[Effects of different tillage methods on photosynthetic characteristics, dry matter production and economic benefit of double cropping soybean].

In order to explore suitable mode of high yield cultivation of double cropping soybean after wheat under drip irrigation in northern Xinjiang, field trials were set in 2013-2014 to investigate physiological indices and agronomic traits of double cropping soybean under different tillage methods under drip irrigation. The results showed that leaf area index (LAI), chlorophyll content (SPAD), leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr) and stomatal conductance (g(s)) during the determination period under different tillage methods were in the order of tillage plus film covering (TP)> tillage (T)> rotary tillage (RT) > no-tillage (NT) , and the concentration of intercellular CO2(Ci) was the opposite. LAI, SPAD, Pn, Tr, and g(s) of TP were higher than that with NT by 55.0%, 9.1%, 41.8%, 37.5% and 56.4%, respectively, and Ci was decreased by 22.1%. TP enhanced the photosynthetic efficiency of soybean and improved the ability of CO2assimilation, consequently leading to the increase of soybean yield under TP compared to NT. The plant dry matter accumulation of TP treatment was improved greatly, with the pod number and seeds number per plant, 100-seed mass and yield of quadric sowing soybean being increased by 50.3%, 48.1%, 11.8% and 20.8% compared with that under NT, and the differences were significant. Therefore, the plastic film mulching combined with tillage under drip irrigation technology was suitable for double cropping soybean after wheat in northern Xinjiang under this experimental condition.

Serum MMP-9 is elevated in children with asthma.

This study explored the association of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) serum concentration and gene polymorphism with childhood asthma. Serum levels of MMP-9 were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 65 children with asthma (cases) and 68 healthy children (controls), and the -1562C/T polymorphism in MMP-9 was detected by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment-length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. The results showed that the mean serum levels of MMP-9 in the children with asthma (136.53 ± 29.96 ng/ml) were significantly higher than that in the healthy controls (45.08 ± 12.53 ng/ml; P<0.05). At MMP-9 base position -1562, the frequencies of the genotypes CC, CT and TT in cases were 67.7, 29.2 and 3.1% and in controls were 73.5, 25.0 and 1.5%. The allele frequencies of C and T in cases vs. controls were 82.3 and 17.7% vs. 86.0 and 14.0%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was detected in genotype or allele frequency between these groups. In addition, no significant difference in serum levels of MMP-9 was observed within groups among children with different genotypes (P>0.05). Therefore, whereas serum levels of MMP-9 are associated with the occurrence of childhood asthma, the MMP-9 -1562C/T gene polymorphism has no correlation with the pathogenesis of childhood asthma.

[Expression levels of RhoA in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of asthma patients allergic to dust mites].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of RhoA in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BLF) from asthma patients allergic to dust mites and study its clinical significance. METHODS: BLF was collected from 47 mite-allergic asthma patients, 15 asthma patients non-allergic to dust mites and 7 healthy volunteers to detect RhoA expression by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The total positivity rates of RhoA expression were 66.7% in mite-allergic asthma patients, 70.2% in asthma patients non-allergic to dust mites and 0 in healthy volunteers, showing significant difference between the 3 groups (P<0.01). No statistical difference was observed in RhoA expression levels between male and female asthma patients allergic to dust mites (P>0.05). The total positivity rate was 83.3% in asthma children allergic to dust mites, higher than that in other patients with different ages, but their RhoA expression levels showed no significant differences (P>0.05). The total positive rates were 33.3%, 57.9%, 88.2% and 100.0% in patients with clinical grades I, II, III and IV, showing significant differences (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The positivity rate of RhoA in the BLF is higher in asthma patients allergic to dust mites than in normal healthy subjects, increases with the clinical grade.

[Preliminary investigation on phylogenetic relationship among three common species of house dust mites].

Dermatophagoides farinae, D. pteronyssinus and Euroglyphus maynei were used for the investigation. The cDNA fragment coding for Der f1 and Der f2 were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. By bioinformatics softwares, the amino acid sequences for Der f1 and Der f2 were deduced and compared with those for the groups 1 and 2 allergens of D. pteronyssinus and E. maynei available in GenBank. Amino acid sequence similarity analysis showed that Der p1 shared 84% identical residues with Eur m1 and 83% with Der f1. Similarly, Der p2 shared 87% identical residues with Eur m2 and 68% with Der f2. In the two phylogenetic trees constructed with group 1 and 2 allergens, D. pteronyssinus was clustered with E. maynei but not with D. farinae, although D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae belong to the same genus. D. pteronyssinus should be more similar to E. maynei than to D. farinae at evolutional level, which was not consistent with the conventional taxonomical relationship based on their morphological characteristics.

Effect of liniment levamisole on cellular immune functions of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

AIM: To explore the effects of liniment levamisole on cellular immune functions of patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: The levels of T lymphocyte subsets and mIL-2R in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured by biotin-streptavidin (BSA) technique in patients with chronic hepatitis B before and after the treatment with liniment levamisole. RESULTS: After one course of treatment with liniment levamisole, the levels of CD3(+), CD4(+), and the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) increased as compared to those before the treatment but the level of CD8(+) decreased. The total expression level of mIL-2R in PBMCs increased before and after the treatment with liniment levamisole. CONCLUSION: Liniment levamisole may reinforce cellular immune functions of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Detection of serum anti-Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin G in patients with different digestive malignant tumors.

AIM: To investigate the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with different digestive malignant tumors. METHODS: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG antibody in 374 patients with different digestive malignant tumors and 310 healthy subjects (normal control group). RESULTS: The seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection was 61.50% (230/374) and 46.77% (145/310), respectively, in patients with digestive tumors and normal controls (P<0.05). The seroprevalence was 52.38% (33/63), 86.60% (84/97), 83.14% (84/101), 45.24 (19/42), 51.13% (18/35) and 44.44% (16/36), respectively in patients with carcinomas of esophagus, stomach, duodenum, rectum, colon and liver (P<0.01). In patients with intestinal and diffuse type gastric cancers, the seroprevalence was 93.75% (60/64) and 72.73% (24/33), respectively (P<0.05). In patients with gastric antral and cardiac cancers, the seroprevalence was 96.43% (54/56) and 73.17% (30/41), respectively (P<0.05). In patients with ulcerous and proliferous type duodenal cancers, the seroprevalence of H pylori infection was 91.04% (61/67) and 52.27% (23/44), respectively (P<0.05). In patients with duodenal bulb and descending cancers, the seroprevalence was 94.20% (65/69) and 45.20% (19/42), respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: H pylori infection is associated with occurrence and development of gastric and duodenal carcinomas. Furthermore, it is also associated with histological type and locations of gastric and duodenal carcinomas.

Detection of T lymphocyte subsets and mIL-2R on surface of PBMC in patients with hepatitis B.

AIM: To study the levels of T lymphocyte subsets and membrane interleukin-2 receptor (mIL-2R) on surface of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with hepatitis B and its role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B. METHODS: The levels of T lymphocyte subsets and mIL-2R in PBMC before and after being stimulated with PHA were detected by biotin-streptavidin (BSA) technique in 196 cases of hepatitis B. RESULTS: In patients with hepatitis B, the levels of CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+) cells, and the ratio of CD(4)(+) cells/CD(8)(+) cells were lower, but the level of CD(8)(+) cells was higher than those in normal controls (42.20+/-6.01 vs 65.96+/-6.54, 38.17+/-5.93 vs 41.73+/-6.40, 0.91+/-0.28 vs 1.44+/-0.31, 39.86+/-6.36 vs 30.02+/-4.54, P<0.01). The total expression level of mIL-2R in PBMC before and after being stimulated with PHA was also lower than those in normal controls (3.47+/-1.55 vs 4.52+/-1.49, 34.03+/-2.94 vs 37.95+/-3.00, P<0.01). In all the patients with hepatitis B, the levels of T lymphocyte subsets and mIL-2R in PBMC with HBV-DNA (+) were lower than those with HBV-DNA (-), which were significantly different (39.57+/-7.11 vs 44.36+/-5.43, 34.36+/-7.16 vs 40.75+/-5.87, 37.82+/-6.54 vs 41.72+/-6.21, 0.88+/-0.33 vs 0.99+/-0.27, 2.82+/-1.62 vs 3.85+/-1.47, 31.56+/-3.00 vs 35.84+/-2.83, P<0.01). In addition, the levels of CD(3)(+), CD(4)(+), CD(8)(+) cells, the ratio of CD(4)(+) cells /CD(8)(+) cells and mIL-2R among different courses of hepatitis B were all significantly different (F=3 723.18, P<0.01. F=130.43, P<0.01. F=54.01, P<0.01. F=2.99, P<0.05. F=7.16, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Both cellular and humoral immune functions are obviously in disorder in patients with hepatitis B, which might be closely associated with the chronicity in patients.