CRISPR-Based Genome Editing Tools: An Accelerator in Crop Breeding for a Changing Future.

Genome editing is an important strategy to maintain global food security and achieve sustainable agricultural development. Among all genome editing tools, CRISPR-Cas is currently the most prevalent and offers the most promise. In this review, we summarize the development of CRISPR-Cas systems, outline their classification and distinctive features, delineate their natural mechanisms in plant genome editing and exemplify the applications in plant research. Both classical and recently discovered CRISPR-Cas systems are included, detailing the class, type, structures and functions of each. We conclude by highlighting the challenges that come with CRISPR-Cas and offer suggestions on how to tackle them. We believe the gene editing toolbox will be greatly enriched, providing new avenues for a more efficient and precise breeding of climate-resilient crops.

Development and Validation of a Targeted Treatment for Brain Tumors Using a Multi-Drug Loaded, Relapse-Resistant Polymeric Theranostic.

This study aimed to develop a multifunctional polymer platform that could address the issue of treatment resistance when using conventional chemotherapeutics to treat glioblastoma (GBM). An antibody-conjugated, multi-drug loaded hyperbranched polymer was developed that provided a platform to evaluate the role of targeted nanomedicine treatments in overcoming resistant GBM by addressing the various complications with current clinically administered formulations. The polymer was synthesized via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization and included the clinical first-line alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) which was incorporated as a polymerizable monomer, poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) units to impart biocompatibility and enable conjugation with αPEG-αEphA2 bispecific antibody (αEphA2 BsAb) for tumor targeting, and hydrazide moieties for attachment of a secondary drug which allows exploration of synergistic therapies. To overcome the resistance to TMZ, the O6 alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT, DNA repair protein) inhibitor, dialdehyde O6 benzylguanine (DABG) was subsequently conjugated to the polymer via an acid labile hydrazone linker to facilitate controlled release under conditions encountered within the tumor microenvironment. The prolonged degradation half-life (4-5 h) of the polymer conjugated TMZ in vitro offered a potential avenue to overcome the inability to deliver these drugs in combination at therapeutic doses. Although only 20% of DABG could be released within the studied timeframe (192 h) under conditions mimicking the acidic nature of the tumor environment, cytotoxicity evaluation using cell assays confirmed the improved therapeutic efficacy toward resistant GBM cells after attaching DABG to the polymer delivery vehicle. Of note, when the polymeric delivery vehicle was specifically targeted to receptors (Ephrin A2) on the surface of the GBM cells using our in-house developed EphA2 specific BsAb, the dual-drug-loaded polymer exhibited an improved therapeutic effect on TMZ-resistant cells compared to the free drug combination. Both in vitro and in vivo targeting studies showed high uptake of the construct to GBM tumors with an upregulated EphA2 receptor (T98G and U251) compared to a tumor that had low expression (U87MG), where a dual tumor xenograft model was used to demonstrate the enhanced accumulation in tumor tissue in vivo. Despite the synthetic challenges of developing systems to effectively deliver controlled doses of TMZ and DABG, these studies highlight the potential benefit of this formulation for delivering multi-drug combinations to resistant GBM tumor cells and offer a platform for future optimization in therapeutic studies.

Reflexes of training in the abdominal core on students' physical coordination / Reflexos do treino no centro abdominal sobre a coordenação física de alunos / Reflejos del entrenamiento en el núcleo abdominal en la coordinación física de los alumnos

