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Currently, there is a lack of clinically safe and effective treatment for spinal cystic echinococcosis (CE). Recent studies have shown that albendazole chitosan microspheres (ABZ-CS-MPs) and irradiation have certain anti-abdominal echinococcosis ability, so this study aims to compare the in vitro and in vivo therapeutic effects of ABZ-CS-MPs, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and combination therapy on spinal echinococcosis. First, protoscoleces were processed by different treatments to evaluate their respective antiechinococcosis effects by monitoring the viability change of protoscoleces. Then, the apoptotic status of protoscoleces was evaluated by detecting the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential, the expression of apoptosis proteins, and the ultrastructural alterations of protoscoleces. After that, we constructed a gerbil model of spinal CE and further applied B-ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to assess the size of hydatid in vivo. Finally, the cysts were obtained and weighed to compare the inhibition rate in different groups. The combined therapy increased protoscoleces mortality to over 90% after 18 days, which showed the highest scolicidal effect. Moreover, confocal imaging, expression of apoptotic proteins, and ultrastructural changes of protoscoleces showed the highest apoptotic rate in this group. In vivo, the combination treatment also exhibited the highest cyst inhibition rate (61.4%). In conclusion, our results showed that ABZ-CS-MPs combined with IMRT could be a new treatment option for spinal CE. We also provided a method to evaluate the growth and metastasis of hydatid in animals with B-ultrasound and MRI technologies.

TGFβ1 plays an important role in the metabolism of articular cartilage and bone; however, the pathological mechanism and targets of TGFβ1 in cartilage degradation and uncoupling of subchondral bone remodeling remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the relationship between TGFβ1 and major protein-degrading enzymes, and evaluated the role of high levels of active TGFβ1 in the thickening of subchondral bone and calcification of articular cartilage.The expression of TGFβ1 and protein-degrading enzymes in clinical samples of articular cartilage and subchondral bone obtained from the knee joint of patients with osteoarthritis was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of TGFβ1, MMP-3, MMP-13 and IL-1β in cartilage and subchondral bone tissues were detected by absolute real-time quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of TGFβ1, nestin and osterix in subchondral bone was detected by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. The degree of subchondral bone thickening was determined by micro-computed tomography (CT) imaging.Expression of TGFβ1 and cartilage-degrading enzymes was higher in the cartilage-disrupted group than that in the intact group. Furthermore, expression of TGFβ1, nestin and osterix was significantly higher in the OA group than that in the control group. Micro-CT imaging showed that in the OA group, the subchondral bone plate is thickened and the density is increased. The trabecular bone structure is thick plate-like structure, the thickness of the trabecular bone is increased and the gap is small.The data suggest that highly active TGFβ1 activates the expression of cartilage-degrading enzymes. Abnormally activated TGFβ1 may induce formation of the subchondral bone and expansion of the calcified cartilage area, eventually leading to degradation of the cartilage tissue.ZIEL: TGFβ1 spielt eine wichtige Rolle im Stoffwechsel von Gelenkknorpel und Knochen; jedoch bleiben der pathologische Mechanismus und die Ziele von TGFβ1 beim Knorpelabbau und Entkopplung des subchondralen Knochenumbaus unklar. Daher untersuchten wir in dieser Studie die Beziehung zwischen TGFβ1 und wichtigen proteinabbauenden Enzymen und der Rolle hoher Konzentrationen an aktivem TGFβ1 bei der Verdickung des subchondralen Knochens und Verkalkung des Gelenkknorpels.Die Expression von TGFβ1 und der Abbau von Enzymen in klinischen Proben von Gelenkknorpel und subchondralen Knochen aus dem Kniegelenk von Patienten mit Arthrose wurden immunhistochemisch nachgewiesen. Die Expressionsniveaus von TGFβ1, MMP-3, MMP-13 und IL-1β in Knorpel- und subchondralen Knochengeweben wurden durch absolute quantitative RT-PCR in Echtzeit nachgewiesen. Die Expression von TGFβ1, Nestin und Osterix im subchondralen Knochen wurde durch Western-Blot-Analyse und Immunhistochemie nachgewiesen. Der Grad der subchondralen Knochenverdickung wurde durch Mikrocomputertomografie (CT) bestimmt.Die Expression von TGFβ1 und knorpelabbauenden Enzymen war in der Gruppe mit Knorpelstörungen höher als in der intakten Gruppe. Weiterhin war die Expression von TGFβ1, Nestin und Osterix in der OA-Gruppe signifikant höher als in der Kontrollgruppe. Die Mikro-CT-Bildgebung zeigte, dass in der OA-Gruppe die subchondrale Knochenplatte verdickt und die Dichte erhöht ist. Die trabekuläre Knochenstruktur ist dick plättchenförmig, die Dicke des Trabekelknochens erhöht und die Lücke ist klein.Die Daten legen nahe, dass hochaktives TGFβ1 die Expression von knorpelabbauenden Enzymen aktiviert. Ungewöhnlich aktiviertem TGFβ1 kann die Bildung des subchondralen Knochens und Ausdehnung des verkalkten Knorpelbereichs induzieren, was zu einem Abbau des Knorpelgewebes führt.

Precision agriculture needs a mass of data, therefore data availability is a vital obstacle factor for precision agriculture technology widely use. The methods of acquisition data for precision agriculture change from field survey to sensor acquisition gradually. Remote Sensing plays an important role in the large-scale, real-time, multi-spectral data acquisition. But there are still some problems when Remote Sensing data are applied in the actual farm production and management, which result in that precision agriculture's advantages are limited, so finding the solution of data acquisition for precision agriculture based on remote sensing becomes very necessary. In this paper, the NPP, NDVI, LAI etc are retrieved from remote sensing data, the field investigation data are also obtained. We set up a decision-making system based on CNCS (central neural control system), which is composed of several module such as data updating, data editing, decision-making supporting. The system is made for the farmers to decide cultivation strategies on when, where and how much irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide should be applied on each plot.

There are three characteristics for ecosystem services, zonal characteristics, complexity and conventional civilization, which affect ecological valuation directly. Considering regional environment and anthropogenic influence, grassland's ecosystem services in Gansu Province are concluded 11 types, including gas regulation, climate regulation, disturbance regulation, wind erosion control and sand fixture, water resource provision, soil erosion control, waste treatment, gene resistance, food production, raw materials, recreation and culture. Landsat TM data are collected for manual photointerpretation. The grassland type distribution map is obtained. In this paper, we use stockbreeding income as benchmark, the other ecosystem services values which do not enter market to exchange are decided by experts questionary in this field. The relative weights can help to calculate the non-market ecological service value. The results' spatial distribution are displayed and analyzed by using Geographic Information Systems software. The results indicate: the total Gansu province grassland ecosystem value reaches 283.67times108 yuan (RMB) in 1980s. The grassland in the low zone along Hexi corridor and Longnan have the highest ecosystem service value, the grassland in Gannan take second place, and the western of Qingyang and counties around Lanzhou take third place, the other places value in the province are low. The Gansu Province is a severe erosion region in arid and semiarid area, therefore wind erosion control and sand fixture, soil erosion control are the most valuable services.