A Novel Low Molecule Peptides-calcium Chelate from Silkworm Pupae Protein Hydrolysate: Preparation, Antioxidant Activity, and Bioavailability.

BACKGROUND: The antioxidant properties of active peptides from silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate are of interest, and it serves as a novel source of calcium supplement. METHODS: Optimize the preparation parameters of silkworm pupae bioactive peptide-calcium chelate, and investigate the mechanism and bioavailability of silkworm pupae active peptide as a transport carrier to promote calcium ion absorption using simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 monolayer cell model. RESULTS: The optimal process parameters for preparing peptide calcium chelate were the peptide calcium mass ratio of 3:1, pH of 6.7, a temperature of 35.6°C, and time of 32.8 min by Box-Behnken design, and the calciumchelating rate reached 84.67%. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of silkworm pupae protein hydrolysatecalcium chelate was 79.36 ± 4.31%, significantly higher than silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate (61.00 ± 9.56%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows that the COO-, N-H, C-H, and C-O groups participated in the formation of silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate. The particle size of the silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate was 970.75 ± 30.12 nm, which was significantly higher than that of silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate (253.14 ± 5.72 nm). The silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate showed a calcium dissolution rate of 71.01 ± 1.91% in the simulated intestinal phase, significantly higher than that of CaCl2 (59.34 ± 1.24%). In the Caco-2 cell monolayers, the silkworm pupae protein hydrolysatecalcium chelate was more favorable for calcium transport. CONCLUSION: A novel silkworm pupa protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate with high antioxidant activity was successfully prepared to improve the bioavailability of calcium.

Magnetometry based on the effect of laser-induced plasmas in a sodium-containing environment.

The magneto-optical resonance response of sodium atoms generated by a high-energy solid-state pulse Nd:YAG laser is studied in different external magnetic fields. We investigate the resonance fluorescence signal of sodium atoms in a simulated sea fog environment based on the laser-induced plasma (LIP) effect. By ionizing an NaCl solution spray to generate sodium atoms in an atmospheric environment, we build a Bell-Bloom magneto-optical resonance system under laboratory conditions. With the help of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and extinction spectrum, we obtain sodium atoms with a lifetime of 250 µs. A narrowband tunable continuous wave (CW) 589-nm laser tuned at the D2 line with a modulation frequency around the Larmor frequency is used as the pump beam to polarize sodium atoms in the test magnetic field. We find that the magneto-optical resonance signals vary with different external magnetic fields and the positions of the resonance signal are consistent with the theoretical values. An intrinsic magnetometric sensitivity of 620.4 pT in a 1-Hz bandwidth is achieved.

WRKY74 regulates cadmium tolerance through glutathione-dependent pathway in wheat.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal to plants and human health. Ascorbate (ASA)-glutathione (GSH) synthesis pathway plays key roles in Cd detoxification, while its molecular regulatory mechanism remains largely unknown, especially in wheat. Here, we found a WRKY transcription factor-TaWRKY74, and its function in wheat Cd stress is not clear in previous studies. The expression levels of TaWRKY74 were significantly induced by Cd stress. Compared to control, the activities of GST, GR, or APX were significantly increased by 1.55-, 1.43-, or 1.75-fold and 1.63-, 2.65-, or 2.30-fold in shoots and roots of transiently TaWRKY74-silenced wheat plants under Cd stress. Similarly, the contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), GSH, or Cd were also significantly increased by 2.39- or 1.25-fold, 1.54- or 1.20-fold, and 1.34- or 5.94-fold in shoots or roots in transiently TaWRKY74-silenced wheat plants, while ASA content was decreased by 47.4 or 43.3% in shoots, 10.7 or 6.5% in roots in these silenced wheat plants, respectively. Moreover, the expression levels of GSH, GPX, GR, DHAR, MDHAR, and APX genes, which are involved in ASA-GSH synthesis, were separately induced by 2.42-, 2.16-, 3.28-, 2.08-, 1.92-, and 2.23-fold in shoots, or by 10.69-, 3.33-, 3.26-, 1.81-, 16.53-, and 3.57-fold in roots of the BSMV-VIGS-TaWRKY74-inoculated wheat plants, respectively. However, the expression levels of TaNramp1, TaNramp5, TaHMA2, TaHMA3, TaLCT1, and TaIRT1 metal transporters genes were decreased by 21.2-76.3% (56.6%, 59.2%, 76.3%, 53.6%, 35.8%, and 21.2%) in roots of the BSMV-VIGS-TaWRKY74-inoculated wheat plants. Taken together, our results suggested that TaWRKY74 alleviated Cd toxicity in wheat by affecting the expression of ASA-GSH synthesis genes and suppressing the expression of Cd transporter genes, and further affecting Cd uptake and translocation in wheat plants.

