Complete chloroplast genome of Adonis pseudoamurensis W.T.Wang (Ranunculaceae).

Adonis pseudoamurensis W.T. Wang 1980 is an important traditional medicinal plant used for the treatment of cardiac diseases. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Adonis pseudoamurensis is reported for the first time in this study. The circular cp genome is 156,917 bp in length, consisting of a large single-copy region (86,262 bp), a small single-copy region (18,067 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (26,294 bp). The genome encodes 129 genes, comprising 84 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that A. pseudoamurensis is closely related to A. amurensis.

Resveratrol Rescues Tau-Induced Cognitive Deficits and Neuropathology in a Mouse Model of Tauopathy.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of extracellular amyloid-ß (Aß) plaques and intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles assembled by the microtubuleassociated protein tau. Increasing evidence demonstrated that tau pathology played an important role in AD progression. Resveratrol (RSV) has previously proved to exert neuroprotective effect against AD by inhibiting Aß generation and Aß-induced neurocytotoxicity, while its effect on tau pathology is still unknown. METHODS: The effect of RSV on tau aggregation was measured by Thioflavin T fluorescence and Transmission electron microscope imaging. The effect of RSV on tau oligomer-induced cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay and the uptake of extracellular tau by N2a cells was determined by immunocytochemistry. 6-month-old male PS19 mice were treated with RSV or vehicle by oral administration (gavage) once a day for 5 weeks. The cognitive performance was determined using Morris water maze test, object recognition test and Y-maze test. The levels of phosphorylated-tau, gliosis, proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1ß, and synaptic proteins including synaptophysin and PSD95 in the brains of the mice were evaluated by immunoblotting, immunostaining and ELISA, respectively. RESULTS: RSV significantly inhibited tau aggregation and tau oligomer-induced cytotoxicity, and blocked the uptake of extracellular tau oligomers by N2a cells. When applied to PS19 mice, RSV treatment effectively rescued cognitive deficits, reducing the levels of phosphorylated tau, neuroinflammation and synapse loss in the brains of mice. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that RSV has promising therapeutic potential for AD and other tauopathies.

Diagnostic Utility of Interferon-Gamma Release Assay in Tuberculous Lymphadenitis.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of T-SPOT.TB for tuberculous lymphadenitis. Methods Suspected tuberculous lymphadenitis patients between September 2010 and September 2018 who had both peripheral blood T-SPOT.TB test and lymph node biopsy were retrospectively enrolled in this study. The cutoff value of T-SPOT.TB test for peripheral blood was set as 24 spot forming cell (SFC)/10 6 periphreral blood monocyte cell (PBMC) according to the instruction of testing kits. The gold standard for diagnosis of TBL was the combination of microbiology results, histopathology results and patient's response to anti-TB treatment. Diagnostic efficacy of T-SPOT.TB was evaluated, including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, predictive values, and likelihood ratio. Results Among 91 patients who met the inclusion criteria, we excluded 8 cases with incomplete clinical information and 6 cases who lost to follow-up. According to the gold standard, there were 37 cases of true TBL (9 confirmed TBL and 28 probable TBL), 30 cases of non-TBL, and 10 cases of clinically indeterminate diagnosis who were excluded from the final analyses. The T-SPOT.TB tests yielded 43 cases of positive response and 24 cases of negative response. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of peripheral blood T-SPOT.TB for diagnosing TBL were 89.2%, 66.7%, 79.1%, 76.7%, 83.3%, 2.68 and 0.16, respectively. The number of SFCs of T-SPOT.TB in TBL patients [432(134-1264)/10 6 PBMCs] was higher than that in non-TBL patients [0 (0-30) /10 6PBMCs] with a significant difference (Z=-5.306, P <0.001).Conclusion T-SPOT.TB is a rapid and simple diagnostic test for TBL with a high sensitivity and negative predictive value.

[Impact of high temperature on sperm function: An update].

Spermatogenesis and sperm maturation are closely related to temperature and require a temperature slightly lower than the normal body temperature. Therefore, high temperature is an important external factor affecting sperm function, and the studies on the underlying mechanisms are of great significance for the treatment of male infertility, improvement of in vitro sperm preservation and further elucidation of spermatogenesis and sperm maturation. It is known currently that the influence of high temperature on sperm involves genetic material, morphology, survival rate, motility and fertility, most of which have been found in various species and may be attributed to the conserved common process or common substances in spermatogenesis and maturation. An overwhelming majority of the influencing factors produce negative effects and a very few have positive ones, and their action mechanisms are mostly unknown. This review summarizes the results of current studies on the effect of high temperature on spermatogenesis and sperm maturation and on the sperm function in various species.

Resveratrol alleviates motor and cognitive deficits and neuropathology in the A53T α-synuclein mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by Lewy pathology and progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Lewy pathology mainly consists of abnormal aggregates of α-synuclein, which play a pivotal role in PD pathophysiology. However, the complexity of PD leads to clinical challenges, and there are still no treatments to halt or slow the neurodegenerative process. Resveratrol (RV) is a natural polyphenol compound with multiple biological activities, which has been reported to exert neuroprotective effects on several neurological diseases. Here we first provided evidence that RV treatment alleviated motor and cognitive deficits in the A53T α-synuclein mouse model of PD in a dose-dependent manner. The beneficial effects of RV against PD resulted from inhibiting α-synuclein aggregation and cytotoxicity, lowering the levels of total α-synuclein and oligomers, reducing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. These findings suggest that RV has promising therapeutic potential for PD and other synucleinopathies.

[Values of Different Laboratory Diagnostic Approaches for Tuberculous Peritonitis].

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of different laboratory approaches for tuberculous peritonitis(TP).Methods The clinical data of patients with suspected TP who were mainly manifested as ascites in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2014 to June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Ascites samples were tested with different diagnostic approaches,including acid fast stain,culture for mycobacterium,real-time polymerase chain reaction for identifying DNA of mycobacterium tuberculosis,and T-cell spot of tuberculosis test(T-SPOT.TB). Results Totally 163 cases aged 15-84 years [mean±SD:(50±17)years] with complete data were enrolled,among whom 82(50.3%) were males and 81(49.7%) were females. Finally,27 patients were confirmed as TP,which was excluded in the other 136 cases. The sensitivity and specificity of ascites acid fast stain were 0% and 100%,respectively,followed by ascites culture for mycobacterium(21.74% and 100%),real-time polymerase chain reaction for DNA of mycobacterium tuberculosis in ascites(18.52% and 100%),T-SPOT.TB on ascites(95.42% and 61.90%),and T-SPOT.TB on peripheral blood(76.19% and 80.18%). Conclusion The diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis remains challenging because of the limitations of the currently available diagnostic tests. Diagnosis should also be based on clinical manifestations and auxiliary examinations.

Spaceflight-Induced Intracranial Hypertension and Visual Impairment: Pathophysiology and Countermeasures.

Visual impairment intracranial pressure (VIIP) syndrome is considered an unexplained major risk for future long-duration spaceflight. NASA recently redefined this syndrome as Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Evidence thus reviewed supports that chronic, mildly elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in space (as opposed to more variable ICP with posture and activity on Earth) is largely accounted for by loss of hydrostatic pressures and altered hemodynamics in the intracranial circulation and the cerebrospinal fluid system. In space, an elevated pressure gradient across the lamina cribrosa, caused by a chronic but mildly elevated ICP, likely elicits adaptations of multiple structures and fluid systems in the eye which manifest themselves as the VIIP syndrome. A chronic mismatch between ICP and intraocular pressure (IOP) in space may acclimate the optic nerve head, lamina cribrosa, and optic nerve subarachnoid space to a condition that is maladaptive to Earth, all contributing to the pathogenesis of space VIIP syndrome. Relevant findings help to evaluate whether artificial gravity is an appropriate countermeasure to prevent this seemingly adverse effect of long-duration spaceflight.

Whole-genome resequencing reveals candidate mutations for pig prolificacy.

Changes in pig fertility have occurred as a result of domestication, but are not understood at the level of genetic variation. To identify variations potentially responsible for prolificacy, we sequenced the genomes of the highly prolific Taihu pig breed and four control breeds. Genes involved in embryogenesis and morphogenesis were targeted in the Taihu pig, consistent with the morphological differences observed between the Taihu pig and others during pregnancy. Additionally, excessive functional non-coding mutations have been specifically fixed or nearly fixed in the Taihu pig. We focused attention on an oestrogen response element (ERE) within the first intron of the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type-1B gene (BMPR1B) that overlaps with a known quantitative trait locus (QTL) for pig fecundity. Using 242 pigs from 30 different breeds, we confirmed that the genotype of the ERE was nearly fixed in the Taihu pig. ERE function was assessed by luciferase assays, examination of histological sections, chromatin immunoprecipitation, quantitative polymerase chain reactions, and western blots. The results suggest that the ERE may control pig prolificacy via the cis-regulation of BMPR1B expression. This study provides new insight into changes in reproductive performance and highlights the role of non-coding mutations in generating phenotypic diversity between breeds.

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Patients with Nontuberculous Mycobacterium Bloodstream Infection in a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND: Nontuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) bloodstream infection (BSI) is relatively rare. We aimed in this study to evaluate the clinical characteristics, laboratory evaluation, and outcomes of patients with NTM BSI. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of inpatients with NTM BSI at our institution between January 2008 and January 2015 and recorded clinical parameters including age, gender, underlying disease, clinical manifestation, organs involved with NTM disease, species of NTM, laboratory data, treatment and outcome of these patients. We also reviewed the reported cases and case series of NTM BSI by searching PubMed, EMBASE, and Wanfang databases. Data of normal distribution were expressed by mean ± standard deviation (SD). Data of nonnormal distribution were expressed by median and interquartile range (IQR). RESULTS: Among the ten patients with NTM BSI, the median age was 51 years (IQR 29-57 years) and three patients were males. Eight patients were immunocompromised, with underlying diseases including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (one patient), rheumatic diseases (two patients), breast cancer (one patient), myelodysplastic syndrome (two patients), and aplastic anemia (two patients). Other organ(s) involved were lung (two patients), endocardium (two patients), brain, spinal cord, and soft tissue (one each patient). The median lymphocyte was 0.66 × 109/L (IQR 0.24-1.93 × 109/L). The median cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) cell count was 179/mm3 (IQR 82-619/mm3). Five patients died (three with hematological diseases, one with breast cancer, and one with rheumatic disease), three recovered, and two were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: We reported all cases in our hospital diagnosed with bloodstream NTM infection that was rarely reported. In this group of patients, patients usually had a high fever and could have multiple organ involvements. All patients with poor prognosis had underlying diseases.

Systems specificity in responsiveness to intermittent artificial gravity during simulated microgravity in rats.

It has been shown that the minimum gravity exposure requirements vary greatly among different physiological systems. A preliminary comparison between two extremes, vessels vs. bones, shows that not only the mechanostat at the tissue level differs greatly, but also the bone loss during weightlessness may also involve calcium deposition-resorption changes. It seems that the surprising efficacy of intermittent artificial gravity (IAG) is due to the vascular tissues possessing a strong resilience or "memory" function toward restoring their original pre-stress and tensegrity state at the 1 G environment. It appears that the bone tissue is related to a more complex tensegrity paradigm involving both osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and a longer half time for calcium deposition-absorption. Cell-level models (CellML) for calcium dynamics is currently available. We hope that the Physiome Project can use this modeling framework to help interpret the resistance of bones to IAG and to evaluate whether the "intermittent" or "continuous" AG scheme should be adopted eventually for future exploration-class spaceflight.

Clinical and Laboratory Diagnosis of Intestinal Tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a worldwide problem. Intestinal TB (ITB) constitutes a major public health problem in developing countries and has been associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical, radiological, endoscopic, and pathological features of ITB and to define the strategy for establishing the diagnosis. METHODS: A retrospective study (from January 2000 to June 2015) was carried out in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and all hospitalized cases were diagnosed as ITB during the study period were included. The relevant clinical information, laboratory results, microbiological, and radiological investigations were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 85 cases, 61 cases (71.8%) were ranged from 20 to 50 years. The ileocecal region was involved in about 83.5% (71/85) of patients. About 41.2% (35/85) of patients had co-existing extra ITB, especially active pulmonary TB. Abdominal pain (82.4%) was the most common presenting symptom followed by weight loss (72.9%) and fever (64.7%). Both T-cell spot of TB test (T-SPOT.TB) and purified protein derivatives (PPD) tests were performed in 26 patients: 20 (76.9%) positive T-SPOT.TB and 13 (50.0%) positive PPD were detected, with a statistical significant difference (P = 0.046). Twenty cases (23.5%) were histopathology and/or pathogen confirmed TB; 27 cases (31.8%) were diagnosed by clinical manifestation consistent with ITB and evidence of active extra ITB; 38 cases (44.7%) were diagnosed by good response to diagnostic anti-TB therapy. CONCLUSIONS: ITB is difficult to diagnose even with modern medical techniques due to its nonspecific clinical and laboratory features. At present, combination of clinical, endoscopic, radiological, and pathological features continues to be the key to the diagnosis of ITB.

