An efficient system for the production of the medicinally important plant: Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr.

An in vitro cultivation protocol was developed for Asparagus cochinchinensis a species threatened by over collection due to its importance as a medicinal plant in China. Adventitious shoot induction was most successful by using hypocotyls as explants for propagation on Murashige and Skoog (Murashige et al., 1962) medium supplemented with 4.5 μM N6-benzylaminopurine (BA) only as well as with 3.0 μM α- naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 4.5 μM BA. For continuous subculture, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and BA (μM) at a ratio of 3.0:4.5 or 3.0:9.0 had the best regeneration potential producing approximately four plantlets per nodal explants. Plantlets had 4 – 5 nodes that could be utilized for the following subculture phase to induce axillary shoots. The plantlets were placed on ½-strength MS medium, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) was included in the media at a concentration of 2.5 or 5.0 M. This propagation regime has the capacity for producing 1000 – 2000 plants from one shoot after 3 months long subculture cycles, making it highly attractive for implementation as an in vitro conservation strategy. The micropropagated plants were easily acclimatized (80%) within a month after rooting in vitro and being planted ex vitro in a sand : soil : peat moss : vermiculite (1:2:1:1; v/v/v/v) mixture.Key words: Medicinal herbs, Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr., micropropagation

{3,3′-Bis[(anthracen-9-yl)meth­yl]-1,1′-[(ethane-1,2-diyldi­oxy)bis­(ethane-1,2-di­yl)]bis­(imidazol-2-yl­idene)}mercury(II) bis­(hexa­fluoridophosphate) acetonitrile disolvate

In the title compound, [Hg(C42H38N4O2)](PF6)2·2CH3CN, the HgII cation lies on a twofold axis which is also the inter­nal symmetry element of the complete cationic complex. The HgII cation is coordinated by two symmetry-related C(carbene) atoms [Hg—C = 2.058 (9) Å] in a nearly linear geometry, with a C—Hg—C angle of 175.8 (5)°. There are weak inter­molecular C—H⋯F inter­actions in the crystal packing between an F atom of a hexa­fluoridophosphate anion and a –CH2– group of the bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligand

Possible origin of Triticum petropavlovskyi based on cytological analyses of crosses between T. petropavlovskyi and tetraploid, hexaploid, and synthetic hexaploid (SHW-DPW) wheat accessions

Intraspecific hybridization between Triticum petropavlovskyi Udacz. et Migusch., synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHW-DPW), and tetraploid and hexaploid wheat, was performed to collect data on seed set, fertility of F1 hybrid, and meiotic pairing configuration, aiming to evaluate the possible origin of T. petropavlovskyi. Our data showed that (1) seed set of crosses T. petropavlovskyi × T. polonicum and T. petropavlovskyi × T. aestivum cv. Chinese Spring was significantly high; (2) fertility of hybrids T. petropavlovskyi × T. polonicum and T. petropavlovskyi × T. aestivum ssp. yunnanense was higher than that of the other hybrids; (3) fertility of F1 hybrids SHW-DPW × T. dicoccoides and SHW-DPW×T. aestivum ssp. tibetanum was significantly high; and (4) c-value of T. petropavlovskyi × T. polonicum and T. petropavlovskyi × T. aestivum cv. Changning white wheat was also significantly high. The results indicate that the probable origin of T. petropavlovskyi is divergence from a natural cross between T. aestivum and T. polonicum, via either spontaneous introgression or breeding effort

Editorial: Viral infection, tumor development and host immune response

Cancer is a devastating disease that remains a leading cause of death worldwide. According to recent statistics, cancer was responsible for 10 million deaths in 2020 alone (Ferlay et al., 2021). Of these cases, viral infections associated cancers have been found to contribute to a significant proportion, with chronic infections such as hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV), human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) being particularly noteworthy. Inflammation and immune response are also closely linked to tumorigenesis, making it crucial to understand how viral infections and host immune response contribute to cancer development (Anand et al., 2008; White et al., 2014). To this end, a special Research Topic has been prepared to advance our knowledge in this field

