A Chinese Medicine Formula “Xian-Jia-Tang” for Treating Bladder Outlet Obstruction by Improving Urodynamics and Inhibiting Oxidative Stress through Potassium Channels

The aim of this study is to investigate efficacy of a traditional Chinese medicine formula (named Xian-Jia-Tang, XJT) on bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in rats and explore its mechanisms. Total 80 BOO model rats were established and randomly divided into 4 groups: physiological saline, XJT, Cesium Chloride (CC), and XJT and CC groups. Meanwhile, 12 rats were used as normal control. Bladder weight and urodynamics were measured. Oxidative stress level and mRNA expressions of potassium channels gene were detected in detrusor. The mRNA and protein levels of hypoxia inducible factor-α (HIF-α) in detrusor were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. BOO model rats showed significantly higher bladder weight and abnormal urodynamics. XJT significantly improved the abnormal urodynamics and inhibited the oxidative stress and changes of mRNA levels of potassium channels genes in detrusor of BOO model rats. Moreover, KATP and SK2/3 mRNA were overexpressed in BOO model rats treated by XJT. Besides, the significantly increased levels of HIF-α mRNA and protein were also inhibited by XJT. However, these inhibition effects of XJT were weakened by CC. XJT could effectively improve the urodynamics and inhibit the oxidative stress caused by hypoxia through suppressing the role of potassium channels in BOO model rats

Postoperative Fever: The Potential Relationship with Prognosis in Node Negative Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Postoperative fever may serve as an indirect sign to reflect the alterations of the host milieu caused by surgery. It still remains open to investigation whether postoperative fever has a bearing on prognosis in patients with lymph node negative breast cancers. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 883 female unilateral patients with lymph node negative breast cancer. Fever was defined as an oral temperature $38 in one week postoperation. Survival curves were performed with Kaplan-Meier method, and annual relapse hazard was estimated by hazard function. Findings: The fever patients were older than those without fever (P,0.0001). Hypertensive patients had a propensity for fever after surgery (P = 0.011). A statistically significant difference was yielded in the incidence of fever among HR+/ERBB2-, ERBB2+, HR-/ERBB2- subgroups (P = 0.012). In the univariate survival analysis, we observed postoperative fever patients were more likely to recur than those without fever (P = 0.0027). The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that postoperative fever (P = 0.044, RR = 1.89, 95%CI 1.02–3.52) as well as the HR/ERBB2 subgroups (P = 0.013, HR = 1.60, 95%CI 1.09–2.31) was an independent prognostic factor for relapse-free survival. Conclusion: Postoperative fever may contribute to relapse in node negative breast cancer patients, which suggests that changes in host milieu related to fever might accelerate the growth of micro-metastatic foci. It may be more precise t

PgtE Enzyme of Salmonella enterica Shares the Similar Biological Roles to Plasminogen Activator (Pla) in Interacting With DEC-205 (CD205), and Enhancing Host Dissemination and Infectivity by Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis, the cause of plague, is a newly evolved Gram-negative bacterium. Through the acquisition of the plasminogen activator (Pla), Y. pestis gained the means to rapidly disseminate throughout its mammalian hosts. It was suggested that Y. pestis utilizes Pla to interact with the DEC-205 (CD205) receptor on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) to initiate host dissemination and infection. However, the evolutionary origin of Pla has not been fully elucidated. The PgtE enzyme of Salmonella enterica, involved in host dissemination, shows sequence similarity with the Y. pestis Pla. In this study, we demonstrated that both Escherichia coli K-12 and Y. pestis bacteria expressing the PgtE-protein were able to interact with primary alveolar macrophages and DEC-205-transfected CHO cells. The interaction between PgtE-expressing bacteria and DEC-205-expressing transfectants could be inhibited by the application of an anti-DEC-205 antibody. Moreover, PgtE-expressing Y. pestis partially re-gained the ability to promote host dissemination and infection. In conclusion, the DEC-205-PgtE interaction plays a role in promoting the dissemination and infection of Y. pestis, suggesting that Pla and the PgtE of S. enterica might share a common evolutionary origin.Peer reviewe

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the Clearance Effects between Blades and Hub in a Water Wheel Used for Power Generation

Water wheels used for power generation are applied to tailwater and ultra-low head sites. In this research, the VOF method and the standard k-ε turbulence model are utilized to predict the performance and transient flow fields of water wheels. The numerical results show a reasonable agreement with the experimental data. This work aims at improving the performance and increasing the internal fluid stability of the water wheel, based on the entropy production approach to research the detailed distribution of energy loss in the water wheel for power generation under the clearance effects between blades and hub. Under the same rotational speed, it is indicated that by setting appropriate clearance, the performance of the water wheel can be elevated by 8.7%, targeted elimination of vortical flow, improving flow adaptability, attenuating to a great extent of the backwater phenomenon, and reducing the fatigue damage of the hub and blade. Further, the interaction mechanism of vorticity–pressure which will induce irreversible energy loss of the water wheel under different clearance effects is investigated. Therefore, this research indicates that the entropy method can provide a theoretical reference and engineering guidance for the targeted optimization of water wheels

Enantioselective separation and determination of mefenpyr‑diethyl enantiomers in cereals and soil using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A simple and highly-sensitive method was established and validated for analyzing mefenpyr‑diethyl enantiomers in cereals and soil samples with HPLC-MS/MS. The baseline enantioseparation (resolution value=6.73) of mefenpyr‑diethyl was achieved within 10.5 min using cellulose-tris [4-methylbenzoate] (OJ-RH column) as chiral station phase. The influence of different mobile phase composition, flow rates and the column temperature on the chiral resolution of mefenpyr‑diethyl were investigated. The five selected sample matrices (four type of cereal crops and soil) were firstly extracted with acetonitrile and then purified with the dSPE sorbents. Satisfactory linearity was afforded for both two enantiomers of the target chiral compound over a range of concentrations (1–500 µg/L) in solvent and in the five matrices (r>0.9994). The mean recoveries of two enantiomers of mefenpyr‑diethyl from five matrices were ranged from 85% to 104%, with all relative standard deviations (RSDs) values below 10.6%. The limits of quantification (LOQ) were 5 µg/kg for mefenpyr‑diethyl enantiomers in all studied matrices, and the limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.03 to 0.13 µg/L. Hence, the new method provides a reference for further research on enantioselective environmental behaviors of mefenpyr‑diethyl in cereal plants and soil

Leaf functional traits and trait relationships of tropical woody vegetation in relation to successional stage: Shifts in understory and canopy layers

To explore whether leaf traits and trait relationships varied during progressive succession within the understory and canopy layers, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations (mass- and area-based), and photosynthetic capacity (A: mass- and area-based) of tropical woody vegetation were measured in 2 layers in 3 successional stages of tropical forests. For understory plants, 4 out of 7 leaf traits varied significantly along the successional stages. The slopes of the N-mass-SLA and P-mass-SLA relationships were steeper in early than in intermediate and old-growth forests. The slopes of the N-mass-A(mass), P-mass-A(mass), and SLA-A(mass) relationships did not differ among the 3 successional stages, but the y-intercepts were higher in early than in intermediate and old-growth forests. The slope of the N-mass-P-mass relationship changed little along the successional gradient, but the y-intercepts were higher in old-growth forest than in early and intermediate successional forests. For canopy trees, 3 out of 7 leaf traits changed significantly, but the slopes of 6 bivariate relationships remained invariant over the successional chronosequence. However, the y-intercepts of the N-mass-A(mass) and SLA-A(mass) relationships were higher in early and intermediate forests than in old growth forest, and the y-intercept of the N-mass-P-mass relationship was higher in early than in intermediate and old-growth forests. These results show that understory plants adjusted their SLA to adapt to environmental conditions more readily in intermediate and old-growth forests than in early successional forest. Resource allocation strategies did not differ within the canopy layers during the successional progress, and variations in photosynthetic nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency (PNUE/PPUE) and N:P ratios were unrelated to resource allocation strategies, but likely responded to environmental pressures.To explore whether leaf traits and trait relationships varied during progressive succession within the understory and canopy layers, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations (mass- and area-based), and photosynthetic capacity (A: mass- and area-based) of tropical woody vegetation were measured in 2 layers in 3 successional stages of tropical forests. For understory plants, 4 out of 7 leaf traits varied significantly along the successional stages. The slopes of the N-mass-SLA and P-mass-SLA relationships were steeper in early than in intermediate and old-growth forests. The slopes of the N-mass-A(mass), P-mass-A(mass), and SLA-A(mass) relationships did not differ among the 3 successional stages, but the y-intercepts were higher in early than in intermediate and old-growth forests. The slope of the N-mass-P-mass relationship changed little along the successional gradient, but the y-intercepts were higher in old-growth forest than in early and intermediate successional forests. For canopy trees, 3 out of 7 leaf traits changed significantly, but the slopes of 6 bivariate relationships remained invariant over the successional chronosequence. However, the y-intercepts of the N-mass-A(mass) and SLA-A(mass) relationships were higher in early and intermediate forests than in old growth forest, and the y-intercept of the N-mass-P-mass relationship was higher in early than in intermediate and old-growth forests. These results show that understory plants adjusted their SLA to adapt to environmental conditions more readily in intermediate and old-growth forests than in early successional forest. Resource allocation strategies did not differ within the canopy layers during the successional progress, and variations in photosynthetic nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency (PNUE/PPUE) and N:P ratios were unrelated to resource allocation strategies, but likely responded to environmental pressures

A Devonian predatory fish provides insights into the early evolution of modern sarcopterygians

Crown or modern sarcopterygians (coelacanths, lungfishes, and tetrapods) differ substantially from stem sarcopterygians, such as Guiyu and Psarolepis, and a lack of transitional fossil taxa limits our understanding of the origin of the crown group. The Onychodontiformes, an enigmatic Devonian predatory fish group, seems to have characteristics of both stem and crown sarcopterygians but is difficult to place because of insufficient anatomical information. We describe the new skull material of Qingmenodus, a Pragian (similar to 409-million-year-old) onychodont from China, using high-resolution computed tomography to image internal structures of the braincase. In addition to its remarkable similarities with stem sarcopterygians in the ethmosphenoid portion, Qingmenodus exhibits coelacanth-like neurocranial features in the otic region. A phylogenetic analysis based on a revised data set unambiguously assigns onychodonts to crown sarcopterygians as stem coelacanths. Qingmenodus thus bridges the morphological gap between stem sarcopterygians and coelacanths and helps to illuminate the early evolution and diversification of crown sarcopterygians

WTAP-mediated m6A modification of FRZB triggers the inflammatory response via the Wnt signaling pathway in osteoarthritis

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. However, the exact pathogenesis remains unclear. Emerging evidence shows that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification may have an important role in OA pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the role of m6A writers and the underlying mechanisms in osteoarthritic cartilage. Among m6A methyltransferases, Wilms tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP) expression most significantly differed in clinical osteoarthritic cartilage. WTAP regulated extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, inflammation and antioxidation in human chondrocytes. Mechanistically, the m6A modification and relative downstream targets in osteoarthritic cartilage were assessed by methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and RNA sequencing, which indicated that the expression of frizzled-related protein (FRZB), a secreted Wnt antagonist, was abnormally decreased and accompanied by high m6A modification in osteoarthritic cartilage. In vitro dysregulated WTAP had positive effects on β-catenin expression by targeting FRZB, which finally contributed to the cartilage injury phenotype in chondrocytes. Intra-articular injection of adeno-associated virus-WTAP alleviated OA progression in a mouse model, while this protective effect could be reversed by the application of a Wnt/β-catenin activator. In summary, this study revealed that WTAP-dependent RNA m6A modification contributed to Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation and OA progression through post-transcriptional regulation of FRZB mRNA, thus providing a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for OA treatment