Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the association between Monocyte Lymphocyte Ratio (MLR) and Abdominal Aortic Calcification (AAC) in adults over 40 years of age in the United States. Methods Data were collected from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). AAC was quantified by the Kauppila score system based on dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry. Severe AAC was defined as a total AAC score > 6. The lymphocyte count and monocyte count can be directly obtained from laboratory data files. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association between MLR and the AAC score and severe AAC. Results A total of 3,045 participants were included in the present study. After adjusting for multiple covariates, MLR was positively associated with higher AAC score (β = 0.21, 95% CI 0.07, 0.34, p = 0.0032) and the odds of severe AAC increased by 14% per 0.1 unit increase in the MLR (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.00, 1.31, p = 0.0541). The Odds Ratio (OR) (95% CI) of severe AAC for participants in MLR tertile 3 was 1.88 (1.02, 3.47) compared with those in tertile 1 (p for trend = 0.0341). Subgroup analyses showed that a stronger association was detected in the elderly compared with non-elderly (p for interaction = 0.0346) and diabetes compared with non-diabetes (borderline significant p for interaction = 0.0578). Conclusion In adults in the United States, MLR was associated with higher AAC scores and a higher probability of severe AAC. MLR may become a promising tool to predict the risk of AAC.

ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate the role of peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase 1 (Pin1) on renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and underlying mechanism. Methods: By establishing the in vitro and in vivo models of renal I/R, the role of Pin1 was explored by using molecular assays. Results: In renal I/R, endogenous Pin1 level was up-regulated in I/R-impaired kidney. Suppression of Pin1 with juglone afforded protection against I/R-mediated kidney dysfunction, and reduced I/R-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in vivo. Consistent with the in vivo results, repression of Pin1 with juglone or gene knockdown with si-Pin1 conferred cytoprotection and restricted hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-driven ER stress in HK-2 cells. Simultaneously, further study uncovered that Nrf-2/HO-1 signals was the association between Pin1 and ER stress in response to renal I/R. In addition, Nrf-2/HO-1 signal pathway was inactivated after kidney exposed to I/R, as indicated by the down-regulation of Nrf-2/HO-1 levels. Furthermore, inhibition of Pin1 remarkably rescued the inactivation ofNrf-2/HO-1. Conclusions: Pin1 modulated I/R-mediated kidney injury in ER stress manner dependent on Nrf2-HO-1 pathway in I/R injury.

Abstract Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) plays a key role in tea processing. It catalyzes the conversion of tea polyphenols into theaflavin and its derivatives. PPO was partially purified and characterized in both its soluble form (sPPO) and membrane-bound form (mPPO) from tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves. Both forms were purified by three-phase partitioning and membrane ultrafiltration. sPPO and mPPO showed high activity against diphenols as substrate and had the highest affinity for catechol and caffeic acid. The optimum temperatures and pH for enzyme activity were different. mPPO was more stable than sPPO in the acidic pH range. Among the chemical inhibitors studied, oxalic acid exerted the highest inhibitory effect on mPPO, whereas EDTA showed the highest inhibitory effect on sPPO. Both sPPO and mPPO showed similar enzymatic synthesis rates in the formation of theaflavin-3'-gallate and theaflavin-3,3'-gallate. At high concentrations of the substrate, the synthesis of theaflavins was inhibited due to the presence of high levels of ester catechins. However, mPPO showed stronger stability against inhibition by ester catechins than sPPO.

ABSTRACT: An imaginary part model of soil dielectric constant for predicting the soil salinity status was developed based on a series of relations between dielectric imaginary part and soil bulk conductivity, soil bulk conductivity and soil solution electrical conductivity, and soil solution electrical conductivity and ion contents in soil using pot trials with different soil salinity levels in the 2008 growing season. This model was calibrated and tested with data from the 2009 growing season. The results showed that the inverted values of the total concentration of salt (Sc), Cl−, and Ca2+ at low frequencies (P-band of microwave observations) from the imaginary part model fitted well with the observed values, since root mean square errors (RMSEs) were 0.34 g kg−1, 0.09 g kg−1 and 0.13 g kg−1, respectively, but the inversion effect of Na+ was relatively poor. Moreover, the Sc, Cl−, and Na+ could be well inverted at high frequencies (C-band of microwave observations), since RMSEs were minor, with values of 0.25 g kg−1, 0.02 g kg−1, and 0.15 g kg−1, respectively. The close fit between the observed and inverted values indicated that the present models could be used to estimate soil ion content quickly and reliably under different saline conditions, which, when suitable measures are taken, can be used to reduce the effects of soil salinity on crop growth.

