Search

The rising prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now the second largest indication for liver transplantation in Western countries, but viral hepatitis B and end-stage alcohol-related liver disease are still the main indications in China. With the improvement of people's living standards, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and the number of NAFLD patients has also gradually increased. At the same time, with the hepatitis B vaccination popularization and the nucleos(t)ide analogues and other drugs uses, it is predicted that NAFLD-related end-stage liver disease may become one of the main indications for liver transplantation in our country in the future. This article reviews the research progress of NAFLD and liver transplantation.非酒精性脂肪性肝病（NAFLD）患病率日益增高，目前已成为西方国家肝移植的第二大适应证。虽然目前我国肝移植的主要适应证仍是乙型病毒性肝炎以及酒精性肝炎相关终末期肝病，但随着人们生活水平的提高以及代谢综合征的流行，与之相关的NAFLD患者也逐渐增加。同时，随着乙型肝炎疫苗接种的普及以及核苷类似物等药物的应用，可以预见，在未来，NAFLD相关终末期肝病可能会成为我国肝移植的主要适应证之一。现就NAFLD与肝移植的相关研究进展进行综述。.

Sepsis has a high morbidity and mortality and is prone to cause acute kidney injury (AKI). Here, we aimed to demonstrate the function and molecular mechanism of microRNA-543 (miR-543) in septic AKI.MiR-543 inhibitor or NC was transfected into LPS-treated HK-2 cells to observe lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and apoptosis. The detection of inflammation and apoptosis of HK-2 cells relies on Western blot, quantitative Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining.MiR-543 expression was increased in LPS-treated HK-2 cells. By transfecting miR-543 inhibitor into HK-2 cells, miR-543 expression was dramatically reduced. The downregulation of miR-543 remarkably inhibited the inflammation and apoptosis, which was manifested by the reduction of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β), the reversal of apoptosis-related proteins expression (Bcl-1, Bax), the increase of cell viability and the decrease of the proportion of apoptotic cells. The result of Luciferase activity assay demonstrated that miR-543 directly targets Bcl-2.MiR-543 expression was increased in LPS-treated HK-2 cells, and silencing miR-543 could inhibit LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis in HK-2 cells via targeting Bcl-2.

The isomer depletion of ^{93m}Mo was recently reported [Chiara et al., Nature (London) 554, 216 (2018)NATUAS0028-083610.1038/nature25483] as the first direct observation of nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC). However, the measured excitation probability of 1.0(3)% is far beyond the theoretical expectation. In order to understand the inconsistency between theory and experiment, we produce the ^{93m}Mo nuclei using the ^{12}C(^{86}Kr,5n) reaction at a beam energy of 559 MeV and transport the reaction residues to a detection station far away from the target area employing a secondary beam line. The isomer depletion is expected to occur during the slowdown process of the ions in the stopping material. In such a low γ-ray background environment, the signature of isomer depletion is not observed, and an upper limit of 2×10^{-5} is estimated for the excitation probability. This is consistent with the theoretical expectation. Our findings shed doubt on the previously reported NEEC phenomenon and highlight the necessity and feasibility of further experimental investigations for reexamining the isomer depletion under low γ-ray background.

