Tear Cytokines as Biomarkers for Acute Ocular Graft-Versus-Host Disease

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to analyze tear cytokine and complement levels in patients diagnosed with acute ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) and examine the consistency of these levels with the severity of clinical manifestations.

METHODS

Ten patients with acute oGVHD (20 eyes) were enrolled for the assessment of tear cytokine levels and ocular surface parameters, and 18 healthy people (36 eyes) were selected as the control group. The tear cytokine and complement levels were measured using microsphere-based immunoassay analysis.

RESULTS

The main clinical manifestations of acute oGVHD include eye redness, a large amount of purulent exudate, eye pain, and even false membranes. The levels of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 8, epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin 7 (IL-7), B-cell activating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and complement in patients with acute oGVHD showed significant differences compared with those in normal people. Furthermore, the levels of IL-6, IL-1β, EGF, GM-CSF, IL-7, and C3a showed a stronger correlation with ocular surface parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study was the first to enroll patients with acute oGVHD to assess tear cytokine levels as a method contributing to the diagnosis of acute oGVHD. In addition, it has been demonstrated that certain tear cytokines, including intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1, IL-6, IL-1β, interleukin 8, B-cell activating factor, GM-CSF, IL-7, EGF, and complement, may be new diagnostic biomarkers for acute oGVHD.

[Prevalence and risk factors of deep venous thrombosis of lower extremity in patients with stage and pressure ulcers on admission]

Objective: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of lower extremity in patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ pressure ulcer on admission. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted. A total of 241 patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ pressure ulcers who met the inclusion criteria and were discharged from the Department of Wound Repair of the First People's Hospital of Zhengzhou from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019 were enrolled in this study, including 134 males and 107 females, aged 22 to 93 years, with a median age of 68 years; 37 patients were with stage Ⅲ pressure ulcers and 204 patients were with stage Ⅳ pressure ulcers. The DVT occurrence of patients was recorded. According to whether DVT of lower extremity veins was diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasound within 48 h after admission or not, the patients were divided into DVT group (n=37) and non-DVT group (n=204). Data of patients in the two groups were collected and compared, including gender, age, duration of pressure ulcer, time in bed, and combination with diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, pneumonia, sepsis/septic shock, and paraplegia, and the plasma D-dimer level and Caprini score within 24 h after admission. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact probability test. The indicators with statistically significant differences between the two groups were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression analysis to screen the independent risk factors influencing the DVT of lower extremity in 241 patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ pressure ulcers on admission. Results: The incidence of DVT of lower extremity was 15.4% (37/241), of which 86.5% (32/37) were asymptomatic DVT. Among the DVT of 46 lower limbs, only 29 involved the inferior genicular veins, accounting for 63.0%. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, duration of pressure ulcer, combination with diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, pneumonia, and sepsis/septic shock of patients between the two groups (P>0.05), while there were statistically significant differences in age, time in bed, combination with paraplegia, the plasma D-dimer level and Caprini score of patients between the two groups(t=-3.19, Z=-2.04, χ2=4.44, Z=-3.89, t=-2.14, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age and plasma D-dimer level were independent risk factors influencing the DVT of lower extremity in 241 patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ pressure ulcers on admission (with odds ratios of 1.03 and 1.18, respectively, with 95% confidence intervals of 1.00-1.06 and 1.05-1.33, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: The patients with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ pressure ulcers have a higher incidence of DVT on admission, with age and plasma D-dimer level being the independent risk factors for DVT of lower extremity. It is necessary to pay attention to the targeted screening of DVT and education of its prevention.

[Association and gender difference analysis of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and liver injury]

Objective: To investigate the correlation and sex difference between obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and liver injury. Methods: A total of 974 OSAHS patients (444 cases of mild to moderate, 530 cases of severe) and 111 cases of simple snoring in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University and Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital from November 2015 to September 2019 were included in the study. The basic information of the patients was obtained through face-to-face survey with self-made questionnaire, physical examination, sleep monitoring and blood biochemical and liver function index detection were carried out among the included subjects. Multiple logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between OSAHS and liver injury and the gender differences. Results: The subjects were (50±14) years old, including 841 males (77.5%). Statistically significant differences in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting blood glucose, alamine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), ALT/AST, gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), the rate of elevated ALT, AST and liver injury were observed among the three groups (all P values<0.05). There was no significant difference in total bilirubin and ALP among all groups (all P values>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, severe OSAHS was positively correlated with liver injury [OR (95%CI): 2.25 (1.22-4.14)]. Subgroup analysis by gender showed that severe OSAHS was positively correlated with liver injury in males [OR (95%CI): 2.20 (1.04-4.65)], but not in females, mild to moderate OSAHS [OR (95%CI): 1.56 (0.52-4.71)] or severe OSAHS [OR (95%CI): 2.07(0.64-6.75)], after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion: Severe OSAHS is positively correlated with liver injury in males, while female OSAHS is not associated with liver injury.

[GIS-based measurement of Haloxylon ammodendron tree ring]

Tree ring data is of significance for reconstructing climate and predicting environmental dynamics. In order to accurately measure spacing and other parameters of Haloxylon ammodendron tree ring, we first assigned coordinate system to the scanned H. ammodendron disc PS images based on GIS, and then completed the H. ammodendron tree ring spacing measurement by using ENVI image classification software and GIS measuring tool. The measurement accuracy was proved by WinDENDRO tree ring analysis system. The results showed that there was no significant difference between those two methods (P=0.63), and that the difference of paired mean value was 0.87 μm, indicating that the measured results were accurate and reliable. The constructed method in this study could be used to measure the spacing of H. ammodendron tree ring, which lay the foundation for the automatic measurement of tree ring parameters such as area and perimeter. Our method could replace the current professional tree ring analysis system for some ring parameter measurement. The study would contribute to the dendroclimatology analysis and the investigation on age structure of H. ammodendron population.

[Spatiotemporal variation of growing season length of vegetation in China.]

We analyzed the variation trend of growing season length (GSL) of different periods in provinces (regions) of China and the corresponding movement velocity of GSL isolines at 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 days, based on daily mean temperature data of 822 meteorological stations from 1951 to 2017. In this study, the definition of GSL given by the world meteorological organization was adopted, together with Slope, Hurst and Mann-Kendall indices. The results showed that the GSL in northern China changed significantly during 1951-2017. The extension of GSL was faster in the north than the south, and faster in high-altitude areas than low-altitude ones. The trend of future GSL change in most regions of China converged with the current extension trend. The extension of GSL in northern provinces (regions) was generally 0.1-0.2 d·a^-1, of which the fastest was Tibet with a speed of 0.44 d·a^-1. The period 1981-2000 was the most changeable time of GSL in Chinese provinces (regions). The growing season start (GSS) of all provinces (regions) contributed more to the GSL extension, except for Xinjiang, whose GSL extension was dominated by the growing season end (GSE). In the high-latitude or high-altitude provinces, GSL was more sensitive to the change of mean annual temperature. The higher the mean annual temperature, the longer the GSL. Since 1951, China's GSL isolines of 150, 200, 250, 300 and 350 days showed notable variations. The fastest movement velocity was the 200 days isoline in Northeast China with an average northward movement velocity of 6.11 km·a^-1. The general principle of the movement of China's GSL isoline was that the higher the value of the isoline, the slower the northward movement, with even a southward shift in part of the 350 days isoline. The extension of GSL in China would result in the northward shift of crop planting boundary and the extension of natural vegetation growth period. However, the specific impacts of this change on the quality, crop yield, and ecosystem carbon sequestration need further research.

[Seroepidemiological survey of Toxoplasma gondii infections in patients with diabetes mellitus in Hangzhou City]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infections among patients with diabetes mellitus in Hangzhou City.

METHODS

A total of 337 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, 624 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 384 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus living in Hangzhou City during the period from March 2017 through May 2020 were recruited as the study subjects, while age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers and pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus served as controls. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect serum IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii in patients with diabetes mellitus and controls, and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody was compared between diabetes mellitus patients and controls.

RESULTS

The overall seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibody (18.10% vs. 4.45%, χ² = 31.38, P < 0.01) and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody (14.54% vs. 2.97%, χ² = 28.28, P < 0.01) were both significantly higher in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus than in healthy controls, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between patients and controls (3.56% vs. 1.48%, χ² = 2.96, P > 0.05). The seroprevalence rates of serum anti-T. gondii (23.56% vs. 6.57%, χ² = 70.37, P < 0.01) and anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies (21.15% vs. 5.45%, χ² = 66.73, P < 0.01) were significantly higher in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus than in healthy controls, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between patients and controls (2.40% vs. 1.12%, χ² = 2.96, P > 0.05). In addition, the overall seroprevalence of serum anti-T. gondii antibody (26.30% vs. 19.53%, χ² = 4.98, P < 0.05) and the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgG antibody (23.70% vs. 17.71%, χ² = 4.20, P < 0.05) were both significantly higher in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus than in pregnant women without gestational diabetes mellitus, while no significant difference was seen in the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody between pregnant women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (2.60% vs. 1.82%, χ² = 0.54, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The patients with diabetes mellitus present a higher seroprevalence rate of anti-T. gondii antibody than controls in Hangzhou City. Screening of T. gondii infections and health education pertaining to toxoplasmosis prevention and control knowledge should be reinforced in patients with diabetes mellitus.

[The malignant phenotype of calcineurin B homologous protein 2 in gastric cancer and its clinical significance]

Objective: To study the expression and clinical significance of calcineurin B homologous protein 2 (CHP2) in gastric cancer (GC) and its effect on malignant phenotype of GC cells. Methods: The protein expression of CHP2 in 297 GC tissue and 198 normal gastric tissue samples were detected by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between the expression of CHP2 and clinicopathologic parameters of GC were analyzed. CHP2-overexpression plasmids and CHP2-interference plasmids were transfected into GC cell lines respectively. Wound healing assay and Transwell experiment was used to detect the invasion and migration ability of GC cells, and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method was used to detect the proliferation ability of GC cells. Results: The positive expression rate of CHP2 in GC was 68.7% (204/297), which was higher in benign margin (34.1%) (31/91), chronic gastritis (59.1%) (13/22), intestinal metaplasia (34.2%) (13/38), low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (40.0%) (12/30) and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (41.2%)(7/17). The positive expression of CHP2 was correlated with tumor, node and metastasis (TNM) stage, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis (all P<0.05), but not with gender, age, Laurén classification, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) levels, depth of invasion, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level and CEA 19-9 level (all P>0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that high expression of CHP2 and TNM stage were both independent parameters for predicting GC patient prognosis (both P<0.05). Interference of CHP2 expression in HGC-27 cells suppressed proliferation and migration significantly (P<0.05). However, over-expression CHP2 in AGS cells promoted proliferation, and migration significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion: CHP2 plays an important role in the development of GC, which is expected to be a molecular marker for patient prognosis and a potential target of targeted therapy for GC patients.

[Cardiovascular disease risk in diabetes patients aged 40 years old and above in China]

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), ischemic and hemorrhagic cardiovascular events among Chinese diabetic patients aged 40 years and above with different CVD risk levels. Methods: This study enrolled participants aged 40 years and above in 15 provinces from a prospective cohort study, the China-PAR project (Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China). Participants were categorized into two groups according to the presence or absence of diabetes at baseline. Individuals were further classified into low (0-4.9%), moderate (5%-9.9%) and high risk groups (≥10%), based on predicted ten-year CVD risk using the China-PAR equations. Two followed-up surveys were conducted between 2007 and 2015 to identify CVD events, which were defined as nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, or death due to coronary heart disease, or stroke. Ischemic cardiovascular events included nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, or death due to coronary heart disease, or ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic cardiovascular events included subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage. The incidences of CVD, ischemic and hemorrhagic cardiovascular events were compared in diabetes and non-diabetes population with different CVD risk levels. Results: This study included 89 209 participants aged 40 years and above, the average follow-up period was 8.5 years. The age was (54.8±9.4) years, and 36 794 (41.2%) were men, and 5 730 (6.4%) were diabetic patients. In diabetes patients aged 40 years and above, 53.7% (3 075/5 730) were at high risk of CVD. Age-and sex-adjusted incidence of CVD, ischemic and hemorrhagic cardiovascular events (1 066.93/100 000 person-years, 824.23/100 000 person-years, and 211.56/100 000 person-years) were significantly lower in diabetes patients than those in non-diabetes population with high CVD risk (1 773.73/100 000 person-years, 1 228.18/100 000 person-years, and 446.49/100 000 person-years) (all P<0.001). Among high CVD risk populations, incidence of ischemic events was significantly higher in diabetic patients than in non-diabetes population (1 638.47/100 000 person-years vs. 1 228.18/100 000 person-years, P<0.001), but incidence of hemorrhagic events tended to be lower in diabetic patients than in non-diabetes population (415.70/100 000 person-years vs. 446.49/100 000 person-years, P=0.635). Incidence of ischemic and hemorrhagic events were similar between diabetes patients and non-diabetes population at low or moderate CVD risk groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: More than half of diabetes patients aged 40 years and above in China have high CVD risk. The incidence of CVD, ischemic and hemorrhagic cardiovascular events are different in diabetic patients with different CVD risk levels.

[Clinical effect of one-stage total knee arthroplasty for knee osteoarthritis with femoral extra-articular deformity]

Objective: To investigate the application and efficacy of the one-stage total knee arthroplasty (TKA) of intra-articular compensation osteotomy in knee osteoarthritis(KOA) patients with extra-articular deformity (EAD). Methods: A retrospective study of 9 patients with end-stage KOA and EAD undergoing one-stage TKA from January 2014 to December 2017 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University was performed. There were 3 males and 6 females with an average age of 56 years(range, 19-77 years);5 cases of simple coronal deformity (varus 10°-27°, mean 18.2°), 3 cases of sagittal deformity (recurvatum15°-35°, mean 22.6°), 1 case combined with coronal and sagittal deformity (varus 16°, recurvatum 31°); hemophilia dysplasia in 1 case, fracture malformation in 8 cases. Main outcome measures included the mechanical axis, range of motion (ROM) and Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (HSS). Results: The mean follow-up period was 33.2 months (range, 25-47 months). The mechanical axis angle was restored from 12.4°±4.1°to 1.4°±0.9°(t=7.954, P<0.01). The HSS was improved from 28±14 preoperatively to 87±7 postoperatively (t=-11.174, P=0.013). The ROM increased from 56°±22°to 99°±8° (t=-5.480, P=0.010). There was no complications such as joint instability, infection, fracture, common peroneal nerve injury and early prosthesis loosening. Conclusions: For KOA patients with femoral EAD, one-stage TKA with intra-articular compensatory osteotomy can effectively restore the mechanical axis and obtain satisfying joint function. Through a series of measures such as preoperative measurement, soft tissue evaluation and 3D printing, the accuracy of surgery can be improved and the difficulty of surgery can be reduced.

[The value of the planned neoadjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for the non-radical resection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective: The role of planned neoadjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in the non-radical resection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was unclear. The study aimed to evaluate their therapeutic effect and analyze the prognostic factors. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received neoadjuvant radio therapy (33 patients) and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (119 patients) from January 2004 to December 2016 in our single-institution database.The survival rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. The prognostic factors were analyzed by using Log rank test and Cox proportional hazards model. Results: The median follow-up was 29.8 months. One hundred and one patients survived more than 3 years. The rates of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) at 3 years were 63.9% and 55.6%, respectively.The rates of complete, partial and minimal pathological response of the primary tumor were 50.3%, 38.4%, 11.3%, the corresponding 3-year OS were 75.5%, 57.4%, 27.3% (P<0.001) and 3-year DFS were 72.0%, 44.7%, 17.6% (P<0.001), respectively.The postoperative lymph node metastasis rate was 27.0%. The 3-year OS and DFS of the lymph node positive group was 45.6% and 32.8%, significantly lower than 70.8% and 63.7% of the negative group (both P<0.001). The 3-year OS and DFS of pathologic stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ, ⅢA, ⅢB and Ⅵ A were 76.2%, 57.4%, 64.7%, 35.0%, 33.3% (P<0.001) and 70.1%, 49.3%, 41.2%, 22.1%, 33.3% (P<0.001), respectively.The operation-related mortality was 3.3%. Multivariate analysis showed that chest pain, postoperative respiratory failure, pathological differentiation, more than 15 lymph node dissection and ypTNM stage were the independent prognostic factors of OS (P<0.05 for all). Conclusions: The planned neoadjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for the non-radical resection of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma could result in favorable survival. The chest pain, postoperative respiratory failure, pathological differentiation, the number of lymph node resection and ypTNM stage are the independent prognostic factors of the prognosis of these patients.

Factors Influencing Rust (Melampsora apocyni) Intensity on Cultivated and Wild Apocynum venetum in Altay Prefecture, China

Rust (Melampsora apocyni) on Apocynum venetum is the major constraint to the commercial development of this medicinal herb. To determine the factors influencing rust intensity (maximum disease index [DI_max]), rust was investigated from 2011 to 2015 in both cultivated and wild A. venetum plants. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was used to analyze the paths and extent of the factors related to pathogen, environment, and host that affect rust intensity. DI_max exhibited considerable variations across years and study sites, with variations linked to various factors fostering disease development. PLS-PM explained 80.0 and 70.1% of variations in DI_max in cultivated and wild plants, respectively. Precipitation was the key factor determining DI_max in both cultivated and wild plants (path coefficient [PC] = 0.313 and 0.544, respectively). In addition, the topsoil water content in cultivated plants and the total vegetation coverage in wild plants were also critical determinants of DI_max via their effects on the microclimatic factor (contribution coefficients [CC] = 0.681 and 0.989, respectively; PC = 0.831 and 0.231, respectively). In both cultivated and wild plants, host factors were mainly dominated by A. venetum density (CC = 0.989 and 0.894, respectively), and their effect on DI_max via the microclimatic factor (PC = 0.841 and 0.862, respectively) exceeded that via the inoculum factor (PC = 0.705 and 0.130, respectively). However, the indirect effects led to DI_max variation, while the dilution effect on host (CC = 0.154) from weed in wild plants led to the indirect effect size in wild plants of 0.200, which was lower than -0.699 in cultivated plants.

Infrared Spectral Characteristics of Electrical Injuries on Swine Skin Caused by Different Voltages Based on Machine Learning Algorithms

OBJECTIVES

To explore infrared spectrum characteristics of different voltages induced electrical injuries on swine skin by using Fourier transform infrared-microspectroscopy （FTIR-MSP） combined with machine learning algorithms, thus to provide a reference to the identification of electrical skin injuries caused by different voltages.

METHODS

Electrical skin injury model was established on swines. The skin was exposed to 110 V, 220 V and 380 V electric shock for 30 s and then samples were took, with normal skin tissues around the injuries as the control. Combined with the results of continuous section HE staining, the FTIR-MSP spectral data of the corresponding skin tissues were acquired. With the combination of machine learning algorithms such as principal component analysis （PCA） and partial least squares-discriminant analysis （PLS-DA）, different spectral bands were selected （full band 4 000-1 000 cm^-1 and sub-bands 4 000-3 600 cm^-1, 3 600-2 800 cm^-1, 2 800-1 800 cm^-1, and 1 800-1 000 cm^-1）, and various pretreatment methods were used such as orthogonal signal correction （OSC）, standard normal variables （SNV）, multivariate scatter correction （MSC）, normalization, and smoothing. Thus, the model was optimized, and the classification effects were compared.

RESULTS

Compared with simple spectrum analysis, PCA seemed to be better at distinguishing electrical shock groups from the control, but was not able to distinguish different voltages induced groups. PLS-DA based on the 3 600-2 800 cm^-1 band was used to identify the different voltages induced skin injuries. The OSC could further optimize the robustness of the 3 600-2 800 cm^-1 band model.

CONCLUSIONS

It is feasible to identify electrical skin injuries caused by different voltages by using FTIR-MSP technique along with machine learning algorithms.

[Relationship of lipid accumulation product with hypertension and diabetes among Beijing residents study]

Objective: To explore the lipid accumulation product (LAP) formula for Beijing adults and to investigate the relationship between lipid accumulation product and hypertension, as well as diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 19 606 residents in Beijing aged 18-79 years was conducted in 2011. The sex-specific hypothetical minimum waist circumference (WC) was calculated in order to obtain the more applicable LAP formula. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the associations of LAP, combination of LAP and body mass index (BMI) with hypertension and diabetes. Results: The LAP formula for Beijing adults was established as follows: LAP (male)= (WC-61.3) × TG, and LAP (female)= (WC-55.6) × TG. There was an obvious trend of increased risk of hypertension and diabetes with an increment in the tertiles of the LAP both in men and women. The OR (95%CI) for hypertension in the group with highest tertile LAP was 3.62 (3.11-4.22) in men, and 5.79 (4.84-6.93) in women, compared with the lowest tertile group, respectively; and the corresponding OR for diabetes was 3.47 (2.73-4.41) in men, and 4.10 (2.90-5.80) in women, respectively. Compared with the lowest tertile of LAP and normal BMI group, the OR (95%CI) for hypertension in the highest tertile of LAP and obesity group was 6.79 (5.50-8.37) in men, and 9.75 (7.76-12.25) in women, respectively; while the corresponding value for diabetes was 3.97 (2.87-5.49) in men, and 4.13 (2.78-6.14) in women, respectively. Conclusion: The elevated level of LAP was associated with an increased risk of hypertension and diabetes among Beijing adults. LAP could be an important predictor for hypertension and diabetes.

[Tea, coffee intakes and risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma: a case-control study]

Objective: To evaluate the effects of tea and coffee intakes on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) stratified by milk intake. Methods: A case-control study involving 593 OSCC patients confirmed by pathological diagnoses and 1 128 gender-age frequency matched controls was conducted in Fujian province during September 2010-March 2016. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the effects of coffee, tea intakes and related variables on OSCC. Additive interaction was estimated by relative excess risk interaction (RERI), attributable proportions interaction (API) and synergy index (SI). Results: Tea intake was significantly associated with decreased risk of OSCC: the adjusted ORs were 0.54 for all subjects (95%CI: 0.41-0.71), 0.47 for milk consumers (95%CI: 0.31-0.71) and 0.57 for non-milk consumers (95%CI: 0.40-0.81). Moreover, starting tea drinking at age ≥25 years, moderate tea concentration and water temperature, drinking green tea and oolong tea showed effects to decrease the risk for OSCC in three groups. Additionally, there was a tendency of a reduced risk with increased daily tea drinking and longer tea-drinking period (all trend P<0.05). No significant association was observed between coffee intake and OSCC. A multiplicative but not additive interactions was found between tea drinking and milk intake. Additionally, we did not observe multiplicative and additive interaction between coffee drinking and milk intake. Conclusion: Tea drinking is a protective factor for OSCC, and there is a multiplicative interaction between tea drinking and milk intake. Therefore, tea drinking and increasing intake of milk can reduce the risk of OSCC at certain extent.

[Pickled food, fish, seafood intakes and oral squamous cell carcinoma: a case-control study]

Objective: To investigate the effects between fish, seafood and pickled food intakes on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: A case-control study was carried out in Fujian area during September 2010 to December 2016, in which 604 newly diagnosed primary OSCC cases confirmed by pathological diagnosis were collected from hospital and 1 343 control subjects were enrolled from community and healthy hospital population. Demographic data, history of smoking drinking and tea drinking, oral hygiene status and dietary behaviors (fish, seafood and pickled food intakes) were collected by in-person interviews using a standard questionnaire.Using unconditional logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the effects of fish, seafood and pickled food intakes on OSCC. Analysis stratified by smoking, alcohol drinking and bad prosthesis to explore the possible difference in association between subgroups. Multiplicative interactions and additive interactions between fish and bad prosthesis, seafood and alcohol drinking, pickled food and bad prosthesis were assessed by unconditional logistic regression, relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) and synergy index (S). Results: The average age of case group and control group were separately (58.69±13.92) years old and (59.27±11.37) years old (χ(2)=4.75, P=0.191). The people whose fish and seafood intakes ≥3 times/week had the lower risk of OSCC, the adjusted OR (95%CI) values were 0.63 (0.52-0.77) and 0.51 (0.41-0.64); The stratified analysis indicated that the people having bad prosthesis had the lower risk of OSCC if they eating fish ≥3 times/week, and the adjusted OR (95%CI) values was 0.53 (0.39-0.71); the people having bad prosthesis had the higher risk of OSCC if they eating pickled food ≥3 times/week, the adjusted OR (95%CI) values was 1.37 (1.02-1.88). Regularly eating seafood can decrease the risk of OSCC for non-smokers, smokers, non-drinkers, drinkers, people without bad prosthesis and had bad prosthesis, the adjusted OR (95%CI) values were 0.49 (0.36-0.68), 0.52 (0.37-0.73), 0.41 (0.31-0.55), 0.77 (0.51-0.96), 0.49 (0.36-0.67), 0.59 (0.42-0.83). Crossover analysis showed fish and bad prosthesis exist multiplication interaction relationship (adjusted OR=0.66, 95%CI: 0.44-0.97) and additional interaction relationship (RERI=-0.81, 95%CI:-1.43--0.19; AP=-0.76, 95%CI:-1.35--0.17; S=0.08, 95%CI: 0.01-0.98); pickled food and bad prosthesis exist multiplication interaction relationship (adjusted OR=1.63, 95%CI: 1.06-2.51) and addition interaction relationship (RERI=0.65, 95%CI:0.08-1.22; AP=0.36, 95%CI:0.10-0.62; S=5.19, 95%CI:1.32-54.49). Conclusion: Reducing the consumption of pickled food, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, and regularly eating fish and seafood can prevent the occurrence of OSCC.

[Influence of manganese exposure via intracerebral injection on behavioristics and substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons in rats]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the changes in behavioristics, substantia nigra tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive cells, and ultrastructure of substantia nigra neurons in rats after manganese exposure via intracerebral injection.

METHODS

A total of 72 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into exposure group and control group, with 36 rats in each group. The stereotactic technique was used for injection of 1 μl MnCl2·4H2O (1 mol/L) into the corpus striatum in the exposure group, and the control group was injected with the same volume of normal saline. The changes in rotational behavior, number of TH immunoreactive cells in the substantia nigra, and ultrastructure of the substantia nigra induced by apomorphine were observed at 8 hours and 1, 3, 7, 15, and 30 days after injection, and this measure was compared with manganese exposure via intraperitoneal injection.

RESULTS

After apomorphine induction for 30 minutes, the exposure group showed a gradual increase in the number of rotations over the time of manganese exposure (F= 176.921, P<0.01) and a significantly higher number of rotations than the control group (F=482.654, P<0.01). The exposure group showed a gradual reduction in the mean A value of TH immunoreactive cells in the injured substantia nigra over the time of exposure (F=12.009, P<0.01) , and this value differed significantly between the injured substantia nigra in the exposure group and the contralateral substantia nigra in the exposure group and the injured side in the control group (F=36.131, P<0.01). At 3, 7, 15, and 30 days after exposure, the injured substantia nigra showed a significantly lower mean A value of TH immunoreactive cells than the contralateral side in the exposure group (all P<0.01). At 7, 15, and 30 days, the injured substantia nigra in the exposure group showed a significantly lower mean A value than the injured side in the control group (all P<0.01). After manganese exposure, substantia nigra neurons showed the changes including mitochondrial swelling, dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum, and demyelination of nerve fibers in different stages, which suggested the dynamic process of dopaminergic neuron injuries. Compared with manganese exposure via intraperitoneal injection, manganese exposure via intracerebral injection can induce behavioral changes and injuries of the substantia nigra-striatum system more quickly.

CONCLUSION

Manganese exposure via intracerebral injection induces behavioral changes and injuries of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons in rats within a short time.

Therapeutic effect of Pleurotus eryngii cellulose on experimental fatty liver in rats

The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effect of Pleurotus eryngii cellulose on experimental fatty liver in rats. Rats were fed high-fat fodder to establish a rat fatty liver model, and were then fed different concentrations of Pleurotus eryngii cellulose for six weeks. Lipitor was used as a positive control. Measured levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), and total triglyceride (TG); the activity of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), hepatic lipase (HL), and lipoprotein lipase; and liver histopathological changes. Successfully established rat fatty liver model after feeding high-fat fodder for one week. A diet of P. eryngii cellulose for six weeks significantly reduced ALT, AST, TC, and TG levels in rat serum (P < 0.01); TC and AST levels in P. eryngii cellulose high-dose group and Lipitor group were not significantly different from those of the control (P > 0.05). SOD activity increased significantly, while MDA and HL activity decreased (P < 0.05); fatty degeneration and fat accumulation both decreased in hepatic tissue. Hepatic protection of P. eryngii cellulose showed dose-related effect. P. eryngii cellulose can affect lipid metabolism, having therapeutic effects on fatty liver in rats.

Selection for Duration of Fertility and Mule Duck White Plumage Colour in a Synthetic Strain of Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

A synthetic strain of ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) was developed by introducing genes for long duration of fertility to be used as mother of mule ducklings and a seven-generation selection experiment was conducted to increase the number of fertile eggs after a single artificial insemination (AI) with pooled Muscovy semen. Reciprocal crossbreeding between Brown Tsaiya LRI-2 (with long duration of fertility) and Pekin L-201 (with white plumage mule ducklings) ducks produced the G0. Then G1 were intercrossed to produce G2 and so on for the following generations. Each female duck was inseminated 3 times, at 26, 29, and 32 weeks of age. The eggs were collected for 14 days from day 2 after AI. Individual data regarding the number of incubated eggs (Ie), the number of fertile eggs at candling at day 7 of incubation (F), the total number of dead embryos (M), the maximum duration of fertility (Dm) and the number of hatched mule ducklings (H) with plumage colour were recorded. The selection criterion was the breeding values of the best linear unbiased prediction animal model for F. The results show high percentage of exhibited heterosis in G2 for traits to improve (19.1% for F and 12.9% for H); F with a value of 5.92 (vs 3.74 in the Pekin L-201) was improved in the G2. Heritabilities were found to be low for Ie (h (2) = 0.07±0.03) and M (h (2) = 0.07±0.01), moderately low for Dm (h (2) = 0.13±0.02), of medium values for H (h (2) = 0.20±0.03) and F (h (2) = 0.23±0.03). High and favourable genetic correlations existed between F and Dm (rg = 0.93), between F and H (rg = 0.97) and between Dm and H (rg = 0.90). The selection experiment showed a positive trend for phenotypic values of F (6.38 fertile eggs in G10 of synthetic strain vs 5.59 eggs in G4, and 3.74 eggs in Pekin L-201), with correlated response for increasing H (5.73 ducklings in G10 vs 4.86 in G4, and 3.09 ducklings in Pekin L-201) and maximum duration of the fertile period without increasing the embryo mortality rate. The average predicted genetic response for F was 40% of genetic standard deviation per generation of selection. The mule ducklings' feather colour also was improved. It was concluded that this study provided results for a better understanding of the genetics of the duration of fertility traits in the common female duck bred for mule and that the selection of a synthetic strain was effective method of improvement.

Double-prism domain PPLN for simultaneous laser Q-switching and optical parametric oscillation in a Nd:YVO4 laser

We report a design and demonstration of an electro-optically Q-switched intracavity optical parametric oscillator (IOPO) based on a unique ramped duty-cycle periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) in a diode-pumped 1064-nm Nd:YVO(4) laser. The PPLN crystal, having a double-prism domain (DPD) structure with a domain period of 30 μm, can work simultaneously as an electro-optic (EO) beam deflector (and therefore an EO Q-switch in the laser cavity) and an optical parametric down converter. The characterized deflection sensitivity of the DPD PPLN device was 1.15°/kV-cm. At a 180-V Q-switching voltage and a 1-kHz switching rate, we measured a down-converted signal at 1550 nm with pulse energy of >8.1 μJ (or peak power of >2.3 kW) from the constructed IOPO at 7.5-W diode pump power. Continuous wavelength tuning of the IOPO signal was also demonstrated.

[Research on extraction method of water body with DS spectral enhancement based on HJ-1 images]

Natural disaster is one of the major global issues, and it is an important premise for disaster prevention and reduction to monitor it. In the present paper, multi-temporal HJ-1 images pre- and posto-typhoon Morakot were used. First, radiometric calibration and registration were done, then, decorrelation stretch (DS) was applied, and finally, maximum likelihood classification (MLC) was adopted to extract water body and monitor change of water body caused by typhoon Morakot. The results show that after DS spectral enhancement, the correlations among bands decrease and spectral differences increase, and it is helpful to identify surface features. The accuracy assessment demonstrates that the overall accuracies and Kappa coefficients of four phases are higher, above 96.0% and 0.94 respectively, than that of direct MLC without DS spectral enhancement. It is beneficial to scheduling flood discharge and ensuring the safety of reservoir downstream by comparing extracted multi-temporal water bodies.

The link between fibroblast growth factor 21 and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c during lipogenesis in hepatocytes

Recently fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has been identified as a potent regulator in glucose and lipid homeostasis. Here, we firstly investigated the metabolic role of FGF21 in human liver-derived HepG2 cells, and suggested that overexpression of FGF21 suppressed triglyceride accumulation by inhibiting the transcription of the gene necessary for de novo lipogenesis. The potential mechanism of FGF21 regulating lipogenesis was also explored, which revealed that FGF21 repressed the transcription of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c), an essential transcription factor promoting expression of lipogenesis-related genes. Overexpression of FGF21 ameliorated the up-regulation of SREBP1c and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in HepG2 cells elicited by FFAs treatment. Moreover, FGF21 could inhibit the transcriptional levels of the key genes involved in processing and nuclear translocation of SREBP1c, and decrease the protein amount of mature SREBP1c. Unexpectedly, overexpression of SREBP1c in HepG2 cells could also inhibit the endogenous FGF21 transcription. Further experiments demonstrated that SREBP1c could significantly attenuate the promoter activity of FGF21. In conclusion, our data identifies a clear link between FGF21 and SREBP1c during lipogenesis in hepatocyte in culture.

Assay development and validation of inflammatory markers in impression cytology specimens (144.19)

The principle of Impression Cytology (IC) utilizes a non-invasive technique to remove superficial layers of the ocular surface. The application of a filter to the surface of the bulbar conjunctiva allows for repeated collection of superficial cells for the analysis of ocular surface disorders. Evidence suggests expression of the HLA-DR antigen on the surface of conjunctival epithelial cells is associated with allergic conjunctivitis and dry eye syndrome. Performance characteristics of HLA-DR was evaluated through intra, inter and stability assays. Evaluation of the reproducibility and overall performance of the novel methodology would be useful in understanding the tolerance level of the assay. Utilizing established techniques, IC specimens were obtained from 12 donors and assayed over multiple days and timepoints. Conjunctival epithelial cells were extracted and assayed based on differential immunostaining of both conjunctival epithelial cells and leukocytes. The reproducibility across donors over time was consistent, demonstrating conjunctival cells maintained their integrity of cell surface expression of HLA-DR. In conclusion, the studies met all validation criteria, and support the utilization of HLA-DR inflammatory measurements in impression cytology specimens. Utilization of a flow cytometric platform to examine the expression of HLA-DR antigen may help predict clinical outcome, evaluate disease progression, and monitor the effects of treatment.

[Discrimination and spectral response characteristic of stress leaves infected by rice Aphelenchoides besseyi Christie]

An ASD Field Spec Pro Full Range spectrometer was used to acquire the spectral reflectance of healthy and diseased leaves infected by rice Aphelenchoides besseyi Christie, which were cut from rice individuals in the paddy field. Firstly, foliar pigment content was investigated. As compared with healthy leaves, the total chlorophyll and carotene contents (mg x g(-1)) of diseased leaves decreased 18% and 22%, respectively. The diseased foliar content ratio of total chlorophyll to carotene was nearly 82% of the healthy ones. Secondly, the response characteristics of hyperspectral reflectance of diseased leaves were analyzed. The spectral reflectance in the blue (450-520 nm), green (520-590 nm) and red (630-690 nm) regions were 2.5, 2 and 3.3 times the healthy ones respectively due to the decrease in foliar pigment content, whereas in the near infrared (NIR, 770-890 nm) region was 71.7 of the healthy ones because of leaf twist, and 73.7% for shortwave infrared (SWIR, 1 500-2 400 nm) region, owing to water loss. Moreover, the hyperspectral feature parameters derived from the raw spectra and the first derivative spectra were analyzed. The red edge position (REP) and blue edge position (BEP) shifted about 8 and 10 nm toward the short wavelengths respectively. The green peak position (GPP) and red trough position (RTP) shifted about 8.5 and 6 nm respectively toward the longer wavelengths. Finally, the area of the red edge peak (the sum of derivative spectra from 680 to 740 nm) and red edge position (REP) as the input vectors entered into C-SVC, which was an soft nonlinear margin classification method of support vector machine, to recognize the healthy and diseased leaves. The kernel function was radial basis function (RBF) and the value of punishment coefficient (C) was obtained from the classification model of training data sets (n = 138). The performance of C-SVC was examined with the testing sample (n = 126), and healthy and diseased leaves could be successfully differentiated without errors. This research demonstrated that the response feature of spectral reflectance was obvious to disease stress in rice leaves, and it was feasible to discriminate diseased leaves from healthy ones based on C-SVC model and hyperspectral reflectance.

Nitrogen contents of rice panicle and paddy by hyperspectral remote sensing

The nitrogen content or crude protein content in rice grains is one of the important indices to evaluate the nutrition and taste quality of rice. Normal determination of their contents by chemical methods is highly expensive and time consuming. The hyperspectral reflectances of the canopy, flag leaf and panicle of 5 rice varieties are measured by a ASD FieldSpec Pro FR in field under 3 nitrogen support levels in maturing process. The nitrogen contents of stems, leaves, flag leaves, panicles and rice paddy and their crude protein contents are determined. The correlation among them is analyzed. The panicles nitrogen contents (%) are very significantly correlate not only to that of stems, leaves and flag leaves and chlorophyll contents (mg g(-1)) of flag leaves at milking and maturing stages, but also to the spectral reflectance rho(lambda), the first derivative spectra D(lambda) and RVI of canopy, flag leaf and panicle itself. The nitrogen contents (%) of rice paddy are very significantly correlative to that of stems and leaves and the spectral reflectance rho(lambda), the first derivative spectra D(lambda) and RVI of canopy at some wave bands at booting, milking and maturing stages. For the squared multiple correlation coefficients (R2) of estimating the nitrogen contents of panicle and paddy by canopies spectra, we find R2 > 0.80 at milking stage, R2 > 0.75 at maturing stage, but for the estimation of panicle by the spectra of flag leaf and panicle itself, we have R2 > 0.65. It indicates that it can be feasible for estimating the contents of nitrogen and crude protein in rice grains by hyperspectral remote sensing. It provide basis for monitoring rice quality by remote sensing.

Assessing the response of seasonal variation of net primary productivity to climate using remote sensing data and geographic information system techniques in Xinjiang

Net primary productivity (NPP) is a key component of energy and matter transformation in the terrestrial ecosystem, and the responses of NPP to global change locally and regionally have been one of the most important aspects in climate-vegetation relationship studies. In order to isolate causal climatic factors, it is very important to assess the response of seasonal variation of NPP to climate. In this paper, NPP in Xinjiang was estimated by NOAA/AVHRR Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The impact of climatic factors (air temperature, precipitation and sunshine percentage) on seasonal variations of NPP was studied by time lag and serial correlation ageing analysis. The results showed that the NPP for different land cover types have a similar correlation with any one of the three climatic factors, and precipitation is the major climatic factor influencing the seasonal variation of NPP in Xinjiang. It was found that the positive correlation at 0 lag appeared between NPP and precipitation and the serial correlation ageing was 0 d in most areas of Xinjiang, which indicated that the response of NPP to precipitation was immediate. However, NPP of different land cover types showed significant positive correlation at 2 month lag with air temperature, and the impact of which could persist 1 month as a whole. No correlation was found between NPP and sunshine percentage.

[Remote correlations between situation indicators of rice leaf roller during its immigration period in Jiangsu Province and sea surface temperature of west Pacific as well as their long-term prediction models]

The correlations between the situation indicators (peak time of ingoing, last length of peak period, and moth quantity in peak period) of rice leaf roller in Yixing, Yandu and Jingjiang of Jiangsu Province and the grid monthly sea surface temperature (SST) of west Pacific were analyzed by statistical method, and the correlation maps were produced by using GRADS software. The regions in which the SST was significantly correlated with the situation indicators were identified, and the SST at these regions, which was processed by optimization correlation technique, was used as the predictor to set up the long-term models for predicting the situation indicators of rice leaf roller during its immigration period in the three regions. The results showed that the immigration time of rice leaf roller in each of the regions was highly correlated with the SST in that region, and the duration of immigration peak was well correlated with the SST of west Pacific. The correlations between moth amount and SST were significant and stable, and showed some seasonality. Model calibrations indicated that the agreements between outputs from all models and observations were statistically significant (alpha = 0.01), and model validations demonstrated the applicability of the models developed in this study in predicting the situation indicators of rice leaf roller. These models were capable of predicting the possible occurrence situation of rice leaf roller one to two months in advance, being of significance in the prevention and control of rice leaf roller, suitable management of rice production, reduction of pesticide pollution, and protection of environment.

The new biology of histamine receptors

The physiologic functions of histamine have been recognized for more than 100 years, yet new roles are still being uncovered. Most importantly, a newly discovered receptor of the amine has helped refine our understanding of histamine. This new receptor, the histamine H4 receptor (H4R), has a higher affinity for histamine compared with the histamine H1 receptor and appears to be more selectively expressed, found mainly on hematopoietic cells. H4R is involved in chemotaxis and inflammatory mediator release by eosinophils, mast cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, and T cells. Studies in animal models using selective antagonists or H4R-deficient mice have shown a role for the receptor in inflammation in vivo. In particular, H4R antagonists have shown promise in experimental models of asthma and pruritus, two conditions where currently marketed antihistamines targeting the histamine H1 receptor are not optimally effective in humans. Thus, a new class of H4R-specific antihistamines may be distinctively effective in treating allergic diseases associated with chronic pruritus and asthma.

[Wavebands selection for rice information extraction based on spectral bands inter-correlation]

The hyperspectral remote sensing data usually involve hundreds or even thousands of narrow bands, which may be crucial for providing additional information with significant improvements over broad bands in quantifying biophysical and biochemical variables of agricultural crop. However, the huge data generated by hyperspectral systems, and the problems this presents for storage and analysis, have far prevented the routine use of such data. The objective of the present research was to identify the spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared range that were suitable for the study of rice. The hyperspectral reflectance of canopy in different development stages was measured in experimental field using a 1 nm-wide spectroradiometer but was aggregated to 10 nm-wide bandwidths to match the first spaceborne hyperspectral sensor, Hyperion. The correlation coefficients(r) between all the combinations of spectral bands were computed, and then they were converted to R2 , which constituted R2 matrices. The matrices were plotted against wavebands. The criterion of band selection is that the lower the R2 value, the less the redundancy between two wavebands while the higher R2 indicates that there is redundant information between two wavebands. According to the criterion, the wavebands corresponding to the first 100 minimum R2 values were selected from all canopy spectra collected on different dates. And then these bands were analyzed. The results indicate that the visible and infrared (NIR and SWIR) themselves contain redundant information. The wavebands containing abundant information of rice are located in specific bands in the longer wavelength portion of the visible region, with secondary clusters in red edge region, in strongly reflective near-infrared region with relatively higher reflectance, in one particular section of short wave near-infrared (SWIR) (1 530 nm) and in the second maximum reflectance region of SWIR (2 215 nm). Compared with the selected bands with other vegetation, rice seems to have three spectral regions of 400-410 nm, 630-650 nm and 1 520-1 540 nm, which exclusively depict the characteristics of rice. Moreover, this research identified 17 spectral bands in the visible and near-infrared region, which were 405, 565, 585, 605, 620, 640, 660, 680, 695, 705, 720, 740, 865, 910, 1 085, 1 530 and 2 215 nm. These bands contain the majority of the rice information content. A reduction in band number without significant information loss is important because it makes it possible to achieve fine spatial resolution without sacrificing the ability to characterize rice status.

Identification of optimal hyperspectral bands for estimation of rice biophysical parameters

The present study aims to identify the narrow spectral bands that are most suitable for characterizing rice biophysical parameters. The data used for this study come from ground-level hyperspectral reflectance measurements for five rice species at three levels of nitrogen fertilization during the growing period. Reflectance was measured in discrete narrow bands between 350 and 2,500 nm. Observed rice biophysical parameters included leaf area index (LAI), wet biomass and dry biomass. The stepwise regression method was applied to identify the optimal bands for rice biophysical parameter estimation. This research indicated that combinations of four narrow bands in stepwise regression models explained 69% to 83% variability for LAI, 56% to 73% for aboveground wet biomass and 70% to 83% for leaf wet biomass. An overwhelming proportion of rice information was in a particular portion of near infrared (NIR) (1,100-1,150 nm), red-edge (700-750 nm), and a longer portion of green (550-600 nm). These were followed by the moisture-sensitive NIR (950-1,000 nm), the intermediate portion of shortwave infrared (SWIR) (1 650-1,700 nm), and another portion of NIR (1,000-1,050 nm).

