Objective:To investigate the factors affecting the accuracy of electronic portal imaging device (EPID)-based in vivo dose verification in radiotherapy for patients with lung and esophageal cancers, and to recommend the workflow and specifications for the application of the in vivo dose verification. Methods:This study randomly selected 32 patients who received radiotherapy for esophageal and lung cancers at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital from May to August 2022, including 14 lung cancer cases and 18 esophageal cancer cases. Using a uRT-linac 506c linear accelerator, these patients were treated according to the dynamic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (dIMRT) and EPID-based In vivo dose verification ( In vivo EPID) plans developed with the uRT-TPOIS planning system. The In vivo dose verification performed during the treatment included 238 fractions of In vivo EPID and 80 fractions of image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) for the lung cancer cases, as well as 414 fractions of In vivo EPID and 105 fractions of IGRT for the esophageal cancer cases. The 2D γ passing rate for each irradiation field was obtained according to the set threshold value. Furthermore, fractioned irradiation fields with γ-passing rates below the threshold value were analyzed, and primary factors decreasing the γ-passing rate were further analyzed by combining the online CT images and 3D reconstruction-derived dose. Results:For lung and esophageal cancers, the mean γ-passing rates were 95.1% ± 5.7% and 96.5% ± 4.5%, respectively at 3 mm/5%; 91.5% ± 8.4% and 92.2% ± 4.9%, respectively at 3 mm/3%, and 79.1% ± 14.7% and 83.7% ± 8.2%, respectively at 2 mm/2%, indicating no statistically significant differences between two cancers ( P > 0.05). The average γ passing rate for beam orientations near 0°/180° (Group A) was higher than those near 90°/270° (Group B) 3 mm/5%: Z = -25.4, P < 0.05; 3 mm/3%: Z = -26.8, P < 0.05). The IGRT correction of setup errors significantly improved the γ passing rates (96.3% ± 5.1% and 96.4% ± 4.9%, respectively at 3 mm/5%, Z = -5.50, P < 0.05; 92.3% ± 8.0% and 91.3% ± 7.7%, respectively at 3 mm/3%, Z = -9.54, P < 0.05). The results of In vivo dose verification were affected by changes in the volumes and motion of tumors and normal tissues, radiotherapy positioning, and adequacy of pre-treatment preparation. Conclusions:EPID-based In vivo dose verification during radiotherapy can avoid incorrect irradiation. However, it is necessary to standardize the workflow of the EPID-based In vivo dose verification to avoid the decrease in the γ passing rate caused by artificial factors.

Flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of phycocyanidins. In this experiment, the petals of red Rhododendron hybridum Hort. at different developmental stages were used as experimental materials. The R. hybridum flavanone 3-hydroxylase (RhF3H) gene was cloned using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques, and bioinformatics analyses were performed. Petal RhF3H gene expression at different developmental stages were analyzed by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A pET-28a-RhF3H prokaryotic expression vector was constructed for the preparation and purification of RhF3H protein. A pCAMBIA1302-RhF3H overexpression vector was constructed for genetic transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana by Agrobacterium-mediated method. The results showed that the R. hybridum Hort. RhF3H gene is 1 245 bp long, with an open reading frame of 1 092 bp, encoding 363 amino acids. It contains a Fe²⁺ binding motif and a 2-ketoglutarate binding motif of the dioxygenase superfamily. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the R. hybridum RhF3H protein is most closely related to the Vaccinium corymbosum F3H protein. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of the red R. hybridum RhF3H gene tended to increase and then decrease in the petals at different developmental stages, with the highest expression at middle opening stage. The results of the prokaryotic expression showed that the size of the induced protein of the constructed prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a-RhF3H was about 40 kDa, which was similar to the theoretical value. Transgenic RhF3H Arabidopsis thaliana plants were successfully obtained, and PCR identification and β-glucuronidase (GUS) staining demonstrated that the RhF3H gene was integrated into the genome of A. thaliana plants. qRT-PCR, total flavonoid and anthocyanin contentanalysis showed that RhF3H was significantly higher expressed in the transgenic A. thaliana relative to that of the wild type, and its total flavonoid and anthocyanin content were significantly increased. This study provides a theoretical basis for investigating the function of RhF3H gene, as well as for studying the molecular mechanism of flower color in R. simsiib Planch.
Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Rhododendron/metabolism* ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Anthocyanins/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Flavonoids/metabolism* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/metabolism*

ObjectiveThis study aimed to understand the epidemiological characteristics of hand-foot-mouth disease （HFMD） in Minhang District， Shanghai from 2009 to 2020， and provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of HFMD. MethodsThe case information of HFMD was collected from the National Notifiable Infectious Diseases Reporting System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We used descriptive epidemiological methods to analyze the population characteristics， temporal and spatial distribution of HFMD， the pathogen composition of the case and its changing trend. ResultsFrom 2009 to 2020， a total of 66，198 cases of HFMD were reported in Minhang District， Shanghai， including 377 severe cases （severe case rate 0.57%） and 3 deaths （severs case fatality rate 0.80%）. There were more cases of HFMD in boys than in girls （1.5∶1）. HFMD patients aged under 5 years predominated， accounting for 88.91% of all cases. Majority of the cases （91.42%） were in scattered children （55.80%） and children in kindergartens （35.62%）. The incidence showed a cyclical trend， with low incidence years and high incidence years appearing alternately. The peak period was from April to July， and sometimes there were small peaks during October to December. A total of 12 years time-space scanning analysis revealed 3 clusters. The cluster centers were located in Wujing Town， Huacao Town and Xinzhuang Town， respectively. The proportion of EV71 in common cases was generally decreasing， and reduced to zero in 2019. The proportion of CoxA6 had increased year by year， and reached 75.00% in 2020. CoxA6 became the dominant pathogen in recent years. The number of severe cases had decreased year by year since 2010， and the dominant pathogen was EV71 （90.03% on average） in severe cases. ConclusionThe incidence of HFMD in Minhang District of Shanghai has a downward trend from 2014. The dominant pathogen changes from EV71 to CoxA6， and the dominant pathogen in severe cases is EV71. The discovered temporal and spatial clustering pattern is helpful for in-depth understanding of the distribution and epidemic trend of HFMD in Minhang District， and provides a scientific basis for epidemic prevention and control.

Phenylalaninammo-nialyase (PAL) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of methyl benzoate - a plant aroma compound. In order to understand the function of this enzyme in the formation of fragrance in the scented Rhododendron species-Rhododendron fortunei, we cloned a gene encoding this enzyme and subsequently examined the gene expression patterns and the profile of enzyme activity during development in various tissues. The full length of RhPAL gene was cloned by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. The expression levels of RhPAL gene were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and the amount of phenylalanine and cinnamic acid were assayed with LC-MS. The results showed that the ORF sequence of RhPAL gene amplified from the cDNA templates of flower buds had 2 145 bp, encoding 715 amino acids, and shared 90% homology to the PAL amino acid sequences from other species. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of RhPAL in petals during flowering kept in rising even until the flowers wilted. The expression of RhPAL in pistil was much higher than that in stamen, while the expression in the younger leaves was higher than in old leaves. However, the expression level was relatively lower in petal and stamen compared to that in leaves. We also measured the PAL activity by Enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay in the petals of flowers at different flowering stages. The results showed that PAL activity reached the highest at the bud stage and then decreased gradually to the lowest when the flowers wilted, which followed a similar trend in the emission of the flower fragrance. The phenylalanine and cinnamic acid contents measured by LC-MS were highly correlated to the expression level of RhPAL in various tissues and at different flowering stages, implying that RhPAL plays an important role in the formation of the flower fragrance. This work may facilitate the breeding and improvement of new fragrant Rhododendron cultivars.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; Flowers/genetics* ; Rhododendron/genetics*

Terpene synthase (TPS) plays important roles in the synthesis of terpenoids which are the main fragrances in Rhododendron flowers. To understand the function of TPS genes in terpenoid metabolism in relation to flower aroma formation, we identified all TPS gene family members in Rhododendron by analyzing its genome database. We then used a transcriptomic approach to analyze the differential gene expression patterns of TPS gene family members in the scented flower Rhododendron fortunei compared to the non-scented flower Rhododendron 'Nova Zembla'. The contents of terpenoid compounds in petals of the above two Rhododendron species at different developmental stages were also measured by using qRT-PCR and head space-solid phase micro-extraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results showed that a total of 47 RsTPS members, with individual lengths ranged from 591 to 2 634 bp, were identified in the Rhododendron genome. The number of exons in RsTPS gene ranged from 3 to 12, while the length of each protein encoded ranged from 196 to 877 amino acids. Members of the RsTPS family are mainly distributed in the chloroplast and cytoplasm. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RsTPS genes can be clustered into 5 subgroups. Seven gene family members can be functionally annotated as TPS gene family since they were temporally and spatially expressed as shown in the transcriptome data. Notably, TPS1, TPS10, TPS12 and TPS13 in Rhododendron fortunei were expressed highly in flower buds reached the peak in the full blossoming. Correlation analysis between gene expression levels and terpenoid content indicates that the expression levels of TPS1, TPS4, TPS9, TPS10, TPS12 and TPS13 were positively correlated with the content of terpenoids in the petals of R. fortunei at all flower developmental stages, suggesting that these six genes might be involved in the aroma formation in R. fortunei.
Rhododendron/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Terpenes/metabolism* ; Family ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) in production is frequently exposed to inadequate light, which significantly affects its agronomic traits via inhibiting their physiological, metabolic and developmental processes. To explore the mechanism how the grape plants respond to the weak light stress, we used 'Yinhong' grape and examined their physiology-biochemistry characteristics and transcriptional profile under different levels of weak light stress. The results showed that grape seedlings upon low intensity shading treatments were not significantly affected. As the shading stress intensity was strengthened, the epidermis cells, palisade tissue, and spongy tissue in the leaves were thinner, the intercellular space between the palisade tissue and spongy tissue was larger compared with that of the control, and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase were decreased gradually. Additionally, the soluble protein content increased and the free proline content decreased gradually. Compared with the control, significant changes in plant photosynthetic characteristics and physiology-biochemistry characteristics were observed under high intensity of shading (80%). RNA-seq data showed that the differentially expressed genes between CK and T2, CK and T4, T2 and T4 were 13 913, 13 293 and 14 943, respectively. Most of the enrichment pathways were closely related with the plant's response to stress. Several signaling pathways in response to stress-resistance, e.g. JA/MYC2 pathway and MAPK signal pathway, were activated under weak light stress. The expression level of a variety of genes related to antioxidation (such as polyphenol oxidase and thioredoxin), photosynthesis (such as phytochrome) was altered under weak light stress, indicating that 'Yinhong' grape may activate the antioxidation related pathways to cope with reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, it may activate the expression of photosynthetic pigment and light reaction structural protein to maintain the photosynthesis activity. This research may help better understand the relevant physiological response mechanism and facilitate cultivation of grape seedlings under weak light.
Vitis/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Photosynthesis/genetics* ; Plant Leaves ; Light ; Seedlings/metabolism*

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharide (SFPS I, II, and III) on the apoptosis and regulation of human erythroleukemia (HEL) cells. The effect of different doses of SFPS on HEL cell growth was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 method, and apoptosis was detected by Hoechst staining. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected using flow cytometry. Expression of the cell cycle gene, p53, antiapoptotic genes, Bcl-xL and Bcl-2, and pro-apoptotic genes, Bax, Bad, and Caspase-3, as well as the expression of the corresponding proteins, were detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot. The results showed that SFPS II and III decreased HEL cell viability and induced HEL cell apoptosis. Different concentrations of SFPS (I, II, and III) were detected that induced much less toxic effect in normal human embryonic lung (MRC-5) cells, and SFPS I increased cell proliferation, indicating its favorable selectivity towards cancer cells. The mechanism by which SFPS induced apoptosis was also found to be related to the induction of cell cycle arrest in the G/G phase and the increased expression of apoptosis-related genes and proteins. We concluded that SFPS induces HEL cell apoptosis, possibly via activation of the Caspase pathway, providing the theoretical basis for the development of SFPS-based anti-tumor drug products.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of venous blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-6 at 2 weeks after admission with the occurrence of post-stroke depression (PSD) in patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: The hospitalized patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke were recruited consecutively from the Department of Neurology of Yijishan Hospital from March, 2015 to September, 2017. The demographic and baseline clinical data on admission and the imaging data were collected. The diagnosis of PSD was established in line with DSM-IV (SCID-I-R) at 3 months during the follow-up. The severity of PSD was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the correlation of NLR, PLR, IL-17, and IL-6 with PSD in these patients. RESULTS: A total of 376 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled, including 224 male patients (59.57%) and 152 female patients (40.43%), whose mean age was 61.37±10.34 years. Of these patients 104 (27.66%) were found to have PSD. Univariate analysis showed that gender, years of education, BMI, widowhood, NIHSS score, MMSE score, mRS score, and laboratory indexes (NLR, PLR, IL-17, and IL-6) were all significantly correlated with PSD (all < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for the compounding factors, the third quartile of NLR ( < 0.001), the third quartile of PLR (=0.002), IL-17 (=0.025) and IL-6 (=0.016) were independent factors that predicted the occurrence of PSD. CONCLUSIONS Elevated NLR and PLR at admission and levels of IL-17 and IL-6 at 2 weeks after admission are all independent predictors of the occurrence of PSD at 3 months after stroke.
Aged ; Brain Ischemia ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocytes ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils ; Prognosis ; Stroke

Objective To investigate the association of post-stroke depression (PSD) with tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene polymorphism and related clinical risk factors of PSD.Methods Three hundred and seventy-six patients diagnosed as having acute ischemic stroke for the first time, admitted to our hospital from March 2015 to September 2017, were chosen in our study. According to Hamilton depression scale scores and Diagnostic and statisistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV), these patients were divided into PSD group and non-PSD group. High-resolution melt analysis was used to complete the genotyping ofTPH2gene rs4641528 and rs1386494 in the enrolled patients. The correlations of single nucleotide polymorphisms and PSD were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed on items with statistically significant differences in univariate analysis to identify independent factors affecting PSD.Results There were 104 patients into the PSD group and 272 patients into the non-PSD group; there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in years of education and NIHSS scores (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in rs1386494 genotype and allele frequency between the two groups (P>0.05); there were significant differences in rs4641528 genotype and allele frequency between the two groups (P> 0.05). The C allele inthe chromosomes of PSD patients accounted for 54.3％, while the C allele in the chromosomes of non-PSD patients accounted for 43.4％; the presence of allele (C) increased the risk of PSD (OR=1.552, 95％CI: 1.126-2.141,P=0.007). The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that baseline NIHSS scores and genotypes of rs4641528 (C/C+C/T) were independent influencing factors of PSD.Conclusion TPH2rs4641528 gene polymorphism and baseline NIHSS scores are found to be associated with depression 3 months after stroke in south Anhui province.

Objective To study the expression of BDNF and TrkB in hippocampal microglia cells of poststroke depression (PSD) rats.Methods Forty healthy adult SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,depression group,stroke group and PSD group (10 in each group).Expression of BDNF and TrkB in OX42-marked hippocampal microglia cells of PSD rats was detected with immunofluorescence staining on day 29 and 57 after a MCAO model rats was established and a chronic stress depression model of rats was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) combined with separate breeding.Results The absorbance value of BDNF and TrkB was 83.35t5.74 and 82.35±5.74 respectively in PSD group on day 29 after the CUMS of rats was established,which was significantly lower than other 3 groups (P＜0.05),and was significantly higher in depression group than in stroke group (141.23±9.16 vs 133.31±7.89;141.23± 8.07 vs 128.62±6.92,P＜0.05).The absorbance value of BDNF and TrkB was 81.63±7.19 and 74.43±7.42 respectively in PSD group on day 57 after the CUMS of rats was established,which was lower than in other 3 groups,and was significantly lower in stroke group than normal group and depression group (93.36±7.56 vs 124.11±11.39、116.65±10.55,87.14±6.56 vs 112.58± 10.99、108.05±10.57,P＜0.05).Conclusion Hippocampal microglia cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of PSD by down-regulating the expression of BDNF and TrkB in PSD rats.