Choroid plexus and its relations with age-related diseases.

The choroid plexus is composed of epithelial cells situated on the basal layer. The tight junctions between adjacent choroid plexus epithelial cells establish the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier. This barrier, in conjunction with the blood-brain barrier, is crucial for the homeostasis of the brain microenvironment.

The causality between gut microbiome and liver cirrhosis: a bi-directional two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background And Aim: Previous studies have reported an association between gut microbiota and cirrhosis. However, the causality between intestinal flora and liver cirrhosis still remains unclear. In this study, bi-directional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to ascertain the potential causal effect between gut microbes and cirrhosis.

[Effects of Water-salt Environment on Freshwater Wetland Soil C, N, and P Ecological Stoichiometric Characteristics in the Yellow River Estuary Wetland].

Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) are important nutrients, and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics can reflect the quality and fertility capacity of soil, which is critical to understanding the stable mechanisms of estuarine wetland ecosystems. Under global changes, the increase in salinity and flooding caused by sea level rise will lead to changes in biogeochemical processes in estuarine wetlands, which is expected to affect the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of soil C, N, and P and ultimately interfere with the stability of wetland ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how the C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics respond to the water-salt environment in estuarine wetlands.

The Whole-transcriptome Landscape of Diabetes-related Sarcopenia Reveals the Specific Function of Novel lncRNA Gm20743.

While the exact mechanism remains unclear, type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk of sarcopenia which is characterized by decreased muscle mass, strength, and function. Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing and informatics were performed on the diabetes-induced sarcopenia model of db/db mice. To determine the specific function of lncRNA Gm20743, the detection of Mito-Sox, reactive oxygen species, Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, and myosin heavy chain was performed in overexpressed and knockdown-Gm20743 C2C12 cells.

Artificial intelligence improves accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of a handheld infrared eccentric autorefractor for adult refractometry.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of a handheld infrared eccentric autorefractor (hICA) with artificial intelligence (AI) by comparing its refraction measurements to those recorded using hICA and a clinical table-mounted automatic refractor (TAR).

Methods: A cross-sectional study using three optometers, including hICA with or without AI and TAR, for refractometry of adults (aged 19-49 years old) with no signs of ocular disease or trauma in the absence of cycloplegia. Right and left eye refraction data were recorded, including the spherical equivalent (SE), diopter of spherical power (DS), diopter of cylindrical power (DC) decomposed into vectors J0 and J45, and measurement times.

Porous and Ultra-Flexible Crosslinked MXene/Polyimide Composites for Multifunctional Electromagnetic Interference Shielding.

Lightweight, ultra-flexible, and robust crosslinked transition metal carbide (TiC MXene) coated polyimide (PI) (C-MXene@PI) porous composites are manufactured via a scalable dip-coating followed by chemical crosslinking approach. In addition to the hydrophobicity, anti-oxidation and extreme-temperature stability, efficient utilization of the intrinsic conductivity of MXene, the interfacial polarization between MXene and PI, and the micrometer-sized pores of the composite foams are achieved. Consequently, the composites show a satisfactory X-band electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness of 22.

MICU3 regulates mitochondrial Ca-dependent antioxidant response in skeletal muscle aging.

Age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, termed sarcopenia, could impair the quality of life in the elderly. The mechanisms involved in skeletal muscle aging are intricate and largely unknown. However, more and more evidence demonstrated that mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis also play an important role in skeletal muscle aging.

Comparison of delta-shaped anastomosis and Billroth I reconstruction after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Background: This study intends to compare the short-term effects and long-term survival of gastric cancer patients who underwent delta-shaped anastomosis (DA) and Billroth I reconstructions after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 257 patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy between January 2013 and December 2017. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to the reconstruction method used: the DA group (n=91) and the Billroth I group (n=166).

FGF19 protects skeletal muscle against obesity-induced muscle atrophy, metabolic derangement and abnormal irisin levels via the AMPK/SIRT-1/PGC-α pathway.

