In Silico Genome-Wide Analysis of Respiratory Burst Oxidase Homolog (RBOH) Family Genes in Five Fruit-Producing Trees, and Potential Functional Analysis on Lignification of Stone Cells in Chinese White Pear.

The accumulation of lignin in fruit has a significant negative impact on the quality of fruit-producing trees, and in particular the lignin formation stimulates the development of stone cells in pear fruit. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for lignin polymerization. However, knowledge of the family, a key enzyme in ROS metabolism, remains unknown in most fruit trees.

Does the Use of Antidepressants Accelerate the Disease Progress in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Patients With Depression? A Case Report and A Systematic Review.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by rapidly progressive dementia. Growing evidence suggests that antidepressant usage was associated with dementia. Given the commonality of depression in CJD, it is necessary to investigate the effect of antidepressants on CJD.

Effects of school neighborhood food environments on childhood obesity at multiple scales: a longitudinal kindergarten cohort study in the USA.

Background: School neighborhood food environment is recognized as an important contributor to childhood obesity; however, large-scale and longitudinal studies remain limited. This study aimed to examine this association and its variation across gender and urbanicity at multiple geographic scales.

Methods: We used the US nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort data and included 7530 kindergarteners followed up from 1998 to 2007.

A Mathematical Model of Corneal Metabolism in the Presence of an Iris-Fixated Phakic Intraocular Lens.

Purpose: Corneal endothelial cell loss is one of the possible complications associated with phakic iris-fixated intraocular lens (PIOL) implantation. We postulate that this might be connected to the alteration of corneal metabolism secondary to the lens implantation.

Methods: A mathematical model of transport and consumption/production of metabolic species in the cornea is proposed, coupled with a model of aqueous flow and transport of metabolic species in the anterior chamber.

Targeting strategies for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: does gut microbiota play a role?

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a progressive, often irreversible condition that produces severe neurological deficits. Emerging data suggest that chemotherapy also exerts detrimental effects on gut microbiota composition and intestinal permeability, contributing to dysbiosis and inflammation. Compared with other complications associated with chemotherapy, such as diarrhoea and mucositis, CIPN is of particular concern because it is the most common reason for terminating or suspending treatment.

Functional genetic variants of RUVBL1 predict overall survival of Chinese patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

To date, the 5-year overall survival of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains poor. Because studies suggest that RUVBL1 may be a chemotherapeutic target for the treatment of cancer, in this study, therefore, we investigated the role of potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of RUVBL1 in the survival of Chinese patients with EOC, and we subsequently performed functional prediction and validation of the identified significant SNPs. We found that RUVBL1 rs1057156 A>G and RUVBL1 rs149652370 A>G were associated with survival of EOC patients in the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.

Proximal versus total gastrectomy for proximal early gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Recently, the incidence of proximal early gastric cancer (EGC) has been rising rapidly. Prevalent surgical methods are proximal gastrectomy (PG) and total gastrectomy (TG); however, which method is superior remains controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of original articles to compare the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of PG with TG for proximal EGC.

Association of neighborhood built environments with childhood obesity: Evidence from a 9-year longitudinal, nationally representative survey in the US.

Background: The built environment is an important contributor to childhood obesity; however, large-scale and longitudinal studies designed to examine their associations remain limited. This study aimed to examine whether walkable neighborhoods were associated with childhood obesity risk over a 9-year period.

Methods: We used data collected in the US nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten (ECLS-K) Cohort, with 9440 kindergarteners followed up until their 8th grade (1998-2007).

Dl-3-n-butylphthalide promotes remyelination process in cerebral white matter in rats subjected to ischemic stroke.

Remyelination has been widely noticed as an important repair mechanism triggered after a stroke-induced white matter injury, but it often fails due to the lack of recruitment of the oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to the demyelinated area and the inadequate differentiation of OPCs. Racemic dl-3-n-butylphthalide (dl-NBP) has been reported to improve the functional recovery in animal models of vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and ischemic stroke. Dl-NBP (70 mg/kg) by oral gavage for two weeks from day 7 after a stroke was administered in the study, the treatment promoted differentiation and maturation of OPCs in perilesional white matter and enhanced the length of crossing corticospinal tract (CST) fibers into the denervated hemispheres.

The effects of microRNA-1224-5p on hepatocellular carcinoma tumor endothelial cells.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of microRNA-1224-5p (miR-1224-5p) on tumor endothelial cells (TECs) of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Subjects And Methods: Oligonucleotides were chemically synthesized and transfected into TECs using Lipofectamine 2000. TECs were divided into three groups, namely a control (CON) group without transfection, a negative control (NC) group transfected with negative control oligonucleotides and green fluorescent protein (GFP), and a micro-up (MU) group transfected with miR-1224-5p mimic and GFP.

Comparative genomic analysis of the IDD genes in five Rosaceae species and expression analysis in Chinese white pear ().

The INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) gene family encodes hybrid transcription factors with distinct zinc finger motifs and appears to be found in all higher plant genomes. IDD genes have been identified throughout the genomes of the model plants and , and the functions of many members of this gene family have been studied. However, few studies have investigated the IDD gene family in Rosaceae species (among these species, a genome-wide identification of the IDD gene family has only been completed in ).

Functional Role of Fe-Doping in Co-Based Perovskite Oxide Catalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Perovskite oxides have been at the forefront among catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media offering a higher degree of freedom in cation arrangement. Several highly OER active Co-based perovskites have been known to show extraordinary activities and stabilities when the B-site is partially occupied by Fe. At the current stage, the role of Fe in enhancing the OER activity and stability is still unclear.

Constructing biodegradable nanochitin-contained chitosan hydrogel beads for fast and efficient removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solution.

In this study, FeO-nanoparticles-contained polyamide 6 (PA 6) microparticles (FP) were developed by a first dispersion of FeO-nanoparticles in ε-caprolactam (CL) monomer in the presence of polystyrene (PS) and a subsequent in situ CL open polymerization into PA 6, followed by PS removal. The FP microparticles (as magnetic separation material) and nanochitin (n-CT, as an effective metal-cation natural adsorbent) were then in situ encapsulated into poly(vinyl alcohol)-enhanced chitosan hybrids (PVA/CTS) to form biodegradable nanocomposite hydrogels (FPCC) with magnetic separation ability. The FPCC hybridized hydrogels enabled about 1.

Comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the pear (Pyrus bretschneideri) laccase gene (PbLAC) family and functional identification of PbLAC1 involved in lignin biosynthesis.

The content and size of stone cell clusters affects the quality of pear fruit, and monolignol polymerization and deposition in the cell walls constitute a required step for stone cell formation. Laccase (LAC) is the key enzyme responsible for the polymerization of monolignols. However, there are no reports on the LAC family in pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), and the identity of the members responsible for lignin synthesis has not been clarified.

Family-1 UDP glycosyltransferases in pear (Pyrus bretschneideri): Molecular identification, phylogenomic characterization and expression profiling during stone cell formation.

Stone cells are a characteristic trait of pear fruits, and excessive stone cell formation has a significant negative impact on the texture and flavour of the pulp. Lignin is one of the main components of stone cells. Family-1 uridine diphosphate-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) are responsible for the glycosylation modification of monolignols.

Crystal Structures of Membrane Transporter MmpL3, an Anti-TB Drug Target.

Despite intensive efforts to discover highly effective treatments to eradicate tuberculosis (TB), it remains as a major threat to global human health. For this reason, new TB drugs directed toward new targets are highly coveted. MmpLs (Mycobacterial membrane proteins Large), which play crucial roles in transporting lipids, polymers and immunomodulators and which also extrude therapeutic drugs, are among the most important therapeutic drug targets to emerge in recent times.

Primary plasmablastic plasmacytoma in the stomach of an immunocompetent adult: A case report.

Rationale: Extramedullary plasmacytomas (EMP) are tumors composed by a monoclonal population of plasma cells that arise in extraosseus tissues, occupying <5% of all plasma cell neoplasms. Gastrointestinal solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma is rare, just comprises about 5% of all EMPs. The most common site is small intestine.

Effects of Chemical Insecticide Imidacloprid on the Release of C Green Leaf Volatiles in Tea Plants (Camellia sinensis).

Chemical insecticides are widely used for pest control worldwide. However, the impact of insecticides on indirect plant defense is seldom reported. Here, using tea plants and the pesticide imidacloprid, effects of chemical insecticides on C-green leaf volatiles (GLVs) anabolism and release were investigated first time.

Protect against -Induced Oxidative Damage in Bovine Endometrial Cells.

Metabolic diseases, such as ketosis, are closely associated with decreased reproductive performance (such as delayed estrus and decreased pregnancy rate) in dairy cows. The change of () concentration in dairy cattle is an important mechanism leading to ketosis, and its blood concentration in ketotic cows is always significantly higher than in nonketotic cows. Many studies indicated that can induce oxidative damage in liver and other organs.

Microbiota fermentation-NLRP3 axis shapes the impact of dietary fibres on intestinal inflammation.

Objective: Diets rich in fermentable fibres provide an array of health benefits; however, many patients with IBD report poor tolerance to fermentable fibre-rich foods. Intervention studies with dietary fibres in murine models of colonic inflammation have yielded conflicting results on whether fibres ameliorate or exacerbate IBD. Herein, we examined how replacing the insoluble fibre, cellulose, with the fermentable fibres, inulin or pectin, impacted murine colitis resulting from immune dysregulation via inhibition of interleukin (IL)-10 signalling and/or innate immune deficiency (KO).

ETS variant 5 promotes colorectal cancer angiogenesis by targeting platelet-derived growth factor BB.

ETS transcription factors play important roles in tumor cell invasion, differentiation and angiogenesis. In this study, we initially demonstrated that ETS translocation variant 5 (ETV5) is abnormally upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC), is positively correlated with CRC tumor size, lymphatic metastasis and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage and indicates shorter survival and disease-free survival in CRC patients. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that the downregulation of ETV5 could significantly suppress CRC cell proliferation.

Prognostic value of pretreatment albumin to bilirubin ratio in patients with hepatocellular cancer: A meta-analysis.

Background: Hepatic function is closely associated with prognosis in patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC). In this study, a meta-analysis of the published studies was performed to assess the prognostic value of ALBI grade in HCC patients.

Methods: Databases, including PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were retrieved up to August 2018.

Enhancement of the gut barrier integrity by a microbial metabolite through the Nrf2 pathway.

The importance of gut microbiota in human health and pathophysiology is undisputable. Despite the abundance of metagenomics data, the functional dynamics of gut microbiota in human health and disease remain elusive. Urolithin A (UroA), a major microbial metabolite derived from polyphenolics of berries and pomegranate fruits displays anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-ageing activities.

Structure-Based Discovery of a Subtype-Selective Inhibitor Targeting a Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Channel.

Discovery of potent selective inhibitors targeting a protein from a highly conserved family is challenging. Using a strategy combining structural and evolutionary information, we discovered transient receptor potential (TRP) subtype-selective inhibitors (transient receptor potential vanilloid type 2 (TRPV2) inhibitors). We unveiled three ligand-binding sites of TRPV2 and compounds that bind to these sites.

Dynamics of serum phosphorus, calcium, and hormones during egg laying cycle in Hy-Line Brown laying hens.

Understanding serum dynamic patterns of P, Ca, and P-Ca metabolism related hormones would help us in developing feeding strategies that can be used to reduce dietary inorganic P input and decrease P excretion in laying hens. In the current study, Hy-Line Brown laying hens (35-wk-old, n = 15) were fed with a corn-soybean meal-based commercial laying hen diet containing 0.24% non-phytate P, 3.