinsulin and insulin concentrations were higher in subjects with T2DM than with normal glucose tolerance. PI/I was reduced after metformin treatment in subjects with T2DM as well as in subjects with prediabetes, coupled with reduced 2‐h glucose and glycated haemoglobin. Conclusions: Metformin normalized proinsulin and insulin secretion after prolonged nutrient‐overstimulation, coupled with normalization of the converting enzymes, in isolated islets. In adolescents with obesity, metformin treatment was associated with improved PI/I, which was coupled with improved glycaemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide an overview of the literature investigating (retail) investors' demand for lottery‐like stocks. We summarize different sets of lottery proxies and discuss their implications for cross‐sectional pricing of individual stocks. We present empirical evidence and summarize the findings including (i) the robustness of the lottery demand effect using an extended data set, (ii) the economic underpinnings of the lottery demand effect, and (iii) the explanatory power of the lottery preference factor for established stock market anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been recommended for the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of washed microbiota transplantation (WMT), a new method of FMT, for CDI across various medical settings. Methods: This multicenter real‐world cohort study included CDI patients undergoing WMT. The primary outcome was the clinical cure rate of CDI within 8 weeks after WMT. Secondary outcomes included the CDI recurrence rate and reduction in total abdominal symptom score (TASS) during the follow‐up period. Adverse events related to WMT were recorded. Results: Altogether 90.7% (49/54) of CDI patients achieved clinical cure after treated with WMT. The cure rate was 83.3% for cases with severe and complicated CDI (ScCDI) (n = 30) and 100% for non‐ScCDI cases (n = 24) (P = 0.059). No difference was observed in the clinical cure rate between patients with first and recurrent CDI (91.9% vs 88.2%, P = 0.645). One week post‐WMT, TASS showed a remarkable decrease compared to that at baseline (P < 0.001). Totally, 8.2% (4/49) of patients suffered CDI recurrence during the follow‐up period. A WHO performance score of 4, age ≥65 years, higher TASS score, and higher Charlson comorbidity index score were potential risk factors for efficacy (P = 0.018, 0.03, 0.01, 0.034, respectively). Four (3.8%) transient adverse events related to WMT were observed. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the attractive value of WMT for CDI. Early WMT may be recommended for CDI, especially for those in serious condition or with complex comorbidities. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT03895593 (registered on 27 March 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends the existing studies of cyclical fiscal policy by providing the first systematic theoretical and empirical study of cyclical quasi‐fiscal investment of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in China. Using data from Chinese listed companies and the System GMM method, the results show that: (1) both central and local SOEs exhibit expansion‐biased investment behaviours; (2) the expansion‐biased investment of central SOEs mainly goes to the tertiary industry and the western regions of China, while the expansion‐biased investment of local SOEs mainly occurs in the tertiary industry and the middle and western regions of China; (3) during the economic recession, the higher the local growth targets, the more bank credit central and local SOEs can obtain, and the more pronounced the expansion‐biased investment. The study shows that apart from the countercyclical fiscal policy implemented by central and local governments, the quasi‐fiscal function of central and local SOE investments is also key for the Chinese economy to quickly recover from recessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Poor sleep quality has been suggested as a risk factor of frailty. However, previous studies that evaluated the association between insomnia and frailty in older population showed inconsistent results. We performed a meta‐analysis to comprehensively evaluate the association. Methods: Observational studies related to the aim of the meta‐analysis were identified by search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. A random‐effect model incorporating the potential between‐study heterogeneity was used to pool the results. Results: Twelve studies including 16,895 old people contributed to the meta‐analysis. Pooled results suggested a significant association between insomnia and frailty in the older population (odds ratio [OR]: 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52–2.41, p <.001; I2 = 80%). Subgroup analyses showed consistent association between different symptoms of insomnia and frailty, including difficulty in falling asleep (OR: 1.45), difficulty in maintaining sleep (OR: 1.23), early morning awakening (OR: 1.21), and non‐restorative sleep (OR: 1.84, p for subgroup difference =.15). Results were also consistent for subgroup analyses according to the study country, sample size, cutoffs of age for defining the older population, proportions of men, diagnostic criteria for frailty, adjustment of depression, and scores of study quality (p for subgroup difference all >.05). However, a stronger association was observed for insomnia detected with the Athens Insomnia Scale (OR: 2.92) than that with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (OR: 1.30) or self‐reporting (OR: 1.60, p for subgroup difference =.002). Conclusion: Insomnia is independently associated with frailty in the older population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The safety, quantitative method and delivery of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) vary a lot from different countries in practice. Recently, the improved methodology of FMT based on the automatic filtration, washing process and the related delivery was named as washed microbiota transplantation (WMT). First, this study aimed to describe the methodology development of FMT from manual to washing preparation from 2012 to 2021 in China Microbiota Transplantation System (CMTS), a centralized stool bank for providing a national non‐profit service. The secondary aim is to describe donor screenings, the correlation between faecal weight and treatment doses, incidence of adverse events and delivery decision. The retrospective analysis on the prospectively recorded data was performed. Results showed that the success rate of donor screening was 3.1% (32/1036). The incidence rate of fever decreased significantly from 19.4% (6/31) in manual FMT to 2.7% (24/902) in WMT in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), which made UC a considerable disease model to reflect the quality control of faecal microbiota preparation. We defined one treatment unit as 10 cm3 microbiota precipitation (1.0 × 1013 bacteria) based on enriched microbiota instead of rough faecal weight. For delivering microbiota, colonic transendoscopic enteral tube is a promising way especially for multiple WMTs or frequent colonic administration of drugs combined with WMT. This study should help improve the better practice of FMT for helping more patients in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The evaluation of antifungal properties in cinnamaldehyde (CA)‐loaded microcapsules is significant to clarify potential food applications in various food matrices and systems. The impact of tannic acid (TA) crosslinking on the release and the antifungal properties of CA microcapsules was investigated based on gelatin/gum Acacia complex coacervates. The inhibition zone diameter of microencapsulated CA against Aspergillus brasiliensis was dependent on the TA addition and retained 26.1 ± 0.1 mm after 180‐day storage at 25 °C. Specifically, TA enhanced hydrogen bond interactions between the microcapsule wall materials and favoured a sustained release of CA during the incubation with Aspergillus brasiliensis. Meanwhile, confocal laser scanning microscopic observation revealed that the microstructure of multinuclear microcapsules was more compact and intact under the crosslinking of 0.4% TA. The comparation of microscopic morphology and membrane potential of Aspergillus brasiliensis exerted a synergistic antifungal effect between CA and TA crosslinked microcapsules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helical polymers present some interesting and distinctive properties, and one of the most distinguished applications of them is the chiral recognition and resolution of enantiomers. In this work, star‐shaped hybrid helical poly (phenyl isocyanide) (PPI) with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) as the core was designed and synthesized by "grafting to" strategy. The homoarm star‐shaped hybrid POSS‐(PPI)8 was first obtained by the click reaction between azide‐modified POSS (POSS‐(N3)8) and alkynyl‐modified PPI (PPI‐Alkynyl). The hybrid POSS‐(PPI)8 was with predominated left‐handed helical conformation and exhibited excellent ability in the enantioselective crystallization of racemic compounds. In the meantime, heteroarm star‐shaped hybrid (PEG)4‐POSS‐(PPI)4 was prepared by the click reaction of POSS‐(N3)8 with PPI‐Alkynyl and alkynyl‐modified poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG‐Alkynyl). The hybrid (PEG)4‐POSS‐(PPI)4 was amphiphilic, and it could self‐assemble to form spherical micelles in aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eusocial insects have evolved diverse particle‐use behaviors. A previous study reported that red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, deposited soil particles on substances treated with essential balm, a fire ant repellent. We hypothesized that S. invicta modifies inaccessible surfaces by covering them with soil particles to facilitate food search and transportation. Here, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the particle‐covering behavior of S. invicta in response to viscose surfaces or surfaces treated with essential balm or liquid paraffin in the presence of real food (sausage) or non‐food objects (acrylic plates). S. invicta workers deposited significantly more soil particles on these three types of treated surfaces than on untreated surfaces. In addition, significantly more particles were relocated on viscose and paraffin‐smeared surfaces in the presence of food than in the presence of non‐food objects. The particle‐covering behavior on viscose surfaces was also observed in the field. Interestingly, when no soil particles were available, ants searched and transported food on viscose surfaces only if the surfaces were artificially covered with sufficient quantities of soil particles but could not do so on viscose surfaces without soil particles or with insufficient quantities of soil particles. In addition, ants actively relocated particles to cover viscose surfaces if the transportation distance was within 200 mm, whereas significantly fewer particles were relocated at longer transportation distances (400 mm). Our study provides a novel example of particle use by fire ants during foraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify whether bile reflux on endoscopy and other related variables are risk factors for precancerous gastric lesions and gastric cancer (GC). Methods: A multicenter, cross‐sectional and observational study was conducted in five centers in China from June to October 2019, 1162 patients were recruited and divided into the chronic gastritis (CG), the precancerous lesion (low‐grade intraepithelial neoplasia and intestinal metaplasia), and GC groups (including high‐grade intraepithelial neoplasia). All participants underwent detailed interviews, endoscopy and biopsy, and completed questionnaires. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated with multivariate logistic regression models with or without adjustment for Helicobacter pylori infection. Results: We recruited 668 patients with CG, 411 with precancerous lesions and 83 with GC. By comparing the CG and precancerous lesion groups, independent risk factors for cancerous gastric lesions were the grade of bile reflux, patient's age, dietary habits and family history of GC. Similar results were obtained when comparing the CG and GC groups. In addition, bile reflux was confirmed as an independent risk factor for progression from precancerous lesions to cancer. Conclusions: Bile reflux on endoscopy as well as age, dietary habits and a family history of GC were independent risk factors for the development of precancerous gastric lesions and GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive pharmacological research has demonstrated that Clerodendranthi Spicati Herba has an obvious anti‐hyperglycemic effect via α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity. However, the anti‐hyperglycemic active fraction and its metabolic behavior in vivo have not been elaborated clearly. In this study, ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight tandem mass spectrometry with data filtering strategy, including mass defect screening, diagnostic product ions and neutral loss identification, was established for chemical and metabolic profiling of anti‐hyperglycemic active fraction from Clerodendranthi Spicati Herba. A total of 28 methoxylated flavonoids and 61 diterpenoids were rapidly identified. Four main known methoxylated flavonoids were purified and unambiguously identified by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. Thirty‐one absorbed diterpenoids, 12 absorbed methoxylated flavonoids, and 56 methoxylated flavonoids metabolites were identified in rat plasma, urine, bile, and feces after oral administration of anti‐hyperglycemic active fraction. The methoxylated flavonoids were predominantly metabolized by demethylation, sulfation, and glucuronidation. Glucuronidation metabolites found in bile and urine after demethylation were dominant metabolites. Diterpenoids were absorbed into the blood mainly in the form of prototypes and excreted through bile and urine. These results indicated that methoxylated flavonoids and diterpenoids were responsible for α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity, which might provide novel drug candidates for the management of diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Splenectomy is routinely performed during distal or total pancreatectomy (DP or TP) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but information about its oncological value is limited. TER cells, nonimmune cells discovered in the spleens of tumour‐bearing mice, are elicited by tumours and promote tumour progression, while their role in the clinical outcomes of patients with PDAC remains unclear. In our study, postoperative specimens from 622 patients who underwent DP or TP with splenectomy were analysed by flow cytometry or immunofluorescence, and the relationship between splenic TER cell count and clinical parameters was calculated. We also purified human TER cells for functional experiments and mechanistic studies. We found that TER cell numbers were increased only in the spleens of patients with PDAC but not in PDAC tissue and adjacent pancreatic tissue. High splenic TER cell counts independently predicted poor prognosis (P <.001) and indicated large tumour size, lymph node metastasis, advanced 8th AJCC/mAJCC stage and high CA19‐9 classification (all P <.050) in patients with PDAC. Mechanistic analysis showed that TER cells express artemin, which facilitates the proliferation and invasion of PDAC cells by activating GFRα3‐ERK signalling. Our study reveals that TER cell count is an indicator of poor prognosis of PDAC, while splenectomy during pancreatic surgery might provide oncological benefits in addition to ensuring the radical resection of PDAC. What's new? Splenic TER cells, nonimmune cells enriched during tumor progression, are suspected of promoting cancer cell survival and metastasis through remote signaling pathways. Little is known, however, about how TER cells impact tumor progression or whether they are clinically relevant. In this investigation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients, TER cell number was found to be significantly increased in the spleen, with higher TER cell number predicting poor surgical outcome. Human TER cells secreted the neurotropic factor artemin and promoted PDAC cell malignancy via GFRα3‐ERK signaling activation. The findings suggest that splenectomy may be beneficial in the surgical treatment of PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long‐term outcome of gastric cancer (GC) patients remains unsatisfactory despite some recent improvements. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a prognostic biomarker for some solid tumors, however its role in GC remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that LIF and LIF receptor (LIFR) are overexpressed in GC tissues and established that a correlation exists between them. LIF and LIFR expression are associated with tumor differentiation, lymphovascular invasion, tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and pTNM stage, indicating that they may be useful prognostic factors. LIF promoted GC cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, migration, and tumor growth; it also promoted cell cycle progression and inhibited apoptosis; and knocking out the LIFR gene reversed the effects of LIF. LIF inhibited the activity of the Hippo pathway, resulting in reduced phosphorylation of YAP, increased YAP nuclear translocation, and increased cell proliferation. Finally, silencing YAP mRNA expression suppressed cell proliferation. Overall, the results demonstrate that LIF promotes the malignant biological behavior of GC cells through LIFR–Hippo–YAP signaling. LIF may therefore be a useful biomarker for GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A social planner selects heterogeneously biased experts to (either sequentially or simultaneously) acquire costly signals, and then agents vote between two alternatives. To maximize social welfare, the social planner adopts an alternating mechanism—choosing extremely biased experts whose preferences oppose the pivotal voter's current preference—in the optimal sequential mechanism, whereas she chooses mildly biased experts in the optimal simultaneous mechanism. Despite the flexibility of a sequential mechanism, the optimal simultaneous mechanism can achieve strictly higher social welfare when information cost is low. Supermajority rules can dominate simple majority rule in terms of both information acquisition and social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic survival of patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus (NETTs), and to develop and validate a nomogram model for predicting the prognosis of patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the thymus in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database in the United States between 1988 and 2016. Cox scale risk regression analysis, the Kaplan‐Meier method and log‐rank test were used to carry out the significance test to determine the independent prognostic factors, from which a nomogram for NETTs was established. C‐index and calibration curve were used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the model. External validation of the nomogram was performed using data from our center. Results: A total of 254 patients with NETTs were collected in the SEER database. In the multivariable analysis, T stage, tumor grade, surgery, and chemotherapy were found to be independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients (all P < 0.05). A nomogram model was constructed based on these variables, and its c‐index was 0.707 (0.661–0.752). The c‐index results showed that the nomogram model had better authentication capability than the eighth edition of the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging system and Masaoka‐Koga (MK) staging system. The calibration curve showed that the model could accurately predict patient prognosis. Conclusions: The study established a nomogram model that predicted the overall survival rate of one‐, three‐ and five‐years, and used the survival prediction model to optimize individualized therapy and prognostic follow‐up through risk stratification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play vital roles in the pathogenesis and development of multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, the regulatory mechanisms of circ‐SPECC1 in HCC remain poorly understood. In our study, we found that circ‐SPECC1 was apparently downregulated in H2O2‐treated HCC cells. Additionally, knockdown of circ‐SPECC1 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis of HCC cells under H2O2 treatment. Moreover, circ‐SPECC1 inhibited miR‐33a expression by direct interaction, and miR‐33a inhibitor partially reversed the effect of circ‐SPECC1 knockdown on proliferation and apoptosis of H2O2‐treated HCC cells. Furthermore, TGFβ2 was demonstrated to be a target gene of miR‐33a and TGFβ2 overexpression rescued the phenotypes of HCC cells attenuated by miR‐33a mimics. Meanwhile, autophagy inhibition by 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA) abrogated the effect of miR‐33a mimics on proliferation and apoptosis of H2O2‐treated HCC cells. Finally, knockdown of circ‐SPECC1 hindered tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that circ‐SPECC1 regulated TGFβ2 and autophagy to promote HCC tumorigenesis under oxidative stress via miR‐33a. These findings might provide potential treatment strategies for patients with HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is closely associated with gastric ulcers and gastric adenocarcinomas. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of a quadruple regimen with amoxicillin plus berberine vs tetracycline plus furazolidone in rescue therapy for H. pylori eradication. Methods: We conducted a randomized, open‐label, multicenter, noninferiority trial. Patients with previous treatment failures recruited from five centers were randomized (1:1) to receive a regimen with esomeprazole and bismuth plus either berberine and amoxicillin (the BA group) or tetracycline and furazolidone (the TF group) for 14 days. Their H. pylori infection status was confirmed 4‐8 weeks after treatment. The primary outcome was the eradication rate. The secondary outcomes included the rates of symptom improvement, compliance, and adverse events. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03609892). Results: Altogether 658 participants were consecutively enrolled. An intention‐to‐treat analysis demonstrated that the two regimens achieved a similar eradication rate (76.3% vs 77.5%; P = 0.781). The per‐protocol analysis reached a similar result (81.5% vs 85.0%; P = 0.278). The eradication rate reached in the BA group was greater than the pre‐established margin of noninferiority, at −10% (the lower bounds of the 95% CI were −7.66% and −9.43%, respectively). The rate of adverse events was lower for the BA group than the TF group (18.5% vs 26.1%, P = 0.024). Rates of compliance and symptom improvement were similar for the two therapies. Conclusion: The efficacy of both regimens in rescue treatment for H. pylori eradication was satisfactory, 14‐day BA‐based quadruple therapy is noninferior to the TF‐based therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glechomae Herba (GH) is derived from the dried aerial part of Glechoma longituba (Nakai) Kupr., which is harvested from spring to autumn. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxification. The aim of this paper was to study the chemical composition and the anti‐complement activity of GH collected in different months. Ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry based on predicted compounds screening and diagnostic ion filter strategy was developed for identifying the chemical composition of GH collected in different months. A total of 102 compounds—40 chlorogenic acids (CGAs), 32 phenolic acids, and 30 flavonoids—were reasonably identified in GH. Thirty‐four CGAs were discovered in GH for the first time. The correlations between chemical compositions and anti‐complement activities of GH collected in different months were analyzed. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were found to be negatively correlated with anti‐complement activity, and CGAs were positively correlated with anti‐complement activity. At the same time, six CGA standards had obvious anti‐complement activity. It was demonstrated that different harvest months had a significant impact on the difference in chemical composition and anti‐complement activity of GH. And CGAs might play an important role in the anti‐complement activity of GH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Clerodendranthi Spicati Herba (CSH) is often used to treat urinary stones, urinary tract infections and nephritis in China. Much literature has reported that polymeric phenolic acids and flavonoids are the major bioactive components in CSH. Therefore, it is very meaningful to identify the polymeric phenolic acids and flavonoids in CSH. Methods: Ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC/QTOF‐MS/MS) analysis with target and nontarget data mining strategy was proposed to rapidly profile the polymeric phenolic acids and flavonoids in CSH. Diagnostic product ions and neutral loss filter were beneficial for identifying the polymeric phenolic acids and flavonoids from complex compounds in CSH. Results: A total of 118 compounds, including 85 polymeric phenolic acids and 33 flavonoids, were reasonably identified in CSH by comparing their main fragmentation pathways with literature data, and 85 of them were discovered in CSH firstly by nontarget analysis. Nine potential compounds were characterized tentatively as new pentameric and hexameric phenolic acids in CSH. Six types of polymeric phenolic acids (monomer, dimer, trimer, tetramer, pentamer and hexamer) and four types of flavonoids (apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin and quercetin) were identified in CSH. Conclusions: The results indicated that the UHPLC/QTOF‐MS/MS method coupled with target and nontarget data mining strategy was feasible and rational for identifying the polymeric phenolic acids and flavonoids in complex chemical constituents of CSH. The findings will be conducive to the discovery of the active ingredients of CSH and the establishment of quality standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibroepithelial lesions (FELs) are a heterogeneous group of tumours comprising fibroadenomas (FAs) and phyllodes tumours (PTs). Here we used a 16‐gene panel that was previously discovered to be implicated in pathogenesis and progression, to characterise a large international cohort of FELs via targeted sequencing. The study comprised 303 (38%) FAs and 493 (62%) PTs which were contributed by the International Fibroepithelial Consortium. There were 659 (83%) Asian and 109 (14%) non‐Asian FELs, while the ethnicity of the rest was unknown. Genetic aberrations were significantly associated with increasing grade of PTs, and were detected more in PTs than FAs for MED12, TERT promoter, RARA, FLNA, SETD2, TP53, RB1, EGFR, and IGF1R. Most borderline and malignant PTs possessed ≥ 2 mutations, while there were more cases of FAs with ≤ 1 mutation compared to PTs. FELs with MED12 mutations had significantly higher rates of TERT promoter, RARA, SETD2, EGFR, ERBB4, MAP3K1, and IGF1R aberrations. However, FELs with wild‐type MED12 were more likely to express TP53 and PIK3CA mutations. There were no significant differences observed between the mutational profiles of recurrent FAs, FAs with a history of subsequent ipsilateral recurrence or contralateral occurrence, and FAs without a history of subsequent events. We identified recurrent mutations which were more frequent in PTs than FAs, with borderline and malignant PTs harbouring cancer driver gene and multiple mutations. This study affirms the role of a set of genes in FELs, including its potential utility in classification based on mutational profiles. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wavelet transform has become a very important tool in the field of image denoising. A wavelet transform is a localised analysis of time (space) frequency. It uses a telescopic translation operation to gradually multi-scale refine the signal function and finally adapt to time frequency. One popular approach involves thresholding the wavelet coefficients by using the soft or hard threshold. Another method of image denoising is the Wiener filtering in the wavelet domain. In this study, Gaussian white noise has been added to two grey scale images and the two different denoising methods have been used. By comparing the performance of the two methods, it can be found that the Wiener filtering in the wavelet domain is more prowerful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was designed to test whether serum vitamin D levels affected Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and eradication rates. Methods: A multicenter observational prospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 496 H. pylori− positive (H. pylori+) and 257 H. pylori‐negative (H. pylori−) patients were enrolled from four hospitals in China. Baseline serum vitamin D levels were measured and a 13C‐urea breath test (UBT) was performed for all the participants. The H. pylori+ patients were divided into two subgroups based on their serum vitamin D levels (<10 or ≥10 ng/mL). A second 13C‐UBT was performed between 4 and 8 weeks after 14‐day bismuth‐containing quadruple eradication therapies. Factors potentially affecting H. pylori eradication were determined using a questionnaire survey. Results: Serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower in the H. pylori+ group than in the H. pylori− group ([17.0 ± 6.9] ng/mL vs [19.2 ± 8.0] ng/mL, P = 0.000). H. pylori eradication rate significantly differed between patients with serum vitamin D levels of <10 ng/mL and ≥10 ng/mL (71.7% vs 87.3%, P = 0.005). A multivariate analysis showed that having serum vitamin D level ≥10 ng/mL was an independent risk factor for a successful H. pylori eradication (odds ratio 0.381, 95% confidence interval 0.183‐0.791, P = 0.010). Conclusions: Serum vitamin D level may affect H. pylori infection and its eradication. Randomized controlled trials are needed to find out whether vitamin D supplements may increase the H. pylori eradication rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glechomae Herba is a traditional Chinese medicine used for the treatment of urolithiasis, cholelithiasis, and urinary tract infections in China. Identification of chemical constituents is helpful to discover the potential active ingredients. However, this significant work is stymied by complex chemical constituents. Therefore, an ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry analysis with diagnostic product ions and neutral loss filtering strategy was established for chemical profiling of Glechomae Herba. The diagnostic product ions and neutral loss filtering strategy simplified spectral elucidation. A total of 120 compounds, including 10 chlorogenic acids, 10 gallic acids, 21 phenylpropionic acids, and 77 flavonoids, were reasonably identified in Glechomae Herba. Sixty‐five constituents were first discovered in Glechomae Herba. Four types of chlorogenic acids (caffeoylquinic acid, feruloylquinic acid, p‐coumaroylquinic acid, and di‐caffeoylquinic acid), three types of galloylglucoses (di‐O‐galloyl‐glucose, tri‐O‐galloyl‐glucose, and tetra‐O‐galloyl‐glucose), three types of phenylpropionic acid skeletons (p‐coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and rosmarinic acid) and five types of flavonoid aglycone skeletons (apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin, and chrysin) were identified in Glechomae Herba. The results indicated that the developed strategy was feasible and rational technique for identifying the complex chemical constituents in Glechomae Herba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies an auction–lottery hybrid mechanism that is widely adopted in allocating new vehicle licenses in China. We characterize individuals' entry and bidding strategies in a symmetric Bayesian Nash equilibrium, structurally estimate individuals' value distribution from a data set of a Guangzhou program, and evaluate the performance of the mechanism. Based on the estimated distribution and counterfactual analysis, our study suggests that a hybrid mechanism preserves 83% efficiency and 52% of revenue, while it improves equity by 25 times compared to a pure auction. We show that allowing auction losers to participate in the lottery can further enhance the performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumour susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) is reported to play important roles in the development and progression of several human cancers. However, its potential roles and underlined mechanisms in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still needed to be further clarified. In the present study, we reported that knock down of TSG101 suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, while overexpression of TSG101 facilitated them. Molecularly, the results revealed that knock down of TSG101 significantly decreased the cell cycle related regulatory factor p53 and p21. In another point, knock down of TSG101 also obviously decreased the level of metallopeptidase inhibitor TIMP1 (Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases 1), which results in inhibition of MMP2, MMP7 and MMP9. In contrast, overexpression of TSG101 had opposite effects. The iTRAQ proteomics analysis identified that oncogenic protein PEG10 (Paternally expressed gene 10) might be a potential downstream target of TSG101. Further investigation showed that TSG101 interacted with PEG10 and protected it from proteasomal degradation thereby regulating the expression of p53, p21 and MMPs. Finally, we found that both TSG101 and PEG10 proteins are up‐regulated and presented a direct correlation in HCC patients. In conclusion, these results suggest that TSG101 is up‐regulated in human HCC patients, which may accelerate the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells through regulating PEG10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We study antitrust enforcement that aims to channel price‐fixing incentives of cartels through setting fine schedules and detection levels. Fines obey legal principles, such as the punishment should fit the crime, proportionality, bankruptcy considerations, and minimum fines. Bankruptcy considerations limit maximum fines, ensure abnormal cartel profits, and impose a challenge for optimal antitrust enforcement. We derive the fine schedule and detection level that are constrained‐optimal under legal principles and sustainability of cartel prices. This fine schedule lies below the maximum fine, makes collusion on