The roles of stomatal morphologies in transpiration and nutrient transportation between grasses and forbs in a temperate steppe.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Grasses and forbs are dominant functional groups in temperate grasslands and display substantial differences in many biological traits, especially in root and stomatal morphologies, which are closely related to the use of water and nutrients. However, few studies have investigated the differences in nutrient accumulation and stomatal morphology-mediated transportation of water and nutrients from roots to shoots comparatively between the two functional groups. METHODS: Here, we explored the patterns of accumulation of multiple nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) in leaves and roots, transpiration-related processes and interactions between nutrients and transpiration at functional group levels by experiments in a temperate steppe and collection of data from the literature. KEY RESULTS: The concentrations of all the examined nutrients were obviously higher in both leaves and roots of forbs than those in grasses, especially for leaf Ca and Mg concentrations. Grasses with dumbbell-shaped stomata displayed significantly lower transpiration and stomatal conductance than forbs with kidney-shaped stomata. In contrast, grasses showed much higher water-use efficiency (WUE) than forbs. The contrasting patterns of nutrient accumulation, transpiration and WUE between grasses and forbs were less sensitive to varied environments. Leaf N, P and S concentrations were not affected by transpiration. In contrast, leaf Mg concentrations were positively correlated with transpiration in forb species. Furthermore, linear regression and principal component analysis showed that leaf Ca and Mg concentrations were positively correlated with transpiration between the two functional groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our results revealed contrasting differences in acquisition of multiple nutrients and transpiration between grasses and forbs, and that stomatal morphologies are an important driver for the distinct WUE and translocation of Ca and Mg from roots to leaves between the two functional groups in temperate steppes. These findings will contribute to our understanding of the important roles of functional traits in driving water and nutrient cycling.

Carbonate-Induced Chemical Reductants Are Responsible for Iron Acquisition in Strategy I Wild Herbaceous Plants Native to Calcareous Grasslands.

Significant progress has been made in understanding Strategy I iron (Fe) acquisition using crop/model plants under controlled conditions in laboratories. However, plant species native to calcareous soils may have evolved unique strategies for adaptation to high carbonate/pH-induced Fe deficiency. Until now, little information is available on the Fe acquisition mechanisms in these plants. Here, we explored the Fe acquisition mechanisms in wild dicot species native to calcareous grasslands, by monitoring the Fe nutrition-related rhizosphere processes in field and greenhouse conditions. Most of these wild species displayed comparable shoot Fe concentration to those of crops, and some dicots actually accumulated very high shoot Fe. However, these species did not exhibit ferric reductase oxidase (FRO)-dependent Strategy I responses to Fe deficiency, including visual rhizosphere acidification and increased Fe3+ reduction. In contrast, chemical reductants exuded by roots of dicots were responsible for Fe3+ reduction in these wild plants. These features were not observed in the FRO-dependent Strategy I crop plant cucumber. Neither leaf chlorophyll nor shoot/root Fe was depressed by 10% CaCO3 application in all the examined wild species. Furthermore, their root exudation was significantly activated by CaCO3, leading to an increased Fe3+ reduction. We show that chemical reductant-mediated Fe3+ reduction occurs preferentially in these wild dicots and that these mechanisms are not sensitive to high soil carbonate/pH. Our findings support that Fe acquisition in Strategy I wild plants native to calcareous soils is substantially different from the enzyme-dependent system of Strategy I plants.

CKS2 Promotes the Growth in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer by Downregulating Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase subunit 2 (CKS2) in tissues and cells in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the function mechanism of CKS2 in NSCLC cell growth and tumorigensis. METHODS: After transfecting NCI-H2170 cells with short-hair RNA (shRNA), an shCKS2 gene-silencing model was established. The cells were divided into a shRNA group and shNC group. For overexpression cell lines, we used the same method to establish the NCI-H2170-CKS2 cell lines. Cell Count Kit-8 assay and colony formation assay were used to determine cell viability and cell growth, respectively. Propidium iodide staining was used to determine cell cycle progression. The mRNA expression of CKS2 and protein expression of CKS2, p21, p53, and PTEN were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. The expression of CKS2, p53, and Ki67 in tissues was determined by immunohistochemical stain. The in vivo tumorigenesis assays were used to determine the ability of CKS2 in tumor growth. RESULTS: The results of RT-qPCR and Western blotting assay revealed that CKS2 upregulated expression in NSCLC tissues and cells. The results of the CCK-8 assay revealed that the shRNA group exhibited significantly lower cell viability and foci formation than the empty plasmid group, while CKS2 overexpression induces cell growth and cell cycle progression. The result of nude mice suggested that CKS2 knockdown expression suppressed tumorigenesis in the in vivo animal model. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that CKS2 could be a biomarker in the progression and prognosis of NSCLC.

LncRNA NEAT1 aggravates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by regulating the miR-98-5p/TLR4 axis.

Although long noncoding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) was reported to be associated with acute lung injury (ALI), its specific mechanism has not been well studied. Mouse and cell ALI models were constructed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cell viability was evaluated by 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di- phenytetrazoliumromide assay. Cell death was evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase release (LDH) detection kit and flow cytometry. The levels of cytokines in lung tissues lysates were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of apoptosis-related markers was detected by Western blot. The relationship between NEAT1, miR-98-5p, and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was determined by bioinformatics prediction, luciferase reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Rescue experiments were performed to determine the role of NEAT1/miR-98-5p/TLR4 in ALI. NEAT1 was significantly upregulated during ALI both in vitro and in vivo. NEAT1 knockdown efficiently attenuated LPS-induced ALI and reduced LPS-induced elevation of cytokines both in vitro and in vivo. NEAT1 negatively regulated miR-98-5p by directly sponging it, and TLR4 was a target of miR-98-5p. MiR-98-5p inhibition or TLR4 overexpression could obviously attenuate the protective effects of NEAT1 knockdown in LPS-treated A549 cells. Our study demonstrated that NEAT1 knockdown alleviated LPS-induced ALI by targeting the miR-98-5p/TLR4 axis.

Prevalence of Dysphagia in China: An Epidemiological Survey of 5943 Participants.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of dysphagia among an older population and patients with stroke, head and neck cancers (HNCs) or neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) in China, to identify the factors associated with this condition, and to explore the relationship between dysphagia and nutritional status. METHODS: This study included participants 65 years and older living in the community or in nursing homes and patients who had sustained a stroke, HNC, or NDD also recruited in hospitals from 14 provinces of China. The presence of dysphagia was determined by use of a questionnaire, water swallowing test, and/or a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the possible associated risk factors. Body mass index was assessed as an indicator of malnutrition. RESULTS: A total of 5943 persons met the inclusion criteria and 2341 (39.4%) were identified with dysphagia, including the following: 51.14% of patients with stroke, 34.4% in HNCs, 48.3% in NDDs, and 19.2% of otherwise healthy older adults. The elderly with comorbidity (OR = 2.90, p < 0.01) and stroke patients (OR = 2.27, p < 0.01) were significantly more likely to exhibit signs of dysphagia. Dysphagic participants were at significantly greater risk of malnutrition (OR = 1.91, p < 0.01) compared to those without dysphagia. CONCLUSION: Dysphagia is prevalent in China among older individuals and people who have suffered a stroke, HNCs, or NDDs. The prevalence of dysphagia increases steadily with increasing age and presence of comorbid disease. People with dysphagia are more likely to suffer from malnutrition.

Enhanced accumulation of gibberellins rendered rice seedlings sensitive to ammonium toxicity.

Ammonium (NH4+) phytotoxicity is a worldwide phenomenon, but the primary toxic mechanisms are still controversial. In the present study, we investigated the physiological function of gibberellins (GAs) in the response of rice plants to NH4+ toxicity and polyamine accumulation using GA biosynthesis-related rice mutants. Exposure to NH4+ significantly decreased GA4 production in shoots of wild-type (WT) plants. Both exogenous GA application to the WT and increases in endogenous GA levels in eui1 mutants rendered them more sensitive to NH4+ toxicity. In contrast, growth of sd1 GA-deficient mutants was more tolerant to NH4+ toxicity than that of their WT counterparts. The role of polyamines in GA-mediated NH4+ toxicity was evaluated using WT rice plants and their GA-related mutants. The eui1 mutants with GA overproduction displayed a higher endogenous putrescine (Put) accumulation than WT plants, leading to an enhanced Put/[spermidine (Spd)+spermine (Spm)] ratio in their shoots. In contrast, mutation of the SD1 gene encoding a defective enzyme in GA biosynthesis resulted in a significant increase in Spd and Spm production, and reduction in the Put/(Spd+Spm) ratio when exposed to a high NH4+ medium. Exogenous application of Put exacerbated symptoms associated with NH4+ toxicity in rice shoots, while the symptoms were alleviated by an inhibitor of Put biosynthesis. These findings highlight the involvement of GAs in NH4+ toxicity, and that GA-induced Put accumulation is responsible for the increased sensitivity to NH4+ toxicity in rice plants.

Retracted: miR-145 modulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition and invasion by targeting ZEB2 in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major event that drives cancer progression. Here we aim to investigate the role of microRNA, miR-145, in regulating EMT of the highly invasive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that miR-145 was downregulated in cancer tissue compared with that in adjacent normal tissue. NSCLC cell lines, namely H1299, PC7, and SPCA-1, also demonstrated miR-145 downregulation, which is correlated well with their invasive ability, assessed by the Matrigel invasion assay. miR-145 overexpression resulted in downregulation of N-cadherin, and downregulation of vimentin and E-cadherin, suggesting a decreased EMT activity. TargetScan analysis predicted that a binding site exists between miR-145 and an oncogene, ZEB2, which was verified using the dual-luciferase assay. Alteration of miR-145 expression also induced inverse effects on ZEB2 expression, and a negative correlation exists between ZEB2 and miR-145 in human tissues. ZEB2 and miR-145 also exerted antagonizing effects on the invasion of NSCLC cells. Therefore, miR-145 is an important molecule in NSCLC that regulates cancer EMT through targeting ZEB2.

Selective Impairment of Attentional Networks of Executive Control in Middle-Aged Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND The influence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on attention has been elusive. The Attention Network Test (ANT) was developed to evaluate the functioning of 3 individual attentional networks: orienting, alerting, and executive control. The purpose of this study was to use the ANT to assess attentional function and its sub-components in T2DM patients ages 40-60 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty T2DM patients and 30 healthy controls ages 40-60 years were recruited in this investigation. The ANT was used to statistically compare the efficiency among 3 sub-components of the attention networks between middle-aged T2DM patients (n=30) and gender-, age-, and education-matched healthy controls (n=30). RESULTS The ANT demonstrated a significant difference in executive control network between the T2DM patients and healthy controls (t=3.242, P=0.002), whereas no significant difference was observed regarding the domains of alerting (t=0.515, P=0.609) and orienting control (t=0.078, P=0.938) between the T2DM patient group and the healthy control group. Moreover, the mean reaction time in the ANT in the T2DM patients was significantly longer compared with that in the healthy controls (t=3.561, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS The ANT reveals significant impairment in the executive control of middle-aged patients diagnosed with T2DM, whereas no significant impairment was observed in the domains of alerting and orienting.

Gibberellins regulate iron deficiency-response by influencing iron transport and translocation in rice seedlings (Oryza sativa).

Background and aims: Gibberellins (GAs) are a class of plant hormones with diverse functions. However, there has been little information on the role of GAs in response to plant nutrient deficiency. Methods: To evaluate the roles of GAs in regulation of Fe homeostasis, the effects of GA on Fe accumulation and Fe translocation in rice seedlings were investigated using wild-type, a rice mutant ( eui1 ) displaying enhnaced endogenous GA concentrations due to a defect in GA deactivation, and transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsEUI . Key Results: Exposure to Fe-deficient medium significantly reduced biomass of rice plants. Both exogenous application of GA and an endogenous increase of bioactive GA enhanced Fe-deficiency response by exaggerating foliar chlorosis and reducing growth. Iron deficiency significantly suppressed production of GA 1 and GA 4 , the biologically active GAs in rice. Exogenous application of GA significantly decreased leaf Fe concentration regardless of Fe supply. Iron concentration in shoot of eui1 mutants was lower than that of WT plants under both Fe-sufficient and Fe-deficient conditions. Paclobutrazol, an inhibitor of GA biosynthesis, alleviated Fe-deficiency responses, and overexpression of EUI significantly increased Fe concentration in shoots and roots. Furthermore, both exogenous application of GA and endogenous increase in GA resulting from EUI mutation inhibited Fe translocation within shoots by suppressing OsYSL2 expression, which is involved in Fe transport and translocation. Conclusions: The novel findings provide compelling evidence to support the involvement of GA in mediation of Fe homeostasis in strategy II rice plants by negatively regulating Fe transport and translocation.

Brassinosteroids are involved in Fe homeostasis in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are steroid hormones that modulate numerous physiological processes in plants. However, few studies have focused on the involvement of BRs in sensing and responding to the stress of mineral nutrient deficiency. In the present study, we evaluated the roles of BRs in the response of rice (Oryza sativa) to iron (Fe) deficiency during Fe uptake, transport, and translocation. Exogenous application of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) to wild-type (WT) plants exaggerated leaf symptoms of Fe deficiency and suppressed growth. EBR increased and decreased Fe concentrations in roots and shoots, respectively, under both Fe-deficient and Fe-sufficient conditions. Transcripts involved in Fe homeostasis, including OsIRT1, OsYSL15, OsYSL2, OsNAS1, and OsNAS2, were enhanced by EBR under Fe-deficient conditions. EBR depressed expression of OsNAS1, OsNAS2, and OsYSL2 in shoots, and inhibited Fe transport and translocation via the phloem. Rice mutant d2-1, which is defective in BR biosynthesis, was more tolerant to Fe deficiency than the WT, and accumulated greater amounts of Fe in roots than the WT under Fe-sufficient conditions. A greater upregulation of OsIRT1, OsYSL15, OsYSL2, OsNAS1, and OsNAS2 in the d2-1 mutant compared to the WT was found under Fe-sufficient conditions, while expression of these genes in the d2-1 mutant was lower than in the WT under Fe-deficient conditions. The greater tolerance of the d2-1 mutant could be partly mitigated by exogenous application of EBR. These novel findings highlight the important role of BR in mediating the response of strategy II plants to Fe deficiency by regulating Fe uptake and translocation in rice.

Genome variations account for different response to three mineral elements between Medicago truncatula ecotypes Jemalong A17 and R108.

BACKGROUND: Resequencing can be used to identify genome variations underpinning many morphological and physiological phenotypes. Legume model plant Medicago truncatula ecotypes Jemalong A17 (J. A17) and R108 differ in their responses to mineral toxicity of aluminum and sodium, and mineral deficiency of iron in growth medium. The difference may result from their genome variations, but no experimental evidence supports this hypothesis. RESULTS: A total of 12,750 structure variations, 135,045 short insertions/deletions and 764,154 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified by resequencing the genome of R108. The suppressed expression of MtAACT that encodes a putative aluminum-induced citrate efflux transporter by deletion of partial sequence of the second intron may account for the less aluminum-induced citrate exudation and greater accumulation of aluminum in roots of R108 than in roots of J. A17, thus rendering R108 more sensitive to aluminum toxicity. The higher expression-level of MtZpt2-1 encoding a TFIIIA-related transcription factor in J. A17 than R108 under conditions of salt stress can be explained by the greater number of stress-responsive elements in its promoter sequence, thus conferring J. A17 more tolerant to salt stress than R108 plants by activating the expression of downstream stress-responsive genes. YSLs (Yellow Stripe-Likes) are involved in long-distance transport of iron in plants. We found that an YSL gene was deleted in the genome of R108 plants, thus rendering R108 less tolerance to iron deficiency than J. A17 plants. CONCLUSIONS: The deletion or change in several genes may account for the different responses of M. truncatula ecotypes J. A17 and R108 to mineral toxicity of aluminum and sodium as well as iron deficiency. Uncovering genome variations by resequencing is an effective method to identify different traits between species/ecotypes that are genetically related. These findings demonstrate that analyses of genome variations by resequencing can shed important light on differences in responses of M. truncatula ecotypes to abiotic stress in general and mineral stress in particular.

Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and metformin abrogate cardiac complication in fructose/STZ-induced type 2 diabetic rats by attenuating oxidative stress and modulating the MAPK-mTOR/NFkB/IL-10 signaling pathways.

