[Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of Chaihuang Granules in treatment of upper respiratory tract infection in children].

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chaihuang Granules in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection in children. The databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for randomized controlled trial(RCT) of Chaihuang Granules for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infection in children, and supplemented by manual searching of gray literature. Two investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software, trial sequential analysis was conducted using TSA 0.9.5.10 Beta software, and evidence quality evaluation was carried out using GRADE profiler 3.6.1 software. Eighteen RCTs involving 2 459 patients(1 262 in the treatment group and 1 197 in the control group) were included. Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional therapy alone, Chaihuang Granules significantly improved the total effective rate(RR=1.18, 95%CI[1.15, 1.22], P<0.000 01), reduced the disappearance time of symptoms/signs(MD=-1.39, 95%CI[-1.66,-1.12], P<0.000 01), improved cytokine levels(MD=-2.40, 95%CI[-3.80,-1.00], P=0.000 8), improved humoral immune levels(MD=0.75, 95%CI[0.60, 0.90], P<0.000 01), and reduced the recurrence rate(MD=-2.11, 95%CI[-2.98,-1.25], P<0.000 01). However, the incidence of adverse reactions was not increased(RR=0.94, 95%CI[0.59, 1.49], P=0.78). Subgroup analysis showed that:(1) both Chaihuang Granules used alone(RR=1.19, 95%CI[1.11, 1.27], P<0.000 01) and in combination with other therapies(RR=1.18, 95%CI[1.14, 1.22], P<0.000 01) effectively improved the total effective rate.(2) In terms of symptoms/signs disappearance time, Chaihuang Granules effectively reduced the duration of fever(MD=-1.18, 95%CI[-1.78,-0.58], P=0.000 1), cough with sputum(MD=-1.82, 95%CI[-2.38,-1.25], P<0.000 01), cough(MD=-1.31, 95%CI[-1.89,-0.74], P<0.000 01), sore throat(MD=-1.57, 95%CI[-2.25,-0.89], P<0.000 01), and lung rales(MD=-1.49, 95%CI[-2.06,-0.92], P<0.000 01).(3) Regarding cytokine levels, Chaihuang Gra-nules effectively improved the levels of interleukin(IL)-2(MD=-0.94, 95%CI[-1.16,-0.72], P<0.000 01), IL-6(MD=-4.71, 95%CI[-6.39,-3.03], P<0.000 01), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)(MD=-2.07, 95%CI[-2.43,-1.71], P<0.000 01).(4) In terms of cellular immune levels, Chaihuang Granules effectively improved the levels of CD3~+(MD=4.11, 95%CI[1.53, 6.69], P=0.002), CD4~+(MD=4.21, 95%CI[1.69, 6.73], P=0.001), CD8~+(MD=-2.65, 95%CI[-3.93,-1.37], P<0.000 1), and CD4~+/CD8~+(MD=0.25, 95%CI[0.14, 0.37], P<0.000 1).(5) In terms of humoral immune levels, Chaihuang Granules effectively improved the levels of IgA(MD=0.44, 95%CI[0.23, 0.64], P<0.000 1), IgM(MD=0.31, 95%CI[0.15, 0.46], P=0.000 1), and IgG(MD=2.02, 95%CI[1.60, 2.43], P<0.000 01). Trial sequential analysis showed that the cumulative Z-curve of the total effective rate crossed the boundary value, further confirming its clinical efficacy. The GRADE evidence quality evaluation showed that the evidence quality of the above outcome indicators was low or very low, and the recommendation strength was weak. Compared to conventional therapy alone, Chaihuang Granules can effectively improve the total effective rate of treatment, alle-viate symptoms and signs of upper respiratory tract infection in children, improve inflammatory conditions, enhance immune function, and reduce the recurrence rate. Due to the limited quality of the included studies, high-quality RCT is still needed to provide evidence support for the above conclusions.

Berberine regulates glucose metabolism in largemouth bass by modulating intestinal microbiota.

This study examined the role of intestinal microbiota in berberine (BBR)-mediated glucose (GLU) metabolism regulation in largemouth bass. Four groups of largemouth bass (133.7 ± 1.43 g) were fed with control diet, BBR (1 g/kg feed) supplemented diet, antibiotic (ATB, 0.9 g/kg feed) supplemented diet and BBR + ATB (1g/kg feed +0.9 g/kg feed) supplemented diet for 50 days. BBR improved growth, decreased the hepatosomatic and visceral weight indices, significantly downregulated the serum total cholesterol and GLU levels, and significantly upregulated the serum total bile acid (TBA) levels. The hepatic hexokinase, pyruvate kinase, GLU-6-phosphatase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase activities in the largemouth bass were significantly upregulated when compared with those in the control group. The ATB group exhibited significantly decreased final bodyweight, weight gain, specific growth rates and serum TBA levels, and significantly increased hepatosomatic and viscera weight indices, hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate carboxylase activities, and serum GLU levels. Meanwhile, the BBR + ATB group exhibited significantly decreased final weight, weight gain and specific growth rates, and TBA levels and significantly increased hepatosomatic and viscera weight indices and GLU levels. High-throughput sequencing revealed that compared with those in the control group, the Chao one index and Bacteroidota contents were significantly upregulated and the Firmicutes contents were downregulated in the BBR group. Additionally, the Shannon and Simpson indices and Bacteroidota levels were significantly downregulated, whereas the Firmicutes levels were significantly upregulated in ATB and BBR + ATB groups. The results of in-vitro culture of intestinal microbiota revealed that BBR significantly increased the number of culturable bacteria. The characteristic bacterium in the BBR group was Enterobacter cloacae. Biochemical identification analysis revealed that E. cloacae metabolizes carbohydrates. The size and degree of vacuolation of the hepatocytes in the control, ATB, and ATB + BBR groups were higher than those in the BBR group. Additionally, BBR decreased the number of nuclei at the edges and the distribution of lipids in the liver tissue. Collectively, BBR reduced the blood GLU level and improved GLU metabolism in largemouth bass. Comparative analysis of experiments with ATB and BBR supplementation revealed that BBR regulated GLU metabolism in largemouth bass by modulating intestinal microbiota.

Can Virtual Reality-Assisted Therapy Offer Additional Benefits to Patients With Vestibular Disorders Compared With Conventional Vestibular Physical Therapy? A Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether virtual reality-assisted therapy (VRAT) significantly improves the treatment of peripheral or central vestibular disorders when compared with conventional vestibular physical therapy (CVPT) alone. Indicators of vestibular symptoms are used to determine this. DATA SOURCES: Two reviewers independently searched PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Collaboration database from January 2010 to January 2022 for studies reporting on VRAT in vestibular disorders. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included that mainly focused on the following measures: the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, visual analog scale, and balance measures such as the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), timed Up and Go test, sensory organization test, and center of pressure. The primary outcome was assessment of symptomatic changes before and after VRAT. DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors independently conducted the literature search and selection. After screening, meta-analysis was performed on the RCTs using RevMan 5.3 software. DATA SYNTHESIS: The results showed that VRAT produced significantly greater improvement than CVPT alone in scores of DHI-Total (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -7.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [-12.17, -2.00], P=.006), DHI-Functional (SMD=-3.66, 95% CI: [-6.34, -0.98], P=.007), DHI-Physical (SMD=-3.14, 95% CI: [-5.46, -0.83], P=.008), and DHI-Emotional (SMD=-3.10, 95% CI: [-5.13, -1.08], P=.003). ABC scores did not show improvement (SMD: 0.58, 95% CI: [-3.69, 4.85], P=.79). Subgroup analysis showed that DHI-Total between-group differences were insignificant for central vestibular disorders (SMD=-1.47, 95% CI: [-8.71, -5.78], P=.69), although peripheral disorders showed significant improvements (SMD=-9.58, 95% CI: [-13.92, -5.25], P<.0001). However, the included studies showed high heterogeneity (I2>75%). CONCLUSIONS: VRAT may offer additional benefits for rehabilitation from vestibular diseases, especially peripheral disorders, when compared with CVPT alone. However, because of high heterogeneity and limited data, additional studies with a larger sample size and more sensitive and specific measurements are required to conclusively determine the evidence-based utility of virtual reality.

[Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid in treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection].

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection. Computer-based online searching of CNKI, VIP, SinoMed, Wanfang, ChiCTR, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMbase, and Web of Science was performed to retrieve the randomized controlled trial(RCT) regarding Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid in the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection. In addition, manual searching of gray literature was conducted. After two evaluators independently selected articles, extracted data, and evaluated the quality of methodology included in the studies, Meta-analysis was carried out in RevMan 5.4 and trial sequential analysis(TSA) in TSA 0.9.5.10 Beta. GRADE profiler 3.6.1 was employed to evaluate the evidence quality. A total of 21 RCTs were included in this study, involving 2 651 patients(1 330 patients in the observation group and 1 321 patients in the control group). Meta-analysis showed that compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral liquid improved the total response rate(RR=1.15, 95%CI[1.12, 1.19], P<0.000 01) without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions(RR=0.77, 95%CI[0.47, 1.25], P=0.16). The results of subgroup analysis are described as follows:(1) Compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid improved the total response rate(RR=1.10, 95%CI[1.05, 1.14], P<0.000 01) and shortened the time to symptom relief(SMD=-0.76, 95%CI[-1.02,-0.51], P<0.000 01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(RR=1.16, 95%CI[0.54, 2.47], P=0.71).(2) Compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid + conventional western medicine improved the total response rate(RR=1.20, 95%CI[1.15, 1.25], P<0.000 01), decreased traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome scores(MD=-0.58, 95%CI[-0.75,-0.41], P<0.000 01), shortened the time to symptom relief(SMD=-2.44, 95%CI[-3.09,-1.80], P<0.000 01) and physical sign improvement(MD=-2.57, 95%CI[-4.11,-1.04], P=0.001), lowered the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines(SMD=-2.16, 95%CI[-2.61,-1.70], P<0.000 01), improved respiratory function indicators(SMD=1.48, 95%CI[1.00, 1.96], P<0.000 01), and enhanced the humoral immunity(MD=0.94, 95%CI[0.69, 1.18], P<0.000 01). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(RR=0.57, 95%CI[0.29, 1.09], P=0.09). TSA showed that the cumulative Z curve of total response rate crossed the traditional threshold and TSA threshold, further confirming the clinical efficacy of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid. The GRADE graded the evidence of the above outcome indicators as low or extremely low, and yielded weak recommendation. Compared with conventional western medicine alone, Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid can improve the total effective rate and reduce the time to symptom relief. The combination of Compound Qinlan Oral Liquid and conventional western medicine can improve the total response rate, mitigate the symptoms and improve the physical signs, reduce inflammation, and improve respiratory function and immunity of the patients with acute upper respiratory tract infection. In view of the limited number and quality of the included studies, the above conclusions still require high-quality RCT to provide evidence support.

Meta-Analysis of the Association Between Asthma and the Risk of Stroke.

Introduction: Asthma and stroke share many risk factors. Previous meta-analysis has indicated that asthma is associated with an increased risk of stroke. However, this study were limited by the small number of articles included and the lack of subgroup analyses of different stroke types and different populations. This meta-analysis aimed to synthesize evidence systematically to investigate the impact of asthma on stroke. Methods: We searched Medline (via PubMed), Web of Science and EMBASE databases and manually identified eligible studies (inception dates to December 25, 2021) that analyzed the association between asthma and stroke. We conducted quality assessment to evaluate the risk of bias of studies and sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of results. Results: We included 8 cohort studies and 10 cross-sectional studies comprised 3,011,016 participants. We found patients with asthma had a higher risk of stroke than patients without asthma [relative risk (RR): 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-1.47]. Moreover, asthma significantly increased the risk of ischemic stroke (RR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.06-1.47) without increasing the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (RR: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.87-1.34). Asthma increased the risk of stroke in both men (RR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.10-1.32) and women (RR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.12-1.48) with no significant difference between the sexes. We also found that patients with inactive asthma, child-onset asthma, or no smoking history did not have an increased risk of stroke. Conclusions: These results supported the finding that asthma could significantly increase the risk of stroke, but this impact was not consistent in different populations. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=290745, identifier: CRD42021290745.

