Ultrahigh-throughput screening-assisted in vivo directed evolution for enzyme engineering.

Background: Classical directed evolution is a powerful approach for engineering biomolecules with improved or novel functions. However, it traditionally relies on labour- and time-intensive iterative cycles, due in part to the need for multiple molecular biology steps, including DNA transformation, and limited screening throughput.

Results: In this study, we present an ultrahigh throughput in vivo continuous directed evolution system with thermosensitive inducible tunability, which is based on error-prone DNA polymerase expression modulated by engineered thermal-responsive repressor cI857, and genomic MutS mutant with temperature-sensitive defect for fixation of mutations in Escherichia coli.

Evaluation of Serum NLRC4 as a Potential Prognostic Biochemical Marker in Humans with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Involvement of NLR CARD domain containing 4 (NLRC4) in neuroinflammation has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prognostic role of serum NLRC4 in severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI).

Methods: In this prospective cohort study including 140 sTBI patients and 140 controls, serum NLRC4 levels were quantified.

miR-8485 alleviates the injury of cardiomyocytes through TP53INP1.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) feature prominently in regulating the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF). This study was performed to investigate the role of miR-8485 in the injury of cardiomyocytes and CHF. It was found that miR-8485 level was markedly reduced in the plasma of CHF patients, compared with the healthy controls.

MRTF-A alleviates myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury by inhibiting the inflammatory response and inducing autophagy.

Myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTF-A) has an inhibitory effect on myocardial infarction; however, the mechanism is not clear. This study reveals the mechanism by which MRTF-A regulates autophagy to alleviate myocardial infarct-mediated inflammation, and the effect of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) on the myocardial protective effect of MRTF-A was also verified. MRTF-A significantly decreased cardiac damage induced by myocardial ischemia.

Plasma Purification Treatment Relieves the Damage of Hyperlipidemia to PBMCs.

Hyperlipidemia {hypercholesterolemia [cholesterol >5.18 mmol/L) or hypertriglyceridemia [triglycerides >2.3 mmol/L], mixed hyperlipidemia [cholesterol >5.

Function and Mechanism of Trimetazidine in Myocardial Infarction-Induced Myocardial Energy Metabolism Disorder Through the SIRT1-AMPK Pathway.

Myocardial energy metabolism (MEM) is an important factor of myocardial injury. Trimetazidine (TMZ) provides protection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. The current study set out to evaluate the effect and mechanism of TMZ on MEM disorder induced by myocardial infarction (MI).

The role of non-axisymmetry of magnetic flux rope in constraining solar eruptions.

Whether a solar eruption is successful or failed depends on the competition between different components of the Lorentz force exerting on the flux rope that drives the eruption. The present models only consider the strapping force generated by the background magnetic field perpendicular to the flux rope and the tension force generated by the field along the flux rope. Using the observed magnetic field on the photosphere as a time-matching bottom boundary, we perform a data-driven magnetohydrodynamic simulation for the 30 January 2015 confined eruption and successfully reproduce the observed solar flare without a coronal mass ejection.

Serum soluble TWEAK levels in severe traumatic brain injury and its prognostic significance.

Background: Severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) is characterized by a high mortality. Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) participates in inflammation. We determined serum soluble TWEAK (sTWEAK) levels with respect to its prognostic ability.

[Population spatial patterns of grassland plant communities in different slope aspects in the loess hilly area, China.].

We investigated the species composition and diversity of four grassland communities with different slope aspects in the loess hilly area of China. The power law was used to analyze spatial heterogeneity of the community and spatial pattern of the population. The results showed that Artemisia sacrorum was the dominant species and occurred in each site.

Anti-apoptotic effects of myocardin-related transcription factor-A on rat cardiomyocytes following hypoxia-induced injury.

Myocardin-related transcription factor-A (MRTF-A) can transduce both biomechanical and humoral signals, which can positively modulate cardiac damage induced by acute myocardial infarction. However, the molecular mechanism that underlies the contribution that MRTF-A provides to the myocardium is not completely understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of MRTF-A on myocardium apoptosis and its mechanisms.

[Impact of mesenchymal stem cells transplantation on myocardial myocardin-related transcription factor-A and bcl-2 expression in rats with experimental myocardial infarction].

Objective: To observe the impact of mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation on myocardial myocardin-related transcription factor-A (MRTF-A) and bcl-2 expression in rats with experimental myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: Thirty rats were randomly divided into sham, MI and MI + BMSCs (1 × 10(6) injected into 4 infarct points immediately post coronary artery ligation) groups (n = 10 each).One week later, TUNEL was used to detect cardiomyocyte apoptosis, the myocardial expression of MRTF-A and bcl-2 was detected by laser scanning confocal microscope and Western blot.

Myocardin-related transcription factor-A-overexpressing bone marrow stem cells protect cardiomyocytes and alleviate cardiac damage in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction.

Myocardin-related transcription factor-A (MRTF-A) can transduce biomechanical and humoral signals, which can positively modulate cardiac damage induced by acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the clinic, bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) therapy is being increasingly utilized for AMI; however, the effects of BMSC transplantation remain to be optimized. Therefore, a novel strategy to enhance BMSC‑directed myocardial repair is particularly important.

Intermedin as a prognostic factor for major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction.

Intermedin functions systemically as a potent vasodilator and its plasma levels have been shown to be elevated in patients with acute myocardial infarction. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of plasma intermedin level in the patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. Plasma intermedin concentrations of 128 patients and 128 healthy controls were determined using a radioimmunoassay.

Measurement of modal birefringence in optical waveguides based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

A method for measuring the birefringence in planar waveguide circuits is theoretically proposed and validated. The method is based on the Mach-Zehnder interference and by measuring the spectral shift due to orthogonal polarization states. The birefringence of a silica waveguide is measured to be 2.

Simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature by integrating an external Fabry-Perot cavity with a fiber Bragg grating.

A fiber sensor for simultaneous measurements of refractive index and temperature based on the integration of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with an external Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavity is presented. The fringe contrast of the interference spectrum generated by the F-P cavity is used to determine the external refractive index, while the wavelength shift of the FBG is used to measure temperature. The result showed that the refractive index and temperature sensitivity for the integrated sensor is 8.