Background: The global prevalence of diabetic heart complication has been on the increase, and some of the drugs that are currently used to treat diabetes mellitus (DM) have not been able to mitigate this complication. Objective: This study determines the effect of Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and metformin on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) in fructose/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 2 diabetic rats and also characterizes using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrophotometry and Fourier Transform Infrared the bioactive compounds in 50% aqueous ethanol extract of Brazil nut. Design: After inducing type 2 DM, 30 male albino Wistar rats were separated into five groups that comprised of six rats per group, and they were treated as follows: groups 1 (Control) and 2 (Diabetic control) rats received rat pellets and distilled water; group 3 (Diabetic + Brazil nut) received rat pellets and Brazil nut extract (100 mg/kg, orally) dissolved in distilled water, group 4 (Diabetic + metformin) received metformin (100 mg/kg, orally) dissolved in distilled water, while group 5 (Diabetic + Brazil nut + metformin) received oral administrations of Brazil nut (100 mg/kg) and metformin (100 mg/kg) dissolved in distilled water. This study lasted for 6 weeks. The dose of Brazil nut used was selected from our pilot study on the minimum therapeutic dose of different concentrations of Brazil nut extract. Results: STZ administration induced insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, loss of weight, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, alteration of mammalian target of rapamycin, mitogen-activated protein kinase, heart function markers (creatine kinase MB, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate amino transaminase), and heart histology of the diabetic control, which was ameliorated after treatment with Brazil nut and metformin, but their combined treatment was better than the single treatments. Conclusion: This study shows that Brazil nut contains several bioactive compounds that support its biological properties as well as its candidature as a complementary therapy to metformin in mitigating cardiac complications arising from DM in rats.

Microbiome-host interactions in the pathogenesis of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective: To explore the underlying mechanisms the airway microbiome contributes to Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(AECOPD). Methods: We enrolled 31 AECOPD patients and 26 stable COPD patients, their sputum samples were collected for metagenomic and RNA sequencing, and then subjected to bioinformatic analyses. The expression of host genes was validated by Quantitative Real-time PCR(qPCR) using the same batch of specimens. Results: Our results indicated a higher expression of Rothia mucilaginosa(p=0.015) in the AECOPD group and Haemophilus influenzae(p=0.005) in the COPD group. The Different expressed genes(DEGs) detected were significantly enriched in "type I interferon signaling pathway"(p<0.001, q=0.001) in gene function annotation, and "Cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway"(p=0.002, q=0.024), "Toll-like receptor signaling pathway"(p=0.006, q=0.045), and "TNF signaling pathway"(p=0.006, q=0.045) in KEGG enrichment analysis. qPCR amplification experiment verified that the expression of OASL and IL6 increased significantly in the AECOPD group. Conclusion: Pulmonary bacteria dysbiosis may regulate the pathogenesis of AECOPD through innate immune system pathways like type I interferon signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway.

Brassinosteroids are involved in response of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) to iron deficiency.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Brassinosteroids (BR) are a class of plant polyhydroxysteroids with diverse functions in plant growth and development. However, there is little information on the role of BRs played in the response to nutrient deficiency. METHODS: To evaluate the role of BR in the response of plants to iron (Fe) deficiency, the effect of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) on ferric reductase (FRO) activity, acidification of the rhizosphere and Fe content in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings under Fe-deficient (1 µm FeEDTA) and Fe-sufficient (50 µm FeEDTA) conditions were investigated. KEY RESULTS: There was a significant increase in FRO activity upon exposure of cucumber seedlings to an Fe-deficient medium, and the Fe deficiency-induced increase in FRO activity was substantially suppressed by EBR. In contrast, application of EBR to Fe-sufficient seedlings stimulated FRO activity. Ethylene production evoked by Fe deficiency was suppressed by EBR, while EBR induced ethylene production from Fe-sufficient seedlings. Fe contents in shoots were reduced by treatment with EBR, while Fe contents in roots were markedly increased under both Fe-deficient and Fe-sufficient conditions. The reductions in Fe contents of shoots were independent of chlorophyll (CHL) contents under Fe-sufficient conditions, but they were positively correlated with CHL contents under Fe-deficient conditions. At the transcriptional level, transcripts encoding FRO (CsFRO1) and Fe transporter (CsIRT1) were increased upon exposure to the Fe-deficient medium, and the increases in transcripts were reversed by EBR. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that BRs are likely to play a negative role in regulating Fe-deficiency-induced FRO, expressions of CsFRO1 and CsIRT1, as well as Fe translocation from roots to shoots.

Clinical features of different stage subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.

Subacute combined degeneration (SCD), caused by vitamin B12 disorders, leads to severe degeneration of the spinal cord. Thus, it is significant to make timely diagnosis and treatment options of SCD. The objectives were to summarize clinical features of different sate SCD. Clinical data of 42 SCD patients of spinal cord were retrospectively analyzed, which were classified into early stage, middle stage and late stage SCD. Among the patients, 9 were classified into early stage, 22 into middle stage, and 11 into late stage SCD. Total cholesterol and hemoglobin levels were relatively higher in late stage SCD. In contrast, mean corpusular volume (MCV) level was higher in early stage SCD. There were typical abnormalities only in 8 patients on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and a dynamia was a common neurological abnormality in all patients. Importantly, the differences in abnormal findings in anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) testing, visual acuity and fundus testing were statistically significant in different stage SCD (P < .05). There were correlation between most variances with SCD stage. Strikingly, there existed close relationship between enhanced levels of blood glucose (r = -0.289, P = .066), glycated hemoglobin (GHB) (r = -0.288, P = .068) and homocysteine (r = -0.563, P = .000), abnormal visual findings (r = 0.309, P = .049) and megaloblastic anemia (r = -0.295, P = .061) with different SCD stage, among which abnormal visual findings were closely associated with middle stage SCD. Moreover, levels of total cholesterol, blood glucose, homocysteine and abnormal finding of visual acuity were significant in diagnosis and clinical staging of SCD (P < .05). Although MRI scanning and serum vitamin B12 level were widely used for SCD diagnosis, neurological examination and homocysteine level may be more potentially valuable indexes for SCD diagnosis and staging.

Application of Multi-Dimensional Intelligent Visual Quantitative Assessment System to Evaluate Hand Function Rehabilitation in Stroke Patients.

Background: Hand dysfunction is one of the main symptoms of stroke patients, but there is still a lack of accurate hand function assessment systems. This study focused on the application of the multi-dimensional intelligent visual quantitative assessment system (MDIVQAS) in the rehabilitation assessment of hand function in stroke patients and evaluate hand function rehabilitation in stroke patients. Methods: Eighty-two patients with stroke and unilateral hand dysfunction were evaluated by MDIVQAS. Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was used to assess the internal consistency of MDIVQAS; the F-test is used to assess the differences in MDIVQAS for multiple repeated measures. Spearman's analysis was used to identify correlations of MDIVQAS with other assessment systems. t-tests were used to identify differences in outcomes assessed with MDIVQAS in patients before and after treatment. p < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: (1) Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of MDIVQAS in evaluating hand's function > 0.9. (2) There was no significant difference between the other repeated measurements, except for thumb rotation in MDIVQAS. (3) MDIVQAS had a significant correlation with other assessment systems (r > 0.5, p < 0.01). (4) There were significant differences in the evaluation of hand function in patients before and after treatment using MDIVQAS. Conclusion: The MDIVQAS system has good reliability and validity in the evaluation of stroke hand function, and it can also better evaluate the treatment effect.

Boron toxicity is alleviated by hydrogen sulfide in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seedlings.

Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient for plants, which when occurs in excess in the growth medium, becomes toxic to plants. Rapid inhibition of root elongation is one of the most distinct symptoms of B toxicity. Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is emerging as a potential messenger molecule involved in modulation of physiological processes in plants. In the present study, we investigated the role of H(2)S in B toxicity in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings. Root elongation was significantly inhibited by exposure of cucumber seedlings to solutions containing 5 mM B. The inhibitory effect of B on root elongation was substantially alleviated by treatment with H(2)S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS). There was an increase in the activity of pectin methylesterase (PME) and up-regulated expression of genes encoding PME (CsPME) and expansin (CsExp) on exposure to high B concentration. The increase in PME activity and up-regulation of expression of CsPME and CsExp induced by high B concentration were markedly reduced in the presence of H(2)S donor. There was a rapid increase in soluble B concentrations in roots on exposure to high concentration B solutions. Treatment with H(2)S donor led to a transient reduction in soluble B concentration in roots such that no differences in soluble B concentrations in roots in the absence and presence of NaHS were found after 8 h exposure to the high concentration B solutions. These findings suggest that increases in activities of PME and expansin may underlie the inhibition of root elongation by toxic B, and that H(2)S plays an ameliorative role in protection of plants from B toxicity by counteracting B-induced up-regulation of cell wall-associated proteins of PME and expansins.

Low temperature selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide with urea over activated carbon supported metal oxide catalysts.

Selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides (SCR) with loaded urea is a method for removing NO under oxygen-rich and low-temperature conditions, which can solve the inhibitory effect of oxygen on the catalyst and the slip of ammonia. In present study, a series of activated carbon (wo-AC, co-AC, cs-AC and nu-AC) supported metal (Mn, Fe, Co, Cu and Zn) oxide catalysts with loading urea were prepared by ultrasonic assisted impregnation. The catalysts were used for NO removal at 50-120°C and characterized by XRD, SEM, GFAAS, EDS, XPS, BET and FTIR techniques. The effects of activated carbon type, loaded active element, metal oxides loading, temperature fluctuation on catalytic activity and the catalytic stability were also studied in this paper. The results indicated that nutshell-based activated carbon was more suitable as a carrier than other activated carbons, and urea-10Mn/nu-AC catalyst yielded a higher NO conversion than other catalysts. Besides, for used activated carbons, the larger specific surface area, more micropores distribution and the larger number of hydroxyl group and cyano terminal group are beneficial to the catalytic process. Moreover, the downward trend of NO conversion with increasing temperature suggested the adsorption of reactant gases played a crucial role in the catalytic process of urea-SCR.

Predictive Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients with Pulmonary Embolism.

PURPOSE: This study is aimed at investigating the relationship between red cell distribution width (RDW) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study enrolling a total of 125 patients from January 2013 to December 2019. The study group consisted of 40 COPD patients with PE, and the control group had 85 COPD patients without PE. Clinical data including demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and results of imaging examinations and laboratory tests were recorded. Blood biomarkers, including red blood cell distribution width standard deviation (RDW-SD), red blood cell distribution width coefficient of variation (RDW-CV), and D-Dimer, were included. RESULTS: RDW-SD and RDW-CV were higher in the COPD patients with the PE group (p < 0.001). A higher RDW-SD led to a significantly increased risk of PE than a lower RDW-SD (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.188; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.048-1.348). The area under the curve (AUC) of RDW-SD used for predicting PE was 0.737. Using 44.55 as the cutoff value of RDW-SD, the sensitivity was 80% and the specificity was 64.7%. The prediction accuracy of RDW-SD combined with D-Dimer (AUC = 0.897) was higher than that of RDW-SD or D-Dimer alone. The optimal cutoff value of RDW-SD+D-Dimer for predicting PE was 0.266, which generated a sensitivity of 87.5% and specificity of 83.5%. CONCLUSION: RDW is significantly increased in COPD patients with PE and may thus be useful in predicting the occurrence of PE in patients with COPD.

Facial expression recognition in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Facial expression recognition is an important social cognitive skill. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) affects cognitive function. Whether facial expression recognition deficits and attention bias exist in T2DM is unknown. Facial expression search task is a commonly used paradigm to measure emotional processing. In this study, facial expression recognition features of T2DM patients were studied by facial expression search task. METHODS: Thirty outpatients with T2DM and 30 normal controls matched by sex, age and education etc. were selected. Standardized stick drawings with happy, neutral and sad emotion expressions were selected as stimulus materials, and facial expression search task was used to Search for expression targets in neutral interferers to compare the response time between the two groups. RESULTS: The reaction time of identifying the positive expression (happy) in the diabetic group and the control group was greater than that of the negative expression (sad). The response time of the diabetic group to identify positive expressions and negative expressions was greater than that of the control group. The slope of the search for positive expressions in the diabetic group was 419.14 ms, and the search slope for negative expressions in the diabetic group was 237.97 ms. The slope of the search for positive expressions in the control group was 300.4 ms, and that of the control group for negative expressions was 119.07 ms. CONCLUSIONS: In the diabetic group and the control group, the reaction time of identifying the positive expression was positively delayed compared with the negative expression, which showed a negative attention bias; Patients with type 2 diabetes significantly prolonged the response time of recognizing positive expression and negative expression without obvious clinical cognitive impairment.