Abstract Laboratory and field culture experiments have been carried out at two sites which show that temperature and soil moisture significantly affected nitrogen mineralization in the soil in a tobacco field. Intermittent leaching under aerobic incubation conditions was adopted to develop dynamic simulation models of organic nitrogen mineralization under different temperature regimes (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 30, 25, and 20 °C) and soil gravimetric moisture content (0.1, 7%, 13%, 20%, 27%, 33%, 40%, 47%, and 53%). The results show that the highest N mineralization rate appeared at 35°C and the lowest was 10°C. Soil N mineralization rate, as affected by soil moisture, is a single peak curve with a peak at 40%. The interaction of temperature and moisture on soil N mineralization is significant. Based on the results of a field trial, the combined model given by governing equation: has been established to simulate the dynamics of soil N mineralization under tobacco field conditions. A validation experiment showed that the measured values of mineralized N accumulation in the two experimental sites had a good correlation with the simulated values, indicating the practical value of the proposed model.

ABSTRACT The N absorption and assimilation is critical for the rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield increase when overdose N was applied in rice production. Three different rice genotypes, 'Quanliangyou 1' (Q1), 'Quanliangyou 681' (Q681) and 'Huanghuazhan' (HHZ), were selected to investígate the effects of elevated N input on the N partitioning, plant growth, grain quality and key genes involved in glutamate biosynthesis. Under increasing N inputs (0, 120, 180, 250 kg ha-1), N content in leaf, culm, seed and root were increased significantly. The increased N was preferentially deposited in leaf and culm. Tiller number, panicle number and length were also proved to be significantly promoted, but plant height and 1000-grain weight were nonsignificantly affected under elevated N input. Under high N input, seed protein content was elevated, while fatty acid and amylose content remained unchanged in comparison to low N input, but amylopectin content decreased. For the key genes in N assimilation, glutamine synthetase (OsGS1;1) could be induced by increasing N input (0 to 180 kg ha-1) but higher N input (250 kg ha-1) inhibit its expression, which showed similar response pattern with the glutamine synthetase activity. Although different rice genotypes showed similar response pattern to elevated N input, each genotype varied a lot in certain phenotypic indexes. And the response pattern of all these phenotypic characteristics to elevated N input was independent of rice genotype. These findings suggest that elevated N input could promote rice growth, reallocate N content in different tissues, and have negative impact on grain quality. This study provided physiological and molecular foundation for rice breeding and cultivation under high N input.

ABSTRACT Screening promising L. thermophiles with high productivity, high efficiency and strong adaptability are very important in lactic acid industry. For this purpose, 80MeV/u carbon ions were applied to irradiate L. thermophiles. After high-throughput screening, a mutant, named SRZ50, was obtained. Different carbon sources or nitrogen sources were provided to investigate carbon or nitrogen source utilization between mutant SRZ50 and wild type, and different fermentation periods were also chose to study fermentation characteristic between mutant SRZ50 and wild type. The results showed that mutant SRZ50 exhibited the enhanced L-(+)-lactic acid production from wild type. When glucose or fructose was the sole carbon source, the L(+)-lactic acid production by mutant SRZ50 was both the highest, respectively, 23.16 ± 0.72 g/L or 23.24 ± 0.66 g/L, which had a significant increase from that of wild type (P<0.01), following obvious increase in biomass (P<0.05). When yeast powder was the sole nitrogen source, it can promote mutant SRZ50 to accumulate the highest L-(+)-lactic acid accumulation, which also had a significant increase from that of wild type (P<0.01). Under different fermentation periods, it was obtained that mutant SRZ50 all exhibited significant increase in L-(+)-lactic acid accumulation from wild type. In conclusion, a mutant strain with improved production profiles for L-(+)-lactic acid, was obtained, indicating that heavy ions can be an efficient tool to improve metabolic product accumulations in microbes.

There is a lack of definitive information regarding the precise indications, implementation, and outcomes of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) for the treatment of critically ill children. Six children (three boys, three girls) aged from 3 days to 8 years, all of whom had multiple organ failure, were submitted to bedside CRRT using M60 filter membranes. Modified Port carbonate formula was used and clotting time was maintained between 20 and 30 minutes. Activated partial thromboplastin time was 1.5- to 2-fold normal. One patient discontinued treatment due to family decision. Marked improvements were seen in the remaining five patients, including normalization of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, stabilization of electrolytes, and improvements in markers of organ function. Of note, one patient (a six-year-old male) underwent the treatment for 241 hours. All five patients were subsequently discharged and recovered uneventfully. CRRT is effective for the management of children who are critically ill due to multiple organ failure.

