Glucose metabolism and lncRNAs in breast cancer: Sworn friend.

BACKGROUND: Glucose metabolism disorder is a common feature in cancer. Cancer cells generate much energy through anaerobic glycolysis, which promote the development of tumors. However, long non-coding RNA may play an important role in this process. Our aim is to explore a prognostic risk model based on the glucose metabolism-related lncRNAs which provides clues that lncRNAs predict a clinical outcome through glucose metabolism in breast cancer. METHODS: 1222 RNA-seq were extracted from the TCGA database, and 74 glucose metabolism-related genes were loaded from the GSEA website. Then, 7 glucose metabolism-related lncRNAs risk score model was developed by univariate, Lasso, and multivariate regression analysis. The lncRNA risk model showed that high-risk patients predict a poor clinical outcome with high reliability (P=2.838×10-6). Univariate and multivariate independent prognostic analysis and ROC curve analysis proved that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer with an AUC value of 0.652. Finally, Gene set enrichment analysis showed that cell cycle-related pathways were significantly enriched in a high-risk group. RESULTS: Our results showed that glucose metabolism-related lncRNAs can affect breast cancer progression. 7 glucose metabolism-related lncRNAs prognostic signature was established to evaluate the OS of patients with breast cancer. PICSAR, LINC00839, AP001505.1, LINC00393 were risk factors and expressed highly in the high-risk group. A Nomogram was made based on this signature to judge patients' living conditions and prognosis. CONCLUSION: 7 glucose metabolism-related lncRNAs risk score model had a high prognostic value in breast cancer. PICSAR, LINC00839, AP001505.1, LINC00393 were risk factors. AP001505.1 expression was increased in most triple-negative breast cancer cells treated with high glucose, which may also take part in breast cancer progression and potential therapeutic targets.

Dietary patterns, nutritional status, and mortality risks among the elderly.

Introduction: While most epidemiological studies have focused on the effects of individual dietary patterns and nutritional status on health, the relationships between the combinations of these factors and patient prognosis requires further investigation. Objective: This study explored mortality risk in individuals with different combinations of dietary patterns or nutritional status. Methods: Unsupervised K-means clustering was used to classify populations. The analyses included Cox proportional risk and competing risk models. Results: After considering a complex sampling design, the results showed that among 12,724 participants aged >60 years, 6.99% died from cancer and 10.47% from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CCVD). After correcting for participant baseline information and chronic conditions, the geriatric nutritional risk index and healthy eating index (HEI) were negatively associated with the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The opposite was true for the dietary inflammatory index (DII). After sorting the population three clusters based on study scores showed higher risks of all-cause mortality and cancer-related death in Cluster 2 and 3. Discussion: These results suggest that different nutritional status and dietary patterns are associated with the risk of all-cause mortality and death from cancer and CCVD in people aged >60 years in the United States. Dietary patterns with high HEI and low DII were beneficial to health, whereas nutritional status needs to be maintained at a level that is not too low.

Linking Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Brain Disease: Focusing on Bile Acid Signaling.

A metabolic illness known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), affects more than one-quarter of the world's population. Bile acids (BAs), as detergents involved in lipid digestion, show an abnormal metabolism in patients with NAFLD. However, BAs can affect other organs as well, such as the brain, where it has a neuroprotective effect. According to a series of studies, brain disorders may be extrahepatic manifestations of NAFLD, such as depression, changes to the cerebrovascular system, and worsening cognitive ability. Consequently, we propose that NAFLD affects the development of brain disease, through the bile acid signaling pathway. Through direct or indirect channels, BAs can send messages to the brain. Some BAs may operate directly on the central Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and the G protein bile acid-activated receptor 1 (GPBAR1) by overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Furthermore, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 19 are released from the intestine FXR and GPBAR1 receptors, upon activation, both of which send signals to the brain. Inflammatory, systemic metabolic disorders in the liver and brain are regulated by the bile acid-activated receptors FXR and GPBAR1, which are potential therapeutic targets. From a bile acid viewpoint, we examine the bile acid signaling changes in NAFLD and brain disease. We also recommend the development of dual GPBAR1/FXR ligands to reduce side effects and manage NAFLD and brain disease efficiently.

Identification of TIMP2 as a Prognostic Biomarker and Its Correlation with Tumor Immune Microenvironment: A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis.

Background: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP2), an endogenous inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases, has been disclosed to participate in the development and carcinogenesis of multiple malignancies. However, the prognosis of TIMP2 in different cancers and its correlation with tumor microenvironment and immunity have not been clarified. Methods: In this study, we conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to evaluate the prognostic and therapeutic value of TIMP2 in cancer patients by utilizing a series of databases, including Oncomine, GEPIA, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA, Metascape, and Sangerbox online tool. The expression of TIMP2 in different cancers was analyzed by Oncomine, TCGA, and GTEx databases, and mutation status of TIMP2 in cancers was then verified using the cBioPortal database. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the TIMP family was exhibited by GeneMANIA. The prognosis of TIMP2 in cancers was performed though the GEPIA database and Cox regression. Additionally, the correlations between TIMP2 expression and immunity (immune cells, gene markers of immune cells, TMB, MSI, and neoantigen) were explored using Sangerbox online tool. Results: The transcriptional level of TIMP2 in most cancerous tissues was significantly elevated. Survival analysis revealed that an elevated expression of TIMP2 is associated with unfavorable survival outcome in multiple cancers. Enrichment analysis demonstrated the possible mechanisms of TIMPs and their associated genes mainly involved in pathways including extracellular matrix (ECM) regulators, degradation of ECM and ECM disassembly, and several other signaling pathways. Conclusions: Our findings systematically dissected that TIMP2 is a potential prognostic maker in various cancers and use the inhibitor of TIMP2, which may be an effective strategy for cancer therapy to improve the poor cancer survival and prognostic accuracy, but concrete mechanisms need to be validated by subsequent experiments.

Exosomal microRNAs shuttling between tumor cells and macrophages: cellular interactions and novel therapeutic strategies.

Extracellular vesicles secreted by tumor microenvironment (TME) cells are vital players in tumor progression through transferring nucleic acids and proteins. Macrophages are the main immune cells in TME and tumor associated macrophages (TAM) express M2 phenotype, which induce tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis and immune elimination, resulting in the subsequent evolution of malignancies. There are a high number of studies confirmed that tumor cells and TAM interact with each other through extracellular vesicles in various cancers, like pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, glioblastoma, hepatocellular cancer, and lung cancer. Herein, this review summarizes the current knowledge on mechanisms of communications between tumor cells and TAM via extracellular vesicles, mainly about microRNAs, and targeting these events might represent a novel approach in the clinical implications of this knowledge into successful anti-cancer strategies.

Roles and mechanisms of miR-195-5p in human solid cancers.

Cancer persists as a worldwide disease that contributes to high morbidity and mortality rates. As a class of non-coding RNA, microRNAs (miRNAs) are one kind of important regulators in cancer and frequently implicated in tumor development and progression. Emerging experiments have suggested that miRNA-195-5p (miR-195-5p) can regulate neoplastic processes in many pathways. For instance, miR-195-5p can not only regulate proliferation, migration and invasion of tumor cells but also promote tumor cell apoptosis. Furthermore, low expression of miR-195-5p could induce drug resistance. Our review focuses on the expression of miR-195-5p in various tumors and elucidates the related mechanisms of which miR-195-5p participates in tumor biology, as well as summarizes the roles of miR-195-5p in tumor progression. We believe that miR-195-5p might have potential utility as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer.

Exosomal circRNAs: a new communication method in cancer.

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles with unique membrane markers and components that participate in cellular communication. The contents of exosomes, including growth factors, microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs (circRNAs), have been recognized as prognostic biomarkers and promote cancer progression through cancer cell growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and cancer development. One of the components of exosomes, circRNAs, are covalently closed and prevented from degrading, which results in their continually accumulating in exosomes. Evidence suggests that exosomal circRNAs are abundant and stable in body fluids and have been implicated in many diseases. In this article we summarize the biogenesis and function of circRNAs and explore the expressions of exosomal circRNAs in cancer, emphasizing the fact that exosomal circRNAs are a novel diagnostic biomarker in the early stages of cancer and/or a therapeutic target in further cancer treatment.

Bioinformatics analysis revealing prognostic significance of TIMP2 gene in breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP2) is a member of the TIMP gene family. Accumulated evidence indicates that TIMP2 plays a significant role in various tumor processes including cell growth, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. However, the expression patterns and exact roles of TIMP2 had not been elucidated in breast cancer. In our research, we evaluated the expression and prognostic value of TIMP2 in breast cancer through analyzing various databases including Oncomine, bc-GenExMiner, PrognoScan, UCSC Xena, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, and PPI network. The results showed that TIMP2 was down-regulated in various breast cancer subtypes. Additionally, TIMP2 was significantly associated with age, estrogen receptor status, basal-like group, triple-negative breast cancer, PAM50 subtypes, and RSSPC subtypes. Also, the expression of TIMP2 was related to overall survival with different clinical characteristics. We analyzed the co-expressed genes with TIMP2 and interaction information with other proteins. These results disclosed that TIMP2 might serve as a potential target and prognostic biomarker in breast cancer. However, additional research is required to demonstrate our findings and motivate the clinical importance of TIMP2 in breast cancer.

The Emerging Role of the Interactions between Circular RNAs and RNA-binding Proteins in Common Human Cancers.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a unique family of noncoding RNAs that could regulate multiple biological processes, which play a crucial role in carcinogenesis, progression and chemotherapy resistance of cancers. Growing studies have demonstrated that circRNAs act as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancers by sponging microRNAs (miRNAs). Up to date, another function of circRNAs, combining with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), was uncovered. However, there is limit studies illustrating the underlying mechanism of circRNAs-RBPs interactions, as well as showing its roles in diverse types of cancers. In this review, we collected the biogenesis, properties of circRNAs, and then synthesize the connection between circRNAs and RBPs, and try to clarify its molecular mechanisms involving in the pathogenesis and progression of several common cancers, aiming to provide a brand-new insight to the prognosis and treatment strategy for cancers.

Systematic Characterization of Expression Profiles and Prognostic Values of the Eight Subunits of the Chaperonin TRiC in Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Chaperonin-containing TCP-1 (TRiC or CCT) was demonstrated to be involved in oncogenesis of cancers carcinogenesis and development of various malignancies. Increasing experimental evidence indicated that dysregulation of TRiC was implicated in the tumor progression of breast cancer (BCa). However, few definitive studies have addressed the diverse expression patterns and prognostic values of eight TRiC subunits. Thus, we aimed to investigate the clinical significance of TRiC subunit expression and prognostic values for their possible implications in diagnosis and treatment of BCa. METHODS: Based on updated public resources and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, we used some online databases (e.g., UALCAN, GEPIA, cBioPortal, TIMER, BC-GenExMiner, metascape, and GeneMANIA) to comprehensively explore the expression levels and the prognostic effects of eight TRiC subunits in patients with BCa. RESULTS: The transcriptional levels of most subunits of the Chaperonin TRiC (CCT2, CCT3, CCT4, CCT5, CCT6A, and CCT7) were significantly elevated compared with normal breast tissues, whereas TCP1, CCT4, and CCT6B were lower in BCa tissues than in normal tissues. Besides, copy-number alterations (CNA) of eight TRiC subunits positively regulated their mRNA expressions. Furthermore, high mRNA expression of TCP1/CCT2/CCT4/CCT5/CCT6A/CCT7/CCT8 was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) in BCa patients. The eight subunits of the chaperonin TRiC was related to tumor purity and immune infiltration levels of BCa. Co-expression analysis showed CCT6B was negatively associated with other subunits of TRiC and other subunits of TRiC were positively correlated with each other. Additionally, TRiC and their interactive proteins were correlated with positive regulation of biological process, localization, and biological regulation. CONCLUSION: This study systematically illustrated the expression profiles and distinct prognostic values of chaperonin TRiC in BCa, providing insights for further investigation of subunits of the chaperonin TRiC as novel therapeutic targets and potential prognostic biomarkers in BCa.

