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A theoretical method for investigating the inter-relation between the electronic and the molecular structures of a 3d(5) ion in a tetragonal ligand-field has been established on the basis of a 252×252 complete energy matrix. By means of this method, the local lattice structures of Mn(2+) in two different tetragonal sites in Cs2NaLaCl6 elpasolite are determined by the experimental EPR spectra. The Mn(2+)-Cl(-) distances have been obtained as: R1=3.2803Å, R2=2.6495Å for (MnCl6)La cluster, and R1=3.4558Å, R2=2.5111Å for (MnCl6)Na cluster in the Cs2NaLaCl6:Mn(2+) system. And our results show R1>R2 for each cluster, which exhibits an elongation distortion relative to the regular octahedron. And the elongation magnitude of a tetragonal (MnCl6)Na cluster is larger than that of a (MnCl6)La cluster in the Cs2NaLaCl6:Mn(2+) system. Using this method, our calculation values of EPR parameters are well accordant with the experimental values., (Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the correlation between different Chinese medicine (CM) syndromes and variations in microcirculation in septic shock patients., Methods: seventy Septic shock patients were divided into four groups: heat damaging qi-yin group (HDQY, 23 cases); yin exhaustion and yang collapse group (YEYC, 26 cases); excessive heat in Fu organ group (EHFO, 10 cases); and heat damaging nutrient-blood group (HDNB, 11 cases). Sublingual microcirculation parameters were observed by sidestream dark-field (SDF) imaging and scored by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and parameters of microcirculation perfusion variations and prognoses were analyzed., Results: Compared with those with qi-yin heat damage, perfused vessel density (PVD) in other groups decreased dramatically (P<0.05), and APACHE II scores increased significantly (P<0.05). In addition, the recovery time was prolonged substantially (P<0.05), and the mixed venous oxygen saturation (SVO2) decreased (P<0.05). Blood lactic acid increased significantly (P<0.05), and the mixed SVO decreased (P<0.05), in the YEYC group. Compared with the thermal injury camp blood group, sublingual microcirculation parameter variations showed no obvious difference in the YEYC and EHFO groups (P>0.05). There were significant positive correlations between CM syndromes and APACHE II scoring in different groups (r=0.512, P<0.05). There were negative correlations between PVD and APACHE II scoring (r=-0.378, P=0.043), the proportion of perfused vessels (PPV) and APACHE II scoring (r=-0.472, P=0.008), as well as between the microvascular flow index (MFI) and APACHE II scoring (r=-0.424, P=0.023) in different patients., Conclusion: Sublingual microcirculation may serve as a clinical diagnostic parameter of the patient condition, as well as being a prognostic indicator.

By the method of pitfall trap sampling, an investigation was conducted on the carabid assemblage in four typical habitats (maize field, peanut field, orchard, and semi-natural woodland) in the agricultural landscape in Xitiange Village of Miyun County, Beijing. Among the four habitats, orchard had the highest alpha-diversity of carabid assemblage, followed by woodland and maize field, and peanut field had the lowest one. The species composition of the assemblage in woodland, peanut field, and orchard had evident difference, but was similar to that in maize field to some extent. The number of the individuals of predatory and omnivorous carabid sub-assemblages was larger in orchard, and the predatory sub-assemblage presented more distinct difference in its species turnover rate than the omnivore sub-assemblage among the habitats. This study showed that low-intensively managed orchard habitat could sustain higher alpha-diversity of carabid assemblage than semi-natural woodland habitat, and the landscape with diversified habitats could benefit the beta-diversity of carabid assemblage and its predatory sub-assemblage. To attach importance to the conservation of diversified habitats and low-intensively managed farmland habitat would have significance for the conservation of carabid assemblage diversity and its pest control function in agricultural landscape.

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of dynamic monitoring of changes in the sublingual microcirculation in patients with severe sepsis to determine the degree of severity of the clinical condition and prognosis., Methods: A prospective study was conducted. Sixty--five patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) in Beijing Friendship Hospital were enrolled from June 2010 to December 2010, among whom there were 30 cases of sepsis, 35 cases of severe sepsis. The severe sepsis patients received the early goal--directed resuscitation; and at 0 (before treatment), 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 hours after resuscitation, the technology of sidestream dark--field was used to measure the sublingual total vessel density (TVD), perfusing vessel density (PVD), proportion of perfused vessels (PPV), microvascular flow index (MFI) of sublingual microcirculation in patients and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEII) score, ICU days and 28--day mortality were recorded. Thirty healthy individuals were enrolled as the control group., Results: The sublingual PPV and MFI were significantly lower in sepsis patients than those of the control group [PPV: (73.60 ± 16.77)% vs. (85.17 ± 7.60)%; MFI: 3.23 ± 0.77 vs. 3.78 ± 0.35, both P < 0.05]; PVD, PPV, MFI in severe sepsis patients were not only significantly lower than those of the sepsis group {PVD[mm/mm²]: 7.53 ± 4.38 vs.12.15 ± 2.88; PPV: (49.13 ± 33.74)% vs. (73.60 ± 16.77)%; MFI: 2.21 ± 1.41 vs. 3.23 ± 0.77, all P < 0.05}. After the early goal--directed fluid resuscitation, the sublingual microcirculation was improved significantly compared with that before treatment (0 hour), and they were remarkably apparent at 12 hours {TVD[mm/mm²]: 5.76 ± 2.25 vs. 6.72 ± 4.37; PVD [mm/mm²]: 7.57 ± 1.77 vs. 5.48 ± 4.39; PPV:(69.47 ± 19.24)% vs. (34.55 ± 30.82)%; MFI: 3.17 ± 0.49 vs. 1.55 ± 1.14, all P < 0.05}. Compared with the sepsis group, APACHEII score of the severe sepsis group was elevated (24.77 ± 7.45 vs. 19.30 ± 10.36, but P>0.05), the length of stay in ICU (days) was longer (20.60 ± 19.87 vs. 10.33 ± 9.53, P < 0.05), and the 28--day mortality was higher (45.71% vs. 36.36%, but P>0.05). In the severe sepsis group, compared with the survival group (19 cases), the sublingual microcirculation in the non-survival group (16 cases) PVD, PPV, MFI were significantly decreased{PVD[mm/mm²]:6.70 ± 5.15 vs. 8.53 ± 3.13; PPV: (44.23 ± 37.71)% vs. (54.96 ± 28.41)%; MFI: 1.89 ± 1.65 vs. 2.58 ± 0.98, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01}, but APACHEII score and length of stay in ICU (days) were not significantly different (23.19 ± 6.46 vs. 20.31 ± 6.03; 16.13 ± 10.90 vs. 19.19 ± 9.90, both P > 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that: PPV showed a significant negative correlation with the prognosis of the patients (r = -0.374, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Sequential monitoring of the sublingual microcirculation in patients with severe sepsis can be used to determine the disease severity, and to forecast the outcome of the patient.

In order to understand the effects of landscape heterogeneity induced by habitat restoration and landform change on the biodiversity in degraded landscapes, an investigation by using light trap was conducted on the geometrid moth (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) diversity in the cropland and reforested semi-natural habitats in three villages at different altitudes of Bashang Plateau in 2006 and 2007. There existed significant differences in the species richness and individual number of geometrid moth between cropland and reforested semi-natural habitats and in the species richness of geometrid moth between the villages at different altitudes, but no significant differences in the individual number of geometrid moth between the villages at different altitudes and in the standardized sparseness index and Fisher' s alpha index between the villages and between the cropland and reforested semi-natural habitats within each village. The non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) indicated that the community structure of geometrid moth in different habitats and at different altitudes differed significantly. This study indicated that the landscape heterogeneity induced by land-form change had significant effects on the community structure and diversity of geometrid moth on Bashang Plateau, and, both cropland and reforested semi-natural habitats were the important habits for geometrid moth. It was suggested that to protect the landscape mosaics containing cropland and reforested semi-natural habitats across the varied landform of Bashang Plateau would have significances in the conservation of high gamma-diversity of geometrid moth, but whether the reforestation and creation of semi-natural habitats could improve the biodiversity of geometrid moth should be monitored in long term.

