[Association of waist-to-height ratio with sarcopenic obesity in hemodialysis patients with normal body mass index]

Objective: To explore the association between waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and sarcopenic obesity (SO) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients with normal body mass index (BMI). Methods: A multicenter and cross-sectional study that included adult patients undergoing MHD was conducted in 20 hemodialysis centers from June 1st to August 30th, 2021. Body composition was evaluated by body composition monitor based on bioimpedance spectroscopy. According to the quartiles of WHtR, patients were divided into four groups: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 group. The association of WHtR with SO was determined by multiple logistic regression models, stratified analyses, interactive analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, respectively. Results: A total of 2 207 MHD patients (1 341 males and 866 females) were included, and aged [M (Q1, Q3)] 57 (44, 68) years. The prevalence of SO was increased with increasing quartiles of WHtR [8.6% (46/533), 22.5% (141/628), 35.4% (215/608), and 44.3% (194/438) for Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 group, respectively]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that WHtR was associated with SO. The association remained statistically significant even after adjusting for age, gender, dialysis vintage, BMI, biochemical indicators, and various medical histories. Compared with Q1 group, the odds ratios (OR) were 2.54 (95%CI: 1.69-3.83), 4.30 (95%CI: 2.88-6.42) and 5.18 (95%CI: 3.37-7.96) for Q2, Q3 and Q4 group, respectively. The interaction analysis showed that age, sex and history of diabetes had interactive roles in the association between WHtR and SO (all P<0.05). The association stably existed across subgroups, and it was more obvious in male patients, those with older age and without a history of diabetes（all P<0.05）. Furthermore, the cut-off value of WHtR identifying SO in male patients was 0.49, and the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) was 0.73 (95%CI: 0.70-0.75), with the sensitivity of 72.7% and specificity of 60.3%. In female patients, the cut-off value was 0.51, and the AUC was 0.68 (95%CI: 0.65-0.71), with the sensitivity of 70.1% and specificity of 57.8%. Conclusion: WHtR could be used as a simple index to evaluate the risk of SO in MHD patients with normal BMI.

Prevalence and adverse perinatal outcomes of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy in Hebei Province, China

BACKGROUND

Anaemia in pregnancy is one of the most frequent complications related to pregnancy and is a public health concern. This article examines the prevalence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy and the associations between anaemia and adverse perinatal outcomes in Hebei Province, China.

METHODS

We used SPSS software to describe the incidence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy in Hebei Province and analysed the clinical characteristics in anaemic patients and the relationship between anaemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy was 35.0% in Hebei Province. The prevalence of anaemia in the population with a high education level was lower than that in the population with a low education level. The incidence rate in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas. After adjustment for confounding factors, anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy is an independent risk factor in terms of placenta previa, placental abruption, uterine atony, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, heart disease, postpartum haemorrhage, premature birth, laceration of birth canal, puerperal infection, caesarean section and large for gestational age.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of anaemia in the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. A comprehensive approach to prevent anaemia is needed to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

The Effect of 2016 Chinese second-child policy and different maternal age on pregnancy outcomes in Hebei Province, China

OBJECTIVE

To explore the effect of the 2016 Chinese second child policy and different maternal ages on adverse perinatal outcomes.

METHODS

Clinical data were collected from 22 monitoring hospitals in Hebei Province from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2021. A total of 413,892 parturient were divided into 3 groups based on delivery age: 20-34, 35-39, and 40-55 years old. The clinical data were analyzed to explore the relationship among the 2016 Chinese second-child policy, maternal age, and various pregnancy risks.

RESULTS

Pregnancy complications showed an upward trend from 2013 to 2021.The top 10 incidences of pregnancy complications in Hebei Province were anemia, small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), macrosomia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), premature delivery, preeclampsia (PE), postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), placenta previa, and placental abruption. The two-child policy was implemented in 2016. The incidence of pregnancy complications, anemia, GDM, PE, placental abruption, cesarean delivery, premature delivery, SGA, LGA, macrosomia in 2016-2021 was significantly higher than that in 2013-2015 (P<0.05), and the proportion of women of advanced maternal age (AMA, ≥ 35 years old) increased from 2013 to 2021. Advanced maternal age was a risk factor for most assessed adverse pregnancy outcomes, including GDM, PE, placenta previa, placenta abruption, cesarean delivery, PPH, premature delivery, SGA, LGA and macrosomia.