Association Between Asthma and All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.

Background: Asthma and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share many risk factors. Previous meta-analyses indicated that asthma is associated with an increased risk of CVD and all-cause mortality, but these studies were limited by unstandardized search strategies and the number of articles included. Objective: We sought to systematically synthesize evidence investigating the impact of asthma on all-cause mortality and CVD morbidity and mortality. Methods: We searched in PubMed and EMBASE for observational cohort studies (inception dates to November 10, 2021) that had both asthma groups and control groups. We also manually searched the reference lists of correlative articles to include other eligible studies. Data for associations between asthma and all-cause mortality and CVD morbidity and mortality were needed. Results: We summarized the findings from 30 cohort studies comprising 4,157,823 participants. Asthma patients had increased CVD morbidity [relative risk (RR) = 1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16-1.40] and increased CVD mortality (RR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.14-1.38). Asthma patients also had increased risk of all-cause mortality (RR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.07-1.77). In subgroup analyses, female asthma patients had a higher risk of CVD morbidity and all-cause mortality than male asthma patients, and late-onset asthma patients had a higher risk of CVD morbidity than early-onset asthma patients. Conclusion: Asthma patients have increased risk of all-cause mortality and CVD morbidity and mortality. This information reminds clinicians to be aware of the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality in asthma patients. Systematic Review Registration: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD 42021290082.

Compulsive Eating in a Rat Model of Binge Eating Disorder Under Conditioned Fear and Exploration of Neural Mechanisms With c-fos mRNA Expression.

Compulsive eating is the most obstinate feature of binge eating disorder. In this study, we observed the compulsive eating in our stress-induced binge-like eating rat model using a conflicting test, where sucrose and an aversively conditioned stimulus were presented at the same time. In this conflicting situation, the binge-like eating prone rats (BEPs), compared to the binge-like eating resistant rats (BERs), showed persistent high sucrose intake and inhibited fear response, respectively, indicating a deficit in palatability devaluation and stronger anxiolytic response to sucrose in the BEPs. We further analyzed the neuronal activation with c-fos mRNA in situ hybridization. Surprisingly, the sucrose access under conditioned fear did not inhibit the activity of amygdala; instead, it activated the central amygdala. In the BEPs, sucrose reduced the response of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), while enhancing activities in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) to the CS. The resistance to devaluating the palatable food in the BEPs could be a result of persistent Acb response to sucrose intake and attenuated recruitment of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We interpret this finding as that the reward system of the BEPs overcame the homeostasis system and the stress-responding system.

New Insights into the Relationships between Bacterial Dynamics and Water Quality of Aquaculture Systems Supplemented with Carbon Source and Biofilm Substratum.

Aquaculture is crucial for achieving the FAO's goal of a world without hunger and malnutrition. Recently, biofilm substratum has been proposed as an effective means to control waste pollution caused by excessive nutrient inputs from aquaculture, but key bacterial communities involved in the remediation remain unclear. Here we reported a freshwater mesocosm study where the addition of biofilm substrata with external carbon effectively controlled the total ammonia nitrogen and improved fish growth. 16S rRNA study and Weighted UniFrac analysis revealed that bacterial compositions were significantly different (999 permutations, p-value < 0.01) between the biofilm-substrata-added and biofilm-substrata-free systems. Planctomycetes were found, as key bacteria benefited from the biofilm substrata addition and exerted the major function of ammonia nitrogen control. Our study demonstrated that the addition of biofilm substrata and an external carbon source favored fish growth and improved the aquaculture environment by the formation of a unique bacteria community.

Identification and analysis of lipid droplet-related proteome in the adipose tissue of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) under fed and starved conditions.