Homology-directed (HD) genome modification offers an opportunity to precisely modify the genome. Despite reported successful cases, for many loci, precise genome editing remains challenging and inefficient in vivo. Here we report an effort to precisely knock-in a GFP reporter into gad locus mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 system in the zebrafish Danio rerio. PCR artifact was detected in testing for homologous recombination (HR), but was mitigated by optimizing PCR condition and decreasing the injected targeting plasmid concentration. Under this optimized condition, time course analysis revealed a decline of the HR-positive embryos at embryogenesis progressed. GFP signals also diminished at later developmental stages. The GFP signals were consistent with PCR detection, both of which suggested the loss of targeted insertion events at later stages. Such loss of insertion might be one underlying reason for the inability to obtain germ-line transgenic lines with GFP knocked into the gad locus. Our results suggest that the low HR efficiency associated with CRISPR-mediated knock-in is in part due to loss of insertion after targeted integration into the gad locus.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a serious cardiovascular disease that threatens human life. MicroRNA is considered to be an important participant in the pathophysiology of AMI. This article focused on the role of microRNA-495 (miR-495) in regulating apoptosis after myocardial infarction (MI) and its underlying mechanisms.H9c2 cells were cultured in an incubator containing 1% O2 to establish a cell model of MI. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was utilized to detect miR-495 expression in H9c2 cells. The effects of miR-495 and NFIB on hypoxia-treated H9c2 cells were observed by Western blot, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) detection, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay, flow cytometry, and terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase(TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Luciferase reporter gene experiment was used to prove the regulatory relationship between miR-495 and NFIB.Hypoxia induced injury to H9c2 cells, which was manifested by decreased cell viability, increased LDH release, increased pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Cleaved Caspase-3) expression, decreased anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2) expression, and increased in the rate of apoptosis and TUNEL positive cells. MiR-495 expression was remarkably increased in H9c2 cells treated with hypoxia. Inhibiting miR-495 expression markedly alleviated the hypoxia-induced injury in H9c2 cells, while silencing NFIB aggravated the hypoxia-induced damage. In addition, NFIB was confirmed to be the target of miR-495.MiR-495 expression was increased in hypoxia-treated H9c2 cells. Silencing miR-495 could significantly inhibit hypoxia-induced apoptosis of H9c2 cells by targeting NFIB.

冠状动脉损伤是射频消融少见的一种并发症。该文报道1例预激综合征患者，心脏电生理检查发现旁道起源于冠状静脉窦内心中静脉开口，射频消融治疗成功阻断了旁道，但引起了右冠状动脉的左心室后支急性损伤、闭塞，遂进行了冠状动脉造影检查、球囊扩张和支架置入治疗、光学相干成像技术（OCT）腔内影像学评价，冠状动脉CT血管成像（CTA）发现左心室后支损伤部位与心中静脉开口结构上紧邻。术后随访3年，无不良事件发生。.

1例11岁男童因“骨痛4个月余、发热伴淋巴结肿大3个月余”就诊，影像提示全身多部位占位性病变伴多发骨破坏，头皮肿物活检病理示OCT-2、BOB1、间变性淋巴瘤激酶（ALK）阳性（胞质颗粒状阳性），CD30阴性，并检测到CLTC-ALK融合基因，诊断为ALK阳性大B细胞淋巴瘤，按改良LMB89高危方案化疗达到完全缓解后行自体造血干细胞移植，移植后45 d因重症肺炎伴发呼吸衰竭死亡。该病儿童罕见，起病隐匿，进展迅速，病理以表达ALK但不表达CD30为特征，治疗以高强度化疗加自体造血干细胞移植为主，预后不佳。.

Circ-ABCB10 is a non-coding RNA newly discovered in recent years. It has been observed to serve as an oncogene in a variety of tumors, but its biological function in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the circ-ABCB10 expression in ESCC and its possible molecular mechanism.Circ-ABCB10 expression in ESCC tissue samples and cell lines was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The impacts of circ-ABCB10 on the biological functions of ESCC cells were examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assays. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis was used to determine the binding sites between miRNAs and circ-ABCB10, and the binding relationship was verified by qRT-PCR and Luciferase assay.QRT-PCR analysis revealed that circ-ABCB10 expression in both ESCC tissues and cell lines was higher than that in the normal control group. Patients in high TNM stage exhibited a higher expression of circ-ABCB10 than those in low stage, and this high expression predicted a poor prognosis of ESCC patients. Inhibiting circ-ABCB10 expression remarkably inhibited the growth and metastasis of ESCC cells. In addition, it was demonstrated that circ-ABCB10 could bind to microRNA-670-3p and inhibit its expression. Downregulation of microRNA-670-3p partially reversed the inhibitory impact of low-expressing circ-ABCB10 on cell growth and migration rate.Circ-ABCB10 accelerates the metastasis and proliferation of ESCC cells by binding to microRNA-670-3p. This circ-ABCB10 / microRNA-670-3p axis may become a potential therapeutic target for ESCC therapy.

Some fire ants of the genus Solenopsis have become invasive species in the southern United States displacing native species by competition. Although the displacement pattern seems clear, the mechanisms underlying competitive advantage remain unclear. The ability of ant workers to produce relatively larger amount of alarm pheromone may correspond to relative greater fitness among sympatric fire ant species. Here we report on quantitative intra-specific (i.e. inter-caste) and inter-specific differences of alarm pheromone component, 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine (2E36DMP), for several fire ant species. The alarm pheromone component was extracted by soaking ants in hexane for 48 h and subsequently quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at single ion monitoring mode. Solenopsis invicta workers had more 2E36DMP than male or female alates by relative weight; individual workers, however, contained significantly less pyrazine. We thus believe that alarm pheromones may serve additional roles in alates. Workers of Solenopsis richteri, S. invicta, and hybrid (S. richteri × S. invicta) had significantly more 2E36DMP than a native fire ant species, Solenopsis geminata. The hybrid fire ant had significantly less 2E36DMP than the two parent species, S. richteri and S. invicta. It seems likely that higher alarm pheromone content may have favored invasion success of exotic fire ants over native species. We discuss the potential role of inter-specific variation in pyrazine content for the relationship between the observed shifts in the spatial distributions of the three exotic fire ant species in southern United States and the displacement of native fire ant species.

MicroRNA-218 (miR-218) is a short, noncoding RNA, with multiple biological functions. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential effects of miR-218 on the apoptosis of human ovarian carcinoma cells and the underlying mechanisms by which miR-218 exerted its actions. After over-expressing miR-218 in human ovarian carcinoma (OVCAR3) cells, cell viability was determined by MTT method, cell apoptosis was observed by flow cytometry (FCM), mRNA expression of miR-218, Bcl2, Bax was measured by RT-PCR and protein expression levels of Wnt, tankyrase and β-catenin were quantified by Western blots. Over-expression of miR-218 potently suppressed cell viability and promoted the apoptosis of human ovarian carcinoma cells in a time-dependent manner. In addition, the down-regulation of tankyrase expression level was detected in miR-218-over-expressed cells. Following the block of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway using the inhibitor XAV-939, the effects of miR-218 on the proliferation and apoptosis of human ovarian carcinoma cells were significantly suppressed. Augmenting expression of miR-218 and/or miRNA-218 mimicking therapeutics may provide viable avenue for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

We analyzed the influenza surveillance data of Children's Hospital of Suzhou University from 2016 to 2018 and estimated the hospitalization burden of children under 5 years old due to influenza infection in Suzhou. The results showed that the influenza virus positive rate of 1 451 severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases in Children's Hospital of Suzhou University was 13.6% (95分析2016—2018年苏州大学附属儿童医院的流感监测数据，估算苏州5岁以下儿童因流感而导致的住院负担。结果显示，苏州大学附属儿童医院1 451例严重急性呼吸道感染（SARI）病例的流感病毒阳性率为13.6%（95

A new short-lived neutron-deficient isotope ^{220}Np was synthesized in the fusion-evaporation reaction ^{185}Re(^{40}Ar,5n)^{220}Np at the gas-filled recoil separator SHANS. Based on the measurement of the correlated α-decay chains, the decay properties of ^{220}Np with E_{α}=10040(18) keV and T_{1/2}=25_{-7}^{+14} μs were determined, which are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. From the new experimental results coupled with the recently reported α-decay data of ^{219,223}Np, the α-decay systematics for Np isotopes around N=126 was established, which allows us for the first time to test the robustness of the N=126 shell closure in Z=93 Np isotopes. The results also indicate that, in the region of nuclei with Z≥83, the proton drip line has been reached for all odd-Z isotopes up to Np.

Homology-directed (HD) genome modification offers an opportunity to precisely modify the genome. Despite reported successful cases, for many loci, precise genome editing remains challenging and inefficient in vivo. Here we report an effort to precisely knock-in a GFP reporter into gad locus mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 system in the zebrafish Danio rerio. PCR artifact was detected in testing for homologous recombination (HR), but was mitigated by optimizing PCR condition and decreasing the injected targeting plasmid concentration. Under this optimized condition, time course analysis revealed a decline of the HR-positive embryos at embryogenesis progressed. GFP signals also diminished at later developmental stages. The GFP signals were consistent with PCR detection, both of which suggested the loss of targeted insertion events at later stages. Such loss of insertion might be one underlying reason for the inability to obtain germ-line transgenic lines with GFP knocked into the gad locus. Our results suggest that the low HR efficiency associated with CRISPR-mediated knock-in is in part due to loss of insertion after targeted integration into the gad locus.

Mononuclear compound I ([Co(Ptia)2(H2O)4] • H2O) and 1D chain compound II ([Ni4(Cptia)4(H2O)12]∞) have been constructed from the new ditopic 1,2,3-trazol-based aromatic heterocyclic carboxylic ligand, 4-(4-carboxy-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl) benzoic acid) (H2Cptia), under different pH conditions by using the hydrothermal method. Their structure was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction (СIF files CCDC nos. 1409531 (I) and 1409531 (II)), IR spectra, and elemental analysis. Compound I is a mononuclear compound. In II, two sets of parallel arrangement 1D chains orient in different directions. The results of their magnetic measurements display the antiferromagnetic interaction exists among the paramagnetic ions.

Liver fibrosis is a common pathological response in chronic liver injury. In the pathological process of hepatic injury, signaling pathways associated with hepatic fibrosis, which mediates the repair, proliferation and fibrosis of the liver secrete different cytokines. In these pathways, transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) play key roles in the proliferation and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and promote epithelial mesenchymal transition. In addition, it is also involved in the process of proliferation and transformation of collagen and extracellular matrix molecules into myofibroblasts. TGFβ and STAT3 molecular-related signaling pathways mediate the loss of epithelial phenotype and gene expression in mature epithelial cells, transforming them into mesenchymal cells, and producing anti-apoptosis to hepatocytes and promoting the proliferation of HSCs. However, the mechanisms by which STAT3 and TGFβ molecules are involved in the development and progression of liver fibrosis are not sound distinct. In this review, we attempt to know the mechanisms and interactions of TGFβ and STAT3 molecules that mediate potential liver fibrosis, and promote their role in promoting HSCs production and epithelial mesenchymal transition.肝纤维化是慢性肝损伤中常见的病理反应。在肝损伤的病理过程中，不同细胞因子通过与肝纤维化有关的信号传导途径分泌，介导肝细胞的修复、增生以及肝脏的纤维化。在这些途径中，转化生长因子β（TGFβ）和信号转导和转录激活因子3（STAT3）在肝星状细胞（HSCs）的增殖和活化中起关键作用，并促进上皮间充质转化反应发生，这在肝纤维化过程中起到了至关重要的作用，其中还包含胶原和细胞外基质分子增生以及向肌成纤维细胞转化。TGFβ和STAT3分子相关信号通路介导成熟上皮细胞失去上皮表型和基因表达，使其转变为间充质细胞，并有对肝细胞产生抗凋亡和促进HSCs增殖作用。然而，STAT3和TGFβ分子对肝纤维化发生和进展相关机制尚未明确。拟通过综述了解有关TGFβ和STAT3分子介导潜在的肝纤维化机制，并探讨它们在促进HSCs生成和上皮间充质转化反应过程中的关系和相互作用。.

Non-cardiac surgery is associated with perioperative cerebral complications (delirium, postoperative cognition dysfunction, stroke). While rare, these complications can lead to disabilities and deaths. Information is ambiguous as to whether pharmacological preoperative treatment exerts neuroprotection. We wished to systematically assess potential modulation by statins, lidocaine, ketamine or magnesium sulfate of the relative risk of cerebral complications in noncardiac surgery. Selection of these pharmacological agents was based on their known neuroprotective abilities.By searching Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane databases, we identified 4 suitable publications that collectively enrolled 1358 patients (intent-to-treat population), of which 679 patients were treated preoperatively with statins (404 patients on atorvastatin and 275 on rosuvastatin) and 679 patients with preoperative placebo. The reported cerebral outcome was stroke, assessed either within 30 days (4 publications) or 6 months (2 publications) after surgery.Episodes of stroke within 30 days and 6 months postoperatively were observed in several publications, enabling aggregate analyses. No modulation by statins of the relative risk of stroke at 30 days was observed (risk ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval 0.08-30.97; p = 0.76). At 6 months, statins showed an insignificant trend toward neuroprotection (risk ratio 0.33, 95% confidence interval 0.05-2.10; p = 0.24).The available clinical data are still scarce. Our analyses indicate no protective effects by statins against perioperative stroke but some favorable trends toward delayed stroke. Further randomized trials are needed to unequivocally assess the neuroprotective potential of current pharmacological agents in non-cardiac surgery.

Identifying the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) with functions in insect fecundity promises to provide novel insight into genetic mechanisms of adaptation and to aid in effective control of insect populations. We previously identified several SNPs within the vitellogenin (Vg) promoter region between a high-fecundity population (HFP) and a low-fecundity population (LFP) of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens Stål (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). Here, we found that an A-to-T (HFP allele to LFP allele) transversion at nucleotide -953 upstream of Vg in a Nilaparvata lugens GATA-1 (NlGATA-1) binding motif is associated with the level of Vg transcription. We also characterized NlGATA-1, containing a double CX

The response of the open two-band system to external fields would in general be different from that of a strictly isolated one. In this paper, we systematically study the Hall conductance of a two-band model under the influence of its environment by treating the system and its environment on equal footing. In order to clarify some well-established conclusions about the Hall conductance, we do not use the rotating wave approximation (RWA) in obtaining an effective Hamiltonian. Specifically, we first derive the ground state of the whole system (the system plus the environment) beyond the RWA, then calculate an analytical expression for Hall conductance of this open system in the ground state. We apply the expression to two examples, including a magnetic semiconductor with Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling and an electron gas on a square two-dimensional lattice. The calculations show that the transition points of topological phase are robust against the environment. Our results suggest a way to the controlling of the whole system response, which has potential applications for condensed matter physics and quantum statistical mechanics.

To investigate the relationship between the expression levels of microRNA-208b and early diagnosis of the acute myocardial infarction.Literature search were performed within PubMed, Medline, Embase, and CNKI databases, according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and other relevant literatures about included studies were searched to get more information about this study. Two staff members extracted data from the included studies for meta-analysis.This study included 6 documents, involving a total of 826 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 429 controls. Meta-analysis results: sensitivity 82%, specificity 83%, positive likelihood ratio of 5.0, negative likelihood ratio 0.21, diagnostic odds ratio area was 23, area under operating characteristic curve was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.91).microRNA-208b expression was increased in the blood of patients with acute myocardial infarction, and may be used for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction molecular biomarkers.

A rapidly solidified high entropy alloy AlCoNiCrFe was annealed at different temperatures with high magnetic field applied up to 4 T. Both precipitation and coarsening of the precipitates were promoted during annealing in a high magnetic field, and nanosized arrayed particles as well as boundary oriented secondary phases were formed with effects of magnetic field. The microstructural features were obtained owing to enhancement of atomic diffusion by applying high magnetic field. It was found that both hardness and yield strength were not strongly dependent on the magnetic field, but the ultimate compression strength is reduced as higher magnetic field is applied due to formation and coarsening of the precipitates on grain boundaries.

