Transcription factor is one of the key factors in the regulation of gene expression at the transcriptional level. It plays an important role in plant growth, active components biosynthesis and response to environmental change. This paper summarized the structure and classification of bHLH transcription factors and elaborated the research progress of bHLH transcription factors which regulate the active components in plants, such as flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids. In addition, the possibility of increasing the concentration of active substances by bHLH in medicinal plants was assessed. The paper emphasized great significance of model plants and multidisciplinary research fields including modern genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics, providing the contribution to improve the discovery and function characterization of bHLH transcription factors. Accelerating the research in the mechanism of bHLH transcription factors on the regulation of active components biosynthesis will promote the development of breeding and variety improvement of Chinese medicinal materials, also ease the pressure of resources exhaustion of traditional Chinese medicine home and abroad.

Objective There is a lack objective methods for the diagnosis of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD).This study aimed to investigate the influence of propofol or etomidate anes-thesia on the postoperative cognitive function and serum S 100βprotein level in infants . Methods This study included 100 hernia infants aged 1-3 years treated by laparoscopic herniorrhaphy under propofol (n=50) or etomidate anesthesia (n=50).At 1 day before and 3 days after surgery, we assessed the cognitive function of the patients using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development ( BSID-Ⅲ) and further divided each group into a POCD and a non-POCD sub-group based on the results of diagnosis made according to the Z-scores.Using ELISA, we measured the levels of the serum S100βpro-tein in the iliac venous blood drawn preoperatively ( T0 ) and before PACU ( T1 ) and compared them between the POCD and non-POCD groups. Results At 3 days after operation, POCD was observed in 10 cases (20.0%) in the propofol group and 9 cases (18.0%) in the etomidate group, with no statistically significant differences between the two (P>0.05).The level of the serum S100βprotein was markedly elevated in both the propofol and etomidate groups at T 1 as compared with that at T0(P<0.05), and so was it in the POCD in comparison with that in the non-POCD group (P<0.05), with no statistically significant differences between the two groups at T1(P>0.05).A significant correlation was found between the postoperative S 100βlevel and POCD at 3 days after surgery in both the propofol (r=0.842, P=0.001) and the etomidate group (r=0.821, P=0.001). Conclusion Propofol and etomidate anes-thesia can induce different degrees of postoperative decline of cognitive function in 1-3 years old infants .The post-anesthesia elevation of the serum S100βprotein level is positively correlated with early postoperative POCD and indicates various degrees of brain damage .

Objective To assess the application of Chinese children's intelligence equation (CCIE) and Bayley Scales of infant and toddler development-Ⅲ (BSID-Ⅲ) in screening of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in children after general anesthesia.Methods The study group (Group A),including 50 ASA-Ⅰ participants of 1-3 years old who would undergo hernia repair laparoscopic surgery,was assessed on one day (1 d) before and three days (3d) after the surgery respectively by both of CCIE and BSID-Ⅲ according to their ages of month.The control group (Group C),including 50 healthy participants with the matched age,was assessed in the same period by the same method.Both of Group A and C were assessed by the Z score method to diagnose POCD and both scales were used to analyze the results of POCD screening and their agreement.Results (1) Compared with preoperative 1 d,the CCIE score of Group A on 3d after surgery was relatively decreased (21.22±4.96 vs 18.65±4.74,P＜0.05) and the POCD rate was 12.0％.While in Group C,the CCIE score and the POCD rate had no statistical significance (20.83±4.97 vs 21.22±5.21,P＞0.05).(2) Compared with preoperative 1d,the scores of cognition,language,motion,social-emotion and adaptive behaviors in BSID-Ⅲ of Group A decreased (100.00±4.58 vs 96.44± 4.20,103.22±4.99 vs 96.24± 5.75,102.06±4.01 vs 95.28±4.27,101.22±7.38 vs 91.06±7.10,98.52±9.11 vs 90.5±8.47,P＜0.05) and the POCD incidence was 20.0％.While in group C,the BSID-Ⅲ score and the POCD rate had no statistical significance (104.61±5.48 vs 103.79±5.38,107.68±5.60 vs 107.11 ±6.05,108.29±5.91 vs 108.29±4.21,101.11±7.61 vs 101.86±6.99,99.00±7.99 vs 100.82±7.36,P＞0.05).(3)Reasonable agreement of the CCIE and BSID-Ⅲ was observed (Kappa value was 0.70;P＜ 0.05).Conclusion There is considerable agreement between BSID-Ⅲ and CCIE.While BSID-Ⅲ is relatively more sensitive to the POCD and more efficient in the diagnosis of POCD than the CCIE.Thus,BSID-Ⅲ is more likely to provide better evaluation of the postoperative cognitive functions of children within 1-3 years old and should be recommended to the health professionals in China.

