A drug delivery system of siRNA nanoparticles loaded by mesenchymal stem cells on choroidal neovascularization.

To assess mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as carriers for  siRNA-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) for targeted therapy of experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV). A poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-core/lipid-shell hybrid NP was designed. The transfection efficacy of MSCs with the hybrid NPs was assessed.

Retinitis pigmentosa with iris coloboma due to miR-204 gene variant in a Chinese family.

Purpose: To characterize the phenotype and genotype of a Chinese family with autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa (RP) accompanied by iris coloboma.

Methods: The proband, a 34-year-old male, was examined with his family by using fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT), autofluorescence, and full-field electroretinography (ffERG). Genetic analyses were conducted through whole-exome sequencing (WES) to screen for variations.

[Spatial pattern of plant community in original karst tiankeng: A case study of Zhanyi tiankeng in Yunnan, China].

Damaosi is one of original karst tiankengs with underground virgin forest in Yunnan Pro-vince. The spatial point pattern analysis and the woody individual spatial structure parameters, including the uniform angle index, mingling degree and storey index, were used to estimate spatial pattern of the tiankeng's underground forest community. We also analyzed the intraspecific spatial distribution characteristics and interspecific spatial association on the basis of the individual relative position information of plant community.

[Interspecific relationships of dominant species in the grassland community of moderately degraded tiankeng of Yunnan, China.].

Karst tiankeng is a special grand negative landform. The environment of tiankeng inside are independent of that outside, showing a unique characteristics of plant community. Taking a moderately degraded tiankeng with good accessibility, Bajiaxiantang as the focus, the dominant species with importance value >1 were selected to clarify the interspecific association of 11 dominant species by the multi-disciplinary approach including the variance ratio (VR) of overall association, Φ test, association coefficient (AC) and Spearman rank correlation coefficient.

Effects of multi-environmental factors on physiological and biochemical responses of large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea.

Land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and cage culture are important methods of Larimichthys crocea production. The effects of environmental factors on physiological and biochemical aspects of L. crocea require clarification.

Physiological responses and changes in gene expression in the large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea following exposure to hypoxia.

Organisms at all levels of evolutionary complexity react to hypoxic stress. To clarify the effects of acute hypoxia on physiological and biochemical responses of Larimichthys crocea, we measured the activity levels of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalase, hemoglobin concentration, functional indices of the liver (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase), heart (phosphocreatine kinase), and immune system (alkaline phosphatase), as well as mRNA expression levels of the immunity-related genes Hsp70 and HIF-1α at different time points of hypoxic. In addition, liver, gill, and kidney samples were histologically analyzed.