Obesity is associated with biological dysfunction in skeletal muscle. As a condition of obesity accompanied by muscle mass loss and physical dysfunction, sarcopenic obesity (SO) has become a novel public health problem. Human fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) plays a therapeutic role in metabolic diseases.

Type 2 diabetes-induced overactivation of P300 contributes to skeletal muscle atrophy by inhibiting autophagic flux.

Aims: Although autophagy impairment is a well-established cause of muscle atrophy and P300 has recently been identified as an important regulator of autophagy, the effects of P300 on autophagy and muscle atrophy in type 2 diabetes (T2D) remain unexplored. We aimed at characterizing the role of P300 in diabetic muscle and its underlying mechanism.

Main Methods: Protein levels of phosphorylated P300, total P300, acetylated histone H3, LC3, p62 and myosin heavy chain, and mRNA levels of Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 were analyzed in palmitic acid (PA)-treated myotubes and db/db mice.

Effect of sarcolipin-mediated cell transdifferentiation in sarcopenia-associated skeletal muscle fibrosis.

Fibrosis is a key pathological event during muscle aging that accelerates the development of sarcopenia. We show that sarcolipin (SLN) is highly expressed during aging, promotes intracellular calcium overload and participates in impaired myogenic differentiation. d-Galactose (D-gal) was used to induce senescence in C2C12 myoblasts.

[Vegetative reproduction characteristics of Leymus chinensis in heterogeneous habitats in Songnen Plain, China].

The perennial clonal grasses rely mainly on vegetative reproduction to achieve continuous regeneration. Buds and juvenile tillers formed by buds are potential populations for vegetative reproduction. We compared the composition and size of potential population of Leymus chinensis in the enclosure meadow, long-term mowing meadow, enclosing sand-covered meadow, and forest-grassland, with excavation sampling by unit area and using vegetative reproduction generations to classify the age of tillers, rhizomes and various types of buds and juvenile tillers.

[Module growth and biomass allocation of Chloris virgate clone at different growth stages in Songnen Plain, China].

The growth characteristic and strategies of Chloris virgate at different growth stages were examined in Songnen Plain by analyzing the quantitative characters and biomass allocation of aboveground and belowground parts at shooting and ripening stages in C. virgate population, with a large amount of sampling. The results showed that height, total root length, total root surface area, root volume, aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, and total biomass were significantly different between the two growth stages.

[Age structure and growth characteristics of Juglans cathayensis seedling populations at different slope aspects in Wild Walnut Natural Conservation Area of Xinjiang, China].

For grasping the composition and growth characteristics of seedling populations of Juglans cathayensis, a national grade 2 endangered plant, four 2-hm plots were set up at different slope aspects in Wild Walnut Natural Conservation Area of Xinjiang, China. Adjacent lattice method was used to survey J. cathayensis seedlings.

Small-Scale Habitat-Specific Variation and Adaptive Divergence of Photosynthetic Pigments in Different Alkali Soils in Reed Identified by Common Garden and Genetic Tests.

Flexibility of photosynthetic pigment traits is an important adaptive mechanism through which plants can increase mean fitness in a variable environment. Unlike morphological traits in plants, photosythesis has been shown to exhibit phenotypic plasticity, responding rapidly to environmental conditions. Meanwhile, local adaptation at small scales is considered to be rare.

[Distribution patterns of Juglans cathayensis populations at different slope aspects in Tianshan valley in Xinjiang, China].

Eight 4000 m plots were set up at eight sites distributed on sunny and shady slopes of four valleys, and adjacent lattice method was used to survey Juglans cathayensis populations. At different scales, aggregation intensity index such as variance/mean ration and deviation index (C), negative binomial parameter (K), clumping index (I), mean crowding index (m), patchiness index (PAI) and aggregation index (C) were used to analyze distribution patterns of populations. With the increase of surveying scales, the distribution patterns changed from cluster to random.

[Demography and spectrum analysis of Juglans cathayensis populations at different altitudes in the west Tianshan valley in Xinjiang, China].

Juglans cathayensis is an endangered plant species and listed as a class II protected species of the national government of China. In order to grasp the current state of J. cathayensis populations and predict the population dynamics in the future, a large-sample investigation was conducted in the sample plots along different altitude gradients in four valleys in J.

[Effects of rodents and litter coverage on the seed fate of wild Prunus divaricata in wild fruit forest of Tianshan Mountain, Northwest China].

The dynamic variation characteristics of seed bank and the main factors influencing the fate of Prunus divaricata seeds under the pressure of rodent predation and litter coverage were investigated with artificial soil seed banks from September, 2010 to April, 2013. It was found that there was about 48.3% of seeds germinated under the rodent predation disturbance conditions, 50% of the seeds was predated in situ or removed, and only about 4% decayed.

[Spatial patterns of plant species diversity in a degraded successional series of fragmented Leymus chinensis meadow in Songnen Plain of Northeast China].

Species diversity pattern is a hot topic in the forward field of international biodiversity research. Taking a degraded successional series (six communities distributed in 144 isolated patches) of fragmented Leymus chinensis meadow in Songnen Plain as test objects, this paper studied the spatial patterns of alpha, beta, and gamma diversities and related mechanisms. Eighty seven plant species were recorded, but none of them were distributed across all patches.

[Age structures of Spodiopogon sibiricus populations on weedy meadow and elm woodland in Songnen Plain, northeast China].

In 2003 and 2006, investigations were made on the age structures of Spodiopogon sibiricus populations as well as the matter productivities and vegetative reproduction capacities of different age-class modules of the populations on the weedy meadow and elm woodland in Songnen Plain of northeast China. At the two habitats, the tillers of S. sibiricus all consisted of 2-3 age classes, and the rhizomes all composed of 4 age classes.

[Reproductive tillers phenotypic plasticity of Elymus excelsus population at different earring time in Songnen Plain of Northeast China].

The reproductive tillers of Elymus excelsus population in Songnen Plain were randomly marked with labels every other four days (five times in total) at early earring stage, and the marked tillers were harvested at dough stage, with the differences of their quantitative characteristics as well as the relationships between the quantitative characteristics and the shortened time of reproductive growth were analyzed. With the shortened time of reproductive growth, the quantitative characteristics of the reproductive tillers decreased gradually, which was not beneficial to the reproductive growth, reproductive allocation, and fruiting of reproductive tillers. The later the earring time, the larger the impact on fruiting and reproductive allocation was.

[Spatial patterns of seed dispersal in Hemiptelea davidii woodland in Keerqin sandy land, China].

In order to reveal the space expansion potential of Hemiptelea davidii woodland in Keerqin sandy land in China, the quantitative spatial characteristics of the seed rain in the understory and at the woodsides, as well as the seed dispersal patterns at the woodsides and of the isolating trees, were analyzed through survey on sequential sampling away from seed source in different directions at the woodsides and isolating trees and random sampling in the understory. The results showed that among three sampling plots, the average density of the seed rain in the understory was the highest (13732.5 +/- 3106.

[Growth analysis on modules of Cynodon dactylon clones in Yili River Valley Plain of Xinjiang].

By the method of randomly digging up whole ramet tuft while maintaining natural integrity, large samples of Cynodon dactylon clones were collected from a grape orchard abandoned for 2 years without any management in the Yili River Valley Plain of Xinjiang, aimed to quantitatively analyze the growth patterns of their modules. The results showed that the average ramet number of test 30 clones reached 272.6 +/- 186.

Effect of aridification on the replacement of zonic species, Stipa baicalensis Roshev., by azonic species, Leymus chinensis Tzvel., in the steppe of China.

The perennial grass Stipa baicalensis is the zonic species in the steppe of China, but is currently being replaced by the azonic species of Leymus chinensis. In this area, aridification is on the increase; therefore, we hypothesize that water competition plays a significant role in this succession. The limit of osmotic adjustment in S.