Metabolomic and transcriptomic reveal flavonoid biosynthesis and regulation mechanism in Phlomoides rotata from different habitats

Phlomoides rotata is a traditional medical plant at 3100-5200 m altitude in the Tibet Plateau. In this study, flavonoid metabolites were investigated in P. rotata from Henan County (HN), Guoluo County (GL), Yushu County (YS), and Chengduo County (CD) habitats in Qinghai. The level of kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside, sakuranetin, and biochanin A was high in HN. The content of limocitrin and isoquercetin was high in YS. The levels of ikarisoside A and chrysosplenol D in GL were high. Schaftoside, miquelianin, malvidin chloride, and glabrene in CD exhibited high levels. The results showed a significant correlation between 59 flavonoids and 29 DEGs. Eleven flavonoids increased with altitude. PAL2, UFGT6, COMT1, HCT2, 4CL4, and HCT3 genes were crucial in regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. Three enzymes CHS, 4CL, and UFGT, were crucial in regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. This study provided biological and chemical evidence for the different uses of various regional plants of P. rotata.

Flavonoid synthesis in Lamiophlomis rotata from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is influenced by soil properties, microbial community, and gene expression

Lamiophlomis rotata is a medicinal plant in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in which flavonoid compounds are the major medicinal components. However, it remains unclear how flavonoid metabolism of L. rotata is influenced by soil properties and microbial community. In this study, we collected L. rotata seedlings and rhizosphere soils from five habitats ranging from 3750 to 4270 m of altitude and analyzed the effects of habitat conditions on flavonoid metabolism. The activities of peroxidase, cellulase, and urease were increased with altitude, while those of alkaline phosphatase, alkaline protease, and sucrase were decreased with altitude. Analysis of OTUs showed that the total number of bacterial genera was higher than that of fungal genera. The highest number of fungal genera was 132, and that of bacterial genera was 33 in Batang (BT) town in Yushu County at an altitude of 3880 m, suggesting that the fungal communities may play a critical role in L. rotata rhizosphere soils. Flavonoids in leaves and roots of L. rotata shared a similar pattern, with a trend of increasing levels with altitude. The highest flavonoid content measured, 12.94 mg/g in leaves and 11.43 mg/g in roots, was from Zaduo (ZD) County at an altitude of 4208 m. Soil peroxidases affected quercetin content in leaves of L. rotata, while the fungus Sebacina affected flavonoid content in leaves and roots of L. rotata. The expression of PAL, F3'H, FLS, and FNS genes showed a declining trend in leaves with altitude, while F3H showed an increasing trend in both leaves and roots. Overall, soil physicochemical properties and microbial community affect flavonoid metabolism in L. rotata in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The variations in flavonoid content and gene expression as well as their associations with soil factors revealed the complexity of the growth conditions and genetic makeup in L. rotata habitats of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Analysis of flavonoid metabolism during fruit development of Lycium chinense

Lycium chinense is an important medicinal plant in the northwest of China. Flavonoids are the major pharmacological components of L. chinense fruits. However, flavonoid metabolism during fruit development of L. chinense remains to be studied. Here, we analyzed the change of flavonoid contents, enzyme activity, and gene expression during fruit development of L. chinense. We found that flavonoids, anthocyanins, and catechins are the most important components of L. chinense fruits. Flavonoid content was increased with fruit development and was high at the late developmental stage. PAL, CHS, and F3H enzymes played a significant role in flavonoid accumulation in fruits. Transcriptomic analysis showed that anthocyanin pathway, flavonol pathway, flavonoid biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid synthesis pathway were the major pathways involved in flavonoid metabolism in L. chinense. Gene expression analysis indicated that PAL1 and CHS2 genes were critical for flavonoid metabolism in L. chinense fruits. These discoveries help us understand the dynamic changes in flavonoids during fruit development and enhance the use of L. chinense fruits.

[A preliminary investigation on a deep learning convolutional neural networks based pulmonary tuberculosis CT diagnostic model]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of a pulmonary tuberculosis CT diagnostic model based on deep learning convolutional neural networks (CNN). Methods: From March 2017 to March 2018,a total of 1 764 patients with positive sputum for tuberculous bacterium and had received high-resolution chest CT scan in radiology department of Hebei province chest hospital were enrolled. Among them, 937 were male, and 827 were female, aging from 17-73 years (average 38.4). A total of 20 139 CT images (17 kinds of image features) classified by 4 radiologists were used as training dataset to create a tuberculosis CT CNN diagnostic model. The top 5 image features in training set were: infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis, cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis, pleural thickening, caseous pneumonia and pleural effusion. A total of 302 images were randomly selected from the marked images as testing dataset. The diagnosis of 2 senior radiologists was taken as "golden standard". The differences of sensitivity and accuracy in CT diagnosis between the CNN diagnostic model and the radiologists were compared. The classification error types and numbers of the CNN diagnostic model were recorded. FROC(free response operating characteristic curve)curve was drawn and the highest diagnostic efficiency of the model was measured. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis, cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis, pleural thickening, caseous pneumonia and pleural effusion by the CNN diagnostic model were 95.33%(10 982/11 520), 73.68%(2 151/2 920), 73.07%(1 128/1544), 83.33%(1 020/1225)and 94.11%(814/865), respectively. The overall diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy of the CNN model were 95.49%(339/355)and 90.40%(339/375), respectively, and the corresponding values ​​of radiologists were 93.80%(348/371)and 92.80%(348/375), respectively, and there was no statistical difference between the CNN model and the radiologists(sensitivity χ²=1.022,P=0.312;accuracy χ²=1.404,P=0.236). FROC curve showed that when sensitivity of the CNN model was 78% and FPI value was 2.48, it reached the highest diagnostic efficiency. The classification error of CNN diagnostic models was mainly confusion of fiber stripe components, cavitary pulmonary tuberculosis, caseous pneumonia and infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis. Conclusions: The CNN-based pulmonary tuberculosis CT diagnostic model exhibited high sensitivity and accuracy (95.49% and 90.40% respectively). It could assist radiologists in CT diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and deserve further clinical application.