Diagnostic Value of T-cell Interferon-γ Release Assays on Synovial Fluid for Articular Tuberculosis: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health challenge. Articular TB is an important form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, and its diagnosis is difficult because of the low sensitivity of traditional methods. The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnostic value of T-SPOT.TB on synovial fluid for the diagnosis of articular TB. METHODS: Patients with suspected articular TB were enrolled consecutively between August 2011 and December 2015. T-SPOT.TB was performed on both synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The final diagnosis of articular TB was independent of the T-SPOT.TB result. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, predictive value, and likelihood ratio of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs and PBMCs were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty patients with suspected articular TB were enrolled. Six were diagnosed with articular TB, and 14 patients were diagnosed with other diseases. Sensitivity and specificity were 83% and 86% for T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs, and 67% and 69% for T-SPOT.TB on PBMCs, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs were 71% and 92%, respectively. The PPV and NPV were 50% and 82% for T-SPOT.TB on PBMCs. CONCLUSION: Sensitivity, specificity, and NPV of T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs appeared higher than that on PBMCs, indicating that T-SPOT.TB on SFMCs might be a rapid and accurate diagnostic test for articular TB.

Mechanics and composition of middle cerebral arteries from simulated microgravity rats with and without 1-h/d -Gx gravitation.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate further from the biomechanical aspect whether microgravity-induced cerebral vascular mal-adaptation might be a contributing factor to postflight orthostatic intolerance and the underlying mechanism accounting for the potential effectiveness of intermittent artificial gravity (IAG) in preventing this adverse effect. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) were isolated from 28-day SUS (tail-suspended, head-down tilt rats to simulate microgravity effect), S+D (SUS plus 1-h/d -Gx gravitation by normal standing to simulate IAG), and CON (control) rats. Vascular myogenic reactivity and circumferential stress-strain and axial force-pressure relationships and overall stiffness were examined using pressure arteriography and calculated. Acellular matrix components were quantified by electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that myogenic reactivity is susceptible to previous pressure-induced, serial constrictions. During the first-run of pressure increments, active MCAs from SUS rats can strongly stiffen their wall and maintain the vessels at very low strains, which can be prevented by the simulated IAG countermeasure. The strains are 0.03 and 0.14 respectively for SUS and S+D, while circumferential stress being kept at 0.5 (106 dyn/cm2). During the second-run pressure steps, both the myogenic reactivity and active stiffness of the three groups declined. The distensibility of passive MCAs from S+D is significantly higher than CON and SUS, which may help to attenuate the vasodilatation impairment at low levels of pressure. Collagen and elastin percentages were increased and decreased, respectively, in MCAs from SUS and S+D as compared with CON; however, elastin was higher in S+D than SUS rats. CONCLUSIONS: Susceptibility to previous myogenic constrictions seems to be a self-limiting protective mechanism in cerebral small resistance arteries to prevent undue cerebral vasoconstriction during orthostasis at 1-G environment. Alleviating of active stiffening and increasing of distensibility of cerebral resistance arteries may underlie the countermeasure effectiveness of IAG.

Histone H2B monoubiquitination is involved in regulating the dynamics of microtubules during the defense response to Verticillium dahliae toxins in Arabidopsis.

Histone H2B monoubiquitination (H2Bub) is being recognized as a regulatory mechanism that controls a range of cellular processes in plants, but the molecular mechanisms of H2Bub that are involved in responses to biotic stress are largely unknown. In this study, we used wild-type and H2Bub loss-of-function mutations of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to elucidate which of its mechanisms are involved in the regulation of the plant's defense response to Verticillium dahliae (Vd) toxins. We demonstrate that the depolymerization of the cortical microtubules (MTs) was different in the wild type and the mutants in the response to Vd toxins. The loss-of-function alleles of HISTONE MONOUBIQUITINATION1 and HISTONE MONOUBIQUITINATION2 mutations present a weaker depolymerization of the MTs, and protein tyrosine phosphorylation plays a critical role in the regulation of the dynamics of MTs. Moreover, H2Bub is a positive regulator of the gene expression of protein tyrosine phosphatases. These findings provide direct evidence for H2Bub as an important modification with regulatory roles in the defense against Vd toxins and demonstrate that H2Bub is involved in modulating the dynamics of MTs, likely through the protein tyrosine phosphatase-mediated signaling pathway.

Intraocular/Intracranial pressure mismatch hypothesis for visual impairment syndrome in space.

Visual impairment intracranial pressure syndrome (VIIP) is considered a major risk for future human spaceflight. Loss of hydrostatic pressure gradients in vascular and cerebrospinal fluid systems due to the removal of gravity associated with subsequent intracranial and intraocular fluid shifts and the resulting intraocular/intracranial pressure mismatch might be important etiology factors causingVIIP syndrome. Acclimation changes in the ocular and cerebral circulation and the two fluid systems during chronic microgravity exposure and their underlying mechanisms need further elucidation. Relevant findings may help to validate the pressure differential hypothesis for VlIP syndrome and to evaluate whether a gravity based countermeasure is needed.

[Study on seeds after-ripening regulation and key techniques for seedling of Pulsatilla cernua].

OBJECTIVE: The seeds of Pulsatilla cernua were used as tested materials for screening and establishing the main factors with different levels to control fast development of seed embryonic and seedlings of Pulsatilla cernua. METHODS: The main factors with different levels for development of seed embryonic and seedlings of Pulsatilla cernua were investigated through repeated experiments with multifactorial and cross. RESULTS: The method for development of seedlings and seeds germination of Pulsatilla cernua were to soak the seeds in the mixed solutions with 2.40 mg/L KT, 2.80 mg/L GA3 and 0.30 -0.70 mg/L 2,4-D for 24 h. The seeds and sand (1:2) were mixed, treated with temperature change in 63 - 70 d. The extent of temperature change and time were (23 ± 2) degrees C and 14 h in day, while (10 ± 2) degrees C and 10 h in night. The incidence rate of the embryo with cotyledons was 95.1%, and the germination rate of seed was 92.3%. CONCLUSION: The plant regeneration control technology for development of seed embryonic and seedling of Pulsatilla cernua have been solved, which is suitable for industrial seedlings of Pulsatilla cernua.

Development of anodic titania nanotubes for application in high sensitivity amperometric glucose and uric acid biosensors.

The purpose of this study was to develop novel nanoscale biosensors using titania nanotubes (TNTs) made by anodization. Titania nanotubes were produced on pure titanium sheets by anodization at room temperature. In this research, the electrolyte composition ethylene glycol 250 mL/NH4F 1.5 g/DI water 20 mL was found to produce the best titania nanotubes array films for application in amperometric biosensors. The amperometric results exhibit an excellent linearity for uric acid (UA) concentrations in the range between 2 and 14 mg/dL, with 23.3 (µA·cm-2)·(mg/dL)-1 UA sensitivity, and a correlation coefficient of 0.993. The glucose biosensor presented a good linear relationship in the lower glucose concentration range between 50 and 125 mg/dL, and the corresponding sensitivity was approximately 249.6 (µA·cm-2)·(100 mg/dL)-1 glucose, with a correlation coefficient of 0.973.

A prospective longitudinal study evaluating a T-cell-based assay for latent tuberculosis infection in health-care workers in a general hospital in Beijing.

BACKGROUND: The health-care workers (HCWs) are at high risk of acquiring infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The objectives of this study were to compare the performance of the T-SPOT.TB and tuberculin skin test (TST) for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), evaluate diagnostic concordance and risk factors for LTBI, and observe the progression to active tuberculosis (TB) disease among HCWs in a general hospital in Beijing. METHODS: The prospective cohort study enrolled HCWs in a tertiary general hospital in Beijing, China, to evaluate LTBI with T-SPOT.TB and TST. The subjects were evaluated every 12 months during the 60-month follow-up. RESULTS: Of 101 participating HCWs, 96 and 101 had valid TST and T-SPOT.TB results, respectively. Twenty-nine (28.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI), 19.9% - 37.5%) were defined as positive by T-SPOT.TB and 53 (55.2%, 95%CI, 45.2% - 64.9%) were defined as positive by TST (using a ≥ 10 mm cutoff). An agreement between the two tests was poor (57.3%, κ = 0.18, 95%CI, 0.01% - 0.52%). In multivariate analysis, direct exposure to sputum smear-positive TB patients was a significant risk factor for a positive T-SPOT.TB (OR 5.76; 95%CI 1.38 - 24.00). Pooled frequency of antigen-specific IFN-γ secreting T-cells for subjects who reported direct contact with sputum smear-positive TB patients was significantly higher than that for participants without direct contact (P = 0.045). One of 20 participants with positive result of T-SPOT.TB and TST developed active TB at 24-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: T-SPOT.TB is a more accurate, targeted method of diagnosing LTBI than TST.