Flower color polymorphism of a wild Iris on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

BACKGROUND: Flower color plays a crucial role in attracting pollinators and facilitating environmental adaptation. Investigating the causes of flower color polymorphism and understanding their potential effects on both ecology and genetics can enhance our understanding of flower color polymorphism in wild plant. RESULTS: In this study, we examined the differences of potential male and female fitness between purple- and yellow- flower individuals in Iris potaninii on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and screened key genes and positively selective genes involved in flower color change. Our results showed that yellow flower exhibited a higher pollen-to-ovule ratio. Yellow flowers were derived from purple flowers due to the loss of anthocyanins, and F3H could be an essential gene affecting flower color variation though expression regulation and sequence polymorphism in this species. Furthermore, our findings suggest that genes positively selected in yellow-flowered I. potaninii might be involved in nucleotide excision repair and plant-pathogen interactions. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that F3H induces the flower color variation of Iris potaninii, and the subsequent ecological and additive positive selection on yellow flowers may further enhance plant adaptations to alpine environments.

Exosomal hsa_circ_000200 as a potential biomarker and metastasis enhancer of gastric cancer via miR-4659a/b-3p/HBEGF axis.

BACKGROUND: Exosome, a component of liquid biopsy, loaded protein, DNA, RNA and lipid gradually emerges as biomarker in tumors. However, exosomal circRNAs as biomarker and function mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) are not well understood. METHODS: Differentially expressed circRNAs in GC and healthy people were screened by database. The identification of hsa_circ_000200 was verified by RNase R and sequencing, and the expression of hsa_circ_000200 was evaluated using qRT-PCR. The biological function of hsa_circ_000200 in GC was verified in vitro. Western blot, RIP, RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization, and double luciferase assay were utilized to explore the potential mechanism of hsa_circ_000200. RESULTS: Hsa_circ_000200 up-regulated in GC tissue, serum and serum exosomes. Hsa_circ_000200 in serum exosomes showed better diagnostic ability than that of tissues and serum. Combined with clinicopathological parameters, its level was related to invasion depth, TNM staging, and distal metastasis. Functionally, knockdown of hsa_circ_000200 inhibited GC cells proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, while its overexpression played the opposite role. Importantly, exosomes with up-regulated hsa_circ_000200 promoted the proliferation and migration of co-cultured GC cells. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_000200 acted as a "ceRNA" for miR-4659a/b-3p to increase HBEGF and TGF-ß/Smad expression, then promoted the development of GC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that hsa_circ_000200 promotes the progression of GC through hsa_circ_000200/miR-4659a/b-3p/HBEGF axis and affecting the expression of TGF-ß/Smad. Serum exosomal hsa_circ_000200 may serve as a potential biomarker for GC.

Role of Fibrinogen in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus with Diabetic Neuropathy and its Preliminary Mechanism.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DN) is the most common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the role of fibrinogen (FIB) in T2DM neuropathy and its preliminary mechanism. METHODS: Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a normal control group (NC group) and a T2DM neuropathy model group (DN group). The DN group was given a high-energy diet and streptozotocin, while the NC group was given a normal diet and a citric acid buffer. The expression levels of related proteins were analysed. RESULTS: Electrophysiology: Compared with the NC group, the conduction latency of the somatosensory-evoked potential and nerve conduction velocity was prolonged in the DN group, while the motor nerve action potential was decreased. As seen under a light microscope, the peripheral nerve fibres in the DN group were swollen, and the nerve fibres in the posterior funiculus of the spinal cord were loose or missing. Moreover, as seen under an electron microscope, the peripheral nerve demyelination of the DN group was severe, with microvascular blood coagulation, luminal stenosis, and collapse. Compared with the NC group, in the DN group, the expression of FIB was positively correlated with the expression of both ionised calcium-binding adaptor molecule-1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Compared with the NC group, in the DN group, the expression of platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 and B-cell lymphoma 2 was negatively correlated. CONCLUSION: The increased concentration of FIB may be the cause of neuropathy, and its mechanism may be related to its promotion of inflammatory response, blood coagulation, and vascular stenosis.

Performance-enhanced regenerated cellulose film by adding grape seed extract.

Eco-friendly packaging material with intelligent colorimetric performance has been a requirement for food safety and quality. This work focused on a food packaging material from regenerated cellulose films that added the grape seed extract (GSE) and polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG). FTIR and SEM techniques were employed to prove the compatibility of GSE with cellulose matrix. The composite film showed an enhanced elongation at break (16.61 %) and tensile strength (33.09 MPa). The addition of PEG and GSE also improved the water contact angle of regenerated-cellulose film from 53.8° to 83.8°. Moreover, the composite films exhibited UV-blocking properties while maintaining adequate transparency. The GSE induced the regenerated films with a macroscopic change in color under different pH conditions. Furthermore, the loading of GSE slowed down the decomposition of strawberries and delayed the self-biodegradation compared with the control for more than 3 days and 18 days. The present study showed a regenerated cellulose film with acceptable mechanical and hydrophilia properties, pH-responsiveness, anti-decomposition, and delayed biodegradation performances, indicating a potential color sensor in food packaging.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the NAC Gene Family in Kandelia obovata, a Typical Mangrove Plant.

The NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) gene family, one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, acts as positive or negative regulators in plant response and adaption to various environmental stresses, including cold stress. Multiple reports on the functional characterization of NAC genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and other plants are available. However, the function of the NAC genes in the typical woody mangrove (Kandelia obovata) remains poorly understood. Here, a comprehensive analysis of NAC genes in K. obovata was performed with a pluri-disciplinary approach including bioinformatic and molecular analyses. We retrieved a contracted NAC family with 68 genes from the K. obovata genome, which were unevenly distributed in the chromosomes and classified into ten classes. These KoNAC genes were differentially and preferentially expressed in different organs, among which, twelve up-regulated and one down-regulated KoNAC genes were identified. Several stress-related cis-regulatory elements, such as LTR (low-temperature response), STRE (stress response element), ABRE (abscisic acid response element), and WUN (wound-responsive element), were identified in the promoter regions of these 13 KoNAC genes. The expression patterns of five selected KoNAC genes (KoNAC6, KoNAC15, KoNAC20, KoNAC38, and KoNAC51) were confirmed by qRT-PCR under cold treatment. These results strongly implied the putative important roles of KoNAC genes in response to chilling and other stresses. Collectively, our findings provide valuable information for further investigations on the function of KoNAC genes.

[Characteristics of Carbonaceous Species in PM2.5 in Chengdu Under the Background of Emission Reduction].

The Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan and Three-year Plan on Defending the Blue Sky promulgated by the State Council of the People's Republic of China have played an important role in the overall improvement of air quality in China. However, few studies have evaluated the implementation effects of these two policies in Sichuan Basin and the new characteristics of PM2.5 chemical components after the implementation of these policies. The key periods for evaluating the implementation effects of these two pollution reduction policies are 2017 and 2020, respectively. In order to study the atmospheric PM2.5 and carbonaceous species in Chengdu during these two periods, this study sampled the PM2.5 in Chengdu from October 2016 to July 2017 and December 2020, respectively, and the organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were analyzed. The results showed that the annual ρ(PM2.5) from 2016-2017 in Chengdu was (114.0±76.4) µg·m-3. The maximum value of the ρ(PM2.5) appeared in winter[(193.3±98.5) µg·m-3], and the minimum value appeared in spring[(73.8±32.3) µg·m-3]. By contrast, the ρ(PM2.5) in winter decreased significantly in 2020, with a value of (96.0±39.3) µg·m-3. The annual ρ(OC) and ρ(EC) from 2016-2017 were (21.1±16.4) µg·m-3 and (1.9±1.3) µg·m-3, which accounted for 18.5% and 1.7% of the PM2.5 mass, respectively. The seasonal variation characteristic of ρ(OC) was:winter[(40.6±21.5) µg·m-3]>autumn[(17.0±7.0) µg·m-3]>summer[(14.4±3.9) µg·m-3]>spring[(12.6±6.0) µg·m-3], whereas the ρ(EC) in the four seasons were close, ranging from 1.3 to 2.4 µg·m-3. The annual ρ(SOC) was (9.4±9.1) µg·m-3, which accounted for 44.5% of the OC mass. Compared with that in winter 2016, the ρ(OC) decreased by 52.7% in winter 2020, whereas the ρ(EC) increased by 26.1%. With the aggravation of pollution, the change trends of carbon species and their contributions were different. Compared with that in winter 2016, the variation in the contribution of OC with the aggravation of pollution in winter 2020 was more stable, whereas the proportion of SOC increased more obviously. There were obvious differences in the direction of air masses and the potential source area of pollutants in each season. Although there was no significant change in the direction of air masses in winter 2020 compared with those in winter 2016, the pollutant concentrations corresponding to each cluster decreased significantly, and the potential source area of pollutants expanded significantly to the eastern area.

The effects of changes in flowering plant composition caused by nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment on plant-pollinator interactions in a Tibetan alpine grassland.

Soil eutrophication from atmospheric deposition and fertilization threatens biodiversity and the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Increases in soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content can alter the biomass and structure of plant communities in grassland ecosystems; however, the impact of these changes on plant-pollinator interactions is not yet clear. In this study, we tested how changes in flowering plant diversity and composition due to N and P enrichment affected pollinator communities and pollination interactions. Our experiments, conducted in a Tibetan alpine grassland, included four fertilization treatments: N (10 g N m-2 year-1), P (5 g P m-2 year-1), a combination of N and P (N + P), and control. We found that changes in flowering plant composition and diversity under the N and P treatments did not alter the pollinator richness or abundance. The N and P treatments also had limited effects on the plant-pollinator interactions, including the interaction numbers, visit numbers, plant and pollinator species dissimilarity, plant-pollinator interaction dissimilarity, average number of pollinator species attracted by each plant species (vulnerability), and average number of plant species visited by each pollinator species (generality). However, the N + P treatment increased the species and interaction dissimilarity in flowering plant and pollinator communities and decreased the generality in plant-pollinator interactions. These data highlight that changes in flowering plants caused by N + P enrichment alter pollination interactions between flowering plants and pollinators. Owing to changes in flowering plant communities, the plant-pollinator interactions could be sensitive to the changing environment in alpine regions.

[Characteristics of Water-soluble Ions in an Autumn Haze Process in the Southern Sichuan Urban Agglomeration After the Implementation of China's Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan].

To investigate the PM2.5 pollution in the southern Sichuan urban agglomeration after the implementation of China's Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP), PM2.5 samples were simultaneously collected in four cities (Neijiang, Zigong, Yibin, and Luzhou) from November 7 to 19, 2018. The pollution characteristics of PM2.5 and main water-soluble ions were analyzed in combination with the synoptic situation, and the influence of regional transport on atmospheric pollution was also discussed in this study. The results showed that the mean ρ(PM2.5) in this region was (67.2±38.3) µg·m-3, being highest in Luzhou and lowest in Neijiang. The proportion of SNA (SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+) in PM2.5 was 33.3%, among which NO3- was dominant. From the intermediate stage (2015) to the end(2018) of the implementation of APPCAP, ρ(PM2.5) values were increased by 13.8%, 47.2%, and 69.1% in Neijiang, Yibin, and Luzhou, respectively, though unchanged in Zigong. Due to the significant reduction in ρ(SO2) but slight decrease or increase in ρ(NO2), as well as the lack of controlling NH3 emissions, from 2015 to 2018, ρ(NO3-) had increased by 36.7%-116.0%, whereas ρ(SO42-) decreased by 19.8%-40.2%, and ρ(NH4+) changed slightly in four cities. On haze days, the nitrogen oxidation rate (NOR) increased by 60.0%-118.2%, whereas the sulfur oxidation rate (SOR) increased slightly or decreased, leading to a significant increase in ρ(NO3-) (2.7-3.0 times that on clean days) and NO3-/SO42- mass ratios (1.7-1.9 on haze days). These values indicated that the secondary formation of nitrate was the dominant chemical mechanism in this haze process. On haze days, the PM2.5 pollution in this region was mainly affected by the regional transport within Sichuan Basin, particularly by the northeasterly air masses passing through Chongqing.

Hb Dahua [ß59(E3)Lys→Met; HBB: c.179A>T] a Novel Variant on the ß-Globin Gene.

