Resección transuretral en bloque vs. resección transuretral convencional para el cáncer de vejiga primario no músculo-infiltrante: metaanálisis / En-bloc transurethral resection vs. conventional transurethral resection for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: A meta-analysis

Introducción Se realizó un metaanálisis para evaluar el efecto de la resección transuretral en bloque en comparación con la resección transuretral convencional para el cáncer de vejiga primario no músculo-infltrante. Métodos Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en la literatura hasta enero de 2022 y se incluyeron 28 estudios con 3.714 sujetos con cáncer de vejiga primario no músculo-infltrante al inicio del estudio; a 1.870 de ellos se les efectuó una resección transuretral en bloque y a 1.844 una resección transuretral convencional para el cáncer de vejiga primario no músculo-infltrante. Se calculó la odds-ratio (OR) y la diferencia de medias (DM) con intervalos de confianza (IC) del 95% para evaluar el efecto de una y otra en el cáncer primario de vejiga no invasivo por métodos dicotómicos o continuos con un modelo de efectos aleatorios o fijos. Resultados La resección transuretral en bloque obtuvo valores significativamente menores en términos de recurrencia a los 24 meses (OR: 0,63; IC 95%: 0,50-0,78; p<0,001), tiempo de sondaje (DM: –0,66; IC 95%: –1,02-[–0,29]; p<0,001); duración de la estancia hospitalaria (DM: –0,95; IC 95%: –1,55-[–0,34]; p=0,002), tiempo de irrigación vesical postoperatoria (DM: –6,06; IC 95%: –9,45-[–2,67]; p<0,001), contracción del nervio obturador (OR: 0,08; IC 95%: 0,02-0,34; p=0,03) y perforación de la vejiga (OR: 0,14; IC 95%: 0,06-0,36; p<0,001) y no hubo diferencias significativas en cuanto a la recurrencia a los 12meses (OR: 0,79; IC 95%: 0,61-1,04: p=0,09), tiempo quirúrgico (DM: 0,67; IC 95%: –1,92-3,25; p=0,61) y estenosis uretral (OR: 0,46; IC 95%: 0,14-1,47; p=0,19) en comparación con la resección transuretral convencional para sujetos con cáncer de vejiga primario no invasivo...(AU)

Introduction We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of en-bloc transurethral resection vs. conventional transurethral resection for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Methods A systematic literature search up to January 2022 was done and 28 studies included 3714 primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer subjects at the start of the study; 1870 of them were en-bloc transurethral resection, and 1844 were conventional transurethral resection for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. We calculated the odds-ratio (OR) and mean-difference (MD) with 95% confidence-intervals (CIs) to evaluate the effect of en-bloc transurethral resection compared with conventional transurethral resection for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer by the dichotomous or continuous methods with random or fixed-effects models. Results En-bloc transurethral resection had significantly lower twenty-four-month recurrence (OR: 0.63; 95%CI: 0.50-0.78; P<0.001), catheterization-time (MD: –0.66; 95%CI: –1.02-[–0.29]; P<0.001), length of hospital stay (MD: –0.95; 95%CI: –1.55-[–0.34]; P=0.002), postoperative bladder irrigation duration (MD: –6.06; 95%CI: –9.45-[–2.67]; P<0.001), obturator nerve reflex (OR: 0.08; 95%CI: 0.02-0.34; P=0.03), and bladder perforation (OR: 0.14; 95%CI: 0.06-0.36: P<0.001) and no significant difference in the 12-month-recurrence (OR: 0.79; 95%CI: 0.61-1.04; P=0.09), the operation time (MD: 0.67; 95%CI: –1.92-3.25; P=0.61), and urethral stricture (OR: 0.46; 95%CI: 0.14-1.47; P=0.19) compared with conventional transurethral resection for primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer subjects... (AU)