Background Abscisic acid (ABA)-, stress- and ripening-induced protein (ASR) is plant-specific hydrophilic transcriptional regulators involved in sucrose stress and wounding in banana. However, it is not known whether banana ASR genes confer salt stress tolerance. The contexts of the study was to analysis the sequence characterization of banana ASR1, and identify its expression patterns and function under salt stress using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and overexpression in Arabidopsis. The purpose was to evaluate the role of banana ASR1 to salt stress tolerance employed by plants. Results A full-length cDNA isolated from banana fruit was named MaASR1, and it had a 432 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 143 amino acids. MaASR1 was preferential expression in roots and leaves compared to low expression in fruits, rhizomes and flowers. Under salt stress, the expression of MaASR1 quickly increased and highest expression level was detected in roots and leaves at 4 h, and then gradually decreased. These results suggested that MaASR1 expression was induced under salt stress. MaASR1 protein was localized in the nucleus and plasma membrane. MaASR1 was transformed to Arabidopsis and verified by southern and northern analysis, transgenic lines L14 and L38 integrated one and two copies of MaASR1, respectively, while overexpression in transgenic lines provided evidence for the role of MaASR1 to salt stress tolerance. Conclusions This study demonstrated that overexpression of MaASR1 in Arabidopsis confers salt stress tolerance by reducing the expression of ABA/stress-responsive genes, but does not affect the expression of the ABA-independent pathway and biosynthesis pathway genes.

Schistosomiasis is an endemic parasite disease and praziquantel is the only drug currently in use to control this disease. Experimental and epidemiological evidence strongly suggests that Microtus fortis( Mf) is a naturally resistant vertebrate host of Schistosoma japonicum. In the present study, we found that Mfserum albumin ( Mf-albumin) and the conditioned medium of pcDNA3.1- Mf-albumin caused 46.2% and 38.7% schistosomula death rates in 96 h, respectively, which were significantly higher than that of the negative control (p < 0.05). We also found that mice injected with Mf-albumin had a 43.5% reduction in worm burden and a 48.1% reduction in liver eggs per gram (p < 0.05) in comparison to the control animals. To characterise the mechanisms involved in clearance, schistosomula were incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled Mf-albumin and fluorescent enrichment effects were found in the gut lumen of schistosomula after 48 h of incubation. Next, digestive tract excretions from schistosomula were collected and the sensitivity of Mf-albumin to digestive tract excretions was evaluated. The results indicated that schistosomula digestive tract excretions showed indigestibility of Mf-albumin. The death of schistosomula could be partially attributed to the lack of digestion of Mf-albumin by digestive tract excretions during the development of the schistosomula stage. Therefore, these data indicate the potential of Mf-albumin as one of the major selective forces for schistosomiasis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the screening measures that would have been required to assess all travellers at risk of transporting A(H1N1)pdm09 out of Mexico by air at the start of the 2009 pandemic. METHODS: Data from flight itineraries for travellers who flew from Mexico were used to estimate the number of international airports where health screening measures would have been needed, and the number of travellers who would have had to be screened, to assess all air travellers who could have transported the H1N1 influenza virus out of Mexico during the initial stages of the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic. FINDINGS: Exit screening at 36 airports in Mexico, or entry screening of travellers arriving on direct flights from Mexico at 82 airports in 26 other countries, would have resulted in the assessment of all air travellers at risk of transporting A(H1N1)pdm09 out of Mexico at the start of the pandemic. Entry screening of 116 travellers arriving from Mexico by direct or connecting flights would have been necessary for every one traveller at risk of transporting A(H1N1)pdm09. Screening at just eight airports would have resulted in the assessment of 90% of all air travellers at risk of transporting A(H1N1)pdm09 out of Mexico in the early stages of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: During the earliest stages of the A(H1N1) pandemic, most public health benefits potentially attainable through the screening of air travellers could have been achieved by screening travellers at only eight airports.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar las medidas de detección sistemática que tendrían que haberse aplicado con el fin de analizar a todos los pasajeros de avión con riesgo de transportar el virus de la gripe A (H1N1) pdm09 desde México al principio de la pandemia de 2009. MÉTODOS: Se analizaron los datos de los itinerarios de vuelo de los pasajeros que volaron desde México en esas fechas. A partir de dichos datos, se calculó el número de aeropuertos en los que habría sido necesario aplicar medidas de control sanitario y el número de pasajeros que se habría sometido a una detección sistemática. De este modo, se habría analizado a todos los que podrían haber transportado el virus de la gripe H1N1 desde México durante las fases iniciales de la pandemia de gripe A (H1N1) de 2009. RESULTADOS: La detección sistemática a la salida de 36 aeropuertos mexicanos o a la entrada de los pasajeros de vuelos directos procedentes de México en 82 aeropuertos de 26 países podría haber dado como resultado la evaluación de todos los pasajeros de avión con riesgo de transportar el virus de la gripe A (H1N1)pdm09 desde México al principio de la pandemia. Para poder detectar a todos los pasajeros de avión con riesgo de transportar el virus de la gripe A (H1N1)pdm09 habría sido necesario aplicar la detección sistemática a la entrada de 116 pasajeros de los aviones procedentes de México (directos o con escala). De haber aplicado la detección sistemática en tan solo ocho aeropuertos se habría obtenido una evaluación del 90% de todos los pasajeros con riesgo de transportar el virus de la gripe A (H1N1) desde México en las primeras fases de la pandemia. CONCLUSIÓN: Durante las primeras fases de la pandemia del virus de la gripe A (H1N1) podrían haberse alcanzado los mayores beneficios en cuanto a sanidad pública aplicando la detección sistemática de pasajeros en tan solo ocho aeropuertos.

OBJECTIF: Évaluer les mesures de dépistage qui auraient été nécessaires pour dépister tous les voyageurs potentiellement porteurs du virus A(H1N1)pdm09 au départ du Mexique par avion au début de la pandémie de 2009. MÉTHODES: Les données provenant des itinéraires de vol des voyageurs qui ont quitté le Mexique en avion ont été utilisées pour estimer le nombre d'aéroports internationaux où des mesures de dépistage médical auraient été nécessaires, et le nombre de voyageurs qui auraient dû être dépistés afin d'évaluer tous les voyageurs aériens qui pourraient avoir été porteurs du virus de la grippe H1N1 au départ du Mexique pendant les premiers stades de la pandémie A(H1N1) de 2009. RÉSULTATS: Le dépistage de sortie dans 36 aéroports mexicains, ou le dépistage d'entrée des voyageurs arrivant sur des vols directs depuis le Mexique dans 82 aéroports de 26 autres pays, aurait permis d'évaluer tous les voyageurs aériens potentiellement porteurs du virus A(H1N1)pdm09 au départ du Mexique au début de la pandémie. Le dépistage d'entrée de 116 voyageurs arrivant du Mexique par des vols directs ou des correspondances aurait été nécessaire pour chacun des voyageurs aériens potentiellement porteurs du virus A(H1N1)pdm09. Le dépistage dans 8 aéroports seulement aurait permis d'évaluer 90% de tous les voyageurs aériens potentiellement porteurs du virus A(H1N1)pdm09 au départ du Mexique lors des premiers stades de la pandémie. CONCLUSION: Au cours des premiers stades de la pandémie de grippe A(H1N1), la plupart des points bénéfiques pour la santé et potentiellement réalisables par le biais du dépistage des voyageurs aériens auraient pu être obtenus en dépistant les voyageurs dans seulement 8 aéroports.

A umidade da camada superficial do solo apresenta uma variabilidade importante nos domínios espacial e temporal, que pode levar a incertezas críticas para o manejo agrícola da água. Os objetivos deste estudo incluíram: (i) a caracterização da dinâmica temporal e da estabilidade da variabilidade espacial da umidade θda camada 0-6 cm em uma encosta em declive; (ii) investigação de parâmetros ligados às condições de umidade, incluindo fatores dominantes da umidade na estimativa de um valor médio de q. Durante um período de mais de um mês, q foi medida em 13 dias com auxílio da técnica da Refletometria do Domínio da Frequência, em uma grade de 10 x 10 cm, cobrindo uma área de 60 x 280 m, situada em uma encosta do "Loess Plateau" da China. A umidade do solo apresentou variabilidade moderada em cada data de medida e o alcance da correlação (l) para q variou de 8,4 a 27,7 m. Com o solo mais seco, l decresceu, o CV% e o número de amostras necessário para obter uma média precisa, aumentaram. O aspecto, a elevação, o conteúdo de matéria orgânica e a densidade do solo foram os principais fatores interferentes na umidade, cuja intensidade de influência diminuiu com a umidade. Baseado na análise de estabilidade temporal e na correlação da diferença relativa média de θcom a diferença relativa média dos fatores dominantes, valores médios de q puderam ser mais bem estimados, com maior precisão sobre condições mais úmidas.

Surface soil moisture exhibits an important variability in terms of spatial and temporal domains, which may result in critical uncertainties for agricultural water management. The purposes of this study were (i) to characterize the temporal dynamics and stability of the spatial variability of the surface 0-6 cm soil water content θon a hill-slope; (ii) to investigate issues related to soil moisture conditions including dominating factors on soil moisture and to the estimation of the mean θ. During a period of more than one month θwas measured on thirteen days by Frequency Domain Reflectometry using a 10 x 10 m grid of measurement points covering a 60 x 280 m domain within a hill-slope of the Loess Plateau in China. Soil water content exhibited a moderate variability for each measurement date, and the correlation length (l) for θranged from 8.4 to 27.7 m. With the soil becoming drier, l decreased, the CV% and the sampling number for accurate mean θestimation increased. Aspect, elevation, organic matter content, clay content, and bulk density were the main influencing factors, whose extent of influence weakened with decreasing θ. Based on time stability analysis and on the correlation of mean relative difference of θwith the relative difference of dominating factors, mean q values were well estimated, with a better accuracy under wetter conditions.

A compreensão da estrutura da variabilidade especial das propriedades hidráulicas do solo de encostas íngremes é importante na modelagem dos processos de infiltração e de escoamento superficial da água. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a variabilidade destas propriedades em uma encosta íngreme do "Loess Plateau" do noroeste da China. Uma área de 9600 m² foi sistematicamente amostrada em um grid de 106 pontos espaçados de 10 m x 10 m. As propriedades hídricas foram determinadas com um infiltrômetro de disco operando sob múltiplas cargas hidráulicas (-15, -9, -6, -3, 0 cm) em cada ponto de observação. Métodos clássicos e geoestatísticos foram empregados na análise dos dados. Os resultados mostraram que a variação do índice a de Gardner e das condutividades hidráulicas em todas as cargas aplicadas foi moderada e que a heterogeneidade das condutividades hidráulicas aumentou à medida que a carga hidráulica aumentava. Na direção do declive, as condutividades geralmente decresceram a jusante, enquanto os a de Gardner flutuavam moderadamente. Os a de Gardner das encostas sombreadas foram maiores do que os das encostas ensolaradas. As condutividades hidráulicas das encostas sombreadas foram maiores para cargas hidráulicas maiores em comparação com as encostas ensolaradas, mas menores que as das encostas ensolaradas para cargas hidráulicas menores. A análise de correlação mostrou uma correlação negativa entre a condutividade hidráulica e os teores de matéria orgânica e argila (<0.01 mm). As condutividades hidráulicas sob cargas de -3, -6, -9, -15 cm variaram em toda encosta e suas dependências espaciais aumentaram à medida que a carga diminuía. A heterogeneidade e a dependência espacial das propriedades hídricas foram maiores para as áreas em encostas sombreadas em comparação com as encostas ensolaradas, entretanto, à medida que a carga hidráulica decrescia, elas apresentaram progressivamente uma estrutura especial mais intensa, e esta estrutura se comportou cada vez mais similar para as encostas sombreadas e ensolaradas.

The understanding of the structure of the spatial variability of soil surface hydraulic properties on steep slopes is important for modeling infiltration and runoff processes. The objective of this study was to investigate the spatial variability of these properties on a steep slope of the Loess Plateau in northwest China. A 9600 m² area was systematically sampled in a grid of 106 points spaced 10 m x 10 m. Hydraulic properties were determined with a disc infiltrometer under multiple pressure heads (-15, -9, -6, -3, 0 cm) at each sample point. Classical and geo-statistical methods were used for data analysis. The results indicated that the variation of Gardner's a and hydraulic conductivities at all applied pressure heads was moderate and the heterogeneity for hydraulic conductivities increased as the applied pressure head increased. Along the slope, hydraulic conductivities generally decreased downwards, while the Gardner's a fluctuated slightly. The Gardner's a of the shaded aspect of the slope was greater than that of the sunny aspect. The hydraulic conductivities of the shaded aspect were greater at higher pressure heads as compared to the sunny aspect, but lower than those of the sunny aspect at lower pressure heads. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between hydraulic conductivity and soil organic matter and clay (<0.01 mm) contents. Hydraulic conductivities at pressure heads of -3, -6, -9, -15 cm varied across the slope and their spatial dependence increased as the pressure head declined. The heterogeneity and spatial dependence of hydraulic properties were larger for the areas with shaded aspect as compared to the sunny aspect, however, as pressure decreased they showed a progressively increasing spatial structure, and their spatial structure behaved increasingly similar in both the shaded and sunny aspects.