Aortic valve bypass for high-risk patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis: A case report.

There are a significant number of symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) patients not referred to the traditional methods for some complex conditions. We described a case of a 61-year-old female with severe symptomatic AS, calcific small aortic annulus (16.6 mm), narrow porcelain ascending aorta (aortic root: 14.6 mm, internal diameter: 14.0 mm), chronic renal insufficiency, and a history of the previous sternotomy for mechanical mitral valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting who underwent aortic valve bypass (AVB) with favorable results. AVB has been proposed as a complementary to surgery operation of aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve implantation in high-risk AS patients.

China's response to a national land-system sustainability emergency.

China has responded to a national land-system sustainability emergency via an integrated portfolio of large-scale programmes. Here we review 16 sustainability programmes, which invested US$378.5 billion (in 2015 US$), covered 623.9 million hectares of land and involved over 500 million people, mostly since 1998. We find overwhelmingly that the interventions improved the sustainability of China's rural land systems, but the impacts are nuanced and adverse outcomes have occurred. We identify some key characteristics of programme success, potential risks to their durability, and future research needs. We suggest directions for China and other nations as they progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations' Agenda 2030.

[Protective effect of taxifolin on H2O2-induced H9C2 cell pyroptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of taxifolin on H2O2-induced pyroptosis in H9C2 cells and the possible mechanisms.
 Methods: The H9C2 cells was divided into 3 groups: a control group, a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)group and a taxifolin group. The morphology of H9C2 cells was observed by inverted phase contrast microscope. The mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by JC-1 staining and flow cytometry. The alteration of the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by specific mitochondrial probe. The protein levels of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (caspase-1)was determined by Western blot. The mRNA levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-1a (IL-1a), interleukin-1b (IL-1b), absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), apoptosis-associated apeck-like protein (ASC), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 4 (NLRC4) were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
 Results: Compared with the control group, the morphology of H9C2 cells obviously changed in the H2O2-treated group, which was guadually improved in the presence of taxifolin. Compared with the control group, the mitochondrial membrane potential was markedly decreased in the H2O2-treated cells, accompanied by the increase ofROS (both P<0.05). Compared with the H2O2 group, the mitochondrial membrane potential changes in the taxifolin group was increased while the ROS was decreased, with significant difference (both P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the protein level of caspase-1 and the mRNA levels of IL-18, IL-1a, IL-1b, AIM2, ASC, NLRP3 and NLRC4 in the H2O2-treated group were significantly increased (all P<0.05), which were attenuated in the presence of taxifolin (all P<0.05).
 Conclusion: Taxifolin can protect H9C2 cells from oxidative injury, and it is able to suppress the H2O2-induced H9C2 cell pyroptosis through inhibition of AIM2, NLRP3 and NLRC4 in flammasome.

[Influence of HMGB1/MAPK/m-TOR signaling pathway on cell autophagy and chemotherapy resistance in K562 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) on autophagy and chemotherapy resistance in human leukemiacell line (K562) cells, and to explore the underlying mechanisms.
 Methods: The K562 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into 6 groups: a chemotherapeutic group, a chemotherapeutic control group, a HMGB1 preconditioning group, a HMGB1 preconditioning control group, a HMGB1 siRNA group and a siRNA control group. The chemotherapeutic group was further divided into a vincristine (VCR) group, an etoposide (VP-16) group, a cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) group, a adriamycin (ADM) group and a arsenic trioxide (As2O3) group. The cell activity was evaluated by cell counting kit-8. The protein levels of HMGB1, microtubule-associate protein1light chain3 (LC3), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mammalian target of rapamycin (m-TOR) were determined by Western blotting. The level of serum HMGB1 was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The autophagy was examined by monodansylcadaverine staining and observed under transmission electron microscopy.
 Results: Compared with the control group, the cell activity was significantly decreased and the level of serum HMGB1 was significantly increased in the chemotherapeutic (VCR, VP-16, Ara-C, ADM and As2O3) groups (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the cell activity and the level of serum HMGB1 were significantly increased in the HMGB1 preconditioning group (both P<0.05). Compared with the siRNA control group, the cell activity and the level of serum HMGB1 were significantly decreased in the HMGB1 siRNA group (both P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of LC3-II and the formation of autophagic bodies were increased in the HMGB1 preconditioning group (both P<0.05), the p-AMPK expression was increased and p-mTOR expression was decreased (both P<0.05).
 Conclusion: HMGB1 can increase the autophagy and promote chemotherapy resistance through the pathway of AMPK/m-TOR in K562 cells.

[Changes of agroecosystem service value during urbanization of Guangzhou City, South China].

Based on the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 statistical data of Guangzhou City, and by the methods of marketing valuation, shadow price, afforestation cost, carbon tax, and industrial oxygen-producing, this paper calculated the related service values of various agroecosystems in Guangzhou, and assessed the changes of agroecosystem service value during the rapid urbanization of the City. In 1996-2008, though the service values of farmland, grassland, and water ecosystems had somewhat increase, the overall agroecosystem service value of Guangzhou decreased, mainly due to the more decrease of forest ecosystem service value which occupied more than 90% of the total service value each year. Over the studied period, the proportion of each individual functional service value to the total service value changed little, and the contribution of each individual functional service value was in the order of climate regulation > gases regulation > product service > waste treatment > soil conservation > biodiversity conservation > recreation and culture > water source retention and storage. The sum of climate regulation and gases regulation service values took over 91% of the total agroecosystem service value. There was a significant negative correlation (R = -0.905, P < 0.01)between urbanization rate and total agroecosystem service value, suggesting that the increase of urbanization rate would lead to a decrease of agroecosystem service value. Therefore, it requires an appropriate reservation of various agroecosystems to maintain the regional sustainable development during urbanization.

[Directions of ecology specialty construction and personnel training in China].

This paper analyzed the present status of ecology specialty construction and personnel training in China. It was considered that there existed some problems to be solved, e. g., the contradiction between the rapid development of new subjects in ecology and the relative weakness in personnel qualified to teach, the unbalance between the extensive and intensive, and the deep and shallow teaching programs for the students in ecology, the conflict between the "soft" (theoretical) ecological education and the "hard" (technical) ecological construction, and the contradiction between the limited demands and the relative surplus supply of undergraduate students in ecology. Based on these analyses, a series of suggestions and countermeasures for the innovation of the teaching styles and training directions in ecological specialties were put forward, including 1) to formulate a development and construction plan of ecology specialty and to appropriately regulate the enrollment of undergraduate students, 2) to achieve the changes in current teaching styles from classroom to field and from "soft" theoretical teaching to "hard" technical training, 3) to develop and implement a variety of diversified teaching methods, such as participative, interactive, research-based, and innovative teaching for undergraduate students, 4) to enhance the undergraduate educational quality and teaching resource bank construction and to achieve teaching resource sharing, and 5) to establish "T-type" personnel training system in ecology. Some employment-oriented personnel training directions in ecology specialty were also presented.