Fe(II) interaction with cement phases: Method development, wet chemical studies and X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Fe(II) interaction with cement phases was studied by means of co-precipitation and sorption experiments in combination with X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Oxidation of Fe(II) was fast in alkaline conditions and therefore, a methodology was developed which allowed Fe(II) to be stabilised in the sorption experiments and to prepare samples for spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the co-precipitation samples showed uptake of a small portion of Fe(II) by calcium-silicate-hydrates (C-S-H) in the interlayer indicated by an increase in the interlayer spacing. Fe(II) incorporation by AFm phases was not indicated. Wet chemical experiments using ⁵⁵Fe radiotracer revealed linear sorption of Fe(II) irrespective of the Ca/Si ratio of C-S-H and equilibrium pH. The K_d values for Fe(II) sorption on C-S-H are more than three orders of magnitude lower as compared to Fe(III), while they are comparable to those of other bivalent metal cations. XAFS spectroscopy showed Fe(II) binding by C-S-H in an octahedral coordination environment. The large number of neighbouring atoms rules out the formation of a single surface-bound Fe(II) species. Instead the data suggest presence of Fe(II) in a structurally bound entity. The data from XRD and XAFS spectroscopy suggests the presence of both surface- and interlayer-bound Fe(II) species.

Comparison of the duration of neuromuscular blockade following a single bolus dose of rocuronium during laparoscopic gynaecological surgery vs conventional open surgery

We investigated whether laparoscopic vs open surgical approaches affected the duration of neuromuscular blockade following a single bolus dose of rocuronium. Fifty-three female patients underwent either laparoscopic or open gynaecological surgery. Rocuronium 0.6 mg.kg(-1) was administered to achieve neuromuscular blockade in all subjects, and adductor pollicis train-of-four responses following ulnar nerve stimulation were monitored with mechanomyography. The mean (SD) time from injection of rocuronium until spontaneous recovery of the first twitch, and to 5% and 25% of baseline, was significantly prolonged in the laparoscopic group (27.2 (8.3) min, 31.3 (9.1) min and 38.1 (10.6) min, respectively) compared with the open surgery group (21.1 (5.8) min, 25.6 (6.3) min and 31.2 (6.7) min, respectively). Changes in liver function both before surgery and at 24 h postoperatively were similar between the two groups (p > 0.05). Our findings suggest that neuromuscular blockade may be prolonged following a single bolus dose of rocuronium given during laparoscopic procedures.

Measuring anisotropic muscle stiffness properties using elastography

Physiological and pathological changes to the anisotropic mechanical properties of skeletal muscle are still largely unknown, with only a few studies quantifying changes in vivo. This study used the noninvasive MR elastography (MRE) technique, in combination with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to measure shear modulus anisotropy in the human skeletal muscle in the lower leg. Shear modulus measurements parallel and perpendicular to the fibre direction were made in 10 healthy subjects in the medial gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis anterior muscles. The results showed significant differences in the medial gastrocnemius (μ‖ = 0.86 ± 0.15 kPa; μ⊥ = 0.66 ± 0.19 kPa, P < 0.001), soleus (μ‖ = 0.83 ± 0.22 kPa; μ⊥ = 0.65 ± 0.13 kPa, P < 0.001) and the tibialis anterior (μ‖ = 0.78 ± 0.24 kPa; μ⊥ = 0.66 ± 0.16 kPa, P = 0.03) muscles, where the shear modulus measured in the direction parallel is greater than that measured in the direction perpendicular to the muscle fibres. No significant differences were measured across muscle groups. This study provides the first direct estimates of the anisotropic shear modulus in the triceps surae muscle group, and shows that the technique may be useful for the probing of mechanical anisotropy changes caused by disease, aging and injury.

Arthritis prevalence and place of birth: findings from the 1994 Canadian National Population Health Survey

This paper describes the prevalence of arthritis in Canadians by ethnic origin, including Asians, Europeans/Australians, and North American-born Canadians. Data for this study were derived from the 1994 Canadian National Population Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey with a sample of 39,240 persons aged 20 years and older. Arthritis was defined as a long-term health condition of "arthritis or rheumatism" diagnosed by a health professional. Place of birth was determined according to self-reported country of birth. Unconditional multiple logistic regression models were used to adjust for potential confounding effects. The crude prevalence of self-reported arthritis and rheumatism diagnosed by a health professional as a long-term condition for those aged 20 years and older in Canada was 14.2%. The age-sex adjusted prevalence by place of birth was 6.9% in Asians, 14.2% in Europeans/Australians, and 14.5% in North American-born Canadians. In the multivariate analyses using North America-born Canadians as baseline, the risk for arthritis (odds ratio = 0.56) was significantly lower in Asian-born Canadians after adjustment for age, sex, education, income, occupation, and body mass index.

Role of L-type Ca2+ channel in PACAP-induced adrenal catecholamine release in vivo

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channel is operative in adrenal catecholamine (CA) secretion induced by a novel neuropeptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), in anesthetized dogs. Plasma CA concentrations in adrenal venous and aortic blood were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography method. All drugs tested were locally infused into the left adrenal gland via the left adrenolumbar artery. PACAP, with the isoform consisting of 27 (PACAP-27) and 38 (PACAP-38) amino acid residues, significantly increased CA output in a dose-dependent manner, with doses ranging from 5 to 500 ng and 7 to 700 ng, respectively. However, the amplitude of epinephrine response to PACAP-27 was three times greater than that obtained with PACAP-38 at the highest dose tested. In a separate group, a single dose of PACAP-27 (50 ng) induced highly reproducible CA responses when the same dose was repeated with an interval of 35 min. In dogs treated with nifedipine (50 microg), 5 min before the second administration of PACAP-27, the net CA response was significantly inhibited by approximately 50% compared with that obtained in the presence of vehicle. A similar CA response to BAY K 8644 (5 microg) was completely abolished by the same dose of nifedipine. The present results indicate that both PACAP-27 and PACAP-38 have the direct local secretagogue effect on the adrenal medulla in vivo and that CA responses to PACAP-27 were greater than those observed with PACAP-38 at equivalent mole doses. The study suggests that the dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type Ca2+ channel is functionally involved in PACAP-induced adrenal CA secretion in the canine adrenal medulla in vivo.

Prehospital thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction

The benefit and risk of prehospital thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were evaluated in a double-blind randomized trial. Patients presenting less than 4 hours after symptom onset received 2 million units of urokinase as an intravenous bolus either before (group A, n = 40) or after (group B, n = 38) hospital admission. The mean time interval from onset of symptoms to thrombolytic therapy was 85 +/- 51 minutes in group A and 137 +/- 50 minutes in group B (p less than 0.0005). In 91% of the patients, thrombolytic therapy was administered less than 3 hours after symptom onset. Complication rates during the pre- and in-hospital period were low and did not differ between groups. Three patients died (1 in group A, 2 in group B) from reinfarction 7 to 14 days after admission. Left-sided cardiac catheterization before discharge revealed a patency rate in the infarct-related artery of 61% in group A and 67% in group B (difference not significant). Global left ventricular function and regional wall motion at the infarct site did not differ significantly between group A and B (ejection fraction 51 +/- 10%, n = 28 vs 53 +/- 14%, n = 28; wall motion -2.3 +/- 1.3 vs -2.2 +/- 1.1 standard deviation, respectively). Also, peak creatine kinase did not differ significantly (838 +/- 634 U/liter in group A vs 924 +/- 595 U/liter in group B). Prehospital thrombolysis using a bolus injection of urokinase has a low risk when performed by a trained physician with a mobile care unit. The saving of 45 minutes in the early stage of an acute infarction through prehospital thrombolysis did not appear to be important for salvage of myocardial function.

[The thrombolysis treatment of acute myocardial infarct at the site of the emergency. A randomized double-blind study]

Two million units of urokinase were administered intravenously as a bolus, either before (group I, n = 40) or after hospital admission (group II, n = 38), to 66 men and 12 women (mean age 55 +/- 8 years) with typical symptoms of acute myocardial infarction of less than 4 hours' duration. Time elapsed between onset of symptoms and urokinase administration averaged 85 +/- 51 min for group I and 137 +/- 50 min for group II (P less than 0.005). The complication rate was low, both during the pre-hospital and the hospital phases, without any significant differences between the two groups. The rate of open infarct vessels (by angiography before discharge from hospital) was 61% for group I and 67% for group II (no significant difference). Global left ventricular function, regional wall motion in the infarct area and maximal creatinekinase values did not significantly differ between the two groups (ejection fraction 51 +/- 10% and 53 +/- 14%, respectively; creatinekinase 838 +/- 634 U/l and 924 +/- 595 U/l, respectively). The data indicate that thrombolytic pre-hospital treatment carried a low risk. The gain of 45 min, however, seems to be of secondary importance in any significant diminution of the acute infarction size.