Comparative Analysis of Rhizosphere and Endophytic Microbial Communities Between Root Rot and Healthy Root of Psammosilene tunicoides.

The wild resources of Psammosilene tunicoides have decreased sharply because of the long-term mining and excavation, which has led to the increased demand for its artificial cultivation. However, root rot represents a significant obstacle leading to a poor quality and product of P. tunicoides.

[Characteristics of CO flux and its influence factors over winter wheat agroecosystem in the North China Plain].

Using CO flux data of winter wheat recorded by eddy covariance system, combined with the meteorological data, we examined the diurnal variations of CO fluxes in four growth stages (tillering stage, overwintering stage, jointing stage and filling stage) of winter wheat in an agroecosystem of the North China Plain from 2013 to 2014. The seasonal variation of net ecosystem exchange and its relationship with meteorological factors were investigated. The results showed that the net ecosystem exchange in the whole growing season was -360.

[Flux footprint of winter wheat farmland ecosystem in the North China Plain].

The flux data of winter wheat farmland ecosystem observed by eddy covariance system in the North China Plain from 2013 to 2014 were used to combine with the footprint model FSAM. The temporal and spatial distributions of footprint of winter wheat farmland ecosystem in the North China Plain were analyzed. The differences of footprint distribution in different atmospheric stratification and growing seasons were contrastively studied.

Clinical outcomes and prediction of survival following percutaneous biliary drainage for malignant obstructive jaundice.

The present study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in patients with obstructive jaundice and identify potential predictors of patient survival. Clinical data from 102 patients (66 males and 36 females; median age, 63.50 years; range, 29-84 years) with a mean (± standard deviation) pre-drainage serum bilirubin level of 285.

Resveratrol induces insulin gene expression in mouse pancreatic α-cells.

Background: Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are characterized by loss of β-cells; therefore, β-cell regeneration has become one of the primary approaches to diabetes therapy. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, has been shown to improve glycaemic control in diabetic patients, but its action on pancreatic α-cells is not well understood.

Findings: Using mouse α-cells (αTC9), we showed that resveratrol induces expression of pancreatic β-cell genes such as Pdx1 and Ins2 in a SirT1-dependent manner.

[Tumor associated antigen CHP2 promotes intraperitoneal metastasis of HEK293 cells in nude mice].

Objective: To investigate the effect of tumor associate antigen of CHP2 on the metastatic potential of HEK293 cells in nude mice.

Methods: Matrigel testing by Boyden chamber and intraperitoneal inoculation of BALB/c nude mice were respectively performed to detect the metastatic potential of HEK293 transfectants in vitro and in vivo. HE staining was used to confirm the tumor metastasis in related organs.

Topological and functional discovery in a gene coexpression meta-network of gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is a leading cause of global cancer mortality, but comparatively little is known about the cellular pathways regulating different aspects of the gastric cancer phenotype. To achieve a better understanding of gastric cancer at the levels of systems topology, functional modules, and constituent genes, we assembled and systematically analyzed a consensus gene coexpression meta-network of gastric cancer incorporating >300 tissue samples from four independent patient populations (the "gastrome"). We find that the gastrome exhibits a hierarchical scale-free architecture, with an internal structure comprising multiple deeply embedded modules associated with diverse cellular functions.

Reduced expression of EphB2 that parallels invasion and metastasis in colorectal tumours.

EphB2, a receptor tyrosine kinase regulated by the beta-catenin/Tcf4 complex, is expressed in the proliferative compartment of mouse intestine and regulates bidirectional migration of intestinal precursor cells in the crypt-villus axis through repulsive interaction with Ephrin-B ligands. Recently, it has been shown that reduction of EphB activity accelerates colon tumour progression in the Apc(Min/+) mice. In this study, we examined the expression of EphB2 in normal colon, adenomas, primary colorectal cancers (CRCs), lymph node metastases and liver metastases using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays.