Two different strategies of Diversispora spurca-inoculated walnut seedlings to improve leaf P acquisition at low and moderate P levels.

Walnut (Juglans regia) is an important nut tree species in the world, whereas walnut trees often face inadequate phosphorus (P) levels of soil, negatively limiting its growth and yield. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can colonize walnut roots, but whether and how AMF promotes walnut growth, physiological activities, and P acquisition is unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of Diversispora spurca on plant growth, chlorophyll component concentrations, leaf gas exchange, sugar and P concentrations, and expression of purple acid phosphatase (PAP) and phosphate transporter (PT) genes in leaves of J. regia var. Liaohe 1 seedling under moderate (100 µmol/L P) and low P (1 µmol/L P) levels conditions. Three months after inoculation, the root mycorrhizal colonization rate and soil hyphal length were 45.6-53.2% and 18.7-39.9 cm/g soil, respectively, and low P treatment significantly increased both root mycorrhizal colonization rate and soil hyphal length. Low P levels inhibited plant growth (height, stem diameter, and total biomass) and leaf gas exchange (photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance), while AMF colonization significantly increased these variables at moderate and low P levels. Low P treatment limited the level of chlorophyll a, but AMF colonization did not significantly affect the level of chlorophyll components, independent on soil P levels. AMF colonization also increased leaf glucose at appropriate P levels and leaf fructose at low P levels than non-AMF treatment. AMF colonization significantly increased leaf P concentration by 21.0-26.2% than non-AMF colonization at low and moderate P levels. Low P treatment reduced the expression of leaf JrPAP10, JrPAP12, and JrPT3;2 in the inoculated plants, whereas AMF colonization up-regulated the expression of leaf JrPAP10, JrPAP12, and JrPT3;2 at moderate P levels, although AMF did not significantly alter the expression of JrPAPs and JrPTs at low P levels. It is concluded that AMF improved plant growth, leaf gas exchange, and P acquisition of walnut seedlings at different P levels, where mycorrhizal promotion of P acquisition was dominated by direct mycorrhizal involvement in P uptake at low P levels, while up-regulation of host PAPs and PTs expressions at moderate P levels.

Comparison of Vancomycin Clearance Between Augmented Renal Clearance and Normal Renal Function in Critically Ill Infants: A Population Pharmacokinetics Study.

Augmented renal clearance presents as super-renal function with enhanced renal perfusion and glomerular hyperfiltration in many critically ill infants. This study was to compare vancomycin clearance (CL) between critically ill infants with augmented renal clearance and with normal renal function and to optimize the vancomycin dosage. Data were retrospectively obtained from infants treated in intensive care units. Population pharmacokinetics analysis was conducted using nonlinear mixed-effects model software. A total of 66 critically ill infants were included: 47 infants with augmented renal clearance and 19 infants with normal renal function. The median doses of vancomycin for infants with augmented renal clearance and with normal renal function were 48 and 47 mg/kg/day (P > .05), respectively. The median CL in infants with augmented renal clearance was increased 1.96-fold compared with infants who had normal renal function (0.98 versus 0.5 L/h, P < .001). Simulations indicated that the recommended dosage of 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 mg/kg/day would be appropriate in critically ill infants with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 130-149, 150-169, 170-189, 190-209, and >210 mL/min/1.73 m2 , respectively. Doses of 70 and 75 mg/kg/day were recommended for infants with augmented renal clearance and gestational ages of 27-32.9 and 33-39 weeks, respectively. Doses of 70, 75, 80, and 90 mg/kg/day were recommended for infants with augmented renal clearance and weights of 2.0-2.9, 3.0-3.9, 4.0-4.9, and 5.0-6.0 kg, respectively. In conclusion, the typical vancomycin dosage is insufficient for critically ill infants with augmented renal clearance. Premature infants and infants of low weight with augmented renal clearance need individualized dosing regimens to obtain an adequate area under the serum concentration time curve over 24 h/minimum inhibitory concentration ratio.

Laser-detected magnetic resonance spectra dressed by a radio-frequency field.

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the laser-detected magnetic resonance spectra dressed by a radio-frequency magnetic field in Fg = 4 of D1 line of cesium atoms. The analytical expression of the transmission spectrum for magnetic resonance dressed by a radio-frequency magnetic field is derived and has substantial agreement with the transmission spectra observed in the experiment. The theoretical prediction of the ratio of the amplitudes of the two sidebands with the detuning is basically consistent with the experimental data, which confirms the validity of the analytical expression. The separation between the two sidebands under resonance shows a highly linear proportion to the amplitude of the dressing field, which may provide a useful scheme for the measurement of radio-frequency magnetic field and magnetic imaging.

Ultranarrow spectral line of the radiation in double qubit-cavity ultrastrong coupling system.

The ultrastrongly coupling (USC) system has very important research significance in quantum simulation and quantum computing. In this paper, the ultranarrow spectrum of a circuit QED system with two qubits ultrastrongly coupled to a single-mode cavity is studied. In the regime of USC, the JC model breaks down and the counter-rotating terms in the quantum Rabi Hamiltonian leads to the level anti-crossing in the energy spectrum. Choosing a single-photon driving field at the point of avoided-level crossing, we can get an equivalent four-level dressed state model, in which the dissipation of the two intermediate states is only related to the qubits decay. Due to the electron shelving of these two metastable states, a narrow peak appears in the cavity emission spectrum. Furthermore, we find that the physical origin for the spectral narrowing is the vacuum-induced quantum interference between two transition pathways. And this interference effect couples the slowly decaying incoherent components of the density matrix into the equations of the sidebands. This result provides a possibility for the study of quantum interference effect in the USC system.

Multifold wave-particle quantum correlations in strongly correlated three-photon emissions from filtered resonance fluorescence.

Multifold wave-particle quantum correlations are studied in strongly correlated three-photon emissions from the Mollow triplet via frequency engineering. The nonclassicality and the non-Gaussianity of the filtered field are discussed by correlating intensity signal and correlated balanced homodyne signals. Due to the non-Gaussian fluctuations in the Mollow triplet, new forms of the criterion of nonclassicality for non-Gaussian radiation are proposed by introducing intensity-dual quadrature correlation functions, which contain the information about strongly correlated three-photon emissions of the Mollow triplet. In addition, the time-dependent dynamics of non-Gaussian fluctuations of the filtered field is studied, which displays conspicuous asymmetry. Physically, the asymmetrical evolution of non-Gaussian fluctuations can be attributed to the different transition dynamics of the laser-dressed quantum emitter revealed by the past quantum state and conditional quantum state. Compared with the conventional three-photon intensity correlations that unilaterally reflect the particle properties of radiation, the multifold wave-particle correlation functions we proposed may convey more information about wave-particle duality of radiation, such as the quantum coherence of photon triplet and "which-path" in cascaded photon emissions in atomic systems.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients with biliary disease.

BACKGROUND: Biliary diseases are common digestive system disorders which may combine with biliary tract infection such as cholecystitis or cholangitis. Thus, rapid identification of the bacteria and their antibiotic susceptibility profiles are crucial for reducing the mortality of patients with biliary tract infection. AIM: To identify bacterial species and antibiotic susceptibility for antibacterial therapy and analyze bile cultivation risk factors for increasing detection rates. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted from July 2008 to July 2017. In total, 1339 bile samples which were collected during therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopan-creatography or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage or other biliary surgeries or biliary drainage were obtained to characterize pathogen spectra, antibiotic susceptibility, and clinical features. Clinical data including age, sex, comorbidities, clinical symptoms, protopathies, and history of biliary tract diseases and surgeries were collated from hospital medical records. Species identification and initial drug susceptibility were further identified by biochemical characterization using the VITEK 2 Compact test. RESULTS: Positive microbiological findings were observed in 738 samples. The most frequently encountered strains were gram-negative bacteria (74.94%), including Escherichia coli (37.78%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.96%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.29%). Bile bacteria were largely sensitive to carbapenems, piperacillin/tazobactam, and gentamicin. Gram-negative strains had low susceptibility to ceftriaxone, quinolones and ampicillin. Almost the same micro-organisms were present in patients with malignant and benign diseases. The number of samples with Klebsiella pneumoniae in the bile culture were significantly different between patients with malignant and benign diseases (55 vs 30; P = 0.019). Age (P < 0.001), fever (P < 0.001), history of biliary tract diseases and surgeries (both P < 0.001), benign disease (P = 0.002), and the comorbidity chronic renal insufficiency (P = 0.007) affected the positive rates of the bile samples. CONCLUSION: Gram-negative bacteria were the most commonly isolated biliary bacteria. We determined the major factors associated with positive detection rates. Microbiological analysis of bile samples allowed accurate antibiotic treatments.

Time-asymmetric quantum fluctuations in intensity-amplitude correlation for a driven cavity QED system.

The intensity-amplitude correlation functions for a driven cavity QED system with two non-identical atoms are investigated in this paper. With the support of conditional homodyne detection, one can detect the time-dependent intensity-amplitude correlation functions experimentally. We find time-asymmetry in this correlation when the driving field is tuned to be resonant with the two-photon excitation state, which brings non-Gaussian fluctuations. The physical origin of these phenomena is the distinction of the third-order moment based on complete-collapse and partial-collapse, which corresponds to the measuring sequence of the intensity and amplitude. Finally, we also examined the nonclassical features of the system, which always exhibits photon bunching. The squeezing occurs in the region of weak driving and disappears with the increase of driving strength. Hence, a new classical inequality based on the technique of homodyne cross-correlation measurement is introduced to determine the nonclassicality of the non-Gaussian system in the region of unsqueezing.

Lifestyle intervention for gastroesophageal reflux disease: a national multicenter survey of lifestyle factor effects on gastroesophageal reflux disease in China.

BACKGROUND: Poor habits can worsen gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and reduce treatment efficacy. Few large-scale studies have examined lifestyle influences, particularly eating habits, on GERD in China, and research related to eating quickly, hyperphagia, and eating hot foods is quite limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between GERD pathogenesis and lifestyle factors to produce useful information for the development of a clinical reference guide through a national multicenter survey in China. METHODS: Symptom and lifestyle/habit questionnaires included 19 items were designed. The questionnaire results were subjected to correlation analysis relative to GERD symptom onset. A standard proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was advised to correct patients with unhealthful lifestyle habits. RESULTS: A total of 1518 subjects (832 GERD, 686 non-GERD) enrolled from six Chinese hospitals completed symptom and lifestyle/habit questionnaires. The top lifestyle factors related to GERD were fast eating, eating beyond fullness, and preference for spicy food. Univariate analysis showed that 21 factors, including male gender, a supra-normal body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking alcohol, fast eating, eating beyond fullness, eating very hot foods, and drinking soup, among others, were associated with GERD (p < 0.05). Logistic multivariate regression analysis revealed the following risk factors for GERD [with odds ratios (ORs)]: fast eating (4.058), eating beyond fullness (2.849), wearing girdles or corsets (2.187), eating very hot foods (1.811), high BMI (1.805), lying down soon after eating (1.544), and smoking (1.521). Adjuvant lifestyle interventions improved outcomes over medication alone (z = -8.578, p < 0.001 Mann-Whitney rank sum test). CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle interventions can improve medication efficacy in GERD patients. Numerous habits, including fast eating, eating beyond fullness, and eating very hot foods, were associated with GERD pathogenesis. The present results may be useful as a reference for preventive education and treatment.

Collision induced magnetic resonance in Cesium atoms.

The radiofrequency-optical double magnetic resonance in cesium atoms filled in a vapor cell is investigated experimentally. One resonant signal involving spin-exchange collisions is observed in the MZ type magnetic resonance spectrum. We solve Liouville equations describing the dynamics of the system and analyze the role of the spin-exchange collisions in the atomic population distributions under resonant conditions. The theoretical calculations agree very well with the experimental results. In contrast with the normal magnetic resonance, the collision induced magnetic resonance exhibits the interesting saturation effect: both the signal amplitude and the signal linewidth are nearly constant when the laser intensity is above a moderate threshold value, which can be useful for precision measurements of the geomagnetic field.

Gambogic acid induces apoptosis and inhibits colorectal tumor growth via mitochondrial pathways.

AIM: To investigate the effect of gambogic acid (GA) on apoptosis in the HT-29 human colon cancer cell line. METHODS: H-29 cells were used for in vitro experiments in this study. Relative cell viability was assessed using MTT assays. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling and Hoechst 33342 staining, and quantified by flow cytometry. Cellular ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Real-time PCR and Western blot analyses were used to evaluate gene and protein expression levels. For in vivo experiments, BALB/c nude mice received subcutaneous injections of HT-29 cells in the right armpit. When well-established xenografts were palpable with a tumor size of 75 mm(3), mice were randomly assigned to a vehicle (negative) control, positive control or GA treatment group (n = 6 each). The animals in the treatment group received one of three dosages of GA (in saline; 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg) via the caudal vein twice weekly, whereas animals in the negative and positive control groups were given equal volumes of 0.9% saline or 10 mg/kg docetaxel, respectively, via the caudal vein once weekly. RESULTS: The cell viability assay showed that GA inhibited proliferation of HT-29 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner after treatment with GA (0.00, 0.31, 0.62, 1.25, 2.50, 5.00 or 10.00 µmol/L) for 24, 48 or 72 h. After 48 h, the percentage of apoptotic cells in cells treated with 0.00, 1.25, 2.50 and 5.00 µmol/L GA was 1.4% ± 0.3%, 9.8% ± 1.2%, 25.7% ± 3.3% and 49.3% ± 5.8%, respectively. Ultrastructural analysis of HT-29 cells treated for 48 h with 2.5 µmol/L GA revealed apoptotic bodies and condensed and fragmented nuclei. Levels of caspase-8, -9 and -3 mRNAs were significantly increased after treatment with GA (1.25, 2.50 or 5.00 µmol/L) for 48 h (P < 0.05 for all). Protein levels of apoptosis-related factors Fas, FasL, FADD, cytochrome c, and Apaf-1 were increased in GA-treated cells, whereas levels of pro-caspase-8, -9 and -3 were significantly decreased (P < 0.05 for all). Furthermore, GA significantly and dose-dependently inhibited the growth of HT-29 tumors in a mouse xenograft model (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: GA inhibits HT-29 proliferation via induction of apoptosis. The anti-cancer effects are likely mediated by death receptor (extrinsic) and mitochondrial (intrinsic) pathways.

