Paramphibambusabambusicola gen. et. sp. nov., Arecophilaxishuangbannaensis and A.zhaotongensis spp. nov. in Cainiaceae from Yunnan, China.

Morphological comparisons and multi locus phylogenetic analyses (base on the combined genes of ITS, LSU, rpb2 and tub) demonstrated that three new saprobic taxa isolated from bamboo belong to Cainiaceae. These taxa comprise a novel genus Paramphibambusa (P.bambusicolasp. nov.) and two new species, Arecophilaxishuangbannaensis and A.zhaotongensis. The three new taxa belong to Cainiaceae (Xylariales, Sordariomycetes) a poorly studied family, which now comprises eight genera. Paramphibambusa can be distinguished from other Cainiaceae genera in having ascomata with a neck and ascospores lacking longitudinal striation, germ slits or germ pores. The two new Arecophila species clustered in a clade with Arecophila sp. and A.bambusae. Detailed morphological descriptions, illustrations, and an updated phylogenetic tree are provided for the new taxa.

Band structure optimization of superconducting photonic crystals based on transmission spectrum calculation.

The design of photonic crystals using novel materials is of great significance for the construction of high-performance, next-generation photonic crystal devices. We propose a universal Band structure-Transmission optimization-Band structure method based on moving asymptotic (MMA) method, which can be widely applied to photonic crystal structures. In this paper, we use the method to optimize the band structure of high temperature superconducting photonic crystal, and obtain a wider photonic bandgap and better band flatness in a specific frequency band. This method avoids the disadvantages of traditional scanning methods such as low efficiency and high resource consumption, allows multi-parameter optimization, and improves the accuracy and effectiveness of band modulation based on the iterative process of numerical calculation. The study provides some insights for the design of novel wide-bandgap optical devices.

[Application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the diagnosis and treatment of refractory pneumonia in children]. / æ”¯æ°”ç®¡è‚ºæ³¡çŒæ´—æ¶²å®åŸºå› ç»„äºŒä»£æµ‹åºåœ¨å„¿ç«¥éš¾æ²»æ€§è‚ºç‚Žè¯Šæ²»ä¸­çš„åº”ç”¨.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in the etiological diagnosis and treatment of refractory pneumonia (RTP) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 160 children with RTP who were admitted to the Department of Pediatric Internal Medicine, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, from January 2020 to March 2023. According to whether mNGS was performed, they were divided into two groups: mNGS (n=80) and traditional testing (n=80). All children received the tests of inflammatory markers and pathogen tests after admission. Traditional pathogenicity tests included microbial culture (sputum specimen collected by suction tube), nucleic acid detection of respiratory pathogens, and serological test (mycoplasma, tuberculosis, and fungi). For the mNGS group, BALF specimens were collected after bronchoscopy and were sent to the laboratory for mNGS and microbial culture. The two groups were analyzed and compared in terms of the detection of pathogens and treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the traditional testing group, the mNGS group had a significantly higher detection rate of pathogens (92% vs 58%, P<0.05), with more types of pathogens and a higher diagnostic rate of mixed infections. Compared with the traditional testing group, the mNGS group had a significantly higher treatment response rate and a significantly lower incidence rate of complications during hospitalization (P<0.05). Treatment was adjusted for 68 children in the mNGS group according to the results of mNGS, with a treatment response rate of 96% (65/68) after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with traditional pathogen tests, BALF mNGS can significantly improve the detection rate of pathogens and find some rare pathogens. In clinical practice, when encountering bottlenecks during the diagnosis and treatment of children with RTP, it is advisable to promptly perform the mNGS to identify the pathogens.

Validation of the JAMR F1701T (arm type) pressure monitor according to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/European Society of Hypertension/ISO 81060-2:2018 protocol.

To validate the JAMR F1701T (arm type) blood pressure (BP) monitor according to the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation/European Society of Hypertension/International Organization for Standardization (AAMI/ESH/ISO) Universal Standard (ISO 81060-2:2018). A total of 90 subjects (male 60 and female 30) were recruited to fulfill the criteria of the AAMI/ESH/ISO Universal Standard (the number, gender, age, limber size, and BP distribution), and sequential measurements of BP, including both SBP and DBP were obtained using the test device and the standard mercury sphygmomanometer. A total of 270 sets of comparison data (three sets of each subject) were obtained and analyzed. According to the validation criterion 1 of ISO 81060-2:2018, the mean ± SD of the differences between the JAMR F1701T and mercury sphygmomanometer BP (systolic/diastolic) readings was 2.06 ± 6.83/-4.84 ± 5.23 mmHg. For criterion 2, the SD of the averaged BP (systolic/diastolic) differences between the JAMR F1701 and reference BP (systolic/diastolic) per participant was 5.62/4.39 mmHg (the requirement was ≤6.43/5.01 mmHg by calculation). The JAMR F1701T met all the requirements of the ISO 81060-2:2018, and can be recommended for clinical and self/home use.

Plastid genome evolution of a monophyletic group in the subtribe Lauriineae (Laureae, Lauraceae).

Litsea, a non-monophyletic group of the tribe Laureae (Lauraceae), plays important roles in the tropical and subtropical forests of Asia, Australia, Central and North America, and the islands of the Pacific. However, intergeneric relationships between Litsea and Laurus, Lindera, Parasassafras and Sinosassafras of the tribe Laureae remain unresolved. In this study, we present phylogenetic analyses of seven newly sequenced Litsea plastomes, together with 47 Laureae plastomes obtained from public databases, representing six genera of the Laureae. Our results highlight two highly supported monophyletic groups of Litsea taxa. One is composed of 16 Litsea taxa and two Lindera taxa. The 18 plastomes of these taxa were further compared for their gene structure, codon usage, contraction and expansion of inverted repeats, sequence repeats, divergence hotspots, and gene evolution. The complete plastome size of newly sequenced taxa varied between 152,377 bp (Litsea auriculata) and 154,117 bp (Litsea pierrei). Seven of the 16 Litsea plastomes have a pair of insertions in the IRa (trnL-trnH) and IRb (ycf2) regions. The 18 plastomes of Litsea and Lindera taxa exhibit similar gene features, codon usage, oligonucleotide repeats, and inverted repeat dynamics. The codons with the highest frequency among these taxa favored A/T endings and each of these plastomes had nine divergence hotspots, which are located in the same regions. We also identified six protein coding genes (accD, ndhJ, rbcL, rpoC2, ycf1 and ycf2) under positive selection in Litsea; these genes may play important roles in adaptation of Litsea species to various environments.

Optoelectronic properties and interfacial interactions of two-dimensional Cs2PbX4-MSe2 (M = Mo, W) heterostructures.

Constructing 2D inorganic perovskites and TMDs heterostructures is an effective method to design stable and high-performance perovskites optoelectronic applications. Here, we investigate the optoelectronic properties and interfacial interactions of Cs2PbX4-MSe2 (X = Cl, Br, I; M = Mo, W) heterostructures using first-principles calculations. Firstly, six Cs2PbX4-MSe2 interfaces remain stable in energy. With the halogen varying from Cl to I, the interlayer distances of Cs2PbX4-MSe2 heterostructures increase rapidly. The CBM and VBM of monolayer Cs2PbX4 are all higher than that of monolayer MSe2 and the charges transfer from Cs2PbX4 interfaces to MSe2 interfaces when they contact. Both Cs2PbX4-MSe2 heterostructures are type-II heterostructures, which can drive the photogenerated electrons and holes to move in opposite directions. What's more, Cs2PbCl4-MoSe2 heterostructures exhibit the highest charge transport efficiency among Cs2PbX4-MoSe2 heterostructures because Cs2PbCl4-MoSe2 heterostructures have the lowest exciton binding energies among Cs2PbX4-MSe2 heterostructures. In addition, the optical absorptions of all heterostructures are significantly higher than the corresponding Cs2PbX4 monolayers and MSe2 monolayers. The construction of Cs2PbX4-MoSe2 heterostructures is beneficial for improving the photoelectric performance of two-dimensional perovskite devices. Lastly, we found that the Cs2PbI4-WSe2 heterostructure has the largest PCE (18%) among Cs2PbX4-MSe2 heterostructures. The Cs2PbCl4-MoSe2 heterostructure exhibits great potential application in photodetector devices and the Cs2PbI4-WSe2 heterostructure has great potential application in solar cells.

Genetic Analysis of Chinese Patients with Early-Onset Dementia Using Next-Generation Sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: Early-onset dementia (EOD) is a relatively uncommon form of dementia that afflicts people before age 65. Only a few studies analyzing the genetics of EOD have been performed in the Chinese Han population. Diagnosing EOD remains a challenge due to the diverse genetic and clinical heterogeneity of these diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic spectrum and clinical features of Chinese patients with EOD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 49 EOD patients were recruited. Targeted next-generation (NGS) analyses were performed to screen for all of the known genes associated with dementia. Possible pathogenic variants were confirmed by performing Sanger sequencing. The genetic spectrum and clinical features of the EOD patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Seven previously reported pathogenic variants (p.I213T and p.W165C in PSEN1; p.D678N in APP; c.1349_1352del in TBK1; p.P301L and p.R406W in MAPT; p.R110C in NOTCH3) and two novel variants of uncertain significance (p.P436L in PSEN2; c.239-11G>A in TARDBP) were identified. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated the genetic spectrum and clinical features of EOD patients, and it reveals that genetic testing of known causal genes in EOD patients can help to make a precise diagnosis.

The saprotrophic Pleurotus ostreatus species complex: late Eocene origin in East Asia, multiple dispersal, and complex speciation.

The Pleurotus ostreatus species complex is saprotrophic and of significant economic and ecological importance. However, species delimitation has long been problematic because of phenotypic plasticity and morphological stasis. In addition, the evolutionary history is poorly understood due to limited sampling and insufficient gene fragments employed for phylogenetic analyses. Comprehensive sampling from Asia, Europe, North and South America and Africa was used to run phylogenetic analyses of the P. ostreatus species complex based on 40 nuclear single-copy orthologous genes using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses. Here, we present a robust phylogeny of the P. ostreatus species complex, fully resolved from the deepest nodes to species level. The P. ostreatus species complex was strongly supported as monophyletic, and 20 phylogenetic species were recognized, with seven putatively new species. Data from our molecular clock analyses suggested that divergence of the genus Pleurotus probably occurred in the late Jurassic, while the most recent common ancestor of the P. ostreatus species complex diversified about 39 Ma in East Asia. Species of the P. ostreatus complex might migrate from the East Asia into North America across the North Atlantic Land Bridge or the Bering Land Bridge at different times during the late Oligocene, late Miocene and late Pliocene, and then diversified in the Old and New Worlds simultaneously through multiple dispersal and vicariance events. The dispersal from East Asia to South America in the middle Oligocene was probably achieved by a long-distance dispersal event. Intensification of aridity and climate cooling events in the late Miocene and Quaternary glacial cycling probably had a significant influence on diversification patterns of the complex. The disjunctions among East Asia, Europe, North America and Africa within Clade IIc are hypothesized to be a result of allopatric speciation. Substrate transitions to Apiaceae probably occurred no earlier than 6 Ma. Biogeographic analyses suggested that the global cooling of the late Eocene, intensification of aridity caused by rapid uplift of the QTP and retreat of the Tethys Sea in the late Miocene, climate cooling events in Quaternary glacial cycling, and substrate transitions have contributed jointly to diversification of the species complex.

Neuroprotective mechanisms of DNA methyltransferase in a mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line after hypoxic preconditioning.

Hypoxic preconditioning has been shown to improve hypoxic tolerance in mice, accompanied by the downregulation of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) in the brain. However, the roles played by DNMTs in the multiple neuroprotective mechanisms associated with hypoxic preconditioning remain poorly understood. This study aimed to establish an in vitro model of hypoxic preconditioning, using a cultured mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line (HT22 cells), to examine the effects of DNMTs on the endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms that occur during hypoxic preconditioning. HT22 cells were divided into a control group, which received no exposure to hypoxia, a hypoxia group, which was exposed to hypoxia once, and a hypoxic preconditioning group, which was exposed to four cycles of hypoxia. To test the ability of hypoxic preadaptation to induce hypoxic tolerance, cell viability was measured using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5(3-carboxymethonyphenol)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay. Cell viability improved in the hypoxic preconditioning group compared with that in the hypoxia group. The effects of hypoxic preconditioning on the cell cycle and apoptosis in HT22 cells were examined by western blot assay and flow cytometry. Compared with the hypoxia group, the expression levels of caspase-3 and spectrin, which are markers of early apoptosis and S-phase arrest, respectively, noticeably reduced in the hypoxic preconditioning group. Finally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blot assay were used to investigate the changes in DNMT expression and activity during hypoxic preconditioning. The results showed that compared with the control group, hypoxic preconditioning downregulated the expression levels of DNMT3A and DNMT3B mRNA and protein in HT22 cells and decreased the activities of total DNMTs and DNMT3B. In conclusion, hypoxic preconditioning may exert anti-hypoxic neuroprotective effects, maintaining HT22 cell viability and inhibiting cell apoptosis. These neuroprotective mechanisms may be associated with the inhibition of DNMT3A and DNMT3B.

The de Winter ECG pattern: Distribution and morphology of ST depression.

BACKGROUND: The reported positive predictive value (PPV) for the "de Winter ECG pattern" to predict an acute left anterior descending artery (LAD) lesion is inconsistent. Besides, the morphology of upsloping or nonupsloping ST depression (STD) may have different significance of severity and prognostication. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE database using "de Winter" or "junctional ST-depression with tall symmetrical T-waves" or "tall T wave" or "STEMI equivalent" as the item up to March 2020. We compared the ECG differences between the different culprit arteries and various morphological STD. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients with analyzable ECGs were included. In 60 patients (LAD group), the LAD was the culprit artery, while in 10 patients (non-LAD group), there were other etiologies. Maximal STD in V2 or V3 had a PPV of 89% of all patients and 98% of patients without ST elevation in V2 to detect an acute LAD lesion. The presence of q/Q-wave or poor R-wave progression in the precordial leads was significantly more often found in patients with upsloping STD than in patients with nonupsloping STD in the LAD group (84% vs. 27%, p < .01). In 18 patients, the ECG showed a change from upsloping to nonupsloping STD from the leads with maximal STD to the surrounding leads with less STD. CONCLUSIONS: The location of the maximal STD in the precordial leads differs between patients with LAD as the culprit artery and other etiologies of the de Winter ECG pattern. Upsloping STD signifies more severe signs of ischemia than nonupsloping STD.

A de Winter electrocardiographic pattern caused by left main coronary artery occlusion: A case report.

A de Winter electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern comprising precordial junctional ST depression followed by tall, positive symmetrical T waves in leads V1/V2 to V4/V6 is often concomitant with ST elevation in lead aVR. This finding strongly suggests proximal left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. We described a patient who had the de Winter ECG pattern in leads V2 to V4 by acute left main coronary artery (LMCA) occlusion. The ECG also showed maximal ST depression in leads V4 to V5 and inverted T waves in leads V5 to V6. This finding indicated a global subendocardial ischemia ECG pattern, which suggested LMCA or three-vessel disease. Early recognition of this ECG manifestation is important for averting a disastrous prognosis in acute LMCA occlusion because emergent coronary intervention may be life-saving.

GhEIN3, a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) homologue of AtEIN3, is involved in regulation of plant salinity tolerance.

Ethylene insensitive 3 (EIN3), a key transcription factor in ethylene signal transduction, play important roles in plant stress signaling pathways. In this study, we isolated and characterized an EIN3-like gene from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), designated as GhEIN3. GhEIN3 is highly expressed in vegetative tissues, and its expression is induced by 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) and NaCl. Ectopic expression of GhEIN3 in Arabidopsis elevated plants' response to ethylene, which exhibit smaller leaves, more root hairs, shorter roots and hypocotyls. The germination rate, survival rate and root length of GhEIN3 transgenic plants were significantly improved compared to wild type under salt stress. GhEIN3 transgenic plants accumulated less H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA), while higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities were detected under salt stress. In addition, expression of several genes related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and ABA signaling pathway was increased in the GhEIN3 transgenic plants under salt stress. In contrast, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of GhEIN3 in cotton enhanced the sensitivity of transgenic plants to salt stress, accumulating higher H2O2 and MDA and lower SOD and POD activities compared to control plants. Collectively, our results revealed that GhEIN3 might be involved in the regulation of plant response to salt stress by regulating ABA and ROS pathway during plant growth and development.

Rubroshiraia gen. nov., a second hypocrellin-producing genus in Shiraiaceae (Pleosporales).

Shiraiaceae is an important family in Pleosporales (Dothideomycetes), which includes medical fungi and plant pathogens. Two hypocrellin-producing taxa, Shiraia bambusicola and a novel genus Rubroshiraia gen. nov., typified by Rubroshiraia bambusae are treated in this article. Maximum likelihood analysis, generated via RAxML (GTR+G model), using a combined SSU, LSU, TEF1 and RPB2 sequence dataset, shows that Rubroshiraia is close to Shiraia and belongs to the family Shiraiaceae. Descriptions, illustrations and a taxonomic key are provided for the genera in Shiraiaceae. Rubroshiraia morphologically differs from Shiraia in having small and dark ascostromata and filiform ascospores. Production of the ascostromatal metabolites, hypocrellin A and B, were examined by HPLC and spectrophotometer. The content of hypocrellin A and B of specimen HKAS 102255 (R. bambusae) is twice that produced by HKAS 102253 (S. bambusicola). To clarify the relationship between R. bambusae and Hypocrella bambusae, type material of the latter was examined and provided the illustration.

