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Background and purpose: Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare rheumatologic disorder that may aect the neurological system with various presentations. In this study, we present a case and summarize the clinical characteristics of RP-associated meningoencephalitis. Case presentation: A 48-year-old man presented with first-ever seizures that were well controlled by valproate. Physical examination results were unremarkable, except for binaural deformation. The initial brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without contrast and electroencephalogram (EEG) findings were normal. However, the patient subsequently developed recurrent fever, scleritis, headache, lethargy, and left arm paresis. Repeated brain MRI with contrast demonstrated increased enhancement of the pia mater and abnormal diusion-weighted imaging (DWI) signals in the bilateral auricles. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed 2 leukocytes/µL, 736.5 mg/L of protein, and no evidence of infectious disease or autoimmune encephalitis. Meningoencephalitis secondary to RP was considered. The patient’s condition improved significantly and quickly with the administration of dexamethasone (10 mg per day). Oral methylprednisolone was continued, and the patient remained well without relapse during the 9-month follow-up period. Conclusion: RP-associated meningoencephalitis is rare but fatal. Although symptoms vary, red or deformed ears remain the most common and suggestive features. Non-specific parenchymal changes and/or meningeal enhancement can be observed on brain MRI scans. CSF lymphocytic pleocytosis with mild protein elevation was observed in most patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a kind of systemic vasculitis affecting individuals over 50 years old and is often the cause of new-onset headaches in older adults. Patients with GCA sometimes have rheumatic polymyalgia (PMR). The diagnosis of GCA generally depends on clinical manifestation, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein, and positive imaging findings commonly obtained by ultrasound or temporal artery biopsy. In this study, we report a case of an 83-year-old woman with a new-onset headache and an elevated ESR. The result of the temporal artery ultrasound did not distinguish between vasculitis and atherosclerosis. The F18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (18F FDG PET-CT) were performed and suggested large vessel vasculitis with temporal artery involvement. In addition, polyarticular synovitis and bursitis were also revealed. Finally, the diagnosis of secondary headache attributed to CGA complicated with PMR was established. The patient experienced remission of symptoms after glucocorticoid therapy. PET can become a powerful tool for diagnosis and differential diagnosis when the ultrasound result is ambiguous and a biopsy is not obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The off-flavor disorder is one of the most quality deteriorating and undesirable postharvest physiological disorders in fresh fruits. Over-biosynthesis and accumulation of ethanol metabolism-related metabolites such as acetaldehyde and ethanol have been associated with an alcoholic off-flavor disorder in various fresh fruits at both pre- and postharvest stages. Correspondingly, many studies have reported the association of such off-flavor disorders with several inducing factors, including anaerobic respiration, low O2 stress, high CO2 stress, and storage temperature stress, that upregulate ethanol metabolism in fruits. Furthermore, numerous metabolic and physiological mechanisms that govern ethanol metabolism under such factors are subsequently addressed. These mechanisms include the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt pathway, mitochondrial energy metabolism, glycolysis, Krebs or TCA cycle, cytosolic malate metabolism, and starch and sugar metabolism. To summarize the relevant findings, the current paper reviews the literature on alcoholic off-flavor disorder, focusing on the role of significant underlying causes and key metabolic and physiological mechanisms in boosting ethanol metabolism in fresh fruits. In addition, recent measures that have been already taken or are in progress to control the higher activity of ethanol metabolism that may eventually result in limiting the alcoholic off-flavor disorder in harvested fresh fruits have also been discussed. Moreover, functions of metabolic mechanisms, including respiratory mechanisms, and other factors such as fruit genetic makeup, degree of maturity, and postharvest handling and storage conditions, are needed to be investigated in future work at both physiological and transcriptomics levels to reveal the additional relation to alcoholic off-flavor disorders in fresh fruits during ripening and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato is one of the most important vegetable crops in the world and is a model plant used to study the ripening of climacteric fleshy fruit. During the ripening process of tomato fruit, flavor and aroma metabolites, color, texture and plant hormones undergo significant changes. However, low temperatures delayed the ripening process of tomato fruit, inhibiting flavor compounds and ethylene production. Metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses of tomato fruit stored under low temperature (LT, 5 °C) and room temperature (RT, 25 °C) were carried out to investigate the effects of storage temperature on the physiological changes in tomato fruit after harvest. The results of transcriptomics changes revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in tomato fruit ripening, including several kinds of transcription factors (TFs) (TCP, WRKY, MYB and bZIP), enzymes involved in cell wall metabolism [beta-galactosidase (ß-GAL), pectinesterase (PE) and pectate lyase (PL), cellulose and cellulose synthase (CESA)], enzymes associated with fruit flavor and aroma [acetyltransferase (AT), malic enzyme (ME), lipoxygenase(LOX), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and hexokinase (HK) ], genes associated with heat stress protein 70 and genes involved in the production of plant hormones such as Ethylene responsive factor 1 (ERF1), Auxin/indoleacetic acids protein (AUX/IAA), gibberellin regulated protein. Based on the above results, we constructed a regulatory network model of the effects of different temperatures during the fruit ripening process. According to the analysis of the metabolomics results, it was found that the contents of many metabolites in tomato fruit were greatly affected by storage temperature, including, organic acids (L-tartaric acid, a-hydroxyisobutyric acid and 4-acetamidobutyric acid), sugars (melezitose, beta-D - lactose, D -sedoheptulose 7-phosphate, 2-deoxyribose 1-phosphate and raffinose) and phenols (coniferin, curcumin and feruloylputrescine). This study revealed the effects of storage temperature on postharvest tomato fruit and provided a basis for further understanding of the molecular biology and biochemistry of fruit ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, most of the setups of plasma jet adopted rare gases (e.g., helium and argon) as the working gas. The drawback of using rare gases is that it cannot be continuously used as the gas tank volume is limited, and the cost of using rare gases to yield plasma jet is also higher. Thus, a plasma jet using solely air as the working gas could be a potentially promising solution. In this study, a low-temperature air plasma jet using only air as gas was developed. The device was optimized by adjusting the control circuit (deadband, current, voltage and duty ratio), frequencies (50–350 kHz), air pump flow-rate (0– 8 L/min), and geometric size of each component. The spectrum of the low-temperature air plasma jet revealed that the main components are N2, and the radicals N/NO occupy 92.5%, while O and O+ occupy less than 7.5%. Under the optimal conditions, where the discharging frequency was at 120 kHz and the output voltage was set to 5–10 kV, its inactivation ability toward microorganisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Trichophyton rubrum, and Candida albicans was assessed. In addition, the inactivation ability of low-temperature air plasma jet and ozone toward microorganisms was compared. Low-temperature air plasma jet and ozone were applied to microorganisms for a range of treatment times, and the results showed different degrees of microbiological inactivation. The inhibition zones formed on the agar plate were 3.8 cm (Staphylococcus aureus), 3.3 cm (Escherichia coli), 5.3 cm (Trichophyton rubrum), and 3.2 cm (Candida albicans) when a 15 min low-temperature air plasma jet was applied. Comparatively, the diameters of the inhibition zone after 15 min of ozone exposure were 3.8, 5.0, 0.9, and 0.0 cm, respectively. Collectively, the low-temperature air plasma jet showed comparable efficacy to ozone in terms of inactivation ability. This low-temperature air plasma jet demonstrated its potential to be used for medical applications involving the inactivation of microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carney-Stratakis syndrome (CSS) is a rare dyad of paraganglioma (PGL)/pheochromocytoma (PHEO) and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). PGLs are neuroendocrine tumors of neural crest origin which are mostly found in the head, neck, and retroperitoneal space. GISTs are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the digestive tract, usually caused by KIT/PDGFRA mutations. Here, we reported a case of CSS with unusual bladder PGL and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficient GIST due to a germline mutation in SDH-subunit B (SDHB) gene. Case presentation: A 39-year-old female patient initially diagnosed with gastric GIST and isolated pelvic metastasis was eventually found to be CSS with bladder PGL and SDH-deficient GIST after surgery. This patient underwent resection of gastric and bladder tumors, and postoperative pathology confirmed the diagnosis of CSS. According to the next-generation sequencing (NGS), the patient carried a germline mutation in the SDHB gene, which was the cause of the disorder. The patient had no tumor recurrence with regular follow-up in 10 months. Conclusions: CSS is an autosomal genetic disorder with no gender difference in incidence, and PGLs are more frequent than GISTs. SDH germline mutation is the molecular biological mