KNOTTED1-like homeobox (KNOX) transcription factors - Hubs in a plethora of networks: A review.

KNOX (KNOTTED1-like HOMEOBOX) belongs to a class of important homeobox genes, which encode the homeodomain proteins binding to the specific element of target genes, and widely participate in plant development. Advancements in genetics and molecular biology research generate a large amount of information about KNOX genes in model and non-model plants, and their functions in different developmental backgrounds are gradually becoming clear. In this review, we summarize the known and presumed functions of the KNOX gene in plants, focusing on horticultural plants and crops. The classification and structural characteristics, expression characteristics and regulation, interacting protein factors, functions, and mechanisms of KNOX genes are systematically described. Further, the current research gaps and perspectives were discussed. These comprehensive data can provide a reference for the directional improvement of agronomic traits through KNOX gene regulation.

A Smart System for an Assessment of the Remaining Useful Life of Ball Bearings by Applying Chaos-Based Health Indicators and a Self-Selective Regression Model.

Bearings are the most commonly used components in rotating machines and the ability to diagnose their faults and predict their remaining useful life (RUL) is critical for system maintenance. This paper proposes a smart system combined with a regression model to predict the RUL of bearings. The method converts the azimuth signal through low-pass filtering (LPF) and a chaotic mapping system, and uses Euclidean feature values (EFVs) to extract features in order to construct useful health indicators (HIs). In fault detection, the iterative cumulative moving average (ICMA) is used to smooth the HIs, and the Euclidean norm is used to find the time-to-start prediction (TSP). In terms of prediction, this paper uses a self-selective regression model to select the most suitable regression model to predict the RUL of the bearing. The dataset provided by the Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS) is applied for performance evaluation; in comparison with previous research, better prediction results can be achieved by applying the proposed smart assessment system. The proposed system is also applied to the PRONOSTIA (also called FEMTO-ST) bearing dataset in this paper, demonstrating that acceptable prediction performance can be obtained.

Self-organizing in vitro mouse neural tube organoids mimic embryonic development.

The embryonic neural tube is the origin of the entire adult nervous system, and disturbances in its development cause life-threatening birth defects. However, the study of mammalian neural tube development is limited by the lack of physiologically realistic three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models. Here, we report a self-organizing 3D neural tube organoid model derived from single mouse embryonic stem cells that exhibits an in vivo-like tissue architecture, cell type composition and anterior-posterior (AP) patterning. Moreover, maturation of the neural tube organoids showed the emergence of multipotent neural crest cells and mature neurons. Single-cell transcriptome analyses revealed the sequence of transcriptional events in the emergence of neural crest cells and neural differentiation. Thanks to the accessibility of this model, phagocytosis of migrating neural crest cells could be observed in real time for the first time in a mammalian model. We thus introduce a tractable in vitro model to study some of the key morphogenetic and cell type derivation events during early neural development.

Erratum: An automated do-it-yourself system for dynamic stem cell and organoid culture in standard multi-well plates.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100244.].

Efficacy and safety of esophagectomy via left thoracic approach versus via right thoracic approach for middle and lower thoracic esophageal cancer: a multicenter randomized clinical trial (NST1501).

Background: Left thoracic approach (LTA) has been a favorable selection in surgical treatment for esophageal cancer (EC) patients in China before minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is popular. This study aimed to demonstrate whether right thoracic approach (RTA) is superior to LTA in the surgical treatment of middle and lower thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC). Methods: Superiority clinical trial design was used for this multicenter randomized controlled two-parallel group study. Between April 2015 and December 2018, cT1b-3N0-1M0 TESCC patients from 14 centers were recruited and randomized by a central stratified block randomization program into LTA or RTA groups. All enrolled patients were followed up every three months after surgery. The software SPSS 20.0 and R 3.6.2. were used for statistical analysis. Efficacy and safety outcomes, 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Results: A total of 861 patients without suspected upper mediastinal lymph nodes (umLN) were finally enrolled in the study after 95 ineligible patients were excluded. 833 cases (98.7%) were successfully followed up until June 1, 2020. Esophagectomies were performed via LTA in 453 cases, and via RTA in 408 cases. Compared with the LTA group, the RTA group required longer operating time (274.48±78.92 vs. 205.34±51.47 min, P<0.001); had more complications (33.8% vs. 26.3% P=0.016); harvested more lymph nodes (LNs) (23.61±10.09 vs. 21.92±10.26, P=0.015); achieved a significantly improved OS in stage IIIa patients (67.8% vs. 51.8%, P=0.022). The 3-year OS and DFS were 68.7% and 64.3% in LTA arm versus 71.3% and 63.7% in RTA arm (P=0.20; P=0.96). Conclusions: Esophagectomies via both LTA and RTA can achieve similar outcomes in middle or lower TESCC patients without suspected umLN. RTA is superior to LTA and recommended for the surgical treatment of more advanced stage TESCC due to more complete lymphadenectomy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02448979.

An automated do-it-yourself system for dynamic stem cell and organoid culture in standard multi-well plates.

We present a low-cost, do-it-yourself system for complex mammalian cell culture under dynamically changing medium formulations by integrating conventional multi-well tissue culture plates with simple microfluidic control and system automation. We demonstrate the generation of complex concentration profiles, enabling the investigation of sophisticated input-response relations. We further apply our automated cell-culturing platform to the dynamic stimulation of two widely employed stem-cell-based in vitro models for early mammalian development: the conversion of naive mouse embryonic stem cells into epiblast-like cells and mouse 3D gastruloids. Performing automated medium-switch experiments, we systematically investigate cell fate commitment along the developmental trajectory toward mouse epiblast fate and examine symmetry-breaking, germ layer formation, and cardiac differentiation in mouse 3D gastruloids as a function of time-varying Wnt pathway activation. With these proof-of-principle examples, we demonstrate a highly versatile and scalable tool that can be adapted to specific research questions, experimental demands, and model systems.

Research progress in classification of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture / 中华创伤杂志

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is a kind of fragility fracture, and osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture (OTLF) is the most common type. At present, OTLF has gradually been a common disease in the elderly, among which improper treatments may cause serious complications and even death, bringing a heavy burden to the family and society. Accordingly, in-depth researches on the prevention and treatment of this disease is significant to improve the quality of life for the elderly and reduce social burden. Accurate choices of treatments depend on fracture classifications. A variety of OTLF classifications have been proposed by domestic and foreign scholars, but each has its own defects, and to distinguish their differences may be problematic. Therefore, it is difficult to apply each classification. In this study, the authors review the research progress in different classification and scoring sytems for OTLF to provide a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Efficacy comparison of unilateral and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty in the treatment of type III A acute symptomatic osteoporotic lumbar fracture / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of unilateral and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of type IIIA acute symptomatic osteoporotic lumbar fracture (ASOLF).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 117 patients with type IIIA ASOLF admitted to Honghui Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from April 2016 to February 2018, including 32 males and 85 females, aged 60 to 88 years [(68.3±5.7)years]. Injury segments were located at L 1 in 35 patients, at L 2 in 38, at L 3 in 26 and at L 4 in 18. All patients were treated with PKP. A total of 61 patients were treated using the midpoint of the transverse process-articular process displacement as the puncture point (unilateral puncture group) and 56 patients were treated using the traditional "2" point and "10" point as the puncture point (bilateral puncture group). The operation time, amount of radiation exposure of patients and surgeons and bone cement injection volume were compared between the two groups. The Cobb angle, height of anterior edge of injured vertebrae, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared before operation, at day 1 after operation and at the final follow-up. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were observed. Results:All patients were followed up for 24-35 months [(26.3±4.7)months]. The operation time and amount of radiation exposure of patients were (20.4±5.6)minutes and (1.08±0.44)mSv in unilateral puncture group, significantly different from (37.5±9.2)minutes and (2.24±0.58)mSv in bilateral puncture group (all P<0.01). There were no significant differences in amount of radiation exposure of surgeons and bone cement injection volume between the two groups (all P>0.05). In unilateral puncture group and bilateral puncture group, the Cobb angle of fractured vertebrae at day 1 after operation [(22.4±10.7)°, (23.4±11.1)°] and at the final follow-up [(24.3±8.3)°, (23.5±9.5)°] was significantly decreased from that before operation [(29.6±9.7)°, (30.6±12.9)°] (all P<0.01); the height of anterior edge of injured vertebrae at day 1 after operation [(80.4±12.6)%, (78.8±11.9)%] and at the final follow-up [(79.3±10.7)%, (77.4±11.2)%] was significantly increased from that before operation [(65.7±6.3)%, (66.4±9.7)%] (all P<0.01); the VAS at day 1 after operation [(2.1±0.5)points, (2.3±1.1)points] and at the final follow-up [(1.9±0.8)points, (2.0±0.6)points] was significantly decreased from that before operation [(7.1±0.7)points, (7.2±0.9)points] (all P<0.01); the ODI at day 1 after operation (21.1±9.7, 22.9±7.9) and at the final follow-up (18.5±4.6, 19.8±9.4) was significantly decreased from that before operation (72.7±4.5, 73.1±3.7) (all P<0.01). While the above four parameters between the two groups had no significant differences at each time point, with no significant differences within each group at day 1 after operation and at the final follow-up (all P>0.05). There were 13 patients [21% (13/61)] with cement leakage in unilateral puncture group as compared to 18 patients [29% (18/56)] in bilateral puncture group ( P<0.05). There were 4 patients [7% (4/61)] with adjacent vertebral fracture in unilateral puncture group, similar to 5 patients [9% (5/56)] in bilateral puncture group ( P>0.05). The lower back pain caused by facet injury were noted in 8 patients [14% (8/56)] in bilateral puncture group who were relieved after 1 month of non-surgical treatment, but none occurred in unilateral puncture group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Unilateral and bilateral PKP can obtain satisfactory clinical efficacy in the treatment of type IIIA ASOLF, but the former has advantages of shorter operation time, less radiation exposure and lower incidence of bone cement leakage and facet injury.

