Abstract Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are proteins synthesized in plants and responsible for their tolerance to environmental stresses. However, little information is available on the GST gene family of sweet potato, a globally important crop. The genetic evolution of GSTs in sweet potato remains unclear. The present study investigated the GST gene family in sweet potato by transcriptomic and comparative genomic analyses. A total of 51 GSTs were identified. Gene expression analysis showed differential expression patterns of the GSTs between two investigated varieties. Some GST expression levels were either up- or downregulated under oxidative, salinity and drought stresses. The results of the investigation provided new insights on the GST gene family in sweet potato, which may further the understanding of the roles of these genes in regulating abiotic stresses.

Abstract Dual-chamber pacemaker is a fully automatic pacemaker with the function of simulating human physiological pacing. It regulates pacing by programming different refractory periods and various special functions, which are closely related to arrhythmia. After in-depth understanding of these special functions, regular electrocardiogram follow-up analysis is required to provide individualized optimal program control and so is appropriate the administration of the pacemaker’s special functions to better provide optimal clinical guidance for patients with arrhythmia.

Hypertrophic scar (HS) formation is a common complication that develops after skin injury; however, there are few effective and specific therapeutic approaches for HS. Emodin has previously been reported to inhibit mechanical stress-induced HS inflammation. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of emodin on HS formation. First, we conducted in vitro assays that revealed that emodin inhibited M1 and M2 polarization in rat macrophages. We subsequently established a combined rat model of tail HS and dorsal subcutaneous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge-induced wounds. Rats were treated with emodin or vehicle (DMEM). Tail scar specimens were harvested at 14, 28, and 42 days post-incision and subjected to H&E staining and Masson's trichrome staining. Histopathological analyses confirmed that emodin attenuated HS formation and fibrosis. Macrophages were separated from wound cells collected from the PVA sponge at 3 and 7 days after implantation. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that emodin suppressed in vivo macrophage recruitment and polarization at the wound site. Finally, we explored the molecular mechanisms of emodin in modulating macrophage polarization by evaluating the expression levels of selected effectors of the Notch and TGF-β pathways in macrophages isolated from PVA sponges. Western blot and qPCR assays showed that Notch1, Notch4, Hes1, TGF-β, and Smad3 were downregulated in response to emodin treatment. Taken together, our findings suggested that emodin attenuated HS formation and fibrosis by suppressing macrophage polarization, which is associated with the inhibition of the Notch and TGF-β pathways in macrophages.

Abstract Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is the main pathological basis of coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and peripheral vascular disease, which seriously endanger people's life and health. In recent years, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been found to be involved in gene expression regulation, but the research on AS is still in the initial stage. In this study, we mainly studied the role of HCG11 in patients with AS. Quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (QRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of HCG11 and miR-144 in the serum of AS patients and healthy volunteers. Oxidation Low Lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF α) radiation were used to establish human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vitro model. Cell proliferation was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The apoptosis rate was determined by flow cytometry (FACS) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL) staining. The expression levels of Forkhead box protein F1 (FOXF1), B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and BCL2-Associated X (Bax) were detected by qRT-PCR. Luciferase gene reporter and RNA pull down experiments confirmed the relationship between HCG11 and miR-144, miR-144 and FOXF1. Results: This study showed that HCG11 was significantly upregulated in patients with AS, while miR-144 was down-regulated in patients with AS. Ox-LDL and IL-6 in VSMCs induced up-regulation of HCG11 and down-regulation of miR-144. Overexpression of HCG11 promoted the proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of VSMCs. Luciferase gene reporter gene assay showed that HCG11 could bind to miR-144, and miR-144 could bind to FOXF1. Overexpression of miR-144 reversed the effect of HCG11 on VSMCs. Conclusions: LncRNA HCG11 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cell through targeting miR-144-3p/FOXF1 axis.

This is a case study based on field work in Anhui, China. The author wants to explore how Christian faith functions in the everyday life of common believers, through the lens of prayer and healing, gender and family, as well as community and meaning. A core concept is empowerment. It has political implications, but not necessarily politics in conventional sense. It is due to the distinctive ideology, exclusive identity, and transcendental vision of Christian groups. The paradox is: the more they claim to be apolitical, the more they are considered political in an unfriendly context.

El presente artículo se basa en un estudio de caso a partir del trabajo de campo realizado en Anhui, China. El autor busca explorar cómo funcionan las creencias cristianas en la vida diaria de los creyentes, mediante la mirada puesta en la oración y la sanación, el género y la familia, así como en la comunidad y el sentido. Se recurrirá al concepto central de empoderamiento que cuenta con implicaciones políticas, pero no necesariamente en el sentido convencional. Esto resulta atribuible a la ideología distintiva, la identidad exclusiva y la visión transcendental de los grupos cristianos. En una paradoja aparente, mientras más claman los grupos su apoliticidad, son más considerados políticos en un contexto hostil.

