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Hui-Feng Zhu,1,* Yali Shao,1,* Lei Qin,1,* Jing-Huan Wang,1 Shan Feng,1 Yun-Bin Jiang,1 Dong Wan2 1Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hui-Feng ZhuDepartment of Pharmacy, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chinese Medicine, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zhfbswu@swu.edu.cnDong WanDepartment of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-23-68251225Email wandongcqykdx@126.comBackground: The role of catalpol in brain neurogenesis and newborn neuron survival has not been previously determined in permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO).Methods: Fifty-four rats were divided into 6 groups: pMCAO (model, n=9); sham operation (NS, n=9); catalpol treatment (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg subgroups, n=9 each); K252a (n=9); and K252a+catalpol 5 mg/kg (n=9) with stroke. The effects of catalpol on behavior, neurogenesis surrounding the infarction ipsilateral to pMCAO, and the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor (TrkB) were evaluated. Vehicle or, K252a (i.p.), an inhibitor of TrkB phosphorylase.Results: Repeated administration of catalpol reduced neurological deficits and significantly improved neurogenesis. Catalpol increased the number of newborn immature neurons, as determined by BrdU+-Nestin+ and BrdU+-Tuj-1+ staining, and downregulated cleaved caspase 3 in Tuj-1+ cells at day 7 following stroke. Moreover, catalpol increased the protein expression of Tuj-1, MAP2, and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, as determined using Western blot. Catalpol also significantly increased brain levels of BDNF, but not TrkB, resulting in enhanced survival of newborn neurons via inhibition of apoptosis.Conclusion: Catalpol may contribute to neurogenesis in infarcted brain regions and help promote the survival of newborn neurons by activating BDNF, but not BDNF/TrkB signaling.Keywords: catalpol, neurogenesis, permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion, pMCAO, brain derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, neurological function

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze non-coding RNA sequencing results, screen differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and predict lncRNA target genes. It further clarifies the potential functions of lncRNAs, thus exploring potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for stroke. METHODS: LncRNA sequencing data of blood samples from stroke patients and healthy subjects (GSE102541 and GSE140275) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. This study used R software and related R packages to conduct a batch correction and differential analysis of sequencing results. It also screened differentially expressed lncRNAs and visualized the correlations between significantly different lncRNAs. Target genes of differential lncRNAs were predicted by the StarBase database. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis of related target genes was performed using the DAVID database. Principal component analysis was performed based on the expression levels of lncRNAs with the most significant differences in stroke blood samples. RESULTS: A total of 239 differentially expressed lncRNAs were screened out in this study, of which 146 were upregulated and 93 were downregulated. According to |log2FC| values from highest to lowest, the top 10 lncRNAs with the most significant differences were selected. The upregulated lncRNAs were LINC02334, TARID, MRGPRF-AS1, CAI2, LINC00189, TUG1, and RNF5P1. The downregulated lncRNAs included AC005180.2, ADAMTS9-AS1, and AC036108.3. TARID was strongly correlated with MRGPRF-AS1. Meanwhile, LINC02334 was strongly correlated with TUG1. CAI2, LINC00189, and RNF5P1 were at the core of the correlation network and may therefore be the critical lncRNAs in stroke pathogenesis. GO functional enrichment results indicated that genes were significantly enriched in muscle contraction, RNA polymerase II promoter transcription regulation, muscle structure composition, focal adhesion, endothelial cell chemotaxis, actin, actin cytoskeleton, actin filament binding, blood lipid regulation, smooth muscle contraction regulation, skeletal muscle cell differentiation, and other functions. Principal component analysis showed that the 10 lncRNAs with significant differences could significantly distinguish stroke blood samples from healthy control blood samples, and could characterize the essential characteristics of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: LINC02334, TARID, MRGPRF-AS1, CAI2, LINC00189, TUG1, RNF5P1, AC005180.2, ADAMTS9-AS1, and AC036108.3 play an essential role in the pathogenesis of stroke, and may be potential therapeutic targets.

Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a traditional aromatic and medicinal plant in China. Here, the complete chloroplast genome of a wild-type gardenia adapted to island climate was assembled. The assembled genome was 155,247 bp in length, with four typical regions, i.e., a large single-copy (LSC) region (85,414 bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,235 bp) and two inverted repeats (IRs) regions (25,799 bp each). In total, 138 genes were predicted, including 90 protein-coding genes, 40 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. The overall GC content of the chloroplast genome was 37.5%. The chloroplast genome would provide more information for the phylogeography and phylogeny study of G. jasminoides.

In view of the high cost of back-filling mining in coal mine, the production capacity and filling capacity are not balanced, and the filling operation space is limited, the paper proposed roadway strip type filling mining technology, and discussed the principle of roadway strip filling mining technology, introduced the ventilation method, typical equipment matching, technical advantages, etc. And the paper further introduces the example of coal mining under buildings by using roadway strip filling mining technology in Cha hasu coal mine.