MeCP2 prevents age-associated cognitive decline via restoring synaptic plasticity in a senescence-accelerated mouse model.

Age-related cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with the deficits of synaptic plasticity. Therefore, exploring promising targets to enhance synaptic plasticity in neurodegenerative disorders is crucial. It has been demonstrated that methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) plays a vital role in neuronal development and MeCP2 malfunction causes various neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the role of MeCP2 in neurodegenerative diseases has been less reported. In the study, we found that MeCP2 expression in the hippocampus was reduced in the hippocampus of senescence-accelerated mice P8 (SAMP8) mice. Overexpression of hippocampal MeCP2 could elevate synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in SAMP8 mice, while knockdown of MeCP2 impaired synaptic plasticity and cognitive function in senescence accelerated-resistant 1 (SAMR1) mice. MeCP2-mediated regulation of synaptic plasticity may be associated with CREB1 pathway. These results suggest that MeCP2 plays a vital role in age-related cognitive decline by regulating synaptic plasticity and indicate that MeCP2 may be promising targets for the treatment of age-related cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases.

Effects of EFNA1 on cell phenotype and prognosis of esophageal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of EFNA1 in broad-spectrum tumors, and to evaluate its relationship with prognosis and biological functions of esophageal carcinoma (ESCA). METHODS: EFNA1 expression in various cancers was analyzed according to the data in the TCGA database. The clinical data were integrated, to analyze the relationship with ESCA clinical parameters and prognosis, and EFNA1 expression in ESCA tissue samples was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Based on bioinformatics, the functional background of EFNA1 overexpression was analyzed. EFNA1 knockout cell model was established by EFNA1-shRNA transfecting ESCA cells, and the effect of knocking down EFNA1 on the proliferation of ESCA cells was detected by MTT. RESULTS: Among 7563 samples from TCGA, the EFNA1 gene highly expressed in 15 samples with common cancers and endangered the prognosis of patients with tumors. Its overexpression in ESCA and its influence on the prognosis were most significant. EFNA1 expression in 80 samples with ESCA and their paired samples was tested by IHC to verify its high expression (paired t test, P < 0.001) in ESCA tissues. It was found that EFNA1 expression was related to clinical factors (TNM staging, P = 0.031; lymph node metastasis, P = 0.043; infiltration, P = 0.016). Meanwhile, EFNA1 was found to be an independent risk factor based on the COX multi-factor analysis. And to further explore the importance of EFNA1 in tumors, EC-9706 and ECA109 cells were screened from 8 ESCA-related cell lines to build EFNA1 knockdown cell models. The results showed that EFNA1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation of tumor cells (P < 0.05). In terms of molecular mechanism, EFNA1 related genes were significantly enriched in the proliferative pathway according to the pathway enrichment analysis. It was found that knocking down EFNA1 did inhibit cell proliferation based on cell experiments. CONCLUSIONS: EFNA1 overexpression in ESCA tissue is related to the prognosis of patients. Knocking down EFNA1 can significantly inhibit the proliferation of ESCA cells.