CONCLUSION

After the adjustment of the "second-child" policy, the incidence of pregnancy complications increased. Moreover, the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in AMA has increased. Early prevention and intervention should be implemented to cope with the occurrence of adverse perinatal outcomes.

[Association of lean tissue index with arteriovenous fistula dysfunction in maintenance hemodialysis patients]

The clinical data of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients from twenty hemodialysis centers in Guizhou province from June to September 2020 were collected by cross-sectional study. The patients were divided into AFD group and non-AFD group according to whether AFD had occurred. LTI was measured by body composition monitor. The results showed that the incidence of AFD in 2 781 MHD patients was 30.0% (835/2 781). Median LTI level was 15.2 (13.2, 17.5) kg/m². The LTI level in the AFD group was higher than that in the non-AFD group (P < 0.05). According to the tertiles of LTI, low LTI group (LTI ≤ 13.9 kg/m²) had the highest incidence of AFD (35.5%, 334/940), and the high LTI group had the lowest incidence of AFD (26.3%, 241/916), and the difference among the three groups was statistically significant (χ²=20.182,P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low LTI group as the reference, the risk of AFD in moderate LTI group (13.9 kg/m² < LTI ≤ 16.6 kg/m²) and high LTI group were associated with the 20.0% (OR=0.800, 95% CI 0.650-0.986, P=0.036) and 22.8% (OR=0.772, 95% CI 0.616-0.966, P=0.024) decrease, respectively. These results suggest that low LTI level is independently associated with an increased risk of AFD in MHD patients.

[Analysis of the current status of needle and syringe exchange programmes for injecting drug users in China]

Objective: To analyze the needle and syringe exchange programme (NSEP) implementation among injecting drug users (IDUs) in China and provide data support and a scientific reference for intervention among IDUs. Methods: All the statistical reports of high-risk behavior interventions during 2007-2021 were collected from the HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information Management System. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the changes in the number of NSEP points, regional distribution of NSEP points, the number of people covered, and the HIV detection rate in China from 2007 to 2021. Excel 2016 software was used to plot the variation trend. SAS 9.4 software was used for the needle recovery and HIV-positive detection rate to do the χ² trend test. Results: There were 578 NSEP sites in 11 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) by the end of 2021, covering 21 215 IDUs. 2014-2021, the number of NSEP sites and the number of IDUs covered decreased year by year. Each injecting drug user participating in NSEP received more than 200 clean needles annually. The needle recovery rate showed an increasing trend(Z=170.26, P<0.001) from 2009 to 2016 but showed a decreasing trend (Z=-91.96, P<0.001) from 2016 to 2021. The rate of HIV-positive in IDUs participating in NSEP showed a downward trend (Z=-66.53, P<0.001), which decreased from 5.8% (2 709/46 591) in 2011 to 0.1% (19/21 215) in 2021, decreasing 98.3%. Conclusions: NSEP is a vital intervention to prevent HIV transmission through injecting drugs. There were still many difficulties. It is necessary to strengthen further communication and coordination with government and public security departments to understand and support for NSEP. Targeted publicity and education are needed to be carried out for local IDUs to encourage them to participate in NSEP and reduce their dropout. Meanwhile, peer educators supervision and management also need to be strengthened.

miR-103-3p targets Ndel1 to regulate neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation

The regulation of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) is critical for lifelong neurogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of small, endogenous RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and influence signaling networks responsible for several cellular processes. In this study, miR-103-3p was transfected into neural stem cells derived from embryonic hippocampal neural stem cells. The results showed that miR-103-3p suppressed neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation, and promoted apoptosis. In addition, miR-103-3p negatively regulated NudE neurodevelopment protein 1-like 1 (Ndel1) expression by binding to the 3' untranslated region of Ndel1. Transduction of neural stem cells with a lentiviral vector overexpressing Ndel1 significantly increased cell proliferation and differentiation, decreased neural stem cell apoptosis, and decreased protein expression levels of Wnt3a, β-catenin, phosphor-GSK-3β, LEF1, c-myc, c-Jun, and cyclin D1, all members of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These findings suggest that Ndel1 is a novel miR-103-3p target and that miR-103-3p acts by suppressing neural stem cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis and differentiation. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Nantong University, China (approval No. 20200826-003) on August 26, 2020.

Secular increase in the prevalence of gestational diabetes and its associated adverse pregnancy outcomes from 2014 to 2021 in Hebei province, China

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the secular prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and evaluate its adverse pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women in Hebei province, China.