ABSTRACT Introduction Currently, the physical quality of college students has been declining, contrary to China's goal of building a strong and competitive country for sports. Therefore, developing certain plans to improve students' physical quality and coordination ability is necessary. Objective Study the reflection of muscle strength training in the abdominal core by aerobic gymnastics on students' physical coordination ability. Methods 36 volunteers were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The explosive strength of the central regions and the body coordination and balance ability of the two groups of students were measured before and after the experiment, and the data were classified. Results In the experimental group, the value of supine, incline, right side, left side, jump 360 °, and single foot rotation 360 ° were improved. The evolution of the experimental group was much higher than the control group. Conclusion Muscular strength training in the abdominal core with aerobic gymnastics can effectively regulate students' physical quality and movement coordination, thus establishing a good physical basis for daily work, studies, and routine. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução Atualmente, a qualidade física dos estudantes universitários vem diminuindo, o que contraria o objetivo da China em construir um país forte e competitivo para o esporte. Portanto, é necessário apresentar certos planos para melhorar a qualidade física e a capacidade de coordenação dos estudantes. Objetivo Estudar o reflexo do treinamento da força muscular no centro abdominal por ginástica aeróbica na capacidade de coordenação física dos estudantes. Métodos 36 voluntários foram divididos aleatoriamente em grupo experimental e grupo de controle. A força explosiva das regiões centrais e a capacidade de coordenação e equilíbrio corporal dos dois grupos de estudantes foram medidas antes e depois do experimento, sendo os dados classificados. Resultados No grupo experimental, o valor de supino, inclinado, lado direito, lado esquerdo, salto 360° e rotação de um único pé 360° foram melhorados. A evolução do grupo experimental foi muito maior do que a do grupo de controle. Conclusão O treinamento de força muscular no centro abdominal com ginástica aeróbica pode efetivamente regular a qualidade física e a coordenação de movimentos dos alunos, estabelecendo assim uma boa base física para o trabalho diário, estudos e rotina. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción En la actualidad, la calidad física de los estudiantes universitarios ha ido disminuyendo, lo que va en contra del objetivo de China de construir un país fuerte y competitivo para el deporte. Por lo tanto, es necesario idear ciertos planes para mejorar la calidad física y la capacidad de coordinación de los alumnos. Objetivo Estudiar el reflejo del entrenamiento de la fuerza muscular en el núcleo abdominal mediante la gimnasia aeróbica en la capacidad de coordinación física de los alumnos. Métodos 36 voluntarios fueron divididos aleatoriamente en grupo experimental y grupo de control. Se midió la fuerza explosiva de las regiones centrales y la coordinación corporal y la capacidad de equilibrio de los dos grupos de estudiantes antes y después del experimento, y se clasificaron los datos. Resultados En el grupo experimental, se mejoró el valor de la posición supina, la inclinación, el lado derecho, el lado izquierdo, el salto de 360° y la rotación de un solo pie de 360°. La evolución del grupo experimental fue muy superior a la del grupo de control. Conclusión El entrenamiento de la fuerza muscular en el núcleo abdominal con gimnasia aeróbica puede regular eficazmente la calidad física y la coordinación de los movimientos de los alumnos, estableciendo así una buena base física para el trabajo diario, los estudios y la rutina. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Advancing designer crops for climate resilience through an integrated genomics approach.

Climate change and exponential population growth are exposing an immediate need for developing future crops that are highly resilient and adaptable to changing environments to maintain global food security in the next decade. Rigorous selection from long domestication history has rendered cultivated crops genetically disadvantaged, raising concerns in their ability to adapt to these new challenges and limiting their usefulness in breeding programmes. As a result, future crop improvement efforts must rely on integrating various genomic strategies ranging from high-throughput sequencing to machine learning, in order to exploit germplasm diversity and overcome bottlenecks created by domestication, expansive multi-dimensional phenotypes, arduous breeding processes, complex traits and big data.

Quantitative Trait Loci for Heat Stress Tolerance in Brassica rapa L. Are Distributed across the Genome and Occur in Diverse Genetic Groups, Flowering Phenologies and Morphotypes.

Heat stress events during flowering in Brassica crops reduce grain yield and are expected to increase in frequency due to global climate change. We evaluated heat stress tolerance and molecular genetic diversity in a global collection of Brassica rapa accessions, including leafy, rooty and oilseed morphotypes with spring, winter and semi-winter flowering phenology. Tolerance to transient daily heat stress during the early reproductive stage was assessed on 142 lines in a controlled environment. Well-watered plants of each genotype were exposed to the control (25/15 °C day/night temperatures) or heat stress (35/25 °C) treatments for 7 d from the first open flower on the main stem. Bud and leaf temperature depression, leaf conductance and chlorophyll content index were recorded during the temperature treatments. A large genetic variation for heat tolerance and sensitivity was found for above-ground biomass, whole plant seed yield and harvest index and seed yield of five pods on the main stem at maturity. Genetic diversity was assessed on 212 lines with 1602 polymorphic SNP markers with a known location in the B. rapa physical map. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed two major genetic populations: one from East and South Asia and one from Europe. Heat stress-tolerant lines were distributed across diverse geographic origins, morphotypes (leafy, rooty and oilseed) and flowering phenologies (spring, winter and semi-winter types). A genome-wide association analysis of heat stress-related yield traits revealed 57 SNPs distributed across all 10 B. rapa chromosomes, some of which were associated with potential candidate genes for heat stress tolerance.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor: A diagnostic and therapeutic target in glioma.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a deadly disease; 5-year survival rates have shown little improvement over the past 30 years. In vivo positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is an important method of identifying potential diagnostic and therapeutic molecular targets non-invasively. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that regulates multiple genes involved in immune response modulation and tumorigenesis. The AhR is an attractive potential drug target and studies have shown that its activation by small molecules can modulate innate and adaptive immunity beneficially and prevent AhR-mediated tumour promotion in several cancer types. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of the AhR in glioma tumorigenesis and highlight its potential as an emerging biomarker for glioma therapies targeting the tumour immune response and PET diagnostics.

The characteristics of laboratory findings and multimorbidities in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of laboratory test results and multimorbidities in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and thus to provide a basis for the treatment of RA in the elderly.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on RA patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from March 2018 to December 2020.Patients were divided into an elderly RA(ERA)group(≥60 years)and a non-elderly RA(NERA)group(<60 years).The prevalences of multimorbidities and laboratory results were compared between the two groups, and influencing factors of multimorbidities in ERA patients were analyzed by using binary Logistic regression.Results:There were 215 patients in this cohort, of whom 156 patients were in the ERA group and 59 patients were in the NERA group.The prevalences of comorbid hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease(CHD)and interstitial lung disease in the ERA group were higher than those in the NERA group( χ2=19.890, 6.977, 5.964, 7.484, all P<0.05).The disease duration in the ERA group was longer than that in the NERA group[117.5(36.0, 240.0)months vs.72.0(10.5, 123.5)months, Z=3.142, P=0.002], and the levels of serum C-reactive protein(CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), urea, creatinine and cystatin C were higher than those in NERA group[9.7(3.2, 24.8)mg/L vs.3.1(3.0, 8.3)mg/L, 31.0(13.0, 53.3)mm/h vs.17.0(11.0, 31.5)mm/h, (5.38±1.54)mmol/L vs.(4.75±1.46)mmol/L, (63.82±15.33)μmol/L vs.(57.31±11.38)μmol/L, (1.23±0.42)mg/L vs.(0.90±0.23)mg/L]( Z=4.275, 2.770, t=2.714, 2.966, 5.714, all P<0.05).The levels of serum magnesium, albumin and hemoglobin were lower than those in the NERA group[(0.84±0.08)mmol/L vs.(0.86±0.06)mmol/L, (37.46±5.32)g/L vs.(40.77±4.95)g/L, (114.52±18.06)g/L vs.(124.32±16.40)g/L]( t=2.653, 4.147, 3.648, all P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that the level of serum CRP in the ERA group was negatively correlated with serum albumin and magnesium( r=-0.449, -0.329, all P<0.05).Uric acid was positively correlated with rheumatoid factor(RF), cystatin C, urea, age and disease duration( r=0.259, 0.416, 0.210, 0.232, 0.179, all P<0.05), but negatively correlated with hemoglobin and magnesium( r=-0.262, -0.207, all P<0.05).RF was positively correlated with uric acid, urea, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, the 28-joint Disease Activity Score(DAS28 score), age and disease duration( r=0.259, 0.177, 0.205, 0.234, 0.248, 0.225, 0.211, all P<0.05), but negatively correlated with albumin and hemoglobin( r=-0.301, -0.182, all P<0.05).Serum magnesium was negatively correlated with CRP, ESR, urea, uric acid and cystatin C( r=-0.273, -0.192, -0.175, -0.207, -0.315, all P<0.05).These correlations were not found in the NERA group.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that factors affecting hypertension in ERA patients were age, RF and albumin.Influencing factors of CHD were age, disease duration, serum magnesium and triglycerides.Factors that affect interstitial lung disease were RF, DAS28 score and albumin. Conclusions:Compared with NERA patients, ERA patients show an elevated level of systemic inflammation and poorer nutrition assessed by relevant parameters.CRP, RF and uric acid have complex correlations with serum magnesium, hemoglobin, and albumin.ERA patients have higher prevalences of multimorbidities.Age, disease duration, RF, triglycerides, DAS28 score, serum magnesium and albumin affect the occurrence of multimorbidities in ERA patients.

Synthesis, isolation and characterisation of fluorinated-benzimidazoisoquinoline regioisomers.

A pair of novel fluorinated-benzimidazoisoquinoline regioisomers was synthesised and isolated. Initial structural characterisation and identification employed 1D proton, 1D carbon, correlated spectroscopy (COSY), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. However, the fluorinated regioisomers could not be differentiated using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) alone. Density functional theory calculations and single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments were used to completely characterise and identify the compounds.

The details are in the genome-wide SNPs: Fine scale evolution of the Malaysian weedy rice.

Weedy rice (Oryza spp.) is a major nuisance to rice farmers from all over the world. Although the emergence of weedy rice in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo is very recent, the threat to rice yield has reached an alarming stage. Using 47,027 genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS)-derived SNPs and candidate gene analysis of the plant architecture domestication gene TAC1, we assessed the genetic variations and evolutionary origin of weedy rice in East Malaysia. Our findings revealed two major evolutionary paths for genetically distinct weedy rice types. Whilst the cultivar-like weedy rice are very likely to be the weedy descendant of local coexisting cultivars, the wild-like weedy rice appeared to have arisen through two possible routes: (i) accidental introduction from Peninsular Malaysia weedy rice populations, and (ii) weedy descendants of coexisting cultivars. The outcome of our genetic analyses supports the notion that Sabah cultivars and Peninsular Malaysia weedy rice are the potential progenitors of Sabah weedy rice. Similar TAC1 haplotypes were shared between Malaysian cultivated and weedy rice populations, which further supported the findings of our GBS-SNP analyses. These different strains of weedy rice have convergently evolved shared traits, such as seeds shattering and open tillers. A comparison with our previous simple-sequence repeat-based population genetic analyses highlights the strength of genome-wide SNPs, including detection of admixtures and low-level introgression events. These findings could inform better strategic management for controlling the spread of weedy rice in the region.

Candidate Rlm6 resistance genes against Leptosphaeria. maculans identified through a genome-wide association study in Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.

KEY MESSAGE: One hundred and sixty-seven B. juncea varieties were genotyped on the 90K Brassica assay (42,914 SNPs), which led to the identification of sixteen candidate genes for Rlm6. Brassica species are at high risk of severe crop loss due to pathogens, especially Leptosphaeria maculans (the causal agent of blackleg). Brassica juncea (L.) Czern is an important germplasm resource for canola improvement, due to its good agronomic traits, such as heat and drought tolerance and high blackleg resistance. The present study is the first using genome-wide association studies to identify candidate genes for blackleg resistance in B. juncea based on genome-wide SNPs obtained from the Illumina Infinium 90 K Brassica SNP array. The verification of Rlm6 in B. juncea was performed through a cotyledon infection test. Genotyping 42,914 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a panel of 167 B. juncea lines revealed a total of seven SNPs significantly associated with Rlm6 on chromosomes A07 and B04 in B. juncea. Furthermore, 16 candidate Rlm6 genes were found in these regions, defined as nucleotide binding site leucine-rich-repeat (NLR), leucine-rich repeat RLK (LRR-RLK) and LRR-RLP genes. This study will give insights into the blackleg resistance in B. juncea and facilitate identification of functional blackleg resistance genes which can be used in Brassica breeding.

2,3,5,4'-Tetrahydroxystibane-2-O-β-D-glucoside induces liver injury by disrupting bile acid homeostasis and phospholipids efflux / 中国中药杂志

Polygonum multiflorum is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and has many biological activities such as hair-blacking, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging. However, the liver injury induced by P. multiflorum has aroused wide attention in recent years. 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystibane-2-O-β-D-glucoside(TSG) is a main component of P. multiflorum, but the role of TSG in inducing liver injury is unclear. The aim of present study was to evaluate TSG's potential liver injury and effects on bile acid homeostasis and phospholipids efflux. C57 BL/6 J mice received intraperitoneal administration of 400 mg·kg~(-1) of TSG daily for 15 days, and then biochemical indexes of liver injury and changes of phospholipid content were detected. The changes of bile acid compositions were detected by LC-MS/MS. The results showed TSG 400 mg·kg~(-1) significantly increased the content of serum total bile acid(TBA) and alkaline phosphatase(ALP). Elevated free bile acid levels were observed in TSG-treated groups, including β-muricholic acid(β-MCA), ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA), hyodeoxycholic acid(HDCA), chenodeoxycholic acid(CDCA), deoxcholic acid(DCA) in serum and β-MCA, CDCA in liver. TSG inhibited the protein expression of farnesoid X receptor(FXR) and down stream bile salt export pump(BSEP), which may result in the accumulation of bile acid. TSG also inhibited the expression of 25-hydroxycholesterol-7 alpha-hydroxylase(CYP7 B1), which may disturb the alternative pathway for bile acid synthesis. In addition, intraperitoneal injection of TSG 400 mg·kg~(-1) significantly decreased the content of phospholipids in bile. The research showed that TSG significantly inhibited the expression of multidrug resistance protein 2(MDR2) and destroyed the regular distribution of MDR2 on the bile duct membrane of liver. In vitro results showed that the IC_(50) of TSG on HepG2 cells was about 1 500 μmol·L~(-1) and TSG at 500 μmol·L~(-1)(for 24 h) could destroy the distribution of MDR2 on the bile duct membrane of liver. In conclusion, TSG induced liver injury by disrupting bile acid homeostasis and phospholipids efflux.

The Use of Genetic and Gene Technologies in Shaping Modern Rapeseed Cultivars (Brassica napus L.).

Since their domestication, Brassica oilseed species have undergone progressive transformation allied with the development of breeding and molecular technologies. The canola (Brassica napus) crop has rapidly expanded globally in the last 30 years with intensive innovations in canola varieties, providing for a wider range of markets apart from the food industry. The breeding efforts of B. napus, the main source of canola oil and canola meal, have been mainly focused on improving seed yield, oil quality, and meal quality along with disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and herbicide resistance. The revolution in genetics and gene technologies, including genetic mapping, molecular markers, genomic tools, and gene technology, especially gene editing tools, has allowed an understanding of the complex genetic makeup and gene functions in the major bioprocesses of the Brassicales, especially Brassica oil crops. Here, we provide an overview on the contributions of these technologies in improving the major traits of B. napus and discuss their potential use to accomplish new improvement targets.

Understanding Host-Pathogen Interactions in Brassica napus in the Omics Era.

Brassica napus (canola/oilseed rape/rapeseed) is an economically important crop, mostly found in temperate and sub-tropical regions, that is cultivated widely for its edible oil. Major diseases of Brassica crops such as Blackleg, Clubroot, Sclerotinia Stem Rot, Downy Mildew, Alternaria Leaf Spot and White Rust have caused significant yield and economic losses in rapeseed-producing countries worldwide, exacerbated by global climate change, and, if not remedied effectively, will threaten global food security. To gain further insights into the host-pathogen interactions in relation to Brassica diseases, it is critical that we review current knowledge in this area and discuss how omics technologies can offer promising results and help to push boundaries in our understanding of the resistance mechanisms. Omics technologies, such as genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches, allow us to understand the host and pathogen, as well as the interaction between the two species at a deeper level. With these integrated data in multi-omics and systems biology, we are able to breed high-quality disease-resistant Brassica crops in a more holistic, targeted and accurate way.

Genotyping for Species Identification and Diversity Assessment Using Double-Digest Restriction Site-Associated DNA Sequencing (ddRAD-Seq).

Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) is a powerful approach for studying the genetic diversity of legume species. By using restriction enzymes or other methods to generate a reduced representation of the genome for sequencing, GBS can provide genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) for diversity analysis at high throughput and low cost. Here we describe a novel double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) approach. We also describe the downstream bioinformatic analysis of the sequencing data, including alignment to a reference genome, de novo assembly, SNP calling, phylogenetic analysis, and structure analysis.

Significance and current development status of pediatric palliative care / 中国当代儿科杂志

Pediatric palliative care refers to the comprehensive physical, mental, and psychological care provided to the children with life-threatening diseases, as well as support for their families, aiming to provide the best quality of life for children and their families. In the face of the large population of children in China, the increasing demand for palliative care services and the insufficient development of related service resources are existential problems in the field of palliative care for children in China. This article reviews the implementation and current development status of pediatric palliative care in China.

When West Meets East: The Origins and Spread of Weedy Rice Between Continental and Island Southeast Asia.

Weedy crop relatives are among the world's most problematic agricultural weeds, and their ability to rapidly evolve can be enhanced by gene flow from both domesticated crop varieties and wild crop progenitor species. In this study, we examined the role of modern commercial crop cultivars, traditional landraces, and wild relatives in the recent emergence and proliferation of weedy rice in East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. This region of Malaysia is separated from the Asian continent by the South China Sea, and weedy rice has become a major problem there more recently than on the Malaysian peninsular mainland. Using 24 polymorphic SSR loci and genotype data from the awn-length domestication gene An-1, we assessed the genetic diversity, population structure and potential origins of East Malaysian weeds; 564 weedy, cultivated and wild rice accessions were analyzed from samples collected in East Malaysia, Peninsular Malaysia and neighboring countries. While there is considerable evidence for contributions of Peninsular Malaysian weed ecotypes to East Malaysian populations, we find that local crop cultivars and/or landraces from neighboring countries are also likely contributors to the weedy rice infestations. These findings highlight the implications of genetic admixture from different cultivar source populations in the spread of weedy crop relatives and the urgent need for preventive measurements to maintain sustainable crop yields.

A New Method for Assessing the Intrauterine Adhesion by Three-dimensional Endometrial Area Imaging / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

@#【Objective】To investigate a new method for assessing the intrauterine adhesion（IUA）by three- dimensional（3D） endometrial area imaging. 【Methods】 A total of 121 women with suspected IUA or tubal factor infertility undergoing hysteroscopy were enrolled in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into two groups ：those with IUA and those without IUA. The endometrial area cutoff point was calculated to classify the patients with IUA into mild ， moderate ，and severe subgroups according to their AFS classification. 【Results】 When IUA were diagnosed based on the endometrial area，the area under the receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curve was 0.839，the cutoff point was 4.23 cm2，the sensitivity was 0.86，and the specificity was 0.74，the diagnostic efficiency is 76.03%. We further classified IUA into mild，moderate，and severe groups based on the endometrium area as follows：mild IUA（4.02，4.23］cm2，moderate IUA（3.23 ，4.02］cm2 ，and severe IUA≤3.23 cm2. The incidence rate of IUA increased by 30.6% for each one-unit decrease in abortive gestational age and increased by 18.9% for each one-unit decrease in endometrial area.【Conclusion】3D endometrial area imaging is a simple and fast tool for IUA diagnosis and severity assessment，providing a new diagnosis method for gynaecologists to assess IUA.

In-depth analysis of damage to the fallopian tubes caused by endometriosis / 中国实用妇科与产科杂志

Endometriosis is associated with femaleinfertility,but the underlying mechanism has not beenfully understood.As is reported,endometriosis cancause tubal obstruction,hydrosalpinx,tubal adhesionand microstructural damage.Also,the ectopic implantsmay result in decreased ciliary beat frequency andweakened muscular contractile activity of the tube,aswell as abnormal components of tubal fluid.All thesechanges lead to impaired female fertility.This reviewfocuses on the damage to the structure and function offallopian tube caused by endometriosis.

Effects of MD2 gene silencing on high glucose-induced proliferation inhibition, apoptosis and inflammation in rat cardiomyocytes / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of myeloid differentiation-2 (MD2) gene silencing on high glucose-induced proliferation inhibition, apoptosis and inflammation in rat cardiomyocytes.@*METHODS@#The immortalized rat cardiomyocyte cell line H9C2 were transfected with MD2 small interfering RNA (si-MD2) and negative control for 24 h, then stimulated with high glucose (HG) for 48 h. RT-qPCR was performed to detect the mRNA levels of MD2 and inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. MTS and flow cytometry were used to evaluate cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis rate. Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels and phosphorylation levels.@*RESULTS@#The mRNA and protein levels of MD2 in H9C2 cells were dramatically decreased after transfected with si-MD2 (P＜0.01). After stimulation of high glucose, the mRNA levels of inflammatory factors, the cells in G0/G1 phase , the cell apoptosis rate and the protein level of cleaved Caspase-3 were significantly increased, while the cell proliferation ability was decreased (P＜0.01). MD2 gene silencing antagonized the effects of high glucose on cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis and the mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β , IL-6(P＜0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK1/2), P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(P38 MAPK) and C-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) protein were increased significantly in H9C2 cells treated with high glucose, which could be reversed by silencing of MD2 (P＜0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#This study demonstrates that MD2 gene silencing reverses high glucose-induced myocardial inflammation, apoptosis and proliferation inhibition via the mechanisms involving suppression of ERK, P38 MAPK, JNK signaling pathway.