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In this study, four dialdehyde starch-catechin (DAS-catechin) conjugates were prepared by conjugating (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) with dialdehyde starch. Then, DAS-catechin conjugates were used as antioxidant and cross-linking agents to produce chitosan (CS) based antioxidant packaging films. The functionality of CS/DAS-catechin conjugate films was determined. Results showed four DAS-catechin conjugates formed Schiff-base linkages and hydrogen bond interactions with CS, resulting in improved film uniformity. Compared with plain CS film, CS/DAS-catechin conjugate films owned higher UV-vis light, water vapor and oxygen barrier ability, lower swelling degree, and stronger tensile strength, thermal stability and antioxidant activity. The cross-linking between CS and DAS-catechin conjugates delayed the biodegradable process of CS film. CS/DAS-catechin conjugate films showed good performance on inhibiting sunflower seed oil oxidation. Notably, CS/DAS-ECG conjugate film had the highest oxygen barrier, mechanical and antioxidant performances among four CS/DAS-catechin conjugate films. Therefore, CS/DAS-ECG conjugate film is an antioxidant packaging candidate for edible oil.

Posterior cerebral artery (PCA) aneurysms are rare. This study is to evaluate the preliminary experience of braided stents applied in PCA aneurysms treatment.Angiographic and clinical data of 28 PCA patients treated with braided stents from July 2016 and September 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.A total of 28 PCA aneurysms were enrolled. 22 (78.6%) aneurysms were dissecting aneurysms, while 6 (21.4%) aneurysms were saccular aneurysms. Thirty-five braided stents were implanted with dual stents implanted in 7 cases. Immediate angiographic results show that Raymond class I was obtained in 13 patients (46.4%), Raymond class II was obtained in 4 patients (14.3%), and Raymond class III was obtained in 11 patients (39.3%). Perioperative hemorrhagic events occurred in 1 patient (3.6%). Twenty-four patients (85.7%) received angiographic follow-up, and the mean follow-up time was 11.2 ± 4.9 months. Two patients (8.3%) were confirmed with IA neck recurrence, and 3 patients (12.5%) were confirmed asymptomatic parent artery occlusion (PAO). The other 19 patients were confirmed promoted occlusion with 18 Raymond class I (75%) and 1 Raymond class II (4.2%). Twenty-seven patients (96.4%) received clinical follow-up, and the mean follow-up time was 32.2 ± 13.5 months. One patient (3.7%) confirmed the death event 2 weeks after discharge. The other 27 patients (96.3%) got favorable clinical outcomes with an mRS score of 0-2.Braided stent-assisted coiling with a high occlusion rate and relatively low complication rate provides an alternative strategy in treating PCA aneurysms. Long-term outcomes need further randomized study with larger case numbers.

Throughout the world, esophageal cancer patients had a greater suicidal risk compared with ordinary people. Thus, we aimed to affirm suicide rates, standardized mortality rates, and underlying suicide-related risk factors of esophageal cancer patients. Patients suffering esophageal cancer were chosen from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results repository in 1975–2016. Suicide rates as well as standardized mortality rates in the patients were measured. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression had been adopted for establishing the latent suicide risk factors among patients suffering esophageal cancer. On multivariable Cox regression, gender (male vs. female, HR: 6.37), age of diagnosis (70–105 vs. 0–55, HR: 2.69), marital status, race (white race vs. black race, HR: 6.64; American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander vs. black race, HR: 8.60), histologic Grade (Grade III vs. Grade I, HR: 2.36), no surgery performed (no/unknown vs. yes, HR: 2.01), no chemotherapy performed were independent risk factors related to suicide in patients suffering esophageal cancer. Male sex, the older age, unmarried state, non-black race, histologic Grade III, no surgery performed, no chemotherapy performed were strongly related to suicide in patients suffering esophageal cancer.

Bone morphogenetic protein belongs to transcription growth factor superfamily β; bone morphogenetic protein signal pathway regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis among different tissues. Cerebrovascular system supplies sufficient oxygen and blood into brain to maintain its normal function. The disorder of cerebrovascular system will result into serious cerebrovascular diseases, which is gradually becoming a major threat to human health in modern society. In recent decades, many studies have revealed the underlying biology and mechanism of bone morphogenetic protein signal pathway played in cerebrovascular system. This review will discuss the relationship between the two aspects, aiming to provide new perspective for non-invasive treatment and basic research of cerebrovascular diseases.

Freshness indicating films containing anthocyanins are one type of smart packaging technology. Anthocyanins in the films can show visual color changes when food spoilage occurs, thereby indicating the freshness degree of food in real-time.

Kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin are typical flavonols that feature different number of hydroxyl substituents at B-ring. In this study, kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin were individually mixed with chitosan (CS) based film matrix to develop active packaging films. Results showed the incorporation of flavonols produced dense inner microstructure by establishing intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions with film matrix. The addition of flavonols reduced the water vapor permeability, oxygen permeability and UV–vis light transmittance of the films, whereas elevated the tensile strength, elongation at break, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and antimicrobial activity of the films. Among all the films, the film containing myricetin showed the highest water vapor and oxygen barrier abilities and mechanical properties. Notably, different films presented distinct flavonol release behaviors in fatty and aqueous food stimulants. Kaempferol was easily released into fatty food stimulant, while myricetin was easily released into aqueous food stimulant. The release behavior of flavonols in different food stimulants greatly affected the antioxidant activity of the films. Our results suggest the structure and functional properties of the films are closely related to the number of hydroxyl substituents at B-ring of flavonols.

Anthocyanins and betacyanins are two different types of natural pigments. In this study, active and intelligent packaging were prepared by adding anthocyanins or betacyanins or anthocyanins/betacyanins mixture (in the weight ratios of 3:1, 1:1 and 1:3) into starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films. The physical and functional properties of developed films were compared. Results showed anthocyanins were more pH-sensitive than betacyanins. However, betacyanins were more beneficial to improve the compactness of the films and had stronger hydrogen bonding interactions with film matrix as compared with anthocyanins. The addition of anthocyanins and/or betacyanins slightly decreased the crystallinity of the films but significantly increased the ultraviolet-visible light barrier, water vapor barrier, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and ammonia-sensitive properties of the films. Moreover, the barrier, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the films increased with the increase of betacyanins proportion. Amongst different films, the film containing anthocyanins/betacyanins mixture in the weight ratio of 1:3 presented obvious color changes when the film was utilized to monitor the freshness of pork. Our results suggested betacyanins was more beneficial to enhance the barrier, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of starch/PVA films. Starch/PVA films simultaneously added with anthocyanins and betacyanins were more suitable to monitor the freshness of pork.

In modern society, intracranial aneurysms have seriously affected people's life. To better study and treat intracranial aneurysm, animal models are ideal candidates to perform biological research and preclinical endovascular device testing. Rabbit aneurysm model is one of the most commonly used animal models, and the rabbit aneurysms share similarities in histology, morphology, and hemodynamic aspects with human intracranial aneurysms, which is an ideal model for intracranial aneurysm pre-clinical and basic research. In this review, we will summarize the main methods of establishing rabbit aneurysms model and will further discuss the current biological mechanisms of intracranial aneurysms based on rabbit model. Further improvements of rabbit aneurysm model and more deep studies based on this model are needed to provide new insights into studying and clinical treating intracranial aneurysm.

In this study, the psychometric properties of three commonly used rating scales of test anxiety were examined, including the test anxiety inventory (TAI), the test anxiety scale (TAS) and the Friedman-Bendas Test Anxiety Scale (FAT). Under the framework of item response theory (IRT), the Bifactor multi-dimensional item response model was employed to compare the psychometric properties of the three scales. Results showed that the Bifactor structures were suitable for the three scales, which were then used in the subsequent Bifactor multidimensional item response theory analysis. Although the three commonly used TA scales were likely to measure the same underlying construct—test anxiety, they had very different psychometric properties. The findings of the Bifactor Multi-IRT provided suggestions for determining which scale to use in a given study design: the TAI and the FAT evaluated information at greatly overlapping ranges; however, the TAI, performing a litter better at the same levels of severity of TA, may be a good choice when we recruit those with various levels of TA severity to ensure a high precision. What’s more, FAT may be a good choice for measuring those with moderate TA severity. Meanwhile, the TAS provided more information at the lower level of TA symptomatology, which was to say, TAS was more suitable for epidemiological TA studies and for measuring those with lower TA severity.

Background: The high HCC recurrence rate was the main reason for the poor prognosis after hepatectomy. In this present study, we identified a novel ferroptosis-related gene signature for clinically predicting HCC recurrence after hepatectomy.Methods: Ferroptosis-related genes were obtained from the FerrDb database. We identified the ferroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (FDEGs) between HCC tissues and normal tissues from the GSE14520 dataset. These FDEGs were used to perform a univariate and multivariate regression analysis to construct HCC recurrence models. An independent HCC cohort from TCGA database was used to validate the reliability of the multi-gene HCC recurrence model. The predictive nomogram and DCA was built to estimate the recurrence predicting capacity of the multi-gene signature. GO, KEGG and GSEA were used to further investigate the potential mechanism of these FDEGs.Results: A total of 39 FDEGs were identified. A seven-gene signature (MAPK9, SLC1A4, PCK2, ACSL3, STMN1, CDO1, and CXCL2) was constructed for HCC recurrence prediction. Patients in high-risk groups exhibited a significantly poor prognosis compared with low-risk patients in both the training set (GSE14520 cohort) and the validation set (TCGA cohort). Multivariate cox regression analysis demonstrated that the 7-gene signature were independent risk factors for RFS in HCC patients. The nomograms incorporating 7-gene signature and clinical prognostic risk factors were able to effectively predict RFS. KEGG analysis showed that FDEGs were mainly enriched in Ferroptosis, Hepatocellular carcinoma pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and so on. GSEA analysis revealed that the high-risk group was enriched with multiple oncology characteristics and invasive-related pathways.Conclusion: Our study constructed a seven ferroptosis-related gene signature and established a prognostic nomogram for clinically predicting recurrence after hepatectomy and offered novel research directions for personalized treatment in HCC patients.

Endovascular treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms (IAs) was challenging. Our retrospective study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of LEO Baby stents using the dual stenting technique for complex IAs.Clinical and angiographic data of 15 IAs located in small arteries treated by LEO Baby stents in our neurosurgical center were retrospectively collected and analyzed between April 2019 to January 2021.15 patients received dual stent-assisted coiling procedures and the stent configurations include 7 cases of T- configuration, 5 cases of parallel- configuration, 2 cases of Y- configuration, and 1case of X- configuration. 11 patients received dual stents deployment with only LEO Baby stents and 4 patients received LEO Baby stent combined with LVIS stent. Immediate postprocedural results showed Raymond I in 4 patients (26.7%), Raymond II in 5 patients (33.3%), and Raymond III in 6 patients (40.0%). One patient (6.7%) was confirmed with an ischemic complication during the procedure. All 15 patients (100%) received clinical follow-up ranging between 6 and 28 months. An mRS score of 0-2 was reached in all patients. 13 patients (86.7%) received angiographic clinical follow-up ranging between 6 and 20 months. The results revealed that Raymond I was achieved in 10 patients (76.9%) and Raymond II was achieved in 3 patients (23.1%). One patient (7.7%) in 6 months after the procedure was confirmed with asymptomatic in-stent stenosis.This preliminary study suggests that dual stents deployment of LEO Baby stents was a feasible strategy for the treatment of complex IAs located in the small arteries.

Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein Sm D1 (SNRPD1), one of the crucial genes encoding core spliceosome components, was abnormally highly expressed in multiple types of tumors. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic and prognostic significance of SNRPD1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The investigation of datasets from GEO and TCGA databases revealed that SNRPD1 expression in HCC was significantly higher than adjacent normal liver tissues, which was validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Both GO, KEGG analysis showed that the SNRPD1 co-expressed genes mainly enriched in Cell division, Nuclear import, mRNA splicing via spliceosome, Ribosome, Cell cycle, etc. Survival analysis from the GSE14520 dataset and 154 HCC cohorts exhibited a significant association of high SNRPD1 expression with poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival. ROC analysis showed that the abnormally high SNRPD1 mRNA expression has diagnostic significance in distinguishing between HCC and normal liver tissue (AUC = 0.819). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) demonstrated that the high expression of SNRPD1 might regulate HCC tumorigenesis and progression by affecting the cell cycle, mismatch repair, DNA replication, and RNA degradation, etc. The luciferase report assay revealed that SNRPD1 was the direct target gene of miR-100 manifested by decreased SNRPD1 expression and luciferase activity in the HCC cells upon miR-100 overexpression. Finally, SNRPD1 may as an oncogene affecting the progression of HCC through regulates the mTOR pathway and autophagy.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of low-profile visualized intraluminal support (LVIS) stent-assisted coiling for the treatment of ruptured wide-necked anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms.Methods:The clinical and angiographic data of 31 acutely ruptured wide-necked ACoA aneurysms treated with LVIS stent-assisted coiling between January 2014 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.Results:All stents were successfully deployed. The immediate angiographic results were modified Raymond-Roy class I in 27 cases, modified Raymond-Roy class II in 2 cases, and modified Raymond-Roy class IIIa in 2 cases. Intraoperative thrombosis and postoperative aneurysmal rebleeding occurred in one case each. Two patients (6.5%) who were admitted due to poor clinical grade conditions died during hospital admission as a result of initial bleeding. Angiographic follow-up (mean: 12.9 months) was performed for 26 patients, the results of which demonstrated that 25 aneurysms were completely occluded and one was class II. The last clinical follow-up (mean: 25.3 months) outcomes demonstrated that 27 patients had favorable clinical outcomes and two had poor clinical outcomes.Conclusion:LVIS stent-assisted coiling for ruptured wide-necked ACoA aneurysms was safe and effective, with a relatively low rate of perioperative complications and a high rate of complete occlusion at follow-up.

Controlled pedigrees and the multi-decade timescale of national crop plant breeding programs offer a unique experimental context for examining how selection affects plant genomes. More than 3000 wheat cultivars have been registered, released, and documented since 1949 in China. In this study, a set of 145 elite cultivars selected from historical points of wheat breeding in China were re-sequenced. A total of 43.75 Tb of sequence data were generated with an average read depth of 17.94× for each cultivar, and more than 60.92 million SNPs and 2.54 million InDels were captured, based on the Chinese Spring RefSeq genome v1.0. Seventy years of breeder-driven selection led to dramatic changes in grain yield and related phenotypes, with distinct genomic regions and phenotypes targeted by different breeders across the decades. There are very clear instances illustrating how introduced Italian and other foreign germplasm was integrated into Chinese wheat programs and reshaped the genomic landscape of local modern cultivars. Importantly, the resequencing data also highlighted significant asymmetric breeding selection among the three sub-genomes: this was evident in both the collinear blocks for homeologous chromosomes and among sets of three homeologous genes. Accumulation of more newly assembled genes in newer cultivars implied the potential value of these genes in breeding. Conserved and extended sharing of linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks was highlighted among pedigree-related cultivars, in which fewer haplotype differences were detected. Fixation or replacement of haplotypes from founder genotypes after generations of breeding was related to their breeding value. Based on the haplotype frequency changes in LD blocks of pedigree-related cultivars, we propose a strategy for evaluating the breeding value of any given line on the basis of the accumulation (pyramiding) of beneficial haplotypes. Collectively, our study demonstrates the influence of "founder genotypes" on the output of breeding efforts over many decades and also suggests that founder genotype perspectives are in fact more dynamic when applied in the context of modern genomics-informed breeding.

BackgroundCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has developed into a full-blown global pandemic. It has been reported that patients with COVID-19 meeting the criteria for hospital discharge (including two consecutive negative RT-PCR results) have experienced recurrent PCR positivity. However, the clinical course and risk factors for these patients have not been well described.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, consecutive patients with COVID-19 confirmed by RT-PCR from the Guanggu Branch of Hubei Province Maternity and Childcare Hospital from February 24, 2020 to March 31, 2020 were enrolled. All patients received follow-up to April 15, 2020 from discharge. The epidemiological, radiographic, laboratory, treatment, and outcome data were extracted from medical records. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression methods were used to elucidate risk factors for patients with recurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA.Results1087 COVID-19 patients were included in this study. Of these, 20 (1.8%) died and 1067 (98.2%) were discharged from the hospital. Among the discharged cases, there were 81 (7.6%) patients found to develop a repeat positive SARS-Cov-2 RNA result. Older age was obviously associated with death. For patients with recurrent RT-PCR positivity, the median duration from illness onset to onset of complete RNA negative was 33.0 days (range, 6.0-82.0 days; IQR, 20.0-41.0 days), while that from illness onset to recurrence was 50.0 days (range, 21.0-95.0 days; IQR, 36.5-59.5 days). Multivariate regression analysis identified recurrence of positive SARS-Cov-2 RNA was associated with elevated IL-6 levels (P=0.004, OR=3.050; 95% CI, 1.432-6.499), increased lymphocyte count (P=0.038, OR=2.321; 95% CI, 1.048-5.138) and CT imaging features of lung consolidation (P=0.038, OR=1.641; 95% CI, 1.028-2.620) during hospitalization.ConclusionElevated lymphocyte counts and IL-6 levels in blood, and consolidation features on CT imaging are useful risk factors for clinicians to identify patients at risk of developing recurrent positivity of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This is speculated to be caused by a balance in immune regulation when fighting virus toxicity. For patients with a high risk of recurrent positivity, a prolonged observation and additional preventative measures should be implemented for at least 50 days after illness onset to prevent future outbreaks.Key PointsQuestionHow is the clinical course of patients with recurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA and what clinical characteristics are associated with that?FindingsIn this cohort involving 1067 COVID-19 patients discharged from the hospital, 81 (7.6%) patients found to develop a repeat positive SARS-Cov-2 RNA result. For patients with recurrent RT-PCR positivity, the median duration from illness onset to onset of complete RNA negative was 3.30 days (range, 6.0-82.0 days; IQR, 20.0-41.0 days), while that from illness onset to recurrence was 50.0 days (range, 21.0-95.0 days; IQR, 36.5-59.5 days). Risk factors associated with recurrence of positive SARS-Cov-2 RNA included elevated IL-6 levels, increased lymphocyte count and CT imaging features of lung consolidation during hospitalization.MeaningThe recurrence of positive SARS-Cov-2 RNA is speculated to be caused by a balance in immune regulation when fighting virus toxicity. For patients with a high risk of recurrent positivity, a prolonged observation and additional preventative measures should be implemented for at least 50 days after illness onset to prevent future outbreaks.

In plants, the mechanism for ecological sympatric speciation (SS) is little known. Here, after ruling out the possibility of secondary contact, we show that wild emmer wheat, at the microclimatically divergent microsite of “Evolution Canyon” (EC), Mt. Carmel, Israel, underwent triple SS. Initially, it split following a bottleneck of an ancestral population, and further diversified to three isolated populations driven by disruptive ecological selection. Remarkably, two postzygotically isolated populations (SFS1 and SFS2) sympatrically branched within an area less than 30 m at the tropical hot and dry savannoid south-facing slope (SFS). A series of homozygous chromosomal rearrangements in the SFS1 population caused hybrid sterility with the SFS2 population. We demonstrate that these two populations developed divergent adaptive mechanisms against severe abiotic stresses on the tropical SFS. The SFS2 population evolved very early flowering, while the SFS1 population alternatively evolved a direct tolerance to irradiance by improved ROS scavenging activity that potentially accounts for its evolutionary fate with unstable chromosome status. Moreover, a third prezygotically isolated sympatric population adapted on the abutting temperate, humid, cool, and forested north-facing slope (NFS), separated by 250 m from the SFS wild emmer wheat populations. The NFS population evolved multiple resistant loci to fungal diseases, including powdery mildew and stripe rust. Our study illustrates how plants sympatrically adapt and speciate under disruptive ecological selection of abiotic and biotic stresses.

Anthocyanins were extracted from 14 plants including blackberry, blueberry, black eggplant, black plum, black soybean, cranberry, Chinese bayberry, grape, haskap berry, Lycium ruthenicum, mulberry, purple cabbage, purple rice and purple sweetpotato. The obtained anthocyanins-rich extracts were immobilized in starch/polyvinyl alcohol matrices to develop intelligent packaging labels for pork and shrimp freshness monitoring. Results showed the total phenolic content and total anthocyanin content of 14 plant extracts were 156.84–423.89 mg/g and 34.15–228.62 mg/g, respectively. Micro-structural characterization revealed the extracts interacted with matrices through hydrogen bonding, which slightly increased the crystallinity of labels. The extracts made labels turned violet, bluish violet, or brown. Meanwhile, the UV–Vis light blocking, antioxidant and pH-dependent color-changing abilities of labels were also elevated by extracts. Among all the labels, the label with haskap berry extract presented the highest light blocking ability, while the label with blackberry extract or blueberry extract exhibited the highest antioxidant ability. Moreover, the label with purple cabbage extract was suitable for pork freshness monitoring while the label with black eggplant peel extract or Lycium ruthenicum extract was suitable for shrimp freshness monitoring. Therefore, the micro-structural, optical, antioxidant and pH-sensitive properties of anthocyanins-rich labels were greatly influenced by the source of anthocyanins.

Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as prognostic biomarkers and functional regulators in human cancers. The present study aimed to determine the expressions and functions of an lncRNA, Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 16 (SNHG16), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and methods SNHG16 expressions were tested by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in HCC cell lines, as well as 43 pairs of HCC tissues and pair-matched healthy hepatic tissues. It was overexpressed in Hep3B and HuH7 cells. The effects of SNHG16 overexpression in HCC in vitro proliferation, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemoresistance, and in vivo tumor growth were tested. A potential microRNA (miRNA) sponge target of SNHG16, hsa-miR-93, was tested by luciferase reporter assay and qRT-PCR. In addition, hsa-miR-93 was upregulated in SNHG16-overexpressed HCC cells to examine its effect on SNHG16-mediated cancer cell functional regulation in HCC. Results SNHG16 levels were markedly downregulated in both HCC cell lines and HCC tissues. Lentivirus-mediated SNHG16 overexpression inhibited HCC cell proliferation, 5-FU chemoresistance, and in vivo tumor growth. Hsa-miR-93 was confirmed to be directly sponging on SNHG16. Its upregulation in HCC cells reversed SNHG16 overexpression and induced tumor-suppressing effects in HCC cells. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that SNHG16 plays a critical role in HCC development via functionally sponging hsa-miR-93.

Smart packaging films were prepared by individually adding free Lycium ruthenicum anthocyanins and anthocyanins-loaded nanocomplexes into starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) blend. The functionality, stability and practical application of the films containing free anthocyanins and anthocyanins-loaded nanocomplexes were compared. Results showed 68.4% of anthocyanins were encapsulated in nanocomplexes. Anthocyanins-loaded nanocomplexes had the average particle size of 242.1 nm, the zeta potential of +28.13 mV, the polydispersity index of 0.186, and the core-shell structure. The prepared starch/PVA film containing anthocyanins-loaded nanocomplexes (SP-AN film) had denser micro-structures, stronger intermolecular interactions, and higher water vapor blocking and mechanical properties than the film containing free anthocyanins (SP-FA film). However, SP-FA film presented higher light blocking and antioxidant properties than SP-AN film. Notably, SP-AN film showed higher stability than SP-FA film when the films were exposed to heat (35 °C) and light radiation for 30 days. SP-FA and SP-AN films were further used to package refrigerated largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fillets. These two films effectively prolonged the shelf life of refrigerated bass fillets to 7 days and the films presented remarkable color changes when bass fillets spoiled. This work suggests SP-AN film was more suitable to be used as smart packaging material.

We prepared intelligent and active packaging films by using cassava starch, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Lycium ruthenicum anthocyanins. The impact of storage conditions as temperature (4, 20 and 35 °C), light (with or without light) and time (1, 2, 3 and 5 months) on the structure and functionality of the films were investigated. Results showed the cross-section of the films gradually became uniform with the increase of storage time and temperature. Meanwhile, the degradation products of anthocyanins formed strong intermolecular interactions with films matrix, resulting in increased crystallinity of the films. The initial purple color of the films gradually faded and turned green or yellow at the fifth month. UV–vis spectroscopy confirmed anthocyanins in the films gradually degraded during film storage. The films stored at 35 °C degraded much faster than those stored at 4 and 20 °C. The mechanical property of the films gradually increased, however, the antioxidant activity and pH-sensitivity of the films gradually decreased during film storage. The films stored at 4 °C preserved good antioxidant activity and pH-sensitivity for three months. Our results suggested that storage time and temperature were key factors affecting the structure and functionality of the films.

Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as prognostic biomarkers and functional regulators in human cancers. The present study aimed to determine the expressions and functions of an lncRNA, Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 16 (SNHG16), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and methods SNHG16 expressions were tested by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in HCC cell lines, as well as 43 pairs of HCC tissues and pair-matched healthy hepatic tissues. It was overexpressed in Hep3B and HuH7 cells. The effects of SNHG16 overexpression in HCC in vitro proliferation, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemoresistance, and in vivo tumor growth were tested. A potential microRNA (miRNA) sponge target of SNHG16, hsa-miR-93, was tested by luciferase reporter assay and qRT-PCR. In addition, hsa-miR-93 was upregulated in SNHG16-overexpressed HCC cells to examine its effect on SNHG16-mediated cancer cell functional regulation in HCC. Results SNHG16 levels were markedly downregulated in both HCC cell lines and HCC tissues. Lentivirus-mediated SNHG16 overexpression inhibited HCC cell proliferation, 5-FU chemoresistance, and in vivo tumor growth. Hsa-miR-93 was confirmed to be directly sponging on SNHG16. Its upregulation in HCC cells reversed SNHG16 overexpression and induced tumor-suppressing effects in HCC cells. Conclusion Our data demonstrate that SNHG16 plays a critical role in HCC development via functionally sponging hsa-miR-93.

Given there are no interword spaces marking word boundaries in Chinese text, it remains unclear how information about word length influences eye movement control during the reading of Chinese text. In this research, we set up strict controls for word frequency and other word properties, to study this knowledge gap. In Experiment 1A and Experiment 1B, a between-subjects design was used. Forty-eight pairs of one- and two-character words were selected as target words in Experiment 1A, while the same amount of two- and three-character words were selected in Experiment 1B. Conversely, a within-subjects design was used in Experiment 2. Sixty sets of one-, two- and three-character words were selected as target words. The results showed that long words were skipped less often and fixated on more often than short words. Total time was shorter for shorter than for longer words but first fixation durations were longer for one- than for two-character words. Most importantly, we did not find reliable evidence to support the view that word length could modulate initial landing position and incoming saccade length in the length-matched region analyses. These findings suggest that word length influences eye movement control during reading Chinese in a way that is slightly different from that in the process of reading English.

Cellulose is the major component of cell wall materials. A 300 bp specific fragment from the cDNA fragment was chosen to insert into vector pFGC1008 at forward and reverse orientations to construct the recombinant RNAi vector. Knockdown of BoiCesA caused “dwarf” phenotype with smaller leaves and a loss of the content of cellulose. Moreover, RT-PCR analysis confirmed that the expression of the RNAi apparatus could repress expression of the CesA gene. Meanwhile, examination of the leaves from the T3 of RNAi transformants indicated reduction of cell expansion in vascular bundles, particularly on their abaxial surface. The proline and soluble sugar content increased contrarily. Under the salt stress, the T3 of RNAi plants showed significant higher resistance. The expression levels of some salt tolerance related genes (BoiProH, BoiPIP2;2, BoiPIP2;3) were significantly changed in T3 of RNAi plants. The results showed that the hairpin structure of CesA specific fragment inhibited the endogenous gene expression and it was proved that the cDNA fragment was relevant to the cellulose biosynthesis. Moreover, modulation cellulose synthesis probably was an important influencing factor in polysaccharide metabolism and adaptations of plants to stresses. This will provide technological possibilities for the further study of modulation of the cellulose content of crops.

Liang Deng,1,* Jihong Yang,2,* Hongwu Chen,3 Bo Ma,4 Kangming Pan,1 Caikun Su,1 Fengfeng Xu,1 Jihong Zhang1 1Department of HepatobiliarySurgery, The Eastern Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 2Department of General Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, 3Department of Emergency, 4Department of Gastroenterology, The Eastern Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’sRepublicofChina*These authors contributed equally tothis workAbstract: TMEM16A plays an important role in cell proliferation in various cancers. However, less was known about the expression and role of TMEM16A in hepatocellular carcinoma. Wescreened the expression of TMEM16A in patients’ hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, and also analyzed the biological function of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by knockdown of TMEM16A, as well as the expression of MAPK signaling proteins, including p38, p-p38, ERK1/2, p-ERK1/2, JNK, and p-JNK, and cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin D1 in TMEM16A siRNA-transfected SMMC-7721 cells by Western blot. Our results showed that TMEM16A was overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues. Inhibition of TMEM16A suppressed the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and cell cycle progression but did not influence the cell apoptosis. TMEM16A siRNA-suppressed cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth were accompanied by a reduction of p38 and ERK1/2 activation and cyclin D1 induction, and were not influenced by other tested MAPK signaling proteins. In addition, inhibition of TMEM16A suppressed tumorigenicity in vivo. TMEM16A is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma, and that inhibition of TMEM16A suppressed MAPK and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma. TMEM16A could be a potentially novel therapeutic target for human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma.Keywords: TMEM16A, cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, hepatocellular carcinoma

Aquaporins are membrane channels precisely regulating water movement through cell membranes in most living organisms. Despite the advances in the physiology of fruit development, their participation during fruit development in cucumber still barely understood. In this paper, the expressions of 12 genes encoding plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) were analyzed during cucumber fruit development in our work. Based on the homology search with known PIPs from rice, Arabidopsis and strawberry, 12 cucumber PIP genes subfamily members were identified. Cellular localization assays indicated that CsPIPs were localized in the plasma membrane. The qRT-PCR analysis of CsPIPs showed that 12 CsPIPs were differentially expressed during fruit development. These results suggest that 12 genes encoding plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (CsPIPs) play very important roles in cucumber life cycle and the data generated will be helpful in understanding their precise roles during fruit development in cucumber.

New treatment paradigms that slow or reverse progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are needed to relieve significant patient and healthcare burdens. We have shown that a population of selected renal cells (SRCs) stabilized disease progression in a mass reduction model of CKD. Here, we further define the cellular composition of SRCs and apply this novel therapeutic approach to the ZSF1 rat, a model of severe progressive nephropathy secondary to diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Injection of syngeneic SRCs into the ZSF1 renal cortex elicited a regenerative response that significantly improved survival and stabilized disease progression to renal structure and function beyond 1 year posttreatment. Functional improvements included normalization of multiple nephron structures and functions including glomerular filtration, tubular protein handling, electrolyte balance, and the ability to concentrate urine. Improvements to blood pressure, including reduced levels of circulating renin, were also observed. These functional improvements following SRC treatment were accompanied by significant reductions in glomerular sclerosis, tubular degeneration, and interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. Collectively, these data support the utility of a novel renal cell-based approach for slowing renal disease progression associated with diabetic nephropathy in the setting of metabolic syndrome, one of the most common causes of end-stage renal disease.

Objective: Combined resection for locally advanced (T4) gastric cancer may result in high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics to determine the prognostic factors for T4 gastric cancers. Methodology: A total of 463 consecutive patients with gastric cancers were enrolled in this study. Among them, 63 patients received combined resections. Various clinicopathologic factors influencing survival rates were evaluated. Survival rates were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were evaluated by the univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: Thirty-one patients (49.2%) received one additional organ resection and 32 patients (50.8%) received two or more additional organ resections. Curative resection was performed in 49 patients (77.8%). Multivariate analysis identified curative resection (hazard ratio 0.330; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.139-0.784; P = 0.012) and tumor diameter (> 7 cm) (hazard ratio, 3.589; the 95 percent confidence interval, 1.425-9.037; P = 0.007) as independent prognostic factor for patients with T4 gastric cancer undergoing combined resection. Conclusions: The use of aggressive multi-organ resection was recommended for patients with T4 gastric carcinoma, with tumor diameter as a useful indicator. Patients with relatively small tumor diameter (≤ 7cm) could benefit from multi-organ resections.

Although polyadenylation has commonly been regarded as a special feature of eukaryotic messenger RNA, there are many reports of polyA tails on bacterial RNA (for example, refs 3-8). In Escherichia coli, adenylation mediated by the pcnB gene greatly accelerates decay of RNA I, an antisense repressor of replication of ColE1 type plasmids that resembles highly structured transfer RNA but shows the rapid turnover characteristic of mRNA. Here we report that both 3' adenylation and 5' phosphorylation affect the rate of digestion of RNA I by the 3' exonuclease, polynucleotide phosphorylase; conversely, mutation of the polynucleotide phosphorylase-encoding pnp gene affects ribonuclease acting at the 5' end. Together these findings indicate that enzymes attacking RNA I at its separate termini can interact functionally. Additionally, our discovery that adenylation-mediated degradation by polynucleotide phosphorylase imparts an mRNA-like half-like to RNA I suggests a possible mechanism to account for the rapid decay of mRNA in E. coli.

A family of stable lactococcal vectors have been constructed based on the pFX1 replicon using either the alpha fragment or the complete Escherichia coli lacZ gene as a selective marker. These vectors also incorporate multiple cloning sites and examples are given of their use for gene cloning and translational fusion studies in lactococci.