Heavy collecting induces smaller and deeper Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus in the wild

Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus is a well-known traditional Chine medicinal herb. However, the demand for this herb is leading to over-collection and its decline in the wild. This study aims to investigate the ecological conditions of Fritillaria cirrhosa under the influence of human disturbance, biotic species interactions and climatic conditions. We established a total of 78 plots at 14 sites of F. cirrhosa in its distribution center, the Hengduan Mountains area. At each site, we estimated the abundance of F. cirrhosa at different distances from roads. The diameter and height of F. cirrhosa fruit and bulbs were measured and compared to underground bulb depth. We then analyzed the effects of environmental conditions and human disturbance on the abundance of F. cirrhosa using variance partitioning. We found that(1)abundance of F. cirrhosa and their underground bulb depth showed a significant linear increase with the distance from the main road;(2) the diameter/height of fruits and the diameter/height of fruits/bulbs showed significantly different responses to the human disturbance;(3) the community associates,climate and spatial conditions can explain 58%, 22% and 27%, respectively, of the variance in the F. cirrhosa abundance. These results highlight the fact that human disturbance and biotic factors have a great influence on the survival of F. cirrhosa, even more than climate conditions.

Electronic structure and spin–orbit coupling in ternary transition metal chalcogenides Cu_(2)TlX_(2)(X = Se, Te)

Ternary transition metal chalcogenides provide a rich platform to search and study intriguing electronic properties. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio calculation, we investigate the electronic structure of Cu_(2)TlX_(2)(X = Se, Te), ternary transition metal chalcogenides with quasi-two-dimensional crystal structure. The band dispersions near the Fermi level are mainly contributed by the Te/Se p orbitals. According to our ab-initio calculation, the electronic structure changes from a semiconductor with indirect band gap in Cu_(2)TlSe_(2) to a semimetal in Cu_(2)TlTe_(2), suggesting a band-gap tunability with the composition of Se and Te. By comparing ARPES experimental data with the calculated results, we identify strong modulation of the band structure by spin–orbit coupling in the compounds. Our results provide a ternary platform to study and engineer the electronic properties of transition metal chalcogenides related to large spin–orbit coupling.

Transparency Induced by Two-Photon Coherence in the V-Shaped Three-Level System

We have investigated th steady-state behavior of a V-shape three-level system submitted to the radiative field and to the relaxation process.The coherence induced by simultaneous two-photon transition leads to a strong decrease of medium absorption.In this case,the peak of transparent spectrum is 7 times higher than that of saturant spectrum.

Intersected functional zone of transcriptional regulators patterns stemness within stem cell niche of root apical meristem

Root stem cell niche(SCN)consists of a quiescent center(QC)and surrounding stem cells.Disrupted symplastic communication leads to loss of stemness in the whole SCN.Several SCN regulators were reported to move between cells for SCN main-tenance.However,single mutant of these regulators is insu?cient to abolish QC stemness despite the high differentiation rate in surrounding stem cells.To dis-sect the mechanism behind such distinct stemness in SCN,we combined the mis-expression strategy with pWOX5:icals3m system in which QC is symplastically isolated.We found the starch accumulation in QC could be synergistically repressed by WUSCHEL-RE-LATED HOMEOBOX 5(WOX5),SHORT-ROOT(SHR),SCARCROW(SCR),and PLETHORA(PLT).Like PLTs,other core regulators also exhibited dimorphicfunctions by inhibiting differentiation at a higher dose while promoting cell division at a low protein level.Being located in the center of the intersected ex-pression zones,QC cells receive the highest level of core regulators,forming the most robust stemness within SCN.WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 was su?cient to activate PLT1/2 expression,contributing to the QC-enriched PLTs.Our results provide ex-perimental evidence supporting the long-standing hypothesis that the combination of spatial ex-pression,synergistic function and dosage effect of core regulators result in spatially distinct stemness in SCN.

Fecal microbiota transplantation in childhood:past,present,and future

Background Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)has been well described in the treatment of pediatric diseases;however,the latest updates regarding its use in children are unclear and the concepts involved need to be revisited.Data sources We performed advanced searches in the MEDLINE,EMBASE,and Cochrane databases using the keywords“Fecal microbiota transplantation OR Fecal microbiota transfer”in the[Title/Abstract]to identify relevant articles published in English within the last five years.To identify additional studies,reference lists of review articles and included studies were manually searched.Retrieved manuscripts(case reports,reviews,and abstracts)were assessed by the authors.Results Among the articles,studies were based on the mechanism(n=28),sample preparation(n=9),delivery approaches(n=23),safety(n=26),and indications(n=67),including Clostridium difficile infection(CDI)and recurrent C.difficile infection(rCDI;n=21),non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD;n=10),irritable bowel syndrome(IBS;n=5),inflammatory bowel disease(IBD;n=15),diabetes(n=5),functional constipation(FC;n=4),and autism spectrum disorder(ASD;n=7).Conclusions Concepts of FMT in pediatric diseases have been updated with respect to underlying mechanisms,methodology,indications,and safety.Evidence-based clinical trials for the use of FMT in pediatric diseases should be introduced to resolve the challenges of dosage,duration,initiation,and the end point of treatment.

