[Mechanism of pregnancy-induced thymus involution and regeneration and medication rules of postpartum prescriptions].

In order to prevent the maternal immune defenses to the semi-allogeneic fetus, the maternal body will present a special adaptive immune system change represented by acute thymic involution(ATI) during pregnancy, which can be quickly regenerated after delivery. The ATI during pregnancy is related to the level of sex hormones, which is mainly caused by progesterone. Pregnancy-induced ATI is manifested as the continuous shrinkage of thymus volume, especially the cortex, and the wrinkle and phagocytosis of the subcapsular cortical thymic epithelial cells(cTECs), while other thymic epithelial cells(TECs) remain unchanged. The postpartum thymus is regenerated by the co-mediation of forkhead box N1(FOXN1) as well as its target genes chemokine(C-C motif) ligand 25(CCL25), chemokine(C-X-C motif) ligand 12(CXCL12), δ-like ligand 4(DLL4), cathepsin L(CTSL), and serine protease 16(PRSS16). Once the postpartum thymus is poorly repaired, immune dysfunction of the maternal body and several puerperal diseases will be induced, seriously endangering the survival of the mother and the newborn. In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), Qi and blood are the cornerstone of pregnancy, and the thymus plays a key role in regulating Qi and blood. The deficiency of Qi and blood during pregnancy and childbirth is closely related to the abnormal ATI during pregnancy and the poor regeneration of the postpartum thymus. Based on this theory, TCM has profound academic ideas and rich clinical experience in postpartum recuperation. Based on the systematic description of the mechanism of ATI regeneration during pregnancy, as well as data mining and analysis of two classic gynecological works of TCM, Wan's Gynecology and Fu Qing-zhu's Treatise on Gynecology, this study found that the commonly used TCM for postpartum included Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma. Among them, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma are high-frequency TCMs with positive effects on postpartum recovery.However, the mechanism of these TCMs in promoting postpartum thymus regeneration needs further investigation.

Nickel-Catalyzed Direct Cross-Coupling of Diaryl Sulfoxide with Aryl Bromide.

The direct cross-couplings of diaryl sulfoxides with aryl bromides via C-S bond cleavage could be readily accomplished using nickel(II) as the catalyst, 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) as the ligand, and magnesium turnings as the reducing metal in THF, leading to the corresponding biaryls in moderate to good yields. The reaction exhibited a broad substrate scope and could be applied to a gram-scale synthesis. The "one-pot" reaction, which avoids the utility of presynthesized and moisture-labile organometallic compounds, is operationally simple and step-economic.

Palladium-Catalyzed Sonogashira Coupling of a Heterocyclic Phosphonium Salt with a Terminal Alkyne.

An efficient Sonogashira coupling of a heterocyclic phosphonium salt with a terminal alkyne via C-P bond cleavage was developed. The reactions proceeded smoothly in the presence of palladium catalyst, copper(I) iodide, and N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) at 100 °C for 12 h, producing the corresponding alkynyl-substituted pyridine, quinoline, pyrazine, and quinoxaline in moderate to good yields with wide substrate scope and broad functional group tolerance. In addition, gram-scale synthesis could also be achieved, and the reaction could be applied to the functionalization of alkyne-containing complex molecules derived from sugars and pharmaceutical and naturally occurring products (e.g., estrone, d-galactopyranose, menthol, and ibuprofen).

Clonal integration and phosphorus management under light heterogeneity facilitate the growth and diversity of understory vegetation and soil fungal communities.

The spatial heterogeneity of light and nutrient deficiency occurs in many forest understories. Proper fertilization management of unhealthy forests can benefit forest understory diversity and improve the stability of degraded soil; and clonal integration is a major advantage of resource sharing for many forest understory vegetation, such as pteridophytes. In this study, we tested whether understory soil fertilization and clonal integration under light heterogeneity were able to increase the performance and diversity of understory vegetation and soil microbial communities in nature. Field experiments-with or without phosphorus (P) addition, with intact or severed rhizome, and under homogeneous or heterogeneous light environments-were conducted in the understory of a typical evergreen forest in southeast China. Light heterogeneity, P addition and clonal integration promoted the growth, diversity and evenness of ferns and soil microbial biomass C, N and P (MBC, MBN and MBP) at both experimental plot and patch level. They also increased Chao1 richness and Shannon diversity of soil fungal communities at patch level, especially in the high light patches with P addition. The positive effects of P addition and clonal integration on the growth and diversity of ferns and soil microbial biomass were greatly increased under heterogeneous light. The positive effects of clonal integration on the growth were the greatest in the heterogeneous high light patches. Moreover, the interactive effect of P addition and clonal integration increased soil MBN and MBP. Clonal integration promoted the increased growth and diversity of ferns and soil MBC in the heterogeneous light environment (9.35%-35.19%), and enhanced soil MBN and MBP in the P addition treatment (9.03%-12.96%). The interactive effect of P addition and clonal integration largely led to the transition of fungal groups from slow-growing oligotrophic types to fast-growing copiotrophic types. Our results show that the interactions between clonal integration and/or P addition under light heterogeneity increase the benefits of ferns in light-rich patches, and further promote integrative performance of ferns and soil microbial communities.

[Carbon and nitrogen storages and allocation in tree layers of Fraxinus mandshurica and Larix gmelinii plantations].

By the methods of wood analysis and sequential soil core, the biomass and productivity of the tree layers in 20-year old Fraxiuns mandshurica and Larix gmelinii plantations, as well as the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) storages in the above- and below-ground organs of the stands, were estimated. The biomass of F. mandshurica and L. gmelinii was 6815.10 g x m(-2) and 9295.95 g x m(-2), in which, stem occupied 57.32% and 58.01%, and fine roots occupied 2.67% and 1.80%, respectively. The annual productivity of F. mandshurica and L. gmelinii was 1618.16 and 2102.45 g x m(-2) x a(-1), in which, stem accounted for 39.34% and 46.70%, and fine roots accounted for 12.06% and 5.25%, respectively. The C content in the organs of F. mandshurica was lower than that of L. gmelinii, while the N content was in adverse. The C storage of F. mandshurica was lower than that of L. gmelinii, while the N storage had no significant difference between the two tree species. The biomass, productivity, and C and N storages of aboveground organs were lower for F. mandshurica than for L. gmelinii, indicating the higher construction efficiency of the aboveground part of L. gmelinii. Due to the significant differences in the C and N contents between tree species and between the organs of same tree species, the measurement should be made on different tree species and different organs to have an accurate estimation of forest C and N storages.