Exogenous melatonin mitigates cadmium toxicity through ascorbic acid and glutathione pathway in wheat.

Cadmium (Cd) is a dispensable element that can be absorbed by crops, posing a threat to human health through the food chains. Melatonin (MT), as a plant growth regulator, has been used to alleviate Cd toxicity in many plant species; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for Cd toxicity in wheat are still poorly understood. In this study, the suitable exogenous MT concentration (50 µM) was screened to mitigate Cd toxicity of wheat plants by increasing the plant height, root length, fresh or dry weight and chlorophyll content, or decreasing the malondialdehyde (MDA) content. In addition, MT application significantly increased ascorbic acid (ASA) and glutathione (GSH) content by reducing ROS production, especially in roots, further decreasing Cd content in fraction of organelles. Moreover, the expression levels of ASA-GSH synthesis genes, APX, GR, and GST were significantly increased by 171.5%, 465.2%, and 256.8% in roots, respectively, whereas GSH, DHAR, or MDHAR were significantly decreased by 48.5%, 54.3%, or 60.0% in roots under MT + Cd stress. However, the expression levels of Cd-induced metal transporter genes TaNramp1, TaNramp5, TaHMA2, TaHMA3, and TaLCT1 were significantly decreased by 53.7%, 50.1%, 86.5%, 87.2%, and 94.5% in roots under MT + Cd stress compared with alone Cd treatment, respectively. In conclusion, our results suggesting that MT alleviate Cd toxicity in wheat by enhancing ASA-GSH metabolism, suppressing Cd transporter gene expression, and regulating Cd uptake and translocation in wheat plants.

Prognostic value of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with cervical and upper thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore whether surgery combined with adjuvant chemotherapy can bring survival benefits to patients with cervical and upper thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods    The clinical data of patients with cervical and upper thoracic ESCC who underwent R0 resection and neck anastomosis in our department from 2006 to 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients received neoadjuvant therapy or adjuvant radiotherapy were excluded. The adjuvant chemotherapy group was given a combination of taxanes and platinum based chemotherapy after surgery; the surgery alone group did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival difference between the adjuvant chemotherapy group and the surgery alone group. Results    A total of 181 patients were enrolled, including 141 (77.9%) males and 40 (22.1%) females, with an average age of 61.0±8.2 years (80 patients aged≤61 years, 101 patients aged>61 years). There were 70 (38.7%) patients of cervical ESCC, and 111 (61.3%) patients of upper thoracic ESCC. Eighty-seven (48.1%) patients underwent postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and 94 (51.9%) patients underwent surgery alone, and the basic clinical characteristics were well balanced between the two groups (P>0.05). The median survival time of patients in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and the surgery alone group was 31.93 months and 26.07 months, and the 5-year survival rate was 35.0% and 32.0%, respectively (P=0.227). There was no statistical difference in median survival time between the cervical ESCC and upper thoracic ESCC group (31.83 months vs. 29.76 months, P=0.763). For cervical ESCC patients, the median survival time was 45.07 months in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 14.70 months in the surgery alone group (P=0.074). Further analysis showed that the median survival time of lymph node negative group was 32.53 months, and the lymph node positive group was 24.57 months (P=0.356). The median survival time was 30.43 months in the lymph-node positive group with adjuvant chemotherapy and 17.77 months in the lymph-node positive group with surgery alone. The survival curve showed a trend of difference, but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.557). Conclusion    There is no statistical difference in the long-term survival of cervical and upper thoracic ESCC patients after R0 resection. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy may have survival benefits for patients with cervical ESCC and upper ESCC with postoperative positive lymph nodes, but the differences are not statistically significant in this setting.

TaWRKY74 participates copper tolerance through regulation of TaGST1 expression and GSH content in wheat.

