Interactive effects of drought stresses and elevated CO2 concentration on photochemistry efficiency of cucumber seedlings.

To reveal and quantify the interactive effects of drought stresses and elevated CO2 concentration [CO2] on photochemistry efficiency of cucumber seedlings, the portable chlorophyll meter was used to measure the chlorophyll content, and the Imaging-PAM was used to image the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and rapid light response curves (RLC) of leaves in two adjacent greenhouses. The results showed that chlorophyll content of leaves was reduced significantly with drought stress aggravated. Minimal fluorescence (Fo) was increased while maximal quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) decreased significantly by severe drought stress. The significant decrease of effective quantum yield of PSII (Y(II)) accompanied by the significant increase of quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation (Y(NPQ)) was observed under severe drought stress condition, but there was no change of quantum yield of nonregulated energy dissipation (Y(NO)). We detected that the coefficient of photochemical quenching (qP) decreased, and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) increased significantly under severe drought stress. Furthermore, we found that maximum apparent electron transport rate (ETR(max)) and saturating photosynthetically active radiation (PPFD(sat)) decreased significantly with drought stress aggravated. However, elevated [CO2] significantly increased Fv/Fm, qP and PPFD(sat), and decreased NPQ under all water conditions, although there were no significant effects on chlorophyll content, Fo, Y(II), Y(NPQ), Y(NO) and ETR(max). Therefore, it is concluded that CO2-fertilized greenhouses or elevated atmospheric [CO2] in the future could be favorable for cucumber growth and development, and beneficial to alleviate the negative effects of drought stresses to a certain extent.

Correlation between serum S100ß protein levels and cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral small vessel disease: a case-control study.

The present study was designed to explore the correlation between serum S100ß levels and cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). A total of 172 SVD patients participated in the study, and they were assigned to patients with no cognitive impairment (NCI group) and those with vascular cognitive impairment no dementia (VCIND group). In total, 105 people were recruited into the normal control group. Serum S100ß protein level was detected by ELISA. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed for the predictive value of serum S100ß in diagnosing SVD with cognitive dysfunction. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the association of S100ß level with mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and the association of S100ß levels with hypertension. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze risk factors of SVD. The serum S100ß levels in the VCIND group were higher than those in the NCI and normal control groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a high serum S100ß protein level, hypertension, and high low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level were the independent risk factors for SVD. In addition, hypertension patients showed higher S100ß levels than those with normal blood pressure and the normal control group, and there was a positive correlation between S100ß level and blood pressure. The concentration of serum S100ß level was related to impairment of cognition function of VCIND patients, therefore, early detection of serum S100ß was of great value for diagnosis of SVD.

Management of Pyogenic Cerebral Ventriculitis by Neuroendoscopic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Pyogenic cerebral ventriculitis is a debilitating form of intracranial infection with an unfavorable outcome as a result of lack of experience in surgical management. OBJECTIVE: To study retrospectively a group of pyogenic cerebral ventriculitis patients managed by neuroendoscopic surgery (NES). METHODS: The standard intraventricular protocols of NES to treat this disease included 1 or more of the following: 1) obliteration of debris, 2) evidence of microbial infection, 3) septomy, 4) incision of the septation, or 5) monitoring catheter insertion. Modified external ventricular drainage EVD (mEVD) was combined with NES when intraventricular debris and bacterial plaques could not be evacuated completely. Subsequent surgical treatment strategies depended on the clinical manifestation, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and mEVD blockage tests approximately 3 weeks after the last NES. RESULTS: Forty-one patients, who were distributed in 7 hospitals and underwent NES, were included. Five patients received 1 NES, 18 received 2, 16 received 3, and 2 received 4. mEVD was performed in all patients, and mean mEVD duration in the hospital was 27.6 days. At discharge, 15 patients were cured, 15 were cured but ventriculoperitoneal shunt dependent, 9 were mEVD dependent, and 2 died (mean modified Rankin Scale score was 2.48). Two mEVD-dependent patients died, and no other outcomes changed during postoperative follow-up (mean modified Rankin Scale score, 2.67). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest a relatively favorable outcome for management of pyogenic cerebral ventriculitis by NES. The techniques and strategies are practical and should be applied more extensively.

Deciphering the protective role of spermidine against saline-alkaline stress at physiological and proteomic levels in tomato.

In this research, the protective effect of spermidine (Spd) in mitigating saline-alkaline stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) at physiological and proteomic levels were examined. The results showed that saline-alkaline stress induced accumulation of H2O2 and O2(-*), and increased the activities of antioxidase (SOD, CAT, and POD). Spermidine efficiently alleviated the inhibitory role of saline-alkaline on plant growth and inhibited saline-alkaline stress-induced H2O2 and O2(-*) accumulation. Proteomics investigations of the leaves of tomato seedlings, responding to a 75 mM saline-alkaline solution and 0.25 mM Spd, were performed. Maps of the proteome of leaf extracts were obtained by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. An average of 49, 47 and 34 spots, which appeared repeatedly and that significantly altered the relative amounts of polypeptides by more than twofold, were detected for seedlings treated with saline-alkaline solution (S) compared to normal solution (CK), saline-alkaline plus spermidine (MS) compared to CK, or S versus MS, respectively. Thirty-nine of these proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and were classified into five functional categories, including energy and metabolism, signal transduction, amino acid metabolism, protein metabolism, and stress-defense response. Proteomics analysis coupled with bioinformatics indicated that Spd treatment helps tomato seedlings combat saline-alkaline stress by modulating the defense mechanism of plants and activating cellular detoxification, which protect plants from oxidative damage induced by saline-alkaline stress.

[Effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid on photosynthetic characteristics of tomato seedlings under NaCl stress].

In this research, the possibility of exogenous application of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) on photosynthetic characteristics of tomato seedlings under NaCl stress was investigated. Five leaves seedlings of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Jinpeng No. 1) were used as starting materials, applied with 50 mg · L(-1) ALA by foliage spray or 10 mg · L(-1) ALA by root soaking to study the changes in their photosynthesis and fluorescence parameters under 100 mmol · L(-1) NaCl. The result showed that, photosynthetic gas exchange parameters (net photosynthetic rate P,, stomata conductance g(s), intercellular CO2 concentration Ci, transpiration Tr) and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (Fv'/Fm', Fm', ΦPS II, ETR, qP, Pc) were severely reduced under NaCl treatment and ALA application by foliage spray or root soaking with proper concentrations exerted positive influences on tomato seedlings under salt stress, while there were some differences between foliage spray and root soaking in the influence on chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence. Both foliage spray with 50 mg · L(-1) ALA and root soaking with 10 mg L(-1) ALA significantly increased Pn, Ci, g(s) and Tr of tomato seedlings under NaCl stress, alleviated photosynthetic inhibition. Root application of ALA had a better effect on the chlorophyll content than foliage application. However, the photosynthetic parameters showed that foliage application of ALA had a better effect than root application, and both treatments had no difference in the influence on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of tomato seedlings. It could be deduced that the regulating effect of ALA on enhancing salt tolerance of tomato seedlings is attributed to its effect on improving chlorophyll biosynthesis and metabolism, increasing stomatal conductance and reducing stomatal limitation, thus, enhancing the photosynthetic capacity and PS II photochemical efficiency of tomato leaves under NaCl stress.

[Effects of outer type and built-in type straw bio-reactors on tomato growth and photosynthetic performance].

