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Objective: To observe the correlation between the thickness of superficial fascia at Dazhui (GV14) acupoint and cervical spondylosis, so as to explore the essence of its morphological and structural changes of acupoint sensitivity., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. According to the diagnostic criteria of "Guidelines for Diagnosis, Treatment and Rehabilitation of Cervical Spondylosis" (2017), 344 cases of cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination were included and divided into control group (73 cases) and observation group (271 cases). The control group was healthy population, and the observation group was patients with cervical spondylosis conforming to the diagnostic criteria, including cervical spondylosis of neck type, cervical spondylosis radiculopathy, cervical spondylotic myelopathy, cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type, and sympathetic cervical spondylosis. According to MRI images of cervical spine, the structure of GV14 acupoint including skin, superficial fascia layer and aponeurosis ligament layer were measured., Results: The acupoint depth and the superficial fascia thickness at GV14 in the observation group were (56.6±8.8) mm and (22.8±7.6) mm, the acupoint depth and the superficial fascia thickness at GV14 were (49.8±7.0) mm and (16.6±6.6)mm in the control group, which were significantly greater in the observation group than in the control group ( P <0.01). The superficial fascia thickness at GV14 of cervical spondylotic mye-lopathy, cervical spondylosis of neck type and cervical spondylosis radiculopathy in the observation group was (23.8±8.1)mm, (23.0±7.3)mm and (22.6±6.5)mm, the acupoint depth of GV14 was (58.7±8.8)mm, (56.2±9.1)mm and (55.8±6.4)mm, which were significantly thicker than the superficial fascia thickness and the acupoint depth in the control group ( P <0.01). In the observation group，the superficial fascia thickness of GV14 of cervical spondylosis myelopathy was significantly thicker than those of sympathetic cervical spondylosis (17.8±8.1) mm and cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (19.9±5.9) mm ( P <0.01, P <0.05). In the observation group, the depth of GV14 of cervical spondylosis myelopathy was thicker than that of cervical spondylosis of neck type, cervical spondylosis radiculopathy, sympathetic cervical spondylosis and cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type( P <0.05， P <0.01)； the depth of GV14 of sympathetic cervical spondylosis was thinner than that of cervical spondylosis of neck type and cervical spondylosis radiculopathy ( P <0.01)., Conclusion: The superficial fascia thickness at GV14 was correlated with cervical spondylosis, and it is also related to cervical spondylotic myelopathy, cervical spondylosis of neck type and cervical spondylosis radiculopathy. The morphological and structural changes of GV14 in the state of cervical spondylosis were mainly the thickness of the superficial fascia.

Gesture recognition utilizes deep learning network model to automatically extract deep features of data; however, traditional machine learning algorithms rely on manual feature extraction and poor model generalization ability. In this paper, a multimodal gesture recognition algorithm based on convolutional long-term memory network is proposed. First, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is employed to automatically extract the deeply hidden features of multimodal gesture data. Then, a time series model is constructed using a long short-term memory (LSTM) network to learn the long-term dependence of multimodal gesture features on the time series. On this basis, the classification of multimodal gestures is realized by the SoftMax classifier. Finally, the method is experimented and evaluated on two dynamic gesture datasets, VIVA and NVGesture. Experimental results indicate that the accuracy rates of the proposed method on the VIVA and NVGesture datasets are 92.55% and 87.38%, respectively, and its recognition accuracy and convergence performance are better than those of other comparison algorithms., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ming-Xing Lu et al.)

Cardiac endothelial cells (ECs) are important targets for cardiovascular gene therapy. However, the approach of stably transducing ECs in vivo using different vectors, including adeno-associated virus (AAV), remains unexamined. Regarding this unmet need, two AAV libraries from DNA shuffling and random peptide display were simultaneously screened in a transgenic mouse model. Cardiac ECs were isolated by cell sorting for salvage of EC-targeting AAV. Two AAV variants, i.e., EC71 and EC73, enriched in cardiac EC, were further characterized for their tissue tropism. Both of them demonstrated remarkably enhanced transduction of cardiac ECs and reduced infection of liver ECs in comparison to natural AAVs after intravenous injection. Significantly, persistent transgene expression was maintained in mouse cardiac ECs in vivo for at least 4 months. The EC71 vector was selected for delivery of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene into cardiac ECs in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. Enhanced eNOS activity was observed in the mouse heart and lung, which was correlated with partially improved cardiac function. Taken together, two AAV capsids were evolved with more efficient transduction in cardiovascular endothelium in vivo , but their endothelial tropism might need to be further optimized for practical application to cardiac gene therapy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Large-scale patterns of biodiversity and the underlying mechanisms that regulate these patterns are central topics in biogeography and macroecology. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau serves as a natural laboratory for studying these issues. However, most previous studies have focused on the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, leaving independent physical geographic subunits in the region less well understood. We studied the current plant diversity of the Kunlun Mountains, an independent physical geographic subunit located in northwestern China on the northern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We integrated measures of species distribution, geological history, and phylogeography, and analyzed the taxonomic richness, phylogenetic diversity, and community phylogenetic structure of the current plant diversity in the area. The distribution patterns of 1911 seed plants showed that species were distributed mainly in the eastern regions of the Kunlun Mountains. The taxonomic richness, phylogenetic diversity, and genera richness showed that the eastern regions of the Kunlun Mountains should be the priority area of biodiversity conservation, particularly the southeastern regions. The proportion of Chinese endemic species inhabiting the Kunlun Mountains and their floristic similarity may indicate that the current patterns of species diversity were favored via species colonization. The Hengduan Mountains, a biodiversity hotspot, is likely the largest source of species colonization of the Kunlun Mountains after the Quaternary. The net relatedness index indicated that 20 of the 28 communities examined were phylogenetically dispersed, while the remaining communities were phylogenetically clustered. The nearest taxon index indicated that 27 of the 28 communities were phylogenetically clustered. These results suggest that species colonization and habitat filtering may have contributed to the current plant diversity of the Kunlun Mountains via ecological and evolutionary processes, and habitat filtering may play an important role in this ecological process., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2021 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the efficacy difference of electroacupuncture at lower he -sea point and he -sea matching front- mu points for the treatment of gastroparesis., Methods: A total of 63 patients with gastroparesis were randomly divided into a lower he point group (group A, 32 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a he matching mu points group (group B, 31 cases, 1 case dropped off). The group A was treated with electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36), and the group B was treated with electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) and Zhongwan (CV 12). Both groups were treated with continuous wave (2 Hz in frequency) for 30 min, once a day, 5 times a week for 3 weeks. The gastroparesis cardinal symptom index (GCSI) score, gastric half-emptying time (T 1/2 ) and the 180 min gastric residual rate of the two groups before and after treatment were observed, and the clinical effective rate was compared., Results: After treatment, the total GCSI scores, T 1/2 and the 180 min gastric residual rates in both groups were lower than those before treatment ( P <0.01), and the 180 min gastric residual rate and T 1/2 in the group A were lower than those in the group B ( P <0.05). The total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the group A, which was superior to 70.0% (21/30) in the group B ( P <0.05)., Conclusion: Electroacupuncture at lower he -sea point and he -sea matching front- mu points can both be used to treat gastroparesis, but electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) has a better effect. The acupoints of Zusanli (ST 36) and Zhongwan (CV 12) may have antagonistic effects.

Mating plays key roles in the demographic and genetic dynamics of populations. Estimates of mating portfolios and system based on progeny array (PA) method required highly polymorphic genetic markers, of which microsatellite is a good choice. In this study, we reported 19 polymorphic microsatellite loci for Aconitum gymnandrum. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12. Observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and from 0.219 to 0.842, respectively. Seven loci showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. These markers will provide a useful tool for pollination ecology and population genetic studies of A. gymnandrum in Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

The research selected the alpine meadow located in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study the changes of vegetation community and soil properties under different grazing intensities, as well as the quantitative relation between the distribution patterns of plant species and the physical and chemical properties of soil. The results showed that the grazing caused the differentiation of the initial vegetation community with the dominant plants, Elymus nutans and Stipa grandis. In the plots with high and low grazing intensities, the dominant plants had changed to Kobresia humilis and Melissitus ruthenica, and E. nutans and Poa crymophila, respectively. With the increase of grazing intensity, the plant richness, importance value and biomass were significantly decreased. The sequence of plant species importance value in each plot against grazing intensity could be fitted by a logarithmic model. The number of required plant species was reduced while the importance value of the remaining plant species accounted for 50% of the importance value in the whole vegetation community. The available P, available K, soil compaction, soil water content, stable infiltration rate and large aggregate index were significantly changed with grazing intensity, however, the changes were different. The CCA ordination showed that the soil compaction was the key factor affecting the distribution pattern of the plant species under grazing. The variance decomposition indicated that the soil factors together explained 30.5% of the distribution of the plant species, in particular the soil physical properties alone explained 22.8% of the distribution of the plant species, which had the highest rate of contribution to the plant species distribution. The soil physical properties affected the distribution pattern of plant species on grazed alpine meadow.

In typical alpine meadow of southern Gansu Province, five sampling sites by fertilizer diammonium phosphate (DAP) addition ranging from 0 g·m -2 to 120 g·m -2 were set in order to examine the response of soil ciliate communities to different concentrations of DAP. An investigation on the abundance and species richness of soil ciliates was carried out by non-flooded Petri dish, observation in vivo and three-level ten-fold dilution methods. Soil physicochemical factors including soil water content, pH value, contents of soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus and organic carbon at different sites were also measured. It was found that there was a total of 129 species belonging to 9 classes, 17 orders, 31 families and 46 genera. Lower species richness and diversity but higher ciliate abundance were observed in the soils with higher concentrations of DAP compared with the control. The dominant group Haptorida was substituted by Colpodida from the control to the soils with the increase of fertilizer application. The results of redundancy analysis indicated that the gradient changes of total phosphorus, soil temperature and water content were the main driving factors for the change of soil ciliate community distribution.

Objective To establish a Daphnia model of alloxan-induced diabetes. Methods Daphnia were exposed to three different concentrations of alloxan (3, 5, and 10 mmol/L) for 30 minutes. Blood glucose and survival rate were recorded for 72 hours after alloxan insult. Sequence analysis and phylogenetic inference for glucose transporters (GLUT) were clustered with the maximum-likelihood method. Using reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction techniques, we investigated the transcriptional changes of GLUT at 12 hours after alloxan (5 mmol/L) exposure. Results Compared with control, 3 mmol/L, and 5 mmol/L as well as 10 mmol/L alloxan initially induced transient blood glucose decline by 15% for 2 hours and 12 hours respectively. In Daphnia with 5 and 10 mmol/L alloxan, their blood glucose was persistently raised by about 150% since after 24-hour insult. Survival rate of Daphnia exposure to alloxan with concentrations of 3, 5, and 10 mmol/L were 90%, 75%, and 25% respectively. We predicted seven GLUT genes in the Daphnia genome and successfully amplified them using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Two of seven GLUT transcripts were down-regulated in Daphnia with 5 mmol/L alloxan-induced diabetes. Conclusion Alloxan-induced diabetes model was successfully established in the Daphnia pulex, suggesting diabetes-relevant experiments can be conducted using Daphnia.

We assessed the role of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) region of morphine-dependent rats on attenuating withdrawal syndrome, and regulating glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), glutamic acid (Glu), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). After siRNA-mediated downregulation of TLR4, changes were observed in withdrawal behavior and downstream signaling molecules. Rats were injected into the vlPAG with TLR4 siRNA, followed by intraperitoneal injection of morphine for 5 consecutive days, and then naloxone, and the behavioral indices of morphine withdrawal were observed. 'Wet-dog' shakes, teeth chattering, and the total scores of withdrawal reactions were reduced. TLR4 expression and Glu levels were reduced, whereas GAD67 and GABA levels were increased. Overall, these findings indicate that modifying TLR4 gene expression in the vlPAG stimulates expression of the downstream signaling molecule, GAD67, which decreases Glu levels and increases GABA levels. This mechanism may explain the inhibition of withdrawal syndrome in morphine-dependent rats.

Background: Heavy drinking can increase heart rate and blood glucose, induce hypoxic tolerance, impair brain cognitive functions, and alter gene expressions. These phenomena may occur even in response to small dose of ethanol exposure or during its withdrawal., Objectives: To evaluate whether persistent low concentrations of ethanol exposure affect organism function and the gene expressions of ion channels., Methods: Daphnids were randomized to receive placebo 300 min, 2 mM ethanol 300 min, or 2 mM ethanol 240 min and then placebo 60 min. Heart rate, glucose levels, phototactic behavior, and hypoxic tolerance were recorded during experiment. At the end of the study, changes in the mRNA levels of ion channel genes were assessed in response to exposure to ethanol using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques., Results: Heart rate was reversibly increased by ethanol withdrawal and returned to basal levels upon re-exposure to ethanol. Fifteen of 120 ion channel transcripts were affected by persistent ethanol exposure. Neither ethanol withdrawal nor persistent exposures showed an effect on blood glucose, phototactic behavior, or hypoxic tolerance., Conclusions: Small doses of ethanol can increase heart rate and alter gene expression of multiple ion channels in Daphnia pulex. Affected ion channel genes may assist in understanding the mechanism of ethanol adaptation and tolerance.

Background: Pain is common in men undergoing rigid cystoscopy. Even with the application of a lubricant containing 2 % lidocaine, about 76 % of men suffer from mild to severe pain when undergoing rigid cystoscopy. The most painful part of the procedure for men is when the cystoscope passes through the membranous urethra. Song et al. (Neurourol Urodyn 29:592-5, 2010) did autopsies on males and found that the dorsal nerve of the penis (DNP), the terminal branch of the pudendal nerve, innervates the membranous urethra in 53.3 % of specimens. In addition, the urethral mucosa has branches of innervated DNP. Dorsal penile nerve block (DPNB) is usually used for circumcision in children, and it has been shown to provide effective analgesia for penile surgeries. In this study, we hypothesized that DPNB could reduce the overall pain level in men during rigid cystoscopy., Methods/design: The trial is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of DPNB in analgesia for men undergoing rigid cystoscopy. Participants will be enrolled and randomly allocated into one of three groups according to the different analgesia regimens: 1) tetracaine gel group (DPNB with saline), 2) DPNB group (DPNB with ropivacaine plus plain lubricant), 3) combination group (DPNB with ropivacaine plus tetracaine gel). The primary outcome of this study is the visual analog scale (VAS, 0-10) for pain at cystoscopic inspection of the external sphincter. VAS scores evaluated at other time points serve as secondary outcomes. Vital signs are secondary outcomes that address the discomfort and pain during the procedure. Furthermore, the incidence of adverse events as secondary outcomes will also be recorded for evaluation of the safety of DPNB in rigid cystoscopy. Clinical assessments will be evaluated prior to DPNB, at administration of the lubricant gel, at cystoscopic inspection of the penile and bulbar urethra, external sphincter, prostate, and bladder, as well as at withdrawal of the cystoscope., Discussion: This research will determine the effectiveness and safety of DPNB in men undergoing rigid cystoscopy. The results of this trial may have important implications for exploring the role of DPNB in analgesia for cystoscopy in men., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02502487 (6 Jul 2015).

Past studies have widely documented the decrease in species diversity in response to addition of nutrients, however functional diversity is often independent from species diversity. In this study, we conducted a field experiment to examine the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization ((NH4)2 HPO4) at 0, 15, 30 and 60 g m-2 yr-1 (F0, F15, F30 and F60) after 4 years of continuous fertilization on functional diversity and species diversity, and its relationship with productivity in an alpine meadow community on the Tibetan Plateau. To this purpose, three community-weighted mean trait values (specific leaf area, SLA; mature plant height, MPH; and seed size, SS) for 30 common species in each fertilization level were determined; three components of functional diversity (functional richness, FRic; functional evenness, FEve; and Rao's index of quadratic entropy, FRao) were quantified. Our results showed that: (i) species diversity sharply decreased, but functional diversity remained stable with fertilization; (ii) community-weighted mean traits (SLA and MPH) had a significant increase along the fertilization level; (iii) aboveground biomass was not correlated with functional diversity, but it was significantly correlated with species diversity and MPH. Our results suggest that decreases in species diversity due to fertilization do not result in corresponding changes in functional diversity. Functional identity of species may be more important than functional diversity in influencing aboveground productivity in this alpine meadow community, and our results also support the mass ratio hypothesis; that is, the traits of the dominant species influenced the community biomass production.

Fertilization via nutrient deposition and agricultural inputs is one of the most important factors driving decreases in plant diversity. However, we still do not fully understand which processes (niche process or neutral process) are more important in leading to decreases in plant diversity caused by fertilization. A hypothesis-based approach was used to test the relative importance of niche versus neutral processes along a fertilization gradient in an alpine meadow community on the eastern Tibetan plateau, China. Niche overlap values were calculated for species biomass, and the null model was used to generate the values of niche overlap expected at random. A linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the relationship between functional traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, and leaf total nitrogen concentration) and species relative abundance. Our results demonstrated that observed niche overlap for species biomass was significantly higher than expected at lower fertilization gradients. Moreover, we also found a significantly negative correlation between species relative abundance and specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content, but a significantly positive correlation between relative abundance and leaf nitrogen concentration at lower fertilization gradients. However, these relationships were not significant at higher fertilization gradients. We concluded that community assembly is dynamic progression along the environmental gradients, and niche and neutral processes may together determine species diversity loss in response to fertilization.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9/neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (MMP-9/NGAL) complex activity is elevated in brain tumors and may serve as a molecular marker for brain tumors. However, the relationship between MMP-9/NGAL activity in brain tumors and patient prognosis and treatment response remains unclear. Here, we compared the clinical characteristics of glioma patients with the MMP-9/NGAL activity measured in their respective tumor and urine samples. Using gelatin zymography assays, we found that MMP-9/NGAL activity was significantly increased in tumor tissues (TT) and preoperative urine samples (Preop-1d urine). Activity was reduced by seven days after surgery (Postop-1w urine) and elevated again in cases of tumor recurrence. The MMP-9/NGAL status correlated well with MRI-based tumor assessments. These findings suggest that MMP-9/NGAL activity could be a novel marker to detect gliomas and predict the clinical outcome of patients.

Under the traditional grazing system on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the amount of milk in domesticated yak (Bos grunniens) with clinical mastitis decreases and the milk composition is altered. To understand the mechanisms of mammary gland secreted milk and disease infection, changes in the protein composition of milk during clinical mastitis were investigated using a proteomic approach. Milk whey from yak with clinical mastitis was compared to whey from healthy animals with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis using a mass spectrometer. Thirteen protein spots were identified to be four differentially expressed proteins. Increases in the concentrations of proteins of blood serum origin, including lactoferrin, were identified in mastitic whey compared to normal whey, while concentrations of the major whey proteins, casocidin-I, a-lactalbumin, and b-lactoglobulin, were downregulated in mastitic whey. These results indicated significant differences in protein expression between healthy yaks and those with clinical mastitis, and they may provide valuable information for finding new regulation markers and potential protein targets for the treatment of mastitis.

The relationship between sexual reproduction and clonal growth in clonal plants often shows up at the ramet level. However, only a few studies focus on the relationship at the genet level, which could finally account for evolution. The sexual reproduction and clonal growth of Ligularia virgaurea, a perennial herb widely distributed in the alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China, were studied under different competition intensities and light conditions at the genet level through a potted experiment. The results showed that: (1) sexual reproduction did not depend on density or light, and increasing clonal growth with decreasing density and increasing light intensity indicated that intraspecific competition and light intensity may affect the clonal life history of L. virgaurea; (2) both sexual reproduction and clonal growth show a positive linear relationship with genet size under different densities and light conditions; (3) a threshold size is required for sexual reproduction and no evidence of a threshold size for clonal growth under different densities and light conditions; (4) light level affected the allocation of total biomass to clonal and sexual structures, with less allocation to clonal structures and more allocation to sexual structures in full sunlight than in shade; (5) light determined the onset of sexual reproduction, and the genets in the shade required a smaller threshold size for sexual reproduction to occur than the plants in full sunlight; and (6) no evidence was found of trade-offs between clonal growth and sexual reproduction under different densities and light conditions at the genet level, and the positive correlation between two reproductive modes indicated that these are two integrated processes. Clonal growth in this species may be viewed as a growth strategy that tends to maximize genet fitness.

A simulation experiment with supplementation and exclusion of solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation was conducted to study the effects of enhanced and near ambient UV-B radiation on the growth and reproduction of alpine annual pasture Vicia angustifolia on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Enhanced UV-B decreased the plant height and biomass, biomass allocation to fruit, flower number, and 100-seed mass significantly, delayed flowering stage, increased the concentration degree of flowering and success rate of reproduction, but had little effect on seed yield. Near ambient UV-B radiation made the plant height increased after an initial decrease, decreased biomass allocation to fruit and 100-seed mass, but little affected flowering duration, flower number, and seed yield. Both enhanced and near ambient UV-B radiation could inhibit the growth and production of V. angustifolia, and the effect of enhanced UV-B radiation was even larger.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of isoflurane pretreatment on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)-related lung injury., Methods: Twelve dogs were randomly divided into two groups of six each. In one group, 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of isoflurane was dministered for 30 min before CPB, while the control group received no anaesthetic. Both groups then underwent 100 min of mild hypothermic CPB with 60-min aortic cross clamping. Haemodynamic parameters, respiratory mechanics and alveolar arterial oxygen difference (AaDO₂) were measured during the experiment. One hundred and fifty minutes after CPB, lung tissue samples from the non-dependent and dependent portions of the left and right lungs were harvested for polymorphonulear leukocyte (PMNs) counts., Results: Following CPB, within the control group, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was significantly increased at 60, 120 and 180 min after declamping, AaDO₂ deteriorated at 180 min post-declamping, and dynamic lung compliance (DLC) was reduced dramatically after declamping. Isoflurane pretreatment before CPB significantly reduced PVR compared to the controls. AaDO₂ was impaired at 180 min after declamping and DLC was decreased after declamping within the isoflurane group. No differences in AaDO₂ and DLC were found between the isoflurane and control groups. At 180 min after declamping, the PMN count in both the non-dependent and dependent regions of the isoflurane pre-treated lungs was significantly lower than that of the controls., Conclusions: Our results suggest that 30-min pre-treatment with 1.0 MAC isoflurane before CPB caused a reduction in PMN accumulation in the dog lungs, inhibition of increases in PVR, and it did not affect AaDO₂ in the early post-CPB stage.

For alpine plant species, patterns of resource allocation to functional floral traits for pollinator attraction can be highly significant in adaptation to low pollinator abundance and consequent pollen limitation. Increased pollination can be achieved either through a larger floral display or production of more pollen rewards. In this study, variation in resource allocation to different components for pollinator attraction was studied along an altitudinal gradient in Trollius ranunculoides, an obligate self-incompatible out-crosser of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We compared resource allocation to conspicuous yellow sepals (which mainly provide visual attraction) and degenerate petals (which provide the major nectar reward) between populations at four altitudes. Furthermore, we investigated the contribution of sepals and petals to pollinator attraction and female reproductive success in an experiment with sepal or petal removal at sites at different altitudes. At the level of single flowers, resource allocation increased to sepals but decreased to petals with increasing altitude. Consistent with these results, sepals contributed much more to visitation rate and seed set than petals, as confirmed in the sepal or petal removal experiment. Sepals and petals contributed to female reproductive success by ensuring visitation rate rather than visitation duration. To alleviate increasing pollen limitation with increasing altitude, resource allocation patterns of T. ranunculoides altered to favour development of sepals rather than petals. This strategy may improve pollination and reproductive success through visual attraction (sepal) rather than nectar reward (petal) over a gradient of decreasing pollinator abundance., (© 2010 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.)

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of preconditioning acupuncture (PA) on the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea., Methods: Eighty patients suffered from primary dysmenorrhea were randomly assigned on the ratio of 1:1:2 into three groups, 20 in Group A, 20 in Group B, and 40 in Group C. Group A and B were treated with PA and immediate acupuncture (IA), respectively, while Group C received no acupuncture treatment and be taken as a blank control. The treatment was lasted for three menstrual cycles. The therapeutic effects were observed and compared., Results: Comparing the scores of the symptoms in the different groups, the therapeutic effect in different groups showed that the symptom scores in Group A at the second and third cycle of treatment, as well as at the first and third cycle of follow-up, were significantly lower than the scores in Group B, respectively (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the duration of symptoms was shorter in Group A than in Group B at the third cycle of treatment and the first and third cycle of follow-up (P<0.05). Symptom scores in Groups A and B in the treatment and follow-up periods were all lowered as compared to those before treatment (P<0.01), and the scores were also lower than those in Group C measured at corresponding times (P<0.01)., Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of PA, either the short-term or the long-term effect, was superior to that of IA in treating dysmenorrhea.

Background and Aims: Competition drives self-thinning (density-dependent mortality) in crowded plant populations. Facilitative interactions have been shown to affect many processes in plant populations and communities, but their effects on self-thinning trajectories have not been investigated., Methods: Using an individual-based 'zone-of-influence' model, we studied the potential effects of the size symmetry of competition, abiotic stress and facilitation on self-thinning trajectories in plant monocultures. In the model, abiotic stress reduced the growth of all individuals and facilitation ameliorated the effects of stress on interacting individuals., Key Results: Abiotic stress made the log biomass-log density relationship during self-thinning steeper, but this effect was reduced by positive interactions among individuals. Size-asymmetric competition also influenced the self-thinning slope., Conclusions: Although competition drives self-thinning, its course can be affected by abiotic stress, facilitation and competitive symmetry.

Background: Floral traits within plants can vary with flower position or flowering time. Within an inflorescence, sexual allocation of early produced basal flowers is often female-biased while later produced distal flowers are male-biased. Such temporal adjustment of floral resource has been considered one of the potential advantages of modularity (regarding a flower as a module) in hermaphrodites. However, flowers are under constraints of independent evolution of a given trait. To understand flower diversification within inflorescences, here we examine variation and covariation in floral traits within racemes at the individual and the maternal family level respectively in an alpine herb Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae)., Results: We found that floral traits varied significantly with flower position and among families, and position effects were family-specific. Most of the variance of floral traits was among individuals rather than among flowers within individuals or among families. Significant phenotypic correlations between traits were not affected by position, indicating trait integration under shared developmental regulation. In contrast, positive family-mean correlations in floral traits declined gradually from basal to distal flowers (nine significant correlations among floral traits in basal flowers and only three in distal flowers), showing position-specificity. Therefore, the pattern and magnitude of genetic correlations decreased with flower position., Conclusions: This finding on covariation pattern in floral reproductive structures within racemes has not been revealed before, providing insights into temporal variation and position effects in floral traits within plants and the potential advantages of modularity in hermaphrodites.

Objective: To observe the effect of fufang jisheng liujin gao (Compound Mistletoe Fluidextract) on blood pressure in the spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and the renal hypertensive dogs (RHD)., Methods: The blood pressure-decreasing effects of single administration and 14-day consecutive administration of Compound Mistletoe Fluidextract (CMF) in SHR and RHD were investigated and compared with that of niuhuang jiangya wan (Bezoar Hypertension-relieving Pills)., Results: Both single administration and 14-day consecutive administration of CMF had significant hypotensive effects in SHR and RHD., Conclusion: The hypotensive action of CMF is gradual, but lasts for a longer period, with a dose-effect relationship in a range of doses.

Theory predicts size-dependent sex allocation (SDS): flowers on plants with a high-resource status should have larger investment in females than plants with a low-resource status. Through a pot experiment with Aconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae) in the field, we examined the relationship between sex allocation of individual flowers and plant size for different maternal families under different environmental conditions. We also determined the physiological base of variations in plant size. Our results support the prediction of SDS, and show that female-biased allocation with plant size is consistent under different environmental conditions. Negative correlations within families showed a plastic response of sex allocation to plant size. Negative genetic correlations between sex allocation and plant size at the family level indicate a genetic cause of the SDS pattern, although genetic correlation was influenced by environmental factors. Hence, the size-dependency of sex allocation in this species had both plastic and genetic causes. Furthermore, genotypes that grew large also had higher assimilation ability, thus showing a physiological basis for SDS.

Theory predicts that tighter correlation between floral traits and weaker relationship between floral and vegetative traits more likely occur in specialized flowers than generalized flowers, favoring by precise fit with pollinators. However, traits and trait correlations frequently vary under different environments. Through detecting spatiotemporal variation in phenotypic traits (floral organ size and vegetative size) and trait correlations in four Ranunculaceae species, we examined four predictions. Overall, our results supported these predictions to a certain degree. The mean coefficient of variation (CV) of floral traits in two specialized species (Delphinium kamaonense and Aconitum gymnandrum) was marginally significantly lower than that of another two generalized species (Trollius ranunculoides and Anemone obtusiloba). The two specialized species also showed marginally significantly smaller CV in floral traits than vegetative size across the two species. The absolute mean correlation between floral and vegetative traits, or that between floral traits in species with specialized flowers was not significantly lower, or higher than that in generalized plants, weakly supporting the predictions. Furthermore, we documented a large variation in trait correlations of four species among different seasons and populations. Study of covariance of floral and vegetative traits will benefit from the contrast of results obtained from generalized and specialized pollination systems.

With simulated mowing experiment and field survey, the compensation capacity and dominance shift of nine alpine plant species in grazing community were studied. The results showed that for most test species, there existed definite correlations between their compensation capacity and palatability. The species with better palatability, i.e., Astragalus polycladus, Medicago rythenica, Kobresia humilis, and Polygonum viviparvum, had higher compensation capacity, with their compensation index being 1.013, 0.907, 0.849, and 0.802, respectively, followed by Elymus nutans, with its compensation index being 0.668, while the species with poorer palatability, i.e., Taraxacum tibetanum, Swertis bimaculata, and Ajania tenuifolia had lower compensation capacity, with their compensation index being 0.649, 0.587, and 0.553, respectively. Festuca sinensis was more palatable but had the lowest compensation index (0.473). The nine species had three types of dominance shift, i.e., decreasing, increasing, and neutral. F. sinensis was of decreasing type, E. nutans, A. polycladus and P. viviparvum were of neutral, and the other five species were of increasing type. The compensation capacity and palatability of plant species in grazing community could explain their dominance shift to a certain extent.

Ligularia virgaurea is a perennial herb that is widely distributed in the alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau. We investigated the patterns of growth and reproduction of L. virgaurea under two contrasting levels of light conditions for two continuous growing seasons. Our results showed that the light effects on the maximum relative growth rate, the shoot weight ratio and the root weight ratio differed between the two growing seasons. L. virgaurea reproduced initially through rhizome in the second growing season, rather than sexual reproduction. The proportion of genets with clonal reproduction decreased under shaded conditions. A minimum genet size should be attained for clonal reproduction to begin under the shaded conditions. There was a positive linear relationship between clonal reproduction and genet size. Light level affected the allocation of total biomass to clonal structures, with less allocation under the full natural irradiance than under the shaded conditions. There seemed to be a trade-off between vegetative growth and clonal reproduction under the full natural irradiance, in terms of smaller relative growth rates of genets with clonal reproduction than those without clonal reproduction. L. virgaurea emphasized clonal reproduction under the full natural irradiance, while the plant emphasized vegetative growth under the shaded conditions.

Taking four Saussurea species with different ecological breadth in the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as test materials, their seedlings relative growth rate (RGR), root mass to shoot mass ratio (R/S), and specific leaf area (SLA) were determined under different nutrient and light treatments. The results showed that nutrient and light had significant effects on the seedlings RGR, R/S and SLA of the four Saussurea species, and there existed a certain interactive effect between nutrient and light. The plasticity of these morphological characteristics and their response patterns to the variation of nutrient and light conditions varied with species. Significant interactive effects (P < 0.001) between light, nutrient, and species were observed on the R/S and SLA of Saussurea. For the four Saussurea species, the mean phenotypic plasticity index of their seedlings was positively correlated with their ecological distribution, being the highest (0.71) for S. japonica, the best widespread species in the four species. The morphological plasticity of Saussurea species was positively related to their distribution ecological breadth.

Seed size and seedling recruitment strategy are of importance in the life-history strategy of plant. In this paper, the current ecological researches at home and aboard on the relationships between seed size and seedling growth were reviewed from the aspects of the effects of seed size on seed germination and seedling emergence, the relationships between seed size and seedling growth traits, and the relationships between seed size and seedling survival and competition ability. Some suggestions on future researches in this field were put forward. There were likely different relationships between seed size and seedling growth in different microenvironments and vegetation types, and the effects of seed size on seedling growth could result in different contributions of different seed-size species to the seedling recruitment of vegetation. The large-scale community level and the small-scale intra- and inter-species level researches on this issue should be strengthened, which would have significance for the recruitment and renewing of natural vegetation.

We determined a minimum effective dose of gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxy benzoic acid; 50 mg/ kg, i.p.) and piperine (10 mg/kg, p.o.) through their therapeutic potential and further evaluated them individually and in combination against beryllium-induced biochemical alterations and oxidative stress consequences in female albino rats. The administration of beryllium altered blood biochemical variables by significantly depleting hemoglobin, albumin and urea, whereas it enhanced bilirubin and creatinine. The release of serum transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase was significantly greater, and was concomitant with a decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase. A significant increase in lipid peroxidation and a decrease in glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the liver and kidney was an indication of oxidative stress due to beryllium exposure. Individual administration of gallic acid and piperine moderately reversed the altered biochemical variables, whereas the combination of these was found to completely reverse the beryllium-induced biochemical alterations and oxidative stress consequences. We concluded that gallic acid exerts a synergistic effect when administered with piperine and provides a more pronounced therapeutic potential in reducing beryllium-induced hepatorenal dysfunction and oxidative stress consequences.

Background and Aims: Neutral theory predicts that the diversity and relative abundance of species in ecological communities do not depend on their specific traits. This prediction remains controversial, as many studies suggest that variations in the niches of species determine the structure of communities. The aim of this study was to test empirically the relative importance of niche and neutral processes as drivers of species abundance within plant communities along a successional gradient., Methods: Information on the abundance (density and frequency) and traits (aboveground individual biomass and seed mass) of > 90 species was collected in alpine and sub-alpine meadows of the Tibet Plateau (China). A successional gradient (1, 3, 15 and 30 years after abandonment) was established in a sub-alpine meadow. The relationships between species traits and their abundance were evaluated using regression models., Key Results: Seed mass was negatively related to both species density (r = -0.6270, P < 0.001) and frequency (r = -0.5335, P = 0.005) in the 1-year meadow. Such relationships disappeared along the successional gradient evaluated (P > 0.07 in the 3-, 15- and 30-year meadows). Data gathered in all sites showed a significant negative relationship between the average individual biomass of a given species and its density within the community (r < -0.30, P < 0.025 in all cases)., Conclusions: The results show that seed mass was a key driver of species abundance in early successional communities, and that niche forces may become more important as succession progresses. They also indicate that predictions from neutral theory, in its current form, do not hold for the meadow communities studied.

The clinical signs of a disorder in yaks (Bos grunniens), known locally as "swayback ailment," in the Qing Hai-Tibetan Plateau are described. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility that swayback ailment is iron (Fe)-induced copper (Cu) deficiency. The mean concentrations of Cu in soil and forage from affected areas and unaffected areas are similar and within the normal ranges. The mean concentrations of Cu in blood and hair from the affected yaks was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that in unaffected yaks. The mean concentrations of Fe in soil and forage were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in affected than in unaffected areas. Affected yaks showed a hypochromic microcytic anemia and a low level of ceruloplasmin. Oral administration of copper sulphate prevented and cured the disease. We conclude that "swayback disorder" of yaks is caused by secondary Cu deficiency, mainly due to the high Fe content in forage.

Background & Objective: Oxaliplatin (LOHP) is an effective drug in treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with mild toxicities to gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and bone marrow. Cisplatin (DDP) plus vinorelbine (NVB) constitute the first-line regimen (NP regimen) for NSCLC. This study was to compare the short-term response, long-term outcome, and adverse events between advanced NSCLC patients received NO regimen (LOHP plus NVB) and NP regimen., Methods: A total of 90 patients with advanced NSCLC were randomized into NO group (58 patients, 25 mg/m(2) of NVB, day 1 and day 8; 130 mg/m(2) of LOHP, day 1) and NP group (32 patients, 25 mg/m(2) of NVB, day 1 and day 8; 50 mg/m(2) of DDP, day 2 and day 3). The short-term response, long-term outcome, adverse events, and survival status of the 2 groups were observed., Results: The response rates were 33.33% in NO group, and 35.48% in NP group, but no significant difference was detected between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). The clinical benefit response rate was significantly higher in NO group than in NP group (80.70% vs. 64.52%, P < 0.05). The median time to progression (TTP) was 17 weeks in NO group, and 15 weeks in NP group; the median time of remission was 21 weeks in NO group, and 19 weeks in NP group; the median survival time was 39 weeks in NO group, and 37 weeks in NP group; the 1-year survival rate was 37.93% in NO group, and 31.25% in NP group. No significant differences were detected between the 2 groups. The incidence rates of phlebitis and grade I-II peripheral neuritis were significantly higher in NO group than in NP group (77.59% vs. 50.00%, P<0.01; 43.10% vs. 15.63%, P<0.01). The incidence rate of grade III-IV nausea/vomiting was significantly higher in NP group than in NO group (31.25% vs. 3.45%, P<0.05)., Conclusions: The efficacy of NO regimen on advanced NSCLC is similar to that of NP regimen, but the clinical benefit response rate is higher in NO group than in NP group. In short, NO regimen may be recommended as the first-line chemotherapy regimen for advanced NSCLC.

Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells play a role in antimicrobial responses. It is unknown whether adaptive Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cell responses during active mycobacterial coinfection of human immunodeficiency virus-infected humans can be generated during effective antiretroviral treatment. Here, simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)mac-infected macaques previously exposed to bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) were reinfected with BCG, were treated either with tenofovir or tenofovir plus indinavir, and were assessed for the development of Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cell responses during active BCG coinfection. A restored capacity of Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells to undergo major expansions and pulmonary migration during active BCG coinfection was detected after simultaneous BCG reinfection and treatment with tenofovir of the SIVmac-infected macaques. Interestingly, a restored expansion of Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells in the SIVmac/BCG-coinfected macaques was detectable, even though antiretroviral treatment was initiated 1 month after BCG reinfection. Importantly, the restored expansion of Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells coincided with increases in numbers of purified protein derivative-specific interferon- gamma -producing CD4+ T cells and increases in the magnitude of their proliferative responses. In contrast, the SIVmac-infected control macaques exhibited diminished responses of Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells and mycobacterium-specific CD4+ T cells during active BCG coinfection. Our results suggest that the development of adaptive immune responses of phosphoantigen-specific Vgamma2Vdelta2+ T cells during active mycobacterium/HIV coinfection requires control of viral infection and immune competence of peptide-specific CD4+ T cells., (Copyright 2004 Infectious Diseases Society of America)

Background & Objective: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is hyposensitive to the normal first and second-line chemotherapy regimens. Camptothecin derivative is becoming a hot point in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. The objective of this article was to evaluate the response, toxicity, and survival time of HMVP, MVP, and HVP regimens (detail in below) in the treatment of advanced NSCLC., Methods: A total of 134 cases with advanced NSCLC was randomized into three groups: HMVP group [46 patients, hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) 12 mg/m(2) from d1 to d5, mitomycin C (MMC) 6 mg/m(2) d1, vindesine (VDS) 2.5-3 mg/m(2) d1 and d8, cisplatin (DDP) 50 mg/m(2) d2 and d3], MVP group (44 patients, MMC, VDS and DDP were the same as HMVP group) and HVP group (44 patients, HCPT, VDS, DDP were the same as HMVP group)., Results: The response rates were 39.54% (17/43), 35.57% (15/42), and 26.19% (11/42) in HMVP, MVP, and HVP groups, respectively; no significant difference was detected among the three groups (P >0.05). No significant difference was detected in the median time of remission, median survival time, and 1-, 2-year survival rates among the three groups. Moreover, no significant difference was detected in grade III-IV leukopenia, grade III-IV thrombocytopenia, grade III-IV nausea and vomiting and grade III-IV constipation among the three groups., Conclusion: The response rate of MVP regimen is slightly lower than that of HMVP regimen, but HMVP regimen do not show obvious superiority. It may increase toxicities such as leukopenia, nausea/vomiting, and constipation. The response rate of HVP regimen is slightly lower than that of MVP regimen.

Adaptive immune responses of gammadelta T cells during active mycobacterial coinfection of human immunodeficiency virus-infected humans have not been studied. Macaques infected with the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) SIVmac were employed to determine the extent to which a coincident AIDS virus infection might compromise immune responses of mycobacterium-specific Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells during active mycobacterial infection. Control SIVmac-negative macaques developed primary and recall expansions of phosphoantigen-specific Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells after Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection and BCG reinfection, respectively. In contrast, SIVmac-infected macaques did not exhibit sound primary and recall expansions of Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells in the blood and pulmonary alveoli following BCG infection and reinfection. The absence of adaptive Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T-cell responses was associated with profound CD4(+) T-cell deficiency and subsequent development of SIVmac-related tuberculosis-like disease in the coinfected monkeys. Consistently, Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells from coinfected monkeys displayed a reduced capacity to expand in vitro following stimulation with phosphoantigen. The reduced ability of Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to expand could be restored to some extent by coculture of these cells with CD4(+) T cells purified from PBL of SIV-negative monkeys. Furthermore, naïve monkeys inoculated simultaneously with SIVmac and BCG were unable to sustain expansion of Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T cells at the time that the coinfected monkeys developed lymphoid depletion and a fatal tuberculosis-like disease. Nevertheless, no deletion in Vdelta2 T-cell receptor repertoire was identified in SIVmac-BCG-coinfected macaques, implicating an SIVmac-induced down-regulation rather than a clonal exhaustion of these cells. Thus, an SIVmac-induced compromise of the adaptive Vgamma2Vdelta2(+) T-cell responses may contribute to the immunopathogenesis of the SIV-related tuberculosis-like disease in macaques.

Rhodiola sachalinensis polysaccharides (RSP) isolated from the root of Rhodiola sachalinensis was demonstrated to decrease the levels of blood sugar, liver glycogen and total blood lipid when injected peritoneally to mice at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg once or for 7 successive days. In addition, RSP was found to decrease blood sugar and total blood lipid in various experimental hyperglycemias induced by injection of adrenaline, glucose and alloxan in mice. RSP exhibit inhibiting effect on the glycogen enhancement induced by glucose as well as strenghtening effect on the glycogen decomposition induced by adrenaline and alloxan.