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The cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2) has been implicated in a variety of central and peripheral inflammatory diseases, prompting significant interest in the development of CB2-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic agents. A validated positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand for imaging CB2 in the living human brain as well as in peripheral tissues is currently lacking. As part of our research program, we have recently identified the trisubstituted pyridine, [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 , which proved to be highly suitable for in vitro and in vivo mapping of CB2 in rodents. The aim of this study was to assess the performance characteristics of [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 in nonhuman primates (NHPs) to pave the way for clinical translation. [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 was synthesized from the respective tosylate precursor according to previously reported procedures. In vitro autoradiograms with NHP spleen tissue sections revealed a high binding of [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 to the CB2-rich NHP spleen, which was significantly blocked by coincubation with the commercially available CB2 ligand, GW405833 (10 μM). In contrast, no specific binding was observed by in vitro autoradiography with NHP brain sections, which was in agreement with the notion of a CB2-deficient healthy mammalian brain. In vitro findings were corroborated by PET imaging experiments in NHPs, where [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 uptake in the spleen was dose-dependently attenuated with 1 and 5 mg/kg GW405833, while no specific brain signal was observed. Remarkably, we observed tracer uptake and retention in the NHP spinal cord, which was reduced by GW405833 blockade, pointing toward a potential utility of [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 in probing CB2-expressing cells in the bone marrow. If these observations are substantiated in NHP models of enhanced leukocyte proliferation in the bone marrow, [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 may serve as a valuable marker for hematopoietic activity in various pathologies. In conclusion, [ 18 F]RoSMA-18-d 6 proved to be a suitable PET radioligand for imaging CB2 in NHPs, supporting its translation to humans.

Hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.), belonging to the genus Gramineae, has high and steady output and thus considered as a principal food crop by Tibetan people. Hulless barley grain can be used for food, brewing, and functional health product development, while its straw serves as an essential supplementary forage and is a crucial cereal crop. Lodging can reduce the yield and quality of barley grain and straw, and it hinders mechanical harvesting. It is a significant factor affecting high and stable yields of barley. Unlike other Poaceae plants (such as rice, wheat), hulless barley is mainly grown in high-altitude regions, where it is susceptible to low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy rainfall. As a result, its stem lodging resistance is relatively weak, making it prone to lodging during the growth period. In this study, we observed that the lignin concentration and the contents of lignin monomers (H, S, and G), and neutral detergent fibre of the lodging-resistant variety Kunlun14 were substantially greater than those of the lodging-sensitive variety Menyuanlianglan. We performed the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis of both the lodging-resistant and lodging-sensitive varieties. Through transcriptome sequencing analysis at different developmental stages, combined with the previously annotated genes related to lodging resistance, a total of 72 DEGs were identified. Among these DEGs, 17 genes were related to lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose synthesis or regulation, including five transcription factors about NAC, MYB and WRKY. Our results provide a basis for further exploring the molecular mechanism of stem lodging resistance in hulless barley and provide valuable gene resources for stem lodging resistance molecular breeding., 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 © 2023 Bai, Zhao, Yao, Yao, Li, Hou, An, Wu and Wang.)

Background: There is no study focusing on noninvasive predictors for the efficacy of sintilimab (anti-PD-1) plus IBI305 (a bevacizumab biosimilar) treatment in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Method: A total of 33 patients with advanced HCC were prospectively enrolled and received sintilimab plus IBI305 treatment from November 2018 to October 2019. Baseline characteristics including clinical data, laboratory data, and tumor features based on pretreatment CT/MR were collected. Meanwhile, pretreatment contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for target tumor was performed and quantitative parameters were derived from time-intensity curves (TICs). A nomogram was developed based on the variables identified by the univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the nomogram were evaluated., Results: Tumor embolus and grad ratio were significant variables related to the efficacy of sintilimab plus IBI305 strategy. The nomogram based on these two variables achieved an excellent predictive performance with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.909 (95% CI, 0.813-1). A bootstrapping for 500 repetitions was performed to validate this model and the AUC of the bootstrap model was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.8-0.98). The calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that the nomogram had a good consistency and clinical utility., Conclusions: This study has established and validated a nomogram by incorporating the quantitative parameters of pretreatment CEUS and baseline clinical characteristics to predict the anti-PD-1 plus anti-VEGF treatment efficacy in advanced HCC patients., 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 © 2023 Sun, Wang, Hou, Zhang, Chen and Niu.)

Chiral cyclopropane derivatives are essential in synthetic chemistry and drug discovery. Their synthesis commonly relies on asymmetric cyclopropanation of diazo compounds, potentially explosive and needing stabilizing substituents. Thus, asymmetric catalytic transformations of non-stabilized carbenes or carbenoids remain a formidable challenge. Herein, we report the unprecedented chromium-catalyzed asymmetric cyclopropanation of readily available gem-dihaloalkanes and terminal olefins. Distinct from previous approaches, gem-dihaloalkanes serve as suitable precursors for non-stabilized carbenes or carbenoids, furnishing various functionalized chiral cyclopropanes. Mechanistic studies, including radical trapping, non-linear effect, and UV/Vis spectroscopy, provide insights into the catalytic process, featuring radical-polar crossover., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

From 2019 to 2021, pepper viruses were investigated in pepper planting areas and collected a total of 333 samples were in Qinghai (The central district, Datong, Huangzhong in Xining; Ledu district, Pingan, Huzhu, Minhe in Haidong, and Jianzha in Huangnan). RT-PCR and molecular cloning were conducted for virus detection in 333 suspected viral samples, the results revealed that viruses infecting pepper mainly included 11 capsicum viruses. Tomato spotted wilt tospovirus （TSWV）has the highest detection rate (36%) in Datong County, and Pepper cryptic virus 1 (PCV1) has the highest detection rate (57%) in Huangzhong County. In the Haidong, 86.3% of the peppers were Broad bean wilt virus 2（BBWV2）, virus-infected Pepper cryptic virus 2 (PCV2), TSWV and Cucumber mosaic virus （CMV） were detected in Xunhua, among which PCV1 and CMV had the highest detection rate (30.4%); PCV1, TSWV, and PCV2 were detected in Ledu and PCV2 had the highest detection rate (50%). There were 17 kinds of co-infection and the co-infection of two viruses occurred often. There were only 5 kinds of co-infection of three. Combined infection contained PCV1 and TMV was the most common. The distribution and species of pepper viruses from the pepper planting areas were clarified and it laid the foundation for preventing and controlling pepper viruses across Qinghai province.

Background: Cynomolgus monkeys are widely used in studies related to osteoporosis, and there is no evidence of age-related changes in volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) measured using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in nonhuman primates. This study aimed to describe changes in the characteristics of lumbar vBMD with age, to analyze the relationship between lumbar vBMD and body composition, and to investigate the precision of QCT measurements in healthy female cynomolgus monkeys., Methods: Age-related changes in lumbar vBMD were described using cubic regression models, and the accumulated bone loss rates (ABLR) of the lumbar spine were calculated. Spearman rank correlation and ridge regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship of the average lumbar vBMD and body components. Thirty animals were selected to analyze the short-term in vivo precision of the QCT measurements. The precision was expressed as the root-mean-square coefficient of variation (RMS-CV%) or root-mean-square standard deviation (RMS-SD)., Results: A total of 72 healthy female cynomolgus monkeys, aged 1-25 years, were included in this study. The average lumbar vBMD of female cynomolgus monkeys increased with age until the age of 10 years, around which it reached peak bone mass, with a relatively marked decline after the age of 13 years. The ABLRs of female cynomolgus monkeys in the premenopausal (13-19 years) and postmenopausal age groups (20-25 years) were -4.9% and -21.2%, respectively. Ridge regression analysis showed that age and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) contributed positively to the average lumbar vBMD in animals aged ≤10 years, whereas in animals aged >10 years, age contributed negatively to lumbar vBMD. The RMS-CV% (RMS-SD) of the lumbar vBMD measured using QCT ranged from 0.47% to 1.60% (1.91-6.31 mg/cm 3 )., Conclusions: Age-related changes in lumbar vBMD measured using QCT in healthy female monkeys showed similar trends to those in humans. Age and SAT may affect the lumbar vBMD in female cynomolgus monkeys. QCT revealed good precision in measuring the lumbar vBMD in female cynomolgus monkeys., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-22-763/coif). All authors reported that this work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81871383). Yuefeng Li is the head of Research and Development Department in Guangdong Landau Biotechnology Co. Ltd. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2023 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the superiority of the integrated cervicothoracic immobilization devices (ICTID) on the mobility of the supraclavicular station in lung cancer patients requiring both primary lung lesion and positive supraclavicular lymph nodes irradiation., Methods: One hundred patients with lung cancer were prospectively enrolled in the study. The following four different fixation methods are used for CT simulation positioning: thoracoabdominal flat immobilization device fixation with arms lifting (TAFID group), head-neck-shoulder immobilization device fixation with arms on the body sides (HNSID group), ICTID fixation with arms on the body sides (ICTID arms-down group), and n ICTID fixation with arms lifting (ICTID arms-up group). Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images are taken daily or weekly before treatment, to assess anatomical changes during the radiotherapy course., Results: The translation errors in X (left-right direction), Y (head-foot direction), and Z (abdomen-back direction) directions of the ICTID arms-up, TAFID, ICTID arms-down and HNSID groups were (0.15 ± 0.18) cm, (0.15 ± 0.16) cm, (0.16 ± 0.16) cm, and (0.15 ± 0.20) cm; (0.15 ± 0.15) cm, (0.21 ± 0.25) cm, (0.28 ± 0.23) cm, and (0.27 ± 0.21) cm; (0.13 ± 0.14) cm, (0.15 ± 0.14) cm, (0.17 ± 0.13) cm, and (0.16 ± 0.14) cm, respectively. Among them, the ICTID arms-up group had the minimal setup errors in X direction than those in ICTID arms-down (p=0.001) and HNSID groups (p=0.001), and in Y direction than those in TAFID (p<0.001), and in Z direction than those in ICTID arms-down (p<0.001) and TAFID groups (p=0.034). For the rotational errors of the four groups in the directions of sagittal plane, transverse plane, and coronal plane, the ICTID arms-up group had the smallest setup errors in the sagittal plane than that of TAFID groups and similar rotation setup errors with those of the other three groups., Conclusion: For patients requiring radiation of primary lung lesion and positive supraclavicular lymph nodes, an integrated frame fixation device is preferred the ICTID arms-up methods provide the smallest set up error and satisfied repeatability of body position, compared with TAFID and HNSID., 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 © 2023 Wan, Luo, Feng, Qin, Sun, Hou, Zhang, Wu, Zhou, Xiao, Chen, Feng, Wang, Huan, Bi and Wang.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine bone turnover markers, estradiol, parathyroid hormone, and 25 hydroxyvitamin D, in cynomolgus monkeys at different ages to improve our understanding of the changes in bone turnover markers throughout the life cycle of cynomolgus monkeys and to provide a basis for the establishment of a non-human primate model of osteoporosis., Methods: Total Body Bone Mineral Density and Total Body Bone Mineral Content were measured using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in cynomolgus monkeys at different ages. Serum bone turnover marker' levels were measured using enzyme immunoassays at each age group, and the relationship between bone turnover markers and age was assessed by Spearman rank correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between bone turnover markers and age in female cynomolgus monkeys., Results: Total Body Bone Mineral Density in female cynomolgus monkeys peaked at 10 years of age and then formed a plateau that was maintained until old age. Procollagen I Aminoterminal Propeptide, Bone Alkaline Phosphatase, Osteocalcin, and C-Terminal Telopeptide Of Type I Collagen peaked at 1 to 3 years of age and gradually decreased with age, leveling off by 10 years of age. Estradiol, parathyroid hormone, and 25 hydroxyvitamin D, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, were not significantly different among age groups., Conclusion: This paper provides data on trends in bone turnover markers throughout the life cycle of female cynomolgus monkeys, which are similar to human changes., 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 Li, Cai, Dong, Hou, Li, Guo, Zeng, Cheng, Shang, Ling, Gong and Xu.)

Size regulation of uniform polymer nanospheres (PNSs) and carbon nanospheres (CNSs) below 100 nm has been difficult and is limited by multiple factors, such as ongoing nucleation, Ostwald ripening, minimization of surface energy, and high viscosity during the nucleation and growth process. In this study, a kinetics-controlled regulation is reported for the synthesis of monodispersed PNSs and corresponding CNSs with adjustable size below 100 nm. During the synthesis of PNSs, three distinct stages including surface energy control, surface tension control and viscosity control have been observed, where the concentration of block copolymer F127 ( C F127 ) plays a vital role in affecting the nucleation rate of PNSs and tunes the diffusion rate of monomers and migration of particles during the nucleation and growth process. As a consequence, the size of monodisperse CNSs can be customized from 100 nm down to 41 nm with PDI below 5%.

Elsholtzia stauntonii Benth. (Lamiaceae) is an economically important ornamental, medicinal and aromatic plant species. To meet the increasing market demand for E. stauntonii , it is necessary to assess genetic diversity within the species to accelerate the process of genetic improvement. Analysis of the transferability of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from related species or genera is a fast and economical method to evaluate diversity, and can ensure the availability of molecular markers in crops with limited genomic resources. In this study, the cross-genera transferability of 497 SSR markers selected from other members of the Lamiaceae ( Salvia L., Perilla L., Mentha L., Hyptis Jacq., Leonurus L., Pogostemon Desf., Rosmarinus L., and Scutella L.) to E. stauntonii was 9.05% (45 primers). Among the 45 transferable markers, 10 markers revealed relatively high polymorphism in E. stauntonii . The genetic variation among 825 individuals from 18 natural populations of E. stauntonii in Hebei Province of China was analyzed using the 10 polymorphic SSR markers. On the basis of the SSR data, the average number of alleles ( N A ), expected heterozygosity ( H E ), and Shannon's information index (I) of the 10 primers pairs were 7.000, 0.478, and 0.688, respectively. Lower gene flow ( N m = 1.252) and high genetic differentiation ( F st = 0.181) were detected in the populations. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that most of the variation (81.47%) was within the populations. Integrating the results of STRUCTURE, UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) clustering, and principal coordinate analysis, the 825 samples were grouped into two clusters associated with geographical provenance (southwestern and northeastern regions), which was consistent with the results of a Mantel test ( r = 0.56, p < 0.001). Overall, SSR markers developed in related genera were effective to study the genetic structure and genetic diversity in geographical populations of E. stauntonii . The results provide a theoretical basis for conservation of genetic resources, genetic improvement, and construction of a core collection for E. stauntonii ., 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 Zhang, Jia, Liu, Zhao, Hou, Li, Cui and Li.)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a basket term for neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by marked impairments in social interactions, repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, and restricted interests and activities. Subtypes include (A) disorders with known genetic abnormalities including fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis and (B) idiopathic ASD, conditions with unknown etiologies. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular imaging technology that can be utilized in vivo for dynamic and quantitative research, and is a valuable tool for exploring pathophysiological mechanisms, evaluating therapeutic efficacy, and accelerating drug development in ASD. Recently, several imaging studies on ASD have been published and physiological changes during ASD progression was disclosed by PET. This paper reviews the specific radioligands for PET imaging of critical biomarkers in ASD, and summarizes and discusses the similar and different discoveries in outcomes of previous studies. It is of great importance to identify general physiological changes in cerebral glucose metabolism, cerebral blood flow perfusion, abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems, and inflammation in the central nervous system in ASD, which may provide excellent points for further ASD research., 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 Tan, Wei, Song, Mai, Yan, Ye, Ling, Hou, Zhang, Yan, Xu and Wang.)

As a member of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzyme family, PDE10A is in charge of the degradation of cyclic adenosine (cAMP) and guanosine monophosphates (cGMP). While PDE10A is primarily expressed in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, it has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. Indeed, inhibition of PDE10A has proven to be of potential use for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies caused by dysfunction of the basal ganglia-of which the striatum constitutes the largest component. A PDE10A-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand would enable a better assessment of the pathophysiologic role of PDE10A, as well as confirm the relationship between target occupancy and administrated dose of a given drug candidate, thus accelerating the development of effective PDE10A inhibitors. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel 18 F-aryl PDE10A PET radioligand, codenamed [ 18 F]P10A-1910 ([ 18 F] 9 ), in high radiochemical yield and molar activity via spirocyclic iodonium ylide-mediated radiofluorination. [ 18 F] 9 possessed good in vitro binding affinity (IC 50  = 2.1 nmol/L) and selectivity towards PDE10A. Further, [ 18 F] 9 exhibited reasonable lipophilicity (log D  = 3.50) and brain permeability ( P app  > 10 × 10 -6  cm/s in MDCK-MDR1 cells). PET imaging studies of [ 18 F] 9 revealed high striatal uptake and excellent in vivo specificity with reversible tracer kinetics. Preclinical studies in rodents revealed an improved plasma and brain stability of [ 18 F] 9 when compared to the current reference standard for PDE10A-targeted PET, [ 18 F]MNI659. Further, dose-response experiments with a series of escalating doses of PDE10A inhibitor 1 in rhesus monkey brains confirmed the utility of [ 18 F] 9 for evaluating target occupancy in vivo in higher species. In conclusion, our results indicated that [ 18 F] 9 is a promising PDE10A PET radioligand for clinical translation., (© 2022 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a well-accepted tool for monitoring skeletal and body composition changes in biomedical studies. The nonhuman primate model is suitable for studies exploring the pathogenesis of and novel treatments for osteoporosis. Our objectives are to determine the precision of DXA detection in cynomolgus monkeys and to identify the difference in precision in lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) with various segment selections., Methods: Thirty adult female cynomolgus monkeys underwent duplicate total body DXA scans. Total body bone mineral density (BMD TB ) and body composition, including bone mineral content (BMC TB ), lean mass (LM TB ), and fat mass (FM TB ), were analyzed by enCORE software, while lumbar BMD was obtained by manual region-of-interest analysis. The precision was represented as the root-mean-square standard deviation (RMS-SD) and coefficient of variation (RMS-CV%), and least significant changes (LSCs) were reported., Results: The RMS-SD (RMS-CV%) of the repeated DXA analyses for BMD TB , BMC TB , LM TB and FM TB were 0.002 g/cm 2 (0.50%), 0.90 g (0.42%), 0.015 kg (0.49%), and 0.031 kg (2.71%), respectively. The regional BMD precision (RMS-CV%) of the lumbar spine with various combinations ranged from 0.70% to 1.09%, The LSCs with 80% statistical confidence (LSC 80 ) ranged from 1.27% to 1.97%, and LSC 95 ranged from 1.94% to 3.01%., Conclusions: DXA provided excellent reproducibility in the measurements of BMD and body composition in nonhuman primates. We find DXA reliable for total and regional measurement in skeletal research and the evaluation of osteoporosis treatment with monkeys as animal models., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/qims-21-799). YL is the head of Research and Development Department in Guangdong Landau Biotechnology Co. Ltd. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

The effects of whole-genome duplication span multiple levels. Previous study reported that the autotetraploid sour jujube exhibited superior drought tolerance than diploid. However, the difference in water transport system between diploids and autotetraploids and its mechanism remain unclear. Here, we found the number of xylem vessels and parenchyma cells in autotetraploid sour jujube increased to nearly twice that of diploid sour jujube, which may be closely related to the differences in xylem vessel differentiation-related ZjVND7 targets between the two ploidy types. Although the five enriched binding motifs are different, the most reliable motif in both diploid and autotetraploid sour jujube was CTTNAAG. Additionally, ZjVND7 targeted 236 and 321 genes in diploids and autotetraploids, respectively. More identified targeted genes of ZjVND7 were annotated to xylem development, secondary wall synthesis, cell death, cell division, and DNA endoreplication in autotetraploids than in diploids. SMR1 plays distinct roles in both proliferating and differentiated cells. Under drought stress, the binding signal of ZjVND7 to ZjSMR1 was stronger in autotetraploids than in diploids, and the fold-changes in the expression of ZjVND7 and ZjSMR1 were larger in the autotetraploids than in the diploids. These results suggested that the targeted regulation of ZjVND7 on ZjSMR1 may play valuable roles in autotetraploids in the response to drought stress. We hypothesized that the binding of ZjVND7 to ZjSMR1 might play a role in cell division and transdifferentiation from parenchyma cells to vessels in the xylem. This regulation could prolong the cell cycle and regulate endoreplication in response to drought stress and abscisic acid, which may be stronger in polyploids., 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 Li, Hou, Zhang, Yang, Liu, Zhao, Pang and Li.)

Fruit cracking is a common physiological disorder in many fruit species. Jujube ( Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is an economically valuable fruit in which fruit cracking seriously affects fruit yield and quality and causes significant economic losses. To elucidate cracking-related molecular mechanisms, the cracking-susceptible cultivars 'Cuizaohong' and 'Jinsixiaozao' and the cracking-resistant cultivar 'Muzao' were selected, and comparative transcriptome analyses of cracking and non-cracking 'Cuizaohong' (CC and NC), cracking and non-cracking 'Jinsixiaozao' (CJ and NJ), and non-cracking 'Muzao' (NM) were conducted. A total of 131 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were common to the CC vs. NC and CJ vs. NJ comparisons. To avoid passive processes after fruit cracking, we also mainly focused on the 225 gradually downregulated DEGs in the CJ, NJ, and NM samples. The functional annotation of the candidate DEGs revealed that 61 genes related to calcium, the cell wall, the cuticle structure, hormone metabolism, starch/sucrose metabolism, transcription factors, and water transport were highly expressed in cracking fruits. We propose that expression-level changes in these genes might increase the turgor pressure and weaken mechanical properties, ultimately leading to jujube fruit cracking. These results may serve as a rich genetic resource for future investigations on fruit cracking mechanisms in jujube and in other fruit species.

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) exhibit excellent optoelectronic performance, however, the broad application is limited by their poor stability. Herein, a strategy for stable core-shell structured bismuth-doped lead halide perovskite NCs is reported. The stable core-shell perovskite NCs are prepared based on heterovalent substitutions and surface segregation effect. Core-shell features are revealed through advanced characterization and structure analyses. Meanwhile, the transfer of carriers between the core and the shell is observed by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. The core-shell structured perovskite NCs exhibit outstanding structure stability and retain 97% of the original photocatalytic efficiency after cycle experiments under moisture ambient and light irradiation. Such a core-shell structure constructs gradient energy levels. These findings are expected to facilitate the development of stable lead halide perovskite devices., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The objective of the study was to explore the role of SDC1 in breast cancer cells. Our study also investigated the regulatory relationship between SDC1 and the microRNA (miRNA) miR-335-5p as well as the impact of these two genes on the progression of breast cancer. Bioinformatic approaches were employed to analyze the differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and miRNAs (DE-mRNAs and DE-miRNAs) in breast cancer tissue. Then mRNA SC1 was obtained. Differentially downregulated mRNAs were intersected with target miRNAs predicted by databases, and miR-335-5p was determined as the study object. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to assess the expressions of SDC1 and miR-335-5p in each cell line. Next, Western blot assay was conducted to detect the protein level of SDC1 and dual-luciferase assay was performed to verify the binding relationship between miR-335-5p and SDC1. Finally, we conducted methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), colony formation, and Transwell assays and flow cytometry to further investigate the impacts of SDC1 and miR-335-5p on the progression of breast cancer. SDC1 was significantly highly expressed while miR-335-5p was remarkably lowly expressed in human breast cancer. Silencing SDC1 in breast cancer blocked the proliferation, migration and invasion of the cells. In breast cancer, SDC1 was a target gene of miR-335-5p and silencing miR-335-5p notably increased SDC1 expression. Compared with the silence of miR-335-5p, simultaneous silences of miR-335-5p and SDC1 significantly reduced the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of breast cancer cells. The result revealed the interaction between miR-335-5p and SDC1 in the progression of breast cancer, which may contribute to the treatments for this cancer.

Background: As a popular and valuable technique, grafting is widely used to protect against soil-borne diseases and nematodes in vegetable production. Growing evidences have revealed that long intergenic ncRNAs (lincRNAs) are strictly regulated and play essential roles in plants development and stress responses. Nevertheless, genome-wide identification and function deciphering of pepper lincRNAs, especially for their roles in improving grafting pepper resistance to Phytophthora capsici is largely unknown., Results: In this study, RNA-seq data of grafting and control pepper plants with or without P. capsici inoculation were used to identify lincRNAs. In total, 2,388 reliable lincRNAs were identified. They were relatively longer and contained few exons than protein-coding genes. Similar to coding genes, lincRNAs had higher densities in euchromatin regions; and longer chromosome transcribed more lincRNAs. Expression pattern profiling suggested that lincRNAs commonly had lower expression than mRNAs. Totally, 607 differentially expressed lincRNAs (DE-lincRANs) were identified, of which 172 were found between P. capsici resistance grafting pepper sample GR and susceptible sample LDS. The neighboring genes of DE-lincRNAs and miRNAs competitively sponged by DE-lincRNAs were identified. Subsequently, the expression level of DE-lincRNAs was further confirmed by qRT-PCR and regulation patterns between DE-lincRNAs and neighboring mRNAs were also validated. Function annotation revealed that DE-lincRNAs increased the resistance of grafting prepper to P. capsici by modulating the expression of disease-defense related genes through cis-regulating and/or lincRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction networks., Conclusions: This study identified pepper lincRNAs and suggested their potential roles in increasing the resistance level of grafting pepper to P. capsici., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The selective synthesis of energetically less favorable ring-shaped nanostructures by liquid phase synthetic chemistry is a huge challenge. Herein, we report a precise synthesis of carbon nanorings with a well-defined morphology and tunable thickness based on asymmetric intramicellar phase-transition-induced tip-to-tip assembly via mixing hydrophobic long-chain octadecanol and block copolymer F127. This orientational self-assembly depends on the hydrophobicity difference of the intermediate's surface, which triggers directional interactions that surpass the entropy cost of undesired connections and help assemble intermediates into defined ringlike structures. Based on a ringlike template, carbon nanorings with adjustable sizes can be attained by changing synthetic variables. More importantly, diverse units including crescentlike, podlike, and garlandlike nanostructures can also be created through controlling the kinetics of the self-assembly process. This discovery lays a solid foundation for the challenging construction of such a precise configuration on the nanoscale, which would not only promote fundamental studies but also pave the way for the development of advanced nanodevices with unique properties., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Objective: This study aimed to compare the mental health and psychological responses in Wuhan, a severely affected area, and other areas of China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic., Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on February 10-20, 2020. A set of online questionnaires was used to measure mental health and responses. A total of 1397 participants from Wuhan (age, 36.4 ± 10.7 years; male, 36.1%) and 2794 age- and sex-matched participants from other areas of China (age, 35.9 ± 9.9 years; male, 39.0%) were recruited., Results: Compared with their counterparts, participants from Wuhan had a significantly higher prevalence of any mental health problems (46.6% versus 32.2%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.65-2.17), anxiety (15.2% versus 6.2%; adjusted OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 2.14-3.29), depression (18.3% versus 9.7%; adjusted OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.74-2.54), suicidal ideation (10.5% versus 7.1%; adjusted OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.28-2.02), and insomnia (38.6% versus 27.6%; adjusted OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.48-1.96). Participants from Wuhan had a slightly higher rate of help-seeking behavior (7.1% versus 4.2%; adjusted OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.12-2.77) but similar rate of treatment (3.5% versus 2.7%; adjusted OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.68-2.24) for mental problems than did their counterparts. In addition, compared with their counterparts, participants from Wuhan gave higher proportions of responses regarding "fearful" (52% versus 36%, p < .001), "discrimination against COVID-19 cases" (64% versus 58%, p = .006), "strictly comply with preventive behaviors" (98.7% versus 96%, p = .003), and "fewer living and medical supplies" (<2 weeks: 62% versus 57%, p = .015)., Conclusions: The COVID-19 epidemic has raised enormous challenges regarding public mental health and psychological responses, especially in the highly affected Wuhan area. The present findings provide important information for developing appropriate strategies for the prevention and management of mental health problems during COVID-19 and other epidemics., (Copyright © 2020 by the American Psychosomatic Society.)

The 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), previously known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, is predominately localized to the outer mitochondrial membrane in steroidogenic cells. Brain TSPO expression is relatively low under physiological conditions, but is upregulated in response to glial cell activation. As the primary index of neuroinflammation, TSPO is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), major depressive disorder (MDD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this context, numerous TSPO-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) tracers have been developed. Among them, several radioligands have advanced to clinical research studies. In this review, we will overview the recent development of TSPO PET tracers, focusing on the radioligand design, radioisotope labeling, pharmacokinetics, and PET imaging evaluation. Additionally, we will consider current limitations, as well as translational potential for future application of TSPO radiopharmaceuticals. This review aims to not only present the challenges in current TSPO PET imaging, but to also provide a new perspective on TSPO targeted PET tracer discovery efforts. Addressing these challenges will facilitate the translation of TSPO in clinical studies of neuroinflammation associated with central nervous system diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2021 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in a wide range of biological functions and comprises cannabinoid receptors and enzymes responsible for endocannabinoid synthesis and degradation. Over the past 2 decades, significant advances toward developing drugs and positron emission tomography (PET) tracers targeting different components of the ECS have been made. Herein, we summarized the recent development of PET tracers for imaging cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1R) and 2 (CB2R) as well as the key enzymes monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), particularly focusing on PET neuroimaging applications. State-of-the-art PET tracers for the ECS will be reviewed including their chemical design, pharmacological properties, radiolabeling, as well as preclinical and human PET imaging. In addition, this review addresses the current challenges for ECS PET biomarker development and highlights the important role of PET ligands to study disease pathophysiology as well as to facilitate drug discovery.

Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is an important fruit crop and harbors many highly diverse traits of potential economic importance. Fruit size, stone size, and fruit cracking have an important influence on the commercial value of jujube. This study is the first to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on 180 accessions of jujube and focuses on locating single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with nine important fruit quality traits. Genotyping was performed using genotyping-by-sequencing and 4651 high-quality SNPs were identified. A genetic diversity analysis revealed the presence of three distinct groups, and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay was observed in this jujube population. Using a mixed linear model, a total of 45 significant SNP-trait associations were detected, among which 33 SNPs had associations with fruit size-related traits, nine were associated with stone size-related traits, and three with fruit cracking-related traits. In total, 21 candidate genes involved in cell expansion, abiotic stress responses, hormone signaling, and growth development were identified from the genome sequences of jujube. These results are useful as basic data for GWAS of other jujube traits, and these significant SNP loci and candidate genes should aid marker-assisted breeding and genomic selection of improved jujube cultivars., (© 2020 The Authors. The Plant Genome published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Crop Science Society of America.)

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) exerts its main function in the catabolism of the endogenous chemical messenger anandamide (AEA), thus modulating the endocannabinoid (eCB) pathway. Inhibition of FAAH may serve as an effective strategy to relieve anxiety and possibly other central nervous system (CNS)-related disorders. Positron emission tomography (PET) would facilitate us to better understand the relationship between FAAH in certain disease conditions, and accelerate clinical translation of FAAH inhibitors by providing in vivo quantitative information. So far, most PET tracers show irreversible binding patterns with FAAH, which would result in complicated quantitative processes. Herein, we have identified a new FAAH inhibitor (1-((1-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl)piperidin-4-yl)(oxazol-2-yl)methanone (8) which inhibits the hydrolysis of AEA in the brain with high potency (IC 50 value 11 nM at a substrate concentration of 0.5 µM), and without showing time-dependency. The PET tracer [ 11 C]8 (also called [ 11 C]FAAH-1906) was successfully radiolabeled with [ 11 C]MeI in 17 ± 6% decay-corrected radiochemical yield (n = 7) with >74.0 GBq/μmol (2 Ci/μmol) molar activity and >99% radiochemical purity. Ex vivo biodistribution and blocking studies of [ 11 C]8 in normal mice were also conducted, indicating good brain penetration, high brain target selectivity, and modest to excellent target selectivity in peripheral tissues. Thus, [ 11 C]8 is a potentially useful PET ligand with enzyme inhibitory and target binding properties consistent with a reversible mode of action., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Surface Pb-rich lead halide (CsPbCl3) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with high stability and monodispersity in water have been synthesized using a general and convenient liquid-solid interpenetration (LSI) method. In this process, water molecules permeate into the solid CsPbCl3 NC layers and slowly dissolve the Cs+ and Cl- ions on the surface of CsPbCl3 NCs. The Cs+ and Cl- ions in water inhibit the decomposition rate of CsPbCl3 NCs, inducing surface Pb-rich layers. The surface Pb-rich structure increases the photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes and improves the photocatalytic performances of lead halide perovskite NCs. Under simulated solar irradiation, the largest rate of CO2 photoreduction from surface Pb-rich Ni-doped CsPbCl3 NCs reaches up to 169.37 μmol g-1 h-1. This study provides an effective general strategy to design stable lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) for their wide applications.

We report a group of complexes used in clinical immunoassays. The complexes include a PAMAM-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG and a QDs-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG. When rabbit anti-antigen and mouse anti-antigen are added, the corresponding antigen will be detected. The experiment, using the complexes, is simple, convenient, short in time, and short in steps. It is also applicable to different experiment methods, like to be used with FCM (flow cytometry), ICC (immunocytochemistry), and IHC (immunohistochemistry) to detect many kinds of antigens.

Background: siRNA-mediated polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) silencing has been proposed as a promising therapeutic method for multiple cancers. However, the clinic application of this method is still hindered by the low specific delivery of siPLK1 to desired tumor lesions. Herein, folate (FA)-modified and leucine-bearing polyethylenimine was successfully synthesized and showed excellent targeted silencing to folate receptor overexpressed cells., Materials and Methods: The condensation of siPLK1 by FA-N-Ac-L-Leu-PEI (NPF) was detected by the gel retardation assay. The targeted and silencing efficiency was evaluated by flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscope. The PLK1 expressions at gene or protein levels were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting assay. Further impacts of the PLK1 silencing on cell viability, cell cycle, migration, and invasion were studied by MTT, colony formation, wound healing and transwell assays., Results: The NPF and siPLK1 could efficiently assemble to stable nanoparticles at a weight ratio of 3.0 and showed excellent condensation and protection effect. Owing to the FA-mediated targeted delivery, the uptake and silencing efficiency of NPF/siPLK1 to SGC-7901 cells was higher than that without FA modification. Moreover, NPF-mediated PLK1 silencing showed significant antitumor activity in vitro. The anti-proliferation effect of PLK1 silencing was induced via the mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis pathway with the cell cycle arrest of 45% at G2 phase and the apoptotic ratio of 28.3%., Conclusion: FA-N-Ac-L-Leu-PEI (NPF) could generate targeted delivery siPLK1 to FA receptor overexpressed cells and dramatically downregulate the expression of PLK1 expression., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2020 Hou et al.)

Exercise training mitigates cardiac pathological remodeling and dysfunction caused by myocardial infarction (MI), but its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Our present study in an in vivo rat model of MI determined the impact of post-MI exercise training on myocardial fibrosis, mitochondrial biogenesis, antioxidant capacity, and ventricular function. Adult male rats were randomized into: (a) Sedentary control group; (b) 4-week treadmill exercise training group; (c) Sham surgery group; (d) MI group with permanent ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery and kept sedentary during post-MI period; and (e) post-MI 4-week exercise training group. Results indicated that exercise training significantly improved post-MI left ventricular function and reduced markers of cardiac fibrosis. Exercise training also significantly attenuated MI-induced mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress, which were associated with enhanced antioxidant enzyme expression and/or activity and total antioxidant capacity in the heart. Interestingly, the adaptive activation of the SIRT1/PGC-1α/PI3K/Akt signaling following MI was further enhanced by post-MI exercise training, which is likely responsible for exercise-induced cardioprotection and mitochondrial biogenesis. In conclusion, this study has provided novel evidence on the activation of SIRT1/PGC-1α/PI3K/Akt pathway, which may mediate exercise-induced cardioprotection through reduction of cardiac fibrosis and oxidative stress, as well as improvement of mitochondrial integrity and biogenesis in post-MI myocardium., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Main conclusion 30 expansin genes were identified in the jujube genome. Phylogenetic analysis classified expansins into 17 subgroups. Closely related expansins share a conserved gene structure. ZjEXPs had different expression patterns in different tissues. Plant-specific expansins were first discovered as pH-dependent cell-wall-loosening proteins involved in diverse physiological processes. No comprehensive analysis of the expansin gene family has yet been carried out at the whole genome level in Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). In this study, 30 expansin genes were identified in the jujube genome. These genes, which were distributed with varying densities across 10 of the 12 jujube chromosomes, could be divided into four subfamilies: 19 ZjEXPAs, 3 ZjEXPBs, 1 ZjEXLA, and 7 ZjEXLBs. Phylogenetic analysis of expansin genes in Arabidopsis, rice, apple, grape, and jujube classified these genes into 17 subgroups. Members of the same subfamily and subgroup shared conserved gene structure and motif compositions. Homology analysis identified 20 homologous gene pairs between jujube and Arabidopsis. Further analysis of ZjEXP gene promoter regions uncovered various growth, development and stress-responsive cis-acting elements. Expression analysis and transcript profiling revealed that ZjEXPs had different expression patterns in different tissues at various developmental stages. ZjEXPA4 and ZjEXPA6 were highly expressed in young fruits, ZjEXPA3 and ZjEXPA5 were significantly expressed in flowers, and ZjEXPA7 was specifically expressed in young leaves. The results of this study, the first systematic analysis of the jujube expansin gene family, can serve as a strong foundation for further elucidation of the physiological functions and biological roles of jujube expansin genes.

Many features are shared between esophageal cancer (EC) and gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to explore whether known EC susceptibility loci are also important in the development of GC. A total of 21 genetic variants associated with EC in genome-wide association studies were evaluated with association of GC risk in 2631 cases and 4373 controls of Chinese ancestry. Single variant and weighted genetic scores (WGS) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), and overall EC were analyzed with GC risk, respectively. Genetic variants of rs2274223 in PLCE1 at 10q23.33 (per G allele: odds ratio (OR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-1.38, P = 6.51 × 10 -8 ), rs10052657 in PDE4D at 5q11.2 (per C allele: OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.01-1.25, P = 3.28 × 10 -2 ) and rs671 in ALDH2 at 12q24.12 (per A-allele: OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.75-0.91, P = 1.14 × 10 -4 ) were significantly associated with GC risk. The combined effect of those three variants had stronger influence on GC risk (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.19-1.44, P = 2.34 × 10 -8 ). High WGS of ESCC was also associated with increased risk of GC (P = 5.52 × 10 -4 as a continuous variable) (trend test P = 2.71 × 10 -4 ), whereas no statistically significant associations were observed between the WGS of EAC and GC risk (P = 0.66 as a continuous variable) (trend test P = 0.70). ESCC rather than EAC may share genetic susceptibility with GC. Genetic variants at 10q23.33, 5q11.2, and 12q24.12 may be useful as biomarkers to identify individuals with high risk for both ESCC and GC.

Glutamate is one of the major excitatory neurotransmitters of the CNS and is essential for numerous key neuronal functions. However, excess glutamate causes massive neuronal death and brain damage owing to excitotoxicity via the glutamate receptors. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) is one of the glutamate receptors and represents a promising target for studying neuroprotective agents of potential application in neurodegenerative diseases. Pu-erh tea, a fermented tea, mainly produced in Yunnan province, China, has beneficial effects, including the accommodation of the CNS. In this study, pu-erh tea markedly decreased the transcription and translation of mGluR5 compared to those by black and green teas. Pu-erh tea also inhibited the expression of Homer, one of the synaptic scaffolding proteins binding to mGluR5. Pu-erh tea protected neural cells from necrosis via blocked Ca 2+ influx and inhibited protein kinase C (PKC) activation induced by excess glutamate. Pu-erh tea relieved rat epilepsy induced by LiCl-pilocarpine in behavioural and physiological assays. Pu-erh tea also decreased the expression of mGluR5 in the hippocampus. These results show that the inhibition of mGluR5 plays a role in protecting neural cells from glutamate. The results also indicate that pu-erh tea contains biological compounds binding transcription factors and inhibiting the expression of mGluR5 and identify pu-erh tea as a novel natural neuroprotective agent.

The prognostic value of phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is controversial. We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of PIK3CA mutation in patients with ESCC. EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched from inception through Oct. 3, 2016. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using a random effects model for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Seven studies enrolling 1505 patients were eligible for inclusion of the current meta-analysis. Results revealed that PIK3CA mutation was not significantly associated with OS (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.63-1.30, P=0.591), with a significant heterogeneity (I 2 =65.7%, P=0.012). Additionally, subgroup analyses were further conducted according to various variables, such as types of specimen, the sample size, technique and statistical methodology. All results suggested that no significant relationship was found between PIK3CA mutation and OS in patients with ESCC. For DFS, there was no significant association between PIK3CA mutation and DFS in patients with ESCC (HR: 1.00, 95% CI=0.47-2.11, P=0.993, I 2 =73.7%). Publication bias was not present and the results of sensitivity analysis were very stable in the current meta-analysis. Our findings suggest that PIK3CA mutation has no significant effects on OS and DFS in ESCC patients. More well-designed prospective studies with better methodology for PIK3CA assessment are required to clarify the prognostic significance of PIK3CA mutation in ESCC patients.

Chinese jujube ( Ziziphus jujuba Mill) is an economically important fruit species native to China with high nutritious and medicinal value. Genotyping-by-sequencing was used to detect and genotype single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a core collection of 150 Chinese jujube accessions and further to characterize their genetic diversity, population structure, and linkage disequilibrium (LD). A total of 4,680 high-quality SNPs were identified, of which 38 sets of tri-allelic SNPs were detected. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) values based on bi-allelic SNPs and tri-allelic SNPs were 0.27 and 0.38, respectively. STRUCTURE and principal coordinate analyses based on SNPs revealed that the 150 accessions could be clustered into two groups. However, neighbor-joining trees indicated the accessions should be grouped into three major clusters. Our data confirm that the resolving power for genetic diversity was similar for the SSRs and SNPs. In contrast, regarding population structure, the resolving power was higher for SSRs than for SNPs. The LD pattern in Chinese jujube was investigated for the first time. We observed a relatively rapid LD decay with a short range (∼10 kb) for all pseudo-chromosomes and for individual pseudo-chromosomes. Our findings provide important information for future genome-wide association analyses and marker-assisted selective breeding of Chinese jujube.

Objectives: To optimize the cultivation media for the growth rate of Haematococcus pluvialis and to study the transcription regulation of the algal nitrate reductase (NR), a key enzyme for nitrogen metabolism., Results: The NR gene from H. pluvialis hd7 consists of 5636 nucleotides, including 14 introns. The cDNA ORF is 2718 bp, encoding a 905 aa protein with three conserved domains. The NR amino acids of H. pluvialis hd7 are hydrophilic and have similarity of 72% compared to that of Dunaliella. NR transcription increased with an increase of nitrate concentration from 0.4 to 1 g/l. A deficiency of nitrogen increased NR transcription significantly. The transcription level of NR increased at phosphorus concentrations from 0.08 to 0.2 g/l, with a maximum at 0.08 g/l. The optimum parameters of medium component for transcription of NR and growth of H. pluvialis were 0.3 g NaNO 3 /l, 0.045 g KH 2 PO 4 /l and 1.08 g sodium acetate/l., Conclusions: This study provides a better understanding of nitrate regulation in H. pluvialis.

Single particle aerosol mass spectrometry (SPAMS) was deployed to continuously observe the aerosol particles of Beijing urban area from 2013-12 to 2014-11, and the hourly average data of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium (SNA) were obtained using the characteristic ion tracer method. The mixing state and size distribution of SNA were analyzed. In addition, based on Hysplit 48 h back air mass trajectory results in combination with Concentration Weighted Trajectory method (CWT), we obtained the seasonal potential source contribution area of SNA. The results showed that the mixture of sulfate, nitrate and ammonium in spring and summer was more stable than that in autumn and winter. The size distribution of sulfate and nitrate was very similar. The size distribution characteristics of SNA followed the order of autumn > summer > spring > winter. The potential source region of SNA had similar spatial distribution characteristics, and the potential source region of SNA was mainly located in Beijing and south areas, especially at Tianjin, Langfang, Hengshui, Baoding and Shijiazhuang.

Recurrent oral ulcer seriously threatens patients' daily life and health. This study investigated potential genes and pathways that participate in the pathogenesis of recurrent oral ulcer by high throughput bioinformatic analysis. RT-PCR and Western blot were applied to further verify screened interleukins effect. Recurrent oral ulcer related genes were collected from websites and papers, and further found out from Human Genome 280 6.0 microarray data. Each pathway of recurrent oral ulcer related genes were got through chip hybridization. RT-PCR was applied to test four recurrent oral ulcer related genes to verify the microarray data. Data transformation, scatter plot, clustering analysis, and expression pattern analysis were used to analyze recurrent oral ulcer related gene expression changes. Recurrent oral ulcer gene microarray was successfully established. Microarray showed that 551 genes involved in recurrent oral ulcer activity and 196 genes were recurrent oral ulcer related genes. Of them, 76 genes up-regulated, 62 genes down-regulated, and 58 genes up-/down-regulated. Total expression level up-regulated 752 times (60%) and down-regulated 485 times (40%). IL-2 plays an important role in the occurrence, development and recurrence of recurrent oral ulcer on the mRNA and protein levels. Gene microarray can be used to analyze potential genes and pathways in recurrent oral ulcer. IL-2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent oral ulcer.

Published data has shown inconsistent findings about the association of survivin -31 G/C polymorphism with the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). This meta-analysis quantitatively assesses the results from published studies to provide a more precise estimate of the association between survivin -31 G/C polymorphism as a possible predictor of the risk of CRC. We conducted a literature search in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. Stata 12 software was used to calculate the pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) based on the available data from each article. Six studies including 1840 cases with CRC and 1804 controls were included in this study. Survivin -31 G/C polymorphism was associated with a significantly increased risk of CRC (OR = 1.78; 95% CI, 1.53-2.07; I(2) = 0%). In the race subgroup analysis, both Asians (OR = 1.72; 95% CI, 1.44-2.05; I(2) = 0%) and Caucasians (OR = 1.93; 95% CI, 1.46-2.55; I(2) = 0%) with survivin -31 G/C polymorphism had increased CRC risk. In the subgroup analysis according to site of CRC, survivin -31 G/C polymorphism was not associated with colon cancer risk (OR = 2.02; 95% CI, 0.79-5.22; I(2) = 82%). However, this polymorphism was significantly associated with rectum cancer risk (OR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.42-2.74; I(2) = 0%). In the subgroup analysis by clinical stage, both early stage (I+II) and advanced stage (III+IV) were associated with survivin -31 G/C polymorphism (OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.20-2.16; I(2) = 0% and OR = 2.30; 95% CI, 1.70-3.13; I(2) = 0%, respectively). In the subgroup analysis by smoke status, both smokers and non-smokers with survivin -31 G/C polymorphism showed increased CRC risk (OR = 1.47; 95% CI, 1.01-2.13; I(2) = 60% and OR = 1.71; 95% CI, 1.28-2.30; I(2) = 0%, respectively). In the subgroup analysis by drink status, both drinkers and non-drinkers with survivin -31 G/C polymorphism showed increased CRC risk (OR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.06-2.37; I(2) = 8% and OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.23-2.11; I(2) = 0%, respectively). In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggested that survivin -31 G/C polymorphism may be associated with the risk of CRC.

Totally 56 kinds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ambient air of Ji'nan City in summer 2010 were monitored by online GC to analyze their pollution characteristics and their relationship with weather conditions. The results showed that the majority of VOCs in ambient air in Ji'nan were alkanes, aromatics and olefins, accounting for 98.2% of the 56 kinds of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) detected. The concentrations of VOCs remained stable in June and July, and were significantly higher in mid and late August, and the quality percentages of the VOCs components showed some variations with changes in temperature. In sunny days, the diurnal variation curve of VOCs concentration had a bimodal characteristic, with the two peaks appearing in the rush hours with heavy traffic. There were no obvious bimodal distribution in rainy days and the concentrations were higher. The concentration of VOCs in ambient air in summer showed negative correlation with the wind speed and hours of sunshine, when the atmospheric stability was high, the pollutants were difficult to diffuse, which lead to increasing concentration of VOCs. The main sources of VOCs in Ji'nan are industrial emissions, motor vehicle emissions, the evaporation and leakage of gasoline, etc.

Objective: To observe the effect of small interference RNA (Stealth RNAiTM siRNA) of RhoA on the inflammatory response and fibrosis in human mesangial cell (HMC) and explore the role of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway in the process of diabetic nephropathy., Methods: Synchronized HMC were divided into several groups. Lipofectamine(TM)2000 was employed to transfect RhoA-siRNA and RhoA-negative siRNA into the above cells. RhoA-siRNA could inhibit the expression of RhoA. The expressions of RhoA, ROCK-I, fibronectin (FN), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were detected by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay)., Results: (1) The expressions of RhoA, ROCK-I and CTGF mRNA were inhibited by RhoA siRNA transfection in high glucose-induced HMC. The expression of each mRNA was reduced 26% - 60% as compared with the high glucose-induced group (P < 0.05); (2) After RhoA siRNA transfection and culturing with high glucose for 48 h, FN, the secretions of CTGF and TNF-α significantly declined [FN: (1.99 ± 0.04) mg/L vs. (4.31 ± 0.13) mg/L, CTGF:(4.98 ± 0.17) mg/L vs. (6.06 ± 0.09) mg/L; TNF-α: (61.17 ± 2.59) ng/L vs.(91.76 ± 2.27) ng/L, all P < 0.05]. The levels of FN and CTGF almost decreased to those of normal glucose-induced HMC., Conclusion: The levels of FN, CTGF and TNF-α in high glucose-induced HMC may be lowered by inhibiting RhoA through RNA interference and reducing the accumulation of extracellular matrix, glomerular fibrosis and inflammation. Thus it provides a new intervention target for the prevention of diabetic nephropathy.

The PtDrl02 gene belongs to the TIR-NBS gene family in triploid white poplar (Populus tomentosa x P. bolleana) x P. tomentosa. Its expression pattern displays tissue-specificity, and the transcript level can be induced by wounding, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and salicylic acid (SA). To understand the regulatory mechanism controlling PtDrl02 gene expression, we functionally characterized the PtDrl02 promoter region. Using the beta-glucuronidase as a reporter, we found that the PtDrl02 promoter directed gene expression mainly in the aerial parts of the plants and was confined to the cortex tissues of leaf veins, petioles, stems, and stem piths, showing a typical tissue-specific expression pattern. Deletion analysis revealed two positive regulatory regions (-985 to -669 and -669 to -467) responsible for the basal activity of the PtDrl02 promoter. Impressively, the sequence from -669 to -467 was shown to contain cis-element (s) responding to wounding and MeJA, while the promoter region between -244 and 0 could individually display wounding-responsiveness, and the fragment from -467 to -244 was required for SA- and NaCl-inducible expression of the PtDrl02 promoter. Additionally, it was found that the -985 to -669 sequence was the ABA-responding promoter fragment. These results suggested that the PtDrl02 promoter was modulated by multiple cis-regulatory elements in distinct and complex patterns to regulate PtDrl02 gene expression. Our study also suggested that the PtDrl02 gene 5' untranslated region, as well as a Populus WRKY transcription factor, PtWRKY1, was involved in the regulation of PtDrl02 promoter activities.

Based on the observational data of near surface O3, NO, NO2, CO and meteorological factors in the urban area of Ji'nan during summer 2003, the 03 concentrations and their temporal variation characteristics were studied. The correlation between O3 and its precursors (NO, NO2, CO) and related meteorological factors (solar radiation, temperature) was analyzed. The results show that O3 pollution during summer was very serious in Ji'nan, and the levels of O3, NO, NO2, NOx and CO were quite high during the observational period. O3 concentrations were well negatively correlated with NO, NO2, NO, and CO during day time. As to the meteorological factors, O3 concentrations correlated well with solar radiations, but showed no obvious correlation with the temperatures. Consequently, based on the above data and results, a regression equation that relates ozone concentrations observed in the day time to its precursors and solar radiation was constructed. The results show that the calculated values were in good agreement with the observed values.