Through silicon via (TSV) technology is being considered as a promising technology in three-dimensional packaging, enabling massive and short interconnections between stacked chips, increasing performance and data bandwidth, and reducing signal delay and the power consumption. Currently, TSVs with diameters ranging from one hundred to ten micrometers are mainly fabricated by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technology. The Bosch process is the most widely utilized DRIE process for producing high-aspect ratio TSVs. The primary steps in the Bosch process are silicon isotropic etching and wall passivation in sequential cycles. SF6 is used as the main etching gas for the high density of F+ radicals; C4F8 is used in wall passivation as it polymerizes to deposits on walls to form an etch barrier that is sufficiently impervious to side scattered F+ ions but not to direct ions at the bottom of the via. Wall scalloping occurs primarily near the top of the via where scattered ions have wide trajectories and less at greater depths where ion trajectories are more restricted. Controlling the scallop is key good insulation and metal coverage. In this study, TSVs with scallops smaller than 100nm was obtained by adjusting the flow ratio of SF6 to C4F8 and the cycle time ratio between SF6 and C4F8. Unfortunately this combination leads to the formation of silicon grass at the bottom of the TSV. The addition of O2 during the SF6 etch cycle was found to eliminate the occurrence of Si grass. Finally, TSVs with low scallop were consistently obtained without Si grass by using SF6/O2 during the etch cycle and C4F8 during the passivation cycle.

Lifetime of the $3/{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ first excited state in $^{37}\mathrm{S}$ populated by the ${\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ decay of $^{37}\mathrm{P}$ has been measured using $\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ delayed coincidence technique. The $B(E2;7/{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}3/{2}^{\ensuremath{-}})$ value in $^{37}\mathrm{S}$ deduced from the lifetime comes close to the $B(E2;{0}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{2}_{1}^{+})$ value in weakly deformed $^{38}\mathrm{S}$ but deviates significantly from that in spherical $^{36}\mathrm{S}$. This manifests that $^{37}\mathrm{S}$ is a weakly deformed rather than spherical nucleus.

A solution culture experiment was designed to determine whether Si can alleviate Sb toxicity in rice. The design involved a rice mutant with low Si accumulation and wild-type rice with normal Si accumulation. The effects of Si on rice Sb stress in the presence or absence of P were investigated. P significantly increased the shoot biomass in both wild-type and mutant rice, whereas Si increased the biomass only in the wild-type rice. No biomass change was detected in both rice type when 10 or 30 μ mol·L−1Sb was added to the solution. Compared with the no P control, in both rice types, the application of 0.7 mmol·L−1 P significantly increased the P content, whereas Si significantly influenced the uptake and accumulation of P and Sb. In different P and Sb treatments, 1.0 mmol·L−1 Si led to 6.9–58.2% and 21.4–62.5% decreased Sb content in the shoots of wild-type and mutant rice, respectively. Si addition also significantly impacted the distribution coefficient of Sb between the shoots and seeds of both rice ty...

A major limiting factor for high productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) in dense planting is light penetration through the canopy. Plant architecture with a narrower leaf angle (LA) and an optimum leaf orientation value (LOV) is desirable to increase light capture for photosynthesis and production per unit area. However, the genetic control of the plant architecture traits remains poorly understood in maize. In this study, QTL for LA, LOV, and related traits were mapped using a set of 229 F(2:3) families derived from the cross between compact and expanded inbred lines, evaluated in three environments. Twenty-five QTL were detected in total. Three of the QTL explained 37.4% and five of the QTL explained 53.9% of the phenotypic variance for LA and LOV, respectively. Two key genome regions controlling leaf angle and leaf orientation were identified. qLA1 and qLOV1 at nearest marker umc2226 on chromosome 1.02 accounted for 20.4 and 23.2% of the phenotypic variance, respectively; qLA5 and qLOV5 at nearest bnlg1287 on chromosome 5 accounted for 9.7 and 9.8% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. These QTL could provide useful information for marker-assisted selection in improving performance of plant architecture with regard to leaf angle and orientation.