Fungal Systematics and Evolution: FUSE 5.

Thirteen new species are formally described: Cortinarius brunneocarpus from Pakistan, C. lilacinoarmillatus from India, Curvularia khuzestanica on Atriplex lentiformis from Iran, Gloeocantharellus neoechinosporus from China, Laboulbenia bernaliana on species of Apenes, Apristus, and Philophuga (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Nicaragua and Panama, L. oioveliicola on Oiovelia machadoi (Hemiptera, Veliidae) from Brazil, L. termiticola on Macrotermes subhyalinus (Blattodea, Termitidae) from the DR Congo, Pluteus cutefractus from Slovenia, Rhizoglomus variabile from Peru, Russula phloginea from China, Stagonosporopsis flacciduvarum on Vitis vinifera from Italy, Strobilomyces huangshanensis from China, Uromyces klotzschianus on Rumex dentatus subsp. klotzschianus from Pakistan. The following new records are reported: Alternaria calendulae on Calendula officinalis from India; A. tenuissima on apple and quince fruits from Iran; Candelariella oleaginescens from Turkey; Didymella americana and D. calidophila on Vitis vinifera from Italy; Lasiodiplodia theobromae causing tip blight of Dianella tasmanica 'variegata' from India; Marasmiellus subpruinosus from Madeira, Portugal, new for Macaronesia and Africa; Mycena albidolilacea, M. tenuispinosa, and M. xantholeuca from Russia; Neonectria neomacrospora on Madhuca longifolia from India; Nothophoma quercina on Vitis vinifera from Italy; Plagiosphaera immersa on Urtica dioica from Austria; Rinodina sicula from Turkey; Sphaerosporium lignatile from Wisconsin, USA; and Verrucaria murina from Turkey. Multi-locus analysis of ITS, LSU, rpb1, tef1 sequences revealed that P. immersa, commonly classified within Gnomoniaceae (Diaporthales) or as Sordariomycetes incertae sedis, belongs to Magnaporthaceae (Magnaporthales). Analysis of a six-locus Ascomycota-wide dataset including SSU and LSU sequences of S. lignatile revealed that this species, currently in Ascomycota incertae sedis, belongs to Pyronemataceae (Pezizomycetes, Pezizales).

Network strategy to investigate differential pathways in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper was to investigate differential pathways in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) based on pathway network analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To achieve this goal, first, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between SALS and normal controls were identified, and a target network was defined as DEGs correlated interactions from the search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes/proteins (STRING). Second, topological centrality analysis was conducted on the target network to identify hub genes and hub network. Third, pathway network was constructed by taking intersections of Reactome database and STRING protein-protein interaction network. Finally, based on extracting the common interactions between target network, hub network and pathway network, we built randomized network, performed randomization test, and denoted differential pathways and hub differential pathways with P < 0.05. RESULTS: There were 485 DEGs and 627 interactions in the target network. The pathway network was comprised 117,370 interactions. What was more, we found that 217 pathways had intersections with the target network. By accessing randomization test and removing the intersected count <10, 21 differential pathways with P values were nearly to be 0 were obtained, of which 6 rightly were the hub differential pathways, such as gene expression, mRNA Splicing, and mRNA splicing-major pathway. CONCLUSION: We have investigated 217 differential pathways and 21 significant differential pathways between SALS and normal controls based on network strategy. The findings might provide potential biomarkers for detection and therapy of SALS clinically and give great insights to reveal molecular mechanism underlying this disease. However, how these pathways cooperated with each other is still not clear, and future study should focus on this aspect.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of TCP transcription factor genes in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

TCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors (TFs), and perform a variety of physiological functions in plant growth and development. In this study, 74 non-redundant TCP genes were identified in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) genome. Cotton TCP family can be classified into two classes (class I and class II) that can be further divided into 11 types (groups) based on their motif composition. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that GhTCPs display different expression patterns in cotton tissues. The majority of these genes are preferentially or specifically expressed in cotton leaves, while some GhTCP genes are highly expressed in initiating fibers and/or elongating fibers of cotton. Yeast two-hybrid results indicated that GhTCPs can interact with each other to form homodimers or heterodimers. In addition, GhTCP14a and GhTCP22 can interact with some transcription factors which are involved in fiber development. These results lay solid foundation for further study on the functions of TCP genes during cotton fiber development.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of JAZ gene family in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

