DHD4, a CONSTANS-like family transcription factor, delays heading date by affecting the formation of the FAC complex in rice.

Heading date (or flowering time) is one of the most important agronomic traits in rice, influencing its regional adaptability and crop yield. Many major-effect genes for rice heading date have been identified, but in practice they are difficult to be used for rice molecular breeding because of their dramatic effects on heading date. Genes with minor effects on heading date, which are more desirable for fine-tuning flowering time without significant yield penalty, were seldom reported.

Effects of Fuzheng Huayu recipe on entecavir pharmacokinetics in normal and dimethylnitrosamine-induced hepatic fibrosis rats.

Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY) combined with entecavir (ETV) is used to treat the cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection. To investigate the effect of FZHY on ETV pharmacokinetics under different conditions. A model of liver fibrosis was created by intraperitoneal injection of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN; 10 μg/kg) for 4 weeks in Wistar rats.

OsVIN2 encodes a vacuolar acid invertase that affects grain size by altering sugar metabolism in rice.

OsVIN2, a vacuolar invertase, affects grain size and yield by altering sugar composition, transport, and starch accumulation in rice. Grain size, a major determinant of rice yield, is influenced by many developmental and environmental factors. Sugar metabolism plays vital roles in plant development.

Post-transcriptional regulation of Ghd7 protein stability by phytochrome and OsGI in photoperiodic control of flowering in rice.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a facultative short-day (SD) plant, flowering early under SD and late under long-day (LD) conditions. Ghd7 is a major regulator of flowering time in rice, which strongly delays flowering under LD. Induction of Ghd7 expression by phytochromes has been shown to contribute to photoperiodic regulation of flowering in rice.

Vitamin D retards intervertebral disc degeneration through inactivation of the NF-κB pathway in mice.

To determine the efficacy and specific mechanism of vitamin D on intervertebral disc degeneration. The model of intervertebral disc degeneration was established in 3-month-old mice. Furthermore, the levels of intervertebral disc degeneration in the vitamin D group and the control group were detected one month later by X-ray, Western boltting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) et al.

Early heading 7 interacts with DTH8, and regulates flowering time in rice.

EH7/Ghd7 interacts with DTH8, and regulates heading date by controlling the expression of Ehd1 in rice. Heading date, or flowering time, an important agronomic trait, influences regional adaptability and yield of crops. Many genes related to heading date in rice have been identified, and a preliminary regulatory network has been established, but the relationships between proteins involved are poorly understood.

TSV, a putative plastidic oxidoreductase, protects rice chloroplasts from cold stress during development by interacting with plastidic thioredoxin Z.

Rice is vulnerable to cold stress. Seedlings are very sensitive to cold stress and this harms global rice production. The effects of cold on chloroplast development are well known, but little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Screening of different sample types associated with sheep and cattle for the presence of nematophagous fungi in China.

A total of 1502 samples, including feces of sheep (793) and cattle (348), pasture soil (118), dung compost (147) and barn soil (96), were examined between October 2012 and August 2014 to discover potential strains of nematophagous fungi for the biological control of livestock-parasitic nematodes. These samples were collected from 87 sites located in 48 counties of 20 provinces (autonomous regions/municipalities) of China. Fungi were identified down to a species level.

[Effect of Fuzheng Huayu recipe on CYP450 isozymes in normal and liver fibrosis rats].

To study the effect of Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY) on five types of isozymes of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) of normal and liver fibrosis rats by using the cocktail probe method. Dimethylnitrosamine ( DMN) was injected to induce the liver fibrosis model. After the tail vein injection with Cocktail probe solutions prepared with five CYP450s probe substrates (phenacetin-CYP1A2, omeprazole-CYP2C9, tolbutamide-CYP2C19, dextromethorphan-CYP2D6, midazolam-CYP3A4), the plasma concentrations of the five probe substrates were determined by LC-MS/MS, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by PK solutions 2.

Isolation, identification, and characterization of the nematophagous fungus Monacrosporium salinum from China.

Nematophagous fungi are considered to have the best potential as biological agents for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in domestic animals. However, relatively few studies have been conducted with the genus Monacrosporium, especially with strains native to China. In the present study, we isolated and identified nematophagous fungi from fresh sheep feces.

Comparative pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution profiles of lignan components in normal and hepatic fibrosis rats after oral administration of Fuzheng Huayu recipe.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fuzheng Huayu recipe (FZHY) is formulated on the basis of Chinese medicine theory in treating liver fibrosis.

Aim Of The Study: To illuminate the influence of the pathological state of liver fibrosis on the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution profiles of lignan components from FZHY.

Materials And Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group and Hepatic fibrosis group (induced by dimethylnitrosamine).

In vivo evaluation of the antitussive, expectorant and bronchodilating effects of extract and fractions from aerial parts of Peganum harmala linn.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aerial parts of Peganum harmala Linn (APP) is used as traditional medical herb in Uighur medicine in China, and it is traditionally used for treatment of cough and asthma.The aim of the present study is to evaluate the antitussive, expectorant and bronchodilating effects of extract and fractions (alkaloids and flavonoids) from APP, and to support its folk use with scientific evidence, and lay a foundation for its further researches.

Materials And Methods: APP was extracted with 50% ethanol by reflux, extracts were concentrated in vacuum to afford total extract of APP (EXT).

[Applications of retrospective electrocardiogram editing in dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography in patients with arrhythmia].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of retrospective electrocardiogram (ECG) -editing technique in dual-source computed tomography (CT) coronary angiography in patients with arrhythmia.

Methods: Totally 73 patients with arrhythmia during dual-source CT coronary angiography were included into this study. A retrospective gating technique and ECG-editing technique (Insert Sync; Disable Sync; Delete Sync; Shift R-peak) were used in patients who needed ECG-editing.