Maternal and embryonic signals cause functional differentiation of luminal epithelial cells and receptivity establishment.

Embryo implantation requires temporospatial maternal-embryonic dialog. Using single-cell RNA sequencing for the uterus from 2.5 to 4.5 days post-coitum (DPC) and bulk sequencing for the corresponding embryos of 3.5 and 4.0 DPC pregnant mice, we found that estrogen-responsive luminal epithelial cells (EECs) functionally differentiated into adhesive epithelial cells (AECs) and supporting epithelial cells (SECs), promoted by progesterone. Along with maternal signals, embryonic Pdgfa and Efna3/4 signaling activated AECs and SECs, respectively, enhancing the attachment of embryos to the endometrium and furthering embryo development. This differentiation process was largely conserved between humans and mice. Notably, the developmental defects of SOX9-positive human endometrial epithelial cells (similar to mouse EEC) were related to thin endometrium, whereas functional defects of SEC-similar unciliated epithelial cells were related to recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Our findings provide insights into endometrial luminal epithelial cell development directed by maternal and embryonic signaling, which is crucial for endometrial receptivity.

Krüppel-like factor 12 regulates aging ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis by repressing SPHK1 transcription and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) production.

Oxidative stress triggered by aging, radiation, or inflammation impairs ovarian function by inducing granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis. However, the mechanism inducing GC apoptosis has not been characterized. Here, we found that ovarian GCs from aging patients showed increased oxidative stress, enhanced reactive oxygen species activity, and significantly decreased expression of the known antiapoptotic factor sphingosine-1-phosphate/sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) in GCs. Interestingly, the expression of Krüppel-like factor 12 (KLF12) was significantly increased in the ovarian GCs of aging patients. Furthermore, we determined that KLF12 was significantly upregulated in hydrogen peroxide-treated GCs and a 3-nitropropionic acid-induced in vivo model of ovarian oxidative stress. This phenotype was further confirmed to result from inhibition of SPHK1 by KLF12. Interestingly, when endogenous KLF12 was knocked down, it rescued oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Meanwhile, supplementation with SPHK1 partially reversed oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. However, this function was lost in SPHK1 with deletion of the binding region to the KLF12 promoter. SPHK1 reversed apoptosis caused by hydrogen peroxide-KLF12 overexpression, a result further confirmed in an in vitro ovarian culture model and an in vivo 3-nitropropionic acid-induced ovarian oxidative stress model. Overall, our study reveals that KLF12 is involved in regulating apoptosis induced by oxidative stress in aging ovarian GCs and that sphingosine-1-phosphate/SPHK1 can rescue GC apoptosis by interacting with KLF12 in negative feedback.

Effect of early progressive mobilization on intensive care unit-acquired weakness in mechanically ventilated patients: An observational study.

Early progressive mobilization is usually considered as an effective method for intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW), but the controversies on this topic remain debatable, especially in initiation time, safety profile, and other implementation details. So, more studies should be performed to solve these disputes. A set of critically ill patients underwent mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital from March 2018 to September 2020 were included as study object. Patients received early progressive mobilization were included into the intervention group (n = 160), and another patients matched with the intervention group by gender, age, and APACHE II score, and these patients received routine intervention were included into the control group (n = 160). Then, indexes involving muscle strength, Barthel index, functional independence, incidence rates of ICU-AW and other complications were comparatively analyzed between the 2 groups. The Medical Research Council score and Barthel index score in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P < .05). The percentages of patients who were able to complete taking a shower, wearing clothes, eating, grooming, moving from bed to chair and using the toilet by alone in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group (69.38% vs 49.38%, 73.13% vs 51.88%, 81.25% vs 55.63%, 74.38% vs 48.75%, 82.50% vs 65.63%, 78.13% vs 63.13%, respectively, all P < .05). The incidence rate of ICU-AW and overall incidence rate of complications in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (6.88% vs 28.13% and 23.13% vs 48.13%, both P < .05). Early progressive mobilization can effectively increase muscle strength and daily basic motion ability, improve functional status, and decrease risk of ICU-AW in critically ill patients underwent mechanical ventilation, and it has an attractive application value in clinic.

[Effect of Jingfang Granules on carrageenan-induced tail thrombosis in mice based on ERK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway].

