The metabolic profiles and body composition of non-obese metabolic associated fatty liver disease.

Background/purpose: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and is generally thought to be closely related to obesity and diabetes. However, it also affects non-obese individuals, particularly in Asian cultures. Methods: Healthy physical examination subjects and MAFLD patients were included in the endocrinology department of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. MAFLD was defined as fatty liver in imaging without virus infection, drug, alcohol, or other known causes of chronic liver disease. Non-obese MAFLD was defined as MAFLD in non-obese subjects (BMI<25 kg/m2). Results: The final analysis comprised 1047 participants in total. Of 946 MAFLD patients, 162 (17.12%) were diagnosed with non-obese MAFLD. Non-obese MAFLD patients were older, had lower alanine aminotransferase (ALT), triglyceride, and waist circumference, but had higher high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) than obese MAFLD patients. Compared with non-obese healthy controls, non-obese MAFLD patients had higher BMI, ALT, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), uric acid (UA), triglycerides (TG), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c). In terms of body composition, body fat mass (BFM), waist-hip ratio (WHR), percent body fat (PBF), visceral fat area (VFA), and fat mass index (FMI) were lower in non-obese healthy controls than non-obese MAFLD patients. A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that non-obese MAFLD was linked with lower GGT and higher HDL-c. Conclusion: In this study cohort, non-obese MAFLD was present at a prevalence of 13.90%. In contrast to non-obese healthy controls, non-obese MAFLD patients exhibited different metabolic profiles, but they also had different body compositions.

The Role of TGF-ß Signaling Pathways in Cancer and Its Potential as a Therapeutic Target.

The transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathway mediates various biological functions, and its dysregulation is closely related to the occurrence of malignant tumors. However, the role of TGF-ß signaling in tumorigenesis and development is complex and contradictory. On the one hand, TGF-ß signaling can exert antitumor effects by inhibiting proliferation or inducing apoptosis of cancer cells. On the other hand, TGF-ß signaling may mediate oncogene effects by promoting metastasis, angiogenesis, and immune escape. This review summarizes the recent findings on molecular mechanisms of TGF-ß signaling. Specifically, this review evaluates TGF-ß's therapeutic potential as a target by the following perspectives: ligands, receptors, and downstream signaling. We hope this review can trigger new ideas to improve the current clinical strategies to treat tumors related to the TGF-ß signaling pathway.

Acupuncture and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) attributable to conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic low back pain is the most common cause of disability globally, for which no effective remedy exists. Although acupuncture is one of the most popular sensory stimulation therapies and is widely used in numerous pain conditions, its efficacy remains controversial. This review summarizes and expands upon the current research on the therapeutic properties of acupuncture for patients with CMP to better inform clinical decision-making and develop patient-focused treatments. RECENT FINDINGS: We examined 16 review articles and 11 randomized controlled trials published in the last 5 years on the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in adults with CMP conditions. The available evidence suggests that acupuncture does have short-term pain relief benefits for patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain and is a safe and reasonable referral option. Acupuncture may also have a beneficial role for fibromyalgia. However, the available evidence does not support the use of acupuncture for treating hip osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The majority of studies concluded the superiority of short-term analgesic effects over various controls and suggested that acupuncture may be efficacious for CMP. These reported benefits should be verified in more high-quality randomized controlled trials.

"Acupuncture stimulation of Yamen (GV 15), Fengfu (GV 16), Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Hegu (LI 4) reduces brain microglia activation in a traumatic brain injury rat model".

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on neuroinflammation in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats by stimulating Yamen (GV 15), Fengfu (GV 16), Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Hegu (LI 4) acupoints and to investigate the mechanism underpinning this effect. METHODS: A TBI model was induced in Sprague- Dawley rats using Feeney's freefall impact method. Acupuncture to stimulate the Yamen (GV 15), Fengfu (GV 16), Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Hegu (LI 4) acupoints was performed on the TBI rats. After 3 consecutive days of acupuncture treatment, we investigated signal molecules, receptors and microglia related to neuroinflammation in brain tissue of the TBI rats and analyzed the possible mechanism underlying the effect of acupuncture on neuroinflammation. RESULTS: After the acupuncture treatment, ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1(Iba1), a protein specific to microglia, was investigated. In the cortical layer of damaged brain tissue in TBI rats, the Iba1-positive area was 3.3% ± 0.9% in the rats that received acupuncture compared with 5.2% ± 1.4% in the TBI rats that did not receive acupuncture, and the microglia were smaller with more slender protrusions in the acupuncture-treated rats. This result indicates that acupuncture can significantly reduce microglia activation in TBI rats. A possible mechanism for this effect is that acupuncture reduces the expression of autotaxin and lysophosphatidic acid. Together, these constitute the autotaxin-lysophosphatidic acid axis, which induces microglial activation in the brains of TBI rats. Acupuncture treatment may downregulate the expression of Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor (LPAR) 1 and LPAR2 on the microglial cytomembrane, which affects the microglia activation process. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture stimulating the Yamen (GV 15), Fengfu (GV 16), Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26) and Hegu (LI 4) acupoints can effectively inhibit the development of neuroinflammation after TBI. One possible mechanism for this effect is that acupuncture downregulates LPA synthesis and affects the LPA-LPAR pathway by inhibiting LPAR1 and LPAR2, thereby inhibiting microglial activation and reducing neuroinflammation.

Marine Natural Products and Drug Resistance in Latent Tuberculosis.

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is the only drug for the elimination of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates. However, due to the increased number of PZA-resistance, the chances of the success of global TB elimination seems to be more prolonged. Recently, marine natural products (MNPs) as an anti-TB agent have received much attention, where some compounds extracted from marine sponge, Haliclona sp. exhibited strong activity under aerobic and hypoxic conditions. In this study, we screened articles from 1994 to 2019 related to marine natural products (MNPs) active against latent MTB isolates. The literature was also mined for the major regulators to map them in the form of a pathway under the dormant stage. Five compounds were found to be more suitable that may be applied as an alternative to PZA for the better management of resistance under latent stage. However, the mechanism of actions behind these compounds is largely unknown. Here, we also applied synthetic biology to analyze the major regulatory pathway under latent TB that might be used for the screening of selective inhibitors among marine natural products (MNPs). We identified key regulators of MTB under latent TB through extensive literature mining and mapped them in the form of regulatory pathway, where SigH is negatively regulated by RshA. PknB, RshA, SigH, and RNA polymerase (RNA-pol) are the major regulators involved in MTB survival under latent stage. Further studies are needed to screen MNPs active against the main regulators of dormant MTB isolates. To reduce the PZA resistance burden, understanding the regulatory pathways may help in selective targets of MNPs from marine natural sources.

[Effect of acupuncture intervention on neurological function, cerebral microglia activation and secondary nerve damage in traumatic brain injury rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on activities of microglia in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats. METHODS: Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into normal control, model and acupuncture groups according to the random number table (n＝18 rats in each group). The TBI model was established by using a free fall brain injury striking device after exposing the local cranial bone (to induce the left parietal cerebral contusion). Acupoints "Baihui" (GV20), "Shuigou" (GV26), "Fengfu" (GV16), "Yamen" (GV15) and bilateral "Hegu" (LII4) were stimulated intensively by twirling the filiform needles with force at a range of >360° and a frequency of 160－180 cycles/min for 10 sec in every acupoint, once every 5 min during the 15 minutes' needle retaining. The treatment was given once every day for successive 14 days. The rats of the normal and model groups were grabbed and fixed with the same procedure. The behavioral changes were tested using modified neurological severity score (mNSS). The histopathological changes of the injured cerebral cortex tissues were observed by using hematoxylin-eosin (H.E.) staining, and the fluorescence intensity of Iba-1 (marker of microglia) positive products in the surrounding tissue of the cerebral focus was displayed by immunofluorescence staining, and the contents of neuron specific enolate (NSE) and neurite outgrowth inhibitor-A (Nogo-A) in serum (indicating a secondary nerve damage) were assayed by ELISA. RESULTS: The mNSS scores were significantly increased on day 1, 3, 7 and 14 in the model group in comparison with the normal group (P<0.01) and considerably decreased at the 4 time-points after acupuncture intervention relevant to the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). H．E. staining showed that modeling induced pathological changes such as the excursion of cell nucleus, cellular swel-ling, vacuole-like change, neuron death, karyopyknosis dissolution, and proliferation of fibrous tissue were relatively milder in the acupuncture group. The average fluorescence intensity values of Iba-1-positive products, serum NSE and Nogo-A contents on day 3, 7 and 14 were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and notably down-regulated in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01, except Nogo-A on day 3). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture intervention may accelerate neurological function recovery in TBI rats, which is closely related to its effects in inhibiting the activation of microglia and secondary nerve damage.

Efficient U(VI) Reduction and Sequestration by Ti2CT x MXene.

Although reduction of highly mobile U(VI) to less soluble U(IV) has been long considered an effective approach to in situ environmental remediation of uranium, candidate reducing agents are largely limited to Fe-based materials and microbials. The importance of titanium-containing compounds in natural uranium ore deposits suggests a role for titanium in uranium migration. Herein, for the first time, a two-dimensional transition metal carbide, Ti2CT x, is shown to efficiently remove uranium via a sorption-reduction strategy. Batch experiments demonstrate that TiC2T x exhibits excellent U(VI) removal over a wide pH range, with an uptake capacity of 470 mg g-1 at pH 3.0. The mechanism for U(VI) to U(IV) reduction by Ti2CT x was deciphered by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and diffraction and photoelectron spectroscopy. The reduced U(IV) species at low pH is identified as mononuclear with bidendate binding to the MXene substrate. At near-neutral pH, nanoparticles of the UO2+ x phase adsorb to the substrate with some Ti2CT x transformed to amorphous TiO2. A subsequent in-depth study suggests Ti2CT x materials may be potential candidates for permeable reactive barriers in the treatment of wastewaters from uranium mining. This work highlights reduction-induced immobilization of U(VI) by Ti2CT x MXene including a pH-dependent reduction mechanism that might promote applications of titanium-based materials in the elimination of other oxidized contaminants.

Temperature-dependent cell death patterns induced by functionalized gold nanoparticle photothermal therapy in melanoma cells.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising approach for cancer targeting therapy. However, the temperature-dependent killing of tumor cells in PTT remains unclear. In this study, we report necroptosis plays a role in the anti-tumor effects observed in gold nanorod (GNR)-mediated PTT in melanoma. We first synthesized gold nanorods with a targeting adaptor FA (GNRs-FA), which achieved high efficacy of targeted delivery to melanoma cells. We further demonstrated PTT, precipitated by GNRs-FA under the induction of near-infrared laser, was temperature-dependent. Furthermore, the photothermal killing of melanoma cells showed different patterns of cell death depending on varying temperature in PTT. In a lower temperature at 43 °C, the percentages of apoptosis, necroptosis and necrosis of tumor cells were 10.2%, 18.3%, and 17.6%, respectively, suggesting the cell killing is ineffective at lower temperatures. When the temperature increased to 49 °C, the cell death pattern switched to necrosis dominant (52.8%). Interestingly, when the PTT achieved a moderate temperature of 46 °C, necroptosis was significantly increased (35.1%). Additionally, GNRs-FA/PPT-mediated necroptosis was regulated by RIPK1 pathway. Taken together, this study is the first to demonstrate that temperature-dependent necroptosis is an important mechanism of inducing melanoma cell death in GNR-mediated PTT in addition to apoptosis and necrosis.

Targeted-gene silencing of BRAF to interrupt BRAF/MEK/ERK pathway synergized photothermal therapeutics for melanoma using a novel FA-GNR-siBRAF nanosystem.

Melanoma is significantly associated with mutant BRAF gene, a suitable target for siRNA-based anti-melanoma therapy. However, a tumor-specific delivery system is a major hurdle for clinical applications. Here, we developed a novel nano-carrier, FA-GNR-siBRAF for safe topical application, which consists of folic acid (FA) as the tumor-targeting moiety, golden nanorods (GNR) providing photothermal capability to kill tumor cells under laser irradiation, and siRNA specifically silencing BRAF (siBRAF). The in vitro and in vivo results revealed that FA-GNR-siBRAF displayed high transfection rates, and subsequently induced remarkable gene knockdown of BRAF, resulting in suppression of melanoma growth due to the interruption of the MEK/ERK pathway. Combinatorial photothermal effects and BRAF knockdown by FA-GNR-siBRAF effectively killed tumor cells through apoptosis, with enhanced efficiency than individual treatments. Therefore, the FA-GNR-siBRAF simultaneously induced BRAF gene silencing and photothermal effects which achieved synergistic efficacy in the treatment of melanoma, paving a new path for developing clinical treatment methods for melanoma.

Effect of acupuncture on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of acupuncture on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway in the cortex of Sprague-Dawley rats following traumatic brain injury (TBI), and investigate the possible mechanism underlying the effects of acupuncture on scar repair. METHODS: TBI was established using Feeney's free-falling epidural percussion model. In total, 108 rats were randomly divided into a normal group (n=18), untreated TBI model group (TBI group, n=36) and manual acupuncture-treated TBI group (TBI+MA, n=36). Each group of rats was subdivided into three time groups: 3-day (3d), 7-day (7d) and 14-day (14d). No treatment was given to rats in the normal and TBI groups. The TBI+MA group received manual acupuncture at GV20, GV26, GV16 through GV15, and bilateral LI4. mRNA expression of TLR2, TLR4, NF-κB and protein in the rat cortices was quantified using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot analyses. RESULTS: The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) scores of the TBI+MA group were improved compared with baseline scores 12 hours after modelling, and improved at 7d and 14d compared with the TBI group (P<0.05), while the score of the TBI group did not improve until 14d compared to baseline. mRNA and protein expression of TLR2, TLR4 and NF-κB in the TBI group were higher than the normal group at 3d (P<0.05), reached a peak at 7d, then began to decrease at 14d. mRNA and protein expression of TLR2, TLR4 and NF-κB were higher in the TBI+MA group compared with the TBI group at 3d (P<0.05), were significantly down-regulated at 7d (P<0.01), and decreased to normal levels at 14d. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture has a bidirectional regulatory effect on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway-related genes TLR2, TLR4 and NF-κB in the TBI rat cortex, promoting their expression in the early stage and inhibiting it in the later stage.

[Analysis of Meridians and Acupoints Rules in Acupuncture Treatment of Dysmenorrhea Based on Data Mining].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rules of acupoints and meridians selection for dysmenorrhea based on data mining. METHODS: The literature on acupuncture treatment of dysmenorrhea was reviewed and a database of dysmenorrhea prescriptions regarding the main points of acupuncture was established with Excel 2003 software, using the relevance rule and cluster analysis methods in data mining technology to analyze the characteristics and laws in acupuncture prescription. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen acupuncture prescriptions were included. The highest frequency of acupoint, meridian and location was San-yinjiao(SP 6), Spleen Meridian, lower limb knee and below knee, respectively. The results of relevance rule indicated that the highest confidence for acupoint combination was SP 6-Taichong(LR 3), the highest support for acupoint combination was SP 6-Guanyuan(CV 4), and the results of cluster analysis showed that there were three effective cluster groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of SP 6-LR 3-CV 4 can be applied in the clinic to cure dysmenorrhea, and Zusanli(ST 36), Ciliao(BL 32), Zhongji(CV 3) can be matched based on syndrome differentiation.

Protecting Bone Health in Pediatric Rheumatic Diseases: Pharmacological Considerations.

Bone health in children with rheumatic conditions may be compromised due to several factors related to the inflammatory disease state, delayed puberty, altered life style, including decreased physical activities, sun avoidance, suboptimal calcium and vitamin D intake, and medical treatments, mainly glucocorticoids and possibly some disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Low bone density or even fragility fractures could be asymptomatic; therefore, children with diseases of high inflammatory load, such as systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile dermatomyositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and those requiring chronic glucocorticoids may benefit from routine screening of bone health. Most commonly used assessment tools are laboratory testing including serum 25-OH-vitamin D measurement and bone mineral density measurement by a variety of methods, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry as the most widely used. Early disease control, use of steroid-sparing medications such as disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and biologics, supplemental vitamin D and calcium, and promotion of weight-bearing physical activities can help optimize bone health. Additional treatment options for osteoporosis such as bisphosphonates are still controversial in children with chronic rheumatic diseases, especially those with decreased bone density without fragility fractures. This article reviews common risk factors leading to compromised bone health in children with chronic rheumatic diseases and discusses the general approach to prevention and treatment of bone fragility.

Effects of salt stress on eco-physiological characteristics in Robinia pseudoacacia based on salt-soil rhizosphere.

Robinia pseudoacacia is the main arbor species in the coastal saline-alkali area of the Yellow River Delta. Because most studies focus on the aboveground parts, detailed information regarding root functioning under salinity is scare. Root traits of seedlings of R. pseudoacacia including morphological, physiological and growth properties under four salinity levels (CK, 1‰, 3‰ and 5‰ NaCl) were studied by the pot experiments to better understand their functions and relationships with the shoots. The results showed that seedling biomass decreased by the reduction of root, stem and leaf biomass with the increase of salinity levels. With increasing salinity levels, total root length (TRL) and total root surface area (TRSA) decreased, whereas specific root length (SRL) and specific root area (SRA) increased. Salt stress decreased root activity (RA) and the maximum net photosynthetic rate (Amax) and increased the water saturation deficit (WSD) significantly in the body. Correlation analyses showed significantly correlations between root morphological and physiological parameters and seedling biomass and shoot physiological indexes. R. pseudoacacia seedlings could adapt to 1‰ salinity by regulating the root morphology and physiology, but failed in 5‰ salinity. How to adjust the water status in the body with decreasing water uptake by roots was an important way for R. pseudoacacia seedlings to adapt to the salt stress.