We report a novel hemoglobin (Hb) variant found in a Chinese individual from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. The proband was a 6-month-old boy who came from Dahua county, Hechi City. Capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) showed an abnormal peak (51.2%) in zone 13. However, capillary isoelectric focusing electrophoresis (CIFE) presented an unknown peak in zone Bart's (51.4%). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) displayed an unknown peak (42.1%) at retention time 2.44 min., eluting before Hb A0. Direct DNA sequencing of the ß-globin gene revealed heterozygosity for a missense mutation at codon 59 (AAG>ATG), causing a lysine to methionine substitution [ß59(E3)Lys→Met; HBB: c.179A>T]. We decided to name the variant Hb Dahua for the place of origin of the proband.

Evolutionary characteristics and phylogeny of cotton chloroplast tRNAs.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The novel structural variations were identified in cotton chloroplast tRNAs and gene loss events were more obvious than duplications in chloroplast tRNAs. Transfer RNAs (tRNA) have long been believed an evolutionary-conserved molecular family, which play the key roles in the process of protein biosynthesis in plant life activities. In this study, we detected the evolutionary characteristics and phylogeny of chloroplast tRNAs in cotton plants, an economic and fibered important taxon in the world. We firstly annotated the chloroplast tRNAs of 27 Gossypium species to analyze their genetic composition, structural characteristics and evolution. Compared with the traditional view of evolutionary conservation of tRNA, some novel tRNA structural variations were identified in cotton plants. I.g., tRNAVal-UAC and tRNAIle-GAU only contained one intron in the anti-condon loop region of tRNA secondary structure, respectively. In the variable region, some tRNAs contained a circle structure with a few nucleotides. Interestingly, the calculation result of free energy indicated that the variation of novel tRNAs contributed to the stability of tRNA structure. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that chloroplast tRNAs have evolved from multiple common ancestors, and the tRNAMet seemed to be an ancestral tRNA, which can be duplicated and diversified to produce other tRNAs. The chloroplast tRNAs contained a group I intron in cotton plants, and the evolutionary analysis of introns indicated that group I intron of chloroplast tRNA originated from cyanobacteria. Analysis of gene duplication and loss events showed that gene loss events were more obvious than duplications in Gossypium chloroplast tRNAs. Additionally, we found that the rate of transition was higher than the ones of transversion in cotton chloroplast tRNAs. This study provided new insights into the structural characteristics and evolution of chloroplast tRNAs in cotton plants.

Predicting the Survival Probability of Neuroendocrine Tumor Populations: Developing and Evaluating a New Predictive Nomogram.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and initially validate a nomogram model in order to predict the 3-year and 5-year survival rates of neuroendocrine tumor patients. METHODS: Accordingly, 348 neuroendocrine tumor patients were enrolled as study objects, of which 244 (70%) patients were included in the training set to establish the nomogram model, while 104 (30%) patients were included in the validation set to verify the robustness of the model. First, the variables related to the survival rate were determined by univariable analysis. In addition, variables that were sufficiently significant were selected for constructing the nomogram model. Furthermore, the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and calibration curve analysis were used to evaluate the performance of the proposed nomogram model. The survival analysis was then used to evaluate the return to survival probability as well as the indicators of constructing the nomogram model. RESULTS: According to the multivariable analysis, lymphatic metastasis, international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), tumor differentiation, and the number of tumor metastases were found to be independent predictors of survival rate. Moreover, the C-index results demonstrated that the model was robust in both the training set (0.891) and validation set (0.804). In addition, the ROC results further verified the robustness of the model either in the training set (AUC = 0.823) or training set (AUC = 0.768). Furthermore, the calibration curve results showed that the model can be used to predict the 3-year and 5-year survival probability of neuroendocrine tumor patients. Meaningfully, five variables were found: lymphatic metastasis (p = 0.0095), international standardized ratio (p = 0.024), prothrombin time (p = 0.0036), tumor differentiation (p = 0.0026), and the number of tumor metastases (p = 0.00096), which were all significantly related to the 3-year and 5-year survival probability of neuroendocrine tumor patients. CONCLUSION: In summary, a nomogram model was constructed in this study based on five variables (lymphatic metastasis, international normalized ratio (INR), prothrombin time (PT), tumor differentiation, and number of tumor metastases), which was shown to predict the survival probability of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Additionally, the proposed nomogram exhibited good ability in predicting survival probability, which may be easily adopted for clinical use.