SCD1 negatively regulates autophagy-induced cell death in human hepatocellular carcinoma through inactivation of the AMPK signaling pathway.

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a key regulator in the mechanisms of cell proliferation, survival and transformation to cancer, and autophagy also plays a critical role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether SCD1 mediates autophagy in HCC remains unknown. In this study, we observed significantly elevated SCD1 expression levels and evident suppression of autophagy in HCC, and the positive SCD1 expression and autophagy defect were independently correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. We also found that the inhibition of SCD1 by a pharmacological inhibitor reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis and autophagy of human HCC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, the pharmacological inhibition of AMPK supported the hypothesis that the induction of autophagy caused by SCD1 inhibition relied on AMPK stimulation. Furthermore, the human HCC cells death triggered by inhibition of SCD1 was partly involved in autophagy-induced apoptosis via AMPK signaling. Our findings reveal a novel role for SCD1 in the regulation of autophagy via AMPK signaling and provide mechanistic input for the clinical exploration that the combination of SCD1 inhibition with autophagy induction may be attractive for the management of HCC.

Cap-assisted endoscopic sclerotherapy for hemorrhoids: Methods, feasibility and efficacy.

AIM: To evaluate the methodology, feasibility, safety and efficacy of a novel method called cap-assisted endoscopic sclerotherapy (CAES) for internal hemorrhoids. METHODS: A pilot study on CAES for grade I to III internal hemorrhoids was performed. Colon and terminal ileum examination by colonoscopy was performed for all patients before starting CAES. Polypectomy and excision of anal papilla fibroma were performed if polyps or anal papilla fibroma were found and assessed to be suitable for resection under endoscopy. CAES was performed based on the requirement of the cap, endoscope, disposable endoscopic long injection needle, enough insufflated air and sclerosing agent. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients with grade I to III internal hemorrhoids was included. The follow-up was more than four weeks. No bleeding was observed after CAES. One (3.33%) patient claimed mild tenesmus within four days after CAES in that an endoscopist performed this procedure for the first time. One hundred percent of patients were satisfied with this novel procedure, especially for those patients who underwent CAES in conjunction with polypectomy or excision of anal papilla fibroma. CONCLUSION: CAES as a novel endoscopic sclerotherapy should be a convenient, safe and effective flexible endoscopic therapy for internal hemorrhoids.

GSTP1, ERCC1 and ERCC2 polymorphisms, expression and clinical outcome of oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer in Chinese population.

AIM: Platinum agents have shown to be effective in the treatment of colorectal cancer. We assessed whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GSTP1, ERCC1 Asn118Asn and ERCC2 Lys751Gln might predict the overall survival in patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in a Chinese population. METHODS: SNPs of GSTP1, ERCC1 Asn118Asn and ERCC2 Lys751Gln in 335 colorectal cancer patients were assessed using TaqMan nuclease assays. RESULTS: At the time of final analysis on Nov. 2011, the median follow-up period was 37.7 months (range from 1 to 60 months). A total of 229 patients died during follow-up. Our study showed GSTP1 Val/Val (HR=0.44, 95% CI=0.18-0.98), ERCC1 C/C (HR=0.20, 95% CI=0.10-0.79) and ERCC2 G/G (HR=0.48, 95% CI=0.19-0.97) to be significantly associated with better survival of colorectal cancer. GSTP1 Val/Val, ERCC1 C/C and ERCC2 G/G were also related to longer survival among patients with colon cancer, with HRs (95% CIs) of 0.41 (0.16-0.91), 0.16 (0.09-0.74) and 0.34 (0.16-0.91), respectively. CONCLUSION: GSTP1, GSTP1, ERCC1 Asn118Asn and ERCC2 Lys751Gln genotyping might facilitate tailored oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for colorectal cancer patients.

[Observation of carbon-bear free radicals using far infrared laser magnetic resonance spectroscopy].

The principle and technical characters of far infrared laser magnetic resonance (FIRLMR) spectrometer built up in China are introduced. A CO2 transversely pumped far infrared laser is adopted. In order to obtain high sensitivity, the sample absorption cell is placed in the FIR laser cavity and separated from laser gain cavity with thin polypropylene film. The spectrometer can be employed to study short lived free radicals. The spectra of many transient free radicals including CCH, CF and CH2 have been detected by the spectrometer. These transients are generated by mixing CH4 with the fluorine atoms produced with microwave discharge.