Impacts of climatic warming on cropping system borders of China and potential adaptation strategies for regional agriculture development.

Climate warming and its corresponding impacts on agriculture system increasingly attach great attentions. Earlier studies more concerned the impacts of the cultivated area expansion under climate change. Yet limited knowledge is about the impacts of climate warming on the cropping index change with the shifts of cropping system border. In this study, we used climatic data (1961-2015) to firstly investigate impacts of warming temperature on potential cropping system border expansion of China, and further used agricultural statistical data and satellite-based land use data to analyze the response of current land system to potential cropping system border expansion. Results of this study indicated that obviously advanced SDT10 and prolonged EDT10 contributed to the 88.4% regions of increased AAT10 at the past half century. Moreover, the northward expansion of the suitable cultivated areas in different cropping systems provided advantages for potential multiple cropping index (PMCI) improvement. Unfortunately, this study found that a significantly declined multiple cropping index (MCI) was observed in the peri-urban regions and the provinces with large out-migration of agriculture labor. The evidently increased MCI was only greatly observed in Xinjiang province. Besides, the potential increment of multiple cropping index (PIMCI) for different cropping system border expansion regions presented a rising trend and reached 53.6% in 2015 due to warming climate. Particularly, the significantly increased PIMCI was observed in the Loess Plateau, the Inner Mongolia, the Middle-lower Yangtze Plain, Northeast China Plain, Southern China and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Metropolitan Region. However, the response of current land system to the changes of PMCI and PIMCI was not timely. Based on the findings of our study, some potential agriculture development strategies were suggested by comprehensively considering regional natural conditions, agricultural production conditions and socioeconomic conditions. We hope these findings of this study could provide some valuable information for agricultural development policy decision-making.

Transplantation of neural stem cells preconditioned with high­mobility group box 1 facilitates functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disorder that often results in temporary and/or permanent functional impairment below the injured level. To date, few satisfactory therapeutic strategies are available to treat SCI. Hence, exploring novel strategies for SCI is an essential public health concern. Cell transplantation therapy, which is associated with neuroprotection, immunomodulation, axon regeneration, neuronal relay formation and myelin regeneration, provides a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI. The neuronal stem cell (NSC) preconditioning method is an emerging approach, which facilitates NSC survival and neuronal differentiation after implantation. The aim of the present study was to develop a feasible candidate for cell­based therapy following SCI in rats and to investigate the role of high mobility group box­1 (HMGB1) in NSC activation. The results of the present study showed that transplantation of NSCs, preconditioned with 1 ng/ml HMGB1, facilitated functional improvement of injured spinal cords, as indicated by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan mean scores, mechanical hypersensitivity and cold stimulation. Meanwhile, the histological examination of hematoxylin and eosin staining indicated that engraftment of HMGB1­preconditioned NSCs resulted in decreased atrophy of the injured spinal cord. Meanwhile, the transplantation of HMGB1­preconditioned NSCs resulted in an increased number of functional Nissl bodies in neurons, as detected by Nissl staining, and an increase in the number of ßIII­tubulin+ cells in the epicenter of injured spinal cords in rats with SCI. In addition, the results also demonstrated that 1 ng/ml HMGB1 promoted the differentiation of NSCs into neurons, and that the ERK signaling pathway played an important role in this process. In conclusion, the present data indicated that the preconditioning strategy with 1 ng/ml HMGB1 may present a feasible candidate for cell­based therapy following SCI in rats, which may enlarge the scope of HMGB1 in NSC activation.

High-mobility group box 1 facilitates migration of neural stem cells via receptor for advanced glycation end products signaling pathway.

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) facilitates neural stem cells (NSCs) proliferation and differentiation into neuronal linage. However, the effect of HMGB1 on NSCs migration is still elusive. The present study is to investigate the corelation between HMGB1 and NSCs migration and the potential mechanism. The results indicated that 1 ng/ml HMGB1 promoted NSCs proliferation using CCK8 assays. Moreover, data showed that 1 ng/ml HMGB1 facilitated NSCs migration via filopodia formation using phase-contrast and transwell assays. Furthermore, 1 ng/ml HMGB1 upregulated the expression of RAGE, one of the HMGB1 receptor, using western blotting assays and immunofluorescence staining. In addition, 1 ng/ml HMGB1 increased the percentage of filopodia formation using phalloidin staining. Meanwhile, the enhanced migration effect could be abrogated by 50 nM FPS-ZM1, one of the RAGE antagonist, and RAGE-specific siRNA through immunofluorescence and phalloidin staining. Together, our data demonstrate that HMGB1/RAGE axis facilitates NSCs migration via promoting filopodia formation, which might serve as a candidate for central nervous system (CNS) injury treatment and/or a preconditioning method for NSCs implantation.

Preliminary application of a multi-level 3D printing drill guide template for pedicle screw placement in severe and rigid scoliosis.

PURPOSE: Accurate implantation of pedicle screw in spinal deformity correction surgeries is always challenging. We have developed a method of pedicle screw placement in severe and rigid scoliosis with a multi-level 3D printing drill guide template. METHODS: From November 2011 to March 2015, ten patients (4 males and 6 females) with severe and rigid scoliosis (Cobb angle >70° and flexibility <30%)were included. Multi-level template was designed and manufactured according to the part (two or three levels) of the most severe deformity. The drill template was then placed on the corresponding vertebral surface. Then, pedicle screws were carefully inserted along the trajectories. The other screws were placed in free hand. After surgery, the positions of the pedicle screws were evaluated by CT scan and graded for validation. RESULTS: 48 screws were implanted using templates, other 104 screws in free hand, and the accuracies were 93.8 and 78.8%, respectively, with significant difference. The deformity correction ratio was 67.1 and 41.2% in coronal and sagittal plane post-operatively, respectively. The average operation time was 234.0 ± 34.1 min, and average blood loss was 557 ± 67.4 ml. CONCLUSIONS: With the application of multi-level template, the incidence of cortex perforation in severe and rigid scoliosis decreased and this technology is, therefore, potentially applicable in clinical practice.