lower prices more attractive than on higher prices, and, hence, relates to the body of literature on marginal deterrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many previous studies have focused on the foraging behaviors and strategies of the red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren on solid food or granular bait; little attention has been paid to how liquid sugar is fed upon. In the present study, behavioral responses of S. invicta to 25% sucrose water droplets were observed. Five foraging patterns were identified in S. invicta colonies under laboratory conditions: (i) no feeding, no sucrose water feeding was observed; (ii) surround feeding, ants surrounded and fed along the edge of the sucrose droplet; (iii) stacked feeding, ants stacked and fed along the edge of the sucrose droplet; (iv) droplet-break feeding, ants broke the liquid droplet and sucked sucrose water that spread on surface of the substance or soil particles previously transported by ants; and (v) cover feeding,whole surface of the sucrose dropletwas covered by layers of feeding ants. This is the first time cover feeding in S. invicta has been reported, which obviously requires more ants compared to the other patterns. In addition, individual ants were tracked in videos under laboratory conditions, and behavioral repertoires that led to stacking, covering and droplet-breaking were identified and described. The field investigation showed that surround feeding was most frequently performed by S. invicta foragers; however, cover feeding was not observed under field conditions during this study. Both laboratory and field studies showed colony-level variations in sugar-water feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Heihe–Nenjiang–Hegenshan suture zone has long been accepted as the major tectonic boundary between the Xing'an and Songliao blocks and extends through the Great Xing'an Range in NE China, but its location of the northern segment between the Moguqi and Nenjiang areas and its timing remain unclear. We address these issues by presenting zircon LA‐ICP‐MS U–Pb ages, Lu‐Hf isotopes, bulk‐rock major, and trace elemental data for mylonitized rhyolites collected from the Moergenhe Formation in the Nenjiang area and for gabbros of the Moguqi area, respectively. The mylonitized rhyolites, which display an arc‐related geochemical affinity with enrichment in Th and U, and depletion of Nb, Ta, and Ti, and gently right‐tilted rare earth element (REE) patterns (light REE [LREE]/heavy REE [HREE] =4.53–7.60), as well as the εHf (t) values (+6.4 to +11.8) of analyzed zircons, indicate an origin by partial melting of potentially young lower continental crust of a subducting slab. The zircon LA‐ICP‐MS U–Pb data show the formation age of the mylonitized rhyolites is 352.4 Ma. The analyzed gabbros with an emplacement age of 352.6 Ma have high concentrations of Th and U, slightly enriched LREE patterns and relative low LREE/HREE ratios (4.3 to 4.6). These features, together with their high positive εHf (t) values (+7.7 to +15.2), suggest that they were likely derived from the partial melting of a depleted mantle source that was metasomatized by subduction‐related fluids. Combined with the geochemical features of the coeval igneous rocks from the northern Great Xing'an Range, these results reveal that the existence of an early Carboniferous NE‐trending magmatic arc (ca. 350–330 Ma), extending along the west of the Heihe–Nenjiang–Hegenshan suture zone, gives more constraints on the amalgamation of the Xing'an and Songliao blocks along the Nenjiang–Moguqi areas and indicates that the amalgamation should have terminated by at least the end of the early Carboniferous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for optical fiber group delay measurement is proposed and experimentally demonstrated based on laser beat frequency. When the laser wavelength in the optical fiber resonator changes, the time delay through the optical fiber under test will change accordingly, leading to a change of round trip time in the optical fiber laser resonator. While the round trip time is the reciprocal of the minimum beat frequency, the group delay of the optical fiber under test which is placed in the fiber laser resonator can be easily obtained by measuring the beat frequency variation via the radio frequency spectrum analyzer. The optical fiber laser resonator utilized in experiments is composed of two reflectors: one is a sagnac loop composed of a coupler, the other is a composite structure composed of an optical circulator connected with a Fiber Fabry-Perot Tunable Filter. The group delay of the single-mode fiber and the dispersion compensating fiber are measured respectively in a relatively wide spectral range. Experimental results show that this method is feasible. Furthermore, this method is of very simple structure and low cost compared with other conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One novel dual-band dual-mode dual-polarisation microstrip antenna with broad bandwidth is designed and analysed in this study. In the lower frequency band, the antenna operates in the dipole mode with linearly polarised omnidirectional radiation pattern, whereas in the upper frequency band, the antenna works in the patch mode with circularly polarised directional radiation patterns. The bandwidth of the patch mode is broadened by adding curved parasitical patches around the centre radiating patch which is fed by the capacitive probe. Parameter analysis is made to further explore the working principle and one prototype is realised for verification. Moreover, the measured results show that the -10 dB impedance bandwidths for the dipole mode and patch mode are 227.5 MHz (4.8% at the centre frequency of 4.72 GHz) and 1330 MHz (23% at the centre frequency of 5.78 GHz), respectively, among which the 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of the patch mode is 510 MHz (8.8% at the centre frequency of 5.815 GHz). Moreover, the maximum gains of the two modes are 1.1 and 8.4 dB, respectively. This singlefeed patch antenna is valuable in future applications for its compact structure, considerable bandwidth, radiation pattern and polarisation diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slab heating plays an important role in the production of iron and steel materials. However, it is a very complex process involving physical and chemical change. In this study, we built a numerical heat transfer model to predict the three-dimensional transient temperature field of a slab based on the implicit finite difference method. The model takes the growth of the oxide layer into account, as well as the impact on heat transfer. Slab temperature and oxide layer thickness were calculated in each step. The model considers three kinds of boundary conditions. It displays the temperature variation of each part of the slab in the furnace at all time, the heating curve, and the growth in the thickness curve of the oxide layer. This model can be used to control heating time, optimize the heating curve, and improve production efficiency, thereby reducing cost. The model is also useful for calculation of rolling force, as well as the control of carbon isolation and product microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of chiral cyclic sulfinamide-olefin ligands, N-allylic 2,3-dihydro-1,2-benzoisothiazole 1-oxides, with 2,3-dihydro-1,2-benzoisothiazole 1-oxide as a unique chiral skeleton, is developed for the highly enantioselective rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric 1,4-addition of α,β-unsaturated cyclic carbonyl compounds and the 1,2-addition of benzil. Both enantiomers of the chiral cyclic sulfinamide-olefin ligand with 99 % ee were easily prepared from inexpensive and commercially available starting materials and were directly used in asymmetric catalysis, and thus, both enantiomers of the addition products could be obtained in high yields (up to 98 %) with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98 % ee). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equally divided patch antenna (EDPA) element and array designs with electrically large property (ELP) are proposed in this study. ELP is realized by dividing the square radiating patch into n × n (n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ...) elements gradually with the same overall size but higher resonant frequencies. The dispersion diagrams of the divided unit cells are extracted from the S-parameters and the field characteristics of dominant modes are described to confirm the ELP. Then 4 × 4 EDPA is taken as an example for detail analysis. By optimizing the geometry of the microstrip-line-slot feeding structure, different resonant modes can be merged and broad bandwidth is achieved. Furthermore, 1 × 2 array of the 4 × 4 EDPA is designed. Both the element and array antennas were fabricated for verification and good agreement between the measured and simulated results was obtained. The element and array owns -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 51.4 and 34.9% and maximum gain of 10.6 and 13.5 dBi, respectively. The proposed EDPA method can be used to design antenna element and array with ELP in higher-frequency band of microwave and millimetre-wave band for their easy fabrication, wide bandwidth, and considerable gain property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel probe-feed single-layer circular patch antenna with dual-band dual-mode dual polarisation is proposed in this study. By using modified mushroom structure, dual-band dual-mode characteristic is realised as former designs. Due to the loading structure including four curved patches added around the circular radiating patch, bandwidth is broadened for the patch mode (n = 1 mode) with unidirectional linearly polarised characteristics at the upper frequency band. By loading with four curved branches in the ground plane, circularly polarised property for the dipole mode (n = 0 mode) with omnidirectional radiation patterns is achieved at the lower frequency band. Parameter analysis is made to study this antenna and one prototype is fabricated to confirm the property. Moreover, the measured results are obtained with –10 dB impedance bandwidths of 227.5 MHz (5.1% at the centre frequency of 4.42 GHz) and 857.5 MHz (14.9% at the centre frequency of 5.74 GHz), and maximum gain of 1.1 and 7.1 dB for the dipole mode and patch mode, respectively. With the advantages of simple structure, wide bandwidth, radiation pattern selectivity and polarisation diversity, this antenna concept is valuable in wireless communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabonomics based on GC-MS was used to study the possible anti-inflammatory mechanisms of volatile oils of Angelica sinensis (VOAS) in rats with acute inflammation. Acute inflammation was induced by subcutaneous injection of carrageenan in rats. The levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), histamine (HIS) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the inflammatory fluid were detected. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis models were performed for pattern recognition analysis. After the administration of VOAS, the levels of PGE2, HIS, and 5-HT returned to levels observed in normal group. According to GC-MS analysis, the intervention of VOAS in rats with acute inflammation induced substantial and characteristic changes in their metabolic profiles. Fourteen metabolite biomarkers, namely, lactic acid, malic acid, citric acid, trans-dehydroandrosterone, aldosterone, linoleic acid, hexadecanoic acid, pregnenolone, octadecenoic acid, myristic acid, l-histidine, octadecanoic acid, arachidonic acid (AA) and l-tryptophan, were detected in the inflammatory fluid. The levels of all biomarkers either increased or decreased significantly in model groups. VOAS possibly intervened in the metabolic process of inflammation by altering histidine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, AA metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism and energy metabolism. Metabonomics was used to reflect an organism's physiological and metabolic state comprehensively, and it is a potentially powerful tool that reveals the anti-acute-inflammatory mechanism of VOAS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pore-scale numerical model for reactive transport processes based on the Lattice Boltzmann method is used to study the dissolution-induced changes in hydrologic properties of a fractured medium and a porous medium. The solid phase of both media consists of two minerals, and a structure reconstruction method called quartet structure generation set is employed to generate the distributions of both minerals. Emphasis is put on the effects of undissolved minerals on the changes of permeability and porosity under different Peclet and Damkohler numbers. The simulation results show porous layers formed by the undissolved mineral remain behind the dissolution reaction front. Due to the large flow resistance in these porous layers, the permeability increases very slowly or even remains at a small value although the porosity increases by a large amount. Besides, due to the heterogeneous characteristic of the dissolution, the chemical, mechanical and hydraulic apertures are very different from each other. Further, simulations in complex porous structures demonstrate that the existence of the porous layers of the nonreactive mineral suppresses the wormholing phenomena observed in the dissolution of mono-mineralic rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] CTCF up-regulates the transcription of satellite 2. [•] Vigilin down-regulates satellite 2 transcription. [•] Vigilin depletion reduces HP1α binding on the satellite 2 locus. [•] CTCF overexpression also reduces the binding of HP1α on the satellite 2 locus. [•] Overexpression of CTCF resists the loading of vigilin onto the satellite 2 locus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT A novel ultrawideband antenna with triple band rejection characteristic is proposed in this article. The antenna consists of a U-shaped monopole antenna and a modified grounded plane. To realize triple band-notched characteristics, a pair of I-shaped and L-shaped stubs embedded in the square slots of the ground plane and resonant open-circuited stubs placed adjacent to the antenna edges are used. Surface current distributions are described to analyze the effects of these stubs. Modified version of the antenna is also designed to reduce the overall metallic surface of the antenna while maintaining its band-notched characteristics. Measured results show that this antenna operates from 2.77 to 11.38 GHz for voltage standing wave ratio less than 2, except the triple notched bands (3.27-3.75, 5.51-5.96, and 6.95-7.65 GHz). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:822-827, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Crohn's disease treatments available today are not quite satisfactory. N-(3′, 4′-dimethoxycinnamonyl) anthranilic acid (3, 4- DAA) has been proved to be effective in many autoimmune diseases. Therefore, we investigated the immunologic function of 3, 4- DAA on trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid ( TNBS) colitis and human Crohn's disease. Methods Mice with TNBS-induced colitis were treated with 3, 4- DAA or 1-methyl-tryptophan (1- MT). Colitis severity was assessed with clinical and histological scores. Cell proliferation, cytokine expression, and the percentage of CD4+ CD25+ T cells were measured in both mice and human samples. Results In mice treated with 3, 4- DAA, the clinical and histological scores were decreased ( P < 0.05); the proliferation of mesenteric lymph nodes ( MLNs) cells and lamina propria mononuclear cells ( LPMCs) were inhibited ( P < 0.05); Th1 cytokine expressions were decreased ( P < 0.05), and Th2 cytokine levels were increased ( P < 0.05). 3, 4- DAA also induced CD4+ CD25+ T cells expression (5.88 ± 2.1 vs 11.03 ± 2.93, P < 0.05) in mice MLNs. Transfer of these cells into TNBS colitis mice resulted in the reduction of the disease activity index ( DAI) and histological scores. In LPMCs isolated from human Crohn's disease, 3, 4- DAA had the same effect. It can inhibit the cell proliferation, decrease Th1 cytokine expressions ( P < 0.05), and increase Th2 cytokine levels ( P < 0.05). The percentage of CD4+ CD25+ T cells were also increased (1.60 ± 0.14 vs 2.45 ± 0.50, P < 0.05). 1- MT treatment led to opposite outcomes. Conclusion 3, 4- DAA can alleviate the severity of colitis through inhibiting Th1 cells response, promoting Th2 cytokines expression and inducing CD4+ CD25+ T cells expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Dermoscopy is one of the major imaging modalities used in the diagnosis of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions. Due to the difficulty and subjectivity of human interpretation, automated analysis of dermoscopy images has become an important research area. Border detection is often the first step in this analysis. In many cases, the lesion can be roughly separated from the background skin using a thresholding method applied to the blue channel. However, no single thresholding method appears to be robust enough to successfully handle the wide variety of dermoscopy images encountered in clinical practice. Methods In this article, we present an automated method for detecting lesion borders in dermoscopy images using ensembles of thres holding methods. Conclusion Experiments on a difficult set of 90 images demonstrate that the proposed method is robust, fast, and accurate when compared to nine state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil rhizosphere aeration status is an important aspect of soil quality and soil ecology. The objective of the current study was to determine the appropriate moisture environment that facilitates rhizosphere soil aeration and ensures normal root respiration in tomato. In the potted experiment, five treatments of soil aeration were used (0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6 ventilation volume of 50% porosity of soil, and no ventilation) under conditions of the different soil moisture upper limits. The effects of different rhizosphere soil aerations on the physiological indicators and water absorption of tomato were studied. Under the same soil moisture condition, plant growth and root vitality initially increased, and then decreased when the soil ventilation volume increased. The combination of soil moisture with 80% of field capacity and 0.8 ventilation volume with 50% soil porosity raised the chlorophyll content by 29.98% and the root vitality by 61.55%, as compared with the non-ventilated treatment. Therefore, the appropriate volume of rhizosphere ventilation can effectively improve the capacity of water absorption in tomato. The result provides a new view about soil quality and soil ecology in terms of soil-root system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pear scab ( Venturia nashicola Tanaka et Yamamoto or Venturia pirina Aderhold) is one of the most important diseases of pears. Two hybrids, 03-04-034 and 03-08-080, highly resistant to pear scab were selected from interspecific reciprocal crosses of Pyrus × bretschneideri cv. Yali and Pyrus × ussuriensis cv. Jingbaili. The content of salicylic acid (SA) and polyphenols in the leaves of 03-04-034 and a highly susceptible hybrid individual were tested by high-performance liquid chromatography. The two scab-resistant individuals 03-04-034 and 03-08-080 were backcrossed with both of their parents, and the progenies were used for inheritance analysis of the resistance trait. The results indicated that diseased and non-diseased progenies segregated qualitatively and that diseased was dominant over non-diseased. The ratio of diseased/non-diseased progenies in all of the backcross populations was not significantly different from 1 : 15 indicating the segregation of four major gene loci was involved in the variation of resistance in these hybrid populations. When susceptible subpopulations from the two crosses were assessed for the severity of infection as measured by the ratio of lesion area to total leaf area, resistance was identified as a quantitative trait. Endogenous SA content in the leaves was extensively induced as early as 3 h after inoculation of the highly resistant individual 03-04-034, but no significant change in leaf SA content was found in the highly susceptible individual 03-19-136. Polyphenolic compounds, such as phlorhizin, catechol, quercetin and rutin, began to accumulate in leaves of 03-04-034 several hours earlier than that 03-19-136. The lignin content increased 45 h after inoculation in the resistant individual 03-04-034, but not in the susceptible individual 03-19-136. These observations indicated that the genetic resistance to pear scab of this interspecific population was correlated to SA induction, earlier polyphenol accumulation and the subsequent lignification of leaf tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]