A Novel PCR Method for Detecting ACE Gene Insertion/Deletion Polymorphisms and its Clinical Application.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) plays a major role in blood pressure regulation and cardiovascular homeostasis. The wide distribution and multifunctional properties of ACE suggest it's involvement in various pathophysiological conditions. RESULTS: In this study, a novel visual detection method for ACE I/D polymorphisms was designed by integrating direct PCR without the need for DNA extraction using gold magnetic nanoparticles (GMNPs)-based lateral flow assay (LFA) biosensor. The entire detection procedure could enable the genotyping of clinical samples in about 80 min. The detection limit was 0.75 ng and results could be obtained in 5 min using the LFA device. Three hundred peripheral blood samples were analyzed using the direct PCR-LFA system and then verified by sequencing to determine accuracy and repeatability. A clinical preliminary study was then performed to analyze a total of 633 clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS: After grouping based on age, we found a significant difference between the genotypes and the age of patients in the CHD group. The introduction of this method into clinical practice may be helpful for the diagnosis of diseases caused by large fragment gene insertions/deletions.

[Pollution Characteristics of Water-soluble Inorganic Ions in Chengdu in Summer and Winter].

The water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) in PM2.5 and gaseous precursors of Chengdu were continuously observed by a gas and aerosol collector combined with ion chromatography (GAC-IC) in the summer and winter of 2017, and both their pollution characteristics and a typical pollution process in winter were analyzed. It was found that the concentration of PM2.5 in winter (100.2 µg·m-3) was significantly higher than that in summer (34.0 µg·m-3). WSIIs were important components of PM2.5 and their total contributions to PM2.5 were 52.9% and 53.3% in summer and winter, respectively. Secondary ions (SNA) accounted for 73.2% and 87.6% of WSIIs in summer and winter, respectively. SO42- and NO3- dominated the SNA in summer and winter, and the contributions to SNA were 37.7% and 59.7%, respectively. The NO3-/SO42- ratio (2.7) in winter was significantly higher than that in summer (0.8), reflecting the important contribution of mobile sources (especially motor vehicles) to PM2.5 in this season. The diurnal variation of SNA in the two seasons was obviously different due to the differences in sources and meteorological conditions. In winter, with the aggravation of pollution, the concentrations of WSIIs and gaseous precursors increased significantly, and NO3- was the key component in causing heavy pollution. Backward trajectory analysis revealed that the air masses in the two seasons in Chengdu differed significantly from each other. The WSIIs in summer and winter were dominated by SO42- and NO3-, respectively. The short-distance and low-altitude transmission from the east and south of Chengdu contributed significantly to PM2.5 pollution in Chengdu.

Fabrication of PLLA/C3S Composite Membrane for the Prevention of Bone Cement Leakage.

Kyphoplasty is an important treatment for stabilizing spine fractures due to osteoporosis. However, leakage of polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement during this procedure into the spinal canal has been reported to cause many adverse effects. In this study, we prepared an implantable membrane to serve as a barrier that avoids PMMA cement leakage during kyphoplasty procedures through a hybrid composite made of poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) and tricalcium silicate (C3S), with the addition of C3S into PLLA matrix, showing enhanced mechanical and anti-degradation properties while keeping good cytocompatibility when compared to PLLA alone and most importantly, when this material design was applied under standardized PMMA cement injection conditions, no posterior wall leakage was observed after the kyphoplasty procedure in pig lumbar vertebral bone models. Testing results assess its effectiveness for clinical practice.

MALAT1 promotes angiogenesis of breast cancer.

Metastasis­associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is a long non­coding RNA (lncRNA) that has an oncogenic role in some types of cancers, uncluding breast cancer (BC). To investigate the role of MALAT1 in human BC progression, we detected MALAT1 expression levels based on tissue samples from 20 BC cases and 20 healthy controls and found MALAT1 expression levels to be significantly high (P<0.05). Then, we knocked down endogenous MALAT1 in MCF­7 cells using MALAT1 short hairpin RNA (shRNA). The results revealed that MALAT1 knockdown could significantly inhibit proliferation, migration, and tube formation in vitro. In addition, miR­145 expression inversely changed in BC tissue cases. Furthermore, knockdown of endogenous MALAT1 significantly increased miR­145 levels in MCF­7 cells. This finding indicated an interaction between MALAT1 and miR­145. In addition, knockdown of MALAT1 significantly reduced the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in MCF­7 cells. This outcome revealed that MALAT1 promoted angiogenesis in BC, which may be related to the expression of miR­145.