排卵功能障碍性不孕症患者的中医五态人格及焦虑分析

Objective: Finding out the relationship between five-pattern personality and anxiety 、depression characteristics of the DOI patients. Methods: 200 DOI patients were selected in the Infertility Specialist of Guangzhou Liwan District Hospital of Chinese Medicine，at the same time, researchers choose normal women as controls. Respondents filled in the Five-pattern Personality Scales、SAS、SDS and general information questionnaire. Results: The proportion of shaoyin personality of the DOI patients(50%) is significantly higher than the normal women(22%). And no yin and yang personality was observed in patients with DOI. The SAS and SDS score of the DOI patients, listed in descending order, is as follow, taiyin personality、shaoyin personality、taiyang personality、shaoyang personality、yin and yang personality. Conclusion: The main five-pattern personality of DOI is shaoyin personality. The patients of the taiyin and shaoyin personality are more likely to have the characteristics of anxiety and depression.目的  探究排卵功能障碍性不孕症患者不同中医五态人格类型与焦虑、抑郁情绪的关联性。方法  确诊为排卵功能障碍性不孕症患者200例，同时在本院选择正常已育妇女作为对照组。采用《五态人格量表》、《焦虑自评量表（SAS）》、《抑郁自评量表（SDS）》及一般资料问卷进行调查。结果  排卵功能障碍性不孕症组中少阴型中医人格（50%）明显高于正常妇女组（22%），且没有出现阴阳平和型中医人格。不孕症组中太阳、少阳、少阴、太阴型中医人格的焦虑、抑郁总分4组间不全相等（P＜0.001）。结论  排卵功能障碍性不孕症患者以少阴型中医人格为主，且太阴、少阴型中医人格的患者更易出现高焦虑、高抑郁

Positive Selection of Anti–Thy-1 Autoreactive B-1 Cells and Natural Serum Autoantibody Production Independent from Bone Marrow B Cell Development

A natural serum autoantibody specific for the Thy-1 glycoprotein (anti–Thy-1 autoantibody [ATA]) is produced by B-1 cells that are positively selected by self-antigen. Here, using ATAμκ transgenic mice we show that cells with this B cell receptor are negatively selected during bone marrow (BM) development. In a Thy-1 null environment, BM ATA B cells progress to a normal follicular stage in spleen. However, in a self-antigen–positive environment, development is arrested at an immature stage in the spleen, concomitant with induction of CD5. Such cells are tolerant and short-lived, different from B-1. Nonetheless, ATA-positive selection was evident by self-antigen–dependent high serum ATA production, comprising ∼90% of serum immunoglobulin M in ATAμκ mice. Splenectomy did not eliminate ATA production and transfer of tolerant splenic B cells did not induce it. These findings demonstrate that B-1 positive selection, resulting in the production of natural serum ATA, arises independently from the major pathway of BM B cell development and selection

Ensemble Mapping the Inner Structure of Luminous Quasars

A simple prediction of the well-known unification model of active galactic nuclei is that a sample of sources should exhibit an anti-correlation between the solid angle of the dusty torus and of the ionization cone (as the sum of them shall equal 4$\pi$), which however has never been detected. In this work, we analyze the correlation between [OIII] 5007 narrow emission line equivalent width and $L_{\rm IR}(\lambda)/L_{\rm bol}$ for a large sample of luminous quasars. For the first time, we detect a clear intrinsic anti-correlation between them, which immediately verifies the torus/ionization-cone geometry in luminous quasars. More interestingly, the anti-correlation significantly weakens with increasing wavelength from $\sim$ 2 to 12 $\mu$m, and disappears at $\sim$ 12 $\mu$m. Simulations show a cool dust component (in addition to equatorial torus) with its strength positively correlating with the solid angle of the ionization cone is required to explain the observations. This shows that the polar dust seen in nearby active galaxies also exists in luminous quasars, with its contribution to total dust emission increasing with $\lambda$ (from $\sim$ 2 to 12 $\mu$m) and reaching between 39%-62% (model dependent) at rest frame 12 $\mu$m. Our findings provide a unique approach to map the otherwise spatially unresolvable inner structure of quasars.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Cryptochromes and Hormone Signal Transduction under Near-Zero Magnetic Fields: New Clues to Magnetic Field Effects in a Rice Planthopper

Although there are considerable reports of magnetic field effects (MFE) on organisms, very little is known so far about the MFE-related signal transduction pathways. Here we establish a manipulative near-zero magnetic field (NZMF) to investigate the potential signal transduction pathways involved in MFE. We show that exposure of migratory white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera, to the NZMF results in delayed egg and nymphal development, increased frequency of brachypterous females, and reduced longevity of macropterous female adults. To understand the changes in gene expression underlying these phenotypes, we examined the temporal patterns of gene expression of (i) CRY1 and CRY2 as putative magnetosensors, (ii) JHAMT, FAMeT and JHEH in the juvenile hormone pathway, (iii) CYP307A1 in the ecdysone pathway, and (iv) reproduction-related Vitellogenin (Vg). The significantly altered gene expression of CRY1 and CRY2 under the NZMF suggest their developmental stage-specific patterns and potential upstream location in magnetic response. Gene expression patterns of JHAMT, JHEH and CYP307A1 were consistent with the NZMF-triggered delay in nymphal development, higher proportion of brachypterous female adults, and the shortened longevity of macropterous female adults, which show feasible links between hormone signal transduction and phenotypic MFE. By conducting manipulative NZMF experiments, our study suggests an important role of the geomagnetic field (GMF) in modulating development and physiology of insects, provides new insights into the complexity of MFE-magnetosensitivity interactions, and represents an initial but crucial step forward in understanding the molecular basis of cryptochromes and hormone signal transduction involved in MFE