Plant JAZ (Jasmonate ZIM-domain) proteins play versatile roles in multiple aspects of plant development and defense. However, little is known about the JAZ family in allotetraploid upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) so far. In this study, 30 non-redundant JAZ genes were identified in upland cotton through genome-wide screening. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the 30 proteins in cotton JAZ family are further divided into five groups (I - V), and members in the same group share highly conserved motif structures. Subcellular localization assay demonstrated that GhJAZ proteins are localized in the cell nucleus. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that GhJAZs display different expression patterns in cotton tissues, and most of them could be induced by Jasmonic (JA). Furthermore, some GhJAZ genes are preferentially expressed in cotton ovules and fibers, and showed differential expression in ovules of wild type cotton and fiberless mutant (fl) during fiber initiation. GhJAZ proteins could interact with each other to form homodimer or heterodimer, and they also interacted with some JA signaling regulators and the proteins involved in cotton fiber initiation. Collectively, our data suggested that some GhJAZ proteins may play important roles in cotton fiber initiation and development by regulating JA signaling as well as some fiber-related proteins.

Establishment of complete blood count reference intervals for Chinese preschoolers.

BACKGROUND: Reference intervals are critical for interpreting test results of a clinical laboratory. The aim of this study was to establish local reference intervals of complete blood count for healthy preschoolers in China. METHODS: Three thousand eight hundred and twenty-one blood specimens from children aged 4 months to 6 years were collected and analyzed. Complete blood counts were determined by Sysmex XT-4000i Automated Hematology Analyzer. The nonparametric 2.5th to 97.5th percentile reference ranges were calculated according to CLSI EP28-A3c guideline. RESULTS: Reference intervals for each blood cell parameter are determinded as follows: total WBC 4.86-12.1×109 /L for males and 4.73-12.3×109 /L for females; RBC 4.13-5.32×1012 /L for males and 4.08-5.24×1012 /L for females; HGB 109-145 g/L for males and 111-143 g/L for females; HCT 33.1-41.2% for males and 33.3-41.1% for females; MCH 23.5-29.7 pg for males and 24.6-30.0 pg for females; MCHC 320-365 g/L for males and 321-362 g/L for females; MCV 71.4-85.1 fL for males and 73.8-86.9 fL for females; RDW-SD 33.5-41.9 fL for males and 33.5-41.0 fL for females; RDW-CV 12.0-15.2% for males and 11.8-14.5% for females; PLT 181-475×109 /L for males and 179-456×109 /L for females; PCT 0.18-0.44% for males and 0.18-0.43% for females; MPV 8.20-11.6 fL for males and 8.20-11.5 fL for females; PDW 8.40-14.4 fL for males and 8.40-14.0 fL for females; P-LCR 12.0-36.6% for males and 11.8-35.6% for females. CONCLUSIONS: We established local complete blood count reference intervals for apparent healthy preschoolers in China. It is necessary to establishing region-specific reference intervals of complete blood count for preschoolers.

Deceleration of liver regeneration by knockdown of augmenter of liver regeneration gene is associated with impairment of mitochondrial DNA synthesis in mice.

Hepatic stimulator substance, also known as augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR), is a novel hepatic mitogen that stimulates liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH). Recent work has indicated that a lack of ALR expression inhibited liver regeneration in rats, and the mechanism seems to be related to increased cell apoptosis. The mitochondria play an important role during liver regeneration. Adequate ATP supply, which is largely dependent on effective mitochondrial biogenesis, is essential for progress of liver regeneration. However, ALR gene expression during liver regeneration, particularly its function with mitochondrial DNA synthesis, remains poorly understood. In this study, ALR expression in hepatocytes of mice was suppressed with ALR short-hairpin RNA interference or ALR deletion (knockout, KO). The ALR-defective mice underwent PH, and the liver was allowed to regenerate for 1 wk. Analysis of liver growth and its correlation with mitochondrial biogenesis showed that both ALR mRNA and protein levels increased robustly in control mice with a maximum at days 3 and 4 post-PH. However, ALR knockdown inhibited hepatic DNA synthesis and decelerated liver regeneration after PH. Furthermore, both in the ALR-knockdown and ALR-KO mice, expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α were reduced, resulting in impaired mitochondrial biogenesis. In conclusion, ALR is apparently required to ensure appropriate liver regeneration following PH in mice, and deletion of the ALR gene may delay liver regeneration in part due to impaired mitochondrial biogenesis.