Astragaloside IV is a biologically active substance derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus mambranaceus Bunge, and has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of astragaloside IV on Klebsiella pneumonia rats and the underlying mechanisms. Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) rats were treated with different dosages of astragaloside IV (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) by intragastric administration. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined. Pathological changes of lung tissue were inspected by HE staining. The expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in lung tissue was determined with immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/Smad2, p-Smad3/Smad3, IκBα/p-IκBα, and p65/p-p65 in lung tissue were determined by western blot. The mechanism was further investigated with TGF-β1 inhibitor SB-431542. Astragaloside IV reduced the elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines caused by K. pneumoniae and improved lung tissue damage in a dose-dependent manner. Astragaloside IV also decreased the expression of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway-related proteins and decreased the protein levels of inflammation-related p-IκBα and p65 in lung tissues induced by K. pneumoniae. Additionally, it was found that the effects of 20 mg/kg astragaloside IV were similar to SB-431542, which could improve pulmonary fibrosis induced by K. pneumoniae, decrease the levels of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway-related proteins in lung, and reduce inflammation at the same time. Astragaloside IV could alleviate the inflammation of rat pneumonia induced by K. pneumoniae through suppressing the TGF-β1/Smad pathway.

ABSTRACT As a common problem in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production, lodging will not only increase harvest costs and reduce rice production, but also affect rice taste seriously and reduce its commercial value. There is still a lack of systematic research on the effect of lodging resistance of rice after returning wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw to the field. The study evaluated the effects of continuous straw returning and different fertilizer input levels on the lodging resistance of rice stalks based on years of experiments, using a split zone design with two factors including full return of straw to the field and straw removal, and three fertilization levels (conventional fertilization, 50% of conventional fertilization and no fertilization) under each factor, for a total of six treatments. Results suggested that under the same level of chemical fertilizer application, treatments of straw returning significantly increased stalk flexural resistance up to 33.74% as well as decreased the lodging index by a maximum of 33.86% compared with straw removal. Decrease of chemical fertilizer application increased significantly stalk flexural resistance, while decreased significantly lodging index. Rice plant height, center of gravity height, internode length, stem wall thickness and internode dry weight were main factors that influence rice lodging resistance. Compared with straw removal, straw returning combined with chemical fertilizers applying could significantly increase rice yield up to 19.62%. The increase in rice yield increased the risk of rice lodging. The continuous return of straw to the field combined with the application of chemical fertilizers reduced the risk of rice lodging to a certain extent, and meanwhile it achieved successive annual increase in rice production, which has a good promotion prospect.

Resumo: As margens do “caos” do sistema de inovação têm um forte potencial de inovação e facilitam a formação e o desenvolvimento de redes de inovação em tecnologias emergentes. Em combinação com a teoria do ciclo de vida, o processo de formação de tecnologias emergentes e sua relação com a trajetória de desenvolvimento de tecnologias pré-existentes são analisados e o mecanismo de evolução das redes de inovação na indústria transformadora avançada é aprofundado. A análise empírica foi realizada através da coleta de dados sobre patentes na área de robôs industriais, utilizando a avaliação de citação de patentes combinada com a análise de redes sociais para mapear a rede de coatualização do IPC e a de citação de titulares de patentes e para verificar as características técnicas e de fluxo de conhecimento da rede de inovação de fabricação avançada calculando os indicadores da rede. Os resultados empíricos mostram que: as redes de fluxo de conhecimento têm um efeito de pequeno mundo, apresentam características de fácil fluxo, fluxo amplo, alta eficiência, fronteiras de rede ambíguas e um núcleo de temas de inovação numerosos e diversificados.

Abstract: As the “chaotic” edge of innovation system has strong innovation potential and is easy to form and develop the emerging technology innovation network, the formation process of emerging technologies and their relationship with the development trajectory of original technologies are analyzed, and the evolution mechanism of innovation network of advanced manufacturing industry is deeply studied combined with life cycle theory. Firstly, empirical analysis is carried out by collecting patents data in the industrial robotics field. Then, the IPC co-occurrence network and patentee citation network are plotted by combining patents citation analysis with social network analysis. Next, the technical characteristics and knowledge flow characteristics of an advanced manufacturing innovation network are verified by calculating various indicators of the network. Finally, the empirical results show that the technology structure in the field of industrial robotics has high heterogeneity, wide integration among technical fields, and knowledge flow network has a small-world effect, characterized by easy flow, wide flow direction, high efficiency, fuzzy network boundary, and numerous and diversified core the key players in innovation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of RNA-binding protein with serine-rich domain 1 (RNPS1) in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC), the role of RNPS1 knockdown in UCEC development in vitro and in vivo, and the relationship between RNPS1 and mismatch repair (MMR) in UCEC. METHODS: We predicted the potential function of RNPS1 using bioinformatics systems. The expression of RNPS1 in tissues and cell lines was analyzed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The expression of RNPS1 in MMR was assessed using bioinformatics and western blotting. The proliferation and apoptosis of UCEC cells were assessed under RNPS1 knockdown conditions, and RNPS1 regulation in MMR was detected by suppressing Notch signaling. Associations between RNPS1 and gene mutations in UCEC and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: The RNPS1 level was higher in UCEC tumors than in normal tissues and tumors or RL952 cells. Prognostic outcomes were worse when UCEC showed abundant RNPS1 expression. Lentiviral RNPS1 knockdown weakened tumor cell proliferation and suppressed biomarker expression, reduced the tumor volume, promoted apoptosis in vitro and in vivo, and inhibited UCEC development. Increased MutS homolog 2 (MSH2) and MutS homolog 6 (MSH6) levels in MMR after RNPS1 knockdown were reversed by inhibiting Notch signaling. Furthermore, RNPS1 was associated with mutations in NAA11, C2orf57, NUPR1, and other genes involved in UCEC prognosis. CONCLUSION: RNPS1 may regulate the expression levels of MSH2 and MSH6 in MMR, enhancing the proliferation, development, and prognosis of UCEC through a Notch signaling pathway in UCEC. Our study offers a new method and strategy for delaying UCEC development through modulating MMR.

ABSTRACT As expected, applications of organic fertilizer and controlled-release fertilizer are gradually varying traditional fertilization, being considered as important channels for substitution of conventional chemical-fertilizer. However, information regarding their effects on rice (Oryza sativa L.) grain quality remains limited. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of combined application of bio-organic fertilizer and conventional fertilizer (BOF+CF), combined application of organic fertilizer and conventional fertilizer (OF+CF), and application of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) on rice processing quality, eating quality and nutritional quality with conventional fertilizer (CF) and no fertilizer (NF) as controls. The protein content of OF+CF treatment was increased by 4.67%, 3.29%, 2.61% and 22.66% when compared to BOF+CF, CRF, CF and NF. These results imply that, among all treatments, NF produced the highest rice eating quality followed by CRF and BOF+CF, and OF+CF made the highest nutritional quality followed by CF and CRF. When compared to CF, BOF+CF and NF treatments decreased protein content by 1.96% and 16.34%. Compared to CF, BOF+CF treatment markedly reduced aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, histidine, arginine, and proline contents in milled rice by 17.31, 14.71%, 16.39%, 16.67%, 20.69%, 11.77%, 18.42%, and 18.75%, respectively. The nutritional quality under NF and BOF+CF was significantly decreased when compared with CF, due to the reductions in protein content of milled rice and most amino acids contents of brown and milled rice. These results suggest that a kind of suitable fertilizer could be chosen from them as alternatives according to desired goal in high-quality rice production.