The present study explored the anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic mechanism of Jingfang Granules on tail thrombosis induced by carrageenan in mice. Thirty-two male ICR mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a Jingfang Granules group, and a positive drug(aspirin) group, with eight mice in each group. The thrombosis model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of carrageenan(45 mg·kg~(-1)) combined with low-temperature stimulation, and the mice were treated with drugs for 7 days before modeling. Twenty-four hours after modeling, blood was detected for four blood coagulation indices in each group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the activity of plasma interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and other inflammatory factors. The tails of mice in each group were cut off to observe tail lesions and measure the length of the thrombus. The protein expression and phosphorylation level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK) in spleen tissues were detected by Western blot. The results showed that dark red thrombus appeared in the tails of mice in each group. The length of the black part accounted for about 40% of the total tail in the model group. Additionally, the model group showed prolonged prothrombin time(PT), increased fibrinogen(FIB) content, and shortened activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT). Compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention displayed shortened black parts in the tail and improved four blood coagulation indices(P<0.05). As revealed by ELISA, the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in the mouse plasma were significantly up-regulated in the model group, and those in the groups with drug intervention were reduced as compared with the model group(P<0.05). As demonstrated by Western blot, the protein expression and phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in the spleen tissues were significantly elevated in the model group, while those in the Jingfang Granules group were down-regulated as compared with the model group with a significant difference. Jingfang Granules can inhibit tail thrombosis of mice caused by carrageenan presumedly by inhibiting the activation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

Gualou-Xiebai-Banxia decoction protects against type II diabetes with acute myocardial ischemia by attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis via PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling.

Gualou-Xiebai-Banxia decoction has a long history of medical use for treating cardiovascular diseases in China. In this study, we investigated the protective effect and underlying mechanisms GXB in type II diabetes with acute myocardial ischemia (T2DM-AMI) rats. We hypothesized that GXB may display its protective effect on T2DM-AMI by reducing endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) apoptosisviaactivating PI3K (phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase)/Akt (serine/threonine protein kinase B)/eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) signaling. Rats were challenged with a high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin to induce a model of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary ligation to induce acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Changes in metabolites were assessed via enzyme-linked immunoassay and biochemical examination. The number and apoptosis rate of EPCs in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry. Target mRNAs and proteins in EPCs were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that GXB treatment decreased T2DM-AMI-associated changes in plasma fasting blood glucose, muscular enzymes, and blood lipids, and reduced oxidative stress. Furthermore, EPC apoptosis was increased in T2DM-AMI rats and was associated with decreased mRNA and protein levels of PI3K, Akt, and eNOS compared to the controls. Conversely, T2DM-AMI rats treated with GXB exhibited more circulating EPCs and downregulated levels of cell apoptosis, combined with increased mRNA and protein levels of PI3K, Akt, and eNOS compared to those of untreated T2DM-AMI rats. Our study showed that GXB treatment mitigated EPC apoptosis and promoted PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling in T2DM-AMI rats.

Simultaneous inhibition of sulfate-reducing bacteria, removal of H2S and production of rhamnolipid by recombinant Pseudomonas stutzeri Rhl: Applications for microbial enhanced oil recovery.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are widely existed in oil production system, and its H2S product inhibits rhamnolipid producing bacteria. In-situ production of rhamnolipid is promising for microbial enhanced oil recovery. Inhibition of SRB, removal of H2S and production of rhamnolipid by recombinant Pseudomonas stutzeri Rhl were investigated. Strain Rhl can simultaneously remove S(2-) (>92%) and produce rhamnolipid (>136mg/l) under S(2-) stress below 33.3mg/l. Rhl reduced the SRB numbers from 10(9) to 10(5)cells/ml, and the production of H2S was delayed and decreased to below 2mg/l. Rhl also produced rhamnolipid and removed S(2-) under laboratory simulated oil reservoir conditions. High-throughput sequencing data demonstrated that addition of strain Rhl significantly changed the original microbial communities of oilfield production water and decreased the species and abundance of SRB. Bioaugmentation of strain Rhl in oilfield is promising for simultaneous control of SRB, removal of S(2-) and enhance oil recovery.

[Effects of the frequency and intensity of nitrogen addition on soil pH, the contents of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia, China.] / æ–½æ°®é¢‘çŽ‡å’Œå¼ºåº¦å¯¹å† è’™å¤æ¸©å¸¦è‰åŽŸåœŸå£¤pH及碳、氮、磷含量的影响.