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is the key enzyme in glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and plays a crucial role in copper (Cu) detoxification. Nonetheless, its regulatory mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we identified a Cu-induced glutathione S-transferase 1 (TaGST1) gene in wheat. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) screened out TaWRKY74, which was one member from the WRKY transcription factor family. The bindings between TaGST1 promoter and TaWRKY74 were further verified by using another Y1H and luciferase assays. Expression of TaWRKY74 was induced more than 30-folds by Cu stress. Functions of TaWRKY74 were tested by using transiently silence methods. In transiently TaWRKY74-silenced wheat plants, TaWRKY74 and TaGST1 expression, GST activity, and GSH content was significantly inhibited by 25.68%, 19.88%, 27.66%, and 12.68% in shoots, and 53.81%, 52.11%, 23.47%, and 17.11% in roots, respectively. However, contents of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, or Cu were significantly increased by 2.58%, 12.45%, or 37.74% in shoots, and 25.24%, 53.84%, and 103.99% in roots, respectively. Notably, exogenous application of GSH reversed the adverse effects of transiently TaWRKY74-silenced wheat plants during Cu stress. Taken together, our results suggesting that TaWRKY74 regulated TaGST1 expression and affected GSH accumulation under Cu stress, and could be useful to ameliorate Cu toxicity for crop food safety.

Exogenous Glutathione Alleviates Cadmium Toxicity in Wheat by Influencing the Absorption and Translocation of Cadmium.

Cadmium (Cd), a toxic heavy metal, is harmful to plants and human health. Glutathione (GSH) could alleviate Cd toxicity of plant species, whereas its mechanism responsible for wheat remains poorly understood. Here, we found that exogenous GSH application significantly increased the fresh and dry weight, root elongation, chlorophyll contents, while decreased the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and GSH, and translocation factor of Cd compared with Cd treatment. Moreover, GSH application significantly increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and expression of related genes, which involved in GSH synthesis, especially in roots. In addition, we found that GSH application suppressed Cd-induced expression of metal transporter genes TaNramp1, TaNramp5, TaHMA2, TaHMA3, TaLCT1 and TaIRT2 in roots. Taken together, our results suggested that GSH could alleviate Cd toxicity in wheat by increasing GSH synthesis gene expression or suppressing Cd transporter genes expression, and further affecting Cd uptake and translocation in wheat plants.

Melatonin promotes potassium deficiency tolerance by regulating HAK1 transporter and its upstream transcription factor NAC71 in wheat.

Melatonin (MT) is involved in various physiological processes and stress responses in animals and plants. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms by which MT regulates potassium deficiency (DK) tolerance in crops. In this study, an appropriate concentration (50 µmol/L) was found to enhance the tolerance of wheat plants against DK. RNA-seq analysis showed that a total of 6253 and 5873 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were separately identified in root and leaf tissues of the DK + MT-treated wheat plants. They functionally involved biological processes of secondary metabolite, signal transduction, and transport or catabolism. Of these, an upregulated high-affinity K transporter 1 (TaHAK1) gene was next characterized. TaHAK1 overexpression markedly enhanced the K absorption, while its transient silencing exhibited the opposite effect, suggesting its important role in MT-mediated DK tolerance. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) was used to screen the upstream regulators of TaHAK1 gene and the transcription factor TaNAC71 was identified. The binding between TaNAC71 and TaHAK1 promoter was evidenced by using Y1H, LUC, and EMSA assays. Transient overexpression of TaNAC71 in wheat protoplasts activated the TaHAK1 expression, whereas its transient silencing inhibited the TaHAK1 expression and aggravated the sensitivity to DK. Exogenous MT application greatly upregulated the expression of TaHAK1 in both transient overexpression and silencing systems. Our findings revealed some molecular mechanisms underlying MT-mediated DK tolerance and helped broaden its practical application in agriculture.

Antagonism of Protease-Activated Receptor 4 Protects Against Traumatic Brain Injury by Suppressing Neuroinflammation via Inhibition of Tab2/NF-κB Signaling / 神经科学通报·英文版

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers the activation of the endogenous coagulation mechanism, and a large amount of thrombin is released to curb uncontrollable bleeding through thrombin receptors, also known as protease-activated receptors (PARs). However, thrombin is one of the most critical factors in secondary brain injury. Thus, the PARs may be effective targets against hemorrhagic brain injury. Since the PAR1 antagonist has an increased bleeding risk in clinical practice, PAR4 blockade has been suggested as a more promising treatment. Here, we explored the expression pattern of PAR4 in the brain of mice after TBI, and explored the effect and possible mechanism of BMS-986120 (BMS), a novel selective and reversible PAR4 antagonist on secondary brain injury. Treatment with BMS protected against TBI in mice. mRNA-seq analysis, Western blot, and qRT-PCR verification in vitro showed that BMS significantly inhibited thrombin-induced inflammation in astrocytes, and suggested that the Tab2/ERK/NF-κB signaling pathway plays a key role in this process. Our findings provide reliable evidence that blocking PAR4 is a safe and effective intervention for TBI, and suggest that BMS has a potential clinical application in the management of TBI.

Functional characterization and regulatory mechanism of wheat CPK34 kinase in response to drought stress.

BACKGROUND: Drought is one of the most adverse environmental factors limiting crop productions and it is important to identify key genetic determinants for food safety. Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) are known to be involved in plant growth, development, and environmental stresses. However, biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of many plant CPKs have not been explored. In our previous study, abundance of the wheat CPK34 (TaCPK34) protein was remarkably upregulated in wheat plants suffering from drought stress, inferring that it could be involved in this stress. Therefore, here we further detected its function and mechanism in response to drought stress. RESULTS: Transcripts of the TaCPK34 gene were significantly induced after PEG-stimulated water deficiency (20% PEG6000) or 100 µM abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. The TaCPK34 gene was transiently silenced in wheat genome by using barley stripe mosaic virus-induced silencing (BSMV-VIGS) method. After 14 days of drought stress, the transiently TaCPK34-silenced wheat seedlings showed more sensitivity compared with control, and the plant biomasses and relative water contents significantly decreased, whereas soluble sugar and MDA contents increased. The iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics was employed to measure the protein expression profiles in leaves of the transiently TaCPK34-silenced wheat plants after drought stress. There were 6103 proteins identified, of these, 51 proteins exhibited significantly altered abundance, they were involved in diverse function. And sequence analysis on the promoters of genes, which encoded the above identified proteins, indicated that some promoters harbored some ABA-responsive elements. We determined the interactions between TaCPK34 and three identified proteins by using bimolecular fluorescent complementation (BiFC) method and our data indicated that TaCPK34directly interacted with the glutathione S-transferase 1 and prx113, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that the TaCPK34 gene played positive roles in wheat response to drought stress through directly or indirectly regulating the expression of ABA-dependent manner genes, which were encoding identified proteins from iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics. And it could be used as one potential gene to develop crop cultivars with improved drought tolerance.

[Clinical effect of plum-blossom needle tapping at three yin meridians of wrist on wrist joint contracture after stroke].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effect of plum-blossom needle tapping at three yin meridians of wrist combined with rehabilitation training and simple rehabilitation training on wrist joint contracture after stroke. METHODS: A total of 72 patients with wrist joint contracture after stroke were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 36 cases in each one. In the control group, simple rehabilitation training was applied, 5 times a week, 3 weeks as one course and totally 3 courses were required. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, plum-blossom needle tapping at three yin meridians of wrist was adopted in the observation group. The tapping regions were wrist traveling parts of three yin meridians of hand, ranging from up 3 cun to below 1 cun of wrist crease, 3 times a week, 3 weeks as one course and totally 3 courses were required. The active range of motion (AROM) of active wrist extension, Fugl-Meyer score (FMA) and Barthel index (BI) score were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: The AROM, FMA scores and BI scores after treatment in the two groups were superior to before treatment (P<0.05), and the improvements of 3 indexes in the observation group were superior to the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of plum-blossom needle tapping at three yin meridians of wrist combined with rehabilitation training is superior to simple rehabilitation training on wrist joint contracture after stroke.

