Spatiotemporal patterns of leaf nutrients of wild apples in a wild fruit forest plot in the Ili Valley, China.

Malus sieversii, commonly known as wild apples, represents a Tertiary relict plant species and serves as the progenitor of globally cultivated apple varieties. Unfortunately, wild apple populations are facing significant degradation in localized areas due to a myriad of factors. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the nutrient status and spatiotemporal variations of M.

Leaf-root-soil N:P stoichiometry of ephemeral plants in a temperate desert in Central Asia.

Ephemeral plants are a crucial vegetation component in temperate deserts of Central Asia, and play an important role in biogeochemical cycle and biodiversity maintenance in desert ecosystems. However, the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) status and interrelations of leaf-root-soil of ephemeral plants remain unclear. A total of 194 leaf-root-soil samples of eight ephemeral species at 37 sites in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China were collected, and then the corresponding N and P concentrations, and the N:P ratio were measured.

[Stem hydraulic architecture of in degraded wild fruit forest in Ili valley, China].

To reveal mechanisms underlying the dieback of in degraded wild fruit forest in Ili valley of China, we compared the differences in stem hydraulic architecture, water transport effectiveness and safety, as well as their influencing factors among three growth classes of dead branches ratios, including Class Ⅰ (<20%), Class Ⅱ (40%-60%) and Class Ⅲ (>80%), respectively. With the increases in degradation degree of Xinjiang wild fruit forest, sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity and leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity decreased, without significant differences among the three growth classes. Branch embolism at dusk and hydraulic safety significantly increased.

LncRNA sponges miRNA-221 to promote neurons apoptosis by up-regulated PUMA under hypoxia condition.

: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play substantial roles in cerebral ischemia. Growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) was reported to be involved in stroke. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the roles of GAS5 in cerebral condition and unveil the underlying mechanism.

Morphometric measurement of the cervical spine for minimally invasive pedicle screw fixation using reverse engineering and three-dimensional reconstruction.

Background: Percutaneous cervical pedicle screw fixation has been proven to be an effective method of cervical screw instrumentation, which has the advantages of less invasiveness and low blood loss. Emerging evidence has indicated that the cervical spinous process plays an important role in percutaneous spine surgery. However, there is a limited amount of information on the fundamental research of pedicle and its associated imaging parameter measurement.

Score model for predicting acute-on-chronic liver failure risk in chronic hepatitis B.

Aim: To establish a clinical scoring model to predict risk of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 1457 patients hospitalized for CHB between October 2008 and October 2013 at the Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, China. The patients were divided into two groups: severe acute exacerbation (SAE) group (n = 382) and non-SAE group (n = 1075).

Xijiao Dihuang Decoction () and Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. protect mice against lipopolysaccharide and tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced acute liver failure.

Objective: To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Xijiao Dihuang Decoction (, XJDHD) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced acute liver failure (ALF) as well as the underlying mechanism of action, and to clarify the key herbs and components of XJDHD.

Methods: LPS/D-galactosamine (D-GalN) or TNF-α/D-GalN were intraperitoneally injected into C57BL/6J mice to induce ALF. Simultaneously, XJDHD or its individual herbs and components were orally administered.

Renovascular morphological changes in a rabbit model of hydronephrosis.

Obstructive nephropathy ultimately leads to end-stage renal failure. Renovascular lesions are involved in various nephropathies, and most renal diseases have an ischemic component that underlies the resulting renal fibrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether morphological changes occur in the renal vasculature in hydronephrosis and the possible mechanisms involved.

A safety study of inactivated Enterovirus 71 vaccine.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of the major causative agents for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in childhood. Nowadays, HFMD or EV71 infections have already become an important public health issue throughout the world. Vaccination may be the most effective measure to control the transmission of the virus.

Three-dimensional visualization of pelvic vascularity.

The aim of this study was to establish a 3D digitized model of pelvic vasculature for anatomic study, preoperative planning, and virtual reality. Three adult fresh cadavers were perfused with carboxymethyl cellulose/lead oxide mixture to mark blood vessels, and subjected to multilayer spiral computed tomography scanning to obtain a series of thin sections. Then, the 2D images of the pelvis and pelvic blood vessels were transformed into 3D digitized models using Mimics 11.