Acupuncture Induces the Proliferation and Differentiation of Endogenous Neural Stem Cells in Rats with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Purpose. To investigate whether acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods. 104 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal, model, and acupuncture groups. Each group was subdivided into three-day (3 d), seven-day (7 d), and fourteen-day (14 d) groups. The rat TBI model was established using Feeney's freefall epidural impact method. The rats in the acupuncture group were treated at acupoints (Baihui, Shuigou, Fengfu, Yamen, and bilateral Hegu). The normal and model groups did not receive acupuncture. The establishment of the rat TBI model and the therapeutic effect of acupuncture were assessed using neurobehavioral scoring and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The proliferation and differentiation of NSCs in TBI rats were analyzed using immunofluorescence microscopy. Results. The levels of nestin-expressing cells and bromodeoxyuridine/glial fibrillary acidic protein- (BrdU/GFAP-) and BrdU/S100 calcium-binding protein B-positive and BrdU/microtubule-associated protein 2- and BrdU/galactocerebrosidase-positive cells were more significantly increased at various time points in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P < 0.01), except for a decreased level of BrdU/GFAP-positive cells at 7 d and 14 d. Conclusion. Acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs, thereby promoting neural repair in the TBI rats.

Effects of acupuncture on cortical expression of Wnt3a, ß-catenin and Sox2 in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupuncture treatment on the expression of Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway-related genes (Wnt3a, ß-catenin and Sox2) in the injured cerebral cortex of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: A controlled impact model of TBI was established using Feeney's free-drop method. Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: a normal group (n=18) that was left untreated; a model group (n=30) that received no treatment after TBI; and an acupuncture group (n=30) that received acupuncture (at LI4, GV20, GV26 and GV16) after TBI. Rats in each group were randomly and equally divided into 3-day, 7-day and 14-day subgroups according to the duration of therapy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure mRNA expression of Wnt3a, ß-catenin and Sox2. Western blots were performed to determine the expression levels of WNT3a, ß-Catenin and SOX2. RESULTS: Wnt3a mRNA was upregulated in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.05). ß-catenin expression was significantly increased in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.01). In the 3-day and 7-day acupuncture subgroups, Sox2 expression was significantly higher than that in the normal and model groups (p<0.01 each). The levels of WNT3a, ß-catenin and SOX2 were generally consistent with the corresponding mRNA levels. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture exerts a regulatory effect on the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway, which may in turn influence the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells.

A novel GNRs-PEI/GNRs-PEI-folate for efficiently delivering siRNA.

RNA interference (RNAi) employs double-stranded RNA or siRNA (small interfering RNA) to silence gene expression in cells. The widespread use of RNAi therapeutics requires the development of clinically suitable, safe and effective delivery vehicles. PEI (Poly(ethylene imine)) carrying the positive charges has attracted considerable attention for siRNA delivery. Gold nanorods (GNRs) exhibit specially localized surface plasmon resonance when excited by the visible and near-infrared laser, which is useful for photothermal therapy. However, the toxicity derived from a large amount of the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) during GNR synthesis severely limits their medical applications. Here, we report the synthesis of GNRs-PEI/GNRs-PEI-folate to improve biocompatibility, siRNA delivery and photothermal therapy of GNRs. Firstly, GNRs were synthesized according to the seed-mediated template-assisted protocol. The characterization results of GNRs showed: the size was length about 218 nm and width about 26.8 nm; the Zeta potential was +38.1 mV derived from CTAB on their surface; the dipole resonance extinction spectrum peak was 752 nm which is effective for photothermal therapy in vivo. Secondly, we synthesized PEI-MUA (Mercaptoundecanoic acid) and PEI-MUA-folate based on the chemical reaction between amino group of PEI and carboxyl group of MUA or Folate. PEI-MUA or PEI-MUA-folate to replace CTAB on GNRs obtained the GNRs-MUA-PEI system or the GNRs-MUA-PEI-folate system due to the solid conjugation between the thiol group of MUA and GNRs. The products were measured using the FTIR Spectrometer, and the spectra suggest MUA-PEI or PEI-MUA-folate has successfully replaced CTAB on the surface of GNRs. Finally, GNRs-MUA-PEI was incubated with siRNA-Cy3. The unbound siRNA-Cy3 was measured the intensity of fluorescence for calculating the uploaded amount of siRNA by GNRs-MUA-PEI, and the results indicate that the uploaded percentage of siRNA is about 70%. We conclude that the GNRs-MUA-PEI system is an effective siRNA loading vehicle.