METHODS

We analyzed the data from the monitoring information management system for pregnant women in 22 hospitals of Hebei province, China. In this study, 366,212 individuals with singleton live births from 2014 to 2021 were included, of whom 25,995 were diagnosed with gestational diabetes. We described the incidence of common complications and further analyzed the clinical characteristics in GDM patients and the relationship between GDM and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

The top 3 pregnancy complications in Hebei province are anemia, gestational hypertension, and GDM. The average incidence of GDM was 7.10% (25,995/366,212). The incidence rate of GDM significantly increased from 2014 to 2021 (χ² _trend = 7,140.663, P < 0.001). The top 3 regions with GDM incidence were Baoding (16.60%), Shijiazhuang (8.00%), and Tangshan (3.80%). The incidence of GDM in urban pregnant women (10.6%) is higher than that in rural areas (3.7%).The difference between the GDM and Non-GDM groups was statistically significant in terms of maternal age, gravidity, parity, education level, and incidence of pregnancy complications (gestational hypertension, heart diseases, and anemia) (P < 0.05). GDM individuals were at significantly increased risk of most assessed adverse pregnancy outcomes, including premature delivery, Cesarean delivery, uterine inertia, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, Apgar (activity-pulse-grimace-appearance-respiration) score at 1 min, and macrosomia (P < 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that GDM was an independent risk factor in terms of premature birth, Cesarean delivery, uterine inertia, placental abruption, NICU admission, and macrosomia.

CONCLUSION

The risk of adverse pregnancy outcome in pregnant women with GDM is significantly increased. In order to reduce the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, effective interventions are needed.

Anomalous Thermoelectric Effects of ZrTe_{5} in and beyond the Quantum Limit

Thermoelectric effects are more sensitive and promising probes to topological properties of emergent materials, but much less addressed compared to other physical properties. We study the thermoelectric effects of ZrTe_{5} in a magnetic field. The presence of the nontrivial electrons leads to the anomalous Nernst effect and quasilinear field dependence of thermopower below the quantum limit. In the strong-field quantum limit, both the thermopower and Nernst signal exhibit exotic peaks. At higher magnetic fields, the Nernst signal has a sign reversal at a critical field where the thermopower approaches zero. We propose that these anomalous behaviors can be attributed to the gap closing of the zeroth Landau bands in topological materials with the band inversion. Our understanding to the anomalous thermoelectric properties in ZrTe_{5} opens a new avenue for exploring Dirac physics in topological materials.

[Association of low serum indirect bilirubin level with all-cause mortality in maintenance hemodialysis patients]

Objective: To investigate the association of low serum indirect bilirubin (IBIL) level with all-cause mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted in seven hemodialysis centers of Guizhou province. The adult outpatients who underwent hemodialysis for more than 3 months were included between June 2015 and June 2016. Demographics, baseline clinical and laboratory test results were collected. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to their baseline serum IBIL levels (interquartile range), and followed up until June 30, 2018. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the survival rate of each group. Cox regression model was used to analyze the association of IBIL with all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 885 hemodialysis dialysis patients with baseline IBIL data were enrolled in this study, with age of (55.4±16.2) years old, among whom 57.9% (512/885) were male. Median IBIL was 4.8 μmol/L and interquartile range was 3.3-7.0 μmol/L. The comparison between IBIL quartile groups showed that the differences in proportion of diabetics, hemoglobin, serum albumin, platelet, serum calcium, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid and urea nitrogen were statistically significant (all P<0.05). After a median follow-up of 24 months, 210 patients died, and 96 cases became lost to follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves showed higher all-cause mortality in patients with IBIL≤3.3 μmol/L (Q1 group) (65/219, P=0.015). After adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, and biochemical indicators, taking baseline IBIL Q2 level (IBIL 3.4~4.8 μmol/L) as a reference, the hazard ratio for all-cause death in patients with IBIL≤3.3 μmol/L was 1.661 (95%CI: 1.114-2.476, P=0.013). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that there was no significant difference in mortality between the quartile groups according to total bilirubin (TBIL) or direct bilirubin (DBIL) (P=0.167, 0.156). Conclusion: Baseline low serum IBIL in maintenance hemodialysis patients is associated with all-cause mortality.

A Candidate Regulatory Variant at the TREM Gene Cluster Confer Alzheimer's Disease Risk by Modulating Both Amyloid-β Pathology and Neuronal Degeneration

Background: rs9357347 located at the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM) gene cluster could increase TREM2 and TREM-like transcript 1 (TREML1) brain gene expression, which is considered to play a protective role against Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objectives: To investigate the role of rs9357347 in AD pathogenesis by exploring the effects of rs9357347 on AD specific biomarkers. Methods: This study analyzed the association of rs9357347 with AD-related cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neuroimaging markers from 201 cognitively normal (CN) older adults, 349 elders with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 172 elders with AD dementia from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). We next analyzed the association in 259 amyloid-β positive (Aβ+) elders and 117 amyloid-β negative (Aβ-) elders (Aβ+: CSF Aβ1-42 ≤ 192 pg/ml; Aβ-: CSF Aβ1-42 > 192 pg/ml). Associations were tested using multiple linear regression models at baseline. Furthermore, multiple mixed-effects models were used in a longitudinal study which lasted 4 years. Results: At baseline, we found that rs9357347 had association with CSF Aβ1-42 in CN group (β = 0.357, P = 0.009). In AD group, rs9357347 was associated with total tau (T-tau) level (β = -0.436, P = 0.007). Moreover, the strong influence exerted by rs9357347 on T-tau was also seen in Aβ+ group (β = -0.202, P = 0.036). In the longitudinal study, rs9357347 was also found to be associated with Aβ1-42 in CN group (β = 0.329, P = 0.023). In AD group, the mutation of rs9357347 was associated with slower accumulation of T-tau (β = -0.472, P = 0.002) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 [P-tau 181 (β = -0.330, P = 0.019)]. Furthermore, the obvious influence exerted by rs9357347 on T-tau was also seen in Aβ+ group (β = -0.241, P = 0.013). Conclusion: This study suggested that rs9357347 reduced the risk of AD by modulating both amyloid-β pathology and neuronal degeneration.

[Concentrations and Health Risk Assessments of Heavy Metal Contents in Soil and Rice of Mine Contaminated Areas]

Nandan County is famous for its mining of nonferrous metals. In order to investigate the effects of mining activities on the soil and rice and to evaluate the health risk of the exposure of typical local inhabitants to heavy metals via consumption of rice, a consecutive 3-day household diet survey in four villages in Nandan was conducted. Liuzhai is an uncontaminated contrast area, and Chehe, Dachang, and Zhanglao are contaminated areas. The data for rice consumption rates were obtained. At the same time, 56 soil samples from rice fields and 90 rice samples were collected for the analysis of As, Sb, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn. In addition, the potential health risk of the exposure of local people to heavy metals via consumption of the rice was assessed using the pollution index method and the data from the intake of heavy metals. Results showed that the mean contents of As, Sb, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn were 58.1, 16.4, 1.22, 49.1, 52.1, and 271 mg·kg^-1 in the soil samples from contaminated areas, with higher pollution risks than from the control area for soil heavy metal contents. The Nemero comprehensive contamination index (P_N) was 3.14, a heavy pollution grade. Cd contents in rice in Liuzhai, Chehe, Dachang, and Zhanglao were 2.23 times, 4.40 times, 3.81 times, and 3.52 times higher than those of GB 2762-2017.The content in rice exceeds the standard in all four areas. The daily intake (DI) of Cd in the four areas was higher than the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) established by FAO/WHO. This indicates that Cd and As are the major heavy metal elements posing health risks to the health of the inhabitants in the mining areas and that the inhabitants in the mining areas are facing severe risks of exposure to heavy metals.

[Spatial Variability and Contamination of Arsenic in Soils of Xijiang River Basin]

In this study, 2585 soil samples were collected in the Xijiang River Basin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and the spatial variability and contamination of Arsenic in soils were evaluated using geostatistical and GIS tools. The results showed that the concentrations of As in surface soils (23.82 mg·kg^-1) were higher than the background values of the Guangxi and Xijiang Rivers in natural soils; the upstream values (Diaojiang River and Huanjiang River) (30.22 mg·kg^-1) were significantly higher than those in other regions. Concentrations of As in soil samples were in the order of soil in mining areas > soil in dryland > natural soil > paddy soil. As in mining areas were significantly higher than in other areas; high As concentrations were measured in the upstream of the Diaojiang River basin and the downstream of the Huanjiang River Basin. Low concentration clusters were in the six villages of Nandan, which are far from the mine, and in the upper reaches of the Dahuanjiang River and Xiaohuanjiang River Basin. Spatial autocorrelations of arsenic in the watershed soil were evident and the structural variability was dominant. The concentration of As in the upper reaches decreased from the northwest to the southeast. High As concentrations were distributed naturally along the river basin; concentrations in the middle and lower reaches of the basin were between 0.44 mg·kg^-1 and 40 mg·kg^-1. The concentration levels of As in total soil samples ranged from no-pollution to slight pollution, and the pollution was mainly distributed in the administrative areas of the city and the intensive areas of mining activities, among which the soil pollution in Jinchengjiang River and Nandan counties was more prominent. Effective measures should be taken to strengthen the safety level of tailings reservoirs during the rainy season, so as to maintain the production levels while protecting living standards of local residents.

