Effects of Hevea brasiliensis Intercropping on the Volatiles of Pandanus amaryllifolius Leaves.

Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. is a special tropical spice crop resource with broad development prospects. It is widely cultivated under a Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A. Juss.) Muell. Arg. canopy to improve the comprehensive benefits to Hevea brasiliensis plantations in Hainan Provence, China. However, the effects of intercropping with Hevea brasiliensis on the component number and relative contents of volatile substances in different categories in the Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves are still unknown. Therefore, a Hevea brasiliensis and Pandanus amaryllifolius intercropping experiment was set up to clarify the differences between several cultivated patterns on volatile substances in the Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves, and the key regulatory factors of volatile substances. The results showed that the soil pH was significantly decreased, while soil bulk density, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available phosphorus contents were significantly increased under the intercropping pattern. The component numbers of esters in volatile substances were increased by 6.20%, while the component numbers of ketones were decreased by 4.26% under the intercropping pattern. Compared with the Pandanus amaryllifolius monoculture, the relative contents of pyrroles, esters and furanones were significantly increased by 8.83%, 2.30% and 8.27%, respectively, while the relative contents of ketones, furans and hydrocarbons were decreased by 1.01%, 10.55% and 9.16% under the intercropping pattern, respectively. The relative contents of pyrroles, esters, furanones, ketones, furans and hydrocarbons were associated with changes in soil pH, soil available phosphorus content and air temperature. The results indicated that the reduction in soil pH and enhancement in soil-available phosphorus may be the main reasons for promoting the relative content of pyrroles and reducing the relative content of hydrocarbons under an intercropping pattern. Overall, Hevea brasiliensis intercropping with Pandanus amaryllifolius could not only improve soil properties, but also significantly increase the relative contents of the main volatile substances in Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves, which could provide a theoretical basis for the application and promotion of high-quality production patterns of Pandanus amaryllifolius.

Effects of coffee pericarp and litter mulsching on soil microbiomes diversity and functions in a tropical coffee plantation, South China.

In recent decades, ecological cyclic cultivation models have attracted increasing attention, primarily because the decomposition of crop residues and litter enhances soil organic matter content, thereby altering the soil microenvironment and regulating the diversity and functions of soil microbial communities. However, the effects of different coffee waste mulching on the diversity of soil microbial communities and their functions are still unclear. Therefore, this study set up four kinds of covering treatments: uncovered coffee waste (C), covered coffee litter (L), covered coffee pericarp (P), and both covered coffee litter and pericarp (PL). The results showed that compared to the control, coffee pericarp mulching significantly increased the soil available potassium (SAK) content by 18.45% and alkali hydrolyzed N (SAN) content by 17.29%. Furthermore, coffee pericarp mulching significantly increased bacterial richness and diversity by 7.75 and 2.79%, respectively, while litter mulching had little effect on bacterial abundance and diversity was smaller. The pericarp mulching significantly increased the abundance of Proteus by 22.35% and the abundance of Chlamydomonas by 80.04%, but significantly decreased the abundance of Cyanobacteria by 68.38%, while the coffee litter mulching significantly increased the abundance of Chlamydomonas by 48.28%, but significantly decreased the abundance of Cyanobacteria by 73.98%. The increase in soil SAK promoted bacterial Anoxygenic_photoautotrophy, Nitrogen_respiration, Nitrate_respiration, Nitrite_respiration, and Denitrification functions. The above results indicate that the increase in available soil potassium and alkali hydrolyzed N content under coffee pericarp cover is the main reason for promoting the diversity and richness of bacterial community and promoting the changes in bacterial community structure and function. The use of coffee pericarps in coffee plantations for ecological recycling helps to improve the diversity of the soil microbial community and maintain the relative stability of the microbial community structure and function, promoting soil health conservation and the sustainable development of related industries.

MicroRNA­126 suppresses the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells in experimental diabetic retinopathy by targeting polo­like kinase 4.

