Regulation of pollen tube growth by cellular pH and ions.

Tip growth of the pollen tube is a model system for the study of cell polarity establishment in flowering plants. The tip growth of the pollen tube displays an oscillating pattern corresponding to cellular ion and pH dynamics. Therefore, cellular pH and ions play an important role in pollen growth and development.

Lipidomic analysis of plant membrane lipids by direct infusion tandem mass spectrometry.

Plant phospholipids and glycolipids can be analyzed by direct infusion electrospray ionization triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry. A biological extract is introduced in solvent by continuous infusion into the mass spectrometer's electrospray ionization source, where ions are produced from the lipids. For analysis of membrane lipids, a series of precursor and neutral loss scans, each specific for lipids containing a common head group, are obtained sequentially.

[Effects of rhubarb powder on serum complement 3, complement 4, and hs-CRP in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage].

Objective: To investigate the effects of rhubarb powder on serum complement 3 (C3), complement 4 (C4), and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) after operation.

Methods: Forty inpatients with HICH after operation were recruited from Department of Cerebral Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine from July 2009 to March 2010. They were randomly assigned to the treatment group (20 cases) and the control group (20 cases).

Novel acid-activated fluorophores reveal a dynamic wave of protons in the intestine of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Unlike the digestive systems of vertebrate animals, the lumen of the alimentary canal of Caenorhabditis elegans is unsegmented and weakly acidic (pH ~4.4), with ultradian fluctuations to pH > 6 every 45-50 s. To probe the dynamics of this acidity, we synthesized novel acid-activated fluorophores termed Kansas Reds.

LipidomeDB data calculation environment: online processing of direct-infusion mass spectral data for lipid profiles.

LipidomeDB Data Calculation Environment (DCE) is a web application to quantify complex lipids by processing data acquired after direct infusion of a lipid-containing biological extract, to which a cocktail of internal standards has been added, into an electrospray source of a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. LipidomeDB DCE is located on the public Internet at http://lipidome.bcf.

[Clinical observation of the height of the alveolar after bone grafting in cleft alveolar repair in various ages.].

Purpose: To evaluate the changes of transplanted bones after cancellous iliac bone grafting in cleft alveolar repair in various ages.

Methods: The patients were divided into A and B groups according to their canine eruption. The changes of alveolar height in grafting regions were examined by clinical follow up and radiographs after the cancellous iliac bone grafting in cleft alveolar repair.