Blocking Osa-miR1871 enhances rice resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae and yield.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles in plant development and defence responses against various stresses. Here, we show that blocking miR1871 improves rice resistance against Magnaporthe oryzae and enhances grain yield simultaneously. The transgenic lines overexpressing miR1871 (OX1871) exhibit compromised resistance, suppressed defence responses and reduced panicle number resulting in slightly decreased yield. In contrast, the transgenic lines blocking miR1871 (MIM1871) show improved resistance, enhanced defence responses and significantly increased panicle number leading to enhanced yield per plant. The RNA-seq assay and defence response assays reveal that blocking miR1871 resulted in the enhancement of PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI). Intriguingly, miR1871 suppresses the expression of LOC_Os06g22850, which encodes a microfibrillar-associated protein (MFAP1) locating nearby the cell wall and positively regulating PTI responses. The mutants of MFAP1 resemble the phenotype of OX1871. Conversely, the transgenic lines overexpressing MFAP1 (OXMFAP1) or overexpressing both MFAP1 and miR1871 (OXMFAP1/OX1871) resemble the resistance of MIM1871. The time-course experiment data reveal that the expression of miR1871 and MFAP1 in rice leaves, panicles and basal internode is dynamic during the whole growth period to manipulate the resistance and yield traits. Our results suggest that miR1871 regulates rice yield and immunity via MFAP1, and the miR8171-MFAP1 module could be used in rice breeding to improve both immunity and yield.

Osa-miR160a confers broad-spectrum resistance to fungal and bacterial pathogens in rice.

Rice production is threatened by multiple pathogens. Breeding cultivars with broad-spectrum disease resistance is necessary to maintain and improve crop production. Previously we found that overexpression of miR160a enhanced rice blast disease resistance. However, it is unclear whether miR160a also regulates resistance against other pathogens, and what the downstream signaling pathways are. Here, we demonstrate that miR160a positively regulates broad-spectrum resistance against the causative agents of blast, leaf blight and sheath blight in rice. Mutations of miR160a-targeted Auxin Response Factors result in different alteration of resistance conferred by miR160a. miR160a enhances disease resistance partially by suppressing ARF8, as mutation of ARF8 in MIM160 background partially restores the compromised resistance resulting from MIM160. ARF8 protein binds directly to the promoter and suppresses the expression of WRKY45, which acts as a positive regulator of rice immunity. Mutation of WRKY45 compromises the enhanced blast resistance and bacterial leaf blight resistance conferred by arf8 mutant. Overall, our results reveal that a microRNA coordinates rice broad-spectrum disease resistance by suppressing multiple target genes that play different roles in disease resistance, and uncover a new regulatory pathway mediated by the miR160a-ARF8 module. These findings provide new resources to potentially improve disease resistance for breeding in rice.

The important role of connexin 43 in subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced cerebral vasospasm.

BACKGROUND: Gap junctions are involved in the development of cerebral vasospasm (CVS) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, the specific roles and regulatory functions of related connexin isoforms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of connexin 43 (Cx43) in CVS and determine whether Cx43 alterations are modulated via the protein kinase C (PKC) signaling transduction pathway. METHODS: Oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb)-induced smooth muscle cells of basilar arterial and second-injection model in rat were used as CVS models in vitro and in vivo. In addition, dye transfer assays were used for gap junction-mediated intercellular communication (GJIC) observation in vitro and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) was observed in vivo by perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) and intravital fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS: Increase in Cx43 mediated the development of SAH-induced CVS was found in both in vitro and in vivo CVS models. Enhanced GJIC was observed in vitro CVS model, this effect and increased Cx43 were reversed by preincubation with specific PKC inhibitors (chelerythrine or GF 109203X). DCI was observed in vivo on day 7 after SAH. However, DCI was attenuated by pretreatment with Cx43 siRNA or PKC inhibitors, and the increased Cx43 expression in vivo was also reversed by Cx43 siRNA or PKC inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide strong evidence that Cx43 plays an important role in CVS and indicate that changes in Cx43 expression may be mediated by the PKC pathway. The current findings suggest that Cx43 and the PKC pathway are novel targets for developing treatments for SAH-induced CVS.

The Selection of Time Interval Between Surgery and Adjuvant Therapy in Early Stage Cervical Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The optimal interval between surgery and adjuvant treatment has not yet been found in cervical cancer. And whether patients with different FIGO stage should choose different interval is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether interval has a different effect on oncologic outcome for patients with different tumor stages. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 226 cervical cancer patients who were treated by surgery and adjuvant therapy from May 2005 to August 2015. All patients were divided into 2 groups according to the interval of 5 weeks. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between patients with interval shorter and longer than 5 weeks in the whole group and subgroups. Recurrence patterns were also analyzed. Multivariate analysis was performed to explore clinical factors significantly associated with DFS, local recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival for patients with stage IB2-IIA. RESULTS: For patients with stage IA2-IB1, the 5-year OS and DFS were similar between groups of short and long interval with also the comparable results of local and distant failure. For patients with IB2-IIA, both the OS and DFS in the short-interval group were higher than that in the long-interval group. Besides, the rates of local recurrence were found higher in the group of long interval compared with short interval. Multivariable analysis indicated that time interval was an independent predictor of DFS and local recurrence-free survival for patients with stage IB2-IIA. CONCLUSIONS: In cervical cancer patients, time interval between surgery and adjuvant therapy may have different effects on the prognosis in different FIGO stages.

Compact broadband spectrometer based on upconversion and downconversion luminescence.

In this Letter, a compact spectrometer based on upconversion and downconversion luminescence for operation in the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet bands is presented. The proposed spectrometer has three components that are used for dispersion, frequency conversion, and detection. The conversion component converts the incident signal beam into a spectral window appropriate for the detection component. The detection component images the speckle pattern generated by scattering or diffraction in the random structure of the dispersion component. With the two-dimensional intensity data captured from both the speckle pattern and a calibration measurement process, one can reconstruct the spectra of the signal beam by solving a matrix equation. A smoothing simulated annealing algorithm has been implemented to improve the accuracy of the spectral reconstruction. We have analyzed possible sources of error in the algorithm and the corresponding limits of operation. The reported broadband, compact, high-resolution, luminescence-based spectrometer is well suited for portable spectroscopy applications.

Propofol promotes cell apoptosis via inhibiting HOTAIR mediated mTOR pathway in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecologic malignant tumors. Propofol has been proposed to play a role of antitumor in various cancers. However, the functions and mechanisms of Propofol in cervical cancer is still not clear. METHODS: In vitro, the different concentrations of propofol were co-incubated with cervical cancer cell lines, including Hela, Caski and C-33A cells respectively. The pcDNA-HOTAIR plasmid was transfected into cells after the treatment of 10 µg/ml propofol. The cell viability and apoptosis were detected by MTT assay and TUNEL method. In vivo, propofol was injected into mice of transplantation tumor with Caski cells or with pcDNA-HOTAIR treated Caski cells. RESULTS: Propofol significantly decreased the cell viability and increased the cell apoptosis in Hela, Caski and C-33A cells, while HOTAIR overexpression promoted cell viability and inhibits cell apoptosis. mTOR/p70S6K protein expression levels were also markedly reduced by propofol but the effects were reversed with pcDNA-HOTAIR. In vivo, propofol inhibited the tumor size but had no inhibition effect in HOTAIR overexpression group. CONCLUSION: Propofol inhibited tumor size, cell viability and promoted cell apoptosis via inhibiting mTOR/p70S6K pathway mediated by HOTAIR in cervical cancer.

Miniature spectrometer based on diffraction in a dispersive hole array.

We present an ultra-compact spectrometer that uses a 10×10 hole array as the dispersive component. Our analysis shows that the two-dimensional intensity distribution can be modeled by a system of simultaneous linear equations when the size of each hole in the dispersive component has been pre-designed appropriately. One can readily recover the spectral contents of the input radiation by solving the linear equation system with regularized procedure. Experimental results show that the reconstruction range is at least within the entire visible band, which can be further extended if a near-infrared CCD is used. One therefore envisions strong potential for many wavelength analysis applications.

[Recent Advances in SARS-CoV-2-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia --Review].

SARS-CoV-2-induced immune thrombocytopenia (SARS-CoV-2-induced ITP) is an autoimmune disease secondary to virus infections. Its diagnosis is often based on exclusion of other possible causes of thrombocytopenia in COVID-19 patients. Common laboratory examinations include coagulation function, thrombopoietin and drug-dependent antibodies. Since both bleeding and thrombosis risks are seen in SARS-CoV-2-induced ITP patients, individual remedy is essential for the treatment of this disease. Because thrombopoietin receptor agonist(TPO-RA) has the side effect of accelerating thrombosis and may aggravate the pulmonary embolism symptoms of patients, it should be used for refractory SARS-CoV-2-induced ITP patients only. This review briefly summarizes the recent research progress in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2-induced ITP.

Anion-driven supramolecular modulation of spin-crossover properties in mononuclear iron(III) Schiff-base complexes.

A series of Fe(III) complexes [Fe(5-F-sal-N-1,4,7,10)]Y (Y = PF6- for 1, Y = ClO4- for 2, Y = I- for 3 and Y = NO3- for 4) have been prepared. Single-crystal X-ray crystallographic studies show that complex 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Pna21 space group and complexes 2-4 have an isomorphous structure and crystallize in the same monoclinic space group, P21/n. Complexes 2-4 have two independent molecules (Fe1 and Fe2) in the unit cell. Magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrated that complexes 1 and 3 showed a gradual one-step SCO behavior (T1/2 for 1 = 177 K and for 3 = 227 K) without thermal hysteresis. The magnetic behavior of 2 shows an incomplete two-step SCO process at T1/2 = 114 K and 170 K, respectively, while 4 is in a high-spin state at all measured temperatures. A careful evaluation of the supramolecular structures of these complexes revealed correlation between the supramolecular packing forces and their SCO behavior. The crystal structure of 1 consists of a three-dimensional (3D) extended network constructed from N-H⋯F and C-H⋯F hydrogen bonds, and C-H⋯π and C⋯C short contacts. In compounds 2-4, the crystal packing is governed by C⋯C, C-H⋯π and p-π interactions for the Fe1 centers and by C-H⋯π/O interactions for the Fe2 centers, which form 1D chains. Additional interactions (C-H⋯F and N-H⋯O/I) connect the neighboring chains and planes to form a complex supramolecular network. The anion⋯π interactions in 4 provide a means for preventing SCO occurring at low temperatures. This suggests that the supramolecular connectivity of the anions influences the magnetic properties.

Rice miR1432 Fine-Tunes the Balance of Yield and Blast Disease Resistance via Different Modules.

microRNAs act as fine-tuners in the regulation of plant growth and resistance against biotic and abiotic stress. Here we demonstrate that rice miR1432 fine-tunes yield and blast disease resistance via different modules. Overexpression of miR1432 leads to compromised resistance and decreased yield, whereas blocking miR1432 using a target mimic of miR1432 results in enhanced resistance and yield. miR1432 suppresses the expression of LOC_Os03g59790, which encodes an EF-hand family protein 1 (OsEFH1). Overexpression of OsEFH1 leads to enhanced rice resistance but decreased grain yield. Further study revealed that miR1432 and OsEFH1 are differentially responsive to chitin, a fungus-derived pathogen/microbe-associated molecular pattern (PAMP/MAMP). Consistently, blocking miR1432 or overexpression of OsEFH1 improves chitin-triggered immunity responses. In contrast, overexpression of ACOT, another target gene regulating rice yield traits, has no significant effects on rice blast disease resistance. Altogether, these results indicate that miR1432 balances yield and resistance via different target genes, and blocking miR1432 can simultaneously improve yield and resistance.

Blocking miR530 Improves Rice Resistance, Yield, and Maturity.

MicroRNAs fine-tune plant growth and resistance against multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. The trade-off between biomass and resistance can penalize crop yield. In this study, we have shown that rice miR530 regulates blast disease resistance, yield, and growth period. While the overexpression of miR530 results in compromised blast disease resistance, reduced grain yield, and late maturity, blocking miR530 using a target mimic (MIM530) leads to enhanced resistance, increased grain yield, and early maturity. Further study revealed that the accumulation of miR530 was decreased in both leaves and panicles along with the increase of age. Such expression patterns were accordant with the enhanced resistance from seedlings to adult plants, and the grain development from panicle formation to fully-filled seeds. Divergence analysis of miR530 precursor with upstream 1,000-bp promoter sequence in 11 rice species revealed that miR530 was diverse in Oryza sativa japonica and O. sativa indica group, which was consistent with the different accumulation of miR530 in japonica accessions and indica accessions. Altogether, our results indicate that miR530 coordinates rice resistance, yield, and maturity, thus providing a potential regulatory module for breeding programs aiming to improve yield and disease resistance.

Ionic ferroelectrics based on nickel schiff base complexes.

Two novel homochiral enantiomers, trinuclear ionic clusters [(NiL(1))(2)Na](+)NCS(-).MeOH.Et(2)O (1) and [(NiL(2))(2)Na](+)NCS(-).MeOH.Et(2)O (2) [H(2)L(1) = N,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-(1R,2R)-1,2-diphenylenediamine; H(2)L(2) = N,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-(1S,2S)-1,2-diphenylenediamine], have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Both complexes have C(2) symmetry and crystallize in space group P2(1). Ferroelectric measurements reveal that complexes 1 and 2 represent a new type of ionic ferroelectric based on metal-organic coordination with a polarization value higher than that of KH(2)PO(4).