Disruption of the Accidental Dirac Semimetal State in ZrTe_{5} under Hydrostatic Pressure

We study the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetotransport properties of zirconium pentatelluride. The magnitude of resistivity anomaly gets enhanced with increasing pressure, but the transition temperature T^{*} is insensitive to it up to 2.5 GPa. In the case of H∥b, the quasilinear magnetoresistance decreases drastically from 3300% (9 T) at ambient pressure to 230% (9 T) at 2.5 GPa. Besides, the change of the quantum oscillation phase from topological nontrivial to trivial is revealed around 2 GPa. Both demonstrate that the pressure breaks the accidental Dirac node in ZrTe_{5}. For H∥c, in contrast, subtle changes can be seen in the magnetoresistance and quantum oscillations. In the presence of pressure, ZrTe_{5} evolves from a highly anisotropic to a nearly isotropic electronic system, which accompanies the disruption of the accidental Dirac semimetal state. It supports the assumption that ZrTe_{5} is a semi-3D Dirac system with linear dispersion along two directions and a quadratic one along the third.

[Characteristics of Heavy Metal Contents in Human Hairs of Mine Contaminated Areas in Nandan County]

Nandan county is usually called "land of nonferrous metals". In order to discuss the impact of mining activities on the health of inhabitants in Nandan county, 200 human hair samples were collected from 4 villages (Liuzhai is a uncontaminated contrast areas, Chehe, Dachang and Zhanglao are contaminated areas) of Nandan and analyzed for contents of As, Sb, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn. The results showed that the average contents of As, Sb, Cd and Pb were 1.260, 2.161, 2.466 and 20.92 μg·g^-1 in the human hair samples from contaminated areas. They were 4.0, 20, 2.1 and 1.9 times higher than those in the contrast areas, and the Sb contents in human hair of Chehe and Dachang were higher than the recommended normal range. The contents of human hair Zn showed a negative correlation with the age of people (P<0.05), and contents of human hair Cd and Pb showed a weak negative correlation with the age of people in contaminated areas (P<0.1). The independent-samples t-test showed that Cd contents in male hair were apparently higher than those in female hair (P<0.05), however, Cu and Zn contents in female hair were apparently higher than those in male hair (P<0.05), in the contaminated areas. There were positive correlations between As and Sb, Cd and Pb, as well as As and Cd (P<0.01), while other elements showed no significant correlation between pairs. It was therefore concluded that contamination from the mining activities has exposed a serious threat to human health in the mine contaminated areas in Nandan county.

Dietary linseed oil in the maternal diet affects immunoglobulins, tissue fatty acid composition and expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in piglets

This experiment investigated the effects of supplementing the maternal diet with linseed oil (LSO) and soya bean oil (SBO) on immunoglobulins, the fatty acid composition and hepatic expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in piglets. Multiparous sows (twenty-four per diet) were fed on diets containing a supplement of either SBO or LSO during last week of gestation and lactation. The results indicated that supplementation of maternal diet with LSO could improve the weaning weight of piglets and average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.05). The concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) was enhanced in sow plasma, colostrum and milk by the addition of LSO (p < 0.05). In addition, the concentration of 18: 3n-3 fatty acids was higher in the milk of LSO sows. Meanwhile, maternal supplementation with LSO increased the levels of plasma IgG, IgA and the tissues n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in piglets (p < 0.05). Correspondingly, the mRNA expression levels of hepatic ∆5-desaturase (D5D) and ∆6-desaturase (D6D) were higher, and fatty acid synthase (FAS) was lower in piglets from LSO-fed sows when compared with that in the SBO group. In conclusion, LSO supplementation of the maternal diet increases immunoglobulins, modifies the fatty acid composition and affects the gene of D5D and D6D expression of piglets.

Stabilized Skyrmion Phase Detected in MnSi Nanowires by Dynamic Cantilever Magnetometry

Using dynamic cantilever magnetometry we measure an enhanced skyrmion lattice phase extending from around 29 K down to at least 0.4 K in single MnSi nanowires (NWs). Although recent experiments on two-dimensional thin films show that reduced dimensionality stabilizes the skyrmion phase, our results are surprising given that the NW dimensions are much larger than the skyrmion lattice constant. Furthermore, the stability of the phase depends on the orientation of the NWs with respect to the applied magnetic field, suggesting that an effective magnetic anisotropy, likely due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of these nanostructures, is responsible for the stabilization. The compatibility of our technique with nanometer-scale samples paves the way for future studies on the effect of confinement and surfaces on magnetic skyrmions.

Stromal derived factor-1α in hippocampus radial glial cells in vitro regulates the migration of neural progenitor cells

Stromal derived factor-1α (SDF-1α), a critical chemokine that promotes cell homing to target tissues, was presumed to be involved in the traumatic brain injury cortex. In this study, we determined the expression of SDF-1α in the hippocampus after transection of the fimbria fornix (FF). Realtime PCR and ELISA showed that mRNA transcription and SDF-1α proteins increased significantly after FF transection. In vitro, the expression of SDF-1α in radial glial cells (RGCs) incubated with deafferented hippocampus extracts was observed to be greater than in those incubated with normal hippocampus extracts. The co-culture of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and RGCs indicated that the extracts of deafferented hippocampus induced more NPCs migrating toward RGCs than the normal extracts. Suppression or overexpression of SDF-1α in RGCs markedly either decreased or increased, respectively, the migration of NPCs. These results suggest that after FF transection, SDF-1α in the deafferented hippocampus was upregulated and might play an important role in RGC induction of NPC migration; therefore, SDF-1α is a target for additional research for determining new therapy for brain injuries.

Variation characteristics of the nitrate reductase gene of key inbred maize lines and derived lines in China

Key inbred lines have played a fundamental role in maize genetics and breeding. Research on variation characteristics of key genes from key inbred lines and from derived lines is important for early identification and evaluation of inbred maize lines. The nitrate reductase (NR) gene, which plays a central role in nitrate acquisition, was the target gene for this research. Forty-one inbred maize lines were investigated, including four key inbred lines: Huangzaosi, Mo17, Dan340, and Ye478. Through multiple sequence alignment with the NR gene from B73, used as a control, we found that: 1) the NR gene of most inbred lines from Huangzaosi and from derived lines had two insertion fragments and two replacement fragments; 2) the NR gene of most inbred lines from Mo17 and derived lines had one insertion fragment and one replacement fragment; 3) there were two common variations and eight common SNPs in the NR gene of the four key lines. Huangzaosi and Mo17 also had three common variations compared with the other key lines. Moreover, Mo17 had some unique variations; there were no unique variations in the other key lines, even for SNPs, and 4) phylogenetic tree analysis showed that the NR gene of the derived lines from the same key line had higher sequence homology. Based on the above NR gene variation characteristics and sequence homology of key inbred lines and derived lines, a candidate inbred line can be preliminarily selected and evaluated by marker development and/or sequence alignment of the NR gene.

Investigation of superconductivity in electrochemically fabricated AuSn nanowires

We have fabricated intermetallic AuSn nanowires by electrochemical deposition in porous polycarbonate membranes. By controlling the deposition parameters, nanowires of a single intermetallic phase, namely AuSn, can be fabricated. AuSn nanowires are found to be crystalline and fairly resistant to oxidation. Electrical transport measurements on arrays of nanowires showed a superconducting transition temperature, T(c)∼1.5 K. In addition, four-probe measurements were made on individual freestanding nanowires with electrodes formed by a focused ion beam (FIB). Results from the two sets of measurements are found to be in close agreement.

Effects of Ginkgolide on the development of NOS and AChE positive neurons in the embryonic basal forebrain

Extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb) has been therapeutically used for several decades to increase peripheral and cerebral blood flow so as to prevent cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases. However, the role of EGb in neuroprotective effects has received much attention recently. In this study, we investigated the effect of EGb on the development of NOS and AChE positive neurons in the rat embryonic basal forebrain. The results showed that treated with EGb, the OD of MTT staining analysis, and the numbers, the cell sizes and circumferences of NOS and AChE positive neurons were greatly promoted. These data suggest that EGb had similar effects of the neurotrophins such as NGF and BDNF in promoting the development of NOS and AChE positive neurons in the rat embryonic basal forebrain.