We use molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to evaluate the energy loss of a charged projectile moving parallel to a two-dimensional strongly coupled dusty plasma and compare the results with those obtained from the quasilocalized charge approximation (QLCA) and the Vlasov-random phase approximation. Good agreement is found between the QLCA and MD results when the projectile-dust coupling is weak. In the opposite regime, nonlinear effects in the dust-layer response render the QLCA model increasingly inadequate for calculating the energy losses at low projectile speeds.

We present a theoretical model for studying the interactions of charged particles with two-dimensional strongly coupled dusty plasmas, based on the quasilocalized charge approximation in which the static pair distribution function of a dust layer is determined from a molecular dynamics simulation. General expressions are derived for the perturbed dust-layer density, the induced potential in plasma, and the energy loss of a charged particle moving parallel to the dust layer. Numerical results show that the structure of Mach cones, excited in the dust layer by the charged particle, strongly depends on the plasma parameters such as the coupling parameter, the screening parameter, and the discharge pressure, as well as on the particle speed. In addition, it is found that the energy dissipation suffered by slow charged particles can be significantly enhanced in strongly coupled dusty plasmas when compared to the dissipation in weakly coupled plasmas.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and coronary heart disease (CHD) death and to explore the protective effect of HDL against CHD in the elderly Chinese., Methods: Started from 1986, 1211 retirees (92% males) were enrolled consecutively and studied prospectively. The average starting age was 70 +/- 9 years, and that at the end of the study was 80 +/- 9 years. During the follow-up study, all the participants received yearly physical examination and blood chemistry survey from 1986 - 2000. The average duration of the follow up study was 11.2 years. The end point of this study was either attacks of AMI or death due to CHD and other causes. CHD risk factors were screened by logistic regression analysis. According to their HDL-C levels, cases were divided into low (< 1.03 mmol/L), medium (or normal, 1.03 - 1.56 mmol/L) and high (> 1.56 mmol/L) level groups, the differences in incidence of AMI and CHD death in each group were analyzed., Results: The cumulative attacks of acute coronary syndrome (mostly AMI) were 214 cases, including 89 cases of coronary death and 308 death caused by other diseases during the follow up study. AMI occurrence and CHD death in normal HDL-C group were lower than those in the low HDL-C group by 40% and 53%; and those in the high HDL-C group were lower than in the normal group by 56% and 50%, respectively. Statistical analysis on normal lipid cases (411 cases, total cholesterol < 5.17 mmol/L, triglyceride < 1.69 mmol/L) revealed that the cases at low HDL-C level had similar rates of AMI events and CHD mortality as those of the entire group (including hyperlipidemia); however, AMI attacks and CHD deaths decreased significantly at the normal and high HDL-C levels. The results demonstrated that the protective effect of HDL against coronary artery disease is more prominent in people with low lipid level., Conclusion: Low HDL is an important independent risk factor for AMI attacks and CHD death in the elderly; high HDL has significant protective effect against coronary artery disease.

Background: It is still controversial whether or not the correlation between lipid abnormality and coronary heart disease (CHD) becomes weaker in the elderly, and whether patients above 80 years old still benefit from lipid management for the secondary prevention of CHD. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlation between hyperlipidemia and the risk of CHD events in the elderly, and to determine if it is appropriate to use lipid-lowering drugs in those aged above 80, as prescribed by the recommended guidelines for lipid management., Methods: One thousand two hundred and eleven retirees, mainly males (92%), aged 70 +/- 9 years, were enrolled in this study. Lifestyle habits and medical history were recorded via questionnaires. During the period 1986 - 2000, all subjects participated in an annual physical examination with a blood chemistry survey. The mean follow-up period was 11.2 years. Subjects with incidental illnesses, especially cardiovascular diseases, were diagnosed or treated promptly. Serum lipid parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), low and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C and HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG) levels were analyzed according to standardization of lipid and lipoprotein measurements. The association between lipid levels and the prevalence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or coronary death was analyzed statistically., Results: Lipid abnormalities occurred in 2/3 of the 1211 subjects. The most common lipid disorder was high TC and high LDL-C, which was much more prevalent than high TG. Among the subjects, 51.6% had TC levels above 5.2 mmol/L. Mean TC and LDL-C reached peak levels in the 65 - 74 age group without significant decrease until ages over 90. The cumulative total number of deaths due to various causes was 397 in the 15-year follow-up period, with the mortality rate in the high lipid group slightly lower than that in the normal lipid group (30.6% vs 35.3%), although the difference was not significant (P = 0.1931). However, there were more cases of coronary death in the high lipid group than in the normal lipid group (7.9% vs 4.6%, P = 0.0045). When examining AMI survivors, more AMI cases were found in the high lipid group than in the low lipid group (20.9% vs 11.4%, P < 0.0001). The cumulative number of coronary deaths was 89 (with 88 cases above age 70), and the total number of CHD cases was 214 (17.7% of the whole group). Logistic regression analysis reveals that age, hypertension, LDL-C, and HDL-C are important risk factors for CHD. Lifestyle changes were common, but only 45% of the hyperlipidemic cases received drug treatment. Statins were commonly used only in recent years., Conclusion: The above results show that high TC and LDL-C levels are correlated with a high CHD risk even in people over 80. For elderly patients with clinical CHD and an aggregation of CHD risk factors, cholesterol-lowering therapy might be considered if the general health of the patient makes this permissible.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) events and coronary heart disease (CHD) death, and to explore the protective effect of high level HDL against CHD in the elderly Chinese., Method: A prospective study was done upon 1211 retired cadres, 92% of which were males, enrolled in succession since 1986, aged 70 +/- 9 on average when being enrolled and aged 80 +/- 9 on average by the end of the study. During a follow up study with an average duration of 11.2 years, till the year 2000 or a specific subject died of CHD or other disease, all the participants received yearly physical examination and blood chemistry survey. CHD risk factors were screened by logistic regression analysis. According to their HDL-C levels, the subjects were divided into 3 groups: low HDL-C (< 1.03 mmol/L), medium HDL-C (1.03 - 1.56 mmol/L), and high HDL-C (> 1.56 mmol/L) groups. The differences in AMI event and CHD death in each group were analyzed., Results: 411 of the subjects were with normal blood lipid (normal blood lipid group, total cholesterol < 5.17 mmol/L, triglyceride < 1.69 mmol/L), 338 subjects were basically healthy (basically healthy group), and 214 subjects developed CHD during the follow-up (CHD group). 23.2% of the subjects could be included in the low HDL-C group, 68.7% in the medium HDL-C group, and 68.5% in the high HDL-C group. The low HDL-C rate was 16.9% in the basically healthy group and 35.0% in the CHD group (P = 0.000165). The high HDL-C rate was 12.4% in the basically healthy group and 3.3% in the CHD group (P = 0.000645). During the follow up study, 214 cumulative attacks of acute coronary syndrome (mostly AMI) were recorded with 89 deaths. 308 cases died of other diseases. The AMI event rate and CHD death rate in the normal HDL-C group were lower than those in the low HDL-C group by 40% and 53% respectively. The AMI event rate and CHD death rate in the high HDL-C group were lower than those in the normal HDL-C group by 56% and 50% respectively. In the normal lipid group, AMI event rate and CHD mortality in the individuals with low HDL-C level were lower than those in the individuals with medium HDL-C level by 79% and 77% respectively (both P < 0.0001). The number of individuals with high HDL-C level was low, however, no CHD death occurred among these subjects., Conclusion: Low HDL is an important independent risk factor of AMI attacks and CHD death in the elderly. High HDL protects effectively against coronary artery disease. High TC level weakens the protective effect of HDL-C.