Causal associations between chronic heart failure and the cerebral cortex: results from Mendelian randomization study and integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients exhibit alterations in cerebral cortical structure and cognitive function. However, the mechanisms by which CHF affects cortical structure and functional regions remain unknown. This study aims to investigate potential causal relationship between CHF and cerebral cortical structure through Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: The research utilized genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to explore the causal association between CHF and cerebral cortical structure. The results were primarily analyzed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW). The reliability of the data was verified through horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity analysis by MR-Egger intercept test and Cochran's Q-test, respectively. Replication analysis was conducted in the Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) OpenGWAS project for further validation. In addition, we collected mediator genes that mediate causality to reveal potential mechanisms. Integrated bioinformatics analysis was conducted using the Open Target Genetics platform, the STRING database, and Cytoscape software. Results: The IVW results did not reveal any significant causal association between genetically predicted CHF and the overall structure of the cerebral cortex or the surface area (SA) of the 34 functional regions of the cerebral cortex (P > 0.05). However, the results revealed that CHF increased the thickness (TH) of pars opercularis (IVW: ß = 0.015, 95% CI: 0.005-0.025, P = 3.16E-03). Replication analysis supported the causal association between CHF and pars opercularis TH (IVW: ß = 0.02, 95% CI: 0.010-0.033, P = 1.84E-04). We examined the degree centrality values of the top 10 mediator genes, namely CDKN1A, CELSR2, NME5, SURF4, PSMA5, TSC1, RPL7A, SURF6, PRDX3, and FTO. Conclusion: Genetic evidence indicates a positive correlation between CHF and pars opercularis TH.

Low platinum loading electrocatalyst supported on a carrier derived from carbon dots doped ZIF-67 for the ORR and zinc-air batteries.

The development of economical and efficient platinum-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is considered the most promising strategy for the widespread application of clean energy conversion devices. Herein, Co nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped carbon carriers, CoCN(CDs-X), were constructed by pyrolyzing carbon dots (CDs) doped ZIF-67 and further used to anchor Pt to prepare low Pt loading catalysts, PtCoCN(CDs-X). The introduction of CDs not only improves the conductivity for efficient electron transfer, but also regulates the interaction between Pt and the CoCN(CDs-X) support and alleviates the oxidation of Pt. The optimized PtCoCN(CDs-0.10) displays decent ORR behavior with onset and half-wave potentials of 0.95 V and 0.83 V, respectively, in alkaline media and superior catalytic stability and methanol tolerance. While employing PtCoCN(CDs-0.10) as a cathode catalyst for an as-assembled zinc-air battery (ZAB), it delivers an excellent power density of 194.2 mW cm-2 and exceptional operation stability, which is indicated by a voltage efficiency loss of only 7.7% after a long cycle life of 100 h, demonstrating its great potential applications.

High-sensitivity profiling of SARS-CoV-2 noncoding region-host protein interactome reveals the potential regulatory role of negative-sense viral RNA.

A deep understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-host interactions is crucial to developing effective therapeutics and addressing the threat of emerging coronaviruses. The role of noncoding regions of viral RNA (ncrRNAs) has yet to be systematically scrutinized. We developed a method using MS2 affinity purification coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and designed a diverse set of bait ncrRNAs to systematically map the interactome of SARS-CoV-2 ncrRNA in Calu-3, Huh7, and HEK293T cells. Integration of the results defined the core ncrRNA-host protein interactomes among cell lines. The 5' UTR interactome is enriched with proteins in the small nuclear ribonucleoproteins family and is a target for the regulation of viral replication and transcription. The 3' UTR interactome is enriched with proteins involved in the stress granules and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins family. Intriguingly, compared with the positive-sense ncrRNAs, the negative-sense ncrRNAs, especially the negative-sense of 3' UTR, interacted with a large array of host proteins across all cell lines. These proteins are involved in the regulation of the viral production process, host cell apoptosis, and immune response. Taken together, our study depicts the comprehensive landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 ncrRNA-host protein interactome and unveils the potential regulatory role of the negative-sense ncrRNAs, providing a new perspective on virus-host interactions and the design of future therapeutics. Given the highly conserved nature of UTRs in positive-strand viruses, the regulatory role of negative-sense ncrRNAs should not be exclusive to SARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a pandemic affecting millions of lives. During replication and transcription, noncoding regions of the viral RNA (ncrRNAs) may play an important role in the virus-host interactions. Understanding which and how these ncrRNAs interact with host proteins is crucial for understanding the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. We developed the MS2 affinity purification coupled with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method and designed a diverse set of ncrRNAs to identify the SARS-CoV-2 ncrRNA interactome comprehensively in different cell lines and found that the 5' UTR binds to proteins involved in U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein, while the 3' UTR interacts with proteins involved in stress granules and the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein family. Interestingly, negative-sense ncrRNAs showed interactions with a large number of diverse host proteins, indicating a crucial role in infection. The results demonstrate that ncrRNAs could serve diverse regulatory functions.

Facile preparation of biocompatible and antibacterial water-soluble films using polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl chitosan blend fibers via centrifugal spinning.

Water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol/carboxymethyl chitosan (PVA/CMCS) blend fiber films were successfully prepared using a plane-collection centrifugal spinning machine. The addition of CMCS significantly increased the shear viscosity of the PVA/CMCS blend solution. The effects of spinning temperature on the shear viscosity and the centrifugal spinnability of PVA/CMCS blend solution were discussed. The PVA/CMCS blend fibers were uniform, and their average diameters ranged from 1.23 µm to 29.01 µm. It was found that the CMCS was distributed evenly in the PVA matrix and increased the crystallinity of PVA/CMCS blend fiber films. The hydrogen bonds between the hydroxyl group of PVA and the carboxymethyl group of CMCS were also detected. An in vitro cell study of human skin fibroblast cells on the PVA/CMCS blend fiber films confirmed biocompatibility. The maximum tensile strength and elongation at break of PVA/CMCS blend fiber films could reach 3.28 MPa and 29.52 %, respectively. The colony-plate-count tests indicated that the PVA16-CMCS2 presented 72.05 % and 21.36 % antibacterial rates against Staphylococcus aureus (104 CFU/mL) and Escherichia coli (103 CFU/mL), respectively. These values indicated that the newly prepared PVA/CMCS blend fiber films are promising materials for cosmetic and dermatological applications.

Well-dispersed Ni3Fe nanoparticles with a N-doped porous carbon shell for highly efficient rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

NiFe-based nanoparticles attached to heteroatom-doped carbon are found to act as tremendously efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. Nevertheless, it is extremely challenging to control the particle size and avoid aggregation. Herein, nitrogen-doped carbon encapsulated Ni3Fe nanoparticles (Ni3Fe@NC) are prepared by two-stage pyrolysis with a low rate based on the in situ structural evolution of FeNi-PBAs. The strategy results in uniform Ni3Fe nanoparticles anchoring within the carbon shell and thus facilitating interfacial interaction. Benefiting from the enhanced synergism between Ni3Fe particles and NC layers, Ni3Fe@NC-600 demonstrates the best catalytic activity and durability, not only with almost the same onset potential (1.01 V) as commercial Pt/C for the ORR but also satisfactory OER performance with a low overpotential of 0.29 V at 10 mA cm-2 in 0.1 M KOH. Moreover, the Zn-air battery assembled using the Ni3Fe@NC-600 cathode exhibits superior performance to commercial Pt/C + RuO2. The simple and scalable method of this work provides insight into the fabrication of high-performance and cost-effective bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

RFWD2 Knockdown as a Blocker to Reverse the Oncogenic Role of TRIB2 in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

RFWD2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is overexpressed in numerous human cancers, including leukemia, lung cancer, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and colorectal cancer. The roles of RFWD2 in cancer are related to the targeting of its substrates for ubiquitination and degradation. This study aimed to investigate the role of TRIB2 in relation to the regulation of protein degradation through RFWD2. inBio Discover™ results demonstrated that TRIB2 can perform its functions by interacting with RFWD2 or other factors. TRIB2 can interact with and regulate RFWD2, which further attends the proteasome-mediated degradation of the RFWD2 substrate p-IκB-α. TRIB2 colocalizes with RFWD2-related IκB-α to form a ternary complex and further affects the IκB-α degradation by regulating its phosphorylation. Specific domain analysis showed that TRIB2 may bind to RFWD2 via its C-terminus, whereas it binds to IκB via its pseudokinase domain. TRIB2 acts as an oncogene and promotes cancer cell proliferation and migration, whereas RFWD2 knockdown reversed the role of TRIB2 in promoting cancer cell growth and colony formation in vitro and in vivo. In summary, this study reveals that TRIB2 promotes the progression of cancer by affecting the proteasome-mediated degradation of proteins through the interaction with RFWD2.

Inter-regional economic spillover and carbon productivity embodied in trade: empirical study from the Pan-Yangtze River Delta Region.

How to promote the carbon productivity embodied in trade and regional balanced development has become the focus of attention to combat climate change and improve regional management. Taking the Pan-Yangtze River Delta region for example and based on the input-output model, this paper explored the relationship between inter-industry economic spillover and embodied carbon productivity in trade from 2007 to 2012. Results indicated that the intra-regional multiplier effect presented a slow downward trend during the studied period, while the trend in the inter-regional integration was intensifying. Moreover, the multiplier effect of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River was relatively lower than that of the middle reaches. Owing to the geographical location and industrial structure, the industries in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River were strongly correlated. In addition, the regional multiplier effect was mostly concentrated in industries with high carbon emission intensity. The economic spillovers between regions showed a growing trend from 2007 to 2012, indicating that regional economic integration was further strengthened, and the economic spillovers in the Yangtze River Delta region were significantly higher than those in the middle reaches. Furthermore, from the perspective of embodied carbon productivity in trade, most of Shanghai's carbon productivity to other regions was mostly less than 10,000 Yuan per ton, which means Shanghai had little demand for intermediate products of other regions, and inter-regional trade between Shanghai and other regions brought less total output and more environmental pollution to other regions, while Shanghai obtained more total output through trade. As embodied carbon productivity in trade in Jiangsu and Zhejiang was more than 10,000 Yuan per ton, Jiangsu and Zhejiang had played an important role in realizing the coordinated development of low carbon in the Pan-Yangtze River Delta. In particular, for Anhui and Jiangxi, embodied carbon productivity in the Yangtze River Delta region was relatively low. Therefore, in order to achieve green, coordinated, and high-quality economic development in the Pan-Yangtze River Delta region, Anhui and Jiangxi should not only strengthen regional cooperation with Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu, but also they should avoid regional zero-sum game competition in regional climate policy. In other words, for policy-makers in the Pan-Yangtze River Delta, promoting the deep integration of industrial chain and regional coordinated development, and thus, improving carbon productivity during the regional development process, should receive more attention.

Effect of competence health cultivation on the prevention and control of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia.

OBJECTIVE To explore the feasibility of health competence cultivation on the prevention and control of Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia (IPH). METHODS Patients with expected spinal surgery were divided into group A and group B by the random number method. Group B followed routine IPH management, and health training measures for performance and ability were implemented in Group A. The scores of the health competence questionnaire, the temperature at different times, IPH complications, and hospitalization for the two groups were observed and compared. RESULTS The main evaluation indexes, such as the health competence questionnaire score, temperature fluctuations, and IPH complications, during the perioperative period in group A were significantly better than those in group B (p < 0.05). The indexes of anesthesia, total hospital expenses, and health service satisfaction in group A were also significantly better than those in group B, which shows the advantages of cultivating health capabilities in both doctors and patients. CONCLUSION Through health competence cultivation and feasible health management measures, the medical staff can improve the quality of IPH prevention and management.

Transplantation Strategies for Spinal Cord Injury Based on Microenvironment Modulation.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is different from peripheral nerve injury; it results in devastating and permanent damage to the spine, leading to severe motor, sensory and autonomic dysfunction. SCI produces a complex microenvironment that can result in hemorrhage, inflammation and scar formation. Not only does it significantly limit regeneration, but it also challenges a multitude of transplantation strategies. In order to promote regeneration, researchers have recently begun to focus their attention on strategies that manipulate the complicated microenvironment produced by SCI. And some have achieved great therapeutic effects. Hence, reconstructing an appropriate microenvironment after transplantation could be a potential therapeutic solution for SCI. In this review, first, we aim to summarize the influential compositions of the microenvironment and their different effects on regeneration. Second, we highlight recent research that used various transplantation strategies to modulate different microenvironments produced by SCI in order to improve regeneration. Finally, we discuss future transplantation strategies regarding SCI.

Effect of competence health cultivation on the prevention and control of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE To explore the feasibility of health competence cultivation on the prevention and control of Inadvertent Perioperative Hypothermia (IPH). METHODS Patients with expected spinal surgery were divided into group A and group B by the random number method. Group B followed routine IPH management, and health training measures for performance and ability were implemented in Group A. The scores of the health competence questionnaire, the temperature at different times, IPH complications, and hospitalization for the two groups were observed and compared. RESULTS The main evaluation indexes, such as the health competence questionnaire score, temperature fluctuations, and IPH complications, during the perioperative period in group A were significantly better than those in group B (p < 0.05). The indexes of anesthesia, total hospital expenses, and health service satisfaction in group A were also significantly better than those in group B, which shows the advantages of cultivating health capabilities in both doctors and patients. CONCLUSION Through health competence cultivation and feasible health management measures, the medical staff can improve the quality of IPH prevention and management.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Explorar a viabilidade do cultivo da competência em saúde na prevenção e controle da hipotermia perioperativa inadvertida (IPH). MÉTODOS Pacientes com cirurgia espinhal marcada foram divididos em dois grupos, A e B, pelo método de números aleatórios. O grupo B foi conduzido com base na gestão rotineira para prevenção de IPH; já no grupo A, foram implementadas medidas de treinamento em competência de saúde. As pontuações do questionário sobre competência em saúde, a temperatura aferida em diferentes momentos, complicações relacionadas à IPH e hospitalização dos dois grupos foram observadas e comparadas. RESULTADOS Os principais índices de avaliação, como a pontuação do questionário sobre competência em saúde, a variação de temperatura e as complicações relacionadas à IPH durante o período perioperatório foram significativamente melhores no grupo A do que no grupo B (p<0,05). Os índices de anestesia, despesas hospitalares totais e satisfação com o serviço de saúde também foram significativamente melhores no grupo A do que no B, o que demonstra as vantagens do cultivo da competência de saúde tanto em médicos como em pacientes. CONCLUSÃO Por meio do cultivo de competências de saúde e de medidas viáveis de gestão da saúde, a equipe médica pode melhorar a qualidade da prevenção e gestão da IPH.

In Situ TEM of Phosphorus-Dopant-Induced Nanopore Formation in Delithiated Silicon Nanowires.

Through in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation, we report the behaviors of phosphorus (P)-doped silicon nanowires (SiNWs) during electrochemical lithiation/delithiation cycling. Upon lithiation, lithium (Li) insertion causes volume expansion and formation of the crystalline Li15Si4 phase in the P-doped SiNWs. During delithiation, vacancies induced by Li extraction aggregate gradually, leading to the generation of nanopores. The as-formed nanopores can get annihilated with Li reinsertion during the following electrochemical cycle. As demonstrated by our phase-field simulations, such first-time-observed reversible nanopore formation can be attributed to the promoted lithiation/delithiation rate by the P dopant in the SiNWs. Our phase-field simulations further reveal that the delithiation-induced nanoporous structures can be controlled by tuning the electrochemical reaction rate in the SiNWs. The findings of this study shed light on the rational design of high-power performance Si-based anodes.

Celastrol suppresses the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells by regulating microRNA-24 and microRNA-181b.

Cumulative evidence has indicated that celastrol may suppress cancer growth; however, the underlying mechanism requires further investigation. In the present study, A549 cells were treated with various concentrations of celastrol. Lung cancer cell proliferation was evaluated using an MTT assay and observed under a microscope. Cell apoptosis was detected by Annexin V fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double-labeled flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that celastrol suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis in a dose-independent manner. Celastrol may also decrease the phosphorylation levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and the B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2 associated C protein (Bax) ratio. As microRNA (miR-24 and miR-181b) were predicated to target STAT3, STAT3 activation was inhibited in miR-24-or miR-181b-treated A549 cells compared with the control treatment. The ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was further reduced in miR-24 or miR-181b-treated A549 cells. The results were further confirmed by detecting in another lung adenocarcinoma cell line, LTEP-a-2. In summary, the results of the present study demonstrated that celastrol treatment suppressed the proliferation and induced apoptosis by regulating the expression levels of miR-24 and miR-181b.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in ZNRD1-AS1 increase cancer risk in an Asian population.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human zinc ribbon domain containing 1 antisense RNA 1 (ZNRD1-AS1) have been associated with cancer development. In this meta-analysis, we more precisely estimated the associations between three expression quantitative trait loci SNPs in ZNRD1-AS1 (rs3757328, rs6940552, and rs9261204) and cancer susceptibility. The data for three SNPs were extracted from eligible studies, which included 5,293 patients and 5,440 controls. Overall, no significant associations between SNPs in ZNRD1-AS1 (rs3757328, rs6940552, and rs9261204) and cancer risk were observed. However, in further subgroup analyses based on cancer type, we found that the A allele of rs3757328 increased the risk of some cancer in both allele contrast (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.05 - 1.25) and recessive models (OR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.33 - 2.41). The A allele of rs6940552 and the G allele of rs9261204 also increased the risk of some cancer in an Asian population in allele contrast (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.08 - 1.26, and OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.16 - 1.34, respectively) and recessive models (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.18 - 1.77, and OR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.23 - 1.80, respectively). Thus, rs3757328, rs6940552, and rs9261204 in ZNRD1-AS1 are all associated with increased some cancer risk in an Asian population.

Smad3-related miRNAs regulated oncogenic TRIB2 promoter activity to effectively suppress lung adenocarcinoma growth.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and Smad3, as key transcription factors in transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) signaling, help regulate various physiological and pathological processes. We investigated the roles of Smad3-regulated miRNAs with respect to lung adenocarcinoma cell apoptosis, proliferation, and metastasis. We observed that Smad3 and phospho-SMAD3 (p-Smad3) were decreased in miR-206- (or miR-140)-treated cells and there might be a feedback loop between miR-206 (or miR-140) and TGF-ß1 expression. Smad3-related miRNAs affected tribbles homolog 2 (TRIB2) expression by regulating trib2 promoter activity through the CAGACA box. MiR-206 and miR-140 inhibited lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo by suppressing p-Smad3/Smad3 and TRIB2. Moreover, lung adenocarcinoma data supported a suppressive role for miR-206/miR-140 and an oncogenic role for TRIB2-patients with higher TRIB2 levels had poorer survival. In summary, miR-206 and miR-140, as tumor suppressors, induced lung adenocarcinoma cell death and inhibited cell proliferation by modifying oncogenic TRIB2 promoter activity through p-Smad3. MiR-206 and miR-140 also suppressed lung adenocarcinoma cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo by regulating EMT-related factors.

High glucose concentration induces endothelial cell proliferation by regulating cyclin-D2-related miR-98.

Cyclin D2 is involved in the pathology of vascular complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study investigated the role of cyclin-D2-regulated miRNAs in endothelial cell proliferation of T2DM. Results showed that higher glucose concentration (4.5 g/l) significantly promoted the proliferation of rat aortic endothelial cells (RAOECs), and significantly increased the expression of cyclin D2 and phosphorylation of retinoblastoma 1 (p-RB1) in RAOECs compared with those under low glucose concentration. The cyclin D2-3' untranslated region is targeted by miR-98, as demonstrated by miRNA analysis software. Western blot also confirmed that cyclin D2 and p-RB1 expression was regulated by miR-98. The results indicated that miR-98 treatment can induce RAOEC apoptosis. The suppression of RAOEC growth by miR-98 might be related to regulation of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase 9 expression. Furthermore, the expression levels of miR-98 decreased in 4.5 g/l glucose-treated cells compared with those treated by low glucose concentration. Similarly, the expression of miR-98 significantly decreased in aortas of established streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model compared with that in control rats; but cyclin D2 and p-RB1 levels remarkably increased in aortas of STZ-induced diabetic rats compared with those in healthy control rats. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that high glucose concentration induces cyclin D2 up-regulation and miR-98 down-regulation in the RAOECs. By regulating cyclin D2, miR-98 can inhibit human endothelial cell growth, thereby providing novel therapeutic targets for vascular complication of T2DM.

Expression of RKIP, E-cadherin and NF-kB p65 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their correlations.

To detect the expression of RKIP, E-cadherin and NF-kB p65 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and study their correlations. Steptavidin-peroxidase (S-P) method was employed to detect the expressions of RKIP, E-cadherin and NF-kB p65 in ESCC tissues from 77 cases and paracancerous tissues from 77 cases. The correlations between their expressions and clinicopathological indices and between the expressions of these proteins themselves were analyzed. The expressions of RKIP and E-cadherin in ESCC tissues were obviously lower than those in the paracancerous tissues (P<0.01); the expressions in ESCC tissues from cases with lymph node metastasis were lower than those from cases without lymph node metastasis (P<0.01); the expression of RKIP was positively correlated with the expression of E-cadherin in ESCC tissues (P<0.01). The expression of NF-kB p65 in ESCC tissues was correlated with clinical staging, lymph node metastasis and tumor differentiation (P<0.01); the expression of RKIP was negatively correlated with the expression of NF-kB p65 in ESCC tissues (P<0.05). Downregulation or depletion of RKIP was related to the onset and progression of ESCC, and facilitated the invasion and metastasis of ESCC by downregulating E-cadherin and upregulating NF-kB p65.

Effects of Wenyangzhenshuai Granule on ERK1/2 and ERK5 activity in the myocardial tissue in a rabbit model of adriamycin-induced chronic heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effects of Wenyangzhenshuai granule on expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and 5 (ERK5) in the myocardial tissue using a rabbit model of adriamycin-induced chronic heart failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rabbits were divided into heart failure positive control, adriamycin injection, and adriamycin injection with Wenyangzhenshuai treatment (low, medium and high dose) groups. Cardiac function and cardiac hypotrophy were measured in all groups. Besides, myocardial expression of ERK1/2 and ERK5 phosphorylation were evaluated by Western blotting and ERK1/2 and ERK5 mRNA levels by RT-PCR. The cardiac structure and cardiac function were also compared using histology staining and electron microscope. RESULTS: Adriamycin injection led to cardiac failure reflected by decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), E/A ratio, and increased cardiac hypertrophy, both of which have been improved by Wenyangzhenshuai granule treatment (all P<0.05). Mechanistically, increased P-ERK1/2 and decreased P-ERK5 levels were observed in myocardial tissues of mice treated with Adriamycin for 8 weeks. However, such signaling change could be partially corrected by Wenyangzhenshuai treatment. In addition, no significant difference was detected in the expression of ERK1/2 and ERK5 mRNA levels between adriamycin injection groups and Wenyangzhenshuai treatment groups (P>0.05), indicating an alteration in the activity/phosphorylation levels of these proteins instead of the transcription levels. CONCLUSION: we found a beneficial effect of Wenyangzhenshuai treatment in partially decelerating the progression of CHF. Such effect was probably through the role of Wenyangzhenchuan in diminishing p-ERK1/2 and raising p-ERK5 level in myocardial tissue.

[Effects of loess soil stabilization on Lolium perenne L. growth and root activity].

Taking the loess soils with bulk density 1.2 g cm(-3), 1.3 g cm(-3), and 1.4 g cm(-3) from Ansai, Shaanxi Province as test objects, a pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of different amendment amount of soil stabilizer (EN-1 stabilizer) on the growth and root activity of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Within the range of the bulk densities, the leaf chlorophyll content, root activity, root/shoot ratio, root biomass, and plant biomass of L. perenne all decreased with increasing soil bulk density, and were higher under the amendment of EN-1 stabilizer, as compared with the control. With increasing amendment amount of EN-1 stabilizer, the leaf chlorophyll content, root activity, root/shoot ratio, root biomass, and plant biomass had a trend of increased first and decreased then. Soil bulk density and stabilizer amendment amount had significant interactive effect on the root biomass and plant biomass. Overall, the values of the test indices were the highest under 1.3 g cm(-3) soil bulk density and 0.15% EN-1 stabilizer amendment amount.

[An objective evaluation of nasal airway obstruction by enlarged adenoids in children].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical application value of nasal airway obstruction objectively and quantificationally by acoustic rhinometry (AR) in children with adenoid hypertrophy. METHOD: Thirty patients with adenoid hypertrophy were examined with AR and questionnaire at preoperative and eight weeks after surgery. The values of AR were compared with those of 27 normal controls. RESULT: There were significant differences between preoperative and postoperative in NAR and NPV (P < 0.01), no significant difference was observed between preoperative and postoperative in MCSA (P > 0.05); There were significant differences in NAR, NPV, MCSA between the patient group and the control group (P < 0.01); There were significant differences between postoperative and the control group in NPV and MCSA (P < 0.01), no significant difference was observed between postoperative and the control group in TNAR (P > 0.05); There was negative correlation between MCSA and symptom scores (r = -0. 519, P < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between NAR and NPV and symptom scores (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acoustic rhinometry was an objective and quantitative method for evaluating nasal airway in children with adenoid hypertrophy. In interpretation the relationships of the results of acoustic rhinometry reflection measurements and subjective symptoms, MCSA should be the main reference.