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Because of the yield increase of 3.5–15% compared to conventional wheat, hybrid wheat is considered to be one of the main ways to greatly improve the wheat yield in the future. In this study, we performed a principal component analysis (PCA) on two-line hybrids wheat and their parents using the grain weight (GW), the length of spike (LS), the kernel number of spike (KSN), and spike number (SPN) as variables. The results showed that the variables could be classified into three main factors, the weight factor (factor 1), the quantity factor 1 (factor 2) and the quantity factor 2 (factor 3), which accounted for 37.1, 22.6 and 18.5%, respectively of the total variance in different agronomic variables, suggesting that the GW is an important indicator for evaluating hybrid combinations, and the grain weight of restorer line (RGW) could be used as a reference for parents selection. The hybrid combination with a higher score in factor 1 direction and larger mid-parent heterosis (MPH) of the GW and its parents were used to carry out the analysis of grain filling, 1-aminocylopropane-1-carboxylicacid (ACC) and polyamine synthesis related genes. The results suggested that the GW of superior grain was significantly higher than that of inferior grains in BS1453×JS1 (H) and its parents. Both grain types showed a weight of H between BS1453 (M) and JS1(R), and a larger MPH, which may be caused by their differences in the active filling stage and the grain filling rate. The ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), granule bound starch synthase I (GBSSI), starch synthase III (SSS), and starch branching enzyme-I (SBE-I) expression levels of H were intermediated between M and R, which might be closely related to MPH formation of the GW. Compared with R and H, the GW of M at maturity was the lowest. The expression levels of spermidine synthase 2 (Spd2), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) had significantly positive correlations with the grain filling rate (r=0.77*, 0.51*, 0.59*), suggesting their major roles in the grain filling and heterosis formation. These provide a theoretical basis for improving the GW of photo-thermo-sensitive male sterile lines (PTSMSL) by changing the endogenous polyamine synthesis in commercial applications.

Supplemental activator and reducing agent atom transfer radical polymerization (SARA ATRP) of methyl acrylate was successfully performed in inexpensive, eco-friendly polyethylene glycol solvents and catalyzed by a mixed sulfite/CuBr2 system at room temperature. The presence of polyethylene glycol in the reaction mixtures allowed fast and controlled polymerizations throughout the whole reaction time. Remarkably, a fast polymerization can be achieved with a monomer conversion reaching 90% in only 50 min using PEG 200 as the reaction solvent. The controlled character of the ATRP of methyl acrylate was confirmed by the linear increase in molecular weight with monomer conversion, the narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn = 1.15) and the results of chain extension experiments. 1H NMR analysis also confirmed the molecular structure and chain-end functionality of the obtained polymers, and the effects of PEG molecular weight and inorganic sulfites on the polymerization behavior were investigated.

Purpose: Alpha-adrenergic blockers are commonly used as a medical expulsive therapy (MET) for patients with ureteral calculi. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of alpha-adrenergic blockers compared with a placebo when used as a MET. Materials and methods: We carried out a systematic search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, and the Cochrane Library, for relevant articles from inception to November 2020. Our aim was to identify placebo-controlled trails in which patients were randomized to receive either alpha-adrenergic blockers (tamsulosin, alfuzosin, doxazosin, terazosin, naftopidil, or silodosin) or a placebo for the treatment of ureteral calculi. Results: According to strict inclusion criteria, database searches identified 8 placebo-controlled studies that included 2284 patients. Generally, α-blockers had no significant effect on the clearance of stones in the urinary tract (risk ratio [RR] = 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00–1.11). However, subgroup analysis showed that α-blockers were effective in treating distal urinary tract stones (RR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.02–1.15). With regards to adverse events, our analysis showed that the combination of MET with α-blockers was likely to cause dizziness (RR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.06–1.79) and retrograde ejaculation (RR = 3.10; 95% CI = 1.81–5.29). Conclusion: Although α-blockers cannot improve the overall ureteral stone clearance rate, these drugs are still effective for the treatment of stones in the distal urinary tract. However, the application of α-blockers is likely to cause dizziness and/or retrograde ejaculation.

Background: Known as the prerequisite component for the heterosis breeding system, the male sterile line determined the hybrid yield and seed purity. Therefore, a deep understanding of the mechanism and gene network that leads to male sterility is crucial. BS366, a temperature-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) line, were male sterile under cold condition (12℃ with 12 h daylight) but fertile under normal temperature (20℃ with 12 h daylight). Results: During the meiosis, BS366 was defective in forming tetrad and dyad due to the abnormal cell plate. During the pollen development, unusual vacuolated pollen that cannot accumulate starch grains at the binucleate stage was also observed. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes involved in the meiotic process like sister chromatid segregation and microtubule-based movement were repressed, while genes involved in DNA and histone methylation were induced in BS366 under cold condition. MethylRAD was used for a reduced DNA methylation sequencing for BS366 under both cold and control conditions. The differentially methylated sites (DMSs) located in the gene region were mainly involved in carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and transport. Genes differentially and methylated were mainly involved in cell division. Conclusions: These results indicated that methylation of genes involved in carbon metabolism or fatty acid metabolism would contribute to the male sterility in BS366, which will provide a novel insight into the molecular mechanism of wheat male sterility.

Transcriptome analysis was carried out for wheat seedlings and spikes from hybrid Jingmai 8 and both inbred lines to unravel mechanisms underlying heterosis. Heterosis, known as one of the most successful strategies for increasing crop yield, has been widely exploited in plant breeding systems. Despite its great importance, the molecular mechanism underlying heterosis remains elusive. In the present study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on the seedling and spike tissues of the wheat (Triticum aestivum) hybrid Jingmai 8 (JM8) and its homozygous parents to unravel the underlying mechanisms of wheat heterosis. In total, 1686 and 2334 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the hybrid and the two inbred lines in seedling and spike tissues, respectively. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that DEGs from seedling tissues were significantly enriched in processes involved in photosynthesis and carbon fixation, and the majority of these DEGs expressed at a higher level in JM8 compared to both inbred lines. In addition, cell wall biogenesis and protein biosynthesis-related pathways were also significantly represented. These results confirmed that a combination of different pathways could contribute to heterosis. The DEGs between the hybrid and the two inbred progenitors from the spike tissues were significantly enriched in biological processes related to transcription, RNA biosynthesis and molecular function categories related to transcription factor activities. Furthermore, transcription factors such as NAC, ERF, and TIF-IIA were highly expressed in the hybrid JM8. These results may provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat heterosis.

Two new coordination polymers generally formulated as [Ni3(Hchda)2(chda)2(bpy)2(H2O)2]n (1) and [Ni3(Hchda)2(chda)2(bpp)2(H2O)2]n (2) [H2chda = 1,1’-cyclohexanediacetic acid, bpy = 4,4’-bipyridine and bpp = 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane], have been successfully assembled through mixed-ligands synthetic strategy with flexible alicyclic carboxylate and bipyridyl ligands. There structures feature trinuclear nickel secondary building units connected via the bridging bipyridyl spacers to form two-dimensional (4,4) grid layer. The nature of the different N-donor auxiliary ligands leads to the discrepancy in supramolecular structure of the two compounds. Magnetic studies indicate the ferromagnetic intra-complex magnetic interaction in the molecule for 1 and 2.

Two new coordination polymers with flexible alicyclic carboxylate ligands, generally formulated as [Pb(chda)]n (1, H2chda = 1,1′-cyclohexanediacetic acid) and [Pb(tmg)]n (2, H2tmg = 3,3′-tetramethyleneglutate), have been successfully synthesized through the liquid–liquid diffusion method. They represent the first main group of metal–organic hybrid compounds assembled from H2chda and H2tmg. Compound 1 crystallized in the non-centrosymmetric space group Pca21, whereas 2 adopts the centrosymmetric P2(1)/c space group. Their structure features one-dimensional infinite chains extended into two-dimensional layer framework. Interestingly, the lead atoms exhibit hemi- as well as holo-directed coordination geometry with coordination number seven in both compounds.

The use of ethyl lactate solvent in the activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP) of methyl acrylate is demonstrated. The solvent has good solubility for both polymers and monomers and is cheap and relatively nontoxic. The effects of reducing agent type on the polymerization were investigated. Polymerization kinetics demonstrated that the polymerization was a controlled/“living” process with predictable molecular weights and relatively narrow polydispersities. The “livingness” of the PMA macroinitiators prepared by this catalytic system was further confirmed by chain-end characterization and successful re-initiation experiments. The data presented here prove that ethyl lactate is an excellent green substitute to avoid the use of toxic solvents for Cu(II)-mediated ATRP of methyl acrylate.

Background COI (CORONATINE INSENSITIVE), an F-box component of the Skp1-Cullin-F-box protein (SCFCOI1) ubiquitin E3 ligase, plays important roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. Recent studies have shown that COIs are involved in pollen fertility. In this study, we identified and characterized COI genes in the wheat genome and analyzed expression patterns under abiotic stress. Results A total of 18 COI candidate sequences for 8 members of COI gene family were isolated in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Phylogenetic and structural analyses showed that these COI genes could be divided into seven distinct subfamilies. The COI genes showed high expression in stamens and glumes. The qRT-PCR results revealed that wheat COIs were involved in several abiotic stress responses and anther/glume dehiscence in the photoperiod-temperature sensitive genic male sterile (PTGMS) wheat line BS366. Conclusions The structural characteristics and expression patterns of the COI gene family in wheat as well as the stress-responsive and differential tissue-specific expression profiles of each TaCOI gene were examined in PTGMS wheat line BS366. In addition, we examined SA- and MeJA-induced gene expression in the wheat anther and glume to investigate the role of COI in the JA signaling pathway, involved in the regulation of abnormal anther dehiscence in the PTGMS wheat line. The results of this study contribute novel and detailed information about the TaCOI gene family in wheat and could be used as a benchmark for future studies of the molecular mechanisms of PTGMS in other crops. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-5116-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To cope with the challenges of climate change, Chinese transportation industry has been working to promote green transportation development. Brazil and China are both developing countries and also the "BRIC Countries". Considering their energy strategies and energy advantages, Brazil and China have made beneficial attempts in transport energy-saving emission reduction and achieved success. The experience of Brazil transportation energy conservation and emission reduction will provide positive and beneficial reference for promoting green recycling and low carbon transport construction in China.

Road transportation accidents of dangerous goods occur frequently. These accidents destroy and pollute the environment seriously, cause huge economic loses and endanger the safety of people's lives and property. 233 cases of road transportation accidents of dangerous goods which occurred during January 2008 to December 2010 were collected in this paper, accompanied by classified statistics and detailed analysis, three countermeasures have been proposed: strengthening the transport of dangerous goods management under severe weather, focusing on the daily inspection and control, implementing accident prevention measures in important region and roads. The study of this paper has important practical significance on researching how to prevent the occurrence of such accidents.

Under mechanochemical milling conditions, Diels-Alder cycloaddition of cyclopentadiene with maleic anhydride and maleimide derivatives proceeded very smoothly, affording endonorbomenes exclusively in quantitative yield. All the transformations were accomplished at room temperature without using any catalyst or organic solvent, thus the workup and purification procedure is very simple. Control experiments on traditional and other tentative conditions were also investigated.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of fatty acid synthase complex (FASN) on the migration capacity of bladder transitional cell carcinoma (BTCC) cells and the involvement of matrix metalloproteinase‑9 (MMP‑9) via targeting of phospho‑AKT (p‑AKT). FASN‑specific small‑interfering RNA (FASN‑siRNA) was used to inhibit FASN gene expression in the 5637 and 253J BTCC cell lines. The knockdown efficiency of FAM‑conjugated FASN‑siRNA was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. The migratory abilities of BTCC cells were assessed using a Transwell assay. Furthermore, protein and mRNA expression of FASN, p‑AKT, AKT, and migration‑associated protein MMP‑9 were detected by western blot analysis. Treatment with FASN inhibitor Cer and FASN‑siRNA decreased the migratory capacity of bladder cancer cells and reduced the levels of p‑AKT as well as the expression of MMP‑9. These results indicated that FASN inhibition suppressed the migratory capacity of BTCC cells through suppressing AKT activation and consequently reducing MMP‑9 expression. Targeting FASN may represent a promising novel therapeutic strategy for BTCC.

To investigate the risk factors of prostate cancer in urban Qingdao and provide some theoretical evidence for the scientific prevention and treatment of the disease.We performed a hospital-based matched case-control study in Qingdao Municipal Hospital. The cases and controls were matched in age, gender, nationality and the place of residence. All the subjects were interviewed face to face in the hospital using a questionnaire, and the data analyzed by the conditional logistic regression method.According to the 258 valid questionnaires collected, the prostate cancer risk was significantly higher in the cases with a family history of cancer than in those without (OR = 2.58), and so was it in the men with the first spermatorrhea at the age ofor = 15 years than in those at the age ofor = 18 years (OR = 2.27). A decreased risk of prostate cancer was found among the men with the first experience of sexual intercourse between 25 to 30 years of age (OR = 0.76). An increased risk was shown in those with sexual intercoursesor = 4 times per week before 35 years old (OR = 2.57), masturbationsor = 3 times per week (OR = 2.30) and a drinking history (alcoholor = 150 g/d) ofor = 10 years (OR = 2.83).Positive family history of cancer, earlier age of the first spermatorrhea, sexual intercoursesor = 4 times per week before 35 years old, frequent masturbations, and heavy drinking for more than 10 years are risk factors for prostate cancer.

To investigate the effect of tea polyphenols on the proliferation of human prostate cancer cells and its possible mechanism.We cultured androgen-independent prostate cancer DU145 cells in the medium with different concentrations (50, 100, 250 and 500 microg/ml) of tea polyphenols, and those in the normal medium as the control. After 48 hours of culture, we detected the survival rate of the cells by MTT assay and determined the expression of survivin by Western blot and quantitative RT-PCR.At 48 hours, the survival rates of the prostate cancer DU145 cells were 0.97 +/- 0.12, 0.71 +/- 0.07, 0.20 +/- 0.03 and 0.08 +/- 0.01 in the 50, 100, 250 and 500 microg/ml tea polyphenols treatment groups, all significantly reduced as compared with the control group (P0.01) except that of the 50 microg/ml group (P = 0.42). Furthermore, the survival rate continued to decrease with the prolonging of time, dropping below 5% at 96 hours except in the 50 microg/ml group. The grey values of the survivin expression in the 100, 250 and 500 microg/ml tea polyphenols groups were 13 425 +/- 34, 2 017 +/- 24 and 1 274 +/- 22, respectively, at 48 hours, significantly lower than 15 075 +/- 48 in the control group (P0.01). Moreover, the content of survivin mRNA at 48 hours was markedly lower in the 50, 100, 250 and 500 microg/ml treatment groups (0.74 +/- 0.03, 0.64 +/- 0.02, 0.52 +/- 0.01 and 0.21 +/- 0.02) than in the control (P0.01).Tea polyphenols can inhibit the proliferation of human prostate cancer DU145 cells, which may be associated with the decreased expression of the survivin gene.

This study aims to investigate the expression levels of elastin and lysyl oxidase (LOX) family members in the urogenital tissues of natural aging mice and accelerated ovarian aging mice.Uteri, vaginas and bladders were harvested from 18-month-old female mice and accelerated ovarian aging mice developed by chemotherapeutic agents. Untreated 3-month-old female mice were used as controls. The expression levels of elastin and LOX family members were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot.Compared with untreated young female mice, the expression of elastin and LOX family members significantly decreased both in natural aging mice and accelerated ovarian aging mice.Aging is a high-risk factor for pelvic floor disorders. The failure of elastic fiber synthesis and assembly due to the decline in expression levels of elastin and LOX family members during aging may explain the molecular mechanism causing pelvic floor disorders.