Cryopreservation of human ovarian tissue: comparison of novel direct cover vitrification and conventional vitrification.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of novel direct cover vitrification (DCV) and conventional vitrification (CV) for human ovarian tissue. STUDY DESIGN: Ovarian biopsy specimens obtained from 12 patients were randomly allocated into five groups: Fresh, DCV1, DCV2, DCV3 and CV. Three concentrations of cryoprotectants were used in DCV group. The equilibration solution of DCV1, DCV2, DCV3 was 5% EG+5% DMSO+DPBS, 7.5% EG+7.5%DMSO+DPBS, 10% EG+10% DMSO+DPBS, respectively. And the vitrification solution of DCV1, DCV2, DCV3 was 10% EG+10% DMSO+DPBS, 15%EG+15% DMSO+DPBS, 20% EG+20% DMSO+DPBS, respectively. The equilibration solution and the vitrification solution of CV group was same as DCV3 group. The effects of cryopreserved procedure on human ovarian tissue were studied by histology, TUNEL assay, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and heterotopic allograft. RESULTS: The percentages of morphologically normal and viable follicles of DCV2 were significantly higher than DCV1, DCV3 and CV groups (P<0.05). TUNEL assay demonstrated that the incidence of apoptotic cell in vitrification ovarian tissue was significantly higher than fresh tissue (P<0.05), but there were no difference in various groups with cryopreservation. TEM showed that less damage was detected in DCV2 group. After grafting, the follicle density of DCV2 was greater than DCV1, DCV3 and CV groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The novel cover vitrification with optimal concentration of cryoprotectants is superior to conventional vitrification. It is suitable for human ovarian tissue fragments with high efficiency and facility.

catena-Poly[hexaaqua-1κO,2κO,3κO-(µ(4)-3,5-dicarboxylatopyrazol-1-ido-3':1:2:3κO:N,O:N,O:O)(µ(2)-3,5-dicarboxylatopyrazol-1-ido-1:2κN,O:N,O)-1,2-dicopper(II)-3-manganese(II)].

In the title compound, [Cu(2)Mn(C(5)HN(2)O(4))(2)(H(2)O)(6)](n), the Cu(II) ion is coordinated by two N atoms, two O atoms and one water O atom in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The Mn(II) ion is coordinated by two O atoms and four water O atoms in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. Two pyrazolyl-3,5-dicarboxyl-ate anions chelate to two copper ions, forming a dinuclear unit, which further connects the Mn(II )ions into chains extending along [100]. Both independent coordinated water mol-ecules on the Mn(II) ion are disordered in a 50:50 fashion.

Piperazine-1,4-diium bis-(2-carb-oxy-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxyl-ate) tetra-hydrate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(4)H(12)N(2) (2+)·2C(5)H(3)N(2)O(4) (-)·4H(2)O, comprises one-half of a piperazine-1,4-diium cation, which lies on an inversion centre, a 2-carb-oxy-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxyl-ate anion and two water mol-ecules. An extensive network of inter-molecular O-H⋯O, N-H⋯O, N-H⋯N and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the cations, anions and water mol-ecules leads to a three-dimensional supra-molecular framework.

Heterometallic complexes based on the mixed bridging ligands of tricyanometalate and terephthalate: syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties.

With the use of the tailored tricyanometalate precursors [(L)Fe(CN)(3)](-) (L = Tp, tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborate; L = i-BuTp, 2-methylpropyltris(pyrazolyl)borate) and terephthalate (ta) units as the mixed bridging ligands, a new one-dimensional (1D) chain polymer {[(Tp)(2)Fe(2)(CN)(6)Cu(2)(ta)(dmbpy)(2)] x 7 H(2)O}(n) (1), a pentanuclear heterometallic cluster [(Tp)(2)Fe(2)(CN)(6)Cu(3)(phen)(3)(ta)(2)(MeOH)(H(2)O)(2)] x 8 H(2)O (2), and a tetranuclear heterometallic cluster [(i-BuTp)(2)Fe(2)(CN)(6)Cu(2)(ta)(phen)(2)(EtOH)(2)] x 2 MeOH x H(2)O (3) (dmbpy = 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The Fe(III) and Cu(II) ions are bridged by cyanides, and the Cu(II) ions are further linked by terephthalate to form the 1D chain polymer, the pentanuclear cluster, and the tetranuclear cluster for complexes 1-3, respectively. All complexes show ferromagnetic interactions between the Fe(III) and Cu(II) ions. Complex 1 shows metamagnetic behavior with the critical field of about 1.2 T at 1.8 K.

