A New Formula for Estimating the True QT Interval in Left Bundle Branch Block.

Introduction: QT prolongation is an independent risk factor for cardiac mortality. Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is more common in patients as they age. Widening of the QRS in LBBB causes false QT prolongation and thus makes true QT assessment difficult.

Effects of dietary glucocerebrosides from sea cucumber on the brain sphingolipid profiles of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

Herein, we investigated the potential relationship between sphingolipids and Alzheimer's disease (AD) with special attention to the relationship between dietary sea cucumber glucocerebrosides (SCGs) and sphingolipid metabolism. We assessed animal behavior using the Morris water maze test, determined Aβ1-42 concentration in the hippocampus using ELISA, and assessed the sphingolipid profile of the hippocampus and the cortex in normal mice (SAMR1), AD mice (SAMP8), and AD mice (SAMP8) fed with SCG using liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. We found that the SAMP8 mice had impaired memory and an SCG diet significantly rescued spatial memory deficits in these mice.

Possible Involvement of F1F0-ATP synthase and Intracellular ATP in Keratinocyte Differentiation in normal skin and skin lesions.

The F1F0-ATP synthase, an enzyme complex, is mainly located on the mitochondrial inner membrane or sometimes cytomembrane to generate or hydrolyze ATP, play a role in cell proliferation. This study focused on the role of F1F0-ATP synthase in keratinocyte differentiation, and its relationship with intracellular and extracellular ATP (InATP and ExATP). The F1F0-ATP synthase β subunit (ATP5B) expression in various skin tissues and confluence-dependent HaCaT differentiation models was detected.

Accurate prediction of protein relative solvent accessibility using a balanced model.

Background: Protein relative solvent accessibility provides insight into understanding protein structure and function. Prediction of protein relative solvent accessibility is often the first stage of predicting other protein properties. Recent predictors of relative solvent accessibility discriminate against exposed regions as compared with buried regions, resulting in higher prediction accuracy associated with buried regions relative to exposed regions.

A novel bioconversion for value-added products from food waste using Musca domestica.

Food waste, as a major part of the municipal solid waste has been generated increasingly worldwide. Efficient and feasible utilization of this waste material for productivity process is significant for both economical and environmental reasons. In the present study, Musca domestica larva was used as the carrier to conduct a bioconversion with food waste to get the value-added maggot protein, oil and organic fertilizers.

Development of a bacterial-based negative selection system for rapid screening of active single guide RNAs.

Objectives: To develop an in vitro method for rapid evaluation of the capability of a designed single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to guide Cas9 nucleases to cleave target loci in mammalian cells.

Results: We constructed a Cas9/sgRNA plasmid with two SP6 promoters to simultaneously express Cas9 nuclease and the sgRNA and a negative selection plasmid harbouring a target site of the sgRNA. After co-transforming chemically competent E.

Development of a Marx-coupled trigger generator with high voltages and low time delay.

Coupled by the Marx of the "JianGuang-I" facility, a high voltage, low time-delay trigger generator was developed. Working principles of this trigger generator and its key issues were described in detail. Structures of this generator were also carefully designed and optimized.

Effects of stubble and mulching on soil erosion by wind in semi-arid China.

Soil erosion is a growing challenge for agricultural production in Northern China. To explore the effect of variation in stubble height and mulching biomass on soil erosion caused by wind, we conducted a field experiment using a quadratic rotation combination design. Results showed that the quantity of straw mulch was the dominant factor affecting soil erosion, and stubble height was of secondary importance.

Review of the genus Anthonympha Moriuti, 1971 (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) from China, with descriptions of four new species.

Chinese species of Anthonmypha Moriuti are reviewd. Five species are recognized, four of which are described as new: Anthonympha truncata sp. nov.

Taxonomic study of the genus Lycophantis Meyrick from China (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) with descriptions of three new species.

Six Chinese species of the genus Lycophantis Meyrick, 1914 are reviewed, including three new species: Lycophantis mucronata Li, sp. nov. from Zhejiang and Hubei, L.

The mechanical response of talin.

