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Hypertensive nephropathy (HTN) is the second leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and a chronic inflammatory disease. Persistent hypertension leads to lesions of intrarenal arterioles and arterioles, luminal stenosis, secondary ischemic renal parenchymal damage, and glomerulosclerosis, tubular atrophy, and interstitial fibrosis. Studying the pathogenesis of hypertensive nephropathy is a prerequisite for diagnosis and treatment. The main cause of HTN is poor long-term blood pressure control, but kidney damage is often accompanied by the occurrence of immune inflammation. Some studies have found that the activation of innate immunity, inflammation and acquired immunity is closely related to the pathogenesis of HTN, which can cause damage and dysfunction of target organs. There are more articles on the mechanism of diabetic nephropathy, while there are fewer studies related to immunity in hypertensive nephropathy. This article reviews the mechanisms by which several different immune cells and inflammatory cytokines regulate blood pressure and renal damage in HTN. It mainly focuses on immune cells, cytokines, and chemokines and inhibitors. However, further comprehensive and large-scale studies are needed to determine the role of these markers and provide effective protocols for clinical intervention and treatment.

Technique: The CHN•WU wound suture technique uses barbed sutures. The needle is inserted from the basal part of the superficial fascia at the left edge of the wound and passed through half of the reticular dermis to reach a point (1A) approximately 0.5–2 cm away from the wound edge. Occlusion is achieved at 1A at the level of the reticular dermis, and if done correctly, a shallow concavity will appear at the occlusion point on the skin. The needle is then walked along the natural curvature until it reaches the center of the wound and then moved out from the junction between the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. On the other side of the incision, the needle is inserted into the contralateral position at the junction between the dermis and subcutaneous tissue and moved along its natural curvature to achieve occlusion at the mirror site of 1A in the reticular dermis. This process is repeated until the entire wound is closed. In the end, two stitches should be applied in the opposite direction. The left barbed suture is cut and thrown. Results: This technique does not break through the epidermis, has high suture efficiency and satisfactory cosmetic appearance, disperses mechanical tension, and maintains wound tensile strength. Conclusion: This technique was especially effective in closing high-tension wounds in the chest and extremities where the blood supply to both sides of the wound was not affected after suturing, and wound closure could be performed quickly and efficiently in one stage.

Objectives: Limited data on clinical and microbiological efficacy, patient mortality, and other associated factors are available for ceftazidime/avibactam (CAZ/AVI)-based regimens for carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CR-GNB). This study aimed to assess these issues retrospectively using multicenter data. Methods: This multicenter study included CR-GNB infected patients treated with CAZ/AVI-based regimens for more than three days. Patient characteristics, bacterial culture reports, drug-sensitivity test results, and antibiotic use, including CAZ/AVI use, were extracted from the patient's clinical records. The clinical and microbiological efficacy of the combined drug regimen and patient mortality were evaluated according to corresponding definitions. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to explore the efficacy and mortality-related factors. Results: A total of 183 patients with CR-GNB infection were considered for the analysis according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After the treatment of CAZ/AVI-based regimens, the clinical efficacy was 75.4 %. The 7-day microbial efficacy and clearance rate after treatment were 43.7 % and 66.0 %, respectively. Moreover, 30-day all-cause and in-hospital mortality were 11.5 % and 14.2 %, respectively. Harboring renal dysfunction (creatinine clearance rate (CCR) of

Autoimmune encephalitis, a class of encephalitis, is clinically characterized by multifocal or diffuse brain injury, including aberrant mental behavior, convulsions, and near-event memory impairment. In this article, we describe a female patient with autoimmune encephalitis who tested positive for leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI1) antibodies and had hippocampal inflammatory edema in the lesion area. During the first 3 months of her illness, the patient primarily experienced memory loss, the onset of rigid twitching in her extremities that lasted for 1 min while in remission, and incontinence. After gamma globulin administration, methylprednisolone shock, and other symptomatic therapies during hospitalization, the patient’s psychiatric symptoms and seizures improved considerably; however, she did not fully recover her memory. After receiving fire acupuncture for 6 months, the patient’s understanding, orientation, and calculation skills improved considerably. Her memory and mental state were also improved at the follow-up visit. In this case, the use of fire acupuncture for the treatment of autoimmune encephalitis resulted in favorable outcomes with important benefits for conditions affecting the central nervous system; however, more convincing data are required to support the effectiveness of this treatment method.

The source–sink ratio during grain filling is a critical factor that affects crop yield in wheat, and the main objective of this study was to determine the source–sink relations at both the canopy scale and the individual culm level under two nitrogen (N) levels at the post-jointing stage. Nine widely-used cultivars were chosen for analyzing source–sink relations in southwestern China; and three typical cultivars of different plant types were subjected to artificial manipulation of the grain-filling source–sink ratio to supplement crop growth measurements. A field experiment was conducted over two consecutive seasons under two N rates (N+, 150 kg ha−1; N–, 60 kg ha−1), and three manipulations were imposed after anthesis: control (Ct), removal of flag and penultimate leaves (Lr) and removal of spikelets on one side of each spike (Sr). The results showed that the single grain weights in the three cultivars were significantly decreased by Lr and increased by Sr, which demonstrated that wheat grain yield potential seems more source-limited than sink-limited during grain filling, but the source–sink balance was obviously changed by climatic variations and N deficient environments. Grain yield was highly associated with sink capacity (SICA), grain number, biomass, SPAD values, and leaf area index during grain filling, indicating a higher degree of source limitation with an increase in sink capacity. Therefore, source limitation should be taken into account by breeders when SICA is increased, especially under non-limiting conditions. Chuanmai 104, a half-compact type with a mid-sized spike and a long narrow upper leaf, showed relatively better performance in source–sink relations. Since this cultivar showed the characteristics of a lower reduction in grain weight after Lr, a larger increase after Sr, and a lower reduction in post-anthesis dry matter accumulation, then the greater current photosynthesis during grain filling contributed to the grain after source and sink manipulation.

AimTo observe the effects of acupuncture manipulations on blood pressure and brain function in spontaneously hypertensive rats and elucidate the anti-hypertensive effect of the manipulations’ central mechanism.MethodsThis study used acupuncture twirling reinforcing, acupuncture twirling reducing, and acupuncture twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing manipulations to act on the bilateral TaiChong point of rats. The depth of acupuncture was 1.5–2 mm, and twisting was performed at a frequency of 60 times/min within ±360° for 3 min, followed by the needle being retained for 17 min. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed at the end of the intervention. Regional homogeneity and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations were used to assess the differences in brain regions in each group of rats, and the core brain region (left hypothalamus) among the differential brain regions was selected as the seed for functional connectivity analysis.Results(1) The anti-hypertensive effect was achieved by acupuncture manipulations, and the anti-hypertensive effect of twirling reducing manipulation on spontaneously hypertensive rats was better than that of twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing and twirling reinforcing manipulations. (2) After regional homogeneity and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations analyses, the hypothalamus, the brain region related to blood pressure, was activated in the twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing manipulation group; the corpus callosum and cerebellum were activated in the twirling reinforcing manipulation group; and the hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, corpus callosum, brainstem, globus pallidum, and striatum were activated in the twirling reducing manipulation group. (3) According to the functional connectivity analysis, different acupuncture manipulations increased the functional connections between seed points and the brainstem, olfactory bulb, and cerebellum, etc.ConclusionThese results suggest that acupuncture manipulations achieved the hypotensive effect and the twirling reducing manipulation had a better hypotensive effect on spontaneously hypertensive rats than twirling uniform reinforcing-reducing and twirling reinforcing manipulations; the central mechanism of the anti-hypertensive effect of twirling reinforcing and reducing manipulation may be related to the activation of brain regions associated with blood pressure regulation and the functional connections between them. Furthermore, brain regions involved in motor control, cognition, and hearing were also activated. We hypothesize that activation of these brain regions may help prevent or mitigate the onset and progression of hypertensive brain damage.

β-Ga2O3, with excellent bandgap, breakdown field, and thermal stability properties, is considered to be one of the most promising candidates for power devices including field-effect transistors (FETs) and for other applications such as Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) and solar-blind ultraviolet photodetectors. Ohmic contact is one of the key steps in the β-Ga2O3 device fabrication process for power applications. Ohmic contact techniques have been developed in recent years, and they are summarized in this review. First, the basic theory of metal–semiconductor contact is introduced. After that, the representative literature related to Ohmic contact with β-Ga2O3 is summarized and analyzed, including the electrical properties, interface microstructure, Ohmic contact formation mechanism, and contact reliability. In addition, the promising alternative schemes, including novel annealing techniques and Au-free contact materials, which are compatible with the CMOS process, are discussed. This review will help our theoretical understanding of Ohmic contact in β-Ga2O3 devices as well as the development trends of Ohmic contact schemes.

Candida duobushaemulonii, type II Candida haemulonii complex, is closely related to Candida auris and capable of causing invasive and non-invasive infections in humans. Eleven strains of C. duobushaemulonii were collected from China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net (CHIF-NET) and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), VITEK 2 Yeast Identification Card (YST), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Whole genome sequencing of C. duobushaemulonii was done to determine their genotypes. Furthermore, C. duobushaemulonii strains were tested by Sensititre YeastOne™ and Clinical and Laboratory Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution panel for antifungal susceptibility. Three C. duobushaemulonii could not be identified by VITEK 2. All 11 isolates had high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to amphotericin B more than 2 μg/ml. One isolate showed a high MIC value of ≥64 μg/ml to 5-flucytosine. All isolates were wild type (WT) for triazoles and echinocandins. FUR1 variation may result in C. duobushaemulonii with high MIC to 5-flucytosine. Candida duobushaemulonii mainly infects patients with weakened immunity, and the amphotericin B resistance of these isolates might represent a challenge to clinical treatment.

Polymyxin B (PMB), a kind of polymyxin, was widely used in carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial (CR-GNB) infections. However, adverse reactions such as nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity limit its use in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to explore PMB associated with nephrotoxicity and its predictors. Patients who received PMB intravenous drip for more than 72 h were eligible for the study. Characteristics of patients, concomitant nephrotoxic agents, underlying disease, and antimicrobial susceptibility were submitted for descriptive analysis. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to assess the factors leading to acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI was assessed with serum creatinine variations according to the classification of risk (stage R), injury (stage I), failure (stage F), loss, and end-stage of kidney disease. Among 234 patients with CR-GNB infections who used PMB in our study, 67 (28.63%) patients developed AKI, including 31 (14.25%) patients in stage R, 15 (6.41%) patients in stage I, and 21 (8.97%) patients in stage F. The incident rate of PMB-related nephrotoxicity in patients with normal renal function was 32.82% (43/131). The higher risk factors of AKI include males [odds ratio (OR) = 3.237; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.426–7.350], digestive system diseases [OR = 2.481 (1.127–5.463)], using furosemide (>20 mg/day) [OR = 2.473 (1.102–5.551)], and baseline serum creatinine [OR = 0.994 (0.990–0.999)]. Nonparametric tests of K-independent samples showed that baseline serum creatinine and the PMB maintenance dose were associated with the severity of nephrotoxicity (both p < 0.05). Male, digestive system diseases, using furosemide (>20 mg/day), and high baseline serum creatinine were the independent risk factors of PMB-associated AKI development. The maintenance dose of PMB may be related to the severity of AKI. These risk factors should be taken into consideration when initiating PMB-based therapy. The serum creatinine value should be closely monitored when using PMB.

BackgroundPrevious studies supported that dietary factor was associated with constipation, but the relationship between dietary energy intake and constipation has not been well-studied. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence and correlation between energy intake and constipation among men and women.MethodsThese observational analyses included 12,587 adults (≥20 years) from the 2005–2010 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Constipation was defined as Bristol Stool Scale Type 1 (separate hard lumps, like nuts) or Type 2 (sausage-like but lumpy). Total energy intake was obtained from the two 24-h dietary recalls and averaged. We used the logistic regression model in Generalized Linear Model (GLM) function, controlling demographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors, to estimate the association between energy intake and constipation among men and women.ResultsThe overall weighted incidence of constipation in this research was 7.4%, the incidence in women and men was 10.4 and 4.3%, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, middle energy consumption correlated with decreased risk of constipation in men (OR:0.5, 95% CI:0.29–0.84), and lower-middle energy intake increased the constipation risk in women (OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.15–2.13). High energy consumption was not associated with increased or decreased constipation risk.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first research to investigate the association between energy intake and constipation; the study demonstrates that appropriate energy consumption can help reduce the risk of constipation in men, and relatively low energy intake is associated with increased constipation risk in women.