The water sorption, water barrier properties and mechanical behavior of soy protein isolate (SPI) based films combined with propylene glycol alginate (PGA) and lauric acid (La) via a direct- or co-dried blending process were investigated. Higher water retention ability and a single glass transition temperature (Tg) were found when the PGA was added to form different ternary co-dried blending films by a co-drying process, indicating their compatibility. Tg was reduced in the case of higher relative humidity and incorporation of La. The response surface methodology (RSM) indicated that the effect of La content was highly significant (p < 0.05) for the water retention ability and mechanical properties, and the proposed models calculated for the tensile strength and elongation at break showed a good fit. The results revealed the importance of the interactions among lipids, protein and polysaccharide in composite films which also provided evidence for modeling film behavior.

Infection is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the newborn and preterm neonates due to immuno-incompetence in these patients. Administration of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) provides immunoglobulin G (IgG) that can protect the body from infection. In theory, morbidity and mortality due to infections in newborns and preterm infants could be reduced by the administration of IVIG. Two meta-analyses were evaluated comparing IVIG to treat various infection versus conventional treatments. The results showed that IVIG is not effective as an adjunctive treatment for suspected or proven infections in neonates.

La infección es la causa principal de la mortalidad y de la morbilidad entre los recién nacidos y los neonatos prematuros debido a la incompetencia inmunológica de estos pacientes. El suministro de inmunoglobulina por vía intravenosa brinda la inmunoglobulina G que protege al cuerpo humano de las infecciones. En términos teóricos, la morbilidad y la mortalidad por infecciones en recién nacidos y en bebés prematuros, podrían reducirse si se administra inmunoglobulina G intravenosa. Se evaluaron dos meta-análisis que comparaban el uso de la inmunoglobulina G intravenosa para tratar diversas infecciones con los tratamientos convencionales. Los resultados demostraron que dicha inmunoglobulina no es eficaz como tratamiento adyuvante para combatir sospechas de infección o infecciones comprobadas en los recién nacidos.

ResumoIntrodução:O stent coronário intravascular tem sido utilizado no tratamento de doença arterial coronária, com uma maior limitação de restenose intra-stent (RIS). O aço inoxidável 316 tem sido amplamente utilizado para stents. Neste estudo, foi desenvolvido um novo método de revestimento para reduzir a RIS para revestir simultaneamente o fator de crescimento endotelial vascular (VEGF) e anti-CD34 em aço inoxidável 316L.Métodos:Placas de aço inoxidável 316L redondas no grupo DH foram polimerizadas com compostos gerados a partir da reacção de condensação de dopamina e heparina utilizando N- (3-dimetilaminopropil) -N'-etilcarbodiimida (EDC) e N-hidroxissuccinimida (NHS). Dezesseis folhas a partir do grupo DH foram ainda imersas em 1 ug/ml de VEGF 165 e 3 mg/ml de heparina sódica, um após outro por 10 vezes, sendo denominado como o grupo D-(HV)10. Oito folhas de D-(HV)10 foram revestidas com anticorpo anti-CD34 e denominado como grupo D-(HV)10-A. Testes de imunofluorescência e ELISA foram usados para avaliar se os discos de aço inoxidável 316L foram revestidos com sucesso com VEGF e anticorpo anti-CD34.Resultados:Os resultados dos testes de imunofluorescência e ELISA mostraram que o VEGF pôde ser detectado nos grupos D-(HV)10 e D-(HV)10-A, evidenciando que as chapas de aço foram cobertas com VEGF com sucesso. O anticorpo anti-CD34 podia apenas ser observado no grupo D-(HV)10-A, o único grupo revestido com anticorpo CD34. Ambos os resultados sugerem que as chapas de aço inoxidável 316L foram revestidas com sucesso com VEGF e anticorpo anti-CD34.Conclusão:Nosso estudo desenvolveu um método para revestir simultaneamente VEGF e anti-CD34 de aço inoxidável. Esta pesquisa tem um papel fundamental para a nova estratégia de revestimento.