As a specific microvascular complication of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy (DR) causes severe visual impairment in patients with diabetes. The expression of microRNA­126 (miRNA/miR­126) has previously been found to be significantly decreased in the serum of patients with DR. In the present study, the functions of miR­126 and its mechanisms of action in experimental diabetic retinopathy were examined in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)­induced diabetes and in high glucose (HG)­induced human retinal capillary endothelial cells (HRCECs). In vivo, diabetic rat models were established and the rats were intravitreally injected with lentivirus expressing rno­miR­126 (lenti­miR­126) or negative control (lenti­NC). RT­qPCR was used to determine the miR­126 level in the serum and retina. Paraffin sections and retinal vasculature were used to determine the extent of retinopathy. The protein content of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and pigment epithelium­derived factor (PEDF) in the retina was used as an auxiliary measurement of retinopathy. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining were used to measure the expression of polo­like kinase 4 (PLK4) in rat retinal tissue. In vitro, the cells were transfected with miR­126 inhibitor or mimic and treated with the PLK4 inhibitor, CFI­400945 fumarate. RT­qPCR and western blot analysis were used to detect the miR­126 level and PLK4 expression. Cell proliferation and migration were measured by EdU and Transwell assays. The diabetic rats were found to exhibit downregulated serum and retinal miR­126 levels compared with the non­diabetic rats. The intravitreal delivery of miR­126 alleviated retinopathy and reduced the diabetes­induced upregulation of PLK4 in retinal tissues. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that PLK4 mRNA was the target of miR­126. In HG­induced HRCECs, transfection with miR­126 mimic increased the miR­126 level, whereas it downregulated that of its downstream target, PLK4, which was opposite to the effects exerted by the miR­126 inhibitor. Furthermore, miR­126 mimic and CFI­400945 fumarate reduced the HG­induced upregulation of PLK4 expression, as well as cell proliferation and migration. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that miR­126 reduces experimental diabetic retinopathy and suppresses endothelial cell proliferation and migration by targeting PLK4. Thus, miR­126 and CFI­400945 fumarate may be therapeutic targets for DR.

Manganite Heterojunction Photodetector with Broad Spectral Response Range from 200 nm to 2 µm.

In this paper, we investigate the broad spectral photocurrent properties of the La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/Si (LCMO/Si) heterojunction from 200 nm to 2.0 µm, as the temperature increases from 95 to 300 K. We observed the junction's uniform responsivity in the visible range and five absorption peaks at 940 nm, 1180 nm, 1380 nm, 1580 nm, and 1900 nm wavelengths. The temperature showed effective affection to the photocurrents at absorption peaks and the transition point occurred at 216 K, which was also displayed in the temperature dependence of junction resistance. On the basis of the results, we propose a possible model involving the quantum size effect at the junction interface as the mechanism. This understanding of the infrared photodetection properties of oxide heterostructures should open a route for devising future microelectronic devices.

MicroRNA-126: a promising novel biomarker in peripheral blood for diabetic retinopathy.

AIM: To investigate the content of serum microRNA-126 (miR-126) and its role in screening retinal endothelial injury and early diagnosis of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: The study included 184 serum samples, 59 samples from healthy individuals, 44 samples from diabetes mellitus (DM) patients without diabetic retinopathy (NDR), 42 from non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) patients and 39 samples from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients. The expression of miR-126 was evaluated using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The serum content of miR-126 declined as the damage degree in the retina. There was significant difference between the two retinopathy groups (P<0.001). No difference was observed in miR-126 content between healthy individuals and NDR patients (P>0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses indicated that serum miR-126 had significant diagnostic value for PDR. It yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of ROC of 0.976 with 81.21% sensitivity and 90.34% specificity in discriminating PDR from healthy controls, and an AUC of ROC of 0.919 with 84.75% sensitivity and 94.41% specificity in discriminating NDR and NPDR from healthy controls. When the diagnostic threshold was greater than or equal to 8.43, there was an increase in the possibility of NPDR. When the content of miR-126 was less than or equal to 5.02, the possibility of the occurrence of PDR increased. CONCLUSION: Serum miR-126 can serve as a non-invasive biomarker for screening retinal endothelial injury and early diagnosis PDR.

Fast and enhanced broadband photoresponse of a ZnO nanowire array/reduced graphene oxide film hybrid photodetector from the visible to the near-infrared range.