Objective: To examine the effects of HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced genes expression in cultured endothelial cells in order to understand the mechanisms involved in the protection of endothelial cells against vascular endothelium injury during endotoxemia., Methods: Cultured EAhy926 cells (a cell line with the features of vascular endothelial cells) were treated with LPS at 100 ng/ml [the dose was chosen for minimum impact on cell survival as determined using Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay], or LPS and TSA (100 μg/ml). The expressions of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and HDAC2 were measured by Western blotting 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 hours after the beginning of the treatment., Results: The expressions of TLR4 (as measured by densitometry) was found significantly higher (P< 0.01) in LPS treated cells (1.01±0.14, 1.25±0.16, 1.20±0.19) 9, 12 and 24 hours after the beginning of the treatment as compared to untreated cells (0.34±0.05); The expression of HDAC2 was also found significantly higher (P< 0.01) after LPS treatment for 12 and 24 hours (1.14±0.10, 1.20±0.04) in comparison with untreated control (0.17±0.02). In LPS+TSA treated cells, TLR4 expression (0.37±0.07) was significantly lower (P< 0.05) after 12 hours of treatment in comparison with its LPS treated counterpart (1.25±0.16), while the level of TLR4 expression stayed unchanged 24 hours after the beginning of the treatment, as compared to the result at 12 hours (0.37±0.10 vs. 1.20±0.19, P> 0.05). No visible HDAC2 expression was detected in the cells treated with LPS+TSA., Conclusion: LPS stimulated the increase of TLR4 and HDAC2 expression in the vascular endothelial cells studied while TSA suppress the LPS induced TLR4 and HDAC2 expression in these cells.

In addition to regulating growth and development, the most important function of microRNAs (miRNAs) in plants is the regulation of a variety of cellular processes underlying plant adaptation to environmental stresses. To gain a deep understanding of the mechanism of drought tolerance in rice, genome-wide profiling and analysis of miRNAs was carried out in drought-challenged rice across a wide range of developmental stages, from tillering to inflorescence formation, using a microarray platform. Among the 30 miRNAs identified as significantly down- or up-regulated under the drought stress, 11 down-regulated miRNAs (miR170, miR172, miR397, miR408, miR529, miR896, miR1030, miR1035, miR1050, miR1088, and miR1126) and eight up-regulated miRNAs (miR395, miR474, miR845, miR851, miR854, miR901, miR903, and miR1125) were revealed for the first time to be induced by drought stress in plants, and nine (miR156, miR168, miR170, miR171, miR172, miR319, miR396, miR397, and miR408) showed opposite expression to that observed in drought-stressed Arabidopsis. The most conserved down-regulated miRNAs were ath-miR170, the miR171 family, and ath-miR396, and the most conserved up-regulated miRNAs were ptc-miR474 and ath-miR854a. The identification of differentially expressed novel plant miRNAs and their target genes, and the analysis of cis-elements provides molecular evidence for the possible involvement of miRNAs in the process of drought response and/or tolerance in rice.

The title compound, C(19)H(12)Br(3)N, was synthesized by N-alkyl-ation of 1-bromo-4-(bromo-meth-yl)benzene with 3,6-dibromo-9H-carbazole. There are two unique mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. The carbazole ring system is essentially planar, with a mean deviation of 0.0402 Å for one mol-ecule and 0.0279 Å for the other. The carbazole planes are inclined to the benzene ring planes at dihedral angles of 58.3 (3) and 71.1 (3)° in the two mol-ecules.

The title compound, C(19)H(12)Br(2)ClN, was synthesized by N-alkyl-ation of 1-chloro-4-(chloro-meth-yl)benzene with 3,6-dibromo-9H-carbazole. The carbazole ring system is essentially planar (mean deviation of 0.028 Å) and makes a dihedral angle of 74.6 (3)° with the plane of the benzene ring.

Objective: To investigate the effects of early enteral nutrition (EEN) on intestinal function and gut tolerance after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury., Methods: Twenty-four male dogs were randomly divided into three groups: EEN only, I/R only and I/R+EEN. The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was blocked for 1 hour followed by restoration of blood flow. EEN was given 4 hours after reperfusion by continuous infusion of Fresubin nutrition fluid (4 ml.kg(-1).h(-1), Fresenius Kabi Co, Germany) into gut via a tonometric catheter for 3 hours till intolerance symptoms, which including vomiting and diarrhea which indicated gut intolerance. CO(2) partial pressure of intestinal mucosa (PiCO(2)), D-xylose absorption and intestinal luminal pressure were measured to reflect intestinal function and perfusion., Results: Incidence and severity of diarrhea and vomiting were significantly higher in I/R+EEN group (with 87.5% intolerance) than those in I/R only group (12.5%) and EEN only group (0). After EEN, PiCO(2) and intestinal cavity pressure were significantly higher, and the D-xylose absorption much lower, in the I/R+EEN group compared with the I/R group and EEN group (all P<0.01)., Conclusion: Intestinal I/R may result in decreased tolerance to EEN. Too early enteral nutrition (less than 12 hours after gut hypoperfusion) may enhance intestinal ischemia injury and further inhibit its function of propulsion and absorption.