Contralateral needling at unblocked collaterals for hemiplegia following acute ischemic stroke

Hemiplegia caused by stroke indicates dysfunction of the network between the brain and limbs, namely collateral shock in the brain. Contralateral needling is the insertion of needles into acupoints on the relative healthy side of the body to treat diseases such as apoplexy. However, there is little well-designed and controlled clinical evidence for this practice. This study investigated whether contralateral needling could treat hemiplegia after acute ischemic stroke in 106 randomly selected patients with acute ischemic stroke. These patients were randomly assigned to three groups： 45 in the contralateral needling group, receiving acupuncture on the unaffected limbs; 45 in the conven- tional acupuncture group, receiving acupuncture on the hemiplegic limbs; and 16 in the control group, receiving routine treatments without acupuncture. Acupuncture at acupoints Chize （LU5） in the upper limb and Jianliao （TEl4） in the lower limb was performed for 45 minutes daily for 30 consecutive days. The therapeutic effective rate, Neurological Deficit Score, Modified Barthel Index and FugI-Meyer Assessment were evaluated. The therapeutic effective rate of contralateral nee- dling was higher than that of conventional acupuncture （46.67% vs. 31.11%, P 〈 0.05）. The neuro- logical deficit score of contralateral needling was significantly decreased compared with conven- tional acupuncture （P 〈 0.01）. The Modified Barthel Index and FugI-Meyer Assessment score of contralateral needling increased more significantly than those of conventional acupuncture （both P 〈 0.01）. The present findings suggest that contralateral needling unblocks collaterals and might be more effective than conventional acupuncture in the treatment of hemiplegia following acute ischemic stroke.

泰山黄精:作为中药的营养价值、草药酶的来源和潜在的营养价值和有效性

近年来,中药治疗在抗击COVID-19取得成功疗效,黄胡连(黄精)的加工产品具有抗糖尿病、抗病毒、抗肿瘤、抗氧化、抗疲劳、抗衰老和增强免疫的作用,是推荐成分之一。泰山气候温和,森林茂密适合多根根茎的生长,已逐渐进化为一种独特的物种。考虑到泰山的重要药用价值和宜人的口感,可以开发出具有抗COVID-19潜力的质量标志物控制的各种健康、功能食品和应急食品。本研究旨在回顾目前泰山黄精的营养价值及其作为中药、草药酶来源、治疗COVID-19和食物短缺的潜在治疗剂的证据。关于草药纳米医学的最新发现表明,纳米级化合物在药物传递或纳米酶催化生物加工中有潜在的效率。

AtNSF regulates leaf serration by modulating intracellular trafficking of PIN1 in Arabidopsis thaliana

In eukaryotes,N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor(NSF)is a conserved AAA+ATPase and a key component of the membrane trafficking machinery that promotes the fusion of secretory vesicles with target membranes.Here,we demonstrate that the Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains a single copy of NSF,At NSF,which plays an essential role in the regulation of leaf serration.The At NSF knock-down mutant,atnsf-1,exhibited more serrations in the leaf margin.Moreover,polar localization of the PINFORMED1(PIN1)auxin efflux transporter was diffuse around the margins of atnsf-1 leaves and root growth was inhibited in the atnsf-1 mutant.More PIN1-GFP accumulated in the intracellular compartments of atnsf-1 plants,suggesting that At NSF is required for intracellular trafficking of PIN between the endosome and plasma membrane.Furthermore,the serration phenotype was suppressed in the atnsf-1 pin1-8 double mutant,suggesting that At NSF is required for PIN1-mediated polar auxin transport to regulate leaf serration.The CUPSHAPED COTYLEDON2(CUC2)transcription factor gene is up-regulated in atnsf-1 plants and the cuc2-3 single mutant exhibits smooth leaf margins,demonstrating that At NSF also functions in the CUC2 pathway.Our results reveal that At NSF regulates the PIN1-generated auxin maxima with a CUC2-mediated feedback loop to control leaf serration.

CDC48B facilitates the intercellular trafficking of SHORT-ROOT during radial patterning in roots

CELL DIVISION CONTROL PROTEIN48(CDC48)is essential for membrane fusion,protein degradation,and other cellular processes.Here,we revealed the crucial role of CDC48B in regulating periclinal cell division in roots by analyzing the recessive gen1 mutant.We identified the GEN1 gene through map-based cloning and verified that GEN1 encodes CDC48B.gen1 showed severely inhibited root growth,increased periclinal cell division in the endodermis,defective middle cortex(MC)formation,and altered ground tissue patterning in roots.Consistent with these phenotypes,CYCLIND 6;1(CYCD6;1),a periclinal cell division marker,was upregulated in gen1 compared to Col-0.The ratio of SHR_(pro):SHR-GFP fluorescence in pre-dividing nuclei versus the adjacent stele decreased by 33%in gen1,indicating that the trafficking of SHORT-ROOT(SHR)decreased in gen1 when endodermal cells started to divide.These findings suggest that the loss of function of CDC48B inhibits the intercellular trafficking of SHR from the stele to the endodermis,thereby decreasing SHR accumulation in the endodermis.These findings shed light on the crucial role of CDC48B in regulating periclinal cell division in roots.

SACOL站冰云微物理特性的反演

冰云是全球分布范围最广的云类型之一,对地气系统的辐射收支有重要作用.本文利用兰州大学半干旱气候与环境监测站(SACOL)Ka波段毫米波云雷达(KAZR)2013年8月至2014年7月的观测数据,结合微脉冲激光雷达(MPL)观测数据,分别使用传统经验算法、考虑温度订正的反演算法和KAZR-MPL联合反演算法,反演了冰云的冰水含量和有效粒径两个微物理量,形成了云微物理量的反演数据产品.在此基础上对SACOL站上空云微观特性进行了统计分析,并进一步结合Fu-Liou辐射传输模式,模拟了冰云在大气层顶处对长短波辐射通量的影响,与CERES卫星观测的辐射通量值进行比较,用以评估不同冰云微物理量的差异对辐射所造成的影响.结果发现:SACOL站冰云主要出现在2~14 km的范围内,在7 km处出现频率最高,达到13.02%;3种云微物理方法反演的冰水含量相差不大,均呈现单峰型分布,概率密度最大处的冰水含量集中在10-3g/m^3左右,而有效粒径的谱分布呈现出较大差异,KAZR-MPL反演算法模拟的冰晶粒径普遍偏大,也正是由于这种差异,造成了对大气层顶的短波辐射通量模拟的偏差.而各种算法对于大气层顶出射的长波辐射模拟效果远好于对短波的模拟,平均误差为5.04%,相关系数均大于0.6,而模拟效果较差的部分,主要存在于光学厚度较薄的个例当中.

Primary root and root hair development regulation by OsAUX4 and its participation in the phosphate starvation response

Among the five members of AUX1/LAX genes coding for auxin carriers in rice,only OsAUX1 and OsAUX3 have been reported.To understand the function of the other AUX1/LAX genes,two independent alleles of osaux4 mutants,osaux4-1 and osaux4-2,were constructed using the CRISPR/Cas9 editing system.Homozygous osaux4-1 or osaux4-2 exhibited shorter primary root(PR)and longer root hair(RH)compared to the wild-type Dongjin(WT/DJ),and lost response to indoleacetic acid(IAA)treatment.OsAUX4 is intensively expressed in roots and localized on the plasma membrane,suggesting that OsAUX4 might function in the regulation of root development.The decreased meristem cell division activity and the downregulated expression of cell cycle genes in root apices of osaux4 mutants supported the hypothesis that OsAUX4 positively regulates PR elongation.OsAUX4 is expressed in RH,and osaux4 mutants showing longer RH compared to WT/DJ implies that OsAUX4 negatively regulates RH development.Furthermore,osaux4 mutants are insensitive to Pi starvation(-Pi)and OsAUX4 effects on the-Pi response is associated with altered expression levels of Pi starvation-regulated genes,and auxin distribution/contents.This study revealed that OsAUX4 not only regulates PR and RH development but also plays a regulatory role in crosstalk between auxin and-Pi signaling.

Towards Second Green Revolution: Engineering Nitrogen Use Efficiency

Gaseous nitrogen （N2） makes up 78% of the earth＇s at- mosphere; its incorporation into a wide range of biological macromolecules molecules, such as nucleic acids and amino acids, makes it an essential part of all life on earth. However, as nitrogen gas is inert, it remains unavailable to most organisms, including plants. Thus, in order to be useful for fertilizer production, gaseous nitrogen needs first to be converted into bioavailable organic nitrogen in processes which are inefficient and rate-limiting for agricultural pro- duction. It was not until about 100 years ago that BASF were able to produce synthetic ammonia, the main ingredient for fertilizer production, on an industrial scale from pressurized air using the Haber--Bosch process. This chemical process was not only an impressive technical feat that helped Haber （1918） and Bosch （1931） earn Nobel Prizes but also enabled farmers to achieve the high yields that drive modern agriculture.

Influence of DNA methylation on transgene expression

DNA methylation plays an important role in gene expression in eukaryote. But DNA methylation of transgene usually leads to target gene silencing in plant genetic engineering. In this research, reporter gene β-glu-curonidase (GUS) gene (uidA) was introduced into tobaccos via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method, and the foreign uidA gene became inactive in some transgenic tobaccos. No mRNA of uidA was detected in these plants by Northern blotting analysis, and DNA methylation of promoter region was found. The results indicated that gene silencing might be caused by DNA methylation of promoter.

The unconventional prefoldin RPB5 interactor mediates the gravitropic response by modulating cytoskeleton organization and auxin transport in Arabidopsis

Gravity-induced root curvature involves the asymmetric distribution of the phytohormone auxin.This response depends on the concerted activities of the auxin transporters such as PIN-FORMED(PIN)proteins for auxin efflux and AUXIN RESISTANT 1(AUX1)for auxin influx.However,how the auxin gradient is established remains elusive.Here we identified a new mutant with a short root,strong auxin distribution in the lateral root cap and an impaired gravitropic response.The causal gene encoded an Arabidopsis homolog of the human unconventional prefoldin RPB5 interactor(URI).At URI interacted with prefoldin 2(PFD2)and PFD6,twoβ-type PFD members that modulate actin and tubulin patterning in roots.The auxin reporter DR5_(rev):GFP showed that asymmetric auxin redistribution after gravistimulation is disordered in aturi-1 root tips.Treatment with the endomembrane protein trafficking inhibitor brefeldin A indicated that recycling of the auxin transporter PIN2 is disrupted in aturi-1 roots as well as in pfd mutants.We propose that At URI cooperates with PFDs to recycle PIN2and modulate auxin distribution.