Talin, a force-bearing cytoplasmic adapter essential for integrin-mediated cell adhesion, links the actin cytoskeleton to integrin-based cell-extracellular matrix adhesions at the plasma membrane. Its C-terminal rod domain, which contains 13 helical bundles, plays important roles in mechanosensing during cell adhesion and spreading. However, how the structural stability and transition kinetics of the 13 helical bundles of talin are utilized in the diverse talin-dependent mechanosensing processes remains poorly understood.

New recombinant cyclohexylamine oxidase variants for deracemization of secondary amines by orthogonally assaying designed mutants with structurally diverse substrates.

To further expand the substrate range of the cyclohexylamine oxidase (CHAO) from Brevibacterium oxydans, a library of diverse mutants was created and assayed toward a group of structurally diverse substrates. Among them, mutants T198A and M226A exhibited enhanced activity relative to wt CHAO for most (S)-enantiomers of primary amines and some secondary amines. While mutants T198I, L199I, L199F, M226I and M226T were more active than wt CHAO toward the primary amines, mutants T198F, L199T, Y321A, Y321T, Y321I and Y321F enhanced the enzyme activity toward the secondary amines.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture Stimulation of "Neiguan" (PC 6) on Expression of Myocardial Chloride Channel-related Genes, PKC and PKG Proteins in Myocardial Ischemia Rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Neiguan" (PC 6), etc. on expression levels of myocardial chloride (CL-) channel-related genes and intracellular protein kinase C (PKC) protein in myocardial ischemia (M) rats.

Methods: Seventy SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 10), model group (n = 15) , Neiguan (PC 6) group (n = 15), Lieque (LU 7) group (n = 15) and non-acupoint group (n = 15).

Structure of Sphingolipids From Sea Cucumber Cucumaria frondosa and Structure-Specific Cytotoxicity Against Human HepG2 Cells.

To investigate the relationship between structure and activity, three glucocerebroside series (CFC-1, CFC-2 and CFC-3), ceramides (CF-Cer) and long-chain bases (CF-LCB) of sea cucumber Cucumaria frondosa (C. frondosa) were isolated and evaluated in HepG2 cells. The molecular species of CFC-1, CFC-2 and CFC-3 and CF-Cer were identified using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with heated electrospray ionization coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (RPLC-HESI-HRMS), and determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence: For the three glucocerebroside series, fatty acids (FA) were mainly saturated (18:0 and 22:0), monounsaturated (22:1, 23:1 and 24:1) and 2-hydroxyl FA (2-HFA) (23:1 h and 24:1 h), the structure of long-chain bases (LCB) were dihydroxy (d17:1, d18:1 and d18:2) and trihydroxy (t16:0 and t17:0), and the glycosylation was glucose; For CF-Cer, FA were primarily saturated (17:0) and monounsaturated (16:1 and 19:1), the structure of LCB were dihydroxy (d17:1 and d18:1), and trihydroxy (t16:0).

Dynamic Changes in Occupancy of Histone Variant H2A.Z during Induced Somatic Cell Reprogramming.

The development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has enabled study of the mechanisms underlying cellular reprogramming. Here, we have studied the dynamic distribution of H2A.Z during induced reprogramming with chromatin immunoprecipitation deep sequencing (ChIP-Seq).

Revisiting the Anomalous Bending Elasticity of Sharply Bent DNA.

Several recent experiments suggest that sharply bent DNA has a surprisingly high bending flexibility, but the cause of this flexibility is poorly understood. Although excitation of flexible defects can explain these results, whether such excitation can occur with the level of DNA bending in these experiments remains unclear. Intriguingly, the DNA contained preexisting nicks in most of these experiments but whether nicks might play a role in flexibility has never been considered in the interpretation of experimental results.

Note: A rectangular pulse generator for 50 kV voltage, 0.8 ns rise time, and 10 ns pulse width based on polymer-film switch.

In this article, we describe a rectangular pulse generator, consisting of a polymer-film switch, a tri-plate transmission line, and parallel post-shaped ceramic resistor load, for 50-kV voltage, 0.8-ns rise time, and 10-ns width. The switch and resistors are arranged in atmospheric air and the transmission line can work in atmospheric air or in transformer oil to change the pulse width from 6.

