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Background: Post radiation nasopharyngeal necrosis (PRNN) invading the internal carotid artery (ICA) contributes to the death of 69.2–72.7% of PRNN patients. ICA occlusion is an effective treatment to avoid fatal bleeding, while some patients are intolerant. We present a novel method that allows for these patients without interrupting blood flow through the ICA. Methodology: This study enrolled patients with PRNN-invaded ICA who were not suitable for ICA occlusion from April 2020 to November 2022. ICA stent pretreatment was performed in the 36 patients and followed the endoscopic nasopharyngectomy (ENPG) or conservative treatment for PRNN. We report the survival outcome and incidence of complications after stent implantation and compare the survival outcomes of ENPG and conservative treatment for PRNN followed by stent implantation. Results: ICA stent pretreatment was performed in the 36 enrolled patients, among which 14 underwent ENPG, and 22 received conservative treatment. 27.8% patients died after a median follow-up of 15 months. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival were higher in the ENPG group than in the conservative treatment group. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) was significantly higher in the ENPG group than in the non-ENPG group. Conclusions: The innovative application of ICA stents is a promising treatment to improve outcomes in patients with PRNN invading the ICA who are unsuitable for ICA embolization, especially when followed by endoscopic surgery. However, methods to avoid postoperative cerebral ischemia and nasopharyngeal hemorrhage still require further study.

Approximately 60% of patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) die within the first 2-3 years. The prognosis for patients with KIRC and its metastases is poor. Ferroptosis and providing immunity are novel treatment targets for several cancers, including KIRC. Therefore, it is important to identify suitable ferroptosis- and immune-related signatures to predict the prognosis and diagnosis of patients with KIRC.The corresponding data of patients with KIRC were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to screen candidate biomarkers in patients with KIRC.We found that four FI-DEGs (BID, MET, LTB4R, and HMOX1) were independently associated with the overall survival of patients with KIRC. The prognosis and diagnosis model constructed using these four biomarkers could predict the outcome of KIRC, as measured by the receiver operating characteristic analyses.We identified 4 FI-DEGs that could be used as biomarkers in patients with KIRC. The present study not only contributes to understanding the roles of ferroptosis and immunity in the development of KIRC, but also to the diagnosis and prognosis of KIRC, although it remains to be further studied.

The design of existing tribometers mainly focuses on normal contact and lubricant conditions and aims to evaluate the effect of the load, speed, and environmental conditions on the rubbing pair properties. The effect of the contact angle and variable speed on the rubbing pair properties is often not considered. In this study, a multidirectional adjustment tribometer is developed to evaluate the tribological behavior of cylinder liner–piston rings under dry sliding or oil lubrication conditions. The dynamic, specimen clamping, measuring, and control systems are redesigned according to the structural characteristics of the SKODA-SAVIN tribometer and special requirements of research on the net texture effect on tribological properties. Using LabVIEW software, a man–machine interface is designed to achieve converter control, data acquisition, and other functions. A fail-safe analysis is performed through reproducibility, comparability, and sensitivity tests. From the experiments, it is proved that the tester can provide more detailed, abundant, and reliable data for the performance testing and development of cylinder liner–piston ring materials.

Studying the mechanism of binder is important for improving the coating formation process of solid lubricants. Two-component polyurethane (PU), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), and styrene-butadiene styrene (SBS) copolymer were selected as binders for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) solid lubricant. The influence of solid lubricant coating prepared with different binders on the stamping properties of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy was compared and analyzed using the cupping test. A lubrication model was developed based on the results. Due to the difference in the molecular structure of the binders, the prepared solid lubricants have different characteristics and affect the dispersion of lubricant coating and its performance. When the content of PTFE reaches 15 wt% and the coating thickness is 10 µm, the anodic aluminum alloy sheet with PVB coating has the smallest punch force.

