Allometry of bud dynamic pattern and linkage between bud traits and ecological stoichiometry of Nitraria tangutorum under fertilizer addition.

Affected by the pressure and constraints of available resources, plant growth and development, as well as plant life history strategies, usually vary with environmental conditions. Plant buds play a crucial role in the life history of woody plants. Nitraria tangutorum is a common dominant woody species in desertified areas of northern China and its growth is critical to the desert ecosystem. Revealing the allometry of N. tangutorum aboveground bud fates and the linkage between bud traits and plant nutrient contents and stoichiometric ratios can be useful in understanding plant adaptation strategy. We applied seven nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer addition treatments to natural N. tangutorum ramets in Ulan Buh Desert in three consecutive years. We surveyed three types of aboveground buds (dormant buds, vegetative buds, and reproductive buds) in each N. tangutorum ramet, then measured the plant carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents and ratios during three consecutive years. We specified that reserve growth potential (RGP), vegetative growth intensity (VGI) and sexual reproduction effort (SRE) are the three indices of bud dynamic pattern. The results showed that the bud dynamic pattern of N. tangutorum ramets differed significantly among different fertilizer addition treatments and sampling years. The allometry of RGP, VGI, and SRE was obvious, showing size dependence. The allometric growth relationship fluctuated among the sampling years. The linkage between bud traits and plant stoichiometric characteristics of N. tangutorum ramets showed close correlation with plant P content, C:P and N:P ratios, no significant correlation with plant C content, N content and C:N ratio. These results contribute to an improved understanding of the adaptive strategies of woody plants growing in desert ecosystems and provide insights for adoption of effective measures to restore and conserve plant communities in arid and semi-arid regions.

Effects of Jie Yu Wan on Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: To systematically assess the clinical efficacy of the Jie Yu Wan (JYW) formula in treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Methods: A multicenter, prospective, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted at four hospitals in China. A total of one hundred thirty-three patients with GAD were enrolled from 2017 to 2019. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) JYW formula on GAD at eight weeks, with the use of Buspirone as the comparator. A stepwise dosing protocol was used (JYW: high dose 24 g/day, low dose 12 g/day; Buspirone: high dose 30 mg/day, low dose 15 mg/day) and the dose was adjusted depending on whether the treatment response of Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score was less than or equal to 25% after one week. The primary outcome was a change in total score on the HAMA. The secondary outcomes included the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale, and TCM Syndrome Scale. Adverse events were recorded using the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS). Assessments were conducted at the baseline and 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Results: A total of one hundred thirty-three participants were randomly assigned to the JYW group (n = 66) and the Buspirone group (n = 67). One hundred twenty-one patients (91%) completed at least one follow-up session. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, disease course, HAMA, HAMD, CGI, and TCM Syndrome Scale scores at baseline (all P > 0.05). Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed statistically significant time effects for the HAMA (P=0.002), HAMD (P = 0.018), and CGI (P=0.001) in both groups. Sensitivity analyses supported the credibility of the main results (P > 0.05). The group effect was not significant for the HAMA (P=0.43), HAMD (P=0.27), CGI (P=0.37), and TCM Syndrome Scale (P=0.86). Furthermore, there were no significant interaction effects between time and group in terms of the HAMA (P=0.47), HAMD (P=0.79), CGI (P=0.67), and TCM Syndrome Scale (P=0.69). After one week, 53 patients (80%) of the JYW group and 52 patients (78%) of the Buspirone group were adjusted to high doses. The interaction effect between time, group, and the dose was determined by repeated measures ANOVA test, and the HAMA score served as the outcome measure. The interaction effect between time and dose was statistically significant (P=0.04), which shows that high-dose JYW (24 g/day) was more effective in decreasing patients' HAMA scores than low-dose JYW (12 g/day), and Buspirone had the same effect, which means that high-dose Buspirone (30 mg/day) was more effective than low dose. (15 mg/day). Conclusions: The conclusion of this study supports that JYW and Buspirone can effectively alleviate the anxiety symptoms of GAD patients, which are both effective and safe for treatment of mild to moderate GAD. Besides, high-dose JYW or Buspirone are more effective than low-dose, which is of great importance in assisting clinical medication choice.

Activation of CB1R-Dependent PGC-1α Is Involved in the Improved Mitochondrial Biogenesis Induced by Electroacupuncture Pretreatment.

Electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment induces cerebral ischemic tolerance; however, the mechanism remains poorly understood. This study aimed to determine the participation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α)-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis in the neuroprotection of EA and whether cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) is involved in this mechanism. At 2 hours after EA pretreatment, adult male C57BL/6j mice were subjected to 60-minute right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Mitochondrial function, the level of mitochondrial biogenesis-related proteins (nuclear transcription factor 1, NRF1; mitochondrial transcription factor A, TFAM), and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were measured. A small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting PGC-1α and the CB1R antagonists AM251 and SR141716A were given to the animals before EA pretreatment, and mitochondrial function and biogenesis were examined after MCAO. EA ameliorated the mitochondrial function, upregulated the NRF1 and TFAM expression, and increased the mtDNA levels and the volume and number of mitochondria. EA pretreatment increased the expression of PGC-1α, whereas the PGC-1α siRNA and CB1R antagonists reversed the improved neuroprotection and increased mitochondrial biogenesis induced by EA. Our results indicated that EA pretreatment protects the mitochondria and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis by activating CB1R-dependent PGC-1α, which provides a novel mechanism for EA pretreatment-induced ischemic tolerance.

[An ecological stoichiometry model based on the size of Nitraria tangutorum]. / 基于白刺个体大小的生态化学计量模型.

Ecological stoichiometry provides a new method for understanding the characteristics, driving forces and mechanisms of C, N and P coupled cycles. However, there are few reports on the variation in ecological stoichiometry of plants during their growth. In this study, we fitted the total elemental mass of different module based on the size of Nitraria tangutorum, and derived the ecological stoichiometry models of different module and whole ramet by measuring the biomass and nutrient concentrations of the current-year stems in 2017, 2-year-old stems, more than 2-year-old stems, leaves, roots and layerings of N. tangutorum ramet. Our results showed that the derivation model could well reflect the changes in ecological stoichiometry during plant growth. The old stems and the layering had higher N:P and C:P, while leaves,current-year stems, and roots had lower N:P and C:P. The whole plant nutrient elements cumulative rate was P:N:C during the growth process. These results were consistent with the growth rate hypothesis and allometric theory, and provide evidence for nutrient reabsorption. This model could be used as an effective way to analyze the dynamic characteristics of elements in plant growth.

Pretreatment of pig manure liquid digestate for microalgae cultivation via innovative flocculation-biological contact oxidation approach.

Liquid digestate with high concentration of organic matter and suspended solids cannot be directly used for microalgae cultivation. This study employed an innovative integrated approach, combining flocculation and biological contact oxidation (F-BCO), as a pretreatment to create a suitable environment for microalgae growth. The laboratory and pilot-scale experiments were both performed to verify operational performance. In F-BCO pretreatment, chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH3-N, and total phosphorus (TP) were reduced 55.0%, 46.1%, and 74.9%, respectively at pilot-scale in steady-state phase. It is further determined that the COD and TP removal were primarily attributed to flocculation, and NH3-N removal was mainly due to oxidation process (70%). The pretreated biogas slurry (BS) can be directly used for Chlorella cultivation, reaching a maximum accumulated biomass concentration of 3.3 g/L. The F-BCO process demonstrated a promising potential for pretreating BS to be a culture media for microalgae cultivation.

Effects of Kudiezi Injection on Serum Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients with Acute Cerebral Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Kudiezi injection is a traditional Chinese medicine for acute cerebral infarction, but the exact mechanisms are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanisms of Kudiezi injection on the inflammatory response in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction. METHODS: This was a prospective study of patients with acute cerebral infarction within 48 h of onset and treated between July 2012 and July 2016 at three hospitals in China. The patients were randomized to routine treatments (control group) versus routine treatments and Kudiezi injection (Kudiezi group). The National Institutes of Health Stroke Score was assessed on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14. The patients were tested for serum levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (S100 calcium-binding protein B, neuron-specific enolase, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, interleukin-18, and matrix metaloproteinase-9; by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) immediately after admission and on days 3, 5, and 14. RESULTS: Stroke scores were improved in both groups from days 1 to 14. On days 5 and 7, stroke scores in the Kudiezi group were lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with controls, the Kudiezi group had lower serum S100 calcium-binding protein B on day 14; higher interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 on day 3; lower interleukin-6 and interleukin-18 on day 5; and lower interleukin-18 and matrix metaloproteinase-9 on day 14. CONCLUSION: Kudiezi injection could lead to early reduction of interleukin-6, interleukin-18, matrix metaloproteinase-9, neuron-specific enolase, and S100 calcium-binding protein B levels and increases of interleukin-10 levels in patients with acute ischemic stroke. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01636154.

Recovery of reducing sugars and volatile fatty acids from cornstalk at different hydrothermal treatment severity.

This study focused on the degradation of cornstalk and recovery of reducing sugars and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at different hydrothermal treatment severity (HTS) (4.17-8.28, 190-320°C). The highest recovery of reducing sugars and VFAs reached 92.39% of aqueous products, equal to 34.79% based on dry biomass (HTS, 6.31). GC-MS and HPLC identified that the aqueous contained furfural (0.35-2.88 g/L) and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (0-0.85 g/L) besides reducing sugars and VFAs. Hemicellulose and cellulose were completely degraded at a HTS of 5.70 and 7.60, respectively. SEM analysis showed that cornstalk was gradually changed from rigid and highly ordered fibrils to molten and grainy structure as HTS increased. FT-IR and TGA revealed the significant changes of organic groups for cornstalk before and after hydrothermal treatment at different HTS. Hydrothermal treatment might be promising for providing feedstocks suitable for biohythane production.