[Proliferative lesions with mesonephric features in the gynecologic tract: a clinicopathological analysis of sixteen cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of proliferations with mesonephric features (PMF) of the gynecologic tract. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and pathological data of 16 cases with PMF that were diagnosed from October 2016 to January 2022 at a single institution. The relevant literature was reviewed. Results: Among the 16 cases, with an average of 53 years (31-68 years), there were 5 cases of mesonephric hyperplasia, 4 cases of mesonephric adenocarcinoma and 7 cases of mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma. The five cases of mesonephric hyperplasia were located in the lateral wall of the cervix and composed of simple tubules with growth patterns of diffuse or lobular clusters, without obvious stromal reaction. Four cases of mesonephric adenocarcinoma consisted of a mixture of papillary, cribriform, solid and other architectures, the nuclei resembling these of papillary thyroid carcinoma, and strong fibroproliferative reaction. They were located deep in the cervical and vaginal stroma. One of the tumors showed atypical mesonephric hyperplasia adjacent to the tumor. Five uterine and two ovarian mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma cases had similar histological morphology with mesonephric adenocarcinoma, but no mesonephric remnants/mesonephric hyperplasia were found near the tumors. In addition, four (4/5) uterine mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma cases originated from the endometrium with secondary involvement of myometrium, including one case with clear demarcation between the normal endometrium and the neoplastic glands. One (1/5) uterine mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma case was mainly located in the deep myometrium, along with adenomyosis around the tumor, without mesonephric remnants. Two ovarian mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma cases were associated with endometriotic cyst/endometrioid cystadenoma, including one case with an abrupt transition between normal epithelium and atypical mesonephric cells within the single individual cyst directly adjacent to tumor. All mesonephric hyperplasia and mesonephric adenocarcinoma cases were positive for GATA3, PAX8 and CD10 in a varying degree, and negative for ER, PR and TTF1. Although mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma showed a considerable overlap of immunohistochemical expression with mesonephric adenocarcinoma, seven mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma cases were positive for TTF1 and negative for GATA3. Conclusions: PMF is a class of rare proliferative lesions with morphological and immunophenotypic characteristics of mesonephric duct. Its commonly involved site, microscopic morphology, associated benign and/or atypical lesions, and immunophenotype may contribute to its diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

[Incidence and influencing factors of AIDS-related and non-AIDS-related deaths after receiving antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive individuals in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, 2010-2019].

Objective: To explore the changing trends and influencing factors of AIDS-related and non-AIDS-related deaths after receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive individuals in Dehong Dai Jingpo autonomous prefecture (Dehong) from 2010 to 2019. Methods: Based on the Chinese National treatment database, HIV patients who initiated ART from 2010 to 2019 were included in the analysis. The cumulative incidence function was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of AIDS-related death and non-AIDS-related death, respectively. The Fine-Grey model was used to compare the differences between AIDS-related and non-AIDS-related deaths and analyze its influencing factors. Results: A total of 7 068 HIV-positive individuals were included, of which 388 were AIDS-related deaths and 570 were non-AIDS-related deaths. The cumulative mortality rate at years 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 after receiving ART were 2.27%, 3.46%, 4.47%, 5.03%, 5.84%, 6.61%, 7.40% for AIDS-related deaths, and 1.63%, 3.11%, 4.68%, 6.02%, 7.42%, 10.49%, 12.75% for non-AIDS-related deaths, respectively. In the Fine-Grey model, older age at ART initiation, male, unmarried, injection drug use as the transmission route, lower baseline BMI, lower baseline CD4+ T cell counts, baseline FIB-4 score >3.25, and baseline anemia were risk factors for AIDS-related death. In contrast, age at ART initiation ≥45 years, male, Dai, and Jingpo minority ethnicities, unmarried, injection drug use as the transmission route, lower baseline BMI, baseline FIB-4 score >3.25, baseline eGFR <60 ml·min-1·1.73 m-2, and baseline anemia were risk factors for non-AIDS-related deaths. Conclusions: The cumulative mortality rate was low among HIV-positive individuals after receiving ART in Dehong during 2010-2019. The mortality of non-AIDS-related deaths was higher than that of AIDS-related deaths. There were also differences in the factors influencing AIDS-related and non-AIDS-related deaths and interventions should be intensified to target the influencing factors for non-AIDS-related deaths.

[A retrospective cohort study of incidence of anemia and risk factors in HIV/AIDS patients with access to antiretroviral therapy in Dehong Jingpo and Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan province, 2004-2018].

Objective: To investigate the incidence of anemia and risk factors in HIV/AIDS patients with access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) during 2004-2018 in Dehong Jingpo and Dai Autonomous Prefecture (Dehong). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in HIV/AIDS patients receiving ART in Dehong during 2004-2018 based on the data extracted from the National HIV/AIDS antiretroviral therapy database. Cox proportional risk model was used to analyze the factors associated with the incidences of anemia and moderate or severe anemia in the HIV/AIDS patients. And the piecewise linear mixed-effects model was used to depict the trajectory of hemoglobin changes over time after initiating ART according to baseline level. Results: A total of 8 044 HIV/AIDS patients were included, in whom 6 337 (78.8%) were without anemia at baseline survey and had a median follow up time of 4.43 (P25, P75: 1.50, 6.71) years. The median follow up time for 1 291 new anemia cases and 293 new moderate or severe anemia cases was 0.16 (P25, P75: 0.07, 1.99) years and 0.48 (P25, P75:0.09, 2.97) years, respectively. The incidence rate of anemia and moderate or severe anemia was 4.40 per 100 person-years and 0.41 per 100 person-years respectively. In multivariable Cox regression analysis, older age, being female, being in Dai and Jingpo ethnic group, baseline BMI <18.5 kg/m2, baseline CD4+T lymphocyte cell counts (CD4) <200 cells/µl, and zidovudine (AZT) -based initial treatment regimen were factors significantly and positively associated with incidence of anemia after treatment. Factors as being female, being in Dai ethnic group, baseline BMI <18.5 kg/m2, mild baseline anemia, and AZT-based initial treatment regimen were significantly and positively associated with incidence of moderate or severe anemia after treatment. Conclusion: The risk for anemia was higher in HIV/AIDS patients with specific characteristics, such as age ≥60 years , being female, being in Dai and Jingpo ethnic groups, lower BMI, CD4 <200 cells/µl, and treatment of AZT, after initiation of ART in Dehong during 2004-2018. Additional efforts are needed to strengthen the screening, prevention and treatment of anemia in this population.

Effect of congenital heart disease on the recurrence of cough variant asthma in children.

BACKGROUND: The research into the recurrence of cough variant asthma (CVA) in congenital heart disease (CHD) are few in number. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of CHD on the risk of the recurrence of CVA. METHODS: This study was a retrospective cohort study of 489 children with CVA aged between one and 14 years, of whom 67 had CHD complicated with CVA and 134 had CVA without CHD at a ratio of 1:2 according to age, sex and index year. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of CVA recurrence in both the CHD cohort and the non-CHD cohort was determined by multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS: Adjusting for CHD classification, Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) infection and immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitization, the recurrence hazard of CVA in the complex congenital heart disease (CCHD) group (aHR = 3.281; 95% CI 1.648-6.530; P < 0.01) was significantly higher than that in the simple congenital heart disease group (aHR = 2.555; 95% CI 1.739-3.752; P < 0.01). Further, children with IgE sensitization (aHR = 2.172; 95% CI 1.482-3.184; P < 0.01) had a higher recurrence hazard of CVA than those without IgE sensitization, and children with MP infection (aHR = 1.777; 95% CI 1.188-2.657; P < 0.01) had a higher recurrence hazard of CVA than those without the MP infection. CONCLUSION: The hazard of recurrent CVA is higher in children with CHD, especially in the CCHD children. In addition, those children with IgE sensitization or a MP infection had an increased hazard of recurrent CVA.

[Association of maternal nocturnal sleep throughout pregnancy with the early nocturnal sleep of infants].

Objective: To investigate the association between maternal nocturnal sleep during pregnancy and their infants' nocturnal sleep patterns in early infancy by establishing a birth cohort. Methods: In this prospective study,healthy pregnant women and their infants were recruited in Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children from September 2013 to January 2014. A total of 40 healthy pregnant women and their infants were enrolled, and 34 pairs (85%) completed the whole survey. Actiwatch, wearing on the mother's wrist or infant's ankle,was used to monitor nighttime sleep at home for 7 times in total,with 7 consecutive days for each monitoring course. Pregnant women were monitored at 16, 24, 32 weeks gestational age, and were required to finish Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale at the end of each monitoring. Their infants were initially monitored at 14 days after birth, followed by 1(st), 2(nd), and 3(rd) month after birth,with sleep diary recorded by parents. Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate linear regression were used to investigate the potential correlation between these two sleep patterns. Results: The average nocturnal sleep time was (465±53) min throughout pregnancy, with increased trend in the latency of maternal nighttime sleep onset ((30±15), (34±29), (38±30) min) while decreasing of average sleep efficiency ((85±5)%, (84±8)%, (83±8)%). The longest night sleep duration decreased from (382±74) min in the first trimester to (330±83) min in the third trimester (F=4.932, P<0.05), while awakening time after sleep onset (WASO) correspondingly increased from (27±22) min to (53±25) min (F=12.605, P<0.05). In terms of infants, the latency of nighttime sleep onset decreased from (43±33) min on the 14th day to (20±29) min at 3-month of age (t=3.281, P=0.002), while the longest nighttime sleep duration increased from (20±62) min to (265±140) min (t=3.867, P<0.01); meanwhile, the total nocturnal sleep time and the sleep efficiency increased from (373±126) min and (63±28)% to (431±103) min and (75±16)%, respectively (t=2.362, P=0.024; t=2.418, P=0.039, respectively). After adjusting for maternal age and body mass index (BMI), parental educational level and family income, maternal mood, exposure to tobacco and alcohol during pregnancy, method of delivery, as well as infants' gender, feeding patterns and gestational weeks, the regression analysis showed that the total nocturnal sleep time and the longest nighttime sleep duration during pregnancy were positively correlated with the corresponding parameters of their infants at the age of 3 months (B=0.541, 95%CI 0.168-0.914, t=2.882, P=0.005; B=0.310, 95%CI 0.035-0.586, t=2.240, P=0.027, respectively). Conclusions: The total nocturnal sleep time and the longest nighttime sleep duration during pregnancy are positively correlated with the corresponding parameters of their infants in early infancy. Paying more attention to improve maternal sleep quality may facilitate their infants to establish sleep-wake patterns early.

[Value of PET/CT in the prognosis of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma].

Objective: To explore the value of Positron-Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) in the prognosis of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma. Methods: The patients of NK/T cell lymphoma diagnosed from January 2007 to July 2016 in Department of Pathology of Beijing Tongren Hospital were enrolled in this study. Seventy-two in-hospital patients were examined on the invasion of adjecent tissue or organ by PET/CT. The PET/CT results were analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the prognostic value of the positive results by PET/CT on overall survival (OS). Results: There were 54 males and 18 females with median age of 44.5 years (13-75 years). According to Ann Arbor staging system, there were 16 cases (22.2%) in stage Ⅰ, 29 cases (40.3%) in stage Ⅱ, 6 cases (8.3%) in stage Ⅲ and 21 cases (29.2%) in stage Ⅳ. According to the IPI scoring system, there were 34 cases (47.2%) in the low risk group (0-1 point), 21 cases (29.2%) in the low-middle risk group (2 points), 16 cases (22.2%) in the middle-high risk group (3 points), and 1 case (1.4%) in the high risk group (4-5 points) . The median follow-up time was 29.2 months (1-118 months). The disease occured in unilateral nasal cavity in 26 cases (36.1%), bilateral nasal cavities in 36 cases (50.0%), nasopharynx, oropharynx and pharynx in 10 cases (13.9%). The tumors of 51 cases involved the surrounding tissue, including nasal wings in 29 cases (40.3%), nasal sinus in 29 cases (40.3%), maxillofacial soft tissue in 18 cases (25.0%), orbital in 12 cases (16.7%), maxilla and skull base in 8 cases (11.1%), eyelid in 6 cases (8.3%), brain tissue in 3 cases (4.2%), eyeball in 2 cases (2.8%). In addition, cervical and inguinal lymphadenopathy were found in 54 cases (75.0%) . Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly were found in 10 cases (13.9%) and 2 cases (2.8%), respectively. Survival analysis showed that the clinical stage and IPI were significantly associated the clinical prognosis (P=0.000, 0.001, respectively). Involvement of the maxillofacial soft tissue, eyelid, orbital, maxilla and skull base and brain tissue were significantly related to reduced the overall survival time (P=0.006, 0.000, 0.024, 0.001 and 0.015, respectively). Involvement of palate or tonsil, the nosewingand nasal sinus did not show significant shorter overall survival (P=0.091, 0.063, and 0.139, respectively). Cox regression multivariate analysis showed maxilla and skull base involvement was independent adverse prognostic factor (P=0.047). Conclusions: The PET/CT examination can accurately detect the extent of adjacent and distant tissues of tumor involvement of NK/T cell lymphoma by showing the tumor structure and metabolic status, thus has important value in the clinical staging and prognosis predication.

Manipulation of intestinal dysbiosis by a bacterial mixture ameliorates loperamide-induced constipation in rats.

Constipation has a significant influence on quality of life. Patients with constipation have slow waves in their gastrointestinal smooth muscles and less faecal water contents, which are closely associated with down-regulation of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the gastrointestinal muscles and the aquaporin protein AQP3 expressed in colon epithelial cells. Recent studies supported that patients with constipation have altered intestinal microbial structures compared with healthy controls. Intestinal dysbiosis might be one possible pathophysiological mechanism causing constipation. Bacterial strains, such as Lactobacillus spp., have shown many beneficial effects on the amelioration of constipation. However, few studies reported the structural changes of intestinal microbiota post-intervention of probiotics. In this study, a bacterial mixture was administrated to rats with loperamide-induced constipation. Effects of the bacterial mixture on small intestine transit (SIT), faecal water content, and the intestinal microbiome in rats were evaluated. Meanwhile, we investigated several factors involved in signalling pathways that regulate function of ICC and expression of AQP3 to discuss the possible underlying molecular mechanisms. Intervention of the bacterial mixture improved SIT and faecal water content in constipated rats. The up-regulation of C-kit/SP signalling pathways in ICC and AQP3 significantly contributed to improvements. These changes were closely associated with the manipulation of intestinal dysbiosis in constipated rats. Furthermore, our results revealed the important role of intestinal microbiota in affecting gut motility through regulation of serotonin biosynthesis. This monoamine neurotransmitter, secreted from enterochromaffin cells, up-regulated both substance P/neurokinin 1 receptors pathway of ICC and the expression of AQP3 in intestinal epithelial cells. Our study suggested that the disrupted microbiome in patients could be a potential therapeutic target for the improvement of constipation.

Correlation analysis of mast cells and EGFR with endoscopic application of tissue glue for treatment of peptic ulcer healing.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of tissue glue on mast cells (MC) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in rat peptic ulcer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SD rats were used to establish peptic ulcer model. Cimetidine gavage was adopted in the positive control, while cimetidine and endoscopic tissue glue therapy were applied in the experimental group. The ulcer inhibition rate and ulcer index were measured to evaluate healing quality. Real-time PCR was performed to test EGFR mRNA in the ulcer surrounded gastric mucosa. Immunohistochemistry was selected to determine MC quantity. HE staining and apoptosis detection were used to evaluate cell apoptosis. RESULTS: Tissue glue significantly reduced MC number in the peptic ulcer rat compared with control with dose dependence (p < 0.05). Tissue glue significantly decreased ulcer area, and elevated ulcer index and inhibition rate (p < 0.05). EGFR mRNA in the mucosa markedly declined after modeling. Tissue glue upregulated EGFR mRNA to a certain extent (p > 0.05). Tissue glue induced MC apoptosis with dose dependence. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic application of tissue glue accelerated ulcer mucosa healing via up-regulating EGFR mRNA, enhancing gastrointestinal mucous membrane regeneration and repair ability, and decreasing MC number.

miR-187 induces apoptosis of SiHa cervical carcinoma cells by downregulating Bcl-2.