Sonneratia apetala Buch-Ham., an exotic mangrove species with antidiabetic, antibacterial, and antioxidant capacities, mainly distributes in the southeast coastal areas in China. The present work investigated the protective effects of Sonneratia apetala leaves and branches extraction (SAL) on hyperuricemia (HUA) in mice. Potassium oxonate (PO) and hypoxanthine (HX) were used to establish the HUA model by challenge for consecutive 7 days. Results revealed that SAL inhibited the increases in kidney weight and index compared to the vehicle group. Meanwhile, SAL significantly decreased the levels of uric acid (UA), creatinine (CRE), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in serum. Additionally, SAL inhibited the activity of xanthine oxidase (XOD) in the liver. SAL ameliorated PO- and HX-induced histopathological changes. Moreover, it regulated oxidative stress markers including malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and glutathione (GSH) content. Also, SAL inhibited the increases in renal levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). SAL remarkably reduced suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), and subsequent phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) expression. In addition, SAL inhibited the activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in the kidney. Furthermore, SAL protected against HUA by regulating renal UA transporters of organic anion transporter (OAT1), urate reabsorption transporter 1 (URAT1), and glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9). These findings suggested that SAL ameliorated HUA by inhibiting the production of uric acid and enhancing renal urate excretion, which are related to oxidative stress and inflammation, and the possible molecular mechanisms include its ability to inhibit the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Thus, SAL might be developed into a promising agent for HUA treatments.

Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) positively impacts the speech function of patients suffering from aphasia and strokes. Fixed-pitch melodies and phrases formulated in MIT provide the key to the target language to open the language pathway. This randomized controlled trial compared the effects of music therapy-based MIT and speech therapy on patients with non-fluent aphasia. The former is more effective in the recovery of language function in patients with aphasia. Forty-two participants were enrolled in the study, and 40 patients were registered. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention group (n = 20; 16 males, 4 females; 52.90 ± 9.08 years), which received MIT, and the control group (n = 20; 15 males, 5 females; 54.05 ± 10.81 years), which received speech therapy. The intervention group received MIT treatment for 30 min/day, five times a week for 8 weeks, and the control group received identical sessions of speech therapy for 30 min/day, five times a week for 8 weeks. Each participant of the group was assessed by a Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE) at the baseline (t1, before the start of the experiment), and after 8 weeks (t2, the experiment was finished). The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) were also measured on the time points. The best medical care of the two groups is the same. Two-way ANOVA analysis of variance was used only for data detection. In the spontaneous speech (information), the listening comprehension (right or wrong, word recognition, and sequential order) and repetitions of the intervention group were significantly higher than the control group in terms of the cumulative effect of time and the difference between groups after 8 weeks. The intervention group has a significant time effect in fluency, but the results after 8 weeks were not significantly different from those in the control group. In terms of naming, the intervention group was much better than the control group in spontaneous naming. Regarding object naming, reaction naming, and sentence completing, the intervention group showed a strong time accumulation effect. Still, the results after 8 weeks were not significantly different from those in the control group. These results indicate that, compared with speech therapy, MIT based on music therapy is a more effective musical activity and is effective and valuable for the recovery of speech function in patients with non-fluent aphasia. As a more professional non-traumatic treatment method, MIT conducted by qualified music therapists requires deeper cooperation between doctors and music therapists to improve rehabilitating patients with aphasia. The Ethics Committee of the China Rehabilitation Research Center approved this study (Approval No. 2020-013-1 on April 1, 2020) and was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registration number: Clinical Trials ChiCTR2000037871) on September 3, 2020.

The transient receptor potential (TRP) channels comprise a large family of ion channels that control a vast array of cellular functions. Growing evidence has demonstrated that a diversity of bioactive components from foods activate or inhibit different types of TRP channels, and interfere with related pathophysiological processes. This review highlights current advances in finding various bioactive components from foods that target TRP channels, and ends with comments on the potential of functional foods that target TRP channels. Furthermore, some types of TRP-related functional food products currently on the market are discussed.

Abstract Backgrounds In recent decades, incorporating polypropylene (PP) within flame retardants has proved to be an effective method of improving the thermal stabilities of PP, but too much adversely affects the mechanical properties of this polymer materials. Herein we report a novel multifunctional flame retardant, (styrene acrylonitrile)–(titanate-modified ammonium polyphosphate) (SAN–TAPP), to simultaneously improve the mechanical properties and thermal stability of PP composites. Methods SAN–TAPP was synthesized by encapsulating SAN resins with functional titanate-modified APP (TAPP) and subsequently was incorporated into PP by a melt-blending process. The phase characteristics and morphology of SAN–TAPP were investigated, and the mechanical properties and thermal stability of different content of PP/SAN–TAPP composites were studied. Results The results showed that the TAPP was almost entirely wrapped in the SAN resins and PP/SAN–TAPP composites exhibited the sea-island morphology. For the mechanical properties, the impact strength of PP/SAN–TAPP composite was significantly improved, especially 15 wt% SAN–TAPP filled PP/SAN–TAPP composite exhibiting 2.17 times higher than that of pure PP. And the tensile strength and modulus also increased by addition of SAN–TAPP. For the thermal stabilities, melting temperatures (Tm) and residual char yield were improved. Furthermore, the LOI value of PP/SAN–TAPP composites increased from 19.8 to 27.5%; The 15 and 20 wt% SAN–TAPP filled in PP/SAN–TAPP composites passed the V-2 test of UL-94, and exerted the similar effect on the flame retardancy to TAPP with the same loading. Conclusions These results revealed that a novel PP/SAN–TAPP composites with synthetically enhancement on the mechanical properties, thermal stabilities and flame retardancy, suggesting a strong correlation between the phase structure, mechanical and thermal properties.

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are regarded as promising candidates for a 5G communication system, which demands higher frequency and power. Source/drain ohmic contact is one of the key fabrication processes crucial to the device performance. Firstly, Au-contained metal stacks combined with RTA high-temperature ohmic contact schemes were presented and analyzed, including process conditions and contact formation mechanisms. Considering the issues with the Au-contained technique, the overview of a sequence of Au-free schemes is given and comprehensively discussed. In addition, in order to solve various problems caused by high-temperature conditions, novel annealing techniques including microwave annealing (MWA) and laser annealing (LA) were proposed to form Au-free low-temperature ohmic contact to AlGaN/GaN HEMT. The effects of the annealing method on surface morphology, gate leakage, dynamic on-resistance (RON), and other device characteristics are investigated and presented in this paper. By using a low-temperature annealing atmosphere or selective annealing method, gate-first Si-CMOS compatible AlGaN/GaN HEMT technology can be realized for high frequency and power application.

Lonicera macranthoides Hand.-Mazz (L. macranthoides) is a medicinal herb that is widely distributed in South China. The developmental stage and corolla dehiscence of the flower are the important factors affecting the quality of medicinal ingredients. However, neither the regulatory mechanism controlling chlorogenic acids biosynthesis in L. macranthoides nor the molecular basis of effect of corolla dehiscence on the quality of medicinal materials is fully understood. In this study, metabolomics and transcriptomics were used to analyze the metabolic and transcriptional differences of two different cultivars closed bud type (Bt), and flowering type (Ft), as well as the effect of jasmonic acid methyl ester (MeJA) on chlorogenic acids (CGAs) biosynthesis. In total, large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were filtered among three lines of samples. Gene metabolite correlation analyses revealed a 'core set' of 30 genes and 54 genes that were strongly correlated with CGAs biosynthesis and regulating the flowering, respectively. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results proved the alterations in the expression levels of genes encoding the pathways involved in CGAs biosynthesis. The ion abundances of CGAs were most significantly increased, while some of the CGAs derived and Caffeoyl-CoA-derived substances showed the most largely reduced abundances in the closed bud type (Bt) compared to the flowering type (Ft). MeJA may leads to the activation of downstream genes in CGAs biosynthesis pathway. Overall, there were significant differences in the transcriptional and metabolic levels of CGAs biosynthesis pathway in flower buds of different flowering cultivars. The redirection of metabolic flux may contribute to increased accumulation of CGAs. However, whether MeJA and flowering have direct effects on the accumulation of CGAs needs further studied. These researches effectively expanded the functional genomic library and provide new insights into CGAs biosynthesis in L. macranthoides.

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, and no effective treatment is available yet. Metal‐ion‐triggered aggregates of amyloid‐beta (Aβ) peptide and acetylcholine imbalance are reported to be possible factors in AD pathogenesis. Thus, a combination therapy that can not only inhibit and reduce Aβ aggregation but also simultaneously regulate acetylcholine imbalance that can serve as a potential treatment for AD is needed. Here, clioquinol (metal‐ion chelating agent) and donepezil (acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor) co‐encapsulated human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles (dcHGT NPs) are designed, which are modified with transcriptional activator protein (TAT) and monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1). The GM1 lipid and TAT peptide endow this drug delivery nanosystem with high brain entry efficiency and long‐term retention capabilities through intranasal administration. It is found that dcHGT NPs can significantly inhibit and eliminate Aβ aggregation, relieve acetylcholine‐related inflammation in microglial cells, and protect primary neurons from Aβ oligomer‐induced neurotoxicity in vitro. The alleviation of Aβ‐related inflammation and AChE‐inhibited effect further synergistically adjust acetylcholine imbalance. It is further demonstrated that dcHGT NPs reduce Aβ deposition, ameliorate neuron morphological changes, rescue memory deficits, and greatly improve acetylcholine regulation ability in vivo. This multifunctional synergetic nanosystem can be a new candidate to achieve highly efficient combination therapy for AD.

Abstract Background Although polypropylene (PP) has been widely used, its brittleness restricts even further applications. Methods In this study, we have used a melt blending process to synthesize styrene acrylonitrile (SAN)/PP blends containing 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt% SAN. The effects of adding various amount of SAN on the blends characteristics, mechanical properties, thermal behavior and morphology were investigated. Results The results demonstrated that SAN had no obviously effect on crystal form but reduced the crystallinity of PP and increased the viscosity. The heat deflection temperature and Vicat softening temperature were enhanced for all SAN/PP blends, in particular for blends with low SAN content (5 and 10 wt%). The morphology of SAN/PP blends with 10 wt% SAN revealed the presence of nanoparticles dispersed on the surface, while SAN/PP blends with 20 wt% SAN exhibited the presence of spherical droplets and dark holes. All SAN/PP blends showed higher impact strength compared to pure PP, especially for SAN/PP blend containing 10 wt% SAN for which the impact strength was 2.3 times higher than that of pure PP. Conclusions The reason for significant increase in impact properties seemed to have a strong correlation with nanoparticles morphology and the decrease of PP crystallinity.

Abstract Background Our study was aimed to explore the clinical implication of chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) in genetically etiological diagnosis of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods A total of 104 children with CHD with or without multiple congenital anomalies (MCA) or intellectual disabilities/developmental delay (ID/DD) but normal karyotype were investigated using Affymetrix CytoScan HD array. Result Pathogenic copy number variations (PCNVs) were identified in 29 children (27.9%). The detection rates in children with simple CHD and complex CHD were 31.1% (19/61) and 23.2% (10/43), respectively. The detection rates of PCNVs were 17.9% (7/39), 20% (5/25), 63.2% (12/19) and 23.8% (5/21) in isolated CHD, CHD plus MCA, CHD plus ID/DD, CHD plus MCA and ID/DD, respectively. The PCNVs rate of CHD plus ID/DD was significantly higher than that of isolated CHD. Two genomic loci including 15q11.2 deletion and 1q43-q44 deletion were considered as CHD locus. The DVL1, SKI, STIM1, CTNNA3 and PLN were identified as candidate genes associated with CHD phenotypes. Conclusion CMA can increase the diagnostic rate and improve the etiological diagnosis in children with CHD. We suggest CMA as a first-tier test in children with CHD, especially in children with CHD plus ID/DD.

Good crop stand establishment and root system development are essential for optimum grain yield of dryland wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). At present, little is known about the effect of tillage and straw mulch on the root system of wheat under dryland areas in southwestern China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of three tillage treatments (no-till, NT; rotary till, RT; conventional till, CT) and two crop residue management practices (straw mulch, ML; non-straw mulch, NML) on stand establishment, root growth and grain yield of wheat. NT resulted in lower soil cover thickness for the wheat seed, higher number of uncovered seeds, lower percentage of seedling-less ridges and lower tiller density compared to RT and CT; ML resulted in higher tiller density compared to NML. Straw mulching resulted in more soil water content and root length density (RLD) at most of the growth stages and soil depths. The maximum RLD, root surface area density and root dry matter density were obtained under NT. In the topmost 10 cm soil layer, higher RLD values were found under NT than those under RT and CT. There were no significant differences in the yield or yield components of wheat among the tillage treatments in 2011–2012, but NT resulted in a significant higher yield compared to RT and CT in 2012–2013. Grain yield was significantly higher in ML compared to in NML. A strong relationship was observed between the water-use efficiency and the grain yield. Both NT and ML proved beneficial for wheat in term of maintaining higher tiller density, better soil water status and root growth, leading to a higher grain yield and enhanced water-use efficiency, especially in a low rainfall year.

METHODS: NF-κB p65 ASODN and NF-κB p65 missense oligodeoxynucleotide (MSODN) were designed and synthesized. Human lens epithelial cell line (HLE B-3) cells were prepared for study and divided into 7 groups. Control group was HLE B-3 cells cultured in vitro in dulbecco's modified eagle medium (DMEM). T1, T2, and T3 group were HLE B-3 cells cultured in vitro in DMEM with 10 ng/mL TGF-β2 for 6h, 12h, 24h respectively. A+T group was HLE B-3 cells cultured with 10 ng/mL TGF-β2 for 24h after transfected by NF-κB p65 ASODN for 24h. M+T group was HLE B-3 cells cultured with 10 ng/mL TGF-β2 for 24h after transfected by NF-κB p65 MSODN for 24h. The negative control group was HLE B-3 cells cultured with 10 ng/mL TGF-β2 for 24h after cultured with transfer agent (HiPerFect) for 24h. Cell morphology was observed at different time points using an inverted microscope. The expression of NF-κB p65 mRNA was detected with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) protein was assayed with ELISA. RESULTS: With the TGF-β2 stimulation prolongation, the expression of NF-κB p65 mRNA and α-SMA protein increased in T1, T2, T3 groups compared with the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P0.05), but the difference among A+T group and other groups was statistically significant (P

Aim. This study was performed to evaluate the additional enteral nutrition (EN) in the efficacy of infliximab (IFX) compared with the conventional therapy in managing Crohn’s disease (CD) complicated with intestinal fistulas. Methods. A total of 42 CD with intestinal fistulas were randomly divided into infliximab treatment group (n=20) and conventional therapy group (n=22). We evaluated the laboratory indexes, Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI), Crohn’s disease simplified endoscopic score (SES-CD), and healing of fistula in the two groups before treatment, at 14 weeks, and at 30 weeks, respectively. Results. In the IFX treatment group, the CDAI score, the SES-CD, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels were significantly decreased during treatment compared with those before treatment. The body mass index and albumin levels were increased in both groups. Moreover, in the IFX treatment group, fistula healing was found in 8 at the 14th week and 18 at the 30th week, respectively, which was greater than that in the conventional therapy group. Conclusion. Our study suggested that infliximab combined with EN is an effective treatment for CD patients complicated with intestinal fistulas.

BACKGROUND:Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical syndrome with the main characteristic of diffuse liver cells with fatty changes. The clinical evolution of NAFLD includes simple non-alcoholic fatty liver, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS AND FINDINGS:We conducted this review to identify the effectiveness of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) in NAFLD. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ω-3 PUFA treatment for NAFLD were considered. Two reviewers assessed the quality of each study and collected data independently. Disagreements were resolved by discussion among the reviewers and any of the other authors of the paper. We performed a meta-analysis and reported summary estimates of outcomes as inverse variance (IV), fixed or random, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included seven RCTs involving 442 patients (227 for the experimental group and 215 for the control group). All the patients were divided into two groups: one treated with ω-3 PUFA and the other was the control group (generally placebo). The demographics of the ω-3 PUFA and control groups were comparable. Beneficial changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (IV 95% CI: -7.61 [-12.83 to -2.39], p = 0.004), total cholesterol (TC) (IV 95% CI: -13.41 [-21.44 to -5.38], p = 0.001), triglyceride (TG) (IV 95% CI: -43.96 [-51.21 to -36.71], p

Five statistical methods including simple correlation, multiple linear regression, stepwise regression, principal components, and path analysis were used to explore the relationship between leaf water use efficiency (WUE) and physiological traits (photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, etc.) of 29 wheat cultivars. The results showed that photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were the most important leaf WUE parameters under drought condition. Based on the results of statistical analyses, principal component analysis could be the most suitable method to ascertain the relationship between leaf WUE and relative physiological traits. It is reasonable to assume that high leaf WUE wheat could be obtained by selecting breeding materials with high photosynthesis rate, low transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance under dry area.

The supercritical-carbon dioxide fluid extract of Chrysanthemum indicum Linné. (CFE) has been demonstrated to be effective in suppressing inflammation. The aim of this study is to investigate the preventive action and underlying mechanisms of CFE on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. ALI was induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS into lung, and dexamethasone was used as a positive control. Results revealed that pretreatment with CFE abated LPS-induced lung histopathologic changes, reduced the wet/dry ratio and proinflammatory cytokines productions (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), inhibited inflammatory cells migrations and protein leakages, suppressed the levels of MPO and MDA, and upregulated the abilities of antioxidative enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx). Furthermore, the pretreatment with CFE downregulated the activations of NF-κB and the expressions of TLR4/MyD88. These results suggested that CFE exerted potential protective effects against LPS-induced ALI in mice and was a potential therapeutic drug for ALI. Its mechanisms were at least partially associated with the modulations of TLR4 signaling pathways.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory property of the ethanol extract of the root and rhizome of Pogostemon cablin (ERP). The anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated using four animal models including xylene-induced mouse ear edema, acetic acid-induced mouse vascular permeability, carrageenan-induced mouse pleurisy, and carrageenan-induced mouse hind paw edema. Results indicated that oral administration of ERP (120, 240, and 480 mg/kg) significantly attenuated xylene-induced ear edema, decreased acetic acid-induced capillary permeability, inhibited carrageenan-induced neutrophils recruitment, and reduced carrageenan-induced paw edema, in a dose-dependent manner. Histopathologically, ERP (480 mg/kg) abated inflammatory response of the edema paw. Preliminary mechanism studies demonstrated that ERP decreased the level of MPO and MDA, increased the activities of anti-oxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, and GRd), attenuated the productions of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, PGE2 and NO, and suppressed the activities of COX-2 and iNOS. This work demonstrates that ERP has considerable anti-inflammatory potential, which provided experimental evidences for the traditional application of the root and rhizome of Pogostemon cablin in inflammatory diseases.

Moso bamboo [Phyllostachys heterocycla var. pubescens (Mazel ex J. Houz.) Ohwi] is one of the most important forest crops in China and the rest of Asia. Although many sympodial bamboo tissue culture protocols have been established, there is no protocol available for plantlet regeneration as indicated by callus induction for monopodial bamboos, such as Moso bamboo. In the present report, embryogenic callus induction, embryoid development, and germination were established for Moso bamboo from zygotic seed embryos. Callus was initiated from zygotic embryos after 10-20 d culture on MS media supplemented with 4.0 mg/L 2, 4-D and 0.1 mg/L zeatin (ZT). About 50% of the explants produced calli, and nearly 15% of the calli were found to be embryogenic in nature. These embryogenic calli can be subcultured for proliferation in the Murashige and Skoog media (MS) supplemented with 0.5-2.0 mg/L 2, 4-D. These calli were found to have maintained their capacity for regeneration even after one year of subculture. The viable somatic embryoids regenerated in medium containing 5.0-7.0 mg/L ZT. Nearly 5% of the calli were found capable of regenerating into plantlets directly in MS medium containing 5.0-7.0 mg/L ZT. Root growth was more pronounced when the plantlets were transferred to medium containing 2.0 mg/L NAA. After 30 days of subculture, the plantlets were transferred to a greenhouse.