The aim of this study was to inhibit adipogenic differentiation by transfecting two growth factors, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) and bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP-2), into modified rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) and then compounded with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). To achieve rBMSCs, the osteoporosis model of rats was established, and then the rBMSCs from the rats were isolated and identified. Co-transfection of rBMSCs with PDGF-BB-GFP and BMP-2 and detection of PDGF-BB/BMP-2 expression in transfected BMSCs was assessed by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Moreover, the effect of the two growth factors transfection of rBMSCs on adipogenic differentiation was evaluated by oil red O staining and western blot, respectively. Finally, construction of the two growth factors transfection of rBMSCs compounded with PRP and detection of adipogenic differentiation were assessed by oil red O staining, CCK-8, and western blot, respectively. In vitro studies revealed that the two growth factors transfection of rBMSCs compounded with PRP promoted cell viability and inhibited adipogenic differentiation and could be promising for inhibiting adipogenic differentiation.

Due to the high mortality and rapid disease progression, ovarian cancer remains one of the most common malignancies threatening the health of women. The present study was conducted to explore the anticancer effects and the underlying mechanisms of poricoic acid A (PAA), the main components of Poria cocos, on ovarian cancer. We investigated the anticancer effects of different concentrations of PAA in the SKOV3 cell line. Cell viability and proliferation were examined by CCK-8 assay. Cellular migration and invasion were assessed by the scratch and Transwell migration assays, respectively. The effect of PPA on cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and caspase-3/8/9 colorimetric assay. Western blot was performed to detect protein level changes related to apoptosis and mTOR signaling pathways. The in vivo anticancer effect of PAA was evaluated using xenograft tumorigenesis model in nude mice. Our results showed that PAA suppressed SKOV3 cellular viability, migration, and invasion in a dosage-dependent manner. Flow cytometry results demonstrated PAA treatment could induce SKOV3 cell apoptosis. In addition, increased ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I (a marker for autophagosome formation) was observed after PAA treatment, as well as inhibition of m-TOR and p70s6k phosphorylation. In nude mice, PAA treatment reduced the xenograft tumor weight by 70% (P<0.05). In conclusion, our data suggested that PAA induced apoptosis and autophagy in ovarian cancer via modulating the mTOR/p70s6k signaling axis.

Malt is the mature fruit of Hordeum vulgare L. after germination and drying and has been applied for treatment female abnormal galactorrhea. Previous studies have showed total alkaloids in malt have anti-HPRL effect. However, total alkaloids of malt change with the growth cycle, and the specified levels of total alkaloids in different bud length of malt have not been decided. To determine the definitive level of total alkaloids in different buds of malt and the most suitable bud length for clinical application by comparing effects on hyperprolactinemia rat. During the budding of malt, the content of total alkaloids first increased and then decreased, and it peaked at a bud length of 0.75 cm. Treated the HPRL model rats with different buds of malt, the PRL level was decreased, the number of PRLpositive cells and the mRNA expression level in the pituitary were significantly declined, and the number of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the hypothalamus was increased. The above changes were most significant in 0.75 cm bud. These results suggest that in terms of the content of effective substance and the effects on HPRL model rats, a malt bud length of 0.75 cm is optimal for clinical application.