Effect of indwelling drainage tube and extubation time on recessive hemorrhage and functional recovery after total hip arthroplasty / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To study and compare the effect of indwelling drainage tube and extubation time on occult hemorrhage and functional recovery after total hip arthroplasty(THA).@*METHODS@#From July 2017 to June 2018, 123 patients who underwent THA in our hospital for the first time were selected as the subjects of study. According to whether the drainage tube was retained or not and the time of extubation, they were divided into three groups:in group A, 41 patients (24 males, 17 females, age 53 to 77 years) did not put drainage tube after THA;in group B, 41 patients were removed 24 hours after THA, 26 males and 15 females, aged 55 to 74 years;in group C, 41 patients were removed 48 hours after THA, 25 males and 16 females, aged 52 to 75 years. The VAS score of pain 72 hours after THA, the total and recessive blood loss, the time of starting functional exercise, and the incidence of postoperative limb swelling were recorded. All the patients were followed up for one year after discharge. Harris hip score was used to evaluate the degree of hip function recovery one year after operation.@*RESULTS@#The occult blood loss of group A, B and C were(513.6±25.3), (521.7±33.4), (519.3±29.8) ml, respectively, with no significant difference(>0.05). There was no significant difference in blood loss in operation among the three groups(>0.05). In group B and C, the postoperative apparent blood loss was more than that in group A (0.05). The time of getting out of bed in group A was shorter than that in group B and C (0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications among three groups (>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Whether the drainage tube is left or not and the time of extubation have no significant effect on the latent blood loss and functional recovery after THA, but without drainage tube after THA can reduce the apparent blood loss, patients can get out of bed at 6 hours after THA, which is more conducive to the recovery and nursing of patients.

Comparison of short-term and long-term outcomes between thoracoscopic pneumonectomy and open pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer: a study based on propensity score matching / 中华外科杂志

To compare the short-term and long-term results of thoracoscopic and open pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer. The clinical data of patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent pneumonectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Qingdao University Hospital from January 2008 to December 2016 were collected. Totally 142 patients (55 in the thoracoscopic group and 87 in the open group) were included in the study. A total of 29 pairs of patients were successfully matched by propensity score matching (PSM). Perioperative outcomes and overall survival were compared between the two groups using test, χ(2) test, Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-rank test, respectively. Camparion with open group, the thoracoscopic group had longer operative time ((209.7±70.2) minutes . (171.3±43.5) minutes, 2.50, 0.02), more mediastinal lymph node dissection ((): 17(9) . 11(10), =388, 0.02) and shorter postoperative hospital stay (7.0(3.5) . 9.0(3.0), =285, 0.03). There was no significant difference in estimated blood loss, postoperative drainage time, dissected lymph node number, dissected lymph node station and perioperative complications. After PSM, there were no signifificant differences found in 3-year survival (71.4% . 48.1%, 0.10) and 3-year disease-free survival (67.4% . 47.2%, 0.13) between the two groups. Thoracoscopic pneumonectomy is safe and feasible for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with more mediastinal lymph node dissection and accelerating recovery, and equivalent long-term prognosis when compared with open approach.

Synthesis of Bioactive Compounds from 3-Carene (II): Synthesis, Antifungal Activity and 3D-QSAR Study of (Z)- and (E)-3-Caren-5-One Oxime Sulfonates.

A series of novel (Z)- and (E)-3-caren-5-one oxime sulfonates were designed and synthesized in search of potent antifungal agents. The structures of the intermediates and target compounds were confirmed by UV-Vis, FTIR, NMR, and ESI-MS. The in vitro antifungal activity of the target compounds was preliminarily evaluated against Cercospora arachidicola, Physalospora piricola, Alternaria solani, Rhizoeotnia solani, Bipolaris maydis and Colleterichum orbicalare at 50 µg/mL. The bioassay results indicated that the target compounds exhibited the best antifungal activity against P. piricola, in which compounds 4b, 4f, 4m, 4e, 4j, 4l, 4y, 4d, and 4p had excellent inhibition rates of 100%, 100%, 100%, 92.9%, 92.9%, 92.9%, 92.9%, 85.7%, and 85.7%, respectively, showing much better antifungal activity than that of the commercial fungicide chlorothanil. Both the compounds 4y and 4x displayed outstanding antifungal activity of 100% against B. myadis, and the former also displayed outstanding antifungal activity of 100% against R. solani. In order to design more effective antifungal compounds against P. piricola, the analysis of three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) was carried out using the CoMFA method, and a reasonable and effective 3D-QSAR model (r² = 0.990, q² = 0.569) has been established.

The identification of active N species in N-doped carbon carriers that improve the activity of Fe electrocatalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction.