儿童语言发育迟缓发育特征及危险因素分析

目的分析语言发育迟缓儿童的智能发育特征及危险因素,为临床早期发现、早期干预、早期诊治提供科学依据。方法 2016年6月—2017年7月因语言发育迟缓在武汉市同济医院儿童保健专科就诊的儿童209例(35例语言发育迟缓,174例全面发育迟缓),其中男164例(78.47%),女45例(21.53%),年龄1~5岁,使用Gesell发育诊断量表、早期语言发育进程量表(上海标准化版)、采用自制的调查问卷获取相关信息。结果语言发育迟缓与全面发育迟缓儿童在性别、父亲的文化程度、职业、父母的关系、性格、主要教育者、照养人每日与儿童相处的时间、儿童每天看电视/玩电子游戏等方面差异均无统计学意义(P均>0.05),但在儿童年龄(χ2=12.723)、母亲文化程度(χ2=10.124)、职业(χ2=7.473)方面的差异均有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。多元回归分析发现,母亲文化程度低的儿童发生全面发育迟缓的机率是母亲文化程度高的儿童的5.419倍(OR=5.419,P<0.01)。结论对儿童各个年龄段进行常规语言筛查,早期发现语言发育迟缓;加强对低学历母亲的健康教育,以减少语言迟缓对其他发育进程的影响。

A new single-cell protein from Clostridium autoethanogenum as a functional protein for largemouth bass(Micropterus salmoides)

Clostridium autoethanogenum protein(CAP)is a new single-cell protein source originating from inactivated bacteria.An in vitro digestion experiment and an 8-wk growth experiment were conducted to evaluate the molecular weight distribution of the CAP hydrolysate,and the effects of dietary CAP levels on the growth performance,plasma parameters,hepatic and intestinal health,and the diversity of gutadherent microbiota of largemouth bass(Micropterus salmoides).The fish(initial body weight of 47.99±0.01 g)were fed diets where CAP gradually replaced 0%(CAP0),12.5%(CAP12.5),25%(CAP25),37.5%(CAP37.5)and 50%(CAP50)of low-temperature steam dried anchovy fish meal(LTFM)in the diet.Results showed that the content of peptides below 1,000 Da in the CAP hydrolysate(0.56 mg/mL)was higher than that of the LTFM hydrolysate(0.48 mg/mL).Dietary CAP inclusion had no negative effect on growth performance,while whole-body lipid content significantly reduced in the CAP25 and CAP50 groups(P<0.05).The plasma alanine aminotransferase activities and triglyceride concentrations in the CAP inclusion groups were significantly lower than those in the CAP0 group(P<0.05).The plasma aspartate aminotransferase activity was significantly reduced in the CAP37.5 group(P<0.05).The richness and diversity of the gut-adhesive microbiota and the proportion of Clostridium sensu stricto 12 in the CAP50 group were significantly higher than those in the CAP0 group(P<0.05).Dietary CAP inclusion inhibited inflammatory responses by down-regulating the mRNA levels of interleukin 1b(IL1b),IL10 and transforming growth factor b1(P<0.05)in the liver.The mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 were significantly down-regulated in the CAP12.5,CAP25 and CAP37.5 groups(P<0.05),while that of fatty acid synthase was significantly down-regulated in the CAP50 group(P<0.05).These results demonstrate that dietary CAP inclusion could improve the hepatic and intestinal health of largemouth bass,and can be helpful to further develop CAP as a functional feed ingredient.

N-carbamoylglutamate improves lipid metabolism, inflammation, and apoptosis responses in visceral adipocytes of Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus), in vivo and in vitro

This study applied in vivo and in vitro methods to investigate the effect of dietary N-carbamoylglutamate(NCG)on lipid metabolism,inflammation and apoptosis related-gene expression in visceral adipose tissue and isolated adipocytes of Japanese seabass(Lateolabrax japonicus).A basal diet and a test diet supplemented with 720 mg/kg NCG were fed to the fish for 10 weeks.During the growth trial,no mortality and no significant differences in growth performance were observed in fish between the 2 groups(P>0.05).Plasma Arg content and mRNA level of argininosuccinate synthetase(ASS)in adipose tissue were significantly increased,which indicated that NCG inclusion promoted endogenous Arg synthesis.Thereafter,the potential effects of NCG treatment on lipid metabolism-related genes expression were studied through in vivo and in vitro methods.In the present study,we successfully established a primary adipocytes culture system and isolated pre-adipocytes in vitro of Japanese seabass for the first time.Both the results in vivo and in vitro showed that NCG treatment decreased the mRNA levels of genes related to adipogenesis(fatty acid synthase,FASN),cholesterol synthesis(3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase,HMGCR)and fat deposition(lipoprotein lipase[LPL]and leptin),which revealed the underlying mechanism of NCG on reducing fat deposition.The results of this study demonstrated that NCG inclusion reduced the expression of inflammatory and apoptosis cytokines markedly in vivo and in vitro.In conclusion,NCG did exert beneficial effects on ameliorating adipo-genesis,inflammation and apoptosis via promoting Arg endogenous synthesis in Japanese seabass.