Targeted NIRF/MR dual-mode imaging of breast cancer brain metastasis using BRBP1-functionalized ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles.

Tumor metastasis to brain is the main clinical manifestation of patients with advanced breast cancer, leading to poor survival prognosis. In order to detect the early incidence of brain metastasis, it is urgent to develop hypersensitive contrast agents for multimode imaging. In this study, PEG-phospholipids coated, a phage play derived peptide, BRBP1 peptide modified ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared for targeted NIRF and MR imaging of breast cancer brain metastasis. The nanoparticles showed 10 nm core-shell, high relaxivity values and photon emission efficiency in vitro. The nanoparticles offered a T2 contrast imaging effect and near-infrared fluorescent signal enhancement. Compared with control peptide modified nanoparticles, the MR/NIRF imaging signal of BRBP1-modified nanoparticles in tumor tissue was significantly enhanced, which should be induced by the targeting ability of BRBP1 peptide. These results indicated that BRBP1-SPIO@mPEG (DiR) nanoparticles could be applied as an effective targeted delivery system for diagnosis of breast cancer brain metastasis.

Enhancing the efficiency of the Pichia pastoris AOX1 promoter via the synthetic positive feedback circuit of transcription factor Mxr1.

BACKGROUND: The methanol-regulated AOX1 promoter (PAOX1) is the most widely used promoter in the production of recombinant proteins in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. However, as the tight regulation and methanol dependence of PAOX1 restricts its application, it is necessary to develop a flexible induction system to avoid the problems of methanol without losing the advantages of PAOX1. The availability of synthetic biology tools enables researchers to reprogram the cellular behaviour of P. pastoris to achieve this goal. RESULTS: The characteristics of PAOX1 are highly related to the expression profile of methanol expression regulator 1 (Mxr1). In this study, we applied a biologically inspired strategy to reprogram regulatory networks in P. pastoris. A reprogrammed P. pastoris was constructed by inserting a synthetic positive feedback circuit of Mxr1 driven by a weak AOX2 promoter (PAOX2). This novel approach enhanced PAOX1 efficiency by providing extra Mxr1 and generated switchable Mxr1 expression to allow PAOX1 to be induced under glycerol starvation or carbon-free conditions. Additionally, the inhibitory effect of glycerol on PAOX1 was retained because the synthetic circuit was not activated in response to glycerol. Using green fluorescent protein as a demonstration, this reprogrammed P. pastoris strain displayed stronger fluorescence intensity than non-reprogrammed cells under both methanol induction and glycerol starvation. Moreover, with single-chain variable fragment (scFv) as the model protein, increases in extracellular scFv productivity of 98 and 269% were observed in Mxr1-reprogrammed cells under methanol induction and glycerol starvation, respectively, compared to productivity in non-reprogrammed cells under methanol induction. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully demonstrate that the synthetic positive feedback circuit of Mxr1 enhances recombinant protein production efficiency in P. pastoris and create a methanol-free induction system to eliminate the potential risks of methanol.

Sparks fly between ascorbic acid and iron-based nanozymes: A study on Prussian blue nanoparticles.

Herein we reported Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) possess ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO)- and ascorbic acid peroxidase (APOD)-like activities, which suppressed the formation of harmful H2O2 and finally inhibited the anti-cancer efficiency of ascorbic acid (AA). This newly revealed correlation between iron and AA could provide new insight for the studies of nanozymes and free radical biology.

Implantable polymeric microneedles with phototriggerable properties as a patient-controlled transdermal analgesia system.

Adequate pain control can be achieved using a patient-controlled drug delivery system that can provide analgesia to patients as needed. To achieve this objective, we developed a phototriggered microneedle (MN) system that enables the on-demand delivery of pain medications to the skin under external near-infrared (NIR) light stimulation. In this system, polymeric MNs, containing NIR absorbers and analgesics, are combined with a poly(l-lactide-co-d,l-lactide) supporting array. A "removable design" of the supporting array enables the quick implantation of the MNs into the skin to act as a drug depot, thus shortening the patch application time. Upon irradiation with NIR light, the NIR absorbers in the implanted MNs can absorb light energy and induce a phase transition in the MNs to activate drug release. We demonstrated that lidocaine release can be modulated or repeatedly triggered by varying the duration of irradiation and controlling the on and off status of the laser. Lidocaine delivered by the implanted MNs can be rapidly absorbed into the blood circulation within 10 min and has a bioavailability of at least 95% relative to the subcutaneous injection, showing that the proposed system has the potential to provide a rapid onset of pain relief. Such an implantable device may allow pain sufferers receiving the painkiller without the need for multiple needle injections, and may enable controlling pain more conveniently and comfortably.