Phytochemical profiles and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the leaves of Zanthoxylum bungeanum.

The ethanol crude extracts (ECE) and their subfractions from Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves were prepared and their phytochemical profiles and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were investigated. Moreover, the effective HPLC procedure for simultaneous quantification of twelve compounds in Z. bungeanum leaves was established. The correlation between the phytochemicals and antioxidant activity was also discussed. The ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) had the highest total phenolic (97.29 mmol GAE/100 g) and flavonoid content (67.93 mmol QE/100 g), while the greatest total alkaloid content (4.39 mmol GAE/100 g) was observed in the chloroform fraction (CF). Twelve compounds were quantified by RP-HPLC assay. EAF exhibited the highest content of quercitrin, kaempferol-3-rhamnoside, quercetin, sesamin, and nitidine chloride (125.21, 54.95, 24.36, 26.24, and 0.20 mg/g); acetone fraction (AF) contained the highest content of chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperoside, and trifolin (5.87, 29.94, 98.33, and 31.24 mg/g), while kaempferol-3-rhamnoside, xanthyletin, and sesamin were rich in CF. EAF and AF exhibited significant DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging abilities and reducing power (FRAP), whereas CF exhibited significant antifungal activity. Moreover, EAF also showed stronger antibacterial activity. In conclusion, Z. bungeanum leaves have health benefits when consumed and could be served as an accessible source for production of functional food ingredients and medicinal exploration.

[Formation causes of wind damage to Robinia pseudoacacia plantation in Yellow River Delta].

Based on the investigation of the gale-caused damage to the Robinia pseudoacacia plantation in the Yellow River Delta in June-July 2010, this paper measured the morphological indexes and root system characteristics of fallen trees, gap sizes, and soil compactness, aimed to analyze the formation causes of the wind damage to the plantation. Wind-falling was the main form of the wind damage to the R. pseudoacacia plantation, and the damage was more serious for the trees with the diameter at breast height of 15-20 cm. For the fallen trees, their tree height and their crown width, height, and taper degree increased significantly with the increase of the diameter at breast height, while the height under branch, the ratio of crown width to height, and the ratio of the height under branch to tree height showed no significant change. With the increase of diameter class, root length had a rapid increase first but a slow increase then, while root mass increased gradually. With increasing forest gap area, the number of fallen trees decreased after an initial increase, being the maximum in the gap areas of 100-150 m2. Soil compactness increased with soil depth, but did not show significant changes with the stand diameter class. Increased tree shape factors and suppressed root growth resulting from the increased diameter could be the main factors causing wind-falling, and forest gap played a promotion role.

Phytoplankton community structure and environmental parameters in aquaculture areas of Daya Bay, South China Sea.

Environmental characteristics and phytoplankton community structure were investigated in two aquaculture areas in Dapeng Cove of Daya Bay, South China Sea, between April 2005 and June 2006. Phytoplankton abundance ranged between 5.0 and 8877.5 cells/mL, with an average of 751.8 cells/mL. The seasonal cycle of phytoplankton were demonstrated by frequent oscillations, with recurrent high abundances from late spring to autumn and a peak stage in late winter. Diatoms were the predominant phytoplankton group, accounting for 93.21% of the total abundance. The next most abundant group was the dinoflagellates, which made up only 1.24% of total abundance. High concentrations of Alexandrium tamarense (Lebour) Balech with a maximum of 603.0 cells/mL were firstly recorded in this area known for high rates of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) contamination. Temperatures and salinities were within the suitable values for the growth of phytoplankton, and were important in phytoplankton seasonal fluctuations. The operation of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station (DNPS) exerts influences on the phytoplankton community and resulted in the high abundances of toxic dinoflagellate species during the winter months. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved silicate (DSi) were sufficient, and rarely limited for the growth of phytoplankton. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) was the most necessary element for phytoplankton growth. The enriched environments accelerated the growth of small diatoms, and made for the shift in predominant species from large diatom Rhizosolenia spp. to chain-forming diatoms such as Skeletonema costatum, Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and Thalassiosira subtilis.