Objective To estimate a stillbirth rate at 24 or more gestational weeks in 2015–2016 and to explore potentially preventable causes in China. Design A multi‐centre cross‐sectional study. Setting Ninety‐six hospitals distributed in 24 (of 34) provinces in China. Population A total of 75 132 births at 24 completed weeks of gestation or more. Methods COX Proportional Hazard Models were performed to examine risk factors for antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths. Population attributable risk percentage was calculated for major risk factors. Correspondence analysis was used to explore region‐specific risk factors for stillbirths. Main outcome measures Stillbirth rate and risk factors for stillbirth. Results A total of 75 132 births including 949 stillbirths were used for the final analysis, giving a weighted stillbirth rate of 13.2 per 1000 births (95% CI 7.9–18.5). Small for gestational age (SGA) and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia increased antepartum stillbirths by 26.2% and 11.7%, respectively. Fetal anomalies increased antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths by 17.9% and 7.4%, respectively. Overall, 31.4% of all stillbirths were potentially preventable. Advanced maternal age, pre‐pregnant obesity, chronic hypertension and diabetes mellitus were important risk factors in East China; low education and SGA were major risk factors in Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and South China; and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia and intrapartum complications were significant risk factors in Central China. Conclusions The prevalence of stillbirth was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016. Nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. Strategies based on regional characteristics should be considered to reduce further the burden of stillbirths in China. Tweetable abstract The stillbirth rate was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016 and nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable., Tweetable abstract The stillbirth rate was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016 and nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable.

Accurate metering and transport of samples and reagents are a critical process in many microfluidic applications, such as biochemical analysis, diagnostics and drug delivery. However, as the liquid volume to be processed is usually rather small, its sensoring and metering remains a challenging problem. Though some studies on this issue have been reported so far, there is still much room for improvement regarding the metering accuracy, system simplicity and control flexibility. In this work, we propose a simple, automatic and cost-effective method for microfluidic metering and transport. To improve the accuracy, the geometric metering approach with hydrophobic valves of minimum dead volumes is adopted. Besides, an on-chip Bernoulli pump is designed to reduce the hardware requirement, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme is used to facilitate the operation. Testing results show that for metering of 20 μL liquid, the averaged error is − 1.3%, the relative standard deviation is 0.42%. The liquid transport can also be well regulated via PWM method.

Introduction/Background* Dostarlimab is a humanised programmed death (PD-1) receptor monoclonal antibody approved for patients with mismatch mutation repair-deficient/microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer (EC) that progressed on or after a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. GARNET is a phase 1 study assessing the antitumour activity and safety of dostarlimab monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumours. Methodology GARNET is a multicentre, open-label, single-arm study. Here we report on 2 independent expansion cohorts of patients with recurrent or advanced EC that progressed on or after a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. Patients were assigned to cohort A1 (dMMR/MSI-H EC) or cohort A2 (mismatch mutation repair-proficient/microsatellite-stable [MMRp/MSS] EC) based on immunohistochemistry testing. Patients received 500 mg of dostarlimab intravenously once every 3 weeks for 4 cycles, then 1000 mg once every 6 weeks until disease progression, discontinuation or withdrawal. The primary endpoints are objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response by blinded independent central review using RECIST version 1.1. Result(s)* In total, 129 dMMR/MSI-H and 161 MMRp/MSS patients were enrolled and dosed. Of these, 108 dMMR/MSI-H and 156 MMRp/MSS patients who had measurable disease at baseline and ≥6 months of follow-up were included for efficacy analyses. ORR and disease control rate (DCR) for dMMR/MSI-H EC was 43.5% and 55.6%, respectively; ORR and DCR for MMRp/MSS EC was 14.1% and 34.6%, respectively (table 1). Overall, 16 patients (5.5%) discontinued treatment due to a treatment-related adverse event (5 dMMR/MSI-H, 11 MMRp/MSS). Table 2 shows safety by cohort and overall. No deaths were attributed to dostarlimab. Conclusion* Dostarlimab demonstrated durable antitumour activity in both dMMR/MSI-H and MMRp/MSS advanced/recurrent EC. dMMR/MSI-H status was associated with a higher response rate. DCR achieved in MMRp/MSS EC was noteworthy, considering MMRp/MSS tumours are historically associated with a poor prognosis. The dostarlimab safety profile was manageable. Clinical trial registration NCT02715284

OBJECTIVE To assess the current status of caesarean delivery (CD) in China, propose reference CD rates for China overall, and by regions, investigate the main indications for CDs and identify possible areas for safe reduction. DESIGN A multicentre cross-sectional study. SETTING A total of 94 hospitals across 23 provinces in China. POPULATION A total of 73 977 randomly selected deliveries. METHODS We used a modified Robson classification to characterise CDs in subgroups and by regions, and the World Health Organization (WHO) C-Model to calculate reference CD rates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES CD rates in China. RESULTS In 2015-2016, the overall CD rate in China was 38.9% (95% CI 38.6-39.3%). Considering the obstetric characteristics of the population, the multivariable model-based reference CD rate was estimated at 28.5% (95% CI 28.3-28.8%). Accordingly, an absolute reduction of 10.4% (or 26.7% relative reduction) may be considered. The CD rate varied substantially by region. Previous CD was the most common indication in all regions, accounting for 38.2% of all CDs, followed by maternal request (9.8%), labour dystocia (8.3%), fetal distress (7.7%) and malpresentation (7.6%). Overall, 12.7% of women had prelabour CDs, contributing to 32.8% of the total CDs. CONCLUSIONS Nearly 39% of births were delivered by caesarean in China but a reduction of this rate by a quarter may be considered attainable. Repeat CD contributed more than one-third of the total CDs. Given the large variation in maternal characteristics, region-specific or even hospital-specific reference CD rates are needed for precision management of CD. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT The caesarean rate in 2015-2016 in China was 38.9%, whereas the reference rate was 28.5%.

Aims One of the major limitations to the production of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the fungus Phoma medicaginis, which infects alfalfa and causes leaf spots. This study aims to understand alfalfa's response to P. medicaginis infection, the colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) and the effect of AMF on plant-pathogen interactions. Methods and results Transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq) was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in alfalfa infected by P. medicaginis and colonized by AMF Rhizophagus intraradices. AMF ameliorated the effects of P. medicaginis infection on alfalfa by reducing leaf spot incidence and disease index by 39·48 and 56·18% respectively. Inoculation with pathogen and AMF induced the activity of defence pathways, including peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase activities and jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid concentration. Plants showed differential expression of P. medicaginis resistance-related genes, including genes belonging to pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, chitinase activity, flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism and photosynthesis. Inoculation with AMF led to changes in the expression of genes involved in PR proteins, chitinase activity, phenylalanine metabolism and photosynthesis. Conclusion The physiological and transcriptional changes caused by P. medicaginis infection in non-mycorrhizal and mycorrhizal alfalfa provides crucial information for understanding AMF's association with pathogenic systems. Significance and impact of the study This study showed that AMF alleviated alfalfa leaf spots demonstrating that AMF can serve as a biocontrol strategy for alfalfa disease management.

An acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreak caused by a norovirus occurred at a hospital in Shanghai, China, was studied for molecular epidemiology, host susceptibility and serological roles. Rectal and environmental swabs, paired serum samples and saliva specimens were collected. Pathogens were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. Histo-blood group antigens (HBGA) phenotypes of saliva samples and their binding to norovirus protruding proteins were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The HBGA-binding interfaces and the surrounding region were analysed by the MegAlign program of DNAstar 7.1. Twenty-seven individuals in two care units were attacked with AGE at attack rates of 9.02 and 11.68%. Eighteen (78.2%) symptomatic and five (38.4%) asymptomatic individuals were GII.6/b norovirus positive. Saliva-based HBGA phenotyping showed that all symptomatic and asymptomatic cases belonged to A, B, AB or O secretors. Only four (16.7%) out of the 24 tested serum samples showed low blockade activity against HBGA-norovirus binding at the acute phase, whereas 11 (45.8%) samples at the convalescence stage showed seroconversion of such blockade. Specific blockade antibody in the population played an essential role in this norovirus epidemic. A wide HBGA-binding spectrum of GII.6 supports a need for continuous health attention and surveillance in different settings.

The reaction mechanism of cefonicid sodium with bovine serum albumin was investigated by traditional fluorescence spectroscopy and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that cefonicid sodium caused a strong fluorescence quenching of bovine serum albumin through a static quenching mechanism, during which the electrostatic force played the dominant role in this system, and the number of binding sites in the system was close to 1. It also showed that the primary binding site for cefonicid sodium was closer to tryptophan residues located in sub-hydrophobic domain IIA. Moreover, circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the secondary structure of bovine serum albumin changed. The donor-to-acceptor distance r < 8 nm indicated that the static fluorescence quenching of bovine serum albumin was a nonradiation energy transfer process. The data obtained from Δλ = 60 nm and λex = 295 nm indicated that synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy had higher sensitivity and accuracy compared to traditional fluorescence spectroscopy.

Highlight An efficient workflow based on photos to monitor early growth and development of isolated wheat plants dynamically is described, Early vigour is an important physiological trait to improve establishment, water-use efficiency, and grain yield for wheat. Phenotyping large numbers of lines is challenging due to the fast growth and development of wheat seedlings. Here we developed a new photo-based workflow to monitor dynamically the growth and development of the wheat canopy of two wheat lines with a contrasting early vigour trait. Multiview images were taken using a ‘vegetation stress’ camera at 2 d intervals from emergence to the sixth leaf stage. Point clouds were extracted using the Multi-View Stereo and Structure From Motion (MVS-SFM) algorithm, and segmented into individual organs using the Octree method, with leaf midribs fitted using local polynomial function. Finally, phenotypic parameters were calculated from the reconstructed point cloud including: tiller and leaf number, plant height, Haun index, phyllochron, leaf length, angle, and leaf elongation rate. There was good agreement between the observed and estimated leaf length (RMSE=8.6mm, R 2=0.98, n=322) across both lines. Significant contrasts of phenotyping parameters were observed between the two lines and were consistent with manual observations. The early vigour line had fewer tillers (2.4±0.6) and larger leaves (308.0±38.4mm and 17.1±2.7mm for leaf length and width, respectively). While the phyllochron of both lines was quite similar, the non-vigorous line had a greater Haun index (more leaves on the main stem) on any date, as the vigorous line had slower development of its first two leaves. The workflow presented in this study provides an efficient method to phenotype individual plants using a low-cost camera (an RGB camera is also suitable) and could be applied in phenotyping for applications in both simulation modelling and breeding. The rapidity and accuracy of this novel method can characterize the results of specific selection criteria (e.g. width of leaf three, number of tillers, rate of leaf appearance) that have been or can now be utilized to breed for early leaf growth and tillering in wheat.

To investigate the effect of PKC δ gene on the anti-tuberculosis activity of macrophages and the mechanism.Bone marrow cells of PKC δ knockout mice and wild-type mice were cultured and L929 cells were induced to differentiate into macrophages. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate (TDM) were used to stimulate macrophages respectively. After 24 and 96 hours, cells and the supernatant were collected to evaluate the inflammatory cytokines produced by macrophages using ELISA method. Real-time PCR was performed to detect the expression of macrophage mRNA level and nitric oxide (NO) production of macrophages was measured by NO assay.The results showed that, after TDB stimulation, IL-1β, IL-6, and other cytokines, as well as NO produced by macrophages of PKC δ knockout mice, were significantly decreased (p0.01) compared with the wild-type mice. In PKC δ knockout macrophages, the above protein-coding genes were also decreased significantly at the transcriptional level (p0.01).PKC δ can enhance the anti-tuberculosis capacity of macrophages by inducing to the release of inflammatory factors by macrophages.

1. Adipose differentiation related protein (ADFP), fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATP1) and apolipoprotein B (APOB) are suspected to play an important role in determining intramuscular fat and in overall meat quality. 2. Yunnan's top six famous chicken breeds (the Daweishan Mini, Yanjin Black-bone, Chahua, Wuding, Wuliangshan Black-bone and Piao chicken) are known for the high quality of their meat, but little is known about their expression of these three genes. 3. The present study aimed to examine the ADFP, FATP1 and APOB genes in different tissues of these six breeds at different development stages. The subcutaneous fat from the back midline and front, abdominal fat, liver and muscle tissue was sampled at 28, 49, 70, 91 and 112 days. The expression of ADFP, FATP1 and APOB was measured by real-time PCR. 4. The results showed that the expression of the three genes differed depending on age, tissue types and breeds. However, the expression of the three genes correlated with fat traits. In conclusion, the expression of the ADFP, FATP1 and APOB genes is associated with the fat traits of Yunnan's top six chicken breeds. These results could help with molecular marker screening and marker-assisted breeding to improve the quality of poultry for meat production.

To study the protective effect of tacrolimus on vascular endothelium injured by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and its mechanism.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were used as objects of study, and divided into control group, tacrolimus group and autophagy inhibition group. Control group received no ox-LDL, while tacrolimus group and autophagy inhibition group were treated with ox-LDL (100 μg/mL) for 3 h. Tacrolimus group was pre-treated with tacrolimus (100 nM) for 0.5 h, and the autophagy inhibition group was pre-treated with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) (10 mM) and tacrolimus (100 nM) for 0.5 h. The cell viability was detected via cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay, the cell apoptosis ratio was detected via flow cytometry and Hoechst staining, and the releases of superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other cytokines were detected using the kit. Moreover, the autophagy level was detected via LC3 fluorescence staining, and the autophagy- and apoptosis-related molecules were detected via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting.In the absence of ox-LDL, neither tacrolimus nor 3-MA had an effect on the cell viability. After the addition of ox-LDL, the cell viability was significantly decreased, whereas tacrolimus could alleviate such damage to cells. Flow cytometry and Hoechst staining proved that tacrolimus could reduce the proportion of apoptotic cells induced by ox-LDL, while PCR and Western blotting confirmed the decreased expression of apoptosis-related proteins in tacrolimus group. 3-MA could up-regulate the ratio of apoptosis and the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins. The detection of SOD and ROS showed that ox-LDL could induce the cell oxidative stress injury, whereas tacrolimus could inhibit such an effect. The addition of 3-MA inhibited the effect of tacrolimus. Besides, LC3 fluorescence staining, PCR and Western blotting revealed that ox-LDL could induce the autophagy, while tacrolimus could enhance the autophagy. After the addition of 3-MA, the intracellular autophagy level was significantly inhibited.Tacrolimus protects vascular endothelial cells from ox-LDL damage through inducing the autophagy.

In this work, a new blind separation algorithm for permuted alias image based on dictionary learning is proposed according to a type of permuted alias image with noise diversity. Sparse representation of permuted alias image is obtained by dictionary learning method, since it has high adaptability and its representation result has higher sparsity degrees than that of parameter dictionary. An optimal permuted alias image is achieved by conducting sparse representation with K-SVD dictionary learning algorithm restrained with nonzero element number. The size and the location of permuting region is found by detecting the subtraction image, which is defined as the difference between the reconstructed permuted alias image and the original permuted alias image. The permuting region is optimized by implementing image morphological operation and is separated from the permuted alias image by the threshold. Experimental results show that the permuting sub-images can be efficiently separated from the permuted alias image, which is not affected by the size, location, number of permuting sub-images and noise level of the permuting sub-images.

Background The call for women‐centred approaches to reduce labour interventions, particularly primary caesarean section, has renewed an interest in gaining a better understanding of natural labour progression. Objective To synthesise available data on the cervical dilatation patterns during spontaneous labour of ‘low‐risk’ women with normal perinatal outcomes. Search strategy PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, POPLINE, Global Health Library, and reference lists of eligible studies. Selection criteria Observational studies and other study designs. Data collection and analysis Two authors extracted data on: maternal characteristics; labour interventions; the duration of labour centimetre by centimetre; and the duration of labour from dilatation at admission through to 10 cm. We pooled data across studies using weighted medians and employed the Bootstrap‐t method to generate the corresponding confidence bounds. Main results Seven observational studies describing labour patterns for 99 971 women met our inclusion criteria. The median time to advance by 1 cm in nulliparous women was longer than 1 hour until a dilatation of 5 cm was reached, with markedly rapid progress after 6 cm. Similar labour progression patterns were observed in parous women. The 95th percentiles for both parity groups suggest that it was not uncommon for some women to reach 10 cm, despite dilatation rates that were much slower than the 1‐cm/hour threshold for most part of their first stage of labours. Conclusion An expectation of a minimum cervical dilatation threshold of 1 cm/hour throughout the first stage of labour is unrealistic for most healthy nulliparous and parous women. Our findings call into question the universal application of clinical standards that are conceptually based on an expectation of linear labour progress in all women. Funding UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Tweetable abstract Cervical dilatation threshold of 1 cm/hour throughout labour is unrealistic for most women, regardless of parity., Tweetable abstract Cervical dilatation threshold of 1 cm/hour throughout labour is unrealistic for most women, regardless of parity.

Nod-like receptor (NLR)X1 is an NLR family protein that localizes to the mitochondrial matrix and modulates reactive oxygen species production, possibly by directly interacting with the electron transport chain. Recent work demonstrated that cells lacking NLRX1 have higher oxygen consumption but lower levels of adenosine triphosphate, suggesting that NLRX1 might prevent uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation. We therefore hypothesized that NLRX1 might regulate whole-body energy metabolism through its effect on mitochondria. Male NLRX1 whole-body knockout (KO) mice and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6N controls were fed a low-fat or a high-fat (HF) diet for 16 weeks from weaning. Contrary to this hypothesis, there were no differences in body weight, adiposity, energy intake, or energy expenditure between HF-fed KO and WT mice, but instead HF KO mice were partially protected from the development of diet-induced hyperglycemia. Additionally, HF KO mice did not present with hyperinsulinemia during the glucose tolerance test, as did HF WT mice. There were no genotype differences in insulin tolerance, which led us to consider a pancreatic phenotype. Histology revealed that KO mice were protected from HF-induced pancreatic lipid accumulation, suggesting a potential role for NLRX1 in pancreatic dysfunction during the development diet-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus. Hence, NLRX1 depletion partially protects against postabsorptive hyperglycemia in obesity that may be linked to the prevention of pancreatic lipid accumulation. Although the actual mechanisms restoring glucose and insulin dynamics remain unknown, NLRX1 emerges as a potentially interesting target to inhibit for the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus., Male NLRX1 whole-body knockout mice were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Although they became obese, they were partially protected from hyperglycemia and accumulation of lipid in the pancreas.

The genomic organisation of the seven cultivated Vigna species, V. unguiculata, V. subterranea, V. angularis, V. umbellata, V. radiata, V. mungo and V. aconitifolia, was determined using sequential combined PI and DAPI (CPD) staining and dual-colour fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) with 5S and 45S rDNA probes. For phylogenetic analyses, comparative genomic in situ hybridisation (cGISH) onto somatic chromosomes and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of 45S rDNA were used. Quantitative karyotypes were established using chromosome measurements, fluorochrome bands and rDNA FISH signals. All species had symmetrical karyotypes composed of only metacentric or metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes. Distinct heterochromatin differentiation was revealed by CPD staining and DAPI counterstaining after FISH. The rDNA sites among all species differed in their number, location and size. cGISH of V. umbellata genomic DNA to the chromosomes of all species produced strong signals in all centromeric regions of V. umbellata and V. angularis, weak signals in all pericentromeric regions of V. aconitifolia, and CPD-banded proximal regions of V. mungo var. mungo. Molecular phylogenetic trees showed that V. angularis and V. umbellata were the closest relatives, and V. mungo and V. aconitifolia were relatively closely related; these species formed a group that was separated from another group comprising V. radiata, V. unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis and V. subterranea. This result was consistent with the phylogenetic relationships inferred from the heterochromatin and cGISH patterns; thus, fluorochrome banding and cGISH are efficient tools for the phylogenetic analysis of Vigna species.

UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) image technology has the advantages of wide shooting range, large inventory space, strong timeliness and so on, when it is used in highway detection. In addition to the basic parameters such as image quality, resolution and overlap, the safety of flight routes should also be taken into account in aerial photography of highways in operation. Optimal route planning is the premise and guarantee for the application and promotion of UAV in the field of highways. By adopting appropriate shooting form, flight height and angle, the actual road condition information can be collected to ensure high accuracy of data information. This provides great convenience for the actual situation of highway green belt, the confirmation of the location of plant growth and other aspects. It plays an important role in promoting the maintenance efficiency and level of highway green belt. This paper quantitatively analyzes and studies the optimal aerial route planning for unmanned vehicles in highway field.