Fat accumulation in the mesenteric adipose tissue is a serious problem in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) culture. Lipid droplet-related proteins (LDRPs) are involved in the formation, degradation, and biological functions of lipid droplets. In this study, we aimed to provide reference proteomics data to study lipid droplet regulation in fish. We isolated LDRPs from the mesenteric adipose tissue of grass carp (1-year-old) after normal feeding and 7 days of starvation, and identified and analysed them using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technology. Short-term starvation had no significant effect on the body weight, condition factor, visceral index, hepatopancreas index, intraperitoneal fat index, adipose tissue triglyceride content, and adipocyte size of grass carp. Nine hundred and fifty proteins were identified and annotated using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases; they are involved in a variety of metabolic and signalling pathways, including amino acid, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism, and the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. There were 296 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), with 143 up-regulated and 153 down-regulated proteins. Three proteins involved in triglyceride and fatty acid syntheses and two proteins involved in autophagy were up-regulated, and six proteins involved in lipid catabolism were down-regulated. These results indicate that under short-term starvation, lipid droplets in the adipose tissue of grass carp may maintain their shape by promoting fat production and inhibiting lipolysis, and autophagy may be one of the main strategies for coping with short-term energy deprivation.

Feeding Faba Beans (Vicia faba L.) Reduces Myocyte Metabolic Activity in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus).

In this study, we aimed to explore the effects of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) on the energy metabolism of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). A total of 180 fish (∼2900 g) were randomly assigned to six tanks (2.5 × 2.5 × 1.2 m; 30 individuals per tank) and fed either faba bean (Vicia faba L.) or a commercial diet for 120 days (3% body weight, twice per day). The results showed that faba bean-fed grass carp (FBFG) had significantly lower growth and higher fat accumulation in the mesenteric adipose tissue and hepatopancreas than commercial diet-fed grass carp (CDFG). Compared with CDFG, FBFG exhibited no significant difference in proximate composition of the muscle; however, an obvious decrease in muscle fiber size and significantly higher hardness, chewiness, and gumminess were observed. Transcriptome results showed that a total of 197 genes were differentially regulated in the dorsal muscle. Down-regulated genes included four genes annotated with myocyte development and 12 transcripts annotated with components of myofibrils. In addition, the FBFG group exhibited significantly lower expression of genes associated with oxygen transport, the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and creatine metabolism, suggesting reduced energy availability in the muscle of the FBFG. Moreover, using western-blotting and enzyme assays, we found decreased protein levels in the mitochondrial electron transport respiratory chain and creatine metabolism activities, as well as increased expression of autophagy marker protein levels, in the muscle of FBFG. Overall, our results suggest that an abnormal energy distribution may exist in grass carps after feeding with faba bean, which is reflected by a mass of fat deposition in the adipose tissue and hepatopancreas and subdued metabolic activity in the muscle.

Lipid droplets participate in modulating innate immune genes in Ctenopharyngodon idella kidney cells.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are increasingly being recognized as important immune modulators in mammals, in additional to their function of lipid ester deposition. However, the role of LDs in fish immunity remains poorly understood. In this study, the function of LDs in the innate immune response of Ctenopharyngodon idella kidney (CIK) cells, which are the equivalent of myeloid cells in vertebrates, was investigated. LD number and TG content significantly increased in the CIK cells following exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan (PGN), and polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly [I: C]) for 24 h, accompanied by increases in the relative expression of several innate immune genes. However, fatty acid compositions of the triglycerides were not changed after treatment with these three pathogenic mimics. LPS, PGN, and Poly (I: C) did not alter the relative expressions of lipogenic (FAS, SCD, and DGAT) and lipid catabolic (PPARα, ATGL, and CPT-1) genes. However, these treatments did increase the mRNA levels of lipid transportation genes (FATP/CD36, ACSL1, and ACSL4), and also decreased the non-esterified fatty acid level in the medium. To further explore the role of LDs in the immune response, CIK cells were incubated with different concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 µM) of exogenous lipid mix (LM; oleic acid [OA]:linoleic acid [LA]:linolenic acid [LNA] = 2:1:1), and were then transferred to a lipid-free medium and incubated for 24 h. LD size and number increased with the increase in lipid levels, and this was accompanied by increased expression of innate immune genes, including MyD88, IRF3, and IL-1ß, which were expressed at their highest levels in 300 µM exogenous lipid mix. Interestingly, after incubating with different fatty acids (LM, OA, LA, LNA, arachidonic acid [ARA], and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]; 300 µM), ARA and DHA were more potent in inducing LD formation and innate immune gene expression in the CIK cells. Finally, atglistatin, an ATGL inhibitor, effectively attenuated the expression of most genes upregulated by ARA or DHA, suggesting that lipolysis may be involved in the regulation of immune genes at the transcriptional level. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that LDs are functional organelles that could act as modulators in the innate immune response of CIK cells. Additionally, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid enriched LDs play a unique role in regulating this process.

Phenotypic and Genetic Characterization of Botrytis cinerea Population from Kiwifruit in Sichuan Province, China.

Botrytis cinerea (anamorph of Botryotinia fuckeliana) causes gray mold on numerous plants, including kiwifruit. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of the Botrytis cinerea population from kiwifruit in Sichuan Province, China. In all, 176 isolates were collected from kiwifruit orchards from eight geographic regions in Sichuan. All isolates were identified as B. cinerea sensu stricto based on the combined datasets, including morphological criteria, determination of the Bc-hch allele, and phylogenetic analysis of the genes RPB2, G3PDH, and HSP60. Three colony types (i.e., sclerotial, mycelial, and conidial) were observed on potato dextrose agar after 2 weeks, with sclerotial isolates, the predominant category, accounting for 40.91%. No obvious differences in microscopic characteristics were observed among the three types. Three genotypes of transposable elements were identified in the B. cinerea population: boty, flipper, and transposa types. The most prevalent genotype from different geographic populations of B. cinerea was transposa; in contrast, the flipper genotype accounted for only 3.98% of the total population, whereas the vacuma genotype was absent. According to MAT locus amplification, 87 and 89 isolates are MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 type, respectively, and the two mating types were found to be balanced overall in the population. Forty-eight representative isolates were all able to cause gray mold to some extent, and disease severities were significantly different between the cultivars Hongyang and Hort16A (P < 0.01). Disease severity was significantly greater on young leaves than on mature leaves (P < 0.01). No significant relationship was found between pathogenicity and geographical region, colony type, or transposon distribution. The results obtained in the present study suggest a relatively uniform species diversity of Botrytis but rich phenotypic and genetic differentiation within the B. cinerea population on kiwifruit in China. Utilizing resistant cultivars and rain-shelter cultivation instead of fungicides may be an effective approach to delaying pathogen variability.

Smad4-dependent regulation of type I collagen expression in the muscle of grass carp fed with faba bean.

Smad4 is the key regulator in the transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1)/Smads signal pathway, and is also the crux of the regulation of type I collagen expression in mammals. In fish, however, the relationship between Smad4 and type I collagen is still unknown. Given the widely accepted importance of type I collagen in fish muscle hardness, we seek to explore this issue by analyzing the expressions of the TGF-ß1/Smads pathway molecules and type I collagen in the muscle of crisp grass carp fed with faba bean, which shows increased muscle hardness. The study found that (1) in the process of feeding the grass carp with faba bean, the mRNA and protein expressions of TGF-ß1, Smad2 and Smad4 all increased along with the increase of type I collagen expression (Col1α1 and Col1α2); (2) one day after the injection of Smad4 over-expression vector, both mRNA and protein expressions of Col1α1 and Col1α2 significantly increased, reaching the maximum on the 2nd and 5th day, respectively; (3) one day after the injection of Smad4 RNAi interference vector, the mRNA and protein expressions of Col1α1 and Col1α2 decreased, reaching the minimum on the 5th day. These results revealed that Smad4 is the major regulator of type I collagen in the muscle of grass carp fed with faba bean. This study would provide an important mechanistic basis for nutritional regulation of type I collagen in the muscle of fish.

Lipid accumulation in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) fed faba beans (Vicia faba L.).