AbstractIntroduction:Intravascular coronary stenting has been used in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), with a major limitation of in-stent restenosis (ISR). The 316 stainless steel has been widely used for coronary stents. In this study, we developed a novel coating method to reduce ISR by simultaneously coating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and anti-CD34 antibody on 316L stainless steel.Methods:Round 316L stainless steel sheets in the D-H group were polymerized with compounds generated from condensation reaction of dopamine and heparin using N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). Sixteen sheets from the D-H group were further immersed into 1ug/ml VEGF165 and 3mg/ml heparin sodium one after another for 10 times, and named as the D-(H-V)10 group. Eight sheets from the D-(H-V)10 group were coated with anti-CD34 antibody and termed as the D-(H-V)10-A group. Immunofluorescence assay and ELISA were used to evaluate whether the 316L stainless steel disks were successfully coated with VEGF and anti-CD34 antibody.Results:The results of immunofluorescence assay and ELISA showed that VEGF could be detected in the D-(H-V)10 and D-(H-V)10-A group, suggesting the steel sheets were successfully covered with VEGF. Anti-CD34 antibody could only be observed in the D-(H-V)10-A group, which was the only group coated with CD34 antibody. Both results suggested that the 316L stainless steel sheets were successfully coated with VEGF and anti-CD34 antibody.Conclusion:Our study developed a method to simultaneously coat VEGF and anti-CD34 antibody to stainless metal steel. This research serves as a fundamental role for a novel coating strategy.

This study employed social cognitive theory and social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as foundations to explore the influence of high school students' beliefs about female gender roles and female engineer role models on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) self-efficacy and professional commitment to engineering. A total of 88 students from a national girls' high school participated in STEM project-based learning. A survey questionnaire named The STEM Self-efficacy and Professional Commitment to Engineering Questionnaire, developed by the researchers, was administered to collect data, and a structured equation model was employed to confirm the multi-theoretical model developed in this study. The results of this study show that enhancing the gender role beliefs and engineer role models of female students may increase their STEM self-efficacy and professional commitment to engineering. In other words, the female high school students' professional commitment to engineering model can explain students' intentions for future engineering careers. Thus, this study suggests integrating STEM project-based learning into the curricula of various schools and integrating female engineer role models into STEM project-based learning activities for female students, which can enhance female high school students' STEM self-efficacy and professional commitment to engineering.

Primary isolated bone marrow disease as a presenting feature of lymphoma is very rare. We describe the case of a Chinese with isolated bone marrow small B-cell lymphoma as a first manifestation. A 55-year old woman was admitted to our hospital with fever. Her peripheral blood smear and laboratory findings were suggestive of bicytopenia. Bone marrow specimen showed diffusely distributed small-sized lymphocytes. Combined with immunophenotypic and chromosomal analysis, a diagnosis of primary bone marrow B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was made. The patient was treated with R-CHOP (rituximab and cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vindesine, and prednisone) regimen for six cycles. She had complete remission and is still alive without relapse. We concluded that primary bone marrow mature small B-cell lymphoma is a rare but distinctive subtype of lymphoma. The prognosis for this entity is poor but rituximab-based treatment is promising for improving its outcomes.

La enfermedad aislada primaria de la médula ósea como rasgo de manifestación del linfoma es muy rara. Describimos el caso de una paciente china con linfoma aislado de células B pequeñas en la médula como una primera manifestación. Se trata de una mujer de 55 años que ingresara a nuestro hospital con fiebre. El frotis de sangre periférica y los hallazgos de laboratorio apuntaban a una bicitopenia. El espécimen de la médula ósea mostró la presencia de linfocitos de pequeño tamaño distribuidos de manera difusa. En combinación con un análisis inmunofenotípico y un análisis cromosómico, se realizó un diagnóstico de linfoma primario no Hodgkin de células B de la médula ósea. La paciente recibió como tratamiento un régimen de seis ciclos de R-CHOP (rituximab, ciclofosfamida, epirubicina, vindesina, y prednisona). Esto le permitió alcanzar una remisión completa, y todavía está viva sin que se haya producido recaída alguna. Concluimos que el linfoma primario de células B pequeñas maduras de la médula ósea es un subtipo raro pero particular de linfoma. La prognosis para esta entidad es pobre, pero el tratamiento a base de rituximab re-basado resulta promisorio en cuanto a mejorar su evolución clínica.

Dimetridazole (DMZ) is widely used for the therapeutic treatment of farmed animals and is suspected of being human carcinogens and mutagens. The interaction between DMZ and human serum albumin (HSA) was investigated systematically by fluorescence spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence, three-dimensional fluorescence, CD spectroscopy, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and molecular docking study. The results indicated that the probable quenching mechanism of HSA by DMZ was dynamic quenching. The corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS and ΔG were calculated according to Van't Hoff equation. The results (ΔH = 65.10 kJ mol¹ and ΔS = 295.65 J mol¹ K¹) indicated that the driving force between DMZ and HSA was mainly typical hydrophobic interaction. The conformation changes in the interaction were studied by synchronous fluorescence, CD spectroscopy and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra. The results revealed that the microenvironment and conformation of HSA has been changed. Molecular modeling study further confirmed the binding mode obtained by experimental study.