The influence of pulse electrodeposition parameters (i.e., current-on time, current-off time and peak current density) on the grain size and orientation of zinc deposits was investigated in acidic sulfate electrolyte. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicate that the pulse parameters play an important role in the grain refinement of nanocrystalline zinc coatings. As varying peak current density (1–2 A/cm2), current-on time (1–6 ms) and current-off time (4–18 ms), nanocrystalline zinc coatings are produced in the grain range 60 to 35 nm. The pulse parameters have a slight influence on the orientation of nanocrystalline zinc coatings.

The parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae accepted all stages of the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae. The average number of mummies produced per female parasitoid was 42.8. Diaeretiella rapae did not show preference between young (first–second instars) and old (fourth instars) nymphs of the aphid. Nymph aphids younger than 4 days (third instars) produced no offspring after parasitism. The average number of offspring per aphid that was parasitized at day 5–6 (third–fourth instars) and day 7 (adults) were 3.1 and 15.3, respectively, which were much less compared with the aphid that was not parasitized (38.1). The average reproduction period for the aphids that were parasitized at day 5–6 and day 7 were 1.9 and 4.4 days, respectively and that for non-parasitized aphids was 14.9 days. Cage experiments showed that at the ratio of 1.2 : 1 (six female wasps : five aphid adults), with three releases on day 1, 3 and 6, the percent parasitism of the offspring on day 20 was 88.9%, and the aphids were successfully controlled by the second generation of the released parasitoids. Release of cabbage plants that included both mummies and young aphids in a broccoli field, with a dose of about 2 mummies/m2, resulted in higher percentage of the broccoli plants with mummies in the treated plot compared with the control plot. The percent parasitism of the aphids on broccoli plants in the treated plot was also, with one exception, significantly higher. Seven weeks after the release of the parasitoid, the percentage of the broccoli plants with mummies was 93.3% in the treated plot and 56.7% in the control plot; the percent parasitism of the aphids were 6.7 and 1.4% in the treated and control plots, respectively. These results indicated that one release of the cabbage plants with mummies enhanced the spread of the parasitoid D. rapae and increased parasitism of the aphids in the field. More releases of the parasitoid are needed to control the aphid effectively.

Typical microstructure morphologies in the near-surface layer of the welding zone of gas tungsten arc welded 316L stainless steel tube with and without laser shock peening (LSP) were characterized by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations. Experimental results and analysis indicated that massive LSP treatment has an important influence on microstructures in the welding zone and heat-affected zone of the welded stainless steel tube. Special attention has been paid to the grain refinement mechanism induced by massive LSP treatment is proposed in the near-surface layer of the welding zone, consisting of the formation of dislocation tangles and dislocation walls due to the pile up of dislocation lines, the development and formation of subgrain boundaries, and the evolution from subgrain boundaries to new grain boundaries. Meanwhile, under laser shock wave, the coarse grain in the near-surface layer in heat-affected zone of the welded specimen was also divided by dislocation movement.

High-resolution vibrational spectroscopy of fullerene thin films is achieved by sum-frequency generation and infrared absorption. The ${A}_{g}(2)$ mode of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ gains strong infrared activity when the molecule is adsorbed on Ag(111). K doping allows us to demonstrate the process of adsorbate/substrate dynamical charge transfer, by showing, for the first time, the quenching of the mode softening and infrared activity upon tuning of the admolecule electronic properties. These observations enable the quantitative evaluation of the coupling strength of the ${A}_{g}(2)$ vibration to the ${t}_{1u}$ orbital of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$.

Many mitochondrial DNA sequences are used to estimate phylogenetic relationships among animal taxa and perform molecular phylogenetic evolution analysis. With the continuous development of sequencing technology, numerous mitochondrial sequences have been released in public databases, especially complete mitochondrial DNA sequences. Using multiple sequences is better than using single sequences for phylogenetic analysis of animals because multiple sequences have sufficient information for evolutionary process reconstruction. Therefore, we performed phylogenetic analyses of 14 species of Felidae based on complete mitochondrial genome sequences, with Canis familiaris as an outgroup, using neighbor joining, maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The consensus phylogenetic trees supported the monophyly of Felidae, and the family could be divided into 2 subfamilies, Felinae and Pantherinae. The genus Panthera and species tigris were also studied in detail. Meanwhile, the divergence of this family was estimated by phylogenetic analysis using the Bayesian method with a relaxed molecular clock, and the results shown were consistent with previous studies. In summary, the evolution of Felidae was reconstructed by phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial genome sequences. The described method may be broadly applicable for phylogenetic analyses of anima taxa.

Mitochondrial DNA sequences can be used to estimate phylogenetic relationships among animal taxa and for molecular phylogenetic evolution analysis. With the development of sequencing technology, more and more mitochondrial sequences have been made available in public databases, including whole mitochondrial DNA sequences. These data have been used for phylogenetic analysis of animal species, and for studies of evolutionary processes. We made phylogenetic analyses of 19 species of Cervidae, with Bos taurus as the outgroup. We used neighbor joining, maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods on whole mitochondrial genome sequences. The consensus phylogenetic trees supported monophyly of the family Cervidae; it was divided into two subfamilies, Plesiometacarpalia and Telemetacarpalia, and four tribes, Cervinae, Muntiacinae, Hydropotinae, and Odocoileinae. The divergence times in these families were estimated by phylogenetic analysis using the Bayesian method with a relaxed molecular clock method; the results were consistent with those of previous studies. We concluded that the evolutionary structure of the family Cervidae can be reconstructed by phylogenetic analysis based on whole mitochondrial genomes; this method could be used broadly in phylogenetic evolutionary analysis of animal taxa.

The DNA binding protein from hippocampus of epileptic rats was investigated by southwestern blot, which regulated the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene. Its expression pattern was also studied.Southwestern blot showed that there were two specific DNA binding proteins that regulated the expression of GFAP gene, and their molecular weight were 39 kDa and 35.5 kDa, respectively. The expression of the DNA binding proteins was markedly increased in hippocampus of kainic acid (KA) + NS group at 5 d, reached the peak at 3 w, lasted for 3 m observed.The results above suggest that KA may increase the expression of GFAP in hippocampus by upregulating the transcription factor that regulated the expression of GFAP gene, which may participate in the formation of epileptic seizures.

Four hundred fifty 52-wk-old Langshan layer hens (dual-purpose type, an indigenous poultry breed of China) were randomly divided into 9 treatments with 5 replicates in each treatment. Birds were fed corn-soybean diets (0.13 mg of Se/kg) supplemented with 0, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/kg of Se from Se yeast and 3.2, 4.0, and 5.4 g of dl-Met/kg, respectively. Increasing Se yeast supplementation significantly increased Se concentration in the egg yolk (P0.01) and the Se concentration of the 3.2 g of Met/kg treatment was higher than those of the 4.0 and 5.4 g of Met/kg treatments. Adding 0.3 mg of Se/kg to the diet significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the egg yolk compared with 0 and 0.6 mg of Se/kg (P0.01) and increasing Se yeast supplementation significantly increased the GSH-Px activity in the egg albumen (P0.01). Increasing Met supplementation significantly decreased the GSH-Px activity in both the yolk and the albumen of the eggs (P0.01). Methionine supplemented at 3.2 and 4.0 g/kg significantly increased glutathione concentration in the egg yolk compared with 5.4 g of Met/kg (P0.01) and increasing Met supplementation increased the glutathione concentration in the egg albumen. Increasing Met supplementation significantly decreased malondialdehyde concentration in the egg yolk (P0.01) and Se supplemented at 0 and 0.6 mg/kg increased the malondialdehyde concentrations in the egg yolk compared with 0.3 mg of Se/kg (P0.01). Methionine supplemented at 4.0 and 5.4 g/kg significantly decreased carbonyl concentration compared with 3.2 g of Met/kg. The conclusion was drawn that Se yeast and Met supplementation of the maternal diets could enhance antioxidant activity of breeding eggs.