Lignans intake and enterolactone concentration and prognosis of breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Some literature has studied the relationship between lignans intake and its metabolite, enterolactone, and breast cancer survival, but the results are far from consistent and conclusive. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis in this situation. Methods: From its inception to August 2020, we conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. This study reported the correlation between lignans intake and serum enterolactone concentrations and prognosis of breast carcinoma. The total hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated, comparing the highest versus the lowest category of lignans intake and serum enterolactone concentrations, using a fixed or random-effects effect model. Results: A total of 6 articles were included in reporting the all-cause mortality (ACM), breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM), and recurrence of 2668, 1516, and 474 breast cancer patients in 18053 breast cancer patients. In postmenopausal women with breast cancer, lignans intake or enterolactone concentrations were associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (maximum and minimum) (pooled HR = 0.73, 95% CI, 0.58-0.91), as was the association with breast cancer-specific mortality (maximum and minimum) (pooled HR = 0.72, 95% CI, 0.60, 0.87). Stratified analysis showed that exposure type and diagnosis time might be the sources of heterogeneity. In premenopausal women, the relationship seemed to be the opposite, showing an increased risk of all-cause mortality (maximum and minimum) in breast cancer patients (pooled HR = 1.57, 95% CI, 1.11-2.23). No significant association was found between lignans intake or enterolactone concentrations and breast cancer recurrence (pooled HR = 0.91, 95% CI, 0.69, 1.20). Conclusion: This study provides limited evidence that lignans intake and higher serum enterolactone concentrations in postmenopausal women are beneficial to breast cancer patients' prognosis. In premenopausal women, however, the relationship may be reversed.

Tumor-derived exosomal circPSMA1 facilitates the tumorigenesis, metastasis, and migration in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) through miR-637/Akt1/ß-catenin (cyclin D1) axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are increasingly gaining importance and attention due to their diverse potential functions and their value as diagnostic biomarkers (disease specific). This study aims to explore the novel mechanisms by which exosome-contained circRNAs promote tumor development and metastasis in TNBC. We identified increased circRNA circPSMA1 in TNBC cells, their exosomes, and serum exosomes samples from TNBC patients. The overexpression of circPSMA1 promoted TNBC cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we investigated the tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) or stromal components in immune microenvironment (IME), and identified the significant differences in the immune cells between TNBC and non-TNBC samples. Mechanistically, circPSMA1 acted as a "miRNAs sponge" to absorb miR-637; miR-637 inhibited TNBC cell migration and metastasis by directly targeted Akt1, which recognized as a key immune-related gene and affected downstream genes ß-catenin and cyclin D1. Subsequent co-culture experiments also demonstrated that exosomes from TNBC carrying large amounts of circPSMA1 could transmit migration and proliferation capacity to recipient cells. Kaplan-Meier plots showed that high expression of Akt1 and low expression of mir-637 are highly correlated with poor prognosis in patients with lymph node metastasis of TNBC. Collectively, all these results reveal that circPSMA1 functions as a tumor promoter through the circPSMA1/miR-637/Akt1-ß-catenin (cyclin D1) regulatory axis, which can facilitate the tumorigenesis, metastasis, and immunosuppression of TNBC. Our research proposes a fresh perspective on novel potential biomarkers and immune treatment strategies for TNBC.

Emerging roles of MiR-133a in human cancers.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of cancer-relevant genes via binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the target mRNAs. MiR-133a, as a miRNA, participate in tumorigenesis, progression, autophagy and drug-resistance in various malignancies. Based on the recent insights, we discuss the functions of miR-133a in physiological and pathological processes and its potential effects on cancer diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.

An Integrative Pan-Cancer Analysis Revealing LCN2 as an Oncogenic Immune Protein in Tumor Microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), an innate immune protein, plays a pivotal role in promoting sterile inflammation by regulating immune responses. However, the role of LCN2 in diverse cancers remains poorly defined. This research aimed to investigate the correlation between LCN2 expression and immunity and visualize its prognostic landscape in pan-cancer. METHODS: Raw data in regard to LCN2 expression in cancer patients were acquired from TCGA and GTEx databases. Besides, we investigated the genomic alterations, expression pattern, and survival analysis of LCN2 in pan-cancer across numerous databases, including cBioPortal and GEPIA database. The correlation between LCN2 expression and tumor immune infiltration was explored via TIMER, and we utilized CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE computational methods to assess the proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and the amount of stromal and immune components from TCGA database. Protein-Protein Interaction analysis was performed in GeneMANIA database, and gene functional enrichment was performed by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). RESULTS: On balance, tumor tissue had a higher LCN2 expression level compared with that in normal tissue. Elevated expression of LCN2 was related to poor clinical regimen with OS and RFS. There were significant positive correlations between LCN2 expression and TIICs, including CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, B cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. Moreover, markers of TIICs exhibited different LCN2-related immune infiltration patterns. GSEA analysis showed that the expression of LCN2 was related to retinol metabolism, drug metabolism cytochrome P450 and metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that LCN2 might serve as a biomarker for immune infiltration and poor prognosis in cancers, shedding new light on therapeutics of cancers.

MiR-145: a potential biomarker of cancer migration and invasion.

MircoRNAs (miRNAs) are a diverse family of highly-conserved small non-coding RNAs, which range from approximately 18 to 25 nucleotides in size. They regulate gene expression transcriptionally or post-transcriptionally via binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of target message RNAs (mRNAs). MiRNAs have emerged as molecular regulators that participate in physiological and pathological processes of diverse malignancies. Among them, miRNA-145 (miR-145) played a profound role in tumorigenesis and progression of various neoplasms. In this review, we summarized the recent findings regarding miR-145, to elucidate its functional roles in cell invasion and migration of diverse human malignancies, and considered it a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis, screening, and prognosis.

K2S2O8-Mediated Hydroxyalkylation of Benzothiazoles with Alcohols in Aqueous Solution.

The K2S2O8-mediated hydroxyalkylation of 2H-benzothiazoles with aliphatic alcohols in aqueous solution was described. The mild and convenient protocol generated a series of hydroxyalkylated benzothiazoles in moderate to good yields. Besides, benzimidazole and ethers were also compatible in this reaction, leading to corresponding C2 ether-substituted heteroarenes.

[Effects of different tillage methods on photosynthetic characteristics, dry matter production and economic benefit of double cropping soybean].

In order to explore suitable mode of high yield cultivation of double cropping soybean after wheat under drip irrigation in northern Xinjiang, field trials were set in 2013-2014 to investigate physiological indices and agronomic traits of double cropping soybean under different tillage methods under drip irrigation. The results showed that leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll content (SPAD), leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr) and stomatal conductance (g(s)) during the determination period under different tillage methods were in the order of tillage plus film covering (TP)> tillage (T)> rotary tillage (RT) > no-tillage (NT) , and the concentration of intercellular CO2(Ci) was the opposite. LAI, SPAD, Pn, Tr, and g(s) of TP were higher than that with NT by 55.0%, 9.1%, 41.8%, 37.5% and 56.4%, respectively, and Ci was decreased by 22.1%. TP enhanced the photosynthetic efficiency of soybean and improved the ability of CO2assimilation, consequently leading to the increase of soybean yield under TP compared to NT. The plant dry matter accumulation of TP treatment was improved greatly, with the pod number and seeds number per plant, 100-seed mass and yield of quadric sowing soybean being increased by 50.3%, 48.1%, 11.8% and 20.8% compared with that under NT, and the differences were significant. Therefore, the plastic film mulching combined with tillage under drip irrigation technology was suitable for double cropping soybean after wheat in northern Xinjiang under this experimental condition.

[Effects of nitrogen application on canopy vertical structure, grain-leaf ratio and economic benefit of winter wheat under drip irrigation.] / æ–½æ°®é‡å¯¹æ»´çŒå†¬å°éº¦å† å±‚åž‚ç›´ç»“æž„ç‰¹å¾ã€ç²’å¶æ¯”åŠç»æµŽæ•ˆç›Šçš„å½±å“.

To optimize the fertilization rate of winter wheat under drip irrigation in Xinjiang region, a field investigation was carried out to assess effects of nitrogen (N) applications on canopy vertical structure, grain-leaf ratio, yield and economic benefit of winter wheat. Four rates of nitrogen application, 0 kg·hm-2(N0), 104 kg·hm-2(N1), 173 kg·hm-2(N2) and 242 kg·hm-2(N3) were set in a randomized block experimental design. Meantime, leaf and stem morphological characters, canopy temperature and humidity in flowering stage, grain-leaf area ratio, yield and yield components, economic benefits of winter wheat were observed under different treatments. The results showed that the leaf length and width at different positions of wheat under the nitrogen fertilization treatments were significantly higher than that without nitrogen fertilization (P<0.05), and plant height ranged from 65.57 to 81.58 cm. With an increasing rate of nitrogen fertilization, both leafarea index and stem diameter presented a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, and reached the maximum under N2 treatment, which was 5.48 and 0.49 cm, respectively. Diurnal variation of canopy temperature and humidity were "convex" and "concave" shape, followed an order of N0>N1>N2>N3 in temperature, but reversely in canopy humidity. The duration of high temperature higher than 35 ℃ were shorten 1 hour to 3.5 hours as the nitrogen application level increased, and there was significant difference between N1 and N3 on grain-leaf ratio. Yield and economic be-nefit decreased initially and then increased with increasing nitrogen application. Yield and economic benefit of treatment N2 were 32.8% and 77.7% higher than those of treatment N0, 12.6% and 5.4% higher than those of treatment N1, and 5.2% and 4.2% higher than those of treatment N3, respectively. These results indicated that nitrogen application at about 173 kg·hm-2 could be recommended as the optimum rate for winter wheat, which had good leaf and plant morphology, appropriate canopy temperature and humidity, high yield and economic efficiency in the experiment area.

[Response of cotton seeding date to climate warming in Northern Slope Economic Zone of Tianshan Mountain, China].

Based on the meteorological date acquired from 11 meteorological stations in Northern Slope Economic Zone of Tianshan Mountain during 1971-2010 and by using the methods of linear regression, t-test technique and IDW interpolation, this paper analyzed the spatial distribution of each ten-day average temperature from late March to late April and beginning date of ≥ 12 °C to understand the effect of climate change on the cotton seeding date. Results showed that each ten-day average temperature from late March to late April increased by 0. 8, 0. 5, 0. 1 and 0. 5 °C . (10 a)-1, but the beginning date of ≥12 °C advanced by 0.5 d . (10 a)-1 during 1971-2010. All meteorological elements in this research ascended abruptly in the 1990s. The abrupt climate change made each ten-day average temperature increasing by 2.5, 1.9, 1.1 and 1.5 °C, to 7.2, 10.0, 13.2 and 15.6 °C, respectively from late March to late April. The high values of each ten-day average temperature from late March to late April expanded the scope of main cotton producing areas in Northern Slope Economic Zone of Tianshan Mountain, such as Wusu, Sawan and Manasi, and the low values were observed in Urmuqi. The spatial distribution of the beginning day of ≥12 °C was significant different in different regions. During this study period, the early beginning dates of ≥ 12 °C expanded the scope of Jinghe and Manasi as cotton producing areas, and the late beginning dates of ≥ 12 °C narrowed to areas around Urumqi. With the advance of the beginning day of ≥ 12 °C, the seeding date of cotton could start from 22nd to 28th April in most of the counties, and mulch cover could bring forward the suitable sowing date to 15th through 21st April.

Biphenyls from Nicotiana tabacum and their anti-tobacco mosaic virus.

Five new biphenyls, tababiphenyls A-E (1-5), together with five known ones (5-10), were isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum, of which compound 1 possessed a seldom reported 6-carbons unit in biphenyls. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. All compounds were tested for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities. The results showed that compounds 3 and 5 exhibited high anti-TMV activities with inhibition rate of 48.4% and 32.1%, respectively, which were higher than that of positive control (ningnanmycin). The other compounds also showed potential anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates in the range of 18.6-28.7%, respectively.