Physical exposure to risks for potential work-related musculoskeletal injuries has been assessed using a variety of methods, including pen and paper based observation methods, videotaping and computer-aided analysis, direct or instrumental techniques, and various approaches to self-report assessment. These methods are critically reviewed in this paper. The applications of these techniques in ergonomic and epidemiologic studies are considered, and their advantages and shortcomings are highlighted. Finally, a strategy that considers both the ergonomics experts' view and the practitioners' needs for developing a practical exposure assessment tool is then discussed.

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BackgroundPollen tube elongation in the pistil is a key step for pollination success in plants, and auxins play an important role in this process. However, the function of auxins in pollen tube elongation in the pistil of rice under heat stress has seldom been previously reported.ResultsTwo rice genotypes differing in heat tolerance were subjected to heat stress of 40 °C for 2 h after flowering. A sharp decrease in spikelet fertility was found in the Nipponbare (NPB) and its mutant High temperature susceptible (HTS) under heat stress, but the stress-induced spikelet sterility was reversed by 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), especially the HTS. Under heat stress, the pollen tubes of NPB were visible in ovule, while those of HTS were invisible. However, we found the pollen tubes in ovule when sprayed with NAA. During this process, a significant increase in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels was found in the pistil of heat-stressed NPB, while in heat-stressed HTS they were obviously decreased. Additionally, the peroxidase (POD) activity in pistil of NPB was significantly decreased by heat stress, whereas there was no difference between the heat-stressed and non-heat-stressed pistils of HTS.ConclusionIt was concluded that the enhancement of heat tolerance in plants by NAA was achieved through the increase of the levels of auxins, which prevented the inhibition of pollen tube elongation in pistil, and the crosstalk between auxins and ROS, which might be involved in this process. In addition, POD might be a negative mediator in pollen tube elongation under heat stress due to its ability to scavenge ROS and degrade auxin.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12284-018-0206-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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BackgroundIncreasing studies indicated that circRNAs play critical roles in tumor progression. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unclear.MethodsMicroarray assay was used to screen the abnormally expressed circRNAs in GC. Cell viability assay, transwell assay and in vivo assay were performed to assess the effects of hsa_circ_0081143 on GC cells. Next, interaction between hsa_circ_0081143 and miR-646 was detected by luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assay.ResultsHigh throughput microarray assay showed that hsa_circ_0081143 was upregulated in GC tissues, which was further confirmed by qRT-PCR. Correlation analysis showed that high hsa_circ_0081143 expression was associated with the advanced TNM stage, lymphnode metastases, and poor overall survival of GC patients. Hsa_circ_0081143 inhibition decreased GC cells viability, invasion ability and induced the sensitivity of GC cells to cisplatin (DDP) in vitro. Mechanistically, we showed that hsa_circ_0081143 could act as an endogenous sponge by directly binding to miR-646 and downregulation of miR-646 efficiently reversed the inhibition of CDK6 induced by hsa_circ_008114 knockdown. Additionally, hsa_circ_0081143 silencing suppressed the tumorigenesis and remarkably enhance DDP inhibitory effects of GC cells in vivo.ConclusionsOur study indicated a novel regulatory loop that hsa_circ_0081143/miR-646/CDK6 axis in GC progression. These data suggested that hsa_circ_0081143 might act as a potential novel therapeutic strategy for GC treatment.

Both FLM and acupuncture can significantly shorten the defecation interval and GITT, increase MTL levels in serum, decrease the scores of stool property, constipation symptoms, and accompanying symptoms in patients with FC to increase their life quality. The combined therapy is much better in long-term efficacy and the safety is also good, worth spreading in clinical practice.

Cisplatin resistance in colorectal cancer largely results from the colorectal cancer stem cells which could be targeted to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy. MicroRNAs are possible modulators of cancer stem cell characteristics and maybe involved in the retention of cancer stem cell chemoresistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological function of miR-199a/b on cisplatin resistance in colorectal cancer stem cells and its related mechanisms. Here, ALDHA1 cells from primary colorectal cancer tissues behaved similar to cancer stem cells and were chemoresistant to cisplatin. The presence of a variable fraction of ALDHA1 was detected in 9 out of 10 colorectal cancer specimens. Significantly, increased miR-199a/b expression was detected in ALDHA1 colorectal cancer stem cells, accompanied by a downregulation of Gsk3β and an overexpression of β-catenin and ABCG2. In patient cohort, enhanced miR-199a/b expression in colorectal cancer tissues was associated with cisplatin response and poor patient survival. In addition, 80% of colorectal cancer samples showed lower level of Gsk3β than their adjacent normal counterparts. Furthermore, Gsk3β was the direct target of miR-199a/b. MiR-199a/b regulated Wnt/β-catenin pathway by targeting Gsk3β in ALDHA1 colorectal cancer stem cells. By blocking Wnt/β-catenin pathway, we implied that ABCG2 lies downstream of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. ABCG2 was further demonstrated to contribute cisplatin resistance in ALDHA1 colorectal cancer stem cells and can be regulated by miR-199a/b. Thus, our data suggested that upregulation of miR-199a/b in ALDHA1 colorectal cancer stem cells contributed to cisplatin resistance via Wnt/β-catenin-ABCG2 signaling, which sheds new light on understanding the mechanism of cisplatin resistance in colorectal cancer stem cells and facilitates the development of potential therapeutics against colorectal cancer.

BackgroundAbscisic acid (ABA) and sucrose act as molecular signals in response to abiotic stress. However, how their synergy regulates the source-sink relationship has rarely been studied. This study aimed to reveal the mechanism underlying the synergy between ABA and sucrose on assimilates allocation to improve grain yield and quality of rice. The early indica rice cultivar Zhefu802 was selected and planted in an artificial climate chamber at 32/24 °C (day/night) under natural sunlight conditions. Sucrose and ABA were exogenously sprayed (either alone or in combination) onto rice plants at flowering and 10 days after flowering.ResultsABA plus sucrose significantly improved both the grain yield and quality of rice, which was mainly a result of the higher proportion of dry matter accumulation and non-structural carbohydrates in panicles. These results were mainly ascribed to the large improvement in sucrose transport in the sheath-stems in response to the ABA plus sucrose treatment. In this process, ABA plus sucrose significantly enhanced the contents of starch, gibberellic acids, and zeatin ribosides as well as the activities and gene expression of enzymes involved in starch synthesis in grains. Additionally, remarkable increases in trehalose content and expression levels of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase1, trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase7, and sucrose non-fermenting related protein kinase 1A were also found in grains treated with ABA plus sucrose.ConclusionThe synergy between ABA and sucrose increased grain yield and quality by improving the source-sink relationship through sucrose and trehalose metabolism in grains.