Exploration of the utility of different doses of Qingfei Dayuan granules: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Clinical studies have confirmed that Qingfei Dayuan (QFDY) granules are effective in the treatment of influenza and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) caused by pulmonary heat-toxin syndrome (PHTS). Granules of Chinese medicine formulations have become a widely used dosage form in clinical practice. With the continuous optimization of extraction technology, the advantages of Chinese medicine granules have been gradually demonstrated, but the price of Chinese medicine granules is generally higher than that of traditional dosage forms of Chinese medicine, and we support the rational use of the appropriate dosage of QFDY for patients with these conditions. Therefore, we set up half of the conventional dose as the low dose group, and designed the three-arm study to rigorously compare the efficacy difference of low-dose QFDY, QFDY and the placebo group, with the expectation of providing scientific support for the rational selection of the dose and the safe and effective use of the medicine in clinical practice. METHODS: We recruited 108 patients with clinical diagnoses of influenza and URTIs caused by PHTS to receive treatment at six hospitals in Hubei, China. Using a centralized randomization system, patients were randomly assigned at a 1:1:1 ratio to the QFDY, low-dose QFDY, or placebo control groups to receive the corresponding drug, and the study physicians, subjects, outcome assessors, and statisticians were unaware of group assignments. The primary outcome was the time to complete fever relief. Secondary outcomes included the efficacy of Chinese medicine in alleviating signs and symptoms and the disappearance rate of individual symptoms. Adverse events were monitored throughout the trial. RESULTS: A total of 108 patients were recruited. A total of 106 patients were included in the full analysis set (FAS). In the FAS analysis, there was no statistically significant difference in baseline of the three groups before treatment (P > 0.05). 1. Regarding the median time to complete fever relief, the QFDY, low-dose QFDY and placebo groups had median times of 26 h, 40 h and 48 h, respectively. The QFDY group had a shorter time to complete fever relief than the placebo group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), while the low-dose QFDY group had a shorter time than the placebo group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). 2. In terms of the total efficacy of Chinese medicine in alleviating symptoms at the end of three full days of treatment, as well as the cure rate of red and sore throat, stuffy and runny nose, and sneezing, QFDY and low-dose QFDY were superior to the placebo, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). There was no statistical significance in the comparison between the QFDY group and the low-dose QFDY group (P > 0.05). 3. In terms of the headache cure rate after three full days of treatment, QFDY was superior to the placebo, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05), and there was no significant efficacy of low-dose QFDY. 4. Safety comparisons showed no serious adverse events and 30 minor adverse events, which were not clinically considered to be related to the drug and were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of patients with influenza and URTIs caused by PHTS, which are mainly characterized by clinical symptoms such as red and sore throat, stuffy and runny nose, and sneezing, when fever is not obvious or low-grade fever is present, the use of low-dose QFDY to simply alleviate the clinical symptoms is recommended and preferred. Moreover, with its good safety profile, QFDY can be used in the treatment of patients with influenza and URTIs caused by PHTS, which can effectively shorten the duration of fever, significantly increase the total efficacy of Chinese medicine in alleviating symptoms after 3 days of treatment, and accelerate the recovery of symptoms such as red and sore throat, stuffy and runny nose, sneezing, and headache, etc. Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.chictr.org.cn. TRIAL NUMBER: ChiCTR2100043449. Registered on 18 February 2021.

Design of 2 µm Low-Loss Hollow-Core Anti-Resonant Fibers.

We systematically studied several of the most traditional hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (HC-ARF) structures, with the aim of achieving low confinement loss, single-mode performance, and high insensitivity to bending in the 2 µm band. Moreover, the propagation loss of fundamental mode (FM), higher-order mode (HOMs), and the higher-order mode extinction ratio (HOMER) under different geometric parameters were studied. Analysis showed that the confinement loss of the six-tube nodeless hollow-core anti-resonant fiber at 2 µm was 0.042 dB/km, and its higher-order mode extinction ratio was higher than 9000. At the same time, a confinement loss of 0.040 dB/km at 2 µm was achieved in the five-tube nodeless hollow-core anti-resonant fiber, and its higher-order mode extinction ratio was higher than 2700.

Effectiveness and safety of Qingfei Dayuan granules for treating influenza and upper respiratory tract infections manifested by the pulmonary heat-toxin syndrome: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Patients diagnosed with influenza and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) have similar clinical manifestations and biochemical indices and a low detection rate of viral pathogens, mixed infection with diverse respiratory viruses, and targeted antiviral treatment difficulty in the early stage. According to the treatment strategy of "homotherapy for heteropathy" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), different diseases with the same clinical symptoms can be treated with the same medicines. Qingfei Dayuan granules (QFDY), a type of Chinese herbal preparation included in the TCM Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 of Hubei Province issued by the Health Commission of Hubei Province in 2021, are recommended for patients suffering from COVID-19 with symptoms of fever, cough, and fatigue, among others. Additionally, recent studies have shown that QFDY effectively alleviates fever, cough, and other clinical symptoms in patients with influenza and URTIs. Materials and methods: The study was designed as a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial for treatment for influenza and URTIs manifested by pulmonary heat-toxin syndrome (PHTS) with QFDY. A total of 220 eligible patients were enrolled from eight first-class hospitals in five cities of Hubei Province in China and randomly assigned to receive either 15 g of QFDY or a placebo three times a day for 5 days. The primary outcome was the complete fever relief time. Secondary outcomes included efficacy evaluation of TCM syndromes, scores of TCM syndromes, cure rate of each single symptom, incidence of comorbidities and progression to severe conditions, combined medications, and laboratory tests. Safety evaluations mainly involved adverse events (AEs) and changes in vital signs during the study. Results: Compared with the placebo group, the complete fever relief time was shorter in the QFDY group, 24 h (12.0, 48.0) in the full analysis set (FAS) and 24 h (12.0, 49.5) in the per-protocol set (PPS) (p ≤ 0.001). After a 3-day treatment, the clinical recovery rate (22.3% in the FAS and 21.6% in the PPS) and cure rate of cough (38.6% in the FAS and 37.9% in the PPS), a stuffy and running nose, and sneezing (60.0% in the FAS and 59.5% in the PPS) in the QFDY group were higher than those in the placebo group (p < 0.05). The number of patients taking antibiotics for more than 24 h in the placebo group (nine cases) was significantly higher than that in the QFDY group (one case) (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of scores of TCM syndromes, incidence of comorbidities or progression to severe conditions, combined use of acetaminophen tablets or phlegm-resolving medicines, and laboratory tests (p > 0.05). Meanwhile, no significant difference was found in the incidence of AEs and vital signs between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The trial showed that QFDY was an effective and safe treatment modality for influenza and URTIs manifested by PHTS because it shortened the complete fever relief time, accelerated clinical recovery, and alleviated symptoms such as cough, a stuffy and running nose, and sneezing during the course of treatment. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=131702, identifier ChiCTR2100049695.

Revision of the subgenus Stegana (Steganina) from China, with assessment of species delimitation using DNA barcodes (Diptera, Drosophilidae).

A total of 58 (eight known and 50 new) species of the subgenus Stegana (Steganina) from China were surveyed and (re)described: S. (S.) bacilla Chen & Aotsuka, 2004, S. (S.) belokobylskiji Sidorenko, 1997, S. (S.) hirticeps Wang, Gao, & Chen, 2013, S. (S.) izu Sidorenko, 1997, S. (S.) kanmiyai Okada & Sidorenko, 1992, S. (S.) masanoritodai Okada & Sidorenko, 1992, S. (S.) maymyo Sidorenko, 1997, stat. rev., S. (S.) nigripes Zhang & Chen, 2015, S. (S.) alafoliacea Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) baoxing Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) bibarbata Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) bimai Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cinereipecta Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cardua Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cordhirsuta Wang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cornuta Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cucullata Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) cultella Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) curvitabulata Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) daiya Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) dendrophila Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) flabella Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) flavipes Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) formosa Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) fusca Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) fuscipes Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) glaucopalpula Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) haba Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) hirticlavata Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) iaspidea Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) idiasta Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) kanda Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) labao Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) lancang Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) latifoliacea Wang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) liusanjieae Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) magniflava Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) mailangang Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) marenubila Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) menghai Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) menglian Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) minutiflava Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) multiprocera Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) nayun Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) nigridentata Wang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) nigripalpula Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) otphylla Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) radiciflava Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) rava Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) sciophila Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) septencolorata Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) serrata Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) silvestrella Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) simola Cui & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) yani Li & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) yixiang Zhang & Chen, sp. nov., S. (S.) zaduo Cui & Chen, sp. nov., and S. (S.) zhuoma Cui & Chen, sp. nov. We also provided a complete list of Chinese Steganina species together with their geographical distributions. In addition, the majority of currently available DNA barcode (partial sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene) sequences of this subgenus (435 sequences of 102 spp.) were employed in a molecular analysis for species delimitation. Taken together, morphology- and molecular-based species delimitation results reached a consensus for an overwhelming majority of these Steganina species (98 of 102 spp.).

Rapid quality evaluation of Chinese herbal medicines using a miniature mass spectrometer: Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. as an example.

The quality of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) raw materials is essential, and mass spectrometry (MS)-based technologies have been playing key roles in the quality control of CHMs. However, the use of miniature mass spectrometry (mini-MS) for quality control of CHMs has rarely been reported. In this work, we developed a rapid analytical method for the quality evaluation of CHMs based on paper spray ionization (PSI)-mini-MS/MS. The quality evaluation of Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. was used as an example. Following a "multi-component" quality evaluation strategy, nine active constituents of L. japonicum were selected to be used as analytes for quality control. We confirmed that the precursor-product ion information in the MS/MS spectra of each analyte in the herbal extracts was consistent with the standards. Also, we developed a mini-MS-based quantitative method for each analyte using its quantification ion. The quantitative methodology was rigorously validated using quality control samples. Finally, the quality evaluation of L. japonicum was carried out using the established MS/MS method combined with statistical analysis. A wide range of common quality issues with L. japonicum can be effectively determined, including whether it is adulterated with sand and distinguishing among different parts and species. This study demonstrates that mini-MS for quality evaluation of CHMs is feasible. Mini-MS for quality evaluation of herbal medicines will potentially have a good prospect due to its many advantages such as low cost, low power consumption, and portability in the future.

All-multimode fiber spatiotemporal mode-locked figure-eight laser based on multimode gain fiber.

In this paper, we report for the first time on an all-multimode fiber spatiotemporal mode-locked figure-eight laser operating at 1.0 µm. This laser utilizes a multimode gain fiber and a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror mechanism. It can generate mode-locked noise-like pulses at different central wavelengths. Additionally, we observed the presence of a multi-soliton state within the cavity by reducing intracavity gain. This study contributes to a broader investigation of various pulse phenomena in spatiotemporal mode-locked lasers and provides valuable insights into further exploring the evolution of spatiotemporal dynamics in such systems.

Metabolic and transcriptome analysis of dark red taproot in radish (Raphanus sativus L.).

The red color in radish taproots is an important quality index and is mainly affected by anthocyanins. However, the metabolite components and gene expression underlying dark red taproot color formation in radish remain elusive. In this study, the metabolites and gene expression patterns affecting anthocyanin biosynthesis were monitored in the dark red taproots. Comparative analysis of anthocyanin metabolites between dark red taproots and white taproots indicated that pelargonin and pelargonidin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside were the most promising dark red pigments responsible for the coloration of the taproots. Transcriptomic analysis of gene expression between dark red taproots and white taproots revealed that most of genes involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway were up-regulated in dark red taproots. In particular, RsCHS and RsDFR were the two most up-regulated genes in the dark red taproots. Moreover, the higher coexpression of two R2R3-Myb transcription factors, RsMYB1 and RsMYB2, may contribute to dark red color formation. Our work documents metabolomic and transcriptomic changes related to the dark red color formation in taproots radish and provides valuable data for anthocyanin-rich radish breeding.

How size, edge shape, functional groups and embeddedness influence the electronic structure and partial optical properties of graphene nanoribbons.

The armchair and zigzag edge shape makes graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) exhibit interest in different applications. However, the relationship between influencing factors and properties is not clear. Herein, the many-body Green's function theory and the TDDFT method are used to investigate the effect of size, edge shape and functional groups on the electronic and optical properties of GNRs and h-BN-embedded GNRs. We find that ZGNRs have a smaller band gap and absorption edge than AGNRs having the same size and functional groups. The relationship between S1 and T1 is mainly determined by the size and edge shape of GNRs, while the redox ability of water splitting mainly relies on the kind of the functional group. When h-BN is embedded in GNRs, the edge shape of GNRs and the contact part between two substances control the direction of electron transfer in both the ground state and the excited state. These results can provide theoretical support for further improvements and applications of GNRs.

Design of an efficient photocatalyst: a type II heterojunction for enhanced hydrogen production driven by visible light.

Solar hydrogen production, which is an eco-friendly method to obtain energy, is still far away from wide commercialization due to the lack of an efficient catalyst. Effective calculations can reduce trial and error costs and provide mechanistic explanations while exploring efficient catalysts. Herein, a type II heterojunction Mg-containing-porphyrin/g-C3N4 is proven to be an efficient photocatalyst by using a combination of DFT and many-body Green's function theory. Our results show that the heterojunction can significantly enhance the absorption of visible light and realize the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes after excitation. Subsequently, water absorbing on the excited surface decomposes into H+ and OH- easily, and then produces H2 and O2 with reduced free energy. Our investigation and explanation can provide theoretical support for designing photonic devices based on porphyrin and g-C3N4, and deepen the understanding of how H2O splits into H2.

Genetic and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Revealed DEGs Involved in the Purple Leaf Formation in Brassica juncea.

Brassica juncea is an important dietary vegetable cultivated and consumed in China for its edible stalks and leaves. The purple leaf mustard, which is rich in anthocyanins, is eye-catching and delivers valuable nutrition. However, the molecular mechanism involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis has not been well studied in B. juncea. Here, histological and transcriptome analyses were used to characterize the purple leaf color and gene expression profiles. Free-hand section analysis showed that the anthocyanin was mainly accumulated in the adaxial epidermal leaf cells. The anthocyanin content in the purple leaves was significantly higher than that in the green leaves. To investigate the critical genes and pathways involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation, the transcriptome analysis was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the purple and green leaves from the backcrossed BC3 segregation population in B. juncea. A total of 2,286 different expressed genes were identified between the purple and green leaves. Among them, 1,593 DEGs were up-regulated and 693 DEGs were down-regulated. There were 213 differently expressed transcription factors among them. The MYB and bHLH transcription factors, which may regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis, were up-regulated in the purple leaves. Interestingly, most of the genes involved in plant-pathogen interaction pathway were also up-regulated in the purple leaves. The late biosynthetic genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis were highly up-regulated in the purple leaves of B. juncea. The up regulation of BjTT8 and BjMYC2 and anthocyanin biosynthetic genes (BjC4H, BjDFR, and BjANS) may activate the purple leaf formation in B. juncea. This study may help to understand the transcriptional regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in B. juncea.

Isolation and Characterization of the Pymetrozine-Degrading Strain Pseudomonas sp. BYT-1.

In this study, we isolated and characterized the bacterial strain Pseudomonas sp. BYT-1, which is capable of degrading pymetrozine and using it as the sole carbon source for growth. Strain BYT-1 could degrade 2.30 mM pymetrozine within 20 h under the optimal conditions of 30 °C and pH 7.0. Investigation of the degradation pathway showed that pymetrozine was oxidatively hydrolyzed to 4-amino-6-methyl-4,5-dihydro-2 H-[1,2,4]triazin-3-one (AMDT) and nicotinic acid (NA). The former accumulates as the end product in the culture, whereas the latter was hydroxylated to 6-hydroxynicotinic acid (6HNA) and subjected to further degradation. The transformation of pymetrozine to AMDT and NA by the cell-free extracts of strain BYT-1 also supported that the oxidative hydrolysis of the C═N double bond in pymetrozine was the initial degradation step. This is the first report on a pure bacterial culture with the ability to degrade pymetrozine. These findings enhance our understanding of the microbial degradation mechanism of pymetrozine.

Terrimonas soli sp. nov., isolated from farmland soil.

A Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium that produced yellow viscous colonies, designated FL-8T, was isolated from farmland soil in Chuzhou, Anhui province, PR China. 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities between strain FL-8T and the type strains of species of the genus Terrimonas with validly published names ranged from 94.6 to 96.1 %. Strain FL-8T contained iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH as the predominant fatty acids. The predominant polar lipid of strain FL-8T was phosphatidylethanolamine. The sole respiratory quinone of strain FL-8T was MK-7 and the DNA G+C content was 44.8 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain FL-8T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Terrimonas, for which the name Terrimonassoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FL-8T (=CCTCC AB 2017059T=JCM 32095T).

Pedobacter agrisoli sp. nov., isolated from farmland soil.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped bacterium, designated YHM-9T, was isolated from soil in Yangquan, Shanxi Province, PR China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YHM-9T belonged to the genus Pedobacter and shared the highest similarity (97.4 %) to the type strain Pedobacter lignilitoris W-WS13T. Strain YHM-9T exhibited low DNA-DNA relatedness with P. lignilitoris W-WS13T (21.7±1.3 %). The DNA G+C content was 38.9 mol%. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The respiratory quinone was MK-7, the major polyamine was sym-homospermidine and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine. Based on the morphological, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain YHM-9T was recognized as a representative of a novel species within the genus Pedobacter, for which the name Pedobacteragrisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YHM-9T (=JCM 32093T=CCTCC AB 2017125T).

Protective Effect of Anthocyanin on Neurovascular Unit in Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

Treating cerebral ischemia continues to be a clinical challenge. Studies have shown that the neurovascular unit (NVU), as the central structural basis, plays a key role in cerebral ischemia. Here, we report that anthocyanin, a safe and natural antioxidant, could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation to protect NVU in rats impaired by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). Administration of anthocyanin significantly reduced infarct volume and neurological scores in MCAO/R rats. Anthocyanin could also markedly ameliorate cerebral edema and reduce the concentration of Evans blue (EB) by inhibiting MMP-9. Moreover, anthocyanin alleviated apoptotic injury resulting from MCAO/R through the regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins. The levels of inflammation-related molecules including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which were over-expressed with MCAO/R, were decreased by anthocyanin. In addition, Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway might be involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanin. In conclusion, anthocyanin could protect the NVU through multiple pathways, and play a protective role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Nocardioides agrisoli sp. nov., isolated from farmland soil.

A novel Gram-stain-positive bacterium, designated djl-8T, was isolated from farmland soil in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, PR China. Cells of strain djl-8T were aerobic, non-motile, non-spore-forming and rod-shaped. The organism grew at 25-37 °C, pH 5.5-8.0 and 0.5-4.0 % NaCl (w/v). The DNA G+C content was 69.3 mol%. The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was LL-2, 6-diaminopimelic acid. The major fatty acids (>5 %) were iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, 10-Me C17 : 0 and C17 : 1ω8c. The respiratory quinone was MK-8 (H4) and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, diphosphatidylglycerol and unknown phospholipids. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain djl-8T is a member of the genus Nocardioides and shared the highest similarity with Nocardioides ginkgobilobae SYP-A7303T (97.1 %), followed by Nocardioides soli mbc-2T (96.9 %), Nocardioide spyridinolyticus OS4T (96.6 %) and Nocardioides maradonensis RP-B30T (96.6 %). Strain djl-8T exhibited low DNA-DNA relatedness with Nocardioides ginkgobilobae SYP-A7303T (26.9±2.1 %). On the basis of the morphological, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics presented in this study, strain djl-8T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocardioides agrisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is djl-8T (=KCTC 39844T=CCTCC AB 2017058T).

Danggui Buxue Extract-Loaded Liposomes in Thermosensitive Gel Enhance In Vivo Dermal Wound Healing via Activation of the VEGF/PI3K/Akt and TGF-ß/Smads Signaling Pathway.

Danggui Buxue extract-loaded liposomes in thermosensitive gel (DBLTG) are a sustained-release local drug delivery system derived from Danggui Buxue decoction, a well-known Chinese herb formula with wound healing potential. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of DBLTG on dorsal full-thickness excisional wounds in rats by measuring the percentage of wound contraction and hydroxyproline content, as well as conducting histological observations and immunohistochemical analysis. We also assessed involvement of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß)/Smads signaling pathways in the wound healing process upon DBLTG treatment via western blot. The results show that DBLTG treatment remarkably accelerates wound closure, enhances hydroxyproline content in wound granulation tissue, promotes cutaneous wound healing by reducing the inflammatory response and improving fresh granulation tissue formation, and significantly increases the density of blood vessels, cells proliferation, and expression of type I and type III collagen. Moreover, DBLTG markedly upregulates the relative protein expression of VEGFA and TGF-ß1 and notably stimulates the phosphorylation of Akt and Smad2/3. In conclusion, DBLTG significantly improved dermal wound healing in rats by stimulating angiogenesis and collagen synthesis; these effects are likely mediated via the VEGF/PI3K/Akt and TGF-ß/Smads signaling pathways, respectively.

NDVI indicated characteristics of vegetation cover change in China's metropolises over the last three decades.

How urban vegetation was influenced by three decades of intensive urbanization in China is of great interest but rarely studied. In this paper, we used satellite derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and socioeconomic data to evaluate effects of urbanization on vegetation cover in China's 117 metropolises over the last three decades. Our results suggest that current urbanization has caused deterioration of urban vegetation across most cities in China, particularly in East China. At the national scale, average urban area NDVI (NDVI(u)) significantly decreased during the last three decades (P < 0.01), and two distinct periods with different trends can be identified, 1982-1990 and 1990-2006. NDVI(u) did not show statistically significant trend before 1990 but decrease remarkably after 1990 (P < 0.01). Different regions also showed difference in the timing of NDVI(u) turning point. The year when NDVI(u) started to decline significantly for Central China and East China was 1987 and 1990, respectively, while NDVI(u) in West China remained relatively constant until 1998. NDVI(u) changes in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, two regions which has been undergoing the most rapid urbanization in China, also show different characteristics. The Pearl River Delta experienced a rapid decline in NDVI(u) from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s; while in the Yangtze River Delta, NDVI(u) did not decline significantly until the early 1990s. Such different patterns of NDVI(u) changes are closely linked with policy-oriented difference in urbanization dynamics of these regions, which highlights the importance of implementing a sustainable urban development policy.