Implantable wireless battery recharging system for bladder pressure chronic monitoring.

This paper presents an implantable wireless battery recharging system design for bladder pressure chronic monitoring. The wireless recharging system consists of an external 15 cm-diameter 6-turn powering coil and a silicone-encapsulated implantable rectangular coil with a dimension of 7 mm × 17 mm × 2.5 mm and 18 turns, which further encloses a 3 mm-diameter and 12 mm-long rechargeable battery, two ferrite rods, an ASIC, and a tuning capacitor.

Establishment, Differentiation, Electroporation and Nuclear Transfer of Porcine Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The limited success of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is largely attributed to defects in epigenetic reprogramming of the donor genome. Donor cell types with distinct potential competence may offer different epigenetic flexibility for subsequent genome reprogramming in SCNT. Stem cells possibly enable their genomes to be more readily reprogrammed than differentiated cells.

Arthropod eyes: The early Cambrian fossil record and divergent evolution of visual systems.

Four types of eyes serve the visual neuropils of extant arthropods: compound retinas composed of adjacent facets; a visual surface populated by spaced eyelets; a smooth transparent cuticle providing inwardly directed lens cylinders; and single-lens eyes. The first type is a characteristic of pancrustaceans, the eyes of which comprise lenses arranged as hexagonal or rectilinear arrays, each lens crowning 8-9 photoreceptor neurons. Except for Scutigeromorpha, the second type typifies Myriapoda whose relatively large eyelets surmount numerous photoreceptive rhabdoms stacked together as tiers.

Highly efficient enrichment of porcine cells with deletions induced by CRISPR/Cas9 using dual fluorescence selection.

Production of nuclear donor cells with a high percentage of desired modifications is a critical step in the successful generation of genetically modified pigs through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used for efficient modification of the nuclear DNA in eukaryotic cells, including porcine cells. However, in vitro modified cells are often phenotypically indistinguishable from unmodified cells, hampering their enrichment.

DisoMCS: Accurately Predicting Protein Intrinsically Disordered Regions Using a Multi-Class Conservative Score Approach.

Unlabelled: The precise prediction of protein intrinsically disordered regions, which play a crucial role in biological procedures, is a necessary prerequisite to further the understanding of the principles and mechanisms of protein function. Here, we propose a novel predictor, DisoMCS, which is a more accurate predictor of protein intrinsically disordered regions. The DisoMCS bases on an original multi-class conservative score (MCS) obtained by sequence-order/disorder alignment.

Proteome Analysis of Pathogen-Responsive Proteins from Apple Leaves Induced by the Alternaria Blotch Alternaria alternata.

Understanding the defence mechanisms used by apple leaves against Alternaria alternate pathogen infection is important for breeding purposes. To investigate the ultrastructural differences between leaf tissues of susceptible and resistant seedlings, in vitro inoculation assays and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis were conducted with two different inoculation assays. The results indicated that the resistant leaves may have certain antifungal activity against A.

Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for High-Throughput Molecular Profiling of Sea Cucumber Cerebrosides.

Usually, the chemical structures of cerebrosides in sea creatures are more complicated than those from terrestrial plants and animals. Very little is known about the method for high-throughput molecular profiling of cerebrosides in sea cucumbers. In this study, cerebrosides from four species of edible sea cucumbers, specifically, Apostichopus japonicas, Thelenota ananas, Acaudina molpadioides and Bohadschia marmorata, were rapidly identified using reversed-phase liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (RPLC-QToF-MS).

Stimulated emission at 288 nm from silicon-doped AlGaN-based multiple-quantum-well laser.

We demonstrated stimulated emission at 288 nm from a silicon-doped AlGaN-based multiple-quantum-well (MQW) ultraviolet (UV) laser grown on sapphire. The optical pumping threshold energy density of the UV laser was 64 mJ/cm2, while lasing behavior was not observed in undoped AlGaN MQWs. This means silicon doping could effectively reduce the lasing threshold of UV lasers, and the mechanism was studied showing that the silicon-doped AlGaN MQWs had a 41% higher internal quantum efficiency (IQE) compared with the undoped one.