[Investigation of the Campaign of"Eliminating the Four Pests and Paying Attention to Hygiene"in Shanxi province in the 1950s, with special reference to technological innovation]

In order to improve the level of people's living and health standard, increase the output of cereal crops, achieve the country's economic recovery and development, and consolidate the new state power, a Campaign of"Eliminating the Four Pests and Paying Attention to Hygiene"in the field of health was launched by the Central Government in the 1950s. In response to the call of government, Shanxi province actively organized the people to participate in this Campaign. For improving the efficiency of Eliminating the Four Pests, people widely carried out technological innovation, with constant creation and invented advanced tools, and gained fruitful technological achievements. Through technological innovation, the working efficiency and quality were enhanced. More importantly, the interaction between the national and local authorities was promoted. In other words, there was a formation of national political domination and power over the local authority, as well as the"owner"awareness and the formation of the state conception.

Association of genetic variations in the ACLY gene with growth traits in Chinese beef cattle

ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) is the primary enzyme responsible for the synthesis of cytosolic acetyl-CoA, which is a key precursor of both fatty acid and mevalonate synthesis pathways. Genetic variation of the ACLY gene may influence multiple traits associated with animal production. Here, we identified three non-synonymous mutations in ACLY exons in five beef cattle populations using DNA pool sequencing and high-resolution melting analysis. Results from association analyses revealed that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) g.17127C>T is significantly associated with chest girth (P < 0.01) and body height (P < 0.05) in the Fleckvieh x Zhangye local crossbred cattle, and with body slanting length (P < 0.05) in the Simmental x Guyuan local crossbred cattle. SNP g.40427T>C is significantly associated with an increase in chest girth (P < 0.05) in the Simmental x Huzhu cattle population. These results provide preliminary evidence that polymorphisms in the bovine ACLY gene are associated with growth traits in beef cattle in northwest China. However, a larger sample set is needed to validate these findings.

[Analysis on risk factors of screen time among Chinese primary and middle school students in 12 provinces]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the characteristics of screen time and its risk factors in Chinese primary and middle school students.

METHODS

During April 2012 and June 2012, according to the geographical distribution, the stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select 4 provinces from eastern, central and western China, respectively. The convenience sampling method was used to select 2 primary and middle schools from urban, 2 primary and middle schools from rural in each province. In each school, all grades were included, and 2 classes were selected in each grade. A total of 51 866 students or parents were selected as study participants, and 43 771 questionnaires were valid. Information on demographics, academic performance, screen time (TV, computer and cellphone) at weekdays and weekends and the prevalence of the high screen time were compared, multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between screen time >2 h/d and potential influential factors.

RESULTS

The percentage of students with screen time >2 h/d at weekdays and weekends were 16.2% (7 082/43 771) and 41.5% (18 141/43 771) (χ(2)=6 280.14, P<0.001), respectively. The distribution of P50 (P25-P75) for screen time at weekdays and weekends were 0.9(0.4-1.6) and 1.8(1.0-3.0) (Z=-131.26, P<0.001), respectively. The results of multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that, at weekdays, subjects characterized as primary school students, boys, urban area, living in western area and sufficient vigorous physical activity ≤2 d/w had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as elementary school students, girls, rural area, living in eastern area and sufficient vigorous physical activity >3 d/w, odds ratio were 2.01, 1.54, 1.21, 1.09, and 1.07, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as a normal or worse self rating academic performance had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as a good self rating academic performance, odds ratioes were 1.24 and 1.73, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as paternal education level as elementary school, middle school, high school or secondary school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as paternal education level as college school or high, odds ratioes were 1.41, 1.47 and 1.52, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as maternal education level as elementary school, middle school and high school or secondary school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as maternal education level as college, odds ratioes were 1.40, 1.52 and 1.47, respectively (P<0.05 for all). At weekends, subjects characterized as primary school students, boys, urban area and sufficient vigorous physical activity ≤2 d/w had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as elementary school students, girls, rural area and sufficient vigorous physical activity >3 d/w, odds ratioes were 2.11, 1.51, 1.20 and 1.05, respectively (P<0.05 for all). At weekends, subjects characterized as a normal or worse self rating academic performance had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as a good self rating academic performance, odds ratioes were 1.09 and 1.26, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as paternal education level as elementary school, middle school, high school or secondary school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as paternal education level as college school or high, odds ratioes were 1.29, 1.30 and 1.19, respectively (P<0.05 for all); subjects characterized as maternal education level as elementary school, middle school had higher risk for screen time >2 h/d than those characterized as maternal education level as college school or high, odds ratioes were 1.19 and 1.16 and, respectively (P<0.05 for all).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of screen time >2 h/d is high; screen time at weekdays is longer than weekends, and there are significant differences among different sexes, urban or rural areas, living areas, self rating academic performance, parents education levels and physical activity groups.

[TSLPR/STAT5 signaling modulates innate immunity in corneal fibroblasts triggered by Aspergillus fumigatus]

OBJECTIVE

To study the primary role of TSLPR/STAT5 signaling in inflammatory responses triggered by Aspergillus fumigatus(AF) in telomerase-immortalized human stromal fibroblasts (THSF).

METHODS

Experimental study. Baseline expression of TSLPR in THSF was assessed by immunofluorescence analysis. Human recombinant TSLP was added. At 5, 15, 30 and 60 min after incubation, cells were harvested for Western blot to assess the protein levels of p-STAT5 and STAT5. After stimulated with AF hyphae for 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h, cells were collected for measurement of mRNA of TSLPR and IL-7Rα. After incubated with AF hyphae for 12, 24 and 48 h, cells were harvested for Western blot to assess the protein levels of TSLPR, p-STAT5 and STAT5. Incubation with anti-TSLPR antibody was performed for 4 h, and at 24 h after AF hyphae were added, cells were harvested to assess the protein levels of p-STAT5 and STAT5.

RESULTS

Immunofluorescence staining evidenced that expression of TSLPR was visualized in THSF. Western blot assay showed that p-STAT5 protein was increased and peaked at 30 min after stimulation with hTSLP (AF group: 8.87±0.75; control group: 1.00±0.14; P<0.01). RT-PCR revealed that the expression levels of TSLPR mRNA were increased after incubation with AF hyphae for 3, 6, 12 and 24 h (AF group: 0.000 50±0.000 07, 0.001 20±0.000 11, 0.002 30±0.000 25 and 0.001 70±0.000 17; control group: 0.000 20±0.000 03, 0.000 20±0.000 05, 0.000 20±0.000 03 and 0.000 20±0.000 04; t=-9.955, -17.329, -16.735 and -18.214, P<0.01), but the expression levels of IL-7Rα mRNA were not increased significantly (t=-0.684,-0.029,-0.319,-1.034, P>0.05). In comparison with the control group, after being challenged with AF hyphae for 24 h, both TSLPR and p-STAT5 protein were increased significantly (p-STAT5: 9.46±2.08 vs. 1.00±0.06; TSLPR: 1.80±0.27 vs. 1.00±0.34; t=-7.055, -3.170, P<0.01). Western blot showed that the elevated p-STAT5 expression levels observed after AF hyphae stimulation can be inhibited by TSLPR antibody (anti-TSLPR-AF: 0.55 ± 0.20; CTR Ab-AF: 1.00 ± 0.08; t=3.506, P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

TSLP/TSLPR/STAT5 signaling pathway plays an important role in inflammatory responses triggered by AF in THSF.

Association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms of fatty acid synthase gene and meat quality traits in Datong Yak (Bos grunniens)

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is a key enzyme in fatty acid anabolism that plays an important role in the fat deposit of eukaryotic cells. Therefore, in this study, we detected 2 novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FASN gene in 313 adult individuals of Datong yak using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing techniques. SNP g.5477C>T is located in intron 3 of FASN, and 3 genotypes, HH, HG, and GG, were detected in this mutation site. SNP g.16930T>A is located in exon 37 of FASN, and 2 genotypes, EE and EF, were detected in this site. Association analysis of these 2 SNPs with meat quality traits showed that in SNP g.5477C>T, yaks with the HH genotype and HG genotype had significantly higher intramuscular fat content than individuals with the GG genotype (P < 0.01). In SNP g.16930T>A, yaks with the EE genotype also had significantly higher IMF content than individuals with the EF genotype (P < 0.01). The results indicate that FASN may be used as a candidate gene affecting intramuscular fat content in Datong yaks.

Silencing of stat4 gene inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer cells

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) play critical roles in development, proliferation, and immune defense. However the consequences of STAT hyperactivity can predispose to diseases, including colorectal cancer. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the function of STAT4 in human colorectal cancer (CRC). The expression of STAT4 was examined by immunohistochemical assay using a tissue microarray procedure. A loss-of-function experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of lentivirus-mediated STAT4 shRNA (Lv-shSTAT4) on cell proliferation and invasive potential indicated by MTT and Transwell assays in CRC cell lines (SW480 and Caco2). As a consequence, it was found that the expression of STAT4 protein was significantly increased in CRC tissues compared with that in adjacent non-cancerous tissues (ANCT) (71.1% vs 44.4%, P=0.015), and was related with the Duke’s staging and depth of invasion in CRC patients (P=0.022; P=0.001). Silencing of STAT4 gene suppressed cell proliferation and invasion of CRC cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that increased expression of STAT4 is positively correlated with the depth of invasion in CRC patients, and inhibition of STAT4 expression represses the growth and invasion of CRC cells, suggesting that STAT4 may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC.

[Correlation between body composition and exercise capacity in patients with coronary heart disease]

OBJECTIVE

To provide the evidence for more accurately assessing the patient's body composition, predicting exercise capacity and guiding rehabilitation exercise by analyzing the body compositions in patients with coronary heart disease, and to study the correlation between body compositions and exercise capacity.

METHODS

The study enrolled 663 patients with coronary heart disease in NYHA I-II stages, who underwent coronary intervention therapy between December 2013 and August 2014. Between 15th and 20th days of the onset, cardiopulmonary exercising testing (CPET, Bruce Protocol) was conducted, and the body composition was measured with the Inboby720 body composition analyzer before CPET.

RESULTS

All the patients completed the body composition evaluation and the CPET. According to the three indicators of body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat (PBF), waist-hip ratio (WHR), the diagnostic rate of obesity was 22.8%, 63.3%, and 72.7%, respectively. There was a good negative correlation between PBF and exercise capacity (r=-0.306, P<0.001). Compared with non-obesity patients, the exercise capacity of obesity group decreased according to PBF (P<0.01). The patients were divided into low, moderate and high exercise capacity groups according to METs, and the difference was only the PBF among the three groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

PBF, measured by body composition, is a more accurate diagnosis of obesity and has a good negative correlation with exercise capacity, which can be used as an important indicator to predict the exercise capacity in patients with coronary heart disease and guide the rehabilitation exercise.

Alternaria brassicicola Causes a Leaf Spot on Isatis indigotica in China

Chinese woad (Isatis indigotica) is a biennial herb in the Brassicaceae that is widely cultivated in China. Extracts from the roots and leaves have potential pharmaceutical use for treatment of flu, encephalitis, measles, hepatitis, and mumps (2). In June 2012, a leaf spot was observed on 1-year-old plants of I. indigotica in the medicinal garden of Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China. More than 50% of the leaves and 100% of the plants in the garden were symptomatic. In the initial stage of infection, irregular to circular, dark gray spots, each surrounded by a chlorotic halo, appeared on leaves. The spots ranged from pinpoint to 5 mm in diameter. Some spots enlarged and coalesced, forming concentric rings. Black, sunken, fusiform lesions were observed on the petioles. Lesions gradually dried and exhibited a shot-hole appearance, and entire infected leaves desiccated. Small pieces of infected leaves and petioles were surface-disinfested in 75% ethanol for 60 s, rinsed thrice in sterilized distilled water, dried, and plated on potato dextrose agar. Olive-green mycelium developed after 2 days of incubation at 25°C, turned dark green, and covered the petri dish 10 days later. The periphery of each colony was gray and velvety. On potato carrot agar medium, conidia formed on branched chains. Conidiophores arose singly or in clusters, were straight or flexuous, separated, and measured 6.8 to 26.7 × 3.1 to 11.9 μm Conidia on host plant tissues were olivaceous, cylindrical or inverted clavate, and 25.8 to 65.2 × 10.9 to 18.3 μm Larger conidia were cylindrical or obclavate, and smaller conidia were oval. Transverse and longitudinal septa of conidia ranged from 3 to 10 and from 0 to 7 μm, respectively. A very small conidial beak or no beak was observed on each conidium. On the basis of these morphological characteristics,the fungus was identified as Alternaria brassicicola (3). A PCR assay with the ITS4 and ITS5 primers was used to amplify DNA extracted from each of four isolates (1). The sequence (567 bp) of isolate Sl-8 was submitted to GenBank (Accession No. KF531832), and showed 100% similarity to that of an A. brassicicola isolate (AF392985.1), confirming the species identification. Pathogenicity assays with 10 single-conidium isolates were done by spraying a conidial suspension (1 × 10⁶ conidia/ml) of each isolate, or sterilized water for the control treatment, onto healthy leaves and petioles of five 3-month-old plants of I. indigotica. Inoculated and control plants were enclosed in plastic bags for 48 h. After 7 days, symptoms on inoculated plants were similar to those on the original diseased plants, while control plants remained symptomless. Re-isolation from inoculated plants produced mycelial colonies with morphological characteristics of A. brassicicola, fulfilling Koch's postulates. No fungus was isolated from control plants. A. napiformis and A. brassicae have been reported as causal agents of Alternaria leaf spot on I. indigotica in China (3). To our knowledge, however, this is the first report of A. brassicicola as a pathogen on I. indigotica in China. References: (1) N. L. Glass and G. C. Donaldson. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 61:1323, 1995. (2) A. J. Li et al. Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae Tomus 33, 1998. (3) T. Y. Zhang. Alternaria. Pages 99-100 in: Flora Fungorum Sinicorum, 2003.

First Report of Botrytis cinerea Causing Stem Blight of Scutellaria baicalensis in Jilin Province, China

Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) is a perennial herb in the Lamiaceae, and is grown in Jilin and 10 other provinces in China. Skullcap root extracts are used for treating allergies and respiratory conditions (5), and have inhibitory effects on some plant pathogens (2). In 2012, stem blight on 3-year-old Chinese skullcap plants were observed from mid-June to late-September in a herb garden at Jilin Agricultural University, Jilin Province, China. More than 90% of the 15 ha of skullcap plants were infected, and almost 60% of the infected plants died. A similar situation occurred in other regions of Jilin in 2012 and 2013. Oblong to irregular stem lesions, each 3 to 5 cm long, appeared on the basal stem. Lesions were initially light brown, and turned dark brown because of velvety, thick, gray fungal sporulation that formed over the lesions. The lesions eventually encircled the stems, preventing water and nutrient uptake. The infected plants often turned chlorotic and wilted. Symptomatic stem tissues were collected from three gardens in Jilin Province. Small pieces of diseased stems were surface-disinfested in 3% NaOCl for 2 min, rinsed twice in sterilized distilled water, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, and incubated at 22°C for 5 days. Ten isolates were recovered, and all produced gray hyphae and dark sclerotia on PDA. The conidia formed on tree-like, branched conidiophores and were colorless, single, lemon-shaped, smooth-walled, and 9.0 to 16.9 × 5.7 to 9.7 μm. Sclerotia formed when cultures on PDA plates were incubated for 20 days at 22°C. The sclerotia were dark, irregular, and 2.2 to 3.8 × 1.1 to 2.6 mm. To confirm pathogenicity of each of the 10 isolates, five 3-year-old Chinese skullcap plants were each inoculated on the basal stem with an 8-mm-diameter colonized PDA plug of the appropriate isolate. Five plants were inoculated similarly with non-colonized PDA plugs as a control treatment. All plants were maintained at 22°C in a greenhouse. The first lesions appeared on stems 5 days after inoculation, whereas control plants remained healthy. The same fungus was consistently recovered from inoculated lesions as the original isolates, and no fungus was re-isolated from control plants. DNA was extracted from isolate RSL-1 and amplified using the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region primers ITS5/ITS4 (1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (G3PDH) primers G-F/G-R, heat-shock protein 60 gene (HSP 60) primers H-F/H-R, and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II gene (RPB2) primers R-F/R-R (3). The ITS, G3PDH, HSP 60, and RPB2 sequences (GenBank Accession Nos. JX840480, KJ018760, KJ018758, and KJ018756, respectively) of isolate RSL-1 showed 100% similarity to the ITS sequence of strain WM6 of Botryotinia fuckeliana (anamorph Botrytis cinerea) (JN164269) (1), 100% identity to the G3PDH sequence of isolate Ice-2 of B. fuckeliana (AB546620) (3), 100% identity to the HSP60 sequence of isolate MUCL1152 of B. fuckeliana (AJ716090) (4), and 99.8% identity to the RPB2 sequence of isolate WM6 of B. fuckeliana (JN164272) (1). Based on these characteristics, the fungus was identified as B. cinerea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. cinerea causing stem blight on S. baicalensis in Jilin Province, China. This disease may potentially cause great losses under favorable conditions. References: (1) X. Li. Plant Dis. 95:1592, 2011. (2) J. Y. Liu et al. Hubei Agric. Sci. 50:1809, 2011. (3) K. Maeda et al. J. Gen. Plant Pathol. 76:303, 2010. (4) M. Staats et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 22:333, 2005. (5) K. Zandi et al. BMC Compl. Alternat. Medicine 13:1472, 2013.

First Report of Bacterial Soft Rot of Horn Lian (Typhonium giganteum) Caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in Jilin Province of China

Horn lian (Typhonium giganteum) is a perennial herb of the family Aracea and is commonly used for expelling phlegm and as an antispasmodic treatment. In August 2012, horn lian grown in Changchun, Jilin Province of China, exhibited soft rot disease with ~60% incidence and experienced great losses. Water-soaked and dark green lesions on leaves expanded along main veins. Semitransparent, water-soaked, and sunken lesions on stems expanded rapidly and caused the whole plant to collapse with a foul smell. Nine representative strains were isolated from infected leaves and stems on nutrient agar (NA) medium after 36 h incubation at 28°C (1). Colonies were round, shiny, grayish white, and convex on NA medium. All strains were gram-negative, non-fluorescent on King's B medium (KB), facultatively anaerobic, motile with three to six peritrichous flagella (observed by electron transmission microscope), positive for catalase and pectolytic activity test on potato slices, but negative for oxidase, urease, and lecithinase. Strains grew at 37°C and in yeast salts broth medium containing 5% NaCl. They also liquefied gelatin and reduced nitrate, but did not reduce sucrose. Strains were also negative for starch hydrolysis, malonate utilization, gas production from glucose and indole. Results were variable for the Voges-Proskauer test. The strains utilized sucrose, arabinose, fructose, D-galactose, D-glucose, inositol, lactose, D-mannose, D-mannitol, melibiose, rhamnose, salicin, trehalose, maltose, raffinose, glycerol, D-xylose, and cellobiose as carbon sources, but not melezitose, α-CH₃-D-gluconate, sorbitol, or dulcitol. Species identity was confirmed by molecular characterization of one of the nine strains, DJL1-2. DNA GC content indicated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was 51.7%. The 16S rDNA sequence (KC07897) of DJL1-2 showed 99% identity to that of a Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc) strain (CP001657) and the sequence of the 16S-23S rDNA spacer region (KJ623257) was 93% similar to that of another known strain of Pcc (CP003776). As a result, the strains were identified as Pcc (2). Pathogenicity of the nine strains was evaluated by spraying 1 ml of bacterial cell suspension (10⁸ CFU/ml) onto healthy leaves and injecting 0.1 ml of cell suspension into stems of 3-year-old horn lian plants with a sterile pipette tip. Three seedlings were used for each strain and sterilized water served as negative controls. Pcc SMG-2 reference strain (from milk thistle) was also inoculated into horn lian leaves and stems. Inoculated plants were covered with plastic bags for 24 h in a greenhouse at 28 to 30°C. After 72 h, water-soaked lesions similar to the naturally infected plants were observed on leaves and stems inoculated by the nine isolated strains and Pcc SMG-2, while negative control plants remained symptomless. Biochemical tests and 16S rDNA sequence analysis confirmed that the re-isolated bacteria were Pcc. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Pcc causing bacterial soft rot of horn lian in Changchun, Jilin Province, China. References: (1) Z. D. Fang. Research Method of Phytopathology. China Agricultural Press, 1998. (2) N. W. Schaad, et al. Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria, 3rd ed. American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 2001.

First Report of Bacterial Soft Rot of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum in Jilin Province of China

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an annual or biannual plant of the Asteraceae family that produces the hepaprotectant silymarin. In 2012, almost all milk thistle grown in the medicinal herbal garden of Jilin Agricultural University (Changchun, Jilin Province, China) exhibited symptoms of a previously undetected soft rot disease. Initial symptoms on stems appeared as tan, semitransparent, and water-soaked, then became sunken. The rotted lesions expanded rapidly and inner stem tissues were rotten with a foul smell. Eventually, the whole plant became black, then collapsed and died. Economic losses were significant as the seed crop was almost completely lost. Nine bacterial strains were isolated from tissues on nutrient agar (NA) medium after 36 h incubation at 28°C (1). Colonies of the nine strains were round, shiny, grayish white, and convex on NA medium. All strains were gram-negative, non-fluorescent, facultatively anaerobic, motile with two to four peritrichous flagella (observed by electron transmission microscope), positive for catalase and potato rot, but negative for oxidase and lecithinase. Strains grew at 37°C and in yeast salts broth medium containing 5% NaCl. They also liquefied gelatin. Strains were also negative for starch hydrolysis, malonate utilization, gas production from glucose, and indole. Results were variable for the Voges-Proskauer test and production of H₂S from cysteine. The strains utilized esculin, fructose, D-galactose, D-glucose, inositol, lactose, D-mannose, D-mannitol, melibiose, rhamnose, salicin, trehalose, D-xylose, and cellobiose as carbon sources, but not melezitose, α-CH₃-D-gluconate, sorbitol, or starch. Glycerol and maltose were only weakly utilized. Species identity was confirmed by molecular analysis of one of the strains, SMG-2. HPLC indicated a DNA GC content of 50.55%. The 16S rDNA sequence (KC207898) of SMG-2 showed 99% sequence identity to that of a Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum strain (DQ333384) and the sequence of the 16S-23S rDNA spacer region (KJ415377) was 95% similar to that of another known strain of P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (AF232684). Based on biochemical and physiological characteristics (2), as well as 16S rDNA gene analysis, the strains were identified as P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Pathogenicity of the nine strains was evaluated by depositing a bacterial suspension (10⁸ CFU/ml) on wounded stems (made with a disinfected razor blade) of 3-month-old milk thistle plants. Three plants were inoculated with each strain and three plants were treated with sterilized water as negative controls. Inoculated plants were covered with plastic bags for 24 h in a greenhouse at 28 to 30°C. After 48 h, the plants inoculated with bacteria showed similar symptoms as the naturally infected plants, while control plants remained symptomless. The symptoms observed on inoculated stems were rotten and sunken tissues. Bacteria were re-isolated from the inoculated plants and confirmed to be identical to the original strains based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum causing bacterial soft rot of milk thistle in Changchun, Jilin Province, China. References: (1) Z. D. Fang. Research Method of Phytopathology. China Agricultural Press (In Chinese), 1998. (2) N. W. Schaad et al., eds. Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria, 3rd ed. American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 2001.

First Report of Phoma rhei as a Pathogen of Rheum rhabarbarum in China

Rheum rhabarbarum L., rhubarb, is a perennial herb planted mainly in Hebei, Hubei, Shanxi, Heilongjiang, and Jilin provinces as well as Inner Mongolia, China. The plant grows about 1,000 meters above sea level (4), and is used widely in China to treat constipation and gout. From June to September 2012, a leaf spot was observed on R. rhabarbarum in the medicinal garden of Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin Province, causing significant effects on the leaves of all infected plants. In the early stage of disease development, small red lesions were visible on infected leaves, which subsequently developed into irregularly shaped or circular necrotic spots, each with a light colored center, pink-red alternating concentric rings, and surrounded by a chlorotic halo. Some lesions became perforated in the center. Lesions ranged from 1 to 15 mm in diameter. Extensive spotting resulted in general browning and yellowing of entire leaves. As lesions enlarged and coalesced, some leaves died from the margin inwards. Lesions on the stem were fusiform and sunken. Small pieces of diseased leaves and stems were surface-disinfested in 75% ethanol for 60 s, rinsed twice in distilled water, dried, and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA). A Phoma species was isolated that produced a gray or dark gray colony after 5 to 7 days. The isolate was transferred to oatmeal agar (OA) (3). Pycnidia were dark brown to black, globose to subglobose, and 121 to 354 × 100 to 262 μm. Conidia were ellipsoidal or reniform, colorless, unicellular, and 3.8 to 6.5 × 1.7 to 4.1 μm. On the basis of these characteristics, the fungus was identified as Phoma rhei (1). A PCR assay with the ITS4 and ITS5 primers was used to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) (2). The amplified product (567 bp) was sequenced and the sequence submitted to GenBank (Accession No. KF531831). The ITS sequence exhibited 99% identity to that of a P. rhei isolate in GenBank (GU237743.1), confirming the morphological identification. Pathogenicity of eight isolates on rhubarb was confirmed by spraying a spore suspension (1 × 10⁶ spores/ml) produced on PDA on the leaves of each 6-year-old R. rhabarbarum (cv. Boyedahuang) plant. Each isolate was inoculated onto five plants, and five plants were sprayed similarly with sterilized water as a control treatment. The plants were then covered with plastic bags for 48 h, and kept in a greenhouse (20 to 30°C with a 12-h photoperiod/day). Initial symptoms on inoculated leaves were observed 3 to 4 days after inoculation, while the control plants remained healthy. Re-isolations from lesions on the inoculated leaves, using the same protocol as the original isolations, produced fungal colonies with the same morphological characteristics as the original isolates of P. rhei, but no fungi were re-isolated from the control plants. This fungus has been found on R. rhaponticum in New Zealand (1), but to our knowledge this is the first report of P. rhei on R. rhabarbarum in China. References: (1) G. H. Boerema et al. Phoma Identification Manual. Diffferentiation of Specific and Infra-Specific Taxa in Culture. CABI Publishing. Wallingford, UK, 2004. (2) D. E. L. Cooke et al. Mycol. Res. 101:667, 1997. (3) Z. D. Fang. Research Method of Phytopathology. China Agricultural Press (In Chinese), 1998. (4) A. J. Li et al. Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae. Tomus 25:171, 1998.

Kinetic modeling of inherent mineral catalyzed NO reduction by biomass char

The evolution of rice straw char reactivity during reaction with NO was examined in differential reactor at 900 and 1000 °C. Original and acid-washed rice straw chars were used. Surface area and mineral content of char samples with different conversion were analyzed. The reactivity of the acid-washed char increased until conversion Xchar = 20%, remained constant, and then decreased continuously to zero. The reactivity of the original char decreased continuously to zero throughout the reaction, with a faster decrease at 1000 °C. Mineral transformation during original char reaction was obvious. Concentration of acid-soluble K decreased about 56% and 90% at 900 and 1000 °C. Ca and Mg released little to gas phase, but reacted with SiO2 in a small amount. The evolution of the acid-washed char reactivity correlated well with the development of surface area and was well predicted by random pore model. The reactivity of the original char depended not only on the development of surface area, but also on transformation of inherent minerals, mainly K. A two-reaction model was built which well predicted inherent K transformation. A modified random pore model was developed, which successfully simulated inherent mineral catalyzed char-NO reaction.

Association of novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the vascular endothelial growth factor-A gene with high-altitude adaptation in yak (Bos grunniens)

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A gene (VEGF-A) is a key regulator of angiogenesis and an endothelial cell mitogen that plays an important role in high-altitude adaptation. In this study, we detected 2 novel single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of VEGF-A by screening for genetic variation in 700 individuals of 3 domestic Chinese yak breeds--namely Gannan (GN), Datong (DT), and Tianzhu white (TZW)--using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing techniques. GN and DT yaks live at high altitude and TZW yaks live at low altitude on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. SNP g.8430T>C is located in intron 4 of VEGF-A. SNP g.14853G>A is located in the 3' untranslated region of VEGF-A. Frequencies of the GA and AA genotypes and the A allele of SNP g.14853G>A observed in GN and DT yaks were significantly higher than that in TZW yaks (P < 0.01). No significant difference among the breeds was observed for SNP g.8430T>C. The frequency of haplotype TA was significantly higher (P < 0.01), whereas the frequency of TG (P < 0.01) was significantly lower in GN and DT yaks compared with that in TZW yaks. The 2 SNPs were in moderate linkage disequilibrium in GN and DT yaks, but not in TZW yaks. The fixation index (FST) pairwise value was significantly different among the breeds studied. The neutral test result indicated that the region between the 2 SNPs may have been subjected to positive or balancing selection, and the high-altitude hypoxia environment might be the main determinant for selection. These results suggest that VEGF-A might contribute to the high-altitude adaptability of yak.

Assessment of children's own health status using visual analogue scale and descriptive system of the EQ-5D-Y: linkage between two systems

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the study is to derive a scoring system for the EQ-5D child-friendly version (EQ-5D-Y) from a population-based sample of children based on their own health state assessments on the descriptive system and the visual analogue scale (VAS).

METHODS

We used data from the 2008 and 2010 Raising Healthy Eating and Active Living Kids in Alberta surveys of grade five students aged primarily 10-11 years and their parents in the Canadian province of Alberta. We applied a random split sample approach. Two-thirds of the sample (modeling sample) was used for the estimation of the EQ-5D-Y VAS. The remaining one-third sample (validation sample) was used for the examination of the prediction accuracy of the estimation model. Multilevel linear regression was used to estimate EQ-5D-Y VAS score and produce EQ-5D-Y index values from the children's self-rated states described in the EQ-5D-Y and the accompanying VAS values.

RESULTS

The mean EQ-5D-Y VAS-based index value was 0.891 (SD 0.133) in the modeling sample and 0.885 (SD 0.134) in the validation sample. The own VAS-based index generally showed logical consistency, with lower values for health states that were logically worse. There was no statistically significant difference between the observed and the predicted VAS values in this sample.

CONCLUSIONS

This study elicited a value set for health states defined by the EQ-5D-Y that is based on respondents' own VAS ratings from a large representative sample of Canadian children. Future study is needed to validate this type of value set among different age groups of children.

Cognitive dysfunction after off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

A meta-analysis to compare the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) following off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) versus after conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

METHODS

A systematic search of the Medline(®), EMBASE(®) and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials published until the end of November 2011. Data were analysed using RevMan version 5.0 software.

RESULTS

The literature search identified 13 randomized controlled trials which included a total of 2326 cases. Meta-analysis found that the incidence of POCD was significantly higher following CABG than after OPCAB during the perioperative period (1-2 weeks) and at 3 months postsurgery. There were no significant between-group differences at 6 or 12 months postsurgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with CABG, OPCAB was found to be associated with a reduced incidence of early-stage POCD. Caution must be taken when interpreting these findings because of limitations in the available data.

Diabetes insipidus as the first symptom caused by lung cancer metastasis to the pituitary glands: clinical presentations, diagnosis, and management

BACKGROUND

Central diabetes insipidus (CDI), secondary to pituitary metastatic lesions, is uncommon; however, lung and breast cancer are the commonest malignancies to have metastases to the pituitary. Early management of systemic chemotherapy and pituitary irradiation might improve the prognosis of patients.

AIMS

To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis, and management of CDI caused by lung cancer metastasis to the pituitary glands.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 10 patients who had CDI as their first symptom before their lung cancers were diagnosed. Their clinical presentations, anterior pituitary gland function, sellar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), management, and prognosis were described.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

This retrospective cross-sectional clinical study was conducted in a medical college hospital.

RESULTS

The patient's mean age was 58.6±7.8 years. Diabetes insipidus was the main complaint when they were referred to our hospital. MRI revealed specific dumbbell-shaped masses in the sella turcica in five patients. In seven patients whose hormones were measured, the levels of hormones from adenohypophysis were abnormally low in six patients. The main treatments included surgery, systemic chemotherapy, and sellar irradiation. Although nine patients had poor prognoses, one patient has survived for more than 3 years, suggesting benefit from early diagnosis and treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

New-onset CDI might be the only symptom presented by the patients with pituitary metastasis (PM) from lung cancer. Dumbbell-shaped sellar masses in MRI are prone to the diagnosis of PM. A thorough examination for primary cancer should be carried out in these aged and elderly patients.

Two novel DAX1 gene mutations in Chinese patients with X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita: clinical, hormonal and genetic analysis

Mutations in the DAX1 gene result in X-linked congenital adrenal hypoplasia (AHC). Affected boys usually present with primary adrenal failure in early infancy or childhood and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH) at puberty. This paper describes the clinical, hormonal, radiological, and genetic characteristics of 2 Chinese patients with X-linked AHC. Primary adrenal insufficiency occurred in the 2 patients during their childhood and HH was recognized at puberty. Genomic DNA was extracted from their peripheral blood leukocytes and coding sequence abnormalities of the DAX1 gene were assessed by PCR and direct sequencing analysis. Genetic analysis of the DAX1 gene revealed 2 novel mutations c.572-575 dupGGGC, p.Thr193Gly,fs,205X and c.773- 774 dupCC, p.Ser259Pro,fs,264X in exon 1, causing frameshifts and yeilding premature stop codons at 205 and 264, respectively. This study identifies 2 novel mutations in the DAX1 gene which can further expand the mutation database and benefit patients in the diagnosis and treatment of AHC.

Changes in spatial distribution of flexor digitorum superficialis muscle activity is correlated to finger's action

Multitendoned extrinsic muscles of the human hand can be divided into several neuromuscular compartments (NMCs), each of which contributes to the ability of human finger to produce independent finger movements or force. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the spatial activation of flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) during the fingertip force production with non-invasive multichannel surface electromyography (sEMG) technique. 7 healthy Subjects were instructed to match the target force level for 5s using individual index finger (I), individual middle finger (M) and the combination of the index and middle finger (IM) respectively. Simultaneously, a 2 × 6 electrode array was employed to record multichannel sEMG from FDS as finger force was produced. The entropy and center of gravity of the sEMG root mean square (RMS) map were computed to assess the spatial inhomogeneity in muscle activation and the change in spatial distribution of EMG amplitude related to the force generation of specific task finger. The results showed that the area and intensity of high amplitude region increased with force production, and the entropy increased with force level under the same task finger. The findings indicate that the change of spatial distribution of multitendoned extrinsic hand muscle activation is correlated to specific biomechanical functions.

Peroxiredoxins in colorectal neoplasms

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are novel group proteins with efficient antioxidant capacity, and some of them also have effects on cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance. Altogether six distinct Prxs expressions were investigated in histological samples of colorectal neoplasm and the distant normal tissues and investigated associatedly with parameters such as clinical stage and lymphnodes metastasis. Normal colorectal tissues were almost negative for Prxs, except Prx4 (15/32). In colorectal cancer tissues, the most prominent reactivity was observed with Prx2 in 23/32 cases, while the corresponding figures for others was 21/32 (Prx1), 18/32 (Prx3, Prx5, Prx6) and 8/32 (Prx4). Prx1 (P=0.023), Prx2 (P=0.012), and Prx5 (P=0.028) were the isoforms that showed significantly increased expression in colorectal cancer patients with stage III or lymphnodes metastasis-positive cases. There was a significant relationship between the expression of Prx1 and Prx2 (rs=0.425, P=0.015) and between Prx3 and Prx4 (rs=0.364, P=0.041). Additionally, 8 cases were studied by western analysis. Prx1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 were particularly elevated in tumors compared to nonmalignant tissue as assessed by immunohistochemistry. It appeared that some Prxs were upexpression in colorectal cancer tissues and may have some prognostic significance; the induction of Prxs could be explained by increased production of reactive oxygen species in carcinomatous tissue.

[Effects of preemptive analgesia with flurbiprofen on the blood sugar and interleukin-6 of patients after radical excision of breast cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of preemptive analgesia with flurbiprofen on the blood sugar and Interleukin-6 of patients after radical excision of breast cancer.

METHODS

A total of 60 ASA I-II patients scheduled for radical excision of breast cancer were randomly assigned to three groups: group A, B and C (n = 20 each), patients of group A and C received intravenous flurbiprofen 100 mg before or at the end of surgery respectively. Blood samples were collected from the patients before anaesthesia induction and 1, 6, 24 h after surgery for the determination of blood sugar and serum interleukin-6 concentration. Analgesic efficacy was assessed after surgery based on visual analog scales (VAS).

RESULTS

The blood sugar and serum interleukin-6 concentration of the patients in three groups at different time points after surgery were significantly higher than those before surgery, and increased gradually in group B, and there were very significant difference between the time point of 1 h and 24 h after surgery (P < 0.01), but there were no increasing trend for those of group A and C. The blood sugar and serum interleukin-6 concentration of the patient of group A were significantly lower than those of group B and C (P < 0.01 or 0.05). The highest VAS of group A and C at different time points after surgery were significantly lower than that of group B(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Preemptive analgesia with flurbiprofen 100 mg can effectively suppress the elevation of blood sugar and serum interleukin-6 concentration after radical excision of breast cancer, and is better than postoperation analgesia.

Effect of particle size on the lymphatic distribution of 111Indium-aminopolystyrene through intrapleural administration

The study examined the impact of size on lymphatic particle distribution through intrapleural (ipl.) administration. Aminopolystyrene of three sizes, 0.29 microm, 2.18 microm, and 11.2 microm were radiolabeled with 111Indium and their biodistributions were evaluated in rats after ipl administration. Animals received either particles of three different sizes (4 mg, 200 microCi/animal) or unconjugated 111Indium as control. The percentage of injected dose (%ID) per organ or sample was determined for left (L) and right (R) mediastinal lymph nodes (LN), blood, lung, and pleural wash. The biodistribution of 2.18 microm 111In-aminopolystyrene was further investigated at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h following ipl administration to examine the possible particle retention time. The 2.18 microm particles had significantly higher uptake in both LLN and RLN compared to other sizes. The systemic uptake was minimal. At 72 h, there was still 3.2 +/- 3.2% and 2.1 +/- 1.8% of injected dose retained in the LLN and RLN, respectively. Scintigraphic imaging revealed significant accumulation of the radioactivity in mediastinal nodes. Particle size has significant impact on lymphatic particle distribution through ipl administration. Approximately 2 microm seems to be a suitable size.

Verapamil modulates LPS-induced cytokine production via inhibition of NF-kappa B activation in the liver

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of verapamil on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10)] and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) in the liver.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups of eight rats each: control rats treated with saline (0.9 % NaCl); rats treated with saline and then challenged intraperitoneally with LPS (10 mg/kg); rats treated intraperitoneally with different levels of verapamil (1, 2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg) and then challenged with LPS (10 mg/kg); and rats treated only with verapamil (10 mg/kg). TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and NF-kappa B in the liver tissues were investigated as well as the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) one hour after LPS injection.

RESULTS

LPS alone stimulated production of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-10, and activated NF-kappa B in the liver. Pretreatment with verapamil before LPS challenge reduced acute liver injury, down-regulated production of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IL-6), up-regulated production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) and inhibited NF-kappa B activation in the liver in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

Verapamil can attenuate acute liver injury by down-regulating the production of TNF-alpha and IL-6 and up-regulating IL-10 in the liver, possibly via inhibition of NF-kappa B.