The catalytic role of the M2 metal ion in PP2Cα.

PP2C family phosphatases (the type 2C family of protein phosphatases; or metal-dependent phosphatase, PPM) constitute an important class of signaling enzymes that regulate many fundamental life activities. All PP2C family members have a conserved binuclear metal ion active center that is essential for their catalysis. However, the catalytic role of each metal ion during catalysis remains elusive. In this study, we discovered that mutations in the structurally buried D38 residue of PP2Cα (PPM1A) redefined the water-mediated hydrogen network in the active site and selectively disrupted M2 metal ion binding. Using the D38A and D38K mutations of PP2Cα as specific tools in combination with enzymology analysis, our results demonstrated that the M2 metal ion determines the rate-limiting step of substrate hydrolysis, participates in dianion substrate binding and stabilizes the leaving group after P-O bond cleavage. The newly characterized catalytic role of the M2 metal ion in this family not only provides insight into how the binuclear metal centers of the PP2C phosphatases are organized for efficient catalysis but also helps increase our understanding of the function and substrate specificity of PP2C family members.

Contribution of serum IL-4 and IgE to the early prediction of allergic reactions induced by chlorogenic acid.

Chlorogenic acid (CA) is one of the active ingredients in some Chinese herbal injections, which may cause allergic reactions in clinic therapy. However, the criterion of test for allergen had not been employed in current Pharmacopeia of United States, European Pharmacopeia, Japanese Pharmacopeia and British Pharmacopeia. In order to find a new way to predict allergic reactions induced by CA earlier, the guinea pigs were sensitized successively by injecting CA intravenously once a day for three times, the results were compared that of Chinese Pharmacopeia by injecting CA intraperitoneally once every other day for three times, serum IL-4 and total IgE were detected by method of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) before guinea pigs were challenged once by injecting the same drug intravenously. The time-effectiveness and dose-effect of allergic reactions induced by CA were also studied. We found that contents of serum IL-4 and total IgE increased significantly before guinea pigs were challenged, either in D8 after intravenous sensitization (1.5 g/l CA, 0.5 ml) or in D14 and D21 after intraperitoneal sensitization (1.5 g/l CA, 0.5 ml), and allergic reactions occurred in all guinea pigs after challenged once by injecting CA (1.5 g/l, 1.0 ml) intravenously. It provides a new way to predict whether CA (or Chinese herbal injections contained CA) can provoke allergic reactions by detecting serum IL-4 and total IgE earlier; the examination period is reduced by 1-2 weeks. It has a good prospect of application in drug emergency test.

[Clinical observation on the disease course of chronic renal failure intervened by qudu granule].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the disease course of chronic renal failure (CRF) intervened by Qudu Granule (QG) and to explore its possible mechanism. METHODS: Totally 166 phase 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients of Pi-Shen deficiency and phlegm-turbidity obstruction syndrome were randomly assigned to two groups, the experimental group (83 cases, completed in 77 cases) and the control group (83 cases, completed in 75 cases). Based on the routine treatment, patients in the experimental group orally took QG, while those in the control group orally took niaoduqing granule (NG), 5 g each time, 3 times a day in both groups. The total therapeutic course was over 12 months for all. The changes of serum creatinine (SCr) were observed in the two groups. The reciprocal of SCr was taken as the vertical coordinate, and the course of disease (months) as the horizontal coordinate. The oblique rate and the return coefficient (value b) were compared between the two groups. Meanwhile, the changes of blood pressure, 24-h urinary protein quantitative amount, plasma albumin (Alb), and hemoglobin (Hb) were also observed. RESULTS: The average treatment time was longer in the experimental group [(42.8 +/- 18.5) months] than in the control group [(34.2 +/- 12.7) months, P < 0.01]. In the experimental group 35 patients didn't reach the endpoint at the 48th month, accounting for 45.45%, while 24 patients didn't reach the endpoint in the control group, accounting for 32.00%, showing statistical difference (P < 0.01). The b value was -0.00258 +/- 0.00132 in the experimental group and -0.00386 +/- 0.00167 in the control group. The absolute value of the slope rate was obviously smaller in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The 48-month blood pressure was obviously lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The 24-h urinary protein at the 12th, 24th, 36th, and 48th month were obviously lower in the experimental group than in the control group at the same time point (P < 0.05). The plasma Alb was obviously higher in the experimental group than in the control group at the same time point with statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the Hb level between the two groups at each time point (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The course of CRF could be postponed by QG. Its mechanisms might possibly be correlated with lowering blood pressure, reducing the excretion of urinary protein, and increasing plasma Alb.