Sonographic Features and Diagnosis of Peripheral Schwannomas.

BACKGROUND: To determine the sonographic features of peripheral schwannomas. METHODS: This retrospective study included 54 cases of schwannoma in 51 patients. Ultrasonography (US) and MRI were performed in all patients. The US features of each tumor were analyzed and compared with pathologic findings. The US target sign was compared with the MRI findings. RESULTS: On US, 53 of the 54 schwannomas had a regular shape and clear margins, and one had an irregular shape. Thirty-seven of the 54 schwannomas were categorized as solid, 16 as cystic and solid, and one as entirely cystic; distal sound enhancement was associated with 47 schwannomas. The target sign was seen in 24, the rat tail sign in 28, the vessel accompanying sign in 22, and the split fat sign in 5. The entering and exiting nerves were situated centrally in 9 and eccentrically in 19 schwannomas. Vascularity on color Doppler imaging using a 0 to III scale was graded 0 in 4 schwannomas, I in 10, II in 26, and III in 14. Twenty-four target signs were detected in 54 schwannomas by US, and 28 were detected by MRI. There was good agreement between the target signs noted on US and those seen on MRI (κ = 0.631, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The sonographic diagnosis of peripheral schwannomas is feasible and reliable. The target sign is a prominent US feature in peripheral schwannomas, comparable to that observed with MRI. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:127-133, 2017.

[Characteristics of the Size Distribution of Water-soluble Ions During a Heavy Pollution Episode in the Winter in Tianjin].

To characterize the size distribution of water-soluble inorganic ions (WSⅡ) during a heavy pollution episode, particle samples were collected by an Andersen cascade sampler in Tianjin in January 2014, and the concentrations of eight WSⅡ (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl-, NO3-, and SO42-) during a typical haze episode were analyzed by ion chromatography. The sources and formation mechanisms of WSⅡ were analyzed based on their size distributions. The results showed that the daily average concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were (138±100) µg·m-3 and (227±142) µg·m-3, respectively, and the average concentration of total WSⅡ concentrations (TWSⅡ) in the coarse and fine particles were (34.07+6.16) µg·m-3 and (104.16+51.76) µg·m-3, respectively. The concentrations of SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ in the fine particles were much higher than concentrations of the other ions, and there were strong correlations between these three ions. The TWSⅡ on clear days, light pollution days, and heavy pollution days were (41.55±12.41) µg·m-3, (94.46±31.19) µg·m-3, and (147.55±27.76) µg·m-3, respectively. On clear days, SO42- showed a unimodal distribution, peaking at 0.43-0.65 µm; and NO3- showed a trimodal distribution, peaking at 0.43-0.65 µm, 2.1-3.3 µm, and 5.8-9.0 µm. NH4+ had a bimodal distribution, peaking at 0.43-0.65 µm and 4.7-5.8 µm. On heavy pollution days, however, the size distributions of these three secondary inorganic ions switched to a unimodal size distribution, peaking at 0.65-1.1 µm. Unimodal NH4+ mainly coexisted with SO42- and NO3-, and the excess NH4+ was found to be combined with Cl- in the fine particles. In the coarse particles, NH4+ completely coexisted with SO42- and NO3-.

[Characteristics of the Size Distribution of Water Soluble Inorganic Ions During a Typical Haze Pollution in the Autumn in Shijiazhuang].