OBJECTIVES: Herniated discs and degenerative disc disease are major health problems worldwide. However, their pathogenesis remains obscure. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of these ailments and to identify underlying therapeutic targets. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using the GSE23130 microarray datasets downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, differentially co-expressed genes and links were identified using the differentially co-expressed gene and link method with a false discovery rate ,0.25 as a significant threshold. Subsequently, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the differential co-expression of these genes were investigated using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. In addition, the transcriptional regulatory relationship was also investigated. RESULTS: Through the analysis of the gene expression profiles of different specimens from patients with these diseases, 539 differentially co-expressed genes were identified for these ailments. The ten most significant signaling pathways involving the differentially co-expressed genes were identified by enrichment analysis. Among these pathways, apoptosis and extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathways have been reported to be related to these diseases. A total of 62 pairs of regulatory relationships between transcription factors and their target genes were identified as critical for the pathogenesis of these diseases. CONCLUSION: The results of our study will help to identify the mechanisms responsible for herniated discs and degenerative disc disease and provides a theoretical basis for further therapeutic study.

Effects of meteorological variables on crop production can be evaluated using various models. We have evaluated the ability of the Hybrid-Maize model to simulate growth, development and grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) cultivated on the Loess Plateau, China, and applied it to assess effects of meteorological variations on the performance of maize under rain-fed and irrigated conditions. The model was calibrated and evaluated with data obtained from field experiments performed in 2007 and 2008, then applied to yield determinants using daily weather data for 2005-2009, in simulations under both rain-fed and irrigated conditions. The model accurately simulated Leaf Area Index , biomass, and soil water data from the field experiments in both years, with normalized percentage root mean square errors < 25 %. Gr.Y and yield components were also accurately simulated, with prediction deviations ranging from -2.3 % to 22.0 % for both years. According to the simulations, the maize potential productivity averaged 9.7 t ha-1 under rain-fed conditions and 11.53 t ha-1 under irrigated conditions, and the average rain-fed yield was 1.83 t ha-1 less than the average potential yield with irrigation. Soil moisture status analysis demonstrated that substantial potential yield may have been lost due to water stress under rain-fed conditions.

Deer and sheep are used as spinal animal models in clinical and basic research. In this paper, the anatomical morphology, curvature, and morphology index parameters were investigated to assess the feasibility of using deer and sheep as animal models of the human spine. Fresh adult male sheep, deer, and human spine specimens (n = 10 each) were screened and subjected to morphological analyses. The statistical software package SPSS (version 17.0) was used to analyze the statistical similarity and variability among the 3 species. Deer displayed good similarity to human in terms of the vertebral transverse diameter, radius vector, spinal canal transverse diameter, radius vector, and vertebral upper and lower endplate curvature radii. Sheep displayed good similarity to human in terms of the vertebral body height, pedicle height, vertebral mid-lever curvature radius, and vertebral positive curvature radius. Human, deer, and sheep each displayed unique morphological characteristics and trends for the lumbar spine. These findings indicate that deer and sheep are good spinal animal models of human in morphometry, but with specific advantages in different research fields: deer are more suitable when studying vertebrae and endplate structures, while sheep are more suitable when referring to structures such as the vertebral walls.

Los ciervos y las ovejas se utilizan como modelos animales para la investigación clínica y básica de columna vertebral. En este trabajo, fueron investigados parámetros de morfología anatómica, curvatura e índice morfológico para evaluar la viabilidad de la utilización de ciervos y ovejas como modelos animales de la columna vertebral humana. Fueron examinados y sometidos a análisis morfológicos, especímenes frescos de columna vertebral (n = 10 cada uno) de ovejas y ciervos machos adultos, y columnas de individuos adultos humanos, de sexo masculino. Se utilizó el programa estadístico SPSS (versión 17.0) para analizar la similitud estadística y la variabilidad entre las 3 especies. Los ciervos muestran similitud con el humano en términos del diámetro vertebral transversal, vector radio, diámetro del canal espinal transversal, vector radio, y los radios de curvatura vertebral superior e inferior de la placa terminal. Las ovejas muestran similitud con el humano en cuanto a la altura del cuerpo vertebral, altura del pedículo, curvatura de radio vertebral medio, y el radio de curvatura vertebral positiva. Los humanos, ciervos y ovejas muestran características morfológicas y direcciones de la columna vertebral únicas. Estos hallazgos indican que los ciervos y las ovejas son buenos modelos animales en la morfometría de la columna vertebral humana, pero con ventajas específicas en diferentes campos de investigación: los ciervos son más adecuados en el estudio de las vértebras y las estructuras de placa terminal, mientras que las ovejas son más adecuados cuando se refiere a estructuras como las paredes vertebrales.