In the present work, a ZnO nanowire array/reduced graphene oxide film hybrid nanostructure was realized, and the photovoltaic responses from the visible to the near-infrared range were investigated. Compared with the pure ZnO nanowire array and rGO thin film, the hybrid composite exhibited a fast and greatly enhanced broadband photovoltaic response that resulted from the formation of interfacial Schottky junctions between ZnO and rGO.

Fast photovoltaic effects tuned by vicinal interface microstructure in manganite-based all-perovskite-oxide heterojunctions.

Interfacial microstructure tunable photovoltaic effects have been reported in heterojunctions of La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(3) thin films and tilted or exact cut Nb-doped SrTiO(3) single crystal substrates under irradiation of UV pulsed laser. The photoresponse times of vicinal junctions and films were obviously faster than those of exact cut samples. The behaviors can be explained by the slope of the built-in electric field in the 10° tilted heterojunction and the interfacial terrace microstructure of La(1-x)Ca(x)MnO(3) films.

[The surgical management of strabismus following orbitotomy].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features and therapeutic outcome in patients with strabismus due to orbitotomy. METHODS: Retrospective case series. Nine cases of strabismus following orbital operation seen between March 1998 and July 2003 in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: All of the 9 cases were treated by strabismus surgery. Among them, 5 cases were male and 4 were female, with their age ranging from 12 to 40 years (average 26.4 years). The right eye was involved in 4 cases and the left one in 5 cases. Most of them belonged to restrictive strabismus secondary to the formation of surgical scar, accounting for 66.7% of them. The methods of surgery included the excision of fibrous tissue around the involved extraocular muscle, the routine recession and resection and the Jensen procedure, combined with the fixation suture. Six cases obtained excellent results. Two cases were slightly undercorrected and one case was remarkably undercorrected. Of the 4 cases with diplopia before operation, the diplopia disappeared in 2 cases after surgery. The other 2 cases had diplopia only in one direction far away from the primary position. All of the ocular movement improved obviously after strabismus surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the deviation happened after orbitotomy was restrictive strabismus caused by the muscle fibrosis and scar formation around the muscle. Excision of fibrotic tissue, combined with the routine recession and resection, Jensen procedure, and the fixation suture can have quite satisfactory results.

Features associated with recurrence of idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor.

PURPOSE: To explore factors which lead to recurrence of idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor (IOIP). METHODS: Idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor in 209 cases between Jan 1, 1978 and Dec 31, 1999 in our hospital was evaluated retrospectively. The comparison of clinical and pathological parameters between patients with at least one episode of recurrence and those with no recurrence at all was performed and analyzed using logistic regression method. RESULTS: Follow-up results (with a mean follow-up time of 3.4 years, ranging from 0.5 year to 21.0 years) showed that the recurrence rate of IOIP was 41%. Sex and proptosis were associated with the recurrence of IOIP. Male gender was more likely to relapse than female counterparts, with the male being 52% and female being 25%. The severer the proptosis is, the higher the rate of recurrence. Among the clinical subtypes of IOIP, the rate of recurrence (17%) in cases with dacryoadenitis was the lowest, followed by anterior local orbital mass (44%), posterior orbital mass (54%), myositis (75%) and diffuse subtype (100%). However, the clinical subtypes did not show significant relationship with the recurrence of IOIP. CONCLUSIONS: Male gender and severe proptosis are associated with a higher recurrent rate in patients with IOIP.

[The dose-effect relationship of strabismus surgery in patients with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dose-effect relationship of strabismus surgery in patients with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). METHODS: Thirty cases (32 eyes) with TAO treated with extraocular muscle surgery by the author seen between Jan 1999 and March 2006 in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, China were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Out of the 30 cases (32 eyes), 19 cases were male and 11 were female, with their age ranging from 22 to 68 (mean 49.4 years). The right eye was involved in 11 cases and the left one in 21 cases. The extraocular muscle surgery included recession of inferior rectus muscle (10 muscles), recession of superior rectus muscle (10 muscles), recession of medial rectus muscle (6 muscles), recession of inferior rectus muscle combined with medial rectus muscle (2 eyes), recession of superior rectus muscle combined with medial rectus muscle (1 eye), tenotomy of superior rectus muscle (3 muscles). Thirty cases obtained excellent results, and the rate of ocular alignment was 93.75%. By calculating the dose-effect on 28 successfully corrected (