The complete chloroplast genome of (ericaceae).

Rehder & E. H. Wilson 1913, is a plant with important horticultural value.

Effectiveness of a community-based peer support service among persons suffering severe mental illness in China.

Background: Community-based peer support service is widely and effectively deployed for persons suffering severe mental illness (SMI) in countries with well-developed outpatient mental health systems. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a 1-year peer service project among persons with SMI implemented in China.

Methods: A total of 101 consumers (service recipients) and 66 family caregivers were recruited at baseline from communities located in Beijing and Chengdu.

The Sorting Nexin Genes and Are Required for Reproductive Development, Stress Adaption and Virulence in .

Sorting nexins are a conserved protein family involved in many cellular processes in fungi, and the function of sorting nexin Snx4 (Atg24) and Snx41 (Atg20) in was not clear. The Δ and Δ mutants were generated by a PCR-based marker method to determine the roles of Snx4 and Snx41 in reproductive development, stress adaption, and virulence in . Compared with the wild-type strain, the Δ and Δ mutants exhibited obvious changes in vegetative growth and in morphology of conidia.

Differentially expressed miRNAs and potential therapeutic targets for asthenospermia.

Asthenozoospermia is detected in 40% of infertile men, and characterised by low sperm motility. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in spermatogenesis, but little is known regarding the function of seminal plasma miRNAs in asthenozoospermia. In this study, we collected seminal plasma samples from patients with asthenospermia and healthy men and employed high-throughput sequence technology to identify differentially expressed miRNAs.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genetic Correction in a Mouse Model of Hemophilia A.

Hemophilia A (HA), a common bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), has long been considered an attractive target for gene therapy studies. However, full-length cDNA cannot be packaged efficiently by adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. As the second most prevalent mutation causing severe HA, intron 1 inversion (Inv1) is caused by an intrachromosomal recombination, leaving the majority of (exons 2-26) untranscribed.

Decoding mA mRNA methylation by reader proteins in cancer.

N-methyladenosine (mA), the most prevalent internal modification in eukaryotic mRNAs, regulates gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. The reader proteins of mA, mainly YTH domain-containing proteins, specifically recognize mA-modified mRNAs and regulate their metabolism. Recent studies have highlighted essential roles of mA readers in the initiation and development of human cancers.

Novel small molecular inhibitor of Pit-Oct-Unc transcription factor 1 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent fatal malignancies in the Chinese population, due to high rates of hepatitis virus infection. Molecular targeted drugs such as sorafenib are the anti-tumor agents of choice for HCC treatment, but their results are generally unsatisfactory. In the present study the use of Pit-Oct-Unc transcription factor 1 (OCT1/POU2F1) as a potential therapeutic target for HCC was investigated, and a novel small molecular inhibitor of OCT1 (SMIO-1) was designed and its therapeutic efficacy against HCC was assessed.

Synchronization Theory-Based Analysis of Coupled Vibrations of Dual-Tube Coriolis Mass Flowmeters.

Certain nonlinear influences are found in dual-tube Coriolis mass flowmeters (CMFs). According to experimentation, a nonlinearity dominated by frequency-doubling signals can be observed in the measuring signal. In general, such nonlinear effects are simplified as linear systems or neglected through processing.

The prevalence and independent influencing factors of obesity and underweight in patients with schizophrenia: a multicentre cross-sectional study.

Background: Few studies have investigated the weight of patients with schizophrenia in China.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence, clinical characteristics and influencing factors of obesity and underweight in patients with chronic schizophrenia in China.

Methods: A total of 325 patients with schizophrenia and 172 sex- and age-matched healthy controls from the community were recruited.

Critical roles of mRNA mA modification and YTHDC2 expression for meiotic initiation and progression in female germ cells.

Meiotic entry and progression require dynamic regulation of germline gene expression. mA on mRNAs and recognition by YTHDC2 has been known as post-transcriptional regulatory complex, but the roles of this regulator remain unclear for meiotic initiation and progression in female germ cells (FGCs). This study showed that mA modification occurred mainly in FGCs rather than ovarian somatic cells (SOMAs), and mA levels in FGCs increased significantly with meiotic initiation.

Inhibition of RNA polymerase III transcription by Triptolide attenuates colorectal tumorigenesis.

Background: Upregulation of RNA polymerase (Pol) III products, including tRNAs and 5S rRNA, in tumor cells leads to enhanced protein synthesis and tumor formation, making it a potential target for cancer treatment. In this study, we evaluated the inhibition of Pol III transcription by triptolide and the anti-cancer effect of this drug in colorectal tumorigenesis.

Methods: The effect of triptolide on colorectal cancer development was assessed in colorectal cancer mouse models, 3D organoids, and cultured cells.

Heavy Metal and Metalloid Contamination Assessments of Soil around an Abandoned Uranium Tailings Pond and the Contaminations' Spatial Distribution and Variability.

To investigate the heavy metal and metalloid contamination of soil around a Huanan uranium tailings pond, abandoned in 1998, we defined a study area of 41.25 km² by a natural boundary and targeted 5 elements' (U, Mn, As, Pb, Cr) single contamination and comprehensive pollution as the assessment contents. First, we collected 205 samples and evaluated them with the contamination factor (CF) method aiming at judging whether the single target element concentration exceeded the local background value and environmental quality standard.

Long-Term Diabetes Mellitus Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Previous studies have shown a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer (PC). In particular, new-onset diabetes might be induced by PC, and people with long-term diabetes might be at increased risk for the development of PC. The purpose of our study was to examine whether long-term diabetes represented an independent risk factor for PC development.

rs189037, a functional variant in ATM gene promoter, is associated with idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between a functional variant rs189037(G>A) in ATM promoter and idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia (INOA) in a Chinese population.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Medical academy and hospital.

Association of the CAG repeat polymorphisms in androgen receptor gene with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Many studies have reported the associations of polymorphic CAG repeats in androgen receptor (AR) gene with PCOS risk, but with inconsistent results. So, the aim of present meta-analysis was to clarify such inconsistence, so as to provide more conclusive results.

Methods: PubMed was searched for the eligible reports published until February 2012 without language limitation.

A panel of five circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for prostate cancer.

Background: Circulating microRNA (miRNAs) have been shown to have the potential as noninvasive diagnosis markers in several types of cancers. In this study, we investigated whether circulating miRNAs could be used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer (CaP) in a Chinese patient population.

Methods: Illumina's Human v2 miRNA microarray was used to analyze miRNAs levels in a small set of patients [25 CaP, 17 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)] in an effort to identify CaP-specific miRNAs.

CFTR mutations in men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD): a systemic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Numerous studies have reported CFTR mutations in CBAVD (congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens) patients, but their results are not completely consistent. Here, we present a systemic review and meta-analysis with emphasis on clarifying further the genetic association of CFTR mutations with CBAVD.

Methods: We searched the MEDLINE database until March, 2011 for eligible articles reporting CFTR mutations in CBAVD.

Association of genetic variants in CFTR gene, IVS8 c.1210-12T[5_9] and c.1210-35_1210-12GT[8_12], with spermatogenetic failure: case-control study and meta-analysis.

It has been proposed that the genetic variants of IVS8 c.1210-12T[5_9] and adjacent c.1210-35_1210-12GT[8_12] in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene might contribute to the spermatogenetic failure, but numerous genetic association studies that aimed to test this hypothesis reported conflicting results.

LQTS gene LOVD database.

The Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) is a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders that predisposes young individuals to ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death. LQTS is mainly caused by mutations in genes encoding subunits of cardiac ion channels (KCNQ1, KCNH2,SCN5A, KCNE1, and KCNE2). Many other genes involved in LQTS have been described recently(KCNJ2, AKAP9, ANK2, CACNA1C, SCNA4B, SNTA1, and CAV3).

Adriamycin induces H2AX phosphorylation in human spermatozoa.

Aim: To investigate whether adriamycin induces DNA damage and the formation of gammaH2AX (the phosphorylated form of histone H2AX) foci in mature spermatozoa.

Methods: Human spermatozoa were treated with adriamycin at different concentrations. gammaH2AX was analyzed by immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry and double-strand breaks (DSB) were detected by the comet assay.

Epigenetic abnormality: a possible mechanism underlying the fetal origin of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common, yet heterogeneous and complex, endocrine disorders in women of reproductive age. Although the aetiology of PCOS remains uncertain, emerging evidence has indicated that exposure of the female fetus to the hyperandrogenism milieu in utero may result in PCOS phenotype after birth. Such a phenomenon has been formulated as the fetal origin of PCOS, which intends to give a possible explanation for PCOS aetiology.

Heat shock does not induce gammaH2AX foci formation but protects cells from N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-induced genotoxicity.

The involvement of DNA damage in heat shock-induced cell death remains controversial. To investigate whether heat shock can induce DNA damage, we tested the induction of gammaH2AX foci formation, a sensitive indicator for DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), by heat shock treatment in several cell lines including HeLa, CHL, HepG2, and 293 cells, as well as human spermatozoa. Although heat shock treatment can decrease cell viability, no induction of gammaH2AX foci formation was observed in any of these cells.

Oxidative stress induces H2AX phosphorylation in human spermatozoa.

H2AX phosphorylation occurs following the induction of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), thus collaborating with many other proteins to mediate important biological functions in somatic cells. In human spermatozoa, the present study showed that H(2)O(2) induced H2AX phosphorylation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, such effect could be abolished by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin.