Autotetraploidy of rice does not potentiate the tolerance to drought stress in the seedling stage.

Polyploid is considered an advantage that has evolved to be more environmentally adaptable than its diploid. To understand if doubled chromosome of diploid rice can improve drought tolerance, we evaluated the diploid (2X) and autotetraploid (4X) plants of three indica and three japonica varieties. Drought stress in the plastic bucket of four-leaf stage revealed that the drought tolerance of 4X plants was lower than that of its diploid donor plants.

Novel Interplay Between Sonic Hedgehog and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 in Human Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has the potential to progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Upregulation of sonic hedgehog (Shh) has been documented in development of NASH through sustained cell stress. At the same time, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), which is a central element in fibrogenic reactions in various diseases and sites, has been reported to be associated with hepatic inflammation and fibrotic reaction.

Carcinosarcoma colliding osteosarcoma of the pancreas: a rare case report of multiple clonal originated pancreatic tumors.

Carcinosarcoma of the pancreas is a very rare tumor with distinct malignant epithelial and mesenchymal components. The pathogenesis, however, remains to be further clarified. This is a report on a 44-year old Chinese woman with a solid tumor in the head of pancreas analyzed on immunohistochemistry, K-ras, and p53 sequence.

Differences in UGT1A1 gene mutations and pathological liver changes between Chinese patients with Gilbert syndrome and Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II.

Diagnosis of Crigler-Najjar syndrome type II (CNS-II) and Gilbert syndrome (GS) based on the serum bilirubin concentration is difficult, because this parameter can fluctuate under certain conditions. The aim of this study was to explore differences in UGT1A1 gene mutations, which cause both CNS and GS, and pathological changes between CNS-II and GS.Ninety-five Chinese patients with hereditary unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia were enrolled in this study.

Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) of mesocotyl elongation based on re-sequencing approach in rice.

Background: Mechanized dry seeded rice can save both labour and water resources. Rice seedling establishment is sensitive to sowing depth while mesocotyl elongation facilitates the emergence of deeply sown seeds.

Results: A set of 270 rice accessions, including 170 from the mini-core collection of Chinese rice germplasm (C Collection) and 100 varieties used in a breeding program for drought resistance (D Collection), was screened for mesocotyl lengths of seedlings grown in water (MLw) in darkness and in 5 cm sand culture (MLs).

[Pathology of hepatic iron deposition in hemochromatosis].

Objective: To identify the type of iron deposition and describe its amount, distribution and associated lesions, in order to support an etiologic diagnosis for hemochromatosis.

Methods: Hematoxylineosin (HE) stain, reticular fiber stain, Masson's stain and Perl's iron stain were used to assess liver biopsies from 31 patients with hemochromatosis. The Ishak scoring system and Deugnier scoring system were used to assess the histological change in liver and to semi-quantify the excess of hepatic iron.

[Application of a refined fibrosis staging system to evaluate therapeutic efficacy in chronic viral hepatitis].

Objective: To generate a refined staging system of fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis and to assess its accuracy and sensitivity for evaluating therapeutic efficacy of anti-fibrosis drug treatments.

Methods: A refined fibrosis staging system was established according to the detailed characteristics of progressive fibrosis. A total of 396 liver puncture biopsy specimens were collected from patients before and after anti-fibrosis therapy and used to evaluate the refined staging system.

[PD-1/PD-L1 expressions in liver tissues of patients with chronic HBV infection].

Objective: To detect and compare the PD-1/PD-L1 (programmed death 1/programmed death 1 ligand) expressions in the liver tissues of chronic HBV infection patients in immune tolerant phase and those in immune clearance phase.

Methods: Liver biopsy samples were divided into two groups: 25 samples from patients in immune clearance phase and 19 samples from patients in immune tolerant phase. PD-1/PD-L1 expressions on T lymphocytes in these liver biopsy specimens were detected by immunohistochemistry method.

CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene are shorter in patients with pulmonary, esophageal or bladder carcinoma and longer in women with uterine leiomyoma.

Preferential occurrence of pulmonary, esophageal and bladder carcinomas in males indicate a possible involvement of androgen receptor (AR)-mediated functions. We evaluated the roles of the CAG repeat polymorphism in AR exon 1 in development of these lesions. The exon 1 of AR gene was amplified in samples from 198 male patients with lung carcinoma, 183 with esophageal carcinoma, 95 with bladder carcinoma and 94 males with appendicitis, as a reference group.

Clonality and allelotype analyses of focal nodular hyperplasia compared with hepatocellular adenoma and carcinoma.

Aim: To identify clonality and genetic alterations in focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and the nodules derived from it.

Methods: Twelve FNH lesions were examined. Twelve hepatocellular adenomas (HCAs) and 22 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) were used as references.

[Stimulated emission characteristics of ZnO thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering on SiO2 substrates].

ZnO thin films were deposited by magnetron sputtering on SiQ2 substrates. The temperature dependence of the absorption spectra and the photoluminescence spectra was studied for ZnO thin film. The absorption of the longitudinal optical (LO) phonons and the free-excitons was observed at room temperature.