OBJECTIVES: Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) are distinct neurodegenerative disorders that share similar clinical features of parkinsonism. The morphological alterations of these diseases have yet to be understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate gray matter atrophy in PD and MSA-P using regions of interest (ROI)-based measurements and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). METHODS: We studied 41 patients with PD, 20 patients with MSA-P, and 39 controls matched for age, sex, and handedness using an improved T1-weighted sequence that eased gray matter segmentation. The gray matter volumes were measured using ROI and VBM. RESULTS: ROI volumetric measurements showed significantly reduced bilateral putamen volumes in MSA-P patients compared with those in PD patients and controls (p<0.05), and the volumes of the bilateral caudate nucleus were significantly reduced in both MSA-P and PD patients compared with those in the controls (p<0.05). VBM analysis revealed multifocal cortical and subcortical atrophy in both MSA-P and PD patients, and the volumes of the cerebellum and temporal lobes were remarkably reduced in MSA-P patients compared with the volumes in PD patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both PD and MSA-P are associated with gray matter atrophy, which mainly involves the bilateral putamen, caudate nucleus, cerebellum, and temporal lobes. ROI and VBM can be used to identify these morphological alterations, and VBM is more sensitive and repeatable and less time-consuming, which may have potential diagnostic value.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the concise effects of a traditional herb pair, Curcumae rhizoma-Sparganii rhizoma (CRSR), on uterine leiomyoma (UL) by analyzing transcriptional profiling. The UL rat model was made by intramuscular injection of progesterone and gavage administration of diethylstilbestrol. From 11 weeks of the establishment of the model, rats of the UL+CRSR group were gavaged daily with CRSR (6.67 g/kg). The serum concentrations of progesterone (P) and estradiol (E2) were determined by radioimmunoassay, the uterine index was measured by caliper measurement, and the pathological status was observed by hematoxylin and eosin stain. Gene expression profiling was checked by NimbleGen Rat Gene Expression Microarrays. The results indicated that the uterine mass of UL+CRSR rats was significantly shrunk and serum P and E2 levels significantly reduced compared to UL animals and nearly to the level of normal rats. Results of microarrays displayed the extensive inhibition of CRSR upon the expression of proliferation and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes, and significantly regulated a wide range of metabolism disorders. Furthermore, CRSR extensively regulated key pathways of the UL process, such as MAPK, PPAR, Notch, and TGF-β/Smad. Regulation of the crucial pathways for the UL process and ECM metabolism may be the underlying mechanisms of CRSR treatment. Further studies will provide clear clues for effectively treating UL with CRSR.

ABSTRACT In large-scale natural disasters and military supplies, multiple parafoils are more capable of performing actual tasks. The cooperative paths planning for multiple parafoils with different initial positions and headings is an important step in multiple parafoils airdrop, which has to satisfy multiple objectives, namely, parafoils can’t collide with each other, parafoils should rendezvous at same target area, most of parafoils need to keep alignment against wind, and planned paths should be in the range of maneuver performance constraints to ensure that every parafoil’s path is flyable. Due to more factors need to be considered, it is more difficult to plan paths for multiple parafoils than single parafoil. In this paper an improved genetic algorithm is used to solve the multi-objective cooperative paths planning problem of multiple parafoils system. Parafoils’ paths are encoded by real matrix, and the cooperative relationship between parafoils is realized by paths fitness function. The random single point crossover and Gaussian mutation are introduced to accelerate algorithm convergence rate. Finally, a simulation example is given, simulation results show that proposed method can plan feasible paths for all parafoils, meanwhile, it satisfies the requirements of anti-collision, rendezvous to target point, and keep alignment against the wind.

ABSTRACT Background: The rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among the total of S. aureus isolates decreased to 35.3% in 2017 in China. It is unclear whether the molecular characteristics of S. aureus isolates have changed as the rate decreased. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics and virulence genes profile of S. aureus isolates causing bloodstream infection and analyze the correlation between the prevalence rates of the common sequence types and MRSA. Methods: A total of 112 S. aureus strains from eight hospitals of four cities, including 32 MRSA isolates, were identified and evaluated through multilocus sequence typing, spa typing, and determination of virulence genes. Results: Twenty-five STs were identified, of which ST5 (21.4%) was the most prevalent, whereas the prevalence of ST239 correlated with the rate of MRSA among all S. aureus isolates. Forty-six spa types were identified, of which t2460 (14.3%) was the most common. clfa, hla, seb, fnbA and hlb were the prevailing virulence genes. 81.3% MRSA and 45.0% methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) isolates harbored six or more tested virulence genes. ST5-t2460, seldom noted in bloodborne S. aureus isolates in China, was the most common clone. The prevalence of harboring six or more virulence genes in ST5-t2460 and ST188-t189 were 93.8% and 8.3%, respectively. Conclusion: ST5-t2460 was the most common clone in S. aureus causing bloodstream infection followed by ST188-t189, which had never been noted in China before. Moreover, ST5-t2460 harbored more virulence genes than ST188-t189, and the prevalence of ST239 clone decreased with the proportion of MRSA among all S. aureus isolates.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon where intestinal motility is disturbed. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are required to maintain normal intestinal motility. In the present study, we assessed the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on viability and apoptosis of ICC, as well as on the expression of stem cell factor (SCF), ghrelin, and substance P. ICC were derived from the small intestines of Swiss albino mice. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured using CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. ELISA was used to measure the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, ghrelin, substance P, and endothelin-1. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure the expression of SCF. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, interleukins, SCF, and NF-κB signaling pathway proteins. TNF-α induced inflammatory injury in ICC by decreasing cell viability and increasing apoptosis and levels of IL-1β and IL-6. TNF-α decreased the levels of SCF, ghrelin, and substance P, but had no effect on endothelin-1. TNF-α down-regulated expressions of SCF, ghrelin, and substance P by activating the NF-κB pathway in ICC. In conclusion, TNF-α down-regulated the expressions of SCF, ghrelin, and substance P via the activation of the NF-κB pathway in ICC.