[Determination of organochlorine pesticide residues in Microcos paniculata by GC].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for determination 9 organochlorine pesticide residue in Microcos paniculata by gas chromatography. METHODS: The sample was infiltrated with water and extracted with hexane by ultrasonic. The extract solvent was purified by concentrated sulphuric acid. DB-1701 capillary column was used to separate the sample. GC-ECD was applied to determine the residues of organochlorine pesticide. RESULTS: The percentage recoveries were ranged from 78.1% to 97.8% and RSD were from 2.4% to 8.8%. CONCLUSION: The method established is quick, simple and low in cost.

Clinical observation on the disease course of chronic renal failure intervened by qudu granule / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the disease course of chronic renal failure (CRF) intervened by Qudu Granule (QG) and to explore its possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 166 phase 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients of Pi-Shen deficiency and phlegm-turbidity obstruction syndrome were randomly assigned to two groups, the experimental group (83 cases, completed in 77 cases) and the control group (83 cases, completed in 75 cases). Based on the routine treatment, patients in the experimental group orally took QG, while those in the control group orally took niaoduqing granule (NG), 5 g each time, 3 times a day in both groups. The total therapeutic course was over 12 months for all. The changes of serum creatinine (SCr) were observed in the two groups. The reciprocal of SCr was taken as the vertical coordinate, and the course of disease (months) as the horizontal coordinate. The oblique rate and the return coefficient (value b) were compared between the two groups. Meanwhile, the changes of blood pressure, 24-h urinary protein quantitative amount, plasma albumin (Alb), and hemoglobin (Hb) were also observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The average treatment time was longer in the experimental group [(42.8 +/- 18.5) months] than in the control group [(34.2 +/- 12.7) months, P < 0.01]. In the experimental group 35 patients didn't reach the endpoint at the 48th month, accounting for 45.45%, while 24 patients didn't reach the endpoint in the control group, accounting for 32.00%, showing statistical difference (P < 0.01). The b value was -0.00258 +/- 0.00132 in the experimental group and -0.00386 +/- 0.00167 in the control group. The absolute value of the slope rate was obviously smaller in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The 48-month blood pressure was obviously lower in the experimental group than in the control group. The 24-h urinary protein at the 12th, 24th, 36th, and 48th month were obviously lower in the experimental group than in the control group at the same time point (P < 0.05). The plasma Alb was obviously higher in the experimental group than in the control group at the same time point with statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the Hb level between the two groups at each time point (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The course of CRF could be postponed by QG. Its mechanisms might possibly be correlated with lowering blood pressure, reducing the excretion of urinary protein, and increasing plasma Alb.</p>

Regioselective synthesis of novel 3-alkoxy (phenyl) thiophosphorylamido-2-(per-O-acetylglycosyl-1'-imino)thiazolidine-4-one derivatives from O-alkyl N4-glycosyl(thiosemicarbazido)phosphonothioates.

A series of 3-alkoxy(phenyl)thiophosphorylamido-2-(per-O-acetylglycosyl-1'-imino)thiazolidine-4-one derivatives were prepared by the reaction of 1-alkoxy(phenyl)thiophosphoryl-4-(per-O-acetylglycosyl) thiosemicarbazides with ethyl bromoacetate. (1)H/(13)C HMBC measurements corroborated by X-ray crystallographic results revealed the exclusive regioselectivity of these ring closures toward the N-2 position of the thiosemicarbazide moiety. The bioactivity data of 3a-k suggest that the thiazolidine-4-one ring is critical for the herbicidal and fungicidal activities.