The recovery of four dominant plastics from electronic waste (e-waste) using mixed solvent extraction was studied. The target plastics included polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and styrene acrylonitrile (SAN). The extraction procedure for multi-polymers at room temperature yielded PC, PS, ABS, and SAN in acceptable recovery rates (64%, 86%, 127%, and 143%, respectively, where recovery rate is defined as the mass ratio of the recovered plastic to the added standard polymer). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to verify the recovered plastics' purity using a similarity analysis. The similarities ranged from 0.98 to 0.99. Another similar process, which was denoted as an alternative method for plastic recovery, was examined as well. Nonetheless, the FTIR results showed degradation may occur over time. Additionally, the recovery cost estimation model of our method was established. The recovery cost estimation indicated that a certain range of proportion of plastics in e-waste, especially with a higher proportion of PC and PS, can achieve a lower cost than virgin polymer product. It also reduced 99.6%, 30.7% and 75.8% of energy consumptions and CO2 emissions during the recovery of PC, PS and ABS, and reduced the amount of plastic waste disposal via landfill or incineration and associated environmental impacts.

Objective To identify and analyze the 50 most-cited gastroenterology and hepatology articles originating from mainland China. Methods We utilized the 2015 edition of Journal Citation Reports and PubMed to determine the 50 most-cited gastroenterology and hepatology articles from 75 professional journals and four leading journals in clinical medicine, which are The New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, The Journal of the American Medical Association, and The British Medical Journal. Then we excluded the articles written outside mainland China and collected the basic information, including the title, authors, year of publication, source journal, city, institution, number of citations, and topic of the research. Results The number of citations for the top 50 papers ranged from 279 to 89 (mean, 129). These articles were published between 2005 and 2012, in which 2009 was the year with the largest number of highly cited papers(13). All articles were published in 15 journals. The journal Hepatology published the largest number of articles(21), followed by Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology(4), Journal of Hepatology(4) and World Journal of Gastroenterology(4). The top 50 articles originated mainly from Shanghai(20), Guangzhou(13) and Beijing(6). Sun Yat-sen University produced most highly cited papers(10). The number of basic research was far more than clinical research, of which the ratio was about 1.78(32:18). In all these articles, hepatocellular carcinoma was the most-discussed topic(19), followed by hepatitis B virus(8) and endoscopic(5). Conclusions Although a large gap remains between mainland China and the global community, the gastroenterology and hepatology research from China is gradually recognized by the world.

Narcissus tazetta var. chinensis is an important economic perennial herb in China. In this study, the complete plastid genome was assembled from the next-generation sequencing data. The circular ge...

Objective: To study the effect of sufentanil combined with different concentration of ropivacaine for stepped analgesia on stage of labor, stress indexes and blood coagulation function. Methods: A total of 178 cases of full-term singleton primiparas who awaited delivery and received epidural labor analgesia in our hospital from January 2015 to June 2016 were selected and randomly divided into stepped analgesia group and routine analgesia group, and the stage of labor, levels of stress hormones and pain mediators during childbirth and blood coagulation function indexes after childbirth were observed between two groups. Results: The duration of latent phase of labor of stepped analgesia group was shorter than that of routine analgesia group while the duration of active phase of labor, the duration of second stage of labor and the duration of third stage of labor were not significantly different from those of routine analgesia group; serum PRL level of stepped analgesia group was significantly higher than that of routine analgesia group while PA, NE, E, DYN, β-EP, SP, PGE2, 5-HT, TF, TFPI, FPA, AT-III and DD levels were not significantly different from those of routine analgesia group. Conclusions: Sufentanil combined with different concentration of ropivacaine for stepped analgesia is with equivalent effect to routine analgesia, and can shorten the latent phase of labor and reduce the inhibitory effect of pain on prolactin without affecting the degree of stress during childbirth and the blood coagulation function after childbirth.

BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease targeting joints. This research aimed to explore the effects of Xinfeng capsules (XFC) on cardiac injury in adjuvant arthritis (AA) model rats and assessed the associated mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS An adjuvant arthritis (AA) rat model was established by intracutaneously injection with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). Model rats were divided into 4 groups: an AA model group, an astragalus polysaccharides (APS) group, a methotrexate (MTX) group, and an XFC and triptolide (TPT) group. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe histopathologic changes. TUNEL assay was utilized to evaluate the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. ELISA was utilized to evaluate levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 17 (IL-17), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in myocardial tissues. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect microRNA-21 (miRNA21) levels. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/p38, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and nuclear kappa B (NF-kappaB)/p65 levels were evaluated using Western blot. RESULTS XFC significantly improved proinflammatory response compared to the AA model group (p