To characterize the size distribution of water soluble inorganic ions (WSⅡ) in haze days, particle samples were collected by an Andersen cascade impactor in Shijiazhuang from October 15 to November 14 in 2013, and the concentrations of eight kinds of WSⅡ (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl-, NO3-and SO42-) during a typical haze episode were analyzed by ion chromatography. Sources and formation mechanism of WSⅡ were analyzed based on their size distributions. The results showed that Shijiazhuang suffers serious air pollution during the autumn season. The daily average concentrations of PM10and PM2.5were (361.2±138.7) µg·m-3 and (175.6±87.2) µg·m-3 and the daily average concentration of PM2.5was 2.3 times as high as the national secondary standard. The total water soluble inorganic ion concentrations (TWSⅡ) in clean days, light haze days and heavy haze days were(64.4±4.6)µg·m-3, (109.9±22.0)µg·m-3 and (212.9±50.1) µg·m-3 respectively. In addition, the ratio of secondary inorganic ions (SNA:SO42-, NO3- and NH4+) in TWSⅡ increased from 44.9% to 77.6% as changed from clean days to the heavy haze days, suggesting the evolution of haze episodes mainly originated from the formation and accumulation of SNA. The size distributions of SO42-, NO3- and NH4+ were bimodal in clean days, peaking at 0.43 -0.65 µm and 4.7-5.8 µm, respectively, which changed to unimodal distribution in both the light and heavy haze days, peaking at 0.65-1.1 µm. Owing to high humidity during the heavy haze days, the aqueous phase reactions of SO42- and NO3- were likely promoted, which led to the transformation of condensation mode in clean days to the droplet mode in haze days. The size distributions of Na+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ were different with that of SNA, which showed a coarse mode peaking at 4.7-5.8 µm both in clean and haze days, whereas K+and Cl- showed a bimodal distribution both in clean and haze days, although the modal size was different in clean and haze days.

Microcystic/Reticular Schwannoma of the Mandible First Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Schwannoma comprises a group of nerve sheath tumors. Morphologic variants of schwannoma have no distinct relationship to clinical behavior, but unawareness of rare variants may lead to diagnostic pitfall and risk of mistreatment. Microcystic/reticular schwannoma is a recently described rare variant of schwannoma. We report a case of a 61-year-old female with a 5.0 cm × 3.5 cm × 3.0 cm mass in the right mandible, which has never been reported to date. Light microscopic evaluation showed that the mass was circumscribed with focal infiltration. Arranged in a prominent microcystic and reticular growth pattern, tumor cells were spindle-shaped with eosinophilic cytoplasm. No evidence of cytologic atypia, mitosis, or necrosis was observed. The stroma of the tumor mainly contained myxoid material with local infiltration of hyalinized collagen. Tumor cells showed diffuse and strong nuclear and cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for S100 protein. Tumor cells were also positive for CD34, CD99, and NSE, but negative for CK, EMA, CK5/6, P63, Calponin, CD10, SMA, Desmin, GFAP, NF, Syn, and CgA. The proliferation marker MIB-1 showed <1% nuclear reaction. Furthermore, we reviewed the clinical and pathological features of 24 previously reported cases of microcystic/reticular schwannoma. Unlike classic schwannoma, the reticular variant showed striking microcystic and reticular architecture microscopically. Recognition of these distinct entities is essential in avoiding misdiagnosis. Unlike classic schwannoma with a complete capsule, some masses were reported to lack encapsulation or contain focal infiltration. Further follow-up of tentative or identified cases is necessary to better understand this schwannoma.

[Analysis of the Decorated Silicate Beads Excavated from Tomb M4 of the Ma-Jia-Yuan Warring States Cemetery, Gansu Province].

This paper reports the analysis results of 11 decorated silicate beads samples excavated from Ma Jia-yuan Warring State Cemetery, Gan Su Province with the portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, laser Raman spectrometer and X-ray diffraction spectrometer. It is includes 3 types among these samples on the basis of their chemical composition, NaO-CaO-SiO2, PbO-BaO-SiO2 glass system, and glassy faience. The blue part of the NaO-CaO-SiO2 glass sample was colored by Co2+, and Sb2O5 was discovered as opacifier. The results of Laser Raman analysis shows in some circle beads exits Chinese blue and Chinese purple. Combined with the existing research results the early cultural factors and technical exchange reflected from these samples are discussed. It shows that the material and craftsmanship of the beads contained Chinese blue and Chinese purple were affected by Qin Culture. But the composition of the Na-Ca-SiO2 glass eye bead is similar with those excavated from Xin Jiang area. It infers the technology of glass manufacture of the Xi Ron nationality was influenced by the Qin Culture and the grassland nationalities' culture simultaneously. The faience bead composed with the inner core and the outer glassy layer is possible a kind of transitional type between the faience and the real glass. This information offers a new reference for the research of the origin of the glass technology in the ancient China.