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Li Qun Jiang,1 Ting Yu Wang,1 Thomas J Webster,2 Hua-Jian Duan,1 Jing Ying Qiu,1 Zi Ming Zhao,1 Xiao Xing Yin,1,* Chun Li Zheng3,* 1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 3School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Biodegradable nanomaterials have been widely used in numerous medical fields. To further improve such efforts, this study focused on the intracellular disposition of chitosan nanoparticles (CsNPs) in macrophages, a primary cell of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS). Such interactions with the MPS determine the nanoparticle retention time in the body and consequently play a significant role in their own clinical safety. In this study, various dye-labeled CsNPs (about 250 nm) were prepared, and a murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) was selected as a model macrophage. The results showed two mechanisms of macrophage incorporation of CsNPs, ie, a clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway (the primary) and phagocytosis. Following internalization, the particles partly dissociated in the cells, indicating cellular digestion of the nanoparticles. It was proved that, after intracellular uptake, a large proportion of CsNPs were exocytosed within 24 h; this excretion induced a decrease in fluorescence intensity in cells by 69%, with the remaining particles possessing difficulty being cleared. Exocytosis could be inhibited by both wortmannin and vacuolin-1, indicating that CsNP uptake was mediated by lysosomal and multivesicular body pathways, and after exocytosis, the reuptake of CsNPs by neighboring cells was verified by further experiments. This study, thus, elucidated the fate of CsNPs in macrophages as well as identified cellular disposition mechanisms, providing the basis for how CsNPs are recognized by the MPS; such information is crucial to numerous medical applications of CsNPs. Keywords: exocytosis, uptake, intercellular transport, chitosan nanoparticles, macrophages

The contents of eight heavy metals （Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, and Hg） were determined based on the surface soil samples of sewage irrigation and industrial complex in Kaifeng City. The absolute factor analysis-multiple linear regression （APCS-MLR） model and positive matrix factorization （PMF） model were used to analyze the sources and contribution rates of heavy metals in soil combined with correlation analysis and systematic cluster analysis. The results showed that： ① The average values of ω （Cr）, ω （Ni）, ω （Cu）, ω （Zn）, ω （Cd）, ω （Pb）, ω （As）, and ω （Hg） in the study area were 52.19, 25.00, 42.03, 323.53, 1.79, 53.45, 9.43, and 0.20 mg·kg -1 , respectively, and Cr, Ni, and As are lower than the background values of tidal soil. Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg are higher than the background values of the tidal soil. ② There were four sources of the eight heavy metals： natural sources, agricultural sewage irrigation sources, industrial atmospheric sedimentation sources, and transportation sources. Cr and Ni were mainly from natural sources； Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were mainly from agricultural sewage irrigation and transportation sources； As was mainly from natural sources and agricultural sewage irrigation； and Hg was mainly from industrial atmospheric sedimentation. ③ The APCS-MLR and PMF source analysis results indicated that industrial and agricultural activities were the main sources of heavy metals in the soil of the study area. The average contribution rates of APCS-MLR in the nine sampling areas of the research area were 76.01% （natural sources and agricultural sewage irrigation sources）, 22.71% （industrial atmospheric sedimentation sources and transportation sources）, and 1.28% （unknown sources）. The average contribution rates of PMF were 59.66% （natural sources and agricultural sewage irrigation sources） and 40.34% （industrial atmospheric sedimentation sources and transportation sources）. The source analysis results of the LZ, XZ, NLT, PT, YLZ, and BC models were basically consistent, and WL was better in the APCS-MLR model, whereas SG and QT were better in the PMF model. The research results can provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of soil heavy metal pollution and environmental remediation.

In order to reveal the influence of urban transportation systems on the quality of urban ecological environment, this study selected surface dust from bus stops, which is strongly disturbed by transportation, as the research object. The contents of eight heavy metals (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in the dust were determined through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-ASE). The spatial distribution characteristics and pollution levels of the eight heavy metals in the dust were analyzed using the geo-accumulation index method. A combined qualitative (correlation analysis and principal component analysis) and quantitative (absolute principal component scores-multiple linear regression model (APCS-MLR)) method was used to explore the sources of heavy metals in surface dust near bus stops. The spatial distribution characteristics of heavy metals from different sources were elucidated using the Kriging interpolation method. The health risk assessment model proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was used to evaluate the human health risks. The results showed that the average values of ω (V), ω (Cr), ω (Co), ω (Ni), ω (Cu), ω (Zn), ω (Cd), ω (Pb), and ω (As) in the bus stop surface dust were 68.36, 59.73, 5.81, 19.34, 40.10, 208.32, 1.01, and 49.46 mg·kg -1 , respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cr) in the dust were all higher than the background values in the surrounding dust, exceeding them by 3.37, 2.70, 2.01, 1.95, and 1.28 times, respectively. The order of the geo-accumulation index for the eight heavy metals was Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > V > Ni > Co, with Cd, Zn, Cu, and Pb in the dust indicating mild pollution levels and the others showing no pollution. The source analysis results showed that Cr, Co, and Ni were natural sources, whereas Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd were traffic sources, and V was derived from a combination of industrial and natural sources. The APCS-MLR results indicated that the average contribution rates of the four sources were as follows:natural source (34.17 %), traffic source (29.84 %), industrial-natural mixed source (14.64 %), and unknown source (21.35 %). The spatial distribution map of the contribution rate of the traffic source was consistent with the trends of traffic volume and bus route density distribution. According to the health risk assessment, the cancer risk and non-cancer risk for children were both higher than those for adults. Cr was the main non-cancer factor, and Cd was the main cancer-causing factor. Natural and traffic sources contributed the most to non-cancer risk and cancer risk, respectively.

With the implementation of ecological protection and a high-quality development strategy in the Yellow River Basin, the environmental conditions around the Yellow River have attracted wide attention from scholars. In this study, the soil of drinking water sources(Heichi and Liuchi) in the typical suspended reach of the lower reaches of the Yellow River was selected as the research object. The geo-accumulation index and pollution load index were used to analyze the pollution characteristics of seven heavy metals(Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and As), and correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and absolute factor score-multiple linear regression(APCS-MLR) were employed to reveal the sources of soil heavy metals from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The health risk assessment model recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency(USEPA) was used to analyze the impact of soil heavy metals on human health, and the contribution rate of pollution sources to health risks was analyzed by combining the APCS-MLR model. The results showed that the average values of ω (Cr), ω (Ni), ω (Cu), ω (Zn), ω (Cd), ω (Pb), and ω (As) in the soil around the water source were 60.27, 30.00, 35.14, 77.75, 0.38, 21.74, and 9.70 mg·kg -1 , respectively. Except for As, the contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were higher than the background values of soil elements in the fluvo-aquic soil area of the lower Yellow River, whereas the contents of Cu and Zn in the soil around Liuchi were significantly higher than those in Heichi. Both the geo-accumulation index and the single-factor index showed that the black pond and the willow pond were slightly polluted by heavy metals, and Cd was the main pollution factor. The pollution load index model showed that the number of non-polluted and mildly polluted samples in the study area accounted for 5% and 95% of the total samples, respectively, indicating that the study area was at a mild pollution level. The source apportionment showed that Cr, Ni, Cu, and As were mainly affected by parent materials. The analysis results of the APCS-MLR model showed that the soil pollutants in the study area were mainly from natural sources, traffic sources, agricultural sources, and unknown sources, and their contribution rates were 42.95%, 23.39%, 16.95%, and 16.71%, respectively. The health risk assessment showed that As was the main non-carcinogenic factor, and Ni was the main carcinogenic factor. The non-carcinogenic risk of heavy metals to adults and children was negligible, and there was a tolerable carcinogenic risk to the human body. For both adults and children, the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk contribution rates of the four pollution sources were:natural sources>unknown sources>traffic sources>agricultural sources, among which natural sources contributed the most to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the characteristics, sources, and effects of soil pollution on human health around the water source area of the suspended reach of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, which is of great significance for the protection of water sources and provides theoretical support for the high-quality development of the ecological environment along the Yellow River.

Context: Gastrointestinal symptoms are a common complication of influenza virus infection in children, which the gut-lung axis become involved in its biological progress. The protective effect of 999 XiaoErGanMao granules (XEGMG) on multi-organ injury in viral pneumonia remains unclear., Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of XEGMG on lungs and intestines injury in A/FM/1/47 (H1N1) influenza virus-infected mice., Materials and Methods: Male BALB/c mice were infected with the 2LD 50 H1N1 influenza virus and then treated with XEGMG (6 or 12 g/kg) intragastrically once a day for 4 days. The lung and colon samples were then collected for pathological observation, and assays for inflammatory cytokines and intestinal barrier. Mouse feces were collected to evaluate the intestinal microbiota., Results: Treating with XEGMG (12 g/kg) can mitigate body weight loss caused by 2LD 50 H1N1 infection. It can also reduce lung index and pathological damage with the decreased inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1β. Furthermore, XEGMG (12 g/kg) can maintain the goblet cell number in the colons to protect the intestinal barrier and regulate the major flora such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Muribaculaceae back to normal. Meanwhile, the expression of IL-17A in the colon tissues was significantly lower in the group of XEGMG (6, 12 g/kg) compared to H1N1 group., Discussion and Conclusions: XEGMG can protect against H1N1 invasion involved in gut-lung axis regulation. The results provide new evidence for the protective effect of XEGMG, which is beneficial to vulnerable children.

With open spaces and good ecological environments, urban parks have become the first choice for the leisure and entertainment of many people. Therefore, the quality of park soil environments has gradually attracted the extensive attention of scholars. In this study, we take the Yellow River Cultural Park, a typical human disturbance area in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, as the research area to discuss the characteristics and sources of heavy metal pollution in the soil. Thirty-three soil surface samples were collected from the Yellow River Cultural Park, and the contents of seven heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and As) were determined using an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The geo-accumulation index and geo-statistics method were used. Meanwhile, the absolute factor analysis-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) receptor model and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis model were employed to reveal the sources of soil heavy metals. The results showed that the average contents of heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, and As) in the surface soil of the study area were 4.62, 1.78, 1.41, 1.08, and 1.03 times higher than the background values of soil elements in the tidal soil area of the lower reaches of the Yellow River, respectively. Except for Zn, the contents of other elements were lower than the corresponding values of soil elements in different regions along the Yellow River Basin. Among the seven heavy metal elements, the coefficients of variation of Cd and As were greater than 50%, showing obvious spatial variability. The decreasing trend of the accumulation index of the seven elements was Cd>Zn>Cu>Ni>Pb>As=Cr, and the element Cd belonged to the middle pollution category, which was obviously accumulated in the surface soil. The spatial distribution of heavy metals in the soil differed:the high contents of Cr, Cu, and Ni were distributed in the southwest and northeast, and the high-value areas of Cd and Pb were consistent with the areas of human activity intensity. The high-value areas of Zn and As were located in the center of lacustrine sediments. The combined results of the APCS-MLR and PMF models suggested that the first pollution source of soil heavy metal elements in the Yellow River Cultural Park could have been a natural source, the second pollution source may have been a transportation source, and the third source of pollution was judged as a mixed source. Human activities such as transportation sources and mixed sources were the main sources of heavy metal soil pollution, and Cr, Cu, and Ni were affected by natural factors. The contribution rates of APCS-MLR were 46.67%, 24.11%, 16.12%, and 13.10%, respectively, and the contribution rates of PMF were 35.50%, 35.48%, and 29.02%, respectively. This research can provide a basis for improving the ecological environment quality of the park and improving the health level of the population and can also provide support for the ecological environment risk management and comprehensive management along the Yellow River.

Two new decarestrictine analogs decarestrictine P and penicitone, together with eight known homologous compounds were isolated from the soil fungus from the rhizosphere of Penicillium sp. YUD18003 related to Gastrodia elata. Their different structures include a decanolides decartestridine P and a long-chain polyhydroxyketone penicitone. The structures of new compounds were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis and high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), while their absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic methods, DP4+ probability analysis, modified Snatzke's method and electron circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. All compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activities., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Objective: To understand the infection status of Enterovirus (EV) in cases of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in Luohe City, Henan Province from 2017 to 2021, and analyze the prevalence and type composition of EV in ARIs. Methods: From October 2017 to May 2021, pharyngeal swab samples were collected from 1 828 patients with ARIs in Luohe Central Hospital and the clinical epidemiological data of these cases were also collected. EV-positive samples were identified by Quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). The 5'-untranslated region (5'UTR) was amplified by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The results of 5'UTR region were initially typed by Enterovirus Genotyping Tool Version 1.0. Based on the typing results, the full-length of VP1 region was amplified by RT-PCR. The EV typing was identified again by VP1 region. Results: Among 1 828 cases of ARIs, 56.7% (1 036) were males. The median ( Q 1 , Q 3 ) age was about 3 (1, 5) years. Patients under 5 years old accounted for 71.6% (1 309 cases). Among all cases, a total of 71 EV-positive samples were identified by qPCR, with a detection rate of 3.88% (71/1 828). The EV detection rates for men and women were 3.28% (34/1 036) and 4.67% (37/792), without statistically significant differences ( χ 2 =2.32, P =0.14). The EV detection rates for 2 to <6 years, 6 months to <2 years, 6 to <10 years, and <6 months were 6.29% (48/763), 3.00% (18/600), 2.52% (4/159), and 1.67% (1/60) ( χ 2 =27.91, P <0.001). The EV detection rate was 0.92% (3/326) in autumn and winter of 2017. The EV detection rates were 1.18% (6/508), 2.47% (12/485) and 8.31% (34/409) in each year from 2018 to 2020, with an increasing trend year by year( χ 2 trend =29.76, P <0.001). The main prevalent seasons were summer and autumn. The detection rate in spring of 2021 was 4.00% (4/100). A total of 12 types were identified and classified as CVA2, CVA4, CVA5, CVA6, CVA10, CVB3, CVB5, E5, E11, E30, PV-1, and EV-D68. The types of CVA2, CVA10, CVA6, and CVB3 were the dominant phenotypes. In 59 sample of EV typing, the main clinical manifestation was upper respiratory tract infection (36/59, 61.01%). The dominant types detected in upper respiratory tract infections were CVA10 (10/36, 27.78%), CVA6 (9/36, 25.00%) and CVB3 (8/36, 22.22%). The dominant type detected in lower respiratory tract infections was CVA2 (7/19, 36.84%). Conclusion: In Luohe City, Henan Province from 2017 to 2021, EV infection in ARIs cases has clear seasonal and age-specific patterns, and the dominant types of upper and lower respiratory tract infections are different.

Five unprecedented polyketide metabolites were isolated and characterized from a rhizospheric soil-derived Penicillium sp. YUD17004. Their diverse structures included two indanone-type polyketides penicillyketides A and B, a phthalide-like polyketides penicillyketide C, a symmetrical chromone dimer penicillyketide D, along with a pyrone derivative pyranlyketide, which were elucidated by spectroscopic data interpretation and quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism calculation. Notably, the structures of penicillyketides A and B feature a highly functionalized indanone ring nucleus, but differ from other indanone-containing polyketides by the alkyl substitution pattern. The structure of penicillyketide C comprises a furanone ring instead of the hydroxycyclopentenone ring characteristic for penicillyketides A and B, and represents an undescribed arrangement within C 17 polyketides. Penicillyketide D represented the first example of a chromone homodimer with the bridge at C-2/2'. Penicillyketide B exhibited weak anti-inflammatory activity with an IC 50 value of 32 ± 1.0 μM. Penicillyketide D displayed weak cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cell line with an IC 50 value of 25 ± 0.9 μM., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ten undescribed C 12 polyketide phialocetones A-J, featuring twelve-, six- and five-membered lactone moieties, were isolated from a rhizospheric soil-derived Phialocephala sp. YUD18001 associated with Gastrodia elata. Their structures were established by NMR spectroscopic analysis and HRMS, while their absolute configurations were determined by computational methods and chemical reactions. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities. As a result, phialocetone D exhibited moderate effects against NO production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells with an IC 50 value of 14.77 μM, while phialocetone E showed cytotoxicity against HL-60 and SW480 cell lines with IC 50 values of 19.04 and 10.22 μM, respectively., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the recent years, the shortage of allo-skin sources has resulted in great challenges for salvage of patients with large area severe burns. Although being similar to human skin in construction and function, the clinical application of xenogenic porcine skin in burn wound management is limited due to factors including immuno-rejection, porcine endogenous retroviruses infection, etc. With the development of gene editing technology, especially the emerge of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein-9 system, multiple target genes could be possibly edited at the same time, which will bring broad prospect for the application of xenogenic porcine skin in the treatment of burn wounds. The paper mainly discusses the development, the existed barrier, the strategies of gene modification/editing, and the applications and research of xenogenic porcine skin xenografts in the clinical treatment of burn wound.

Five previously undescribed epoxy octa-hydronaphthalene polyketides, altereporenes A-E (1-5) were isolated from rice culture of the endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. YUD20002 derived from the tubers of Solanum tuberosum . Their structures were determined on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, while the absolute configurations were elucidated by the comparison of experimental and calculated specific rotations. Meanwhile, the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of compounds 1-5 were also investigated., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Abstract: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease defined by thrombotic or obstetrical events and persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). Chemokine-like factor-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing family (CMTM) is widely expressed in the immune system and may closely related to APS. This review aimed to systematically summarize the possible effects of CMTM on APS. Publications were collected from PubMed and Web of Science databases up to August 2020. CKLF, CKLFSF, CMTM, antiphospholipid syndrome, immune cells, and immune molecules were used as search criteria. Immune cells, including neutrophil, dendritic cells (DCs), T-cells, B-cells, and inflammatory cytokines, play an important role in the development of APS. Chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1) has a chemotactic effect on many cells and can affect the expression of inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules through the nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) pathway or mitogen-activated protein kinase (MARK) pathway. CKLF1 can participate in the maturation of DCs, T lymphocyte activation, and the activation of neutrophils through the MAPK pathway. CMTM1 may act on Annexin A2 by regulating Ca2+ signaling. CMTM2 and CMTM6 are up-regulated in neutrophils of APS patients. Some CMTM family members influence the activation and accumulation of platelets. CMTM3 and CMTM7 are binding partners of B-cell linker protein (BLNK), thereby linking B cell receptor (BCR) and activating BLNK-mediated signal transduction in B cells. Moreover, CMTM3 and CMTM7 can act on DCs and B-1a cell development, respectively. CMTM may have potential effects on the development of APS by acting on immune cells and immune molecules. Thus, CMTM may act as a novel prognostic factor or immunomodulatory treatment option of APS., (Copyright © 2021 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)

Objective: To observe the functional changes of skeletal muscle in severely burned rats, and to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) pathway inhibitor in skeletal muscle function. Methods: The experiment research method was applied. One hundred and twenty male Wistar rats of 8-week-old were divided into sham injury group, simple burn group, and burn+JAK/STAT3 inhibitor group according to the random number table, with 40 rats in each group. Rats in simple burn group and burn+JAK/STAT3 inhibitor group were inflicted with 50% total body surface area full-thickness scald on the back and abdomen, and rats in sham injury group were sham injured. Rats in burn+JAK/STAT3 inhibitor group were intraperitoneally injected with JAK/STAT3 inhibitor ruxolitinib. On post injury day (PID) 0 (immediately), 1, 4, 7, and 14, 8 rats in each group were used to measure the specific force generated by extensor digitorum longus in optimal length stimulated with pulse frequency of 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, and 160 Hz using a multichannel electrophysiological instrument, and specific force in fatigue period of extensor digitorum longus in optimal length stimulated with pulse frequency of 50 Hz for 0, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300 s. On PID 0, 1, 4, 7, and 14, carbonyl compound content of extensor digitorum longus was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and ATP content of extensor digitorum longus was determined by micrometry. Data were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance for repeated measurement, analysis of variance for factorial design, Bonferroni method, and t test. Results: Compared with those of sham injury group, specific forces of extensor digitorum longus of rats in simple burn group were significantly decreased after being stimulated with all the pulse frequency on PID 0, 1, 7, and all the pulse frequency except for 20 Hz on PID 4, and pulse frequency of 20 and 40 Hz on PID 14 ( P <0.05 or P <0.01). Compared with those of simple burn group, specific forces of extensor digitorum longus of rats in burn+JAK/STAT3 inhibitor group were significantly increased after being stimulated with all the pulse frequency except for 20 Hz on PID 1 and all the pulse frequency on PID 4, 7, and 14 ( P <0.05 or P <0.01). Compared with those of sham injury group, specific forces of extensor digitorum longus of rats in simple burn group were significantly decreased in fatigue period at all the time points post injury and stimulation time points except for 240 s on PID 7 ( P <0.05 or P <0.01). Compared with those of simple burn group, specific forces of extensor digitorum longus of rats in burn+JAK/STAT3 inhibitor group were obviously increased in fatigue period at all the stimulation time points except for 60 and 300 s on PID 1 and 240 s on PID 4, and all the stimulation time points on PID 7 and 14 ( P <0.05 or P <0.01). The carbonyl compound content of extensor digitorum longus of rats in simple burn group on PID 0, 1, 4, 7, and 14 was (0.651±0.155), (0.739±0.194), (0.618±0.086), (0.813±0.162), (0.615±0.115) nmol/mg, which were obviously higher than (0.196±0.019), (0.156±0.004), (0.169±0.023) (0.156±0.027), (0.175±0.008) nmol/mg in sham injury group ( t =7.219, 6.491, 10.938, 9.182, 11.589, P <0.01) and (0.538±0.069), (0.369±0.059), (0.273±0.061), (0.334±0.109), (0.318±0.101) nmol/mg in burn+JAK/STAT3 inhibitor group ( t =2.446, 4.689, 8.355, 5.754, 6.097, P <0.05 or P <0.01). The ATP content in extensor digitorum longus of rats in simple burn group on PID 1, 4, 7, and 14 was obviously lower than that in sham injury group ( t =7.159, 7.591, 7.473, 4.026, P <0.01) and burn+JAK/STAT3 inhibitor group ( t =2.295, 2.575, 2.453, 2.997, P <0.05). Conclusions: After severe burn, the specific force of extensor digitorum longus in rats decreased significantly after being stimulated with different pulse frequencies, and the extensor digitorum longus in rats was prone to fatigue. Blocking the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway can reduce the oxidative stress of muscle protein and increase ATP content, thereby reducing the muscle strength decline caused by burn injury and improving the muscle strength decline during fatigue period.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a debilitating mental disorder with complex clinical manifestations and low diagnostic accuracy. Depressive episodes are most common in the course of BD with high comorbidity and suicide rates, which present greater clinical challenges than mania and hypomania episodes. However, there are no objective biomarkers for bipolar depression. The aim of this study was to detect urinary metabolite biomarkers that could be useful for the diagnosis of bipolar depression. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to profile urine samples of patients with bipolar depression (n = 37) and healthy volunteers (n = 48). Data were analyzed using Orthogonal Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis and t-test. Differential metabolites were identified (VIP > 1 and p < 0.05), and further analyzed using Metabo Analyst 3.0 to identify associated metabolic pathways. In total, we identified seven metabolites differentially expressed in patients with BD and healthy controls. Compared with healthy group, the levels of betaine, glycerol, hippuric acid, indole sulfate, trimethylamine oxide, and urea in urine samples of BD patients were significantly higher, while the level of inositol was significantly lower. Most of these small molecules are related to lipid metabolism and gut microbiota metabolism. These differential metabolites could provide critical insight into the pathological mechanisms of bipolar depression. The results of this study provide a meaningful reference for similar and further studies in the future., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the integrated echinococcosis control program in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018., Methods: A package of integrated interventions were employed for echinococcosis control in 22 counties (districts) of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2011 to 2018, including screening of human echinococcosis, treatment of echinococcosis patients, deworming of domestic dogs and monitoring of infections, surveillance of echinococcosis in bovines and sheep, health education. The detection of human echinococcosis, seroprevalence of anti- Echinococcus antibody in children at ages of 6 to 12 years, the Echinococcus coproantigen-positive rate in domestic dogs, prevalence of echinococcosis in bovines and sheep, and the awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge were investigated and compared during the period between 2011 and 2018., Results: The detection of human echinococcosis appeared a decline tendency in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region over years during the period from 2011 to 2018 ( χ 2 trend = 82.22, P < 0.05), and the prevalence of human echinococcosis decreased from 0.31% in 2011 to 0.15% in 2018. The seroprevalence of anti- Echinococcus antibody appeared a decline tendency in children at ages of 6 to 12 years over years ( χ 2 trend = 439.64, P < 0.01), and the prevalence of anti- Echinococcus antibody decreased from 6.12% in 2011 to 0.67% in 2018. The Echinococcus coproantigen-positive rate appeared a decline tendency in domestic dogs over years ( χ 2 trend = 260.33, P < 0.05), and the prevalence of anti- Echinococcus antibody decreased from 7.11% in 2011 to 0.75% in 2018. The prevalence of bovine and sheep echinococcosis reduced from 3.26% and 5.08% in 2011 to 1.35% and 0.76% in 2018, and Echinococcus predominantly parasitized in bovine (92.00%) and sheep (93.94%) livers. A total of 63 stool samples were collected from red fox, wolf and badger in Xiji and Haiyuan counties of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2013 and 2014, with no Echinococcus coproantigen-positives detected, and 107 domestic cats and 3 domestic dogs were dissected in these two counties, with no Echinococcus found. A total of 6 046 wild mice were dissected in Xiji County, Yuanzhou District and Haiyuan County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from 2016 to 2019, and the prevalence of E. multilocularis was 0.31%. The awareness of echinococcosis control knowledge appeared an increasing tendency in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region over years from 2011 to 2018 ( χ 2 trend = 3 367.97, P < 0.01), and the awareness increased from 21.83% in 2011 to 72.24% in 2018., Conclusions: The integrated echinococcosis control program achieves a remarkable effect in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the transmission of echinococcosis has been preliminarily controlled. However, the echinococcosis transmission risk remains in few regions, and the integrated echinococcosis control program remains to be reinforced.

Background: B-cell activating factor (BAFF) is vital for B cell survival. Serum BAFF levels are elevated in thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome, but little is known about levels in patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and previous adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). We aimed to analyze serum BAFF concentrations of these patients in early pregnancy along with different pregnancy outcomes., Methods: Thirty-six pregnant patients positive for aPLs and previous APOs (patient group), 25 healthy pregnant females (HP group) and 35 healthy non-pregnant females (HNP group) from the Peking University Third Hospital, between October 2018 and March 2019, were enrolled in this study. Serum of HNP and serum of patients as well as HP in the first gestational trimester were collected. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to measure serum BAFF and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) concentrations. Cytometric bead array analysis was used to measure serum concentrations of cytokines. The patient group was further divided into APOs and non-APOs (NAPOs) group, fetal loss and live birth group according to pregnancy outcomes. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to assess significance between and within groups. Spearman rank-order was used to evaluate correlation coefficients between BAFF and related cytokines., Results: The serum BAFF level in HP group was significantly lower than HNP group (245.24 [218.80, 265.90] vs. 326.94 [267.31, 414.80] pg/mL, Z = -3.966, P < 0.001). The BAFF level was obviously elevated in patient group compared to that in HP group (307.77 [219.86, 415.65] vs. 245.24 [218.80, 265.90] pg/mL, Z = -2.464, P = 0.013). BAFF levels in APOs group tended to be higher than that in NAPOs group (416.52 [307.07, 511.12] vs. 259.37 [203.59, 375.81] pg/mL, Z = -2.718, P = 0.006). Compared to HP group, concentrations of IFN-α, interleukin (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor were higher in patient group (33.37 [18.85, 48.12] vs. 13.10 [6.85, 25.47] pg/mL, Z = -2.023, P = 0.043; 39.16 [4.41, 195.87] vs. 3.37 [2.92, 3.90] pg/mL, Z = -3.650, P < 0.001; 8.23 [2.27, 64.46] vs. 1.53 [1.25, 2.31] pg/mL, Z = -3.604, P < 0.001, respectively). Serum BAFF levels had a positive correlation with the concentrations of both IL-6 and IL-10 (IL-6: r = 0.525, P = 0.002; IL-10: r = 0.438, P = 0.012)., Conclusions: Serum BAFF levels are increased in patients with positive aPLs and previous APOs as compared to healthy pregnant females and tend to be higher in individuals with current APOs. The BAFF levels have a positive correlation with serum IL-6 and IL-10.

Objective: To explore the clinical value by analyzing the application of abdominal aortic balloon occlusion in the uterine curettage treatment for patients with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Methods: Totally 42 CSP patients in the first Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were analyzed retrospectively, 21 cases in the observation group, placing the balloon catheter to the abdominal aorta under the renal artery under the digital substraction angiography(DSA), conducting curettage under hysteroscopy or uterine laparoscopy immediately, and making intermittent blockage in abdominal aorta blood flow during the surgery;21 patients in the control group, conducting uterine artery embolization (UAE) before operation, conducting curettage under hysteroscopy or uterine laparoscopy after 1-3 days. The fluoroscopy time under DSA, body surface radiation dose, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, incidence of postoperative adverse reactions, hospitalization time and follow-up menstruation were comparatively analyzed. Results: All patients operated and retained the uterus successfully. In the control group, all 21 patients had different degrees of fever, pain and other symptoms after UAE. In the observation group and control group, the fluoroscopy time and body surface radiation dose under DSA respectively were (7.4±1.4) s, (5.4±1.1) mGy and (1 142.8±315.5) s, (1 442.0±300.0) mGy (both P <0.01);the average amount of intraoperative blood loss were (22±15), (19±14) ml ( P >0.05), the time of uterine curettage were (37±20), (42±19) minutes ( P >0.05);hospitalization time were (5.0±0.9), (7.7±1.3) days ( P <0.01). The follow-up period was more than 3 months, no adverse reactions were observed in the observation group; 4 cases of menstrual reduction and 1 case of intrauterine adhesions were found in the control group. Conclusion: Abdominal aortic balloon occlusion and UAE could effectively reduce intraoperative bleeding in uterine curettage for patients with CSP; abdominal aortic balloon occlusion has significant reduction of the X-ray dose, shorter hospitalization time, and fewer adverse events comparing to UAE.

The chemokine-like factor (CKLF)-like MARVEL transmembrane domain-containing family (CMTM) is widely expressed in the immune system. Abnormal expression of CMTM is associated with the development of various diseases. This article summarizes the relevant research on the role of the CMTM family in immune disorders. This information will increase our understanding of pathogenesis and identify promising targets for the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases. The CMTM family is highly expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CKLF1 may be involved in the development of arthritis through its interaction with C-C chemokine receptor 4. CKLF1 is associated with the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis and psoriasis. Both CMTM4 and CMTM5 are associated with the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus. CMTM1, CMTM2, CMTM3, and CMTM6 play a role in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, Sjögren syndrome, and anti-phospholipid syndrome, respectively. The CMTM family has been implicated in various autoimmune diseases. Further research on the mechanism of the action of CMTM family members may lead to the development of new treatment strategies for autoimmune diseases.

Recently discovered Dirac semimetals (DSMs) with two Dirac nodes, such as Na&#95;{3}Bi and Cd&#95;{2}As&#95;{3}, are regarded as carrying the Z&#95;{2} topological charge in addition to the chiral charge. We study the Floquet phase transition of Z&#95;{2} topological DSMs subjected to a beam of circularly polarized light. Owing to the resulting interplay of the chiral and Z&#95;{2} charges, the Weyl nodes are not only chirality dependent but also spin dependent, which constrains the behavior in creation and annihilation of the pair of Weyl nodes. Interestingly, we find a novel phase: One spin band is in the Weyl semimetal phase while the other is in the insulator phase, and we dub it the Weyl half-metal (WHM) phase. We further study the spin-dependent transport in a Dirac-Weyl semimetal junction and find a spin filter effect as a fingerprint of the existence of the WHM phase. The proposed spin filter effect, based on the WHM bulk band, is highly tunable in a broad parameter regime and robust against magnetic disorder, which is expected to overcome the shortcomings of the previously proposed spin filter based on the topological edge or surface states. Our results offer a unique opportunity to explore the potential applications of topological DSMs in spintronics.

Objective: The objective ofthis study was to assess the association between thyroid hormone (TH) levels in follicular fluid (FF) and serum and to determine whether THs impact assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes., Methods: This study enrolled 299 women undergoing ART. Blood samples were drawn on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administrationand analysed for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine(T4), triiodothyronine(T3),free T4 (fT4),free T3(fT3), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) levels. FF was obtained on the oocyte pick up (OPU) day and analysed forTSH, T4, T3, fT4, fT3, TPOAb, TgAb and estradiol levels., Results: (1) There were significant positive correlations between serum and FF TH and thyroid autoantibody levels. Statistically significant differences were discovered in serum and FF levels of TSH (p ≤ 0.001), T4 (p ≤ 0.001), T3 (p ≤ 0.001), TPOAbs (p ≤ 0.001) and TGAbs (p = 0.021). (2) Serum T4 levels [121.9(104.8,140.8) vs 114.1(98.6,130.6) nmol/l, p = 0.026], serum fT4 levels[(19.0(17.7,21.8) vs 18.6(17.0,20.1) pmol/l, p = 0.026], serum T4/T3 ratios [62.5 (55.7, 66.2) vs 59.4 (53.4, 64.9), p = 0.029], FF fT4 levels [19.0(17.5,21.3) vs 18.1(16.8,19.9) pmol/l, p = 0.009] and FF T4/T3 ratios [52.6 (46.4, 57.3) vs 50.0 (43.7, 53.1), p = 0.004] were significantly higher in the successful pregnancy group than the implantation failure group. (3) Spearman's rank correlation analysis revealed positive associations of both the FF T4/T3 ratio and serum TSH levels with the numbers of retrieved oocytes (total or MII) and embryos (fertilized, cleavage, and good quality)., Conclusions: TH levels in FF are strongly correlated with those in serum on the HCG day, and THs on the HCG day may affect ART outcomes.

Background: ERp57 dysfunction has been shown to contribute to tumorigenesis in multiple malignances. However, the role of ERp57 in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear., Methods: Cell proliferation ability was measured by MTT and colony forming assays. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were performed to measure protein and mRNA expression. Co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP) and proximity ligation assay (PLA) were performed to detect protein-protein interaction. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation (RIP), and oligo pull-down were used to confirm DNA-protein and RNA-protein interactions. Promoter luciferase analysis was used to detect transcription factor activity., Results: Here we found ERp57 was overexpressed in ccRCC tissues, and the higher levels of ERp57 were correlated with poor survival in patients with ccRCC. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that ccRCC cell proliferation was enhanced by ERp57 overexpression and inhibited by ERp57 deletion. Importantly, we found ERp57 positively regulated ILF3 expression in ccRCC cells. Mechanically, ERp57 was shown to bind to STAT3 protein and enhance the STAT3-mediated transcriptional activity of ILF3. Furthermore, ILF3 levels were increased in ccRCC tissues and associated with poor prognosis. Interestingly, we revealed that ILF3 could bind to ERp57 and positively regulate its expression by enhancing its mRNA stability. Furthermore, ccRCC cell proliferation was moderated via the ERp57/STAT3/ILF3 feedback loop., Conclusions: In summary, our results indicate that the ERp57/STAT3/ILF3 feedback loop plays a key role in the oncogenesis of ccRCC and provides a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC treatment.

An efficient electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding paper with excellent water repellency and mechanical flexibility has been developed, by assembling silver nanowires (AgNWs) and hydrophobic inorganic ceramic on the cellulose paper, via a facile dip-coating preparation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations confirmed that AgNWs were interconnected and densely coated on both sides of the cellulose fiber, which endows the as-prepared paper with high conductivity (33.69 S/cm in-plane direction) at a low AgNW area density of 0.13 mg/cm 2 . Owing to multiple reflections and scattering between the two outer highly conductive surfaces, the obtained composite presented a high EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of up to 46 dB against the X band, and ultrahigh specific EMI SE of 271.2 dB mm -1 . Moreover, the prepared hydrophobic AgNW/cellulose (H-AgNW/cellulose) composite paper could also maintain high EMI SE and extraordinary waterproofness (water contact angle > 140°) by suffering dozens of bending tests or one thousand peeling tests. Overall, such a multifunctional paper might have practical applications in packaging conductive components and can be used as EMI shielding elements in advanced application areas, even under harsh conditions.

Background: Accumulating evidence shows that circular RNAs (circRNAs) plays vital roles in tumor progression. However, the biological functions of circRNAs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) metastasis is still unclear., Methods: qRT-PCR was used to detect circFLNA, miRNAs and FLNA mRNA expression. Transwell assay and western blot were performed to evaluate cell migration ability and to detect FLNA, MMP2 and MLK1 protein expression, respectively. RNA pull-down analysis was used to find the binding-miRNAs of circFLNA. Luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the effect of circFLNA on miRNAs and miR-486-3p on FLNA expression., Results: In this study, we confirmed that a Filamin A (FLNA)-derived hsa&#95;circ&#95;0092012 known as circFLNA, was upregulated in LSCC, and the higher expression of circFLNA was correlated with LSCC lymph node metastasis. Increased circFLNA facilitates LSCC cell migration ability through upregulating FLNA and MMP2 protein expression. Mechanistically, we find that circFLNA sponges miR-486-3p in LSCC cells, relieving miR-486-3p-induced repression of FLNA which promotes LSCC cell migration. Accordingly, FLNA mRNA is overexpressed in LSCC tissues and a higher FLNA level is correlated with poor survival. Dysregulation of the circFLNA/miR-486-3p/FLNA regulatory pathway contributes to LSCC migration., Conclusions: In summary, our study sheds light on the regulatory mechanism of circFLNA in LSCC migration via sponging miR-486-3p, which downregulates the FLNA protein expression. Targeting circFLNA/miR-486-3p/FLAN axis provides a potential therapeutic target for aggressive LSCC., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Objective: To explore the occurrence of oxidative stress and antioxidases expression in diaphragm of severely burned rats, so that the mechanism of respiratory muscle atrophy and dysfunction post-burn injury will be further clarified. Methods: Eighty male Wistar rats (aged 7 to 8 weeks) were divided into sham injury group and burn injury group according to the random number table, with 40 rats in each group. Rats in burn injury group were inflicted with 50% total body surface area full-thickness scald (hereinafter referred to as burn) on the back and abdomen by immersing into 80 ℃ water for 15 s and 8 s respectively. Immediately after injury, 40 mL/kg normal saline was injected through abdomen for resuscitation, and the wounds were treated with iodine. Except for immersing into 37 ℃ warm water and no resuscitation, the other treatments of rats in sham injury group were the same as those of burn injury group. Whole diaphragms of 8 rats per time point per group were collected after anesthesia at post injury hour (PIH) 2 and on post injury day (PID) 1, 3, 7, and 14, and muscle mass was determined. The protein carbonyl content was determined by microplate reader. The protein expressions of catalase, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and glutathione peroxidase 1 were determined by Western blotting. Data were processed with analysis of variance of factorial design, t test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) There were no statistically significant differences in the diaphragm mass of rats between the 2 groups at PIH 2 and on PID 1 ( t =0.453, 0.755, P >0.05). The diaphragm mass of rats in burn injury group started to decrease from PID 3, which was significantly lower than that of sham injury group ( t =3.321, P <0.01). The diaphragm mass of rats in burn injury group started to increase from PID 7 to PID 14, which was significantly lower than that of sham injury group ( t =4.622, 4.380, P <0.01). (2) Protein carbonyl content in diaphragm of rats in burn injury group at PIH 2, and on PID 1, 3, 7, and 14 [(2.7±0.3), (2.5±0.5), (2.4±0.4), (2.5±0.4), (3.2±0.6) pg/mL] was significantly higher than that of sham injury group respectively [(1.2±0.4), (1.6±0.3), (1.5±0.7), (1.7±0.3), (1.8±0.4) pg/mL, t =5.994, 3.263, 3.666, 3.158, 5.763, P <0.05 or P <0.01]. (3) Protein expressions of catalase in diaphragm of rats in burn injury group on PID 1 and 3 were close to those of sham injury group ( t =0.339, 0.324, P >0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in protein expressions of SOD2 in diaphragm of rats between the 2 groups at PIH 2 and on PID 1, 3, 7, and 14 ( t =1.446, 1.385, 0.757, 1.561, 0.531, P >0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in protein expressions of glutathione peroxidase 1 in diaphragm of rats in the 2 groups at PIH 2 and on PID 1, 3, and 7 ( t =0.200, 0.729, 0.385, 1.559, P >0.05). Conclusions: Continuous oxidative stress and relatively insufficient expression of antioxidases in diaphragm induced by burn injury could be a contributor to diaphragm atrophy.

We provide a general transport theory for spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) through a doped topological insulator (TI) surface. It is found that different from the conventional magnetic substrate, the tunneling conductance through the tip-TI surface acquires an extra component determined by the in-plane spin texture, exclusively associated with the spin momentum locking. Importantly, this extra conductance unconventionally depends on the spatial azimuthal angle of the magnetized STM tip. By introducing a magnetic impurity to break the symmetry of rotation and local time reversal of the TI surface, we find that the measurement of the spatial resolved conductance can reconstruct the helical structure of spin texture, from which the spin-momentum locking angle can be extracted if the in-plane magnetization is induced purely by the spin-orbit coupling of surface Dirac electrons. Our theory offers an alternative way, differing from existing in-plane-current polarization probed in a multi-terminal setup or angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy, to electrically identify the helical spin texture on TI surfaces.

Silicene offers an ideal platform for exploring the phase transition due to strong spin-orbit interaction and its unique structure with strong tunability. With applied electric field and circularly polarized light, silicone is predicted to exhibit rich phases. We propose that these intricate phase transitions can be detected by measuring the bulk Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction. We have in detail analyzed the dependence of RKKY interaction on phase parameters for different impurity configurations along zigzag direction. Importantly, we present an interesting comparison between different terms of RKKY interaction with phase diagram. It is found that the in-plane and out-of-plane terms can exhibit the local extreme value or change of sign at the phase critical point and remarkable difference in magnitude for different phase regions. Consequently, the magnetic measurement provides unambiguous signatures to identify various types of phase transition simultaneously, which can be carried out with present technique.

Objective: To investigate the effects of Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RASI) and hydrocortisone combination on the murine asthma model and the mechanism., Methods: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group, blood stasis model group, asthma model group, HSS group, RASI group and RASI+HSS group ( n =12). Ovalbumin (OVA) was used to replicate mice asthma model and hydrocortisone sodium succinate (HSS) to copy blood stasis model. Effects of RASI, HSS and their combination on hemorheology, anti-asthma (asthmatic behaviors, lung function, lung index and water content in lung tissue) were observed. and anti-asthma mechanisms The expression of relative cytokines, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was detected by ELISA and immunohistochemistry respectively., Results: Eight g/kg RASI, 0.05 g/kg HSS and their combination could significantly relieve asthma behavioral indicators, improve lung function, reduce lung index and water content in lung tissue, decrease the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and inhibit the high expression of HMGB1, TLR4 and NF-κB in lung tissue. The improvement of lung function and the decrease in level of relative cytokines (TNF-α、IL-1βIL-6) were better in RASI+HSS group than those in RASI group and HSS group, and the inhibition of protein expression of TLR4 and NF-κB was also too. Combined administration of RASI and hydrocortisone could decrease serum thromboxane B2 (TXB2) content and blood viscosity, which were increased induced by hydrocortisone., Conclusions: Combined administration of RASI and hydrocortisone have obvious anti-asthma effects and one of the mechanisms is to inhibit protein synthetization of HMGB1, TLR4 and NF-κB.The combined administration of RASI and hydrocortisone has stronger improvement of lung function than that of RASI and hydrocortisone alone, and it may be related to the inhibition of TLR4 and NF-κB synthetization. The combined administration of RASI can alleviate abnormal changes of hemorheology induced by hydrocortisone in treatment of asthma.

Objectives: To observe the preventive and therapeutic action of Yuyin Ruangan Granule (YRG, Traditional Chinese Medicine) in hepatic fibrosis rats model and its effect on transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) expression., Methods: The Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 group ( n =10), and the model of hepatic fibrosis rats was established by subcutaneous injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCL4), fed on high-fat diet and 20% ethanol for 6 weeks, to survey the effect and mechanism of YRG preventing hypatic fibrosis by detecting liver function (the activity of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), etc.) of liver fibrosis rats, liver fibrosis indicators (hyaluronic acid, Ⅲ procollagen, type IV collagen, laminin and hepatic pathology, etc.), and TGF-β1 expression in liver tissue after 6 weeks treated with YRG through intragastric administration (q. d.)., Results: At the 7 th week, fibrotic lesions appears distinctly in liver tissue of model group compared with control group ( P <0.01), YRG of 6.2~28.8 g/kg could significantly decrease hepatic index, ALT and AST activities, content of hyaluronic acid(HA), Ⅲ procollagen (PCⅢ), type Ⅳ collagen(C-Ⅳ), laminin (LN) in serum, relieve liver fibrosis pathological changes and inhibit TGF-β1 expression in fibrotic liver tissue ( P <0.05, P <0.01)., Conclusions: YRG has significantly preventive effects on liver fibrosis rats model, and it may be one of its mechanisms to inhibit expression of TGF-β1.

We investigate the thermoelectric effect on a topological insulator surface with particular interest in impurity-induced resonant states. To clarify the role of the resonant states, we calculate the dc and ac conductivities and the thermoelectric coefficients along the longitudinal direction within the full Born approximation. It is found that at low temperatures, the impurity resonant state with strong energy de-pendence can lead to a zero-energy peak in the dc conductivity, whose height is sensitively dependent on the strength of scattering potential, and even can reverse the sign of the thermopower, implying the switching from n- to p-type carriers. Also, we exhibit the thermoelectric signatures for the filling process of a magnetic band gap by the resonant state. We further study the impurity effect on the dynamic optical conductivity, and find that the resonant state also generates an optical conductivity peak at the absorption edge for the interband transition. These results provide new perspectives for understanding the doping effect on topological insulator materials.

The 2014-2015 Ebola epidemic was considered to be the largest and most complex outbreak, which caused 11,310 reported deaths. The epidemic disease can cause a mental health crisis, however, there is only a small amount of scientific literature available related to this health issue so far. We evaluated the psychological symptoms of 161 participants including Ebola survivors and healthcare workers in Sierra Leone, analyzed the impact of job classification, education level on psychological status. We found that the order of total general severity index (GSI) scores from high to low was EVD survivors, SL medical staff, SL logistic staff, SL medical students, and Chinese medical staff. There were 5 dimensions (obsession-compulsion, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideation) extremely high in EVD survivors. GSI were associated with university education negatively. We believed our information is necessary to develop the comprehensive emergency response plan for emerging infectious disease outbreak.

The contamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface dusts attracts great attentions due to their properties of threatening human health. Twenty-nine surface dust samples were collected from driving-schools in a city of Henan. Concentrations of 16 priority PAHs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The health risks exposed to dust PAHs for three different scenarios (working for 5 a, 10 a and 20 a in driving-school) were estimated by the health risk assessment model (ILCRs). Source identification was analyzed by diagnostic ratio, composition analysis, and principal component analysis. The results showed that concentrations of the ∑PAHs in dusts ranged from 198.21 to 3400.89 μg·kg -1 , with a mean of 908.72 μg·kg -1 . Among individual PAHs, the contents of naphthalene (Nap), phenanthrene (Phe), anthracene (Ant) and fluoranthene (Flu) were higher, and the content of dibenzo[a, h]anthracene (DBA) was the lowest. The dominant compounds were 2-3 ring PAHs, which accounted for 55.79%, while the 4-6 ring PAHs accounted for 44.21%. The health risks exposed to PAHs in dust in three different scenarios were 9.27×10 -8 , 1.85×10 -7 , and 3.71×10 -7 respectively; only sample J11 was with potential health risk in scenario 3, and the other samples were all without risks. Average daily doses by dermal contact of dust particles for the PAHs was the main exposure way. PAHs in dusts of driving-school were mainly originated from the combustion of fossil fuels and mixture combustion. The major sources of dust PAHs in farmland area driving-schools were natural gas and diesel combustion (56.44%), coal combustion (26.55%), gasoline combustion and the leakage (17.01%); dust PAHs in industrial area driving-schools were from mixture combustion (76.26%), gasoline combustion and the leakage (22.85%), coking and coal combustion (0.89%); and dust PAHs in mixed area driving-schools were from coal combustion (45.57%), natural gas and diesel combustion (45.41%), gasoline combustion and the leakage (9.02%). The concentrations and health risks of heavy metals in dusts were closely related to the surroundings around driving-schools and the previous land use status.

Objective: To study the anti-asthmatic effects of butylphthalide in guinea pig., Methods: This research included isolated tra-cheal smooth muscle and in vivo animal experiments. Antispasmodic effects of butylphthalide at the concentrations of 1, 10, 100 mg/L were observed through spasmodical tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig induced by acetylcholine or histamine ( n =10). After screened, the guinea pigs were divided into control group, model group, dexamethasone(DXM) group, high and low dose butylphthalide groups. The effects of butylphthalide on nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and asthmatic behaviors were observed on the asthmatic guinea pigs that were stimu-lated six times by the excitation fluid (1% ACh:0.05% Hist=1:1)., Results: Butylphthalide at the concentrations of 1、10、100 mg/L had an-ti-spasmodic effects on spasmodical tracheal smooth muscle of guinea pig (15.08 ±7.68、42.41 ±13.54、77.56 ±24.82 to acetylcholine, 19.40 ±7.60、56.84 ±11.72、76.35 ±19.40 to histamine), which showed a certain dose-effect relationship. Butylphthalide could prolong asth-matic incubation period (53.3 ±13.2、33.1 ±13.0), improve asthmatic behaviors, reduce NO in serum (78.71 ±19.40、84.75 ±20.97) and ET-1 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (24.30 ±5.80、28.50 ±6.31) ( P < 0.05, 0.01)., Conclusions: Butylphthalide has some effects of anti-asthma and one of the mechanisms is to relieve abnormal increase of NO and ET-1.

Currently, Weyl semimetals (WSMs) are drawing great interest as a new topological nontrivial phase. When most of the studies concentrated on the clean host WSMs, it is expected that the dirty WSM system would present rich physics due to the interplay between the WSM states and the impurities embedded inside these materials. We investigate theoretically the change of local density of states in three-dimensional Dirac and Weyl bulk states scattered off a quantum impurity. It is found that the quantum impurity scattering can create nodal resonance and Kondo peak/dip in the host bulk states, remarkably modifying the pristine spectrum structure. Moreover, the joint effect of the separation of Weyl nodes and the Friedel interference oscillation causes the unique battering feature. We in detail an- alyze the different contribution from the intra- and inter-node scattering processes and present various scenarios as a consequence of competition between them. Importantly, these behaviors are sensitive significantly to the displacement of Weyl nodes in energy or momentum, from which the distinctive fingerprints can be extracted to identify various semimetal materials experimentally by employing the scanning tunneling microscope.

Background: Clinical and laboratory data were collected and analysed from patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Jui Government Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where patients with EVD were received and/or treated from October 1, 2014 to March 21, 2015 during the West Africa EVD outbreak., Methods: The study admitted 285 patients with confirmed EVD and followed them up till the endpoint (recovery or death). EVD was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR assays detecting blood Ebola virus (EBOV)., Results: Among the 285 lab-confirmed EVD cases in Jui Government Hospital, 146 recovered and 139 died, with an overall survival rate of 51.23 %. Patients under the age of 6 years had a lower survival rate (37.50 %). Most non-survivors (79.86 %) died within 7 days after admission and the mean hospitalization time for non-survivors was 5.56 ± 6.11 days. More than half survivors (63.69 %) turned blood EBOV negative within 3 weeks after admission and the mean hospitalization time for survivors was 20.38 ± 7.58 days. High blood viral load (≥10 6 copies/ml) was found to be predictive of the non-survival outcome as indicated by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The probability of patients' survival was less than 15 % when blood viral load was greater than 10 6 copies/ml. Multivariate analyses showed that blood viral load (P = 0.005), confusion (P = 0.010), abdominal pain (P = 0.003), conjunctivitis (P = 0.035), and vomiting (P = 0.004) were factors independently associated with the outcomes of EVD patients., Conclusions: Most death occurred within 1 week after admission, and patients at the age of 6 or younger had a lower survival rate. Most surviving patients turned blood EBOV negative within 1-4 weeks after admission. Factors such as high blood viral load, confusion, abdominal pain, vomiting and conjunctivitis were associated with poor prognosis for EVD patients.

During the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, less than half of EVD-suspected cases were laboratory tested as Ebola virus (EBOV)-negative, but disease identity remained unknown. In this study we investigated the etiology of EVD-like illnesses in EBOV-negative cases. From November 13, 2014 to March 16, 2015, EVD-suspected patients were admitted to Jui Government Hospital and assessed for EBOV infection by real-time PCR. Of 278 EBOV negative patients, 223 (80.21%), 142 (51.08%), 123 (44.24%), 114 (41.01%), 59 (21.22%), 35 (12.59%), and 12 (4.32%) reported fever, headache, joint pain, fatigue, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhage, respectively. Furthermore, 121 (43.52%), 44 (15.83%), 36 (12.95%), 33 (11.87%), 23 (8.27%), 10 (3.60%) patients were diagnosed as infection with malaria, HIV, Lassa fever, tuberculosis, yellow fever, and pneumonia, respectively. No significant differences in clinical features and symptoms were found between non-EVD and EVD patients. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to explore the etiology of EVD-like illnesses in uninfected patients in Sierra Leone, highlighting the importance of accurate diagnosis to EVD confirmation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Background: A Chinese medical team managed Ebola virus disease (EVD) patients in Sierra Leone from October 2014 to March 2015 and attended to 693 suspected patients, of whom 288 had confirmed disease., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of the 288 patients with confirmed disease. Clinical symptoms, manifestations, and serum viral load were analyzed and compared among the different groups for mortality and survival time., Results: Among the 288 confirmed EVD patients (149 male and 139 female, median age 28 years, and median log viral load 6.68), 98 died, 36 recovered, and 154 were lost to follow-up. Common symptoms were fever (77.78%), fatigue (64.93%), abdominal pain (64.58%), headache (62.85%), and diarrhea (61.81%). Compared to patients aged<18 years, those who were older than 40 years had a higher probability of death (odds ratio 2.855, p=0.044). Patients with a viral load of >10(6) copies/ml had a higher case fatality rate than those with <10(6) copies/ml (odds ratio 3.095, p=0.004). Cox regression showed that age, viral load, and the presence of diarrhea correlated with mortality., Conclusion: Patients with a high viral load, of older age, and with diarrhea had a higher mortality and shorter survival time., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The present study investigated the genetic characterization of red-colored heartwood Chinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.] in Guangxi using 21 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and analyzes of the genetic variation (N = 149) in samples obtained from five sites in Guangxi Province, China. The number of different alleles and the Shannon's information index per locus ranged from 3 to 12 and from 0.398 to 2.258 with average values of 6 and 1.211, respectively, indicating moderate levels of genetic diversity within this germplasm collection. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.199 to 0.827 and from 0.198 to 0.878 with an average of 0.562 and 0.584, respectively. Although, the mean fixation index was 0.044, indicative of a low level of genetic differentiation among germplasms, analysis of molecular variance revealed considerable differentiation (99%) within the samples. The neighbor-joining dendrogram revealed that the majority of red-colored Chinese fir genotypes were apparently not associated with their geographic origins. Further analysis by STRUCTURE showed that this Guangxi germplasm collection could be divided into three genetic groups comprising 76, 37, and 36 members, respectively; these were classified into mixed groups with no obvious population structure. These results were consistent with those of the cluster analysis. On the whole, our data provide a starting point for the management and conservation of the current Guangxi germplasm collection as well as for their efficient use in Chinese fir-breeding programs.

The purposes of this study were to establish an animal model for burn-blast combined injury research and elaborate cardiopulmonary system changes in the early shock stage. In this study, royal demolition explosive or RDX (hexagon, ring trimethylene nitramine) was used as an explosive source, and the injury conditions of the canine test subjects at various distances to the explosion (30, 50, and 70 cm) were observed by gross anatomy and pathology to determine a larger animal model of moderate blast injury. The canines were then subjected to a 35 % total body surface area (TBSA) full-thickness flame injury using napalm, which completed the development of a burn-blast combined injury model. Based on this model, the hemodynamic changes and arterial blood gas analysis after the burn-blast combined injury were measured to identify the cardiopulmonary system characteristics. In this research, RDX explosion and flame injury were used to develop a severe burn-blast injury animal model that was stable, close to reality, and easily controllable. The hemodynamic and arterial blood gas changes in the canine subjects after burn-blast injury changed distinctly from the burn and blast injuries. Blood pressure and cardiac output fluctuated, and the preload was significantly reduced, whereas the afterload significantly increased. Meanwhile, the oxygen saturation (SO2) decreased markedly with carbon dioxide partial pressure (PCO2), and lactic acid (Lac) rose, and oxygen partial pressure (PO2) reduced. These changes suggested that immediate clinical treatment is important during burn-blast injury both to stabilize cardiac function and supply blood volume and to reduce the vascular permeability, thereby preventing acute pneumonedema or other complications.

Fifty-two dust samples were collected from four parks [Longting Park (P(L)), Tieta Park (P(T)), Qingmingshanghe Park (P(Q)), Xiangguosi Park (P(X))] located in Kaifeng City, China. Concentrations of Hg and As in dusts were measured by atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS), while Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cd were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS). The heavy metal pollution of dust was assessed using Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and pollution load index (PLI). The health risk due to exposure to heavy metals in dust was assessed using the model recommended by USEPA. The non-carcinogen (HI) and carcinogen health risks (TCR) were also calculated to evaluate the potential risks to adults. The results showed that the average contents of Hg, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb were much higher than those in control samples and the background values of fluvo-aquic soil in China. The samples were seriously polluted by Hg and Pb, besides, there was.moderate pollution, slight pollution of Cu and Zn, and no pollution of As, Cr and Ni. The PLI from the 4 Parks indicated that there was serious heavy metals pollution of dust in P(X), moderate pollution in P%, and slight pollution in P(T) and P(Q). The average HI of heavy metals in the four Parks was lower than one. The average HI decreased in the order of P(L) > P(X), > P(T) > P(Q), while the average TCR decreased in the order of P(L) > P(Q) > P(x) > P(T). The contribution rate of HQ(As) to HI was about 43.51% , and that of CR(As) to TCR was about 70.11%.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based regenerative therapy is currently regarded as a novel approach with which to repair damaged tissues. However, the efficiency of MSC transplantation is limited due to the low survival rate of engrafted MSCs. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) production is increased in numerous diseases and serves an essential function in the regulation of apoptosis in a variety of cell types. Previous studies have indicated that low-dose LPS pretreatment contributes to cytoprotection. In the current study, LPS was demonstrated to induce apoptosis in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) via the activation of caspase, in a dose-dependent manner. Low-dose LPS pretreatment may protect hUCMSCs against apoptosis induced by high-dose LPS, by upregulating the expression of cellular FADD-like IL-1β-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). The results of the present study indicate that pretreatment with an appropriate concentration of LPS may alleviate high-dose LPS-induced apoptosis.

Full-length cDNAs are very important for genome annotation and functional analysis of genes. The number of full-length cDNAs from watermelon remains limited. Here we report first the construction of a full-length enriched cDNA library from Fusarium wilt stressed watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.) cultivar PI296341 root tissues using the SMART method. The titer of primary cDNA library and amplified library was 2.21 x 10(6) and 2.0 x 10(10) pfu/ml, respectively and the rate of recombinant was above 85%. The size of insert fragment ranged from 0.3 to 2.0 kb. In this study, we first cloned a gene named ClWRKY1, which was 1981 bp long and encoded a protein consisting of 394 amino acids. It contained two characteristic WRKY domains and two zinc finger motifs. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that ClWRKY1 expression levels reached maximum level at 12 h after inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum. The full-length cDNA library of watermelon root tissues is not only essential for the cloning of genes which are known, but also an initial key for the screening and cloning of new genes that might be involved in resistance to Fusarium wilt.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the leading cellular constituents used in regenerative medicine. MSCs repair and reconstruct wounds of acute traumata and radiation-induced burns through proliferation, differentiation, and trophic activity. However, repair effect of MSCs on severe burn wounds remain to be clarified because severe burns are much more complex traumata than radiation-induced burns. Survival and proliferation of MSCs in microenvironments affected by severe burns are very important for improving wound repair/regeneration. This study aimed to elucidate the survival and proliferation effects and the potential proliferation mechanism of serum from severe burn patients (BPS) on human umbilical cord MSCs (hUCMSCs) in vitro., Methods: The hUCMSCs were isolated, cultured, and identified. Next, we evaluated the effects of BPS on cell numbers, cell cycle progression, cyclin D expression, and key proteins and genes of the Notch signaling pathway. Putative mechanisms underlying the proliferation of hUCMSCs were investigated., Results: BPS markedly increased the number of hUCMSCs, and the results of the cell cycle studies indicated that BPS induced cell cycle progression into the M phase. Cyclin D expression was higher with BPS than in the control group. Moreover, Notch-1, a key determinant of hUCMSC activation and proliferation, and its target gene Hes-1 were overexpressed after BPS treatment. Proliferation numbers of hUCMSC, rate of proliferation period (G2/M+S), and the expression of cyclin D, Notch-1, and Hes-1 were markedly decreased by Notch signaling inhibitors (DAPT/GSI). In the case of BPS, basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor were the key factors that promoted hUCMSC proliferation., Conclusion: This study provides novel evidence for the role of BPS in the survival and rapid proliferation of hUCMSCs and suggests that these cells could be used for cell therapy-based clinical applications for treating severe burns. Furthermore, hUCMSC proliferation was induced by basic fibroblast growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor in BPS through activation of Notch signal.

Objective: To explore the most appropriate method for the isolation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) through a comparison of different methods., Methods: Fifteen umbilical cord specimens from full-term healthy fetus with caesarean birth were completely rinsed with phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and sliced into 1 mm(3) tissue blocks after removal of umbilical vessels and external membrane. These tissue blocks were averagely divided into 4 groups after washing and centrifuge. Then four methods for the isolation of human umbilical cord MSCs were compared: an explant culture and three enzymatic methods of collagenaseII, collagenaseII/trypsin and collagenaseII/hyaluronidase. The count of living cells was evaluated by trypan blue dye exclusion test. Cell morphology was observed under inverted microscope. The expressions of cell surface markers CD105, CD90, CD73, CD31, CD44, CD45, human leukocyte antigen-I (HLA-I) and human leukocyte antigen class IImolecules (HLA-DR) were detected by immunofluorescent staining. Cell proliferation was assayed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT)., Results: The human umbilical cord MSCs were successfully isolated by four isolated methods. However the isolation method used profoundly altered the cell number and proliferation capacity of isolated cells. Isolated cells using four methods were counted at (5.44 ± 0.21)×10(5), (4.03 ± 0.24)×10(5), (4.91 ± 0.33)×10(5) and (5.94 ± 0.40)×10(5) respectively. More cells were obtained with collagenaseII/hyaluronidase than other three methods (all P < 0.05). Cells out of tissue blocks were observed at Day 9-11 and cells were observed at Day 2 with three types of enzyme digestion. The fusion time of cells were (18.5 ± 3.5), (8.0 ± 1.0), (7.5 ± 1.5) and (3.5 ± 0.5) days respectively. The fusion time of cells obtained with collagenaseII/hyaluronidase was lower than other methods (all P < 0.05). Cell morphology: polygonal, irregular and of large volume for explant culture; relatively short and small for collagenaseII and collagenaseII/trypsin methods; thin spindle for collagenaseII/hyaluronidase method. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that CD105, CD73, CD90 and CD44 were expressed in all groups while there was no expression of CD31, CD45 or HLA-DR. And the cells obtained with collagenaseII/hyaluronidase method were in a higher cell proliferation rate and activity compared to other methods., Conclusion: The collagenaseII/hyaluronidase method is optimal for the isolation of human umbilical cord MSCs than other methods.

Objective: To explore the functions of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the restoration of hair follicles with a mixture of human dermal papilla cells and human hair follicle outer root sheath cells in vitro in nude mice., Methods: Human hair follicle outer root sheath cells (hfORS) and human hair dermal papilla cells (hDP) were cultured in vitro and mixed in a fixed ratio (hfORS: hDP = 5:1). Flow cytometry was used to detect the content of CD200(+) cells in human hair follicle outer root sheath cells.And 8 nude mice were divided randomly into 2 groups according to a random number table and back wounds produced. Group A was transplanted with cell mixture plus 20 µg/L CTGF. Group B was transplanted with cell mixture alone. After 8 weeks of transplantation, the development of hair follicle formation was observed histologically.PCR was used to detect the expression of human specific DNA and mice DNA in transplants., Results: The portion of CD200(+) cells in cultured hfORS was 19.65%. At 8 weeks after implantation, hair follicle formation could be observed in Group A (268 ± 96) more than Group B (62 ± 20). The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). And PCR showed that there was human composition in transplant., Conclusion: CTGF can induce the formation of hair follicle by promoting the interference between hDP and hfORS.

Objective: To explore the role of voltage dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) involved mitochondrial apoptosis in heart injury of rats with severe scald injury and elucidate its possible regulatory signal pathway., Methods: A total of 60 Wistar rats were divided into sham scald group (n = 30) and scald group (n = 30) according to a random digital table. Blood and heart tissue samples were harvested at Day 1, 7, 14 post scalding. Myocardial injury was assessed with cardiac troponin I (cTnI) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mitochondrial apoptosis activation was evaluated by the expressions of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cytoplasmic cytochrome C and VDAC2. And the levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, p-Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β and hexokinase 2 protein were determined by Western blot., Results: The serum levels of cTnI were significantly higher in scald group than those in sham scald group at Day 1, 7, 14 ((1.41 ± 0.25) vs (0.53 ± 0.23) µg/L, (1.93 ± 0.53) vs (0.43 ± 0.23) µg/L, (1.62 ± 0.34) vs (0.41 ± 0.22) µg/L respectively, all P < 0.05). Compared with sham scald group, Bax/Bcl-2 ratio increased significantly in scald group at Day 1, 7 day post-scalding (3.360 ± 0.173 vs 0.623 ± 0.044, 2.736 ± 0.341 vs 0.698 ± 0.064, 1.290 ± 0.234 vs 0.718 ± 0.063 respectively, all P < 0.05), VDAC2 protein level in scald group decreased significantly at Day 1, 7, 14 (0.070 ± 0.009 vs 0.328 ± 0.026, 0.007 ± 0.002 vs 0.291 ± 0.025, 0.009 ± 0.004 vs 0.302 ± 0.037 respectively, all P < 0.05), the cytoplasmic levels of cytochrome increased significantly in scald group at Day 1, 7, 14 (0.418 ± 0.030 vs 0.022 ± 0.007, 1.685 ± 0.169 vs 0.030 ± 0.011, 0.300 ± 0.037 vs 0.098 ± 0.014 respectively, all P < 0.05), the expression of PI3K was significantly lower in scald group at Day 14 post-scalding (0.083 ± 0.015 vs 0.328 ± 0.011, P < 0.05), the expressions of p-GSK3β all reduced significantly at Day 1, 7, 14 (0.098 ± 0.014 vs 0.446 ± 0.031, 0.064 ± 0.002 vs 0.476 ± 0.054, 0.074 ± 0.010 vs 0.442 ± 0.041, respectively, all P < 0.05) and the expressions of HK2 were lower at Day 7, 14 post-scalding (0.390 ± 0.027 vs 0.611 ± 0.070, 0.267 ± 0.018 vs 0.490 ± 0.042, respectively, all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: VDAC2 involved mitochondrial apoptosis is activated in myocardium after severe scalds. And it may be regulated by the pathway of PI3K-GSK-HK2.

Objective: The research aimed to investigate the entophytic fungal community of Cynanchum Komarrovii, including the biodiversity in different organs and the correlations with ecological environment. Endophytic fungi with patent bioactivity were also rapidly screened., Method: PDA medium was used to isolate and purify the endophytic fungi from C. komarovii living in Shaanxi and Ningxia district, respectively. The strains were identified based on the morphological characteristics of the fungi and similarity of 5.8S gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence. Pyriculaia oryzae model was applied to preliminarily screen the active fungi., Result: Ninety-four strains of endophytic fungi were isolated and identified to 9 species, 13 genera, 9 families and 6 orders, among them, 47 strains were from the plants living in Ningxia. And then, 5 of them were isolated from roots, 14 from branches, and 28 from leaves. They were identified belonging to 8 species, 9 genera, 5 families and 4 orders. Additionally, 47 strains were from the plants living in Shaanxi. 16 were isolated from the roots, 18 from branches, 13 from leaves. They were identified belonging to 5 species, 8 genera, 6 families and 4 orders. By preliminary screening, 18 strains of endophytes completely inhibited the germination of conidium, which showed a potential bioactivity for these fungi. Both N4 and S17 strains had stronger growth inhibition effect., Conclusion: Endophytic fungi from desert plant C. komarovii have the feature of diversity. Different geographical environment and type of organizations lead to the significant difference on the quantity and the species composition. Most of fungi in Ningxia C. komarovii distribute in leaves. However, most of those in Shaanxi C. komarovii distribute in stems and leaves. It also indicated that endophytes from C. komarovii had a strong antifungal activity.