Urinary trypsin inhibitor attenuates hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury by reducing nuclear factor-kappa B activation.

BACKGROUND: Urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) inhibits the inflammatory response and protects against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. The inflammatory response is mediated by nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) and its related target genes and products such as vascular endothelial cell adhesion molecule and CXC chemokines. We aimed to assess the roles of those mediators in a UTI-treated mouse model of hepatic I/R injury. METHODS: Treatment group 1 (UTI given 5 minutes prior to liver ischemia), treatment group 2 (UTI given 5 minutes after the anhepatic phase) and a control group were investigated. Blood and liver samples were obtained and compared at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hours after reperfusion. RESULTS: Attenuation of pathological hepatocellular damage was greater in the treatment groups than in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the UTI treatment groups showed significantly lower serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, decreased myeloperoxidase activity, and reduced NF-kappaB activation. Also downregulated was the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant, and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 at the mRNA level. P-selectin protein and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 protein expression were also downregulated. In addition, the treatment group 1 showed a better protective effect against I/R injury than the treatment group 2. CONCLUSIONS: UTI reduces NF-kappaB activation and downregulates the expression of its related mediators, followed by the inhibition of neutrophil aggregation and infiltration in hepatic I/R injury. The protective role of UTI is more effective in prevention than in treatment.

Tumor location as an indication for adjuvant radiotherapy in pT3N0 rectal cancer after surgery.

BACKGROUND: The optimal care for pT3N0 rectal cancer remains controversial. And whether tumor location can be used to guide the administration of adjuvant radiotherapy for pT3N0 rectal cancer is not fully confirmed. The current study was designed to identify the benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy for pT3N0 rectal cancer. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 265 pT3N0 rectal cancer patients who were treated by surgery and adjuvant therapy from Mar. 2005 to Sept. 2015. All patients were divided into two groups according to receiving adjuvant radiotherapy or not. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) were compare between patients who did and did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy. Multivariate analysis was performed to explore clinical factors significantly associated with DFS, local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). RESULTS: For patients with lower tumor, DFS in adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy group was higher than that in adjuvant chemotherapy group. Besides, the rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis were found lower in patients who did receive adjuvant radiotherapy than those who did not. For patients with upper tumor, the 5-year OS and DFS were similar between groups of adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy. Multivariable analysis indicated both the CEA and tumor location were independent predictors of LRFS. And adjuvant radiotherapy predicted the DFS, LRFS and DMFS in lower rectal cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Tumor location can serve as an indication for the administration of adjuvant radiotherapy in pT3N0 rectal cancer patients.

Hypolipidemic activity of low-cholesterol ovum oil of Rana chensinensis and phytosterol (stigmasterol) in rats.

The ovum oil of forest frog has various health beneficial functions. In the current research, we evaluated the hypolipidemic effects of the low-cholesterol ovum oil from the forest frog and its combination with stigmasterol in rats.

Regeneration of a Bioengineered Thyroid Using Decellularized Thyroid Matrix.

BACKGROUND: Hypothyroidism is a common hormone deficiency condition. Regenerative medicine approaches, such as a bioengineered thyroid, have been proposed as potential therapeutic alternatives for patients with hypothyroidism. This study demonstrates a novel approach to generate thyroid grafts using decellularized rat thyroid matrix. METHODS: Isolated rat thyroid glands were perfused with 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate to generate a decellularized thyroid scaffold. The rat thyroid scaffold was then recellularized with rat thyroid cell line to reconstruct the thyroid by perfusion seeding technique. As a pilot study, the decellularized rat thyroid scaffold was perfused with human-derived thyrocytes and parathyroid cells. RESULTS: The decellularization process retained the intricate three-dimensional microarchitecture with a perfusable vascular network and native extracellular matrix components, allowing efficient reseeding of the thyroid matrix with the FRTL-5 rat thyroid cell line generating three-dimensional follicular structures in vitro. In addition, the recellularized thyroid showed successful cellular engraftment and thyroid-specific function, including synthesis of thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase. Moreover, the decellularized rat thyroid scaffold could further be recellularized with human-derived thyroid cells and parathyroid cells to reconstruct a humanized bioartificial endocrine organ, which maintained expression of critical genes such as thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, and parathyroid hormone. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the utility of a decellularized thyroid extracellular matrix scaffold system for the development of functional, bioengineered thyroid tissue, which could potentially be used to treat hypothyroidism.