Cervical carcinoma is a life-threatening illness posing considerable danger to women's health. microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to regulate multiple cellular events, including growth and proliferation, and miR-187 is thought to regulate the growth and apoptosis of certain cell types. Our study focused on the influence of miR-187 on the growth, proliferation, and apoptosis of SiHa cervical carcinoma cells, and explored the mechanism behind its pro-apoptotic effect. miR-187 and control (scrambled) miRNA were synthesized with a standard protocol and lipofected into SiHa cells. Thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assays and tests of caspase-3 activity were then performed to examine growth, proliferation, and apoptosis by flow cytometry. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and an expression plasmid were synthesized for inhibition and overexpression of Bcl-2, respectively, and following their transfection, western blotting was used to examine Bcl-2 protein levels. Compared to transfection with control miRNA, miR-187 significantly reduced SiHa cell growth and decreased Bcl-2 expression. Increased translocation of phosphatidylserine and activation of caspase-3 were observed in miR-187-transfected cells. Moreover, inhibition of Bcl-2 enhanced the pro-apoptotic effect of this miRNA, while Bcl-2 overexpression had the opposite effect. miR-187 inhibits the growth and proliferation of SiHa cells, and induces their apoptosis via downregulation of Bcl-2. Bcl-2 represents a potential therapeutic target for cervical carcinoma.

Construction of minicircle DNA vectors capable of correcting familial hypercholesterolemia phenotype in a LDLR-deficient mouse model.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) caused by defect in low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) is a life-threatening disease with poor response to conventional treatments. Earlier gene therapy studies have generated promising results, but further development is hampered because the cells harboring the viral vectors were eliminated by host immune system soon after delivery, whereas the nonviral vectors were too bulky to be delivered to target cells. To overcome these problems, we constructed multiple minicircle (MC) DNA vectors to express the therapeutic LDLR. MC is an optimized nonviral vector that is capable of expressing high level of transgene product persistently. We found that among the seven MCs tested, the best is MC5 with multiple advanced features. First, the LDLr gene was placed under the control of sterol regulatory element (SRE) using LDLr gene promoter or apoprotein E (ApoE) promoter, allowing the transcription of the LDLr gene to be regulated by serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as its functional gene counterpart. Second, a hepatic control region (HCR) was placed upstream of the promoter that serves as a controller to ensure liver-specific expression. Third, the modified Kozak sequence was placed in front of the LDLr gene start codon to enhance its translation efficiency. MC5 was 5.23 kb in size, and was capable of tight physiological control in intracellular LDL cholesterol level even when challenged with high dose of sterols in vitro. Importantly, it was able to correct the phenotype of LDLR-deficient mice C57BL/6 LDLR(-/-) for more than 105 days without detectable toxicity. Therefore, this MC has the clinical application potential for treating FH.

Endogenous hormonal equilibrium linked to bamboo culm development.

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) is the most important bamboo species in China and is famous for its fast-growing culms. To investigate the possible relationship between internode development and endogenous hormones, the concentrations of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), zeatin riboside (ZR), gibberellins (GA3), and abscisic acid (ABA) were analyzed in culm samples from plants at different developmental stages during a single growing season and, at the same time, anatomical structure was closely monitored. Cell division was the dominant process in internode development during early development, while cell elongation predominated at later stages. There was a negative correlation between the rates of cell division and cell elongation. The four endogenous hormones (IAA, ZR, GA3, and ABA) displayed fluctuations in their levels at different developmental stages but their peak activities were not synchronous. Cell division rate had a significant positive correlation with ZR concentration. Cell elongation had a significant positive correlation with the ratio of promoting hormones (IAA, GA3, and ZR) to inhibitory hormone (ABA) concentrations. We conclude that hormonal equilibrium might regulate the division and elongation of bamboo culms.

A new phase of phosphorus: the missed tricycle type red phosphorene.

We predict a new two-dimensional allotrope of phosphorus, which we call red phosphorene, by restructuring the segments of the previously proposed blue and black phosphorenes. Its atomic and electronic structures as well as the thermodynamic and dynamic stabilities are systematically studied by first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the red phosphorene is dynamically stable and possesses remarkably thermodynamical stability comparable to that of the black one. Because of the sp(3)-hybridization and the formation of a localized lone pair, red phosphorene is a semiconductor with an indirect band gap of about 1.96 eV, which can be effectively modulated by in-plane strains due to its wave-like configuration. We find that the red, black and blue phosphorenes show evident distinction in their layer thicknesses, surface work functions, and possible colors, based on which one can distinguish them in future experiments.