A four-year simulated nitrogen (N) deposition experiment involving nine N gradients and two N deposition frequencies (N was added either twice yearly or monthly) was conducted in Inner Mongolian grassland, to examine the effects of frequency and intensity of N addition on pH and the contents of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in soil. The results indicated that the soil pH and total phosphorus content, regardless of the N addition frequency, gradually decreased with the increase of N addition intensity. By contrast, the contents of soil available nitrogen and available phosphorus showed an increasing trend, while no significant variation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content was observed, and the contents of soil total carbon and total nitrogen had no change. Compared with the monthly N addition, the twice-a-year N addition substantially overestimated the effects of N deposition on decreasing the soil pH and increasing the available phosphorus content, but underestimated the effects of N deposition on increasing the soil available nitrogen content, and the significant difference was found in 0-5 cm soil layer.

[Construction and evaluation of an engineered bacterial strain for producing lipopeptide under anoxic conditions].

Biosurfactant-facilitated oil recovery is one of the most important aspects of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). However, the biosurfactant production by biosurfactant-producing microorganisms, most of which are aerobes, is severely suppressed due to the in-situ anoxic conditions within oil reservoirs. In this research, we successfully engineered a strain JD-3, which could grow rapidly and produce lipopeptide under anoxic conditions, by protoplast confusion using a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain BQ-2 which produces biosurfactant aerobically, and a facultative anaerobic Pseudomonas stutzeri strain DQ-1 as parent strains. The alignment of 16S rDNA sequence (99% similarity) and comparisons of cell colony morphology showed that fusant JD-3 was closer to the parental strain B. amyloliquefaciens BQ-2. The surface tension of culture broth of fusant JD-3, after 36-hour cultivation under anaerobic conditions, decreased from initially 63.0 to 32.5 mN · m(-1). The results of thin layer chromatography and infrared spectrum analysis demonstrated that the biosurfactant produced by JD-3 was lipopeptide. The surface-active lipopeptide had a low critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 90 mg · L(-1) and presented a good ability to emulsify various hydrocarbons such as crude oil, liquid paraffin, and kerosene. Strain JD-3 could utilize peptone as nitrogen source and sucrose, glucose, glycerin or other common organics as carbon sources for anaerobic lipopeptide synthesis. The subculture of fusant JD-3 showed a stable lipopeptide-producing ability even after ten serial passages. All these results indicated that fusant JD-3 holds a great potential to microbially enhance oil recovery under anoxic conditions.

[Clinical study on Yihong Kangnaoshuan capsule in treating lacunar infarction pure motor hemiparesis].

With the treatment of lacunar cerebral infarction with pure motor hemiparesis (PMH) attach importance to the treatment effect, application benefit of Yihong Kangnaoshuan capsule in the treatment of further effect. Treatment of PMH is mainly depending on the thorough discussion on the cause, to determine the clinical value of treatment based on the principle of. Through the research of Zhejiang People's Hospital of Fenghua from 2013 March to 2014 September 178 cases of pure motor hemiparesis were the benefit of Yihong Kangnaoshuan capsule and vedrin capsule treatment, compared the indexes of efficacy after treatment and blood rheology. Finally found the benefits of Yihong Kangnaoshuan capsule in the application process with high safety, efficacy and greater proportion. And in favor of blood lipid and blood rheology indicators of stability, the repair of neurological function is more. Therefore, clinicians should be applied benefit of red brain thrombus capsule in the treatment of PMH. But the overall difference between drugs is need to further comparison, in order to ensure clinical curative effect.

[Study on an inquiry-based teaching case in genomics curriculum: identifying virulence factors of Escherichia coli by using comparative genomics].

Genomics is the core subject of various "omics" and it also becomes a topic of increasing interest in undergraduate curricula of biological sciences. However, the study on teaching methodology of genomics courses was very limited so far. Here we report an application of inquiry-based teaching in genomics courses by using virulence factors of Escherichia coli as an example of comparative genomics study. Specially, students first built a multiple-genome alignment of different E. coli strains to investigate the gene conservation using the Mauve tool; then putative virulence factor genes were identified by using BLAST tool to obtain gene annotations. The teaching process was divided into five modules: situation, resources, task, process and evaluation. Learning-assessment results revealed that students had acquired the knowledge and skills of genomics, and their learning interest and ability of self-study were also motivated. Moreover, the special teaching case can be applied to other related courses, such as microbiology, bioinformatics, molecular biology and food safety detection technology.