[Predicting nitrogen concentrations from hyperspectral reflectance at hyperspectral reflectance at leaf and canopy for rape]

An experiment was designed to determine whether nitrogen concentrations could be predicted from reflectance (R) spectra of rape leaves in laboratory, and, if so, whether the predictive spectral features could be correlated with nitrogen concentration of simple canopies of rape. The best predictors for nitrogen in leaves appeared with first-difference transformations of R, and the bands selected were similar to those found in other studies. Shortwave infrared bands were best predictors for nitrogen. In the shortwave infrared region, however, the absolute differences in reflectance at critical bands were extremely small, and the bands of high correlation were narrow. High spectral and radiance resolution are required to resolve these differences accurately. Variability in canopy reflectance in shortwave infrared region was at least an order of magnitude beyond that necessary to detect signals from chemicals. The variability in first-difference R and log 1/R on canopy scales were related to the arrangement of trees with respect to direct solar radiation, instrument noise, leaf fluttering, and small change in atmospheric moisture. The first-difference of reflectance R based regressions prediction of nitrogen concentration at canopy level gets a good fitness.

Monitoring rice nitrogen status using hyperspectral reflectance and artificial neural network

Over use of nitrogen fertilization can result in groundwater pollution. Tools that can rapidly quantify the nitrogen status are needed for efficient fertilizer management and would be very helpful in reducing the environmental pollution caused by excessive nitrogen application. Remote sensing has a proven ability to provide spatial and temporal measurements of surface properties. In this study, the MLR (multiple linear regression) and ANN (artificial neural network) modeling methods were applied to the monitoring of rice N (nitrogen concentration, mg nitrogen g(-1) leaf dry weight) status using leaf level hyperspectral reflectance with two different input variables, and as a result four estimation models were proposed. RMSE (root-mean-square error), REP (relative error of prediction), R2 (coefficient of determination), as well as the intercept and slope between the observed and predicted N were used to test the performance of models. Very good agreements between the observed and the predicted N were obtained with all proposed models, which was especially true for the R-ANN (artificial neural network based on reflectance selected using MLR) model. Compared to the other three models, the R-ANN model improved the results by lowering the RMSE by 14.2%, 32.1%, and 31.5% for the R-LR (linear regression based on reflectance) model, PC-LR (linear regression based on principal components scores) model, and PC-ANN (artificial neural network based on principal components scores) model, respectively. It was concluded that the ANN algorithm may provide a useful exploratory and predictive tool when applied on hyperspectral reflectance data for nitrogen status monitoring. Besides, although the performance of MLR was superior to PCA used for ANN inputs selection, the encouraging results of PC-based models indicated the promising potential of ANN combined with PCA application on hyperspectral reflectance analysis.

Induction of Chemokines through LTB4 Receptors, BLT1 and BLT2, in Primary Human Monocytes (B47)

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a potent lipid mediator of inflammation. The biological functions of LTB4 are mediated through two homologous receptors with high and low affinities, namely, BLT1 and BLT2. Using human primary monocytes, we are trying to understand the functions of LTB4 in atherosclerosis from a transcriptional activation perspective. We have also examined the contributions from each receptor. Primary human monocytes were treated with LTB4 and total RNA prepared and analyzed by microarray. Of particular interest, among genes upregulated were 4 chemokines including CCL2/MCP-1, CCL7/MCP-3, CXCL2/Groβ and CXCL3/Groγ. Follow up analysis with real-time PCR and ELISA showed time- and dose-dependent induction of these chemokines. The induction of MCP-1 is Gi-coupled since PTX effectively blocked the induction. BLT2 antagonist LY255283 dose-dependently inhibited the induction of MCP-1 gene expression, while BLT1 agonist, U75302 did the opposite. Selective inhibitors of Ca2+ signaling, PI3K, tyrosine kinase and ERK1/2, but not JNK, effectively blocked the LTB4-induced MCP-1 production. To understand the relative contributions of each receptor, we used receptor specific agonist U75302 for BLT1 and 12(S)-HETE for BLT2. We showed that both agonists induced the expression of all four genes, suggesting overlapping roles of the two receptors in induction of gene expression of these chemokines. More interestingly, 12(S)-HETE greatly increased the induction of MCP-1, MCP-3 and CXCL2 by U75302, suggesting synergistic effect between the two receptors.

Suppression of 5-lipoxygenase gene is involved in triptolide-induced apoptosis in pancreatic tumor cell lines

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is characterized by a poor prognosis and lack of response to conventional therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of triptolide (TL) on proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. We found that TL induced prominent growth inhibition and apoptosis in human pancreatic cell lines. In addition, TL treatment significantly down-regulated 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) expression, as well as downstream leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production, in these cell lines. Furthermore, overexpression of 5-LOX in SW1990 cell lines or exogenous LTB4 made them more resistant to TL-induced apoptosis, which was correlated with increased Bcl-2 expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that inhibition of the 5-LOX pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism is associated with the anti-proliferation activity of TL. We also provide evidence that TL has clinical therapeutic value for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory Activity in Vitro and in Vivo of the Protein Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor Tipifarnib

Protein farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) have shown clinical responses in hematologic malignancies, but the mechanisms are unclear. To better understand potential mechanisms of action, we have studied effects of the FTI tipifarnib on inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo. In a human leukemia cell line THP-1, tipifarnib inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced transcription of chemokines [monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 and MCP-2], cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, and interferon (IFN)beta], signaling molecules (MyD88 and STAT-1), proteases [matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9)], and receptors (urokinase receptor). Tipifarnib also inhibited LPS-induced secretion of MMP-9, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1beta in THP-1 cells. In primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, dose-dependent inhibition of LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1beta by tipifarnib was observed with no evidence of cytotoxicity. Similar results were obtained in vivo in a murine model of LPS-induced inflammation, where pretreatment with tipifarnib resulted in significant inhibition of TNF-alpha, IL-6, MCP-1, IL-1beta, and MIP-1alpha production. Tipifarnib had no effect in vitro or in vivo on LPS-induced IL-8. Studies in THP-1 cells to address potential mechanism(s) showed that tipifarnib partially inhibited LPS-induced p38 phosphorylation. Tipifarnib significantly inhibited inhibitory subunit of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) (IkappaB)-alpha degradation and p65 nuclear translocation induced by LPS, but not by tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1alpha, or toll-like receptor (TLR)2 ligand, suggesting that the target for inhibition of NF-kappaB activation was exclusive to the LPS/TLR4 signal pathway. The extent of IkappaB-alpha degradation inhibition did not correlate with inhibition of Ras farnesylation, indicating that Ras was not the target for the observed anti-inflammatory activity of tipifarnib. Our findings differ from those for other FTIs, which may have relevance for their dissimilar activity in specific tumor repertoires.

The mechanism of molecular redundancy in autoimmune inflammation in the context of CD44 deficiency

Molecular redundancy refers to the ability of genes to back up damaged genes or gene loss. Although this term is widely discussed in many scientific circles, the process is still ill-defined, as shown by reviewing examples from the literature. Exploring the collagen-induced arthritis model in the context of CD44 knockout mice, we suggest a mechanistic explanation for molecular redundancy that depends neither on upregulation of the compensating molecule nor on structural similarity between the original molecule and the replacement molecule. The backup process is dependent, however, on two key properties shared by the two molecules: ligand binding and support of cell trafficking.

Microwave tumour coagulation plus in situ treatment with cytokine-microparticles: induction of potent anti-residual tumour immunity

After local microwave coagulation and subsequent intra-tumoural injection of microparticles encapsulating interleukin-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, the anti-tumour efficacy against subcutaneous Lewis lung carcinoma in syngeneic mice was evaluated. This treatment elicited a potent systemic anti-tumour immunity that protected treated mice from re-challenge with the same tumour cells and caused the distal tumours in a bilateral tumour model to be rejected. Cytotoxicity assay indicated that both T- and natural killer cells acted as the effector cells in the anti-tumour immunity. These data highlight the feasibility of microwave-pre-treated in situ cancer vaccination for clinical use.

Molecular characterization of a new begomovirus infecting Senecio scandens in China

Three begomovirus isolates, G46, G83 and G84 from Senecio scandens showing yellow mosaic symptoms were collected from Guangxi Province, P.R. China. The isolates were detected by PCR using universal primers for begomoviruses. Comparison of partial DNA-A sequences (approximately 500 bp) of the isolates revealed their 98.7-99.1% identity. The isolate G46, chosen for complete DNA-A sequencing, consisted of 2746 nt and had a typical genomic organization of begomoviruses. The G46 DNA-A had the highest sequence identity (72.4%) with that of Ageratum leaf curl virus among begomoviruses. The molecular data suggest that the isolate G46 is a new begomovirus (species), for which the name Senecio yellow mosaic virus (Senecio yellow mosaic virus) is proposed.

RHAMM, a receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility, compensates for CD44 in inflamed CD44-knockout mice: a different interpretation of redundancy

We report here that joint inflammation in collagen-induced arthritis is more aggravated in CD44-knockout mice than in WT mice, and we provide evidence for molecular redundancy as a causal factor. Furthermore, we show that under the inflammatory cascade, RHAMM (receptor for hyaluronan-mediated motility), a hyaluronan receptor distinct from CD44, compensates for the loss of CD44 in binding hyaluronic acid, supporting cell migration, up-regulating genes involved with inflammation (as assessed by microarrays containing 13,000 cDNA clones), and exacerbating collagen-induced arthritis. Interestingly, we further found that the compensation for loss of the CD44 gene does not occur because of enhanced expression of the redundant gene (RHAMM), but rather because the loss of CD44 allows increased accumulation of the hyaluronic acid substrate, with which both CD44 and RHAMM engage, thus enabling augmented signaling through RHAMM. This model enlightens several aspects of molecular redundancy, which is widely discussed in many scientific circles, but the processes are still ill defined.

Characterization of heterogeneity in the molecular pathogenesis of lupus nephritis from transcriptional profiles of laser-captured glomeruli

The molecular pathogenesis of focal/diffuse proliferative lupus glomerulonephritis was studied by cDNA microarray analysis of gene expression in glomeruli from clinical biopsies. Transcriptional phenotyping of glomeruli isolated by laser-capture microscopy revealed considerable kidney-to-kidney heterogeneity in increased transcript expression, resulting in four main gene clusters that identified the presence of B cells, several myelomonocytic lineages, fibroblast and epithelial cell proliferation, matrix alterations, and expression of type I IFN-inducible genes. Glomerulus-to-glomerulus variation within a kidney was less marked. The myeloid lineage transcripts, characteristic of those found in isolated activated macrophages and myeloid dendritic cells, were widely distributed in all biopsy samples. One major subgroup of the samples expressed fibrosis-related genes that correlated with pathological evidence of glomerulosclerosis; however, decreased expression of TGF-beta1 argued against its role in lupus renal fibrosis. Expression of type I IFN-inducible transcripts by a second subset of samples was associated with reduced expression of fibrosis-related genes and milder pathological features. This pattern of gene expression resembled that exhibited by activated NK cells. A large gene cluster with decreased expression found in all samples included ion channels and transcription factors, indicating a loss-of-function response to the glomerular injury.

Soil quality evolution after land use change from paddy soil to vegetable land

A survey was done in 15 typical villages, 150 soil and 86 vegetable plant samples were taken in Jiaxin prefecture of the Taihu Lake region, northern Zhejian province. Results indicate that after 15-20 years land use changed from the paddy rice-wheat (or oilseed rape) double cropping system, to a continuous vegetable land has caused soil quality dramatic change. (1) Acidification: average soil pH was 5.4; about 61% of total samples were pH < 5.5. It was 0.9 units lower than 10 years ago with same upland vegetable cultivation and was 1.2 units lower than soil pH of paddy rice-wheat (or oilseed rape) rotation. (2) Fertilizer salt accumulation: the average salt content was 0.28%, among these about 36.2% of the total samples contained more than 0.3%. (3) Nitrate N and available phosphorus (P) over accumulation: on average it was 279 mg NO3-N/kg, and 45-115 mg P/kg. Nitrate N four times higher and available P 4-10 times more than it is in present paddy rice-wheat rotation soils respectively. This has caused wide concern because of possible groundwater and well drinking water pollution by leached nitrate N and the P losses to water by runoff from vegetable lands induce surface water eutrophication.

Changes of soil microbiological properties caused by land use changing from rice-wheat rotation to vegetable cultivation

A survey was done recently in Jiaxing city of Zhejiang Province in the Yangtze River Delta to compare the differences of soil microbiological properties among paddy soils with different land use including continuous open-field vegetable cultivation (OFVC), plastic-greenhouse vegetable cultivation (PGVC) and traditional rice-wheat rotation (RWR). The soil types included are percolating, permeable and waterlogged paddy soils. The results indicate that the microbial flora was markedly changed as the land use changed for all the three soil types. In continuous vegetable cultivation soils, especially in PGVC soils, the bacteria amounts decreased dramatically, but the fungal and actinomyce amounts increased as compared with RWR soils. The dehydrogenase activities decreased significantly in vegetable soils, especially in PGVC soils as compared with RWR soils. The microbial biomass C and the total phospholipid contents (TPL) in vegetable cultivation soil greatly decreased as compared with RWR soils. Biolog analysis indicated that the kinds of carbon sources that could be metabolized by native microbes in PGVC soils greatly decreased as compared with OFVC soils and RWR soils, revealing that microbial diversity had decreased since land use change. The activities of some soil enzymes including urease, invertase and phosphase were all lower in OFVC soils than those in RWR soils, and those in PGVC soils were the lowest. The degradation of microbiological activities in continuous vegetable cultivation soils, especially in PGVC soils, as compared with RWR soils might have been caused by soil acidification and accumulation of salts due to overuse of both organic and inorganic fertilizers in vegetable cultivation.

Tid1, a cochaperone of the heat shock 70 protein and the mammalian counterpart of the Drosophila tumor suppressor l(2)tid, is critical for early embryonic development and cell survival

Tid1 is the mammalian counterpart of the Drosophila tumor suppressor Tid56 and is also a DnaJ protein containing a conserved J domain through which it interacts with the heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) family of chaperone proteins. We generated a Tid1 conditional mutation in mice, and the subsequent global removal of the Tid1 protein was achieved by crossing these conditional knockout mice with general deletor mice. No Tid1(-/-) embryos were detected as early as embryonic day 7.5 (E7.5). Nonetheless, Tid1-deficient blastocysts were viable, hatched, formed an inner cell mass and trophectoderm, and implanted (E4.5), suggesting that the homozygous mutant embryos die between E4.5 and E7.5. To assess the function of Tid1 in embryonic cells, mouse embryonic fibroblasts with the homologous Tid1 floxed allele were produced. Tid1 removal in these cells led to massive cell death. The death of Tid1-deficient cells could be rescued by ectopic expression of wild-type Tid1 but not by expression of the Tid1 protein that had a mutated J domain and was thus incapable of binding to Hsp70. We propose that Tid1 is critical for early mammalian development, most likely for its function in sustaining embryonic-cell survival, which requires its association with Hsp70.