Taking the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cultivar "Kuiguan108" as test object, a comparative study was made on the effects of outer type and built-in type straw bio-reactors on the CO2 concentration, air relative humidity , air vapor pressure deficit in the solar greenhouse during the tomato growth over autumn-delayed cultivation as well as the effects of the bio-reactors on the tomato growth and photosynthetic performance. As compared with that in CK, the average CO2 concentration in the greenhouse with outer type straw bio-reactor at 9:30-11:30 and 14:30-15:00 on sunny days was increased significantly by 207. 3 and 103 micromol . mol-1 , respectively, and the ave-rage CO2 concentration in the greenhouse with built-in straw bio-reactor at 9:30-11:30 on sunny days was raised by 19.0 micromol . mol-1. Both the outer type and the built-in type straw bio-reactors promoted the tomato plant height growth and early flowering, enhanced the plant net photosynthetic rate and the yield per plant and per unit area significantly, and decreased the plant transpiration rate at the stages of vegetative growth and fruit- bearing significantly. Nevertheless, as compared with built-in type straw bio-reactor, outer type straw bio-reactor was more suitable for the autumn- delayed cultivation of tomato in solar greenhouse.

[Effects of exogenous spermidine on the nitrogen metabolism and main mineral elements contents of tomato seedlings under saline-alkali stress].

Taking two tomato cultivars Zhongza No. 9 and Jinpengchaoguan as test objects, a hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the effects of exogenous spermidine (Spd) on the tomato seedling nitrogen metabolism and main mineral elements contents under saline-alkali stress. Under the stress, the seedling dry biomass decreased significantly, and the plant growth was inhibited. The activities of nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and the contents of nitrate nitrogen (NO3(-)-N) and total N, K, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in leaves and roots decreased significantly, while the contents of ammonium nitrogen (NH4(+)-N), and Na+ had a significant increase. The activity of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) in the leaves of the two cultivars and in the roots of Zhongza No. 9 increased significantly, but that in the roots of Jinpengchaoguan had less change. The total P content in the leaves of the two cultivars decreased significantly, while that in the roots of Jinpengchaoguan and Zhongza No. 9 had a significant increase and less change, respectively. Applying exogenous Spd increased the assimilation of NH4+ by the plants through increasing the NR, GS and GOGAT activities, alleviated the nitrogen metabolic disturbance caused by the saline-alkali stress, and further, promoted the absorption, release, or transportation of P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na in different organs, maintained a proper balance among the nutrients, and improved the plant saline-alkali resistance. Zhongza No. 9 was more sensitive to the saline-alkali stress than Jinpengchaoguan, and the alleviation effect of exogenous Spd on the nitrogen metabolic disturbance and nutritional out-of-balance of Zhongza No. 9 was more obvious.

[The design of inferior rectus abdominis flap and its study of applied anatomy].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the anatomy of inferior epigastric artery and its correlation with rectus abdominis muscle in order to provide anatomical basis for reconstruction of defect in the oral and maxillofacial region. METHODS: 10 Chinese adult specimens fixed by 10% formalin were simulated for the design of inferior rectus abdominis flap, and then observing, taking a photograph during the cadavers were being operated and measuring by image analysis software in the end. RESULTS: The original external diameters of inferior epigastric artery and length of its trunk were (2.58 +/- 0.60) mm and (85.87 +/- 14.90) mm respectively. Its perforators distribute intensively toward hilum. CONCLUSION: Whether rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap or deep inferior epigastric perforator flap adapts to reconstruct the defect of oral and maxillofacial region due to invariable traveling of inferior epigastric artery and its wide original external diameters relatively.

[Effects of air temperature, solar radiation and soil water on dry matter accumulation and allocation of greenhouse muskmelon seedlings and related simulation models].

With different sowing dates and irrigation upper limits, the effects of air temperature, solar radiation and soil water on the dry matter accumulation and allocation of greenhouse muskmelon seedlings were studied, with related simulation models established. The results showed that the dry matter accumulation and allocation of the seedlings had correlations with the changes of effective accumulative temperature, accumulative solar radiation, and irrigation upper limits at different seasons in a year, but the correlation coefficients differed with sowing dates and irrigation upper limits. Comprehensive analysis showed that the dry matter accumulation model was an exponential function, while the dry matter allocation model was a conic function, both of which were driven by effective accumulative temperature. The constant term in the functions was driven by accumulative daily temperature difference and accumulative solar radiation, and the correlation was a linear function. Model test showed that the models were able to objectively simulate and predict the changes of plant dry matter accumulation and allocation, and possessed practical value for the growth analysis and production management of muskmelon seedling.