Possible Mechanism of Sucrose and Trehalose-6-Phosphate in Regulating the Secondary Flower on the Strong Upright Spring Shoots of Blueberry Planted in Greenhouse.

Secondary flowering is the phenomenon in which a tree blooms twice or more times a year. Along with the development of blueberry ( L.) fruits in spring, a large number of secondary flowers on the strong upright spring shoots were noticed in blueberries planted in the greenhouse.

Validation of a real-time biliopancreatic endoscopic ultrasonography analytical device in China: a prospective, single-centre, randomised, controlled trial.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a key procedure for the diagnosis of biliopancreatic diseases. However, the performance among EUS endoscopists varies greatly and leads to blind spots during the operation, which can impair the health outcomes of patients. We previously developed an artificial intelligence (AI) device that accurately identified EUS standard stations and significantly reduced the difficulty of ultrasonography image interpretation.

Nutrient composition of Koidz. bran: Fractionation and bioactivity of its soluble active polysaccharides.

Background: Koidz. Amaranthaceae-also known as Djulis or red quinoa (RQ)-is a cereal plant indigenous to Taiwan, known for its high nutrient value. However, its bran is considered a waste product and the nutrient value has never been analyzed.

Discovery of Potential Neuroprotective Agents against Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.

Chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity is a common adverse effect of cancer treatment. No medication has been shown to be effective in the prevention or treatment of chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity. Using minoxidil as an initial template for structural modifications in conjunction with an in vitro neurite outgrowth assay, an image-based high-content screening platform, and mouse behavior models, an effective neuroprotective agent CN016 was discovered.

Phosphate-triggered ratiometric fluoroimmunoassay based on nanobody-alkaline phosphatase fusion for sensitive detection of 1-naphthol for the exposure assessment of pesticide carbaryl.

The excessive use of carbaryl has resulted in the risk of its exposure. In this study, we isolated six nanobodies (Nbs) from a camelid phage display library against the biomarker of carbaryl, 1-naphthol (1-NAP). Owing to its characteristics of easy genetic modifications, we produced a nanobody-alkaline phosphatase (Nb-CC4-ALP) fusion protein with good stability.

Monoclonal antibody-based icELISA for the screening of diazinon in vegetable samples.

Diazinon (DAZ) is an organophosphorus pesticide (OP), which is commonly used to prevent and control harmful pests that endanger agricultural products. In this study, we developed a novel heterology coating strategy for the immunoassay of DAZ. The DAZ coating hapten can be directly conjugated to the carrier protein without requiring a spacer arm.

Rational hapten design to produce high-quality antibodies against carbamate pesticides and development of immunochromatographic assays for simultaneous pesticide screening.

Carbamate pesticides (CPs) are the most used pesticides in agricultural production and pest control. In this study, carbofuran, isoprocarb and carbaryl were employed as models, and a general hapten strategy based on carbamate moiety recognition was proposed. Molecular modeling of the three-dimensional (3D) structure and surface electrostatic potential of the CPs indicated that the amide group formed by conjugation significantly influenced recognition by antibodies.

An Infertile Man with Complementary Isochromosome of 46, XY, I(5)(P10),I(5)(Q10): A Case Report.

Chromosome aberration is associated with infertility and isochromosome is a rare chromosomal abnormality potentially associated with infertility or multiple miscarriages. Here we report a man of 29-yr-old diagnosed of infertility from China with rare isochromosome. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained for chromosome G banding karyotyping.

Etiology and clinical manifestations of bacterial liver abscess: A study of 102 cases.

This study aimed to analyze the clinical manifestations of patients with pyogenic liver abscess and characteristics of pathogenic that caused their infections, in order to provide guidance for the identification of the pathogens that cause liver abscess and selection of antibiotics for treatment of this disease.In the present study, the clinical characteristics, laboratory results, as well as the species and drug resistance of pathogens in patients with bacterial liver abscesses admitted to our hospital from January 2013 to December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were treated by ultrasound or CT-guided percutaneous portal vein catheterization and drainage combined with intravenous infusion of antibiotics (the third-generation cephalosporins, the coformulation of carbapenem and dehydropeptidase-I inhibitors, or the coformulation of tazobactam and piperacillin).

Efficacy and Safety of Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection in Patients with Bilateral Trapezius Hypertrophy.

Objective: To evaluate aesthetic outcomes in patients with bilateral trapezius hypertrophy treated by botulinum toxin type A (BTxA) injection for aesthetic reconstruction of the upper trapezius.

Methods: From May 2015 to May 2016, 30 women with a short neck shape resulting from bilateral trapezius hypertrophy were treated with botulinum toxin type A (BTxA) injection at the most affected area of the upper trapezius. Pre- and postoperative values of S (irregularly shaped area of the four points A, C, D, and F) and S (irregularly shaped area of the four points A, C, D, and E), responses to patients' and doctors' Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) questionnaires for neck aesthetic assessment, as well as reported adverse events, were recorded and analyzed.

Anticancer effect of miR-96 inhibitor in bladder cancer cell lines.

The present study aimed to investigate the role of microRNA-96 (miR-96) in the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of bladder cancer cell lines, and the associated mechanisms. The expression of miR-96 and human ether-à--related (HERG1) potassium channel in the normal uroepithelium SV-HUC-1 cell line, and bladder cancer T24 and 5637 cell lines were examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or/and western blotting. Transfection with miR-96 inhibitor or scrambled control (SC) was used to study the biological activities of miR-96 in bladder cancer cell lines.

Neutral iridium catalysts with chiral phosphine-carboxy ligands for asymmetric hydrogenation of unsaturated carboxylic acids.

We developed neutral iridium catalysts with chiral spiro phosphine-carboxy ligands (SpiroCAP) for asymmetric hydrogenation of unsaturated carboxylic acids. Different from the cationic Crabtree-type catalysts, the iridium catalysts with chiral spiro phosphine-carboxy ligands are neutral and do not require the use of a tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate (BAr) counterion, which is necessary for stabilizing cationic Crabtree-type catalysts. Another advantage of the neutral iridium catalysts is that they have high stability and have a long lifetime in air.

Regulatory mechanisms, prophylaxis and treatment of vascular leakage following severe trauma and shock.

Vascular leakage, or increased vascular permeability, is a common but important pathological process for various critical diseases, including severe trauma, shock, sepsis, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and has become one of the most important causes of death for intensive care units (ICU) patients. Currently, although there has been some progress in knowledge of the pathogenesis of these vascular disorders, the detailed mechanisms remain unclear, and effective prophylaxis and treatment are still lacking. In this study, we aimed to provide a review of the literature regarding the regulatory mechanisms and prophylaxis as well as the treatment of vascular leakage in critical diseases such as severe trauma and shock, which could be beneficial for the overall clinical treatment of vascular leakage disorders.

Mechanism Studies of Ir-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids.

The Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins is widely used for production of value-added bulk and fine chemicals. The iridium catalysts with chiral spiro phosphine-oxazoline ligands developed in our group show high activity and high enantioselectivity in the hydrogenation of olefins bearing a coordinative carboxyl group, such as α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acids, β,γ-unsaturated carboxylic acids, and γ,δ-unsaturated carboxylic acids. Here we conducted detailed mechanistic studies on these Ir-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation reactions by using (E)-2-methyl-3-phenylacrylic acid as a model substrate.

Development of Chiral Spiro P-N-S Ligands for Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Hydrogenation of β-Alkyl-β-Ketoesters.

The chiral tridentate spiro P-N-S ligands (SpiroSAP) were developed, and their iridium complexes were prepared. Introduction of a 1,3-dithiane moiety into the ligand resulted in a highly efficient chiral iridium catalyst for asymmetric hydrogenation of β-alkyl-β-ketoesters, producing chiral β-alkyl-β-hydroxyesters with excellent enantioselectivities (95-99.9% ee) and turnover numbers of up to 355,000.

The effects of an online student question-generation strategy on elementary school student English learning.

Recognizing the potential of online student question-generation to engage language learners in communicative activities and use the target language in a personally meaningful way for language and learning motivation development, an experimental study examining the English learning effects of this approach, in comparison to an online drill-and-practice strategy, was conducted. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted. Four sixth-grade classes ( = 106) participated in this study and were randomly assigned to different treatment groups.

Experimental study of therapy of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells or muscle-like cells/calcium alginate composite gel for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

Objective: To explore the myoblast formation around the urethra and increase in urethral resistance of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells or muscle-like cells/calcium alginate composite gel injection therapy and effect on LPP in SUI rat model.

Methods: Isolation, cultivation, and identification of SD rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell were performed. 5-Azacytidine was introduced to induce muscle-like cells.

The IL-8 gene polymorphisms and the risk of the hepatitis B virus/infected patients.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) belongs to the superfamily of CXC chemokines, contributing to human cancer progression through potential mitogenic, angiogenic, and motogenic functions. We hypothesize that the functional polymorphism of IL-8 may influence the inflammatory process during pathological stage from hepatitis to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Two polymorphisms in the IL-8 gene (-251A/T and +781C/T) were examined in 160 cases of chronic hepatitis B, 80 cases of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis (LC), 150 cases of HBV-related HCC, and 150 healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method and DNA sequencing.

Reversible immortalization of rat pancreatic β cells with a novel immortalizing and tamoxifen-mediated self-recombination tricistronic vector.

Although the strategy of "Cre/LoxP-based reversible immortalization" holds great promise to overcome the cellular senescence of primary cell cultures for their further use, a secondary gene transfer for Cre expression is usually utilized to trigger the excision of the immortalizing genes in a large number of cells, thus presenting a formidable hurdle for large-scale application. We modified the strategy by utilizing a tricistronic retroviral vector pLCRSTP, in which Cre-ER, simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV40LTAg) oncogene, and a reporter gene were flanked by the same pair of LoxA sites. Five immortalized rat pancreatic β cell clones transduced with pLCRSTP, and six immortalized rat pancreatic β cell clones co-transduced with pLCRSTP and another vector encoding the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene, were obtained, respectively.

Implantation of bFGF-treated islet progenitor cells ameliorates streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats.

Aim: To examine whether implantation of islet preparation-derived proliferating islet cells (PIC) could ameliorate diabetes in rats.

Methods: PIC were expanded from rat islet preparation by supplementation of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and implanted into rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes through the portal vein. Body weight and blood glucose levels were measured.

[Effect of SUMO-1 on mitochondria subcellular localization of alpha-synuclein and its degradation via ubiquitin-proteasome system].

Objective: To investigate the effect of sumoylation of alpha-synuclein by SUMO-1 on the mitochondria subcellular localization of alpha-synuclein and its degradation via ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Methods: Primers of wild-type, A53T pathogenic mutant and K96R mutant of human alpha-synuclein were designed to amplify the corresponding cDNAs without stop codon. The cDNAs were cloned into pGEM T-easy vector, analyzed by using enzyme mapping and DNA sequencing, and subcloned into pEGFP-N1 vector.

A new procedure for treating a sebaceous cyst: removal of the cyst content with a laser punch and the cyst wall with a minimal postponed excision.

Three main techniques are used to excise sebaceous cysts: conventional wide excision, minimal excision, and punch biopsy excision. A new method with two steps is proposed. First, a laser is used to make a small hole for removal of the content.