Nano-compositional imaging of the lanthanum silicide system at THz wavelengths.

Terahertz scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (THz-sSNOM) provides a noninvasive way to probe the low frequency conductivity of materials and to characterize material compositions at the nanoscale. However, the potential capability of atomic compositional analysis with THz nanoscopy remains largely unexplored. Here, we perform THz near-field imaging and spectroscopy on a model rare-earth alloy of lanthanum silicide (La-Si) which is known to exhibit diverse compositional and structural phases. We identify subwavelength spatial variations in conductivity that is manifested as alloy microstructures down to much less than 1 µm in size and is remarkably distinct from the surface topography of the material. Signal contrasts from the near-field scattering responses enable mapping the local silicon/lanthanum content differences. These observations demonstrate that THz-sSNOM offers a new avenue to investigate the compositional heterogeneity of material phases and their related nanoscale electrical as well as optical properties.

[Correlation between bioelectrical impedance and nutritional status in neurocritical care patients].

Objective: To explore the correlation between electrical impedance indicators and commonly used nutritional indicators in neurocritical care patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect 58 neurocritical care patients in neurosurgery Department of Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from June to September 2022. Bioelectrical impedance tests were performed after surgery or one week after injury, and nutrition-related biochemical indicators of the patients were collected on the same day, including nutritional status related indicators, inflammation related indicators, anemia related indicators and blood lipid related indicators. The patients were assessed with acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) Ⅱ score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. Based on the results obtained, the patients were assessed with nutritional score and spearman correlation analysis. The correlations of electrical impedance with nutrition related indicators and nutrition risk related indicators were analyzed. The prediction model of nutritional status was constructed by multi-factor binary logistic regression. Stepwise regression was used to screen electrical impedance indicators related to nutritional status. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the predictive ability of the nutritional status prediction model. Results: A total of 58 patients were collected, including 33 males and 25 females, and aged 72.0 (59.0, 81.8) years. Extracellular water (ECW) was positively correlated with interleukin 6 (r=0.529, P<0.001). The edema index [ECW/total body water (TBW)] was negatively correlated with albumin (r=-0.700, P<0.001), hematocrit (r=-0.641, P<0.001) and hemoglobin (r=-0.667, P<0.001). The phase angle was positively correlated with albumin (rRA=0.667, rLA=0.649, rRL=0.669, rLL=0.685, all P<0.001), hematocrit (rRA=0.600, rLA=0.604, rTR=0.565, rRL=0.529, rLL=0.602, all P<0.001) and hemoglobin (rRA=0.626, rLA=0.635, rTR=0.594, rRL=0.624, rLL=0.631, all P<0.001). By stepwise regression screening of predictive factors for nutritional status and incorporating age, gender and white blood cells as confounding factors into the model, the final model was obtained as follows: nutritional status=-0.01×age+1.22×gender-0.12×white blood cells+202.20×ECW/TBW+0.5 torso phase angle -82.16 [The OR value of ECW/TBW: 20.8 (95%CI: 3.7-117.1), P<0.001], with the AUC of 0.921. Conclusion: Bioelectrical impedance indicators have good correlations with commonly used clinical nutritional indicators, and can provide a new method for nutritional evaluation of neurocritical care patients.

Tailored Plasmons in Pentacene/Graphene Heterostructures with Interlayer Electron Transfer.

van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures, which are produced by the precise assemblies of varieties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, have demonstrated many novel properties and functionalities. Here we report a nanoplasmonic study of vdW heterostructures that were produced by depositing ordered molecular layers of pentacene on top of graphene. We find through nanoinfrared (IR) imaging that surface plasmons formed due to the collective oscillations of Dirac Fermions in graphene are highly sensitive to the adjacent pentacene layers. In particular, the plasmon wavelength declines systematically but nonlinearly with increasing pentacene thickness. Further analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that the observed peculiar thickness dependence is mainly due to the tunneling-type electron transfer from pentacene to graphene. Our work unveils a new method for tailoring graphene plasmons and deepens our understanding of the intriguing nano-optical phenomena due to interlayer couplings in novel vdW heterostructures.