ABSTRACT In order to deepen understanding the interactions between ionic liquid and chitin/chitosan/cellulose at the molecular level, we have performed a study on the electronic structures, topological properties, nonconvalent interactions between 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride and chitin/chitosan/cellulose by using density functional theory. The results indicate that interactions between chitin/chitosan/cellulose and 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride are stronger that the intra-interaction of chitin/chitosan/cellulose, implying that chitin/chitosan/cellulose can dissolve in 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium chloride.

Density functional theory has been employed to investigate the interactions between copper(I) bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Cu[Tf2N]) and C3H8/C3H6. The calculations were based on the model of Cu[Tf2N], and performed at X3LYP/6-31++G** level. The calculated interaction energies indicated that the adsorption ability of Cu[Tf2N] for C3H8/C3H6 followed the order of C3H8 < C3H6. The noncovalent interactions in real space, based on the electron density and its derivatives, reveal the nature of interactions between Cu[Tf2N] and C3H8AC3H6. The natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis of the second-order perturbation energy has been performed to investigate the interaction mechanism of C3H8/C3H6 on ionic liquid Cu[Tf2N].

Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) is an excellent material for studying the formation of flower colour because of its abundant colour. The full-length cDNA of a UDP-glucose: Flavonoid 5-O-glucosyltransferase gene (UF5GT) containing 1629 bp nucleotides was obtained from P. lactiflora. The expression patterns of nine related anthocyanin biosynthetic genes (PlPSY, PlCHS, PlCHI, PlF3H, PlF3'H, PlDFR, PlANS, PlUF3GT and PlUF5GT) in diurnal variation petals showed that their expression peaks were basically at 15:00 and the expression patterns were consistent with the trend of sampling conditions except individual gene. And the highest expression levels were in PlCHS, PlDFR and PlUF3GT, which could be the candidates to regulate P. lactiflora flower colour by means of genetic engineering.

Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic pathogen causing pre- and post-harvest diseases in at least 235 plant species. It manifests extraordinary genotype and phenotype variation. One of the causes of this variation is transposable elements. Two transposable elements have been discovered in this fungus, the retrotransposon (Boty), and the transposon (Flipper). In this work, two complete (Boty-II-76 and Boty-II-103) and two partial (Boty-II-95 and Boty-II-141) long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons were identified by an in silico genomic sequence analysis. Boty-II-76 and Boty-II-103 contain 6439 bp nucleotides with a pair of LTRs at both ends, and an internal deduced pol gene encoding a polyprotein with reverse transcriptase and DDE integrase domains. They are flanked by 5 bp direct repeats (ACCAT, CTTTC). In Boty-II-141, two LTRs at both ends, and a partial internal pol gene encoding a protein with a DDE integrase domain were identified. In Boty-II-95, a right LTR and a partial internal pol gene encoding a protein with no conserved domains were identified. Boty-II uses a self-priming mechanism to initiate synthesis of reverse transcripts. The sequence of the presumed primer binding site for first-strand reverse transcription is 5’-TTGTACCAT-3’. The polypurine-rich sequence for plus-strand DNA synthesis is 5’-GCCTTGAGCGGGGGGTAC-3’. Fourteen Boty-II LTRs that contain 125-158 bp nucleotides and share 69.1 ~ 100% identities with the short inverted terminal repeats of 5 bp (TGTCA…TGACA) were discovered. Analysis of structural features and phylogeny revealed that Boty-II is a novel LTR retrotransposon. It could potentially be used as a novel molecular marker for the investigation of genetic variation in B. cinerea.

The plant hormone abscisic acid has huge economic potential and can be applied in agriculture and forestry for it is considered to be involved in plant resistance to stresses such as cold, heat, salinity, drought, pathogens and wounding. Now overproducing strains of Botrytis cinerea are used for biotechnological production of abscisic acid. An LTR retrotransposon, Boty-aba, and a solo LTR were identified by in silico genomic sequence analysis, and both were detected within the abscisic acid gene cluster in B. cinerea B05.10, but not in B. cinerea SAS56. Boty-aba contains a pair of LTRs and two internal genes. The LTRs and the first gene have features characteristic of Ty3/gypsy LTR retrotransposons. The second gene is a novel gene, named brtn, which encodes for a protein (named BRTN) without putative conserved domains. The impressive divergence in structure of the abscisic acid gene clusters putatively gives new clues to investigate the divergence in the abscisic acid production yields of different B. cinerea strains.

OBJETIVO: O objetivo do estudo foi determinar se a mitomicina C (MMC) altera o aparecimento dos leucócitos polimorfonucleares (PMN) no estroma corneano após abrasão epitelial central, utilizando olhos de camundongo como modelo. MÉTODOS: Vinte camundongos foram submetidos à abrasão epitelial em córnea central utilizando etanol a 20%. Após a lesão, o olho direito recebeu MMC a 0,02% por 1 minuto, enquanto o olho esquerdo recebeu solução salina. Os animais foram sacrificados em 1, 2, 5 e 14 dias após a cirurgia e a córnea foi preparada para histologia. A distribuição dos PMN foi analisada e digitalizada em imagens microscópicas. A divisão celular na córnea foi detectada pela imuno-histoquímica da bromodeoxirudina (BrdU), injetada intraperitonialmente duas horas antes dos animais serem secrificados. RESULTADOS: A lesão epitelial gerou infiltração de PMN no estroma da córnea. A análise da distribuição dos PMNs revelou que não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os olhos tratados e não tratados com MMC, em todos os tempos estudados. O estudo com BrdU mostrou que a MMC quando utilizada a 0,02% por um minuto bloqueou completamente a proliferação de ceratócitos. CONCLUSÃO: O tratamento com MMC, que é utilizada comumente na prática clínica, inibe a proliferação dos ceratócitos durante a cicatrização corneana, porém quando utilizada a 0,02% por um minuto, não altera a infiltração dos PMNs dentro do estroma corneano após lesão epitelial em córneas de camundongos.

PURPOSE: To determine whether mitomycin C (MMC) alters appearance and disappearance of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) in the cornea stroma, using an epithelial scrape injury in eye mouse model. METHODS: Twenty-mice underwent mechanical epithelium debridement in the central cornea using 20% ethanol. After the scrape, the right eye received 0.02% MMC for one minute, while the left eye received physiological saline. The animals were sacrificed on days 1, 2, 5, and 14 after surgery, and corneal whole mounts were prepared for histology. PMN distribution was analyzed in digitized microscope images. Cell division in the cornea was determined by immunohistochemical detection of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), which was injected intraperitoneally before the mice were sacrificed. RESULTS: Epithelial scrape injury triggered infiltration of PMNs into the corneal stroma. An analysis of PMN distribution revealed that there was no difference between eyes treated with and without MMC at all time points. BrdU labeling showed that 0.02% MMC for one minute blocked keratocyte proliferation completely. CONCLUSION: MMC treatment regimen, which is common in clinical practice, inhibits keratocyte proliferation during wound healing, but when used at 0.02% for one minute, it does not affect PMN infiltration into the corneal stroma, and subsequent movement toward the injury site, or the disappearance of PMNs from the stroma, in the mouse epithelial injury model.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the burden of bacillary dysentery in China, its cross-regional variations, trends in morbidity and mortality, the causative bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance patterns. METHODS: We extracted and integrated governmental statistics and relevant medical literature published from 1991 to 2000. Data were also collected from one general hospital each for the six provinces and Jin-an district, Shanghai, representative of six geographical regions and a modern city. FINDINGS: In 2000, 0.8-1.7 million episodes of bacillary dysentery occurred of which 0.5 to 0.7 million were treated at health-care facilities and 0.15-0.20 million patients were hospitalized. The highest morbidity and mortality rates were among the youngest and oldest age groups. Bacillary dysentery peaked during the summer months. The major causative species was Shigella flexneri (86%) and the predominant S. flexneri serotype was 2a (80%). About 74-80% of Shigella isolates remained susceptible to fluorinated quinolones. CONCLUSION: We conclude that while morbidity and mortality due to bacillary dysentery has decreased considerably in China in the past decade due to increasing access to affordable health care and antibiotics, a considerable burden exists among the youngest and oldest age groups and in regions with low economic development. We suggest that while a vaccine would be effective for short- and medium-term control of bacillary dysentery, improved water supply, sanitation, and hygiene are likely to be required for long-term control.

OBJETIVO: Decidimos determinar la carga de disentería bacilar en China, las diferencias interregionales en ese sentido, las tendencias de la morbilidad y la mortalidad, las especies bacterianas causantes, y la distribución de la resistencia a los antimicrobianos. MÉTODOS: Procedimos a extraer e integrar estadísticas gubernamentales y publicaciones médicas relacionadas aparecidas entre 1991 y 2000. También obtuvimos datos de un hospital general de cada una de las seis provincias consideradar y del distrito de Jin-an, Shanghai, como información representativa de seis regiones geográficas y una ciudad moderna. RESULTADOS: En 2000 se produjeron entre 0,8 y 1,7 millones de episodios de disentería bacilar, de los cuales 0,5 - 0,7 millones fueron tratados en establecimientos de salud, y 0,15 - 0,20 millones fueron hospitalizados. Las mayores tasas de morbilidad y mortalidad fueron las registradas entre los grupos más jóvenes y en las personas mayores. La disentería bacilar alcanzó la máxima cota en los meses de verano. La principal especie causante fue Shigella flexneri (86%), con la variante 2a como serotipo predominante (80%). Aproximadamente un 74% - 80% de las colonias de Shigella seguían siendo vulnerables a las quinolonas fluoradas. CONCLUSIÓN: Aunque la morbimortalidad por disentería bacilar ha disminuido considerablemente en China durante el último decenio, gracias al mayor acceso a la atención sanitaria y los antibióticos, sigue habiendo una carga considerable de la enfermedad entre los grupos más jóvenes y de mayor edad, así como en las regiones con bajo desarrollo económico. En nuestra opinión, aunque una vacuna sería una opción eficaz para controlar la disentería bacilar a corto y medio plazo, todo control a largo plazo exigirá probablemente mejoras del abastecimiento de agua, el saneamiento y la higiene.

OBJECTIF: L'étude visait à déterminer la charge de dysenterie bacillaire en Chine, les variations interrégionales, les tendances de la morbidité et de la mortalité, les agents étiologiques bactériens et les schémas de résistance aux antimicrobiens. MÉTHODES: Les statistiques publiques et les documents médicaux pertinents publiés de 1991 à 2000 ont été extraits et pris en compte dans l'étude. On a également recueilli des données auprès d'un hôpital général de chacune des six provinces considérées et du district de Jin an à Shanghai, ces hôpitaux étant représentatifs de six régions géographiques et d'une ville moderne. RÉSULTATS: En 2000, 0,8 à 1,7 million d'épisodes de dysenterie bacillaire on été enregistrés, dont 0,5 à 0,7 million ont été traités dans des établissements de soins et 150 000 à 200 000 ont donné lieu à des hospitalisations. Les taux de morbidité et de mortalité les plus élevés ont été relevés parmi les classes d'âge correspondant aux plus jeunes et aux plus âgés. La dysenterie bacillaire a atteint un pic au cours des mois d'été. Le principal agent étiologique était Shigella flexneri (86 %) et le sérotype prédominant de S. flexneri était le sérotype 2a (80 %). De 74 % à 80 % des isolements de Shigella étaient sensibles aux quinolones fluorés. CONCLUSION: Malgré une baisse considérable de la morbidité et de la mortalité dues à la dysenterie bacillaire en Chine au cours de la dernière décennie, imputable à l'amélioration de l'accès à des soins de santé et à des antibiotiques à des prix abordables, une importante charge de morbidité subsiste chez les classes d'âge extrêmes et dans les régions faiblement développées sur le plan économique. Si un vaccin constituerait un moyen efficace à court et à moyen terme pour lutter contre la dysenterie bacillaire, il est probable que la lutte à long terme contre cette maladie exige une amélioration de l'approvisionnement en eau, des installations d'assainissement et de l'hygiène.