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials have become some of the most effective carriers for transition metal-based electrocatalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction. However, the specific active nitrogen species in nitrogen-doped carriers remains unclear up to now. To identify the active nitrogen species, herein, we prepare nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres containing different types of nitrogen species and a small amount of Fe atoms. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the Fe/nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres with more graphitic nitrogen exhibit much higher activity for the oxygen evolution reaction than those with more pyridinic nitrogens and pyrrolic nitrogens in alkaline media, revealing that the graphitic nitrogen is the active species that greatly improves the activity of Fe catalysts. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that the graphitic nitrogen enhances the activity and stability of Fe-based catalysts mainly through increasing the adsorption energy, charge and spin densities of the Fe atoms loaded around it. These findings provide a brand-new perspective for rationally designing more effective transition metal-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction through controlling the active graphitic nitrogen distribution in carbon carriers.

Method Improvement for Content Determination of Astragaloside Ⅳ in Xiangju Granules and Its Consistency with the Com- ponents of Original Formulation / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：  To improve the method for the content determination of astragaloside Ⅳ in Xiangju granules， and to evaluate the consistency of relevant preparations with the components of original formulation， so as to provide evidence for the modern preparation of TCM compound. METHODS： HPLC-ELSD method was established for the content determination of astragaloside Ⅳ in Xiangju granules， and compared with original standard TLC scanning. Using critrinin， ferulic acid， calycosin glucoside， liquiritin， glycyrrhizic acid， rosmarinic acid， buddleoside and magnoline as control， HPLC method was used to determine the release components of self-made Xiangju granules， Xiangju capsules， Xiangju tablets in water. Fingerprint characteristics chromatogram of different Xiangju preparations and original formulation extract were compared by using Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of TCM （2012 version）. At the same time， HPLC-ELSD method was used to determine and compare the release rate of astragaloside Ⅳ from different Xiangju preparations and original formulation extract in water. RESULTS： Established HPLC-ELSD method was specific. The linear range of astragaloside Ⅳ was 0.13-2.10 mg/mL. RSDs of precision， repeatability and stability tests were all lower than 3％ （n＝6）， and average recovery was 97.66％ （RSD＝1.01％，n＝6）. Average content of astragaloside Ⅳ by this method was 0.398 mg/g （RSD＝1.01％， n＝3）， which had better reproducibility than TLC scanning. The comparative results of characteristic fingerprints showed that the similarity among Xiangju granules， Xiangju capsules， Xiangju tablets and the original formulation dry extract powder was more than 0.850. Average release rates of astragaloside Ⅳ in Xiangju granules， Xiangju capsules， Xiangju tablets and the original formulation extract were 0.392， 0.358， 0.349， 0.389 mg， respectively. Compared with original formulation extract， there was no statistical significance in release rate of astragaloside Ⅳ in Xiangju granules （P＞0.05）， while there was statistical significance in Xiangju capsules and Xiangju tablets （P＜0.01）. CONCLU- SIONS： Established HPLC-ELSD method is accurate and feasible， and is suitable for the content determination of astragaloside Ⅳ in Xiangju granules. The main components of Xiangju granules are consistent with original formulation.

[Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Wheat Grains Cultivated in Kaifeng Irrigation Area of the Yellow River].

In order to monitor heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils and assess the corresponding health risk in the Yellow River irrigation area, this study applied the Nemero index and the health risk index to evaluate heavy metal pollution in wheat grains and the health risks for residents in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Four towns in Kaifeng, which are within the lower reaches of the Yellow River, were selected as the study area. The examination of wheat samples revealed that the average contents of Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Hg in the wheat grains were 0.034, 0.428, 0.279, 5.363, 29.605, 0.305, and 0.003 mg·kg-1, respectively. Among the heavy metals, Pb and Zn exceeded the national food hygiene standards. The pollution indices of Pb and Zn in the wheat grains contributed significantly to the comprehensive pollution index, as each was greater than 1 (1.985), although the pollution indices of the other heavy metals were less than 1. The comprehensive pollution index of wheat in each town ranged from 1.116 to 1.847. The health risk indices of non-carcinogenic heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, and Hg) for adults and children were 1.0558 and 0.5450, respectively. The health risk indices of carcinogenic heavy metals (Cd, Cr, and Ni) for adults and children were higher than the maximum acceptable risk level (1×10-4) recommended by the USEPA, which suggests that residents of the study area have a high risk of developing various forms of cancer.

Function of the ERFL1a Transcription Factor in Wheat Responses to Water Deficiency.

The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily is involved in the responses of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses; however, the functions and mechanisms of some members of this family in plants are unclear. In our previous study, expression of TaERFL1a, a member of the AP2/ERF family, was remarkably induced in wheat seedlings suffering freezing stress. In this study, we show that its expression was rapidly upregulated in response to salt, cold, and water deficiency, suggesting roles in the responses to abiotic stresses. Further, transient barley stripe mosaic virus-induced gene silencing (BSMV-VIGS) resulted in significantly reduced tolerance to 20% PEG6000-stimulated water deficiency. Subcellular localization and transcriptional activation assays separately showed that TaERFL1a was targeted to the nucleus and possessed transcriptional activation activity. Yeast two-hybrid library screening identified six interacting proteins, and of these, the interactions between TaERFL1a and TaSGT1, and TaERFL1a and TaDAD2 proteins were further confirmed by yeast co-transformation and bimolecular fluorescent complementation (BiFC). Collectively, our results suggest that TaERFL1a is a stress-responsive transcription factor, which could be functionally related to proteins involved in the abiotic stress responses of plants.

Tuning the Geometrical Structures and Optical Properties of Blue-Emitting Iridium(III) Complexes through Dimethylamine Substitutions: A Theoretical Study.

The geometrical structures and photophysical properties of Ir(4,6-dFppy)2(pic) (FIrpic) and its derivative (o-FIr, m-FIr, p-FIr) with dimethylamine substituted at the picolinic acid (N∧O) ligand were fully investigated by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. The simulated electronic structure, as well as absorption and emission spectra of FIrpic are in good agreement with the experimental observations. The introduction of dimethylamine at the N∧O ligand at different positions is beneficial to extend the π-electron delocalization, increase HOMO energy levels, and hence improve the hole injection and transfer ability compared with those of FIrpic. Furthermore, o-FIr, m-FIr, and p-FIr have large absorption intensity and participation of metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) contribution in the main absorption spectra, which would be useful to improve the intersystem crossing (ISC) from the singlet to triplet excited state. More importantly, the high quantum yield of o-FIr (which is explained based on the detailed analysis of triplet energy, ET1), participation of ³MLCT contribution in the phosphorescent spectra, and energy difference between ³MLCT and triplet metal centered (³MC) d-d excited state compared with m-FIr and p-FIr indicate that o-FIr is expected to be an excellent blue phosphorescence emitter with high efficiency.

[Spatial Distribution and Potential Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Sediments of Suya Lake].

In order to study the pollution status of heavy metals in sediments of Suya Lake, the concentrations of heavy metals Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn, Pb and Ni in sediments were measured at three locations in the center, middle and periphery of Suya Lake, the content characteristics and the pollution status of heavy metals in the study area were analyzed by the method of geoaccumulation index and potential ecological risk index, and the distribution and interrelation of heavy metals were evaluated by Kriging method and correlation analysis. The results showed that, on average, Zn was the highest, 112.87 mg·kg-1, followed by Cr, the smallest average of Cd was only 0.41 mg·kg-1. In addition to Cd and Cr, the coefficients of variation of Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni were relatively small, ranging from 24% to 31%, with moderate degree of variation. The coefficients of variation of Cd and Cr were 50.41% and 41.92%, respectively, and the spatial variation was obvious, which indicated that the variation of Cd and Cr was more significant than the others; 2The heavy metals Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn, Pb and Ni had a strong linear relationship, and there was a significant positive correlation, and six kinds of heavy metals had some homologous characteristics, with a common external input; 3The main pollution elements in the study area were Cd, Cr and Zn, the pollution degree was relatively serious, and the scope was extensive. Among them, the pollution degree of Cd was the most serious, the overall pollution level was moderate, and the pollution degree in some sample areas reached up to severe pollution, the pollution status of Cr, Zn and Pb was relatively mild, the pollution status of Cu, Pb and Ni was better, and there was no ecological risk; 4On the whole, the pollution level of the northeastern part of Suya Lake was relatively light, the degree of pollution in the southwest was relatively serious, showing a significant spatial distribution characteristics of decreasing from southwest to northeast, the contents of heavy metals in the samples were higher than those in the southwest of the reservoir, while the northeastern part of the periphery was the area with accumulation of low concentrations of heavy metals., and there was no pollution from Cu, Cr, Zn and Ni.