Characterization of Reverse Thermo-sensitive Genic Male Sterile Lines in Cold Regions of China

Yannong S, a reverse thermo-sensitive genic male sterile （TGMS） line, is sterile at high temperature and fertile at low temperature. In the present study, the fertility of Yannong S and the japonica reverse TGMS lines derived from it was in- vestigated in Harbin, Heilongjiang from 2013 to 2015. The results showed that Yan- nong S was completely male sterile in July and August （the hottest months of the year in Harbin）, and the seed setting rate of bagged panicles was 0. We also in- ferred that the critical temperature for inducing the sterility of Yannong S was higher than 28 ℃. Most of the japonica reverse TGMS lines derived from Yannong S were completely aborted in July and August, with a seed setting rate of 0. It can be con- cluded that the reverse TGMS lines derived from Yannong S are genetically stable lines that have a long period of sterility in cold regions, so they may be the ideal genetic materials for the development and in-situ seed production of japonica hybrid rice.

Enterococcus faecalis provides protection during scavenging in carrion crow (Corvus corone)

The gut microbiota significantly influences host physiology and provides essential ecosystem services.While diet can affect the composition of the gut microbiota,the gut microbiota can also help the host adapt to specific dietary habits.The carrion crow(Corvus corone),an urban facultative scavenger bird,hosts an abundance of pathogens due to its scavenging behavior.Despite this,carrion crows infrequently exhibit illness,a phenomenon related to their unique physiological adaptability.At present,however,the role of the gut microbiota remains incompletely understood.In this study,we performed a comparative analysis using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technology to assess colonic content in carrion crows and 16 other bird species with different diets in Beijing,China.Our findings revealed that the dominant gut microbiota in carrion crows was primarily composed of Proteobacteria(75.51%)and Firmicutes(22.37%).Significant differences were observed in the relative abundance of Enterococcus faecalis among groups,highlighting its potential as a biomarker of facultative scavenging behavior in carrion crows.Subsequently,E.faecalis isolated from carrion crows was transplanted into model mice to explore the protective effects of this bacterial community against Salmonella enterica infection.Results showed that E.faecalis down-regulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),interferon gamma(IFN-γ),and interleukin 6(IL-6),prevented S.enterica colonization,and regulated the composition of gut microbiota in mice,thereby modulating the host’s immune regulatory capacity.Therefore,E.faecalis exerts immunoregulatory and anti-pathogenic functions in carrion crows engaged in scavenging behavior,offering a representative case of how the gut microbiota contributes to the protection of hosts with specialized diets.

General Analytic Solution of the Telegrapher’s Equations and the Resulting Consequences for Electrically Short Transmission Lines

Based on classical circuit theory, this article develops a general analytic solution of the telegrapher’s equations, in which the length of the cable is explicitly contained as a freely adjustable parameter. For this reason, the solution is also applicable to electrically short cables. Such a model has become indispensable because a few months ago, it was experimentally shown that voltage fluctuations in ordinary but electrically short copper lines move at signal velocities that are significantly higher than the speed of light in a vacuum. This finding contradicts the statements of the special theory of relativity but not, as is shown here, the fundamental principles of electrical engineering. Based on the general transfer function of a transmission line, the article shows mathematically that an unterminated, electrically short cable has the characteristics of an ideal delay element, meaning that an input signal appears at the output with a slight delay but remains otherwise unchanged. Even for conventional cables, the time constants can be so small that the corresponding signal velocities can significantly exceed the speed of light in a vacuum. The article also analyses the technical means with which this effect can be conveyed to very long cables.

CHARACTERISTIC IMPEDANCE OF SPECIFIC TRANSMISSION LINES WITH OFFSET INNER CONDUCTORS

The partial charge simulation method is presented to solve the characteristicimpedance of the transmission line of specific cross section with an offset inner conductor.Thismethod has a higher accuracy due to the accurate satisfaction of the boundary condition on theouter conductor.The combined method of the Gauss elimination and optimization is used tosolve the equation of charge simulation,and it is an effective method for increasing the accuracyand assuring the convergence.The Green’s functions of five transmission lines(i.e,with circular,elliptic,rectangular,trough and slab conductor)are given.

On the Existence of Non-Intersecting Straight Lines on the Plane

In this brief note, we adduce the logical rationale that if at least one infinite straight line non-intersecting with the given straight line passes through a given point not lying on a given straight line, then it must be unique.

Activation of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in S-type Neuroblastoma Cell Lines

The effects of Sonic hedgehog(Shh) signaling pathway activation on S-type neuroblastoma(NB) cell lines and its role in NB tumorigenesis were investigated.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Shh pathway components— Patched1(PTCH1) and Gli1 in 40 human primary NB samples.Western blotting and RT-PCR were used to examine the protein expression and mRNA levels of PTCH1 and Gli1 in three kinds of S-type NB cell lines(SK-N-AS,SK-N-SH and SHEP1),respectively.Exogenous Shh was administrated to activate Shh signaling pathway while cyclopamine was used as a selective antagonist of Shh pathway.S-type NB cell lines were treated with different concentrations of Shh or/and cyclopamine for different durations.Cell viability was measured by using MTT method.Apoptosis rate and cell cycle were assayed by flow cytometry.The xenograft experiments were used to evaluate the role of Shh pathway in tumor growth in immunodeficient mice.High-level expression of PTCH1 and Gli1 was detected in both NB samples and S-type NB cell lines.Cyclopamine decreased the survival rate of the three cell lines while Shh increased it,and the inhibition effects of cyclopamine could be partially reversed by shh pre-treatment.Cyclopamine induced the cell apoptosis and the cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase,while Shh induced the reverse effects and could partially prevent effects of cyclopamine.Cyclopamine could also inhibit the growth of NB in vivo.Our studies revealed that activation of the Shh pathway is important for survival and proliferation of S-type NB cells in vivo and in vitro through affecting cell apoptosis and cell cycle,suggesting a new therapeutic approach to NB.

Analysis and Simulation of the Influence of Electromagnetic Fields on Living Beings near HV Power Lines Using the FDTD Method

Recent decades have seen rapid advances in the field of electrical engineering, such that our environment has become a sea of electrical and magnetic signals, raising questions about the possible effects of low-frequency electromagnetic fields on the environment and which are capable of modifying and destroying our ecosystem. Particular interest was given in this article due to a massive influx of population living near high voltage lines. The analysis and simulation of the influence of low frequency electromagnetic fields on living beings in the vicinity of high voltage sources 132 kV and 220 kV in urban areas in DR Congo is the subject of our research with a view to estimating the level of exposure of humans to low frequency electromagnetic fields. To carry out our research, we used the classic method of analyzing the field produced near a high voltage line based on Maxwell’s image theory, the Maxwell-Gauss theorem and Maxwell-Ampère theorem to model and quantify low-frequency electromagnetic fields in the vicinity of high-voltage lines. The 2D FDTD numerical formulation was developed from telegraphers’ equations and allowed us to obtain models of current and voltage induced by electromagnetic fields on living beings below and near HV lines. The different simulations carried out on the proposed models illustrate the effects of the electrical and geometric parameters of the pylons on the distribution of the electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the HV lines. The results obtained were compared to the safety limits recommended by the standards.

Comparative Studies on the Changes of Microtubule Distribution and Reorganization During the Meiotic Stages of Development in Normal (IR36) and a Temperature/photoperiod Sensitive Male Sterile Line (Peiai 64S) of Rice ( Oryza sativa )

Changes in the pattern of organization of microtubules in the meiotic stages of development of pollen (i.e. from pre-meiotic interphase to more or less metaphase I) of a normal (IR36) and a temperature/photoperiod sensitive male sterile line (Peiai 64S) of rice were studied using immunofluorescence confocal microscopy. In IR36, from pre-meiotic interphase to metaphase I, the pattern of microtubule distribution in the meiocytes underwent a series of changes. Some new organizational patterns of microtubules (that have not been described before) were observed during microsporogenesis, including the existence of a broad band of perinuclear microtubules at the diakinesis stage of development. The pattern of microtubule distribution in the meiocytes of the male sterile line, Peiai 64S, was quite different front that seen in IR36. In Peiai 64S, the microtubules showed abnormal patterns of distribution from pre-meiotic interphase to metaphase I. For example the broad band of perinuclear microtubules seen at diakinesis in IR36 was much disorganized and loosened in Peiai 64S. The spindles formed were also very abnormal and different from the normal spindle. The appearance of abnormal microtubule distribution in the early stages of microsporogenesis may contribute to the malformation and ultimate abortion of pollen in Peiai 64S.

Breeding and Application of Indica PTGMS Line Yan 161S and Its Hybrid Yanliangyou 1618 in Rice

In 2006, the indica photoperiod- and thermo-sensitive genic male sterile （PTGMS） line Yan 161S was successful y bred by crossing the Guangzhan 63S （♀） and the medium indica breeding material Yan 229 （♂）, which was bred by the Institute of Agricultural Sciences in Coastal Region of Jiangsu Province, after years＇ and generations’ selection in different areas. It passed the identification by Jiangsu Provincial Crop Variety Appraisal Committee in 2013. Crossing the Yan 161S with Yanhui 888, a new high-yielding and high-quality two-line hybrid rice combination Yanliangyou 1618 was developed, and it passed the variety identification in 2014. This paper introduced the breeding processes and characteristics of Yan 161S and Yanliangyou 1618 and the cultivation and seed production techniques of Yanliangyou 1618.

Breeding and Application of Indica PTGMS Line Yan 220S in Rice

Yan 220S, which is derived from a natural variant plant discovered among the population of Guangzhan 63S and developed by Jiangsu Agricultural Research Institute for Coastal Regions through pedigree selection over years, is an indica photo- and thermo-sensitive genic male sterile （PTGMS） line in rice. In 2013, it was technically identified by Jiangsu Crop Variety Appraisal Committee. Its hybrid Yan-liangyou 2208 （Yan 220S/Yanhui 888）, a new two-line hybrid rice combination with high yield and good grain quality, was subsequently developed and released for commercial production by the National Crop Variety Appraisal Committee in 2013.

Relationships of climate change and tree ring of Betula ermanii tree line forest in Changbai Mountain

Based on the tree-ring growth characteristics of Erman＇s birch （Betula ermanii charm.） and the relationships between it and climatic ）＇actors at elevation of 1950m, the sensitivity of tree lines in Changbai Mountain to climatic factors was assessed. The results indicated tree line forest in Changbai Mountain had an obvious sensitivity to climate factors. However, difference from other study sits is that the main climatic control factor on tree-ring growth was not current growth season temperatures, as might be expected, but previous winter and current March temperature. Although the precipitation in the region was quite abundant, the tree-ring growth was still significantly correlated with the precipitation during previous winter and current spring. Additionally, climatic factors which influenced the Erman＇s birch growth were not the yearly variables, but seasonal and monthly variables. Therefore, the reported increase in yearly mean temperature and total yearly precipitation since 1980s was not responded by sustained increase in ring widths in recent decades.

S Zorb装置反应器接收器脱气线和再生器取热盘管改造

某公司对S Zorb装置首个运行周期内出现的反应器接收器脱气线泄漏、再生器取热盘管泄漏等运行问题开展了技术攻关,提出了工艺优化调整、工程技术改造建议。2019年大检修时对反应器脱气线进行扩径,由DN100扩径为DN150,控制气提量小于670 m^(3)/h,对再生系统取热蒸汽和再生风流控阀等进行了工程技术改造。第二运行周期未出现脱气线减薄泄漏和再生器取热盘管泄漏问题。2023年6月大检修时对上次大检修改造部位进行检查以验证工程改造的有效性,经全面检查,确认脱气线内部未发现冲刷痕迹,再生器取热盘管打压合格,外观正常,证明改造措施有效,可以满足“四年一修”目标要求。

Establishment of an artificial β-cell line expressing insulin under the control of doxycycline

AIM: Artificial beta-cell lines may offer an abundant source of cells for the treatment of type I diabetes, but insulin secretion in beta-cells is tightly regulated in physiological conditions. The Tet-On system is a "gene switch" system, which can induce gene expression by administration of tetracycline (Tet) derivatives such as doxcycline (Dox). Using this system, we established 293 cells to an artificial cell line secreting insulin in response to stimulation by Dox. METHODS: The mutated proinsulin cDNA was obtained from plasmid pcDNA3.1/C-mINS by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and was inserted downstream from the promoter on the expression vector pTRE2, to construct a recombined expression vector pTRE2mINS. The promoter on pTRE2 consists of the tetracycline-response element and the CMV minimal promoter and is thus activated by the reverse tetracycline-controlled transactivator (rtTA) when Dox is administrated. pTRE2mINS and plasmid pTK-Hyg encoding hygromycin were co-transfected in the tet293 cells, which express rtTA stably. Following hygromycin screening, the survived cells expressing insulin were selected and enriched. Dox was used to control the expression of insulin in these cells. At the levels of mRNA and protein, the regulating effect of Dox in culture medium on the expression of proinsulin gene was estimated respectively with Northern blot, RT-PCR, and radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: From the 28 hygromycin-resistant cell strains, we selected one cell strain (tet293/Ins6) secreting insulin not only automatically, but in response to stimulation by Dox. The amount on insulin secretion was dependent on the Dox dose (0,10,100,200,400,800 and 1000 microg.L(-1)), the level of insulin secreted by the cells treated with Dox (1000 microg.L(-1)) was 241.0pU.d(-1).cell(-1) , which was 25-fold that of 9.7pU.d(-1).cell(-1) without Dox treatment. Northern blot analyses and RT-PCR further confirmed that the transcription of insulin gene had already been up-regulated after exposing tet293/Ins6 cells to Dox for 15 minutes, and was also induced in a dose-dependent manner. However, the concentration of insulin in the media did not increase significantly until 5 hours following the addition of Dox. CONCLUSION: Human proinsulin gene was transfected successfully and expressed efficiently in 293 cells, and the expression was modulated by tetracycline and its derivatives, improving the accuracy, safety, and reliability of gene therapy, suggesting that conditional establishment of artificial beta-cells may be a useful approach to develop cellular therapy for diabetes mellitus.

The quantum Kirchhoff equation and quantum current and energy spectrum of a homogeneous mesoscopic dissipation transmission line

On the basis of quantization of charge, the loop equations of quantum circuits are investigated by using the Helsenberg motion equation for a mesoscopic dissipation transmission line. On the supposition that the system has a symmetry under translation in charge space, the quantum current and the quantum energy spectrum in the mesoscopic transmission llne are given by solving their eigenvalue equations. Results show that the quantum current and the quantum energy spectrum are not only related to the parameters of the transmission llne, but also dependent on the quantized character of the charge obviously.

Establishment and characterization of a rat pancreatic stellate cell line by spontaneous immortalization

AIM: Activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pancreatic fibrosis and inflammation. Primary PSCs can be subcultured only several times because of their limited growth potential. A continuous cell line may therefore be valuable in studying molecular mechanisms of these pancreatic disorders. The aim of this study was to establish a cell line of rat PSCs by spontaneous immortalization.METHODS: PSCs were isolated from the pancreas of male Wistar rats, and conventional subcultivation was performed repeatedly. Telomerase activity was measured using the telomere repeat amplification protocol. Activation of transcription factors was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay.Activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases was examined by Western blotting using anti-phosphospecific antibodies. Expression of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 was determined by enzyme immunoassay.RESULTS: Conventional subcultivation yielded actively growing cells. One clone was obtained after limiting dilution,and designated as SIPS. This cell line has been passaged repeatedly more than 2 years, and is thus likely immortalized.SIPS cells retained morphological characteristics of primary,culture-activated PSCs. SIPS expressed α-smooth muscle actin, glial acidic fibrillary protein, vimentin, desmin, type Ⅰ collagen, fibronectin, and prolyl hydroxylases. Telomerase activity and p53 expression were negative. Proliferation of SIPS cells was serum-dependent, and stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB through the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. Interleukin-1β activated nuclear factor-κB, activator protein-1, and MAP kinases.Interleukin-1β induced cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 expression through the activation of nuclear factor-κB and MAP kinases.CONCLUSION: SIPS cells can be useful for in vitro studies of cell biology and signal transduction of PSCs.

A New Proposal to Adjust a Straight Line to a Normal Q-Q Plot

In this paper a new proposal of a straight line, the ＂modified Tukey＇s line＂, for fitting to a normal quantile-quantile Plot, or normal Q-Q plot, is presented. This probability plot allows us to determine whether a set of sample observations is distributed according to a normal distribution. For this, the sample quantiles are represented against the quantiles of a theoretical probability model, which in this case is the normal distribution. If the data set follows the above mentioned distribution, the plotted points will have a rectilinear configuration. To verify this, there are different alternatives for fitting a straight line to the plotted points. Among the straight lines which can be fitted to a Q-Q plot, in this paper, besides the proposed straight line, the following straight lines are considered： straight line that passes through the first and third quartiles, straight line that passes through the 10th and 90th percentiles, straight line fitted by the method of least squares, straight line with slope s and constant the average of the data set, Theil＇s line and Tukey＇s line. In addition, an example, in which there are represented the different straight lines considered and the proposed straight line on a normal Q-Q plot obtained for the same set of observations, is developed. In this example the existing differences among the straight lines are observed.

Studies on Breeding and Application of Thermo-sensitive Genie Male Sterile Line 402S in Brassica napus Ⅰ. Hie Breeding Procedure and Character of 402S

A new rapeseed TGMS line 402S has been bred through six years with seven generations by hybridization and systematic breeding.402S possesses the similar thermo-sensitive male sterility to its female parent Xiangyou 91S which performed fertile,partially sterile and sterile throughout the flowering stage,and resembles its male parent Zhongshuang 4 on agronomic traits.And 402S has the double-low (low erutic acid and low glucosinolate) quality like its original parents.

Vaccine by Chicken Line Interaction Alters the Protective Efficacy against Challenge with a Very Virulent plus Strain of Marek’s Disease Virus in White Leghorn Chickens

Marek’s disease (MD) is a lymphoproliferative disease of domestic chickens caused by Marek’s disease virus (MDV), an oncogenic and highly contagious α-herpesvirus. MD has been controlled by vaccination but sporadic outbreaks of MD still occur in some parts of the world. Efforts to improve vaccine efficacy have continued in both research communities and vaccine industries. We reported the host genetic variation affecting Marek’s disease vaccine-induced immunity in chickens earlier. In this study, we evaluated chicken lines, vaccines, and line by vaccine interaction on the protective efficacy of vaccination against MD. Specific pathogen free chickens from the relatively resistant line 63 and the highly susceptible line 72 were primarily used to evaluate the protection by three kinds of vaccines (rMd5ΔMeq, CVI988/Rispens, and HVT) upon challenge with a very virulent plus strain of MDV, vv+648A. Our data confirmed that both the chicken line and the vaccine significantly affected the protective efficacy of vaccination and showed that a chicken line by vaccine interaction, in most of the trials, also altered vaccine protective efficacy. More interestingly, although the protective index of all vaccine strains was higher in resistant than in susceptible line of chickens, the difference for HVT protection was striking and warrants further study. The findings may have important implications for vaccine development as well as for selective use of particular vaccines in specific lines of chickens to achieve maximum protection at minimized costs.

Oral chemotherapy for second-line treatment in patients with gemcitabine-refractory advanced pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND There is no standard therapy for second-line treatment of gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer patients with poor performance status.A combination of chemotherapy drugs 5-fluorouracil(5-FU),leucovorin,irinotecan,and oxaliplatin(FOLFIRINOX)or 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin plus nanoliposomal irinotecan can be considered as second-line treatment for such patients;however,due to toxicity,none of the regimens are recommended for patients with poor performance.Capecitabine or S-1 has relatively low toxicity and can be considered a treatment option for gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer.AIM To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of oral chemotherapy as second-line treatment in patients with pancreatic cancer.METHODS Patients who had progressive disease after first-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed between January 2011 and December 2018.They were treated with capecitabine or S-1 as the second-line treatment.Capecitabine was administered as a 2500 mg/m2 divided dose on days 1-14,followed by a 1-wk rest.S-1 was taken orally based on the patient’s body surface area for 28 d,followed by 2-wk of rest.Progression-free survival and overall survival were used to compare efficacy of capecitabine and S-1.RESULTS Of the 81 patients,41 were treated with capecitabine and 40 with S-1.The median time to treatment failure in both groups was 1.5 mo(P=0.425).The objective response rate was similar in the two groups:9.8%with capecitabine and 2.5%with S-1(P=0.359).Median progression-free survival was longer in the S-1 group than in the capecitabine group(S-12.7 mo,capecitabine 2.0 mo,P=0.003).There was no significant difference in the median overall survival between the capecitabine and S-1 groups(4.3 mo vs 5.0 mo,P=0.092).Grade 3 or 4 hand-foot syndrome was significantly more common in the capecitabine group than in the S-1 group(14.6%vs 0%,P=0.026).CONCLUSION Capecitabine or S-1 can be used as a second-line treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer with poor performance status after progression to a gemcitabine-based regimen.