Effective Resistance to Wheat Stripe Rust in a Region with High Disease Pressure.

Stripe rust is a major fungal disease of wheat. It frequently becomes epidemic in southeastern Gansu province, a stripe rust hot spot in China. Evaluations of wheat germplasm response are crucial for developing cultivars to control the disease. In total, 57 wheat cultivars and lines from Europe and other countries, comprising 36 cultivars with documented stripe rust resistance genes and 21 with unknown genes, were tested annually with multiple races of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in the field at Tianshui in Gansu province from 1993 to 2013. Seven wheat lines were highly resistant, with infection type (IT) 0 during the entire period; 16 were moderately resistant (IT 0;-2); and 26 were moderately susceptible (IT 0;-4), with low maximum disease severity compared with the susceptible control Huixianhong. 'Strampelli' and 'Libellula', with three and five quantitative trait loci, respectively, for stripe rust resistance have displayed durable resistance in this region for four decades. Ten cultivars, including 'Lantian 15', 'Lantian 26', and 'Lantian 31', with stripe rust resistance derived from European lines, were developed in our breeding program and have made a significant impact on controlling stripe rust in southeastern Gansu. Breeding resistant cultivars with multiple adult-plant resistance genes seems to be a promising strategy in wheat breeding for managing stripe rust in this region and other hot spots.

Propofol suppresses proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis by down-regulating ERK-VEGF/MMP-9 signaling in Eca-109 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol), one of the most commonly used intravenous anaesthetic agents during cancer resection surgery, has been reported to have the ability of influencing the invasion of human cancer cells. However, the mechanisms are not very clear. In this study, we investigated the effects of propofol on the proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis of human Eca-109 cells, and explored the mechanism. METHODS: The human Eca-109 cells was treated with propofol at the concentrations of 10-100 µmol/L for 72 hours or at the concentration of 100 µmol for 8-72 hours. Cell viability was determined by the MTT assay; the effect of propofol on apoptosis by 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The effect of propofol on angiogenesis was determined by the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis assay. The effect of propofol on cell invasion using a modified Matrigel Boyden chamber assay. ERK1/2, MMP-9 and VEGF leves was detected by western blotting assay. RESULTS: In human Eca-109 cells, propofol significantly promoted cell apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in a dose and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, propofol inhibited dose and time-dependent invasion and angiogenesis. Propofol significantly dose and time-dependently down-regulated gene expression and protein production of ERK/pERK, VEGF and MMP-9. The functional effects and MMP-9/VEGF inhibition were shown to be dependent on the ERK/VEGF and ERK/MMP-9 signaling pathways. It was noteworthy that the ERK activator (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate [PMA]) treatment increased the MMP-9/VEGF levels after propofol treatment, and led to significant increase of proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that propofol inhibited proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis of human Eca-109 cells in vitro through modulation of ERK-VEGF /MMP-9 signaling. Propofol not only can be an anesthesia agent which reduces pain but plays an important role of inhibiting the migration and angiogenesis of ESCC cells in the therapy of ESCC patients.

Mn²+-bonded reduced graphene oxide with strong radiative recombination in broad visible range caused by resonant energy transfer.

The photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of Mn(2+)-bonded reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are studied in details. The Mn(2+)-bonded rGO is synthesized using MnO(2)-decorated GO as the intermediate products and ideal tunable PL is obtained by enhancing the long-wavelength (450-550 nm) emission. The PL spectra excited by different wavelengths are analyzed to elucidate the mechanism, and the resonant energy transfer between Mn(2+) and sp(2) clusters of the rGO appears to be responsible for the enhanced long-wavelength emission. To examine the effect of Mn(2+) on the long-wavelength emission from the Mn(2+)-bonded rGO, the PL characteristics of Mn(2+)-bonded rGO with smaller Mn concentrations are studied and weaker emission is observed. Our theoretical calculation corroborates the experimental results.