Supplemental material, Reviewer_1_v.2 for Noninvasive ventilation failure in patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure: the role of sepsis and septic shock by Jun Duan, Lijuan Chen, Guopeng Liang, Weiwei Shu, Liucun Li, Ke Wang, Shengyu Wang, Xiaoyi Liu, Chunfeng He, Dehua He, Qimin Chen, Bilin Wei, Baixu Chen, Yuzhen Shu, Yao Tian, Liping Fan, Xiaoli Han, Rui Zhang, Xiangmei Yang, Yan Peng, Dong Wan, Xiaoying Chen, Lin Ye, Shijing Tian, Qiong Huang, Lei Jiang, Linfu Bai and Lintong Zhou in Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease

Supplemental material, Author_response_1 for Noninvasive ventilation failure in patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure: the role of sepsis and septic shock by Jun Duan, Lijuan Chen, Guopeng Liang, Weiwei Shu, Liucun Li, Ke Wang, Shengyu Wang, Xiaoyi Liu, Chunfeng He, Dehua He, Qimin Chen, Bilin Wei, Baixu Chen, Yuzhen Shu, Yao Tian, Liping Fan, Xiaoli Han, Rui Zhang, Xiangmei Yang, Yan Peng, Dong Wan, Xiaoying Chen, Lin Ye, Shijing Tian, Qiong Huang, Lei Jiang, Linfu Bai and Lintong Zhou in Therapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease

A fundamental feature of both early nervous system development and axon regeneration is the guidance of axonal projections to their targets in order to assemble neural circuits that control behavior. In the navigation process where the nerves grow toward their targets, the growth cones, which locate at the tips of axons, sense the environment surrounding them, including varies of attractive or repulsive molecular cues, then make directional decisions to adjust their navigation journey. The turning ability of a growth cone largely depends on its highly dynamic skeleton, where actin filaments and microtubules play a very important role in its motility. In this review, we summarize some possible mechanisms underlying growth cone motility, relevant molecular cues, and signaling pathways in axon guidance of previous studies and discuss some questions regarding directions for further studies.

Rationale: Acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) remains a life-threatening disease. We previously reported a case with ultrasound findings of a homogeneous hemopericardium and evidence highly indicative of hemorrhagic cardiac tamponade complicated by AAAD. Here, we report a similar case who presented with a more serious situation and for whom critical care ultrasound revealed fast blood clot formation within the hemopericardium. Presenting concerns: A 63-year-old man was admitted to our emergency department with a complaint of a tearing chest pain for 10 minutes. Asymmetric blood pressure was detected in the upper limbs and AAAD was highly suspected. An electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor was placed in a timely manner. However, during this procedure, he went into cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated. Diagnoses: Critical care ultrasound revealed hemorrhagic cardiac tamponade with blood clot formation surrounding the epicardium, strongly indicating the rupture of an ascending aortic root dissection. Interventions: Standard CPR continued for 30 minutes. Outcomes: Spontaneous cardiac rhythm was not restored and the patient died. Lessons: Critical care ultrasound is a useful tool for assessing emergency cardiac arrest. Ultrasound findings of fast clot formation within the hemopericardium may indicate faster bleeding due to the rupture of an AAAD and may predict poor clinical outcomes.

Multiple cropping systems are beneficial for grain yields. Monitoring the spatial and temporal variations in cropping systems is important for evaluating food production and making scientific decisions for agricultural development. Satellite-derived NDVI time series can describe crop metrics (e.g., seeding, jointing, and harvesting) and can be used to obtain cropping information. In this study, rather than statistical data, MODIS NDVI time-series data at a resolution of 250 m for 2000, 2005, and 2010 were used to extract the cropping index in Shandong province. A method combining the spline interpolation and HANTS algorithms was proposed to reconstruct high-quality NDVI time series. The results showed that the proposed method can compensate for the weaknesses of the individual algorithms and effectively reduce the noise in NDVI time series. The NDVI-derived cropping index using the proposed method showed a high degree of consistency with statistical data and field sample data. The errors in the cr...

Massive mafic sheets were recently recognized intruding the Neoproterozoic strata in Fuyang area, eastern Jiangnan orogen. Geochronological, geochemical, and isotopic studies were carried out to understand their mantle source, crust–mantle interaction, and tectonic setting. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon data indicate that the sheets were generated at 808 ± 7 Ma. The mafic sheets consist of two groups: high Ti and low Ti. They are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE; 3.3–5.3 ppm) and show negligible Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.77–1.12). They also have strong large-ion lithophile element (LILE; Sr, K, Rb, Ba) enrichment, moderately strong high-field-strength element (HFSE) enrichment (except for Nb-Ta depletion), and positive eNd(t) (5.1–9.1). Geochemical and isotopic data indicate that the mafic sheets were generated from a depleted asthenospheric mantle source. The high-Ti mafic sheets have higher HFSE contents and less Nb-Ta depletion than the low Ti series, indicating a lower degree of partial melting...