Summary Wnt pathways play an important role in pre-implantation embryo development, blastocyst implantation, and post-implantation uterine decidualisation. However, little is known about the potential role that Wnt signaling plays in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (URSM), and no single biomarker with a high predictive value of maternally caused URSM has been identified. We aim to study the molecular mechanisms by which the Wnt pathway controls the progression of early pregnancy by investigating the expression of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), one of the Wnt agonists, in URSM patients. Plasma and fresh decidual tissues samples were collected from 59 subjects (29 patients with URSM and 30 patients with normal, early pregnancy). Time-resolved immunofluorometric assay system and quantitative real-time RT-PCR were used to determine the serum levels of DKK1 and DKK1 mRNA in the deciduas, respectively. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to measure DKK1 protein levels in the deciduas. Serum DKK1 levels were significantly higher in URSM patients compared to the control group (P

This study evaluated the effect of muscle satellite cells (MSCs) overexpressing myogenin (MyoG) on denervated muscle atrophy. Rat MSCs were isolated and transfected with the MyoG-EGFP plasmid vector GV143. MyoG-transfected MSCs (MTMs) were transplanted into rat gastrocnemius muscles at 1 week after surgical denervation. Controls included injections of untransfected MSCs or the vehicle only. Muscles were harvested and analyzed at 2, 4, and 24 weeks post-transplantation. Immunofluorescence confirmed MyoG overexpression in MTMs. The muscle wet weight ratio was significantly reduced at 2 weeks after MTM injection (67.17±6.79) compared with muscles injected with MSCs (58.83±5.31) or the vehicle (53.00±7.67; t=2.37, P=0.04 and t=3.39, P=0.007, respectively). The muscle fiber cross-sectional area was also larger at 2 weeks after MTM injection (2.63×103±0.39×103) compared with MSC injection (1.99×103±0.58×103) or the vehicle only (1.57×103±0.47×103; t=2.24, P=0.049 and t=4.22, P=0.002, respectively). At 4 and 24 weeks post-injection, the muscle mass and fiber cross-sectional area were similar across all three experimental groups. Immunohistochemistry showed that the MTM group had larger MyoG-positive fibers. The MTM group (3.18±1.13) also had higher expression of MyoG mRNA than other groups (1.41±0.65 and 1.03±0.19) at 2 weeks after injection (t=2.72, P=0.04). Transplanted MTMs delayed short-term atrophy of denervated muscles. This approach can be optimized as a novel stand-alone therapy or as a bridge to surgical re-innervation of damaged muscles.

Intrauterine glucocorticoid (GC) exposure is associated with disturbances in feto-placental growth. This study aimed to investigate whether folic acid supplementation can prevent dexamethasone (Dex)-induced feto-placental growth restriction.Female C57BL/6J mice were subject to four different treatments, respectively: normal drinking water plus saline injection (NN), normal drinking water plus Dex injection (ND), drinking water supplemented with folic acid plus saline injection (FN), and drinking water supplemented with folic acid plus Dex injection (FD). Folic acid (100 µg/L) was administrated since 2 weeks before the mating and throughout pregnancy. Dex injection (100 µg/kg•d) was performed from E12.5 to E16.5. The placentas were collected at E17.5.The parameters including placental and fetal weight, the maximum placental diameter, volume of junctional and labyrinthine zones, and vascular density in the ND group were significantly smaller compared to the NN group. Except the maximum placental diameter, each of the above parameters in the FD group was significantly larger compared to the ND group. The levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein, and endothelial growth factor A, C (VEGFA, VEGFC) and placental growth factor (PIGF) mRNAs were significantly lower in the ND group compared to NN group. The VEGFA and PIGF mRNA level in the FD group was significantly higher than that in the ND group, as well as VEGFA and VEGFC protein level.Folic acid may attenuate Dex-induced restriction on placental growth by elevating the expression of VEGFA and PIGF, and further raising vascular density.