[Analysis of treatment modalities and prognosis of patients with gallbladder cancer in China from 2010 to 2017].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of gallbladder cancer (GBC) patients in China. Methods: This retrospective multicenter cohort study enrolled 3 528 consecutive GBC patients diagnosed between January 2010 to December 2017 in 15 hospitals from 10 provinces. There were 1 345 (38.12%) males and 2 183 (61.88%) females.The age of diagnosis was (63.7±10.8) years old (range: 26 to 99 years old) .There were 213 patients (6.04%) in stage 0 to Ⅰ, whereas 1 059 (30.02%) in stage Ⅱ to Ⅲ, 1 874 (53.12%) in stage Ⅳ, and 382 (10.83%) unavailable. Surgery was performed on 2 255 patients (63.92%) . Three hundred and thirty-six patients received chemotherapy or radiotherapy (9.52%; of which 172 were palliative); 1 101 (31.21%) received only supportive treatment.The patient source, treatment and surgery, pathology, concomitant gallstone, and prognosis were analyzed. Results: Among the 3 528 GBC patients, 959 (27.18%) were from East China, 603 (17.09%) from East-North China, 1 533 (43.45%) from Central China, and 433(12.27%) from West China. Among the 1 578 resectable tumor, 665 (42.14%) underwent radical surgery, 913 (57.86%) underwent surgery that failed to follow the guidelines.Eight hundred and ninety-one (56.46%) patients were diagnosed before surgery, 254 (16.10%) during surgery, and 381 (24.14%) after surgery (time point of diagnosis couldn't be determined in 52 patients) .Among the 1 578 patients with resectable tumor, 759 (48.10%) had concomitant gallstone.Among the 665 patients underwent radical surgery, 69 (10.4%) showed positive resection margin, 510 (76.7%) showed negative resection margin, and 86 (12.9%) unreported margin status.The 5-year overall survival rate (5yOS) for the 3 528-patient cohort was 23.0%.The 5yOS for patients with resectable tumor was 39.6%, for patients with stage ⅣB tumor without surgery was 5.4%, and for patients with stage ⅣB tumor underwent palliative surgery was 4.7%. Conclusions: More than half GBC patients in China are diagnosed in stage Ⅳ.Curative intent surgery is valuable in improving prognosis of resectable GBC.The treatment of GBC needs further standardization.Effective comprehensive treatment for GBC is in urgent need.

[Comparative evaluation of preoperation transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in children with advanced wilms tumor].

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and prognosis of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TAIC), preoperative intravenous chemotherapy for children with advanced stage nephroblastoma. Methods: From January 2007 to December 2018, according to different treatment protocols before surgery, children with nephroblastoma were divided into 3 groups, which were TACE group (44 cases), TAIC group (7 cases) and intravenous chemotherapy group (9 cases) in Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The imaging examination, treatment safety and long-term efficacy of these three groups before and after treatment were compared. Observed indicators include tumor debulking rate, envelope integrity rate, necrosis rate, postoperative adverse reactions and follow-up. Results: Tumor debulking rate: tumor of TACE group decreased 46.5%, TAIC group shrinked 28.3%, and intravenous chemotherapy group reduced by 23.3%, the difference of tumor shrinkage between TACE group and intravenous chemotherapy group was statistically significant (P<0.05). Tumor necrosis rate: necrotic area in TACE group was about 46.0%-95.4%, average 75.1%±12.5%, while in intravenous chemotherapy group was 65.8%±8.7%, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). The tumor membrane integrity rate of these three groups were 86.4%(38/44),5/7 and 6/9 respectively, and difference between TACE group and intravenous chemotherapy group was significant (P<0.05). Patients who had myelosuppression each was 5 in TACE group (5/44), 4 in TAIC group (4/7), and 8 in intravenous chemotherapy group (8/9), and there were significant differences. Follow-up time and tumor-free survival rate in each group were respectively 20 to 92 months (median time 64 months) and 95% in TACE group, 12 to 69 months (median time 30 months) and 43.0% in TAIC group, and 16 to 72 months (median 28 months) and 56.0% in intravenous chemotherapy group. Conclusions: Preoperative TACE can lead to tumor shrinkage and necrosis more obviously, systemic adverse reactions are small, also the tumor complete resection rate is higher and the operation is safer.The survival rate can be effectively improved and more suitable for clinical treatment.

[Clinical analysis of MRS and DWI in predicting delayed brain edema after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage].

Objective: Prediction of delayed brain edema after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage by magnetic resonance spectroscopy combined with diffusion weighted imaging, and to explore the causes and treatment of delayed brain edema after intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods: The patients with spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage diagnosed by CT from January 2015 to June 2018 in our hospital were analyzed. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion weighted imaging examinations were performed on the third day after hemorrhage. It was diagnosed as delayed brain edema that the edema range enlarged more than 1 cm in CT scan on the 14th day Compare with the 7th Day. The patients were divided into the delayed brain edema group and the control group(n=27 for each). The NAA/Cr value and rADC value of the edema area in the two groups were analyzed by T test. Results: The NAA/Cr value (1.67±0.38) in the edema area of patients with delayed brain edema was significantly decreased Compare with the control group(1.92±0.42), and the rADC value (2.59±0.42) reduced significantly Compare with the control group (2.93±0.51), the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: MRS and DWI were susceptive in showing delayed brain edema lesions at hyper-early phase. Combination of MRS and DWI can provide a basis for clinical individual treatment programs selection and prognostic evaluation.

Characterization of Interfacial Structure in Polymer-Fullerene Bulk Heterojunctions via

We introduce a new application of solid state NMR measurements towards characterizing the donor-acceptor interfaces within bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films. Rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) is used to measure dipolar couplings between ^{13}C nuclei on the acceptor phenyl-C_{61}-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) fullerene cage, which is ≈18% isotopically enriched with ^{13}C, and beta hydrogens on the donor poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) main chain, which are >95% isotopically enriched with ^{2}H. The ^{13}C-^{2}H dipolar couplings are used for constraining possible models of molecular packing in the amorphous mixed phase of a P3HT/PCBM BHJ. The films studied are highly mixed (>80%) and have a maximum length scale of composition nonuniformity of ≈6 nm in the mixed phase, as demonstrated by ^{1}H spin diffusion NMR and supported by TEM. The REDOR results show that despite the lack of phase separation at length scales greater than ≈6 nm, neat P3HT and PCBM clusters exist on ≈3 nm size scales, and, for the average PCBM molecule, the number of nearest neighbors P3HTs is two.

Gate-tuning of graphene plasmons revealed by infrared nano-imaging.

Surface plasmons are collective oscillations of electrons in metals or semiconductors that enable confinement and control of electromagnetic energy at subwavelength scales. Rapid progress in plasmonics has largely relied on advances in device nano-fabrication, whereas less attention has been paid to the tunable properties of plasmonic media. One such medium--graphene--is amenable to convenient tuning of its electronic and optical properties by varying the applied voltage. Here, using infrared nano-imaging, we show that common graphene/SiO(2)/Si back-gated structures support propagating surface plasmons. The wavelength of graphene plasmons is of the order of 200 nanometres at technologically relevant infrared frequencies, and they can propagate several times this distance. We have succeeded in altering both the amplitude and the wavelength of these plasmons by varying the gate voltage. Using plasmon interferometry, we investigated losses in graphene by exploring real-space profiles of plasmon standing waves formed between the tip of our nano-probe and the edges of the samples. Plasmon dissipation quantified through this analysis is linked to the exotic electrodynamics of graphene. Standard plasmonic figures of merit of our tunable graphene devices surpass those of common metal-based structures.

Imaging the Localized Plasmon Resonance Modes in Graphene Nanoribbons.

We report a nanoinfrared (IR) imaging study of the localized plasmon resonance modes of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) using a scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM). By comparing the imaging data of GNRs that are aligned parallel and perpendicular to the in-plane component of the excitation laser field, we observed symmetric and asymmetric plasmonic interference fringes, respectively. Theoretical analysis indicates that the asymmetric fringes are formed due to the interplay between the localized surface plasmon resonance (SPR) mode excited by the GNRs and the propagative surface plasmon polariton (SPP) mode launched by the s-SNOM tip. With rigorous simulations, we reproduce the observed fringe patterns and address quantitatively the role of the s-SNOM tip on both the SPR and SPP modes. Furthermore, we have seen real-space signatures of both the dipole and higher-order SPR modes by varying the ribbon width.

Real-Space Imaging of the Tailored Plasmons in Twisted Bilayer Graphene.

We report a systematic plasmonic study of twisted bilayer graphene (TBLG)-two graphene layers stacked with a twist angle. Through real-space nanoimaging of TBLG single crystals with a wide distribution of twist angles, we find that TBLG supports confined infrared plasmons that are sensitively dependent on the twist angle. At small twist angles, TBLG has a plasmon wavelength comparable to that of single-layer graphene. At larger twist angles, the plasmon wavelength of TBLG increases significantly with apparently lower damping. Further analysis and modeling indicate that the observed twist-angle dependence of TBLG plasmons in the Dirac linear regime is mainly due to the Fermi-velocity renormalization, a direct consequence of interlayer electronic coupling. Our work unveils the tailored plasmonic characteristics of TBLG and deepens our understanding of the intriguing nano-optical physics in novel van der Waals coupled two-dimensional materials.

Ultraconfined Plasmonic Hotspots Inside Graphene Nanobubbles.

We report on a nanoinfrared (IR) imaging study of ultraconfined plasmonic hotspots inside graphene nanobubbles formed in graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) heterostructures. The volume of these plasmonic hotspots is more than one-million-times smaller than what could be achieved by free-space IR photons, and their real-space distributions are controlled by the sizes and shapes of the nanobubbles. Theoretical analysis indicates that the observed plasmonic hotspots are formed due to a significant increase of the local plasmon wavelength in the nanobubble regions. Such an increase is attributed to the high sensitivity of graphene plasmons to its dielectric environment. Our work presents a novel scheme for plasmonic hotspot formation and sheds light on future applications of graphene nanobubbles for plasmon-enhanced IR spectroscopy.

[The clinical application of retractorless surgery in patients with hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage].

Objective: To discuss the clinical feasibility and practical application of retractorless surgical for patients with hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage. Methods: A total of 84 patients underwentretractorless surgery in The First People's Hospital of Huzhou from Jun 2014 to Jun 2016 were retrospectively reviewed.There were 53 male and 31 female of the 84 patients. Their mean age were 58.7 years with range: 29-74 years.Glasgow coma scale score(GCS) at admissionwereas follow: GCS 4-5 points 10 cases(including 3 cases companied dilated pupils), GCS 6-8 points 25 cases, GCS 9-12 points 32 cases, and GCS 13-14 points 17 cases.The average volume of hematoma was 50.2 (30-100) mL.Complications related tosurgery and postoperative activities of daily living (ADL) scorewere analyzed. Results: 0f the 84 cases, there were 76 (90.5%) patientswhose intracranial hematoma were removed more than 90%. Postoperative bleeding was occurred in 6 cases (7.1%), all without secondary surgery. Cerebral infarctionwas occurred in 2 cases (2.4%), subcutaneous effusion associated with infectionwas occurred in 7 cases (8.3%). Postoperative follow-up of 58 cases, 85.3% recovered well. Conclusions: With the proficiency in microneurosurgery methods, retractorless surgery couldreduce the related postoperative complications, such as postoperative cerebral infarction.

[Clinical value of prenatal MRI in the diagnosis of fetal simple expansion of lateral ventricle and follow-up after birth].

Objective: To explore the value of prenatal MRI in the diagnosis of fetal simple expansion of lateral ventricle (ventriculomegaly) , and follow up the nervous system development status after birth. Methods: Simple expansion of the lateral ventricle fetus by prenatal MRI examination were collected in Huzhou Maternal and Child Care Hospital from May 2013 to June 2015, 126 cases of live births in expansion group, 50 normal cases were recruited in the same period as the control group. In expansion group, fetal subgroup analysis was done: (1) unilateral or bilateral lateral ventricle expasion: one group was 98 cases was lateral ventricle expansion (77.8%, 98/126), expansion of bilateral ventricle group was 28 cases (22.2%, 28/126). (2) Prenatal MRI in the diagnosis of the lateral ventricle of expansion: expansion of the lateral ventricle width was greater than 10.0 mm, if both sides were expanding, the expand width was the heavier one side, divided into 3 subgroups: ①Expansion in group A (lateral ventricle width 10.0-12.0 mm) were 88 cases (69.8%, 88/126). ②Expansion in group B (lateral ventricle width 12.1-15.0 mm) were 29 cases (23.0%, 29/126). ③Expansion of group C (lateral ventricle width> 15.0 mm) were 9 cases (7.12%, 9/126). All 176 cases were followed up after birth at the 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th month (corrected age was used for premature babies), and Gesell developmental schedules (GDS) were used to evaluate the neurobehavioral development. Results: (1) The MRI results after birth: 21 cases were followed up by MRI after birth. In group A, 11 cases had MRI and 9 were normal (the ventricular width <10.0 mm after birth), the other 2 cases were stable (the ventricular width measured first time after birth was ≥10.0 mm, but the difference was within 2.0 mm from the MRI before birth). In group B, 4 cases had MRI, 1 was normal, 1 was stable, and 2 cases were getting better (the ventricular width measured first time after birth was ≥10.0 mm, but the width decreased more than 2.0 mm from the MRI before birth). In group C, 6 cases had MRI. 3 cases were getting better and 3 cases were stable. (2) Overall GDS results: expansion group after the birth of the 3rd, 6th, 12th, 18th month GDS evaluation results compared with control group, respectively, the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). (3) The GDS results among the subgroups: in each evaluation after birth, there were no statistically significant differences between group A and the control group (all P>0.05). The GDS results of group B at the 3rd and 6th month were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05); while there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 goups at the 12th and 18th month (P>0.05). And for group C, statistically significant differences were found compared to the control group at each follow-up time (all P<0.05). (4) GDS results at different times after birth in the expansion group: there was no statistically significant difference between the results at the 3rd and 6th month (P>0.05). But when the result at the 3rd month was compared to the results of the 12th or 18th month, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). GDS result of 6th months after birth compared with 12th and 18th months, respectively, there were no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the results at the 12th and 18th month (P>0.05). (5) The GDS results in unilateral and bilateral ventricle expansion: at the 18th month, among the 98 unilateral cases, 86 (87.8%, 86/98) had normal GDS results(>85 scores); 8 (8.2%, 8/98) had borderline results (75-85 scores); 4 (4.1%, 4/98) had delayed results (<75 scores). Among the 28 bilateral cases, 23 (82.1%, 23/28) had normal GDS results; 3 (10.7%, 3/28) had borderline results; 2 (7.1%, 2/28) had delayed results. There was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusions: Among the simple expansion of lateral ventricle, those whose ventricular width are ≤12.0 mm may not need clinical treatment. If the width is between 12.1 to 15.0 mm, closely follow-up and targeted rehabilitation training after birth are recommended. When the width is more than 15.0 mm, the risk of the central nervous system function delay is significantly increased, and early intervention might improve the prognosis.

Plasmons in graphene moiré superlattices.

Moiré patterns are periodic superlattice structures that appear when two crystals with a minor lattice mismatch are superimposed. A prominent recent example is that of monolayer graphene placed on a crystal of hexagonal boron nitride. As a result of the moiré pattern superlattice created by this stacking, the electronic band structure of graphene is radically altered, acquiring satellite sub-Dirac cones at the superlattice zone boundaries. To probe the dynamical response of the moiré graphene, we use infrared (IR) nano-imaging to explore propagation of surface plasmons, collective oscillations of electrons coupled to IR light. We show that interband transitions associated with the superlattice mini-bands in concert with free electrons in the Dirac bands produce two additive contributions to composite IR plasmons in graphene moiré superstructures. This novel form of collective modes is likely to be generic to other forms of moiré-forming superlattices, including van der Waals heterostructures.

Evolutionary conservation of candidate osmoregulation genes in plant phloem sap-feeding insects.

The high osmotic pressure generated by sugars in plant phloem sap is reduced in phloem-feeding aphids by sugar transformations and facilitated water flux in the gut. The genes mediating these osmoregulatory functions have been identified and validated empirically in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum: sucrase 1 (SUC1), a sucrase in glycoside hydrolase family 13 (GH13), and aquaporin 1 (AQP1), a member of the Drosophila integral protein (DRIP) family of aquaporins. Here, we describe molecular analysis of GH13 and AQP genes in phloem-feeding representatives of the four phloem-feeding groups: aphids (Myzus persicae), coccids (Planococcus citri), psyllids (Diaphorina citri, Bactericera cockerelli) and whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 and MED). A single candidate GH13-SUC gene and DRIP-AQP gene were identified in the genome/transcriptome of most insects tested by the criteria of sequence motif and gene expression in the gut. Exceptionally, the psyllid Ba. cockerelli transcriptome included a gut-expressed Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein (PRIP)-AQP, but has no DRIP-AQP transcripts, suggesting that PRIP-AQP is recruited for osmoregulatory function in this insect. This study indicates that phylogenetically related SUC and AQP genes may generally mediate osmoregulatory functions in these diverse phloem-feeding insects, and provides candidate genes for empirical validation and development as targets for osmotic disruption of pest species.

Tunable Plasmonic Reflection by Bound 1D Electron States in a 2D Dirac Metal.

We show that the surface plasmons of a two-dimensional Dirac metal such as graphene can be reflected by linelike perturbations hosting one-dimensional electron states. The reflection originates from a strong enhancement of the local optical conductivity caused by optical transitions involving these bound states. We propose that the bound states can be systematically created, controlled, and liquidated by an ultranarrow electrostatic gate. Using infrared nanoimaging, we obtain experimental evidence for the locally enhanced conductivity of graphene induced by a carbon nanotube gate, which supports this theoretical concept.

Edge and Surface Plasmons in Graphene Nanoribbons.

We report on nano-infrared (IR) imaging studies of confined plasmon modes inside patterned graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) fabricated with high-quality chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) graphene on Al2O3 substrates. The confined geometry of these ribbons leads to distinct mode patterns and strong field enhancement, both of which evolve systematically with the ribbon width. In addition, spectroscopic nanoimaging in the mid-infrared range 850-1450 cm(-1) allowed us to evaluate the effect of the substrate phonons on the plasmon damping. Furthermore, we observed edge plasmons: peculiar one-dimensional modes propagating strictly along the edges of our patterned graphene nanostructures.

Tunneling Plasmonics in Bilayer Graphene.

We report experimental signatures of plasmonic effects due to electron tunneling between adjacent graphene layers. At subnanometer separation, such layers can form either a strongly coupled bilayer graphene with a Bernal stacking or a weakly coupled double-layer graphene with a random stacking order. Effects due to interlayer tunneling dominate in the former case but are negligible in the latter. We found through infrared nanoimaging that bilayer graphene supports plasmons with a higher degree of confinement compared to single- and double-layer graphene, a direct consequence of interlayer tunneling. Moreover, we were able to shut off plasmons in bilayer graphene through gating within a wide voltage range. Theoretical modeling indicates that such a plasmon-off region is directly linked to a gapped insulating state of bilayer graphene, yet another implication of interlayer tunneling. Our work uncovers essential plasmonic properties in bilayer graphene and suggests a possibility to achieve novel plasmonic functionalities in graphene few-layers.

Oxymatrine suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis of hemangioma cells through inhibition of HIF-1a signaling.

Oxymatrine (OMT), a natural quinolizidine alkaloid, has been known to have anti-inflammation, anti-anaphylaxis, and chemopreventive effects on various cancer cells. To clarify the underlying role and molecular mechanisms of OMT in human hemangioma (HA), in the present study, we examined the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in different phases of human HA. After HA derived endothelial cells (HDEC) were pretreated with different concentrations of OMT, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cycle distribution were evaluated by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The effects of OMT on expression of HIF-1a signaling were determined by real-time PCR and western blot assays. Our results showed that, the expression of HIF-1a and VEGF was significantly increased in proliferating phase HA, but decreased in involuting phase HA. Moreover, OMT in vitro inhibited proliferative activities and induced cell apoptosis and cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase in HA cells with decreased expression of HIF-1a, VEGF, Bcl-2, and CyclinD1, and increased expression of p53. Taken together, our findings suggest that, the expression of HIF-1a and VEGF is increased in proliferating phase HA, and OMT suppresses cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis and cycle arrest in proliferative phase HA through inhibition of the HIF-1a signaling pathway, suggesting OMT may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HA.

Rhizosphere microbiomes derived from vermicompost alter gene expression and regulatory pathways in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, L.).

The gut microbiome of worms from composting facilities potentially harbors organisms that are beneficial to plant growth and development. In this experiment, we sought to examine the potential impacts of rhizosphere microbiomes derived from Eisenia fetida worm castings (i.e. vermicompost) on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, L.) plant growth and physiology. Our experiment consisted of a greenhouse trial lasting 17 weeks total in which tomato plants were grown with one of three inoculant treatments: a microbial inoculant created from vermicompost (V), a microbial inoculant created from sterilized vermicompost (SV), and a no-compost control inoculant (C). We hypothesized that living microbiomes from the vermicompost inoculant treatment would enhance host plant growth and gene expression profiles compared to plants grown in sterile and control treatments. Our data showed that bacterial community composition was significantly altered in tomato rhizospheres, but fungal community composition was highly variable in each treatment. Plant phenotypes that were significantly enhanced in the vermicompost and sterile vermicompost treatments, compared to the control, included aboveground biomass and foliar δ15N nitrogen. RNA sequencing revealed distinct gene expression changes in the vermicompost treatment, including upregulation of nutrient transporter genes such as Solyc06g074995 (high affinity nitrate transporter), which exhibited a 250.2-fold increase in expression in the vermicompost treatment compared to both the sterile vermicompost and control treatments. The plant transcriptome data suggest that rhizosphere microbiomes derived from vermicompost can influence tomato gene expression and growth-related regulatory pathways, which highlights the value of RNA sequencing in uncovering molecular responses in plant microbiome studies.