Feeding faba beans (Vicia faba L.) to grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) increases muscle compactness but decreases growth and motility. The lipid metabolism of grass carp was examined to assess potential effects of feeding faba beans on physiological properties using a total of 180 fish. The treatment group was fed faba beans for 120 days and a commercial diet for another 30 days. The control group received a commercial diet for 150 days. Fish were sampled every month. Weight gain was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control. Hardness, springiness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and gumminess of the dorsal muscle increased significantly with the feeding faba beans from 30 to 120 days, which was not reversed by the subsequent feeding of commercial diet. Fat accumulation increased significantly in the treatment group as suggested by the condition factor, viscera index, hepatopancreatic index, and intraperitoneal fat index (IPFI), hepatopancreas, and muscle fat content but was not affected by subsequent feeding with the commercial diet. Serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were significantly reduced in the experimental diet group. In the hepatopancreas and intraperitoneal fat IPF, monounsaturated fatty acids showed significantly higher content in faba bean feeding fish, whereas polyunsaturated fatty acid content showed the reversed pattern. In the hepatopancreas, the activities of the lipogenic enzymes malate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were higher in the treatment than in the control group. Moreover, the treatment group showed lower mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1. Overall, our results clearly demonstrate increasing lipid accumulation in the viscera of faba bean-fed grass carp.

The caudal part of the posterior insula of rats participates in the maintenance but not the acquisition of morphine conditioned place preference.

The heterogeneous insular cortex plays an interoceptive role in drug addiction by signaling the availability of drugs of abuse. Here, we tested whether the caudal part of the multisensory posterior insula (PI) stores somatosensory-associated rewarding memories. Using Sprague Dawley rats as subjects, we first established a morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm, mainly based on somatic cues. Secondly, an electrolytic lesion of the caudal portion of the PI was carried out before and after the establishment of CPP, respectively. Our data demonstrated that the caudal PI lesions disrupted the maintenance, but not the acquisition of morphine-induced CPP. Lesion or subtle disruption of the PI had no major impact on locomotor activity. These findings indicate that the caudal portion of the PI might be involved in either the storage or the retrieval of morphine CPP memory.

Proteomic signature of muscle fibre hyperplasia in response to faba bean intake in grass carp.

Fish muscle growth is important for the rapidly developing global aquaculture industry, particularly with respect to production and quality. Changes in muscle fibre size are accomplished by altering the balance between protein synthesis and proteolysis. However, our understanding regarding the effects of different protein sources on fish muscle proteins is still limited. Here we report on the proteomic profile of muscle fibre hyperplasia in grass carp fed only with whole faba bean. From the results, a total of 99 significantly changed proteins after muscle hyperplasia increase were identified (p < 0.05, ratio <0.5 or >2). Protein-protein interaction analysis demonstrated the presence of a network containing 56 differentially expressed proteins, and muscle fibre hyperplasia was closely related to a protein-protein network of 12 muscle component proteins. Muscle fibre hyperplasia was also accompanied by decreased abundance in the fatty acid degradation and calcium signalling pathways. In addition, metabolism via the pentose phosphate pathway decreased in grass carp after ingestion of faba bean, leading to haemolysis. These findings could provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of human glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency ("favism").

Meta-analysis of Liver Resection Versus Nonsurgical Treatments for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors with Liver Metastases.

PURPOSE: Studies have reported limited evidence of the benefits and harms of various regimens, such as liver resection and medical therapy, for the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) with liver metastases. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of liver resection versus nonsurgical treatments in patients with pNET. METHODS: Relevant studies published in English were retrieved from the computerized databases Medline, Embase, and Cochrane. A meta-analysis was performed to investigate the differences in the efficacy of liver resection and nonsurgical treatments based on the evaluation of 30-day mortality, symptom relief rate, median survival time, and 2-, 3-, or 5-year survival using a random-effects model. Studies were independently reviewed by two investigators. Data from eligible studies were extracted, and the meta-analysis was performed using the comprehensive meta-analysis program version 2. RESULTS: A total of seven studies were included in the analysis. The results demonstrated that liver resection was significantly associated with a higher rate of symptom relief, longer median survival time, higher 2- or 3-year survival rates, as well as a higher 5-year survival rate. There was no significant difference in 30-day mortality among patients with pNETs who were treated by liver resection and nonsurgical therapy or survival between functional and nonfunctional pNETs. No publication bias was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Liver resection has a favorable prognostic outcome in terms of higher postoperative symptom relief rates and longer survival rates. Further randomized, controlled trials with longer follow-up periods are required to confirm the advantages of liver resection for pNETs.

[Effects of hormone treatment, light and temperatures on sprouting characteristics of Bupleurum chinense].

Seeds of Bupleurum chinense cultivar, Zhongchai No. 1, were sowed in plastic pots which used the arable layer soil as the nursery bed and putted in the artificial climate incubator at various temperatures (15, 20, 25, 15-25 degrees C) and light (8,12 h) to germinate, respectively. The lower constant temperature (15 degrees ) and the higher constant temperature (25 "C) were not conducive to the sprouting characteristics of B. chinese. While they were able to enhance root activity to some extent; The seeding growth of B. chinese was significantly better in the variable temperature than correspondence in the constant temperature, significantly. The emergence speed, emergence index, vigor index and root activity of Bupleurum were improved under the 12 h of light-time, but the germination rate was not improved. The sprouting of Bupleurum's seeds could be improved to some extent by soaking with hormone, such as gibberellin, cytokinin, salicylic acid. Gibberellin promoted seeds' sprouting and seedings's root activity of Bupleurum, while salicylic acid increased the root activity of seeding. There is a significant influence of light, temperatures and hormone treatment on the germination of Zhongchai No. 1 seeds, and all three are remarkably interacted; It is beneficial to promote seed germination by the temperature (20 + 5) degrees C, lighting (8 h) and gibberellin concentration (10 x 10(-6)).

[Evaluation of Bupleuri Radix resources in Qingchuan based on DTOPSIS and grey related degree].

In order to select high quality and suitable Bupleuri Radix varieties in Qingchuan, and establish a new comprehensive method to evaluation the quality of Bupleuri Radix, 12 characters of 14 samples were evaluated by DTOPSIS and grey related degree. The results showed that varieties No. 8 and No. 10 had high quality. DTOPSIS and grey related degree gave the uniformity result, and the biggest difference of value of Ci in DTOPSIS method was 46. 33% , but the biggest difference of the weighting correlation number( r (i)) in grey related degree was only 13.10%. The DTOPSIS combined with grey related degree can evaluate the quality of Bupleuri Radix comprehensively and objectively.

[Effect of combined application of zinc, boron and molybdenum on yield and saikosaponin a, saikosaponin d contents of Bupleurum chinense].

This research use "3414" fertilizer effect experiments to handle zinc, boron and molybdenum trace element fertilizer, determined the dry matter accumulation and content of saikosaponion a and d, to investigate the different ratio of zinc, boron and molybdenum on yield and saikosaponin a, saikosaponin d contents of Bupleurum chinense. Found The suitable ratio of zinc, boron and molybdenum play an active role on dry matter accumulation and distribution, the treatment Zn2B2Mo3 is the best one to promote the dry matter accumulation and transfer to the underground part; in a certain range, only use zinc or molybdenum can promote the yield of B. chinense, the yield of treatment Zn2B2Mo1 is the highest one. According to the results of regression analysis: in accordance with Zn 48.45 g x hm(-2), B 355.05 g x hm(-2), Mo 86.40 g x hm(-2), can obtain the yield with 3313.05 kg x hm(-2); the treatment Zn2BMo2 is most effective to promote the total saikosaponin a and d accumulated, according to the results of regression analysis: in accordance with Zn 36.15 g x hm(-2), B 343.05 g x hm(-2), Mo 106.35 g x hm(-2), the content of total saikosaponin a and d can reach 1.23%. This research first discovered the suitable ratio of zinc, boron and molybdenum can promote the yield and saikosaponin a, saikosaponin d contents on B. chinense.