Research on medicinal model organism is one of the core technologies to promote the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The research progress of Salvia miltiorrhiza as medicinal model plant is summarized in this paper. The genome of S. miltiorrhiza is small and its life cycle is short, as well as this plant can be stably genetically transformed. Because S. miltiorrhiza possesses the important medicinal and economic values, recently the transcriptome and genome of S. miltiorrhiza have been significantly recovered. The research prospect of S. miltiorrhiza as medicinal model plant in TCM was discussed, including biosynthesis of active components and their genetic regulation, relationship between quality of TCM and ecological environments, and selective breeding of good quality lines. Furthermore, as medicinal model plant, the construction of mutant library for S. miltiorrhiza, the genome map with high quality, and the functional genome should be investigated. Accompanying modern investigation of life sciences, the platform for medicinal model plant, S. miltiorrhiza, will be promoted to be established. It is important to develop the ethnopharmacology and new drugs around the world.

Objective To explore humam cytomegalovirus(HCMV) encoded microRNAs during latent infection in order to help study HCMV virology and latent infection mechanisms.Methods A model of HCMV latent infection via THP-1 cells infected with HCMV was constructed.Deep-sequencing was performed using high-resolution Solexa sequencing platform.The secondary structure of the newly sequenced miRNA was predicted by RNAFold bioinformatics software. Results HCMV encoded various miRNAs during latent infection, including miR-US25-2-3p, miR-US25-2-5p, miR-UL112, miR-US25-1, miR-UL22A and PC-5p-148467 with a predicted length of 25 bp, named hcmv-miR-US33as-5p.Conclusion HCMV can express many types of miRNAs during latent infection.

The medicinal fungi, which are of great importance in traditional medicine, are facing the problems of wild resources scarcity and low concentration of bioactive compounds. Velvet family and LaeA global regulator play a vital role in secondary metabolism and developmental programs, which are found in a wide variety of fungi ranging from Chytridiomycota to Basidiomycota. This review elaborates the structures and functions between Velvet family and LaeA protein. The Velvet family which shares the Velvet protein domain, including VeA (Velvet), VelB (Velvet like B), VosA (viability of spores A) and VelC (Velvet like C), acts on the regulation function is secondary metabolism and developmental programs such as asexual and sexual development. Furthermore, the function is affected by environmental factors such as light and temperature. LaeA protein which owns S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase domain, coordinately regulates development and secondary metabolism by regulating and modifying the Velvet proteins. The regulation of LaeA is mediated by light receptor proteins. Therefore, clarifying the mechanism of Velvet and LaeA proteins in medicinal fungi will pave the way for nurturing medicinal fungi and improving production of bioactive compounds.

Objective: To explore the interaction effects and possible sex differences in childhood emotional overeating and polygenic influences on adolescent pubertal timing and tempo. Methods: In March 2016 (T0), all participants were recruited from grades 1 to 3 from two primary school of Bengbu, Anhui Province using cluster sampling, and follow up surveys were conducted once per year (T1, T2, T3). Emotional overeating was assessed at T1 and pubertal development was assessed annually (breast Tanner stage in girls and testicular volume in boys). The nonlinear growth model was used to estimate pubertal timing and tempo. Polygenic risk scores were calculated based on 17 SNPs for early pubertal timing. Hierarchical linear regression was performed to examine the interaction effects between childhood emotional overeating and polygenic risk scores on pubertal timing and tempo. Results: The complete data of 896 children were analyzed, including 373 boys (41.60%) and 523 girls (58.40%). A total of 203 (22.7%) children reported emotional overeating behavior at T1. After adjusting for several variables including early life adversity, delivery mode, and birthweight, only emotional overeating was associated with accelerated pubertal tempo among girls with a high genetic risk (B=0.19, 95%CI=0.07~0.32， P<0.01), although there was no association with pubertal timing (B=0.14, 95%CI=-0.12~0.41，P=0.28). In girls with a low genetic risk and boys, no evidence was found to support interaction effects between childhood emotional overeating and polygenic influences on pubertal timing and tempo (P＞0.05). Conclusion Emotional overeating was associated with a faster pubertal tempo in girls who had a high genetic risk of early pubertal development.

Objective: To evaluate the development trajectory of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in childhood, and to explore the influence of different SSB intake patterns on childhood obesity. Methods: In 2016, a follow-up cohort study was carried out in two primary schools in Bengbu, Anhui Province. Three annual follow-ups were conducted in 1 263 children at baseline, and 997 children were included in the final analysis. Parental and student questionnaires were used to obtain basic information related to the children s consumption of SSBs. A group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was applied to classify the development trajectory of SSB intake patterns in childhood. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the correlation between different SSB intake patterns and childhood obesity. Results: GBTM identified four childhood SSB intake patterns, namely, the "persistently-low group (n=822), “decreasing-after-increasing” group (n=20), “gradually-decreasing” group (n=106), and “increasing” group (n=49). In the decreasing-after-increasing group and the gradually-decreasing group, baseline BMI levels and BMI levels obtained at the three follow-ups were significantly higher than those observed in the persistently-low group (F=6.26, 5.90, 5.99, 5.87, P<0.01). There were sex differences in the association between SSB intake patterns and the children s BMI levels. Among girls, after adjusting for confounding factors, the gradually decreasing group increased by 1.20 kg/m 2(B=1.20，95%CI=0.25-2.15, P=0.01) when compared with the persistently low group at the third follow-up. Among boys, no statistically significant association was found between SSB intake patterns and BMI levels (P>0.05). Conclusion Sex differences were observed with respect to the association between SSB intake patterns and obesity in children. Girls with a higher SSB intake had a significantly increased risk of obesity. Further studies are needed to explore the physiological mechanisms underlying sex differences, to provide the theoretical basis for developing intervention programs to prevent childhood obesity.

Objective To construct plasmids and knock out HIF-1α gene expression in an naked mole rat skin fibroblasts(NSF)cell line using CRISPR/Cas9 genomic editing technology,to provide an in vitro cell model for studying the mechanism of hypoxia tolerance and the occurrence and development of hypoxia-related diseases in naked mole rats.Methods We designed four pairs of single guide RNA(sgRNA)sequences targeting exons 1～4 of the NSF HIF-1αgene and successfully constructed an expression plasmid.The plasmid with the optimal sgRNA was identified and transfected into 293T cells,and the supernatant was used for detecting the virus titer.Lentivirus particles carrying sgRNAs of HIF-1α were transfected into NSF cells which express Cas9 protein,based on a previous protocol.After transfection,fluorescence signals were observed under a fluorescence microscope,and HIF-1α expression in NSF cells was detected by Western Blot and T7 endonuclease 1(T7E1)analysis.Results Sanger sequencing showed that the designed sgRNA was successfully inserted into pX459 and pKLV2-U6-sgRNA2 vectors,demonstrating successful construction of a recombinant plasmid for transfection.T7E1 digestion successfully removed three bands and the target efficiency of sgRNA was 54％.Western Blot showed that the HIF-1α gene was successfully knocked out and its protein level was significantly reduced in NSF cells from naked mole rats(P=0.0019).There were no obvious morphological changes in HIF-1α-knockout cells under the microscope,and gene knockout had no obvious effect on cell proliferation.Conclusions We successfully constructed an HIF-1α-knockout cell line using CRISPR/Cas9 technology,to provide an experimental basis for further studies of the biological function of HIF-1α,as well as the mechanism of hypoxia tolerance in naked mole rats.The result also provide a theoretical foundation for the prevention and treatment of hypoxia-related diseases.

Objective To understand and analyze the incidence rate,risk factors,independent risk factors and the causes of death in elderly population with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Furthermore,analyze the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MS) and mortality rate in patients with NAFLD to provide evidence for the prevention and control of NAFLD in the elderly population.Methods A total of 7 619 elderly people aged over 60 years,and local household registered in Kunshan city,Jiangsu province in 2016 were included as subjects to analyze the incidence rate,influencing factors and causes of death in patients with NAFLD and the relationship between MS and mortality rate in patients with NAFLD.According to different data,using Kruskal-Wallis H test,analysis of variance,t-test,chi-square test or logistic regression analysis were performed.Results The prevalence of NAFLD was14.10％ (1 074/7 619) among the elderly over 60 years in Kunshan city,Jiangsu province in 2016,and the female prevalence rate was significantly higher than that of males (P ＜ 0.05).When the body mass index (BMI) was ＜ 32 (kg/m2),the prevalence of NAFLD increased with the increase of BMI index.When BMI was 18.5-23.9 kg/rn2,24-27.9 kg/m2 and ＞ 32 kg/m2,the prevalence of NAFLD was significantly higher in females than males (P ＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in prevalence between males and females with BMI ＜18.5 kg/m2 and 28～31.9 kg/m2 (P＞ 0.05).BMI gradually decreased (P ＜ 0.05) with the increase of age,and the incidence of NAFLD showed a downward trend (P ＜ 0.05).An independent risk factors for NAFLD (P ＜ 0.01) were gender (OR =0.616),age (OR =0.970),waist circumference (OR =1.065),triglycerides (OR =1.162),BMI (OR =1.238),and diastolic blood pressure (OR =1.012).The probability of NAFLD combined with three and four kinds of MS was significantly higher than control group (P ＜ 0.05).Subjects' mortality rate during the follow-up period was 1.94％,2.23％ in the NAFLD group,and 1.89％ in the control group.Average life expectancy was 75.58 years in NAFLD group and 78.68years in the control group.All deaths in NAFLD groups were associated with MS,and 70.83％ combined with three or more MS.The primary canse of death in NAFLD group was tumors (37.5％),followed by cardiovascular disease (16.67％) and three cases died directly from MS.Conclusion The prevalence of NAFLD in the elderly population in Kunshan city,Jiangsu province is relatively low,which may be associated with local diet and highintensity workouts.MS disorders represented by obesity and diabetes mellitus are closely associated to the onset of NAFLD.Obesity is the most important risk factor for the incidence of NAFLD in the local elderly population over 60 years old.However,the risk of NAFLD should not be neglected in people with normal BMI,especially in aged women,and the weight control should be the most important means to prevent and control NAFLD.NAFLD may increase mortality rate and reduce life expectancy in the elderly population.The main reason to cause death in the elderly with NAFLD is cardiovascular disease and malignant tumors.Simultaneously,multiple MS development may increase the death rate in elderly with NAFLD.