Chronic prostatitis (CP) is a common disease in adult males. Oxidative stress injury has been found to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of CP in recent studies. This study aimed to determine the contents of CuZn-super oxide dismutase (CuZn-SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum and EPS in CP patients and healthy men, and investigate their significance in the diagnosis and treatment of the CP.A total of 120 out-patients with confirmed CP were equally divided into a type II, a type IIIA and a type IIIB group, and another 40 healthy males were included as controls. We determined the contents of CuZn-SOD and MDA in the serum and EPS of each group and compared their differences.No significant differences were found in the serum CuZn-SOD content among the four groups (P0.05). The MDA contents were markedly higher in the CP groups than in the control (P0.01), but with no significant differences among the three CP groups (P0.05). The CuZn-SOD contents in EPS were remarkably lower in the type II and type III A than in the type III B and control groups (P0.01), but with no significant differences between the type II and type III A as well as between the type III B and control groups (P0.05). The MDA contents in EPS were markedly higher in the type II and type III A than in the type III B and control groups (P0.01), but with no significant differences between the type II and type III A as well as the type III B and control groups (P0.05).Oxidative stress is stronger in type II and type III A CP patients than in healthy men, but has no significant difference between type III B patients and non-CP males. Determining the contents of CuZn-SOD and MDA in the serum and EPS could be very valuable for the diagnosis and assessment of chronic prostatitis.

To investigate the expression of Ki-67 antigen in benign and malignant pheochromocytomas, and to evaluate whether the expression of Ki-67 antigen could serve as a diagnostic marker for predicting the biological behaviour of these tumors.Ki-67 antigen were detected by immunohistochemical technique and image analysis in 57 cases of clinically documented benign and malignant pheochromocytomas were analyzed. Aside from histological study, Ki-67 immunohistochemistry studies were performed to get the Ki-67 index. Statistical analysis was performed between these groups.Ki-67 index was low in benign pheochromocytomas (average 0.98%), and high in malignant pheochromocytomas (average 3.78%). There was statistically significant difference in expressions of Ki-67 antigen between benign and malignant pheochromocytomas. The Ki-67 index of 2 cases in benign pheochromocytomas (5.1%, 2/39) and 10 cases in malignant pheochromocytomas (55.6%, 10/18) was higher than 3%. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of Ki-67 index higher than 3% to diagnosis malignant pheochromocytomas was 82.5%, 55.6%, 94.9%, 83.3% and 82.2%. The follow-ups indicated the survival rate of patients with higher Ki-67 index was lower than those with lower Ki-67 index.Ki-67 may serve as a useful marker of the biological behavior of tumors, and can provide useful information for prognosis of tumor patients. Immunohistochemical assessment of Ki-67 antigen can be useful in the differential diagnosis of malignant from benign pheochromocytomas. Ki-67 index (3%) is a useful marker for distinguishing benign from malignant tumors or for predicting the malignant potential of pheochromocytomas.

Background Annexins are an evolutionarily conserved multigene family of calcium-dependent phospholipid binding proteins that play important roles in stress resistance and plant development. They have been relatively well characterized in model plants Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa), but nothing has been reported in hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barely (Hordeum vulgare), which are the two most economically important plants. Results Based on available genomic and transcriptomic data, 25 and 11 putative annexin genes were found through in silico analysis in wheat and barley, respectively. Additionally, eight and 11 annexin genes were identified from the draft genome sequences of Triticum urartu and Aegilops tauschii, progenitor for the A and D genome of wheat, respectively. By phylogenetic analysis, annexins in these four species together with other monocots and eudicots were classified into six different orthologous groups. Pi values of each of Ann1–12 genes among T. aestivum, T. urartu, A. tauschii and H. vulgare species was very low, with the exception of Ann2 and Ann5 genes. Ann2 gene has been under positive selection, but Ann6 and Ann7 have been under purifying selection among the four species in their evolutionary histories. The nucleotide diversities of Ann1–12 genes in the four species were 0.52065, 0.59239, 0.60691 and 0.53421, respectively. No selective pressure was operated on annexin genes in the same species. Gene expression patterns obtained by real-time PCR and re-analyzing the public microarray data revealed differential temporal and spatial regulation of annexin genes in wheat under different abiotic stress conditions such as salinity, drought, cold and abscisic acid. Among those genes, TaAnn10 is specifically expressed in the anther but fails to be induced by low temperature in thermosensitive genic male sterile lines, suggesting that specific down-regulation of TaAnn10 is associated with conditional male sterility in wheat. Conclusions This study analyzed the size and composition of the annexin gene family in wheat and barley, and investigated differential tissue-specific and stress responsive expression profiles of the gene family in wheat. These results provided significant information for understanding the diverse roles of plant annexins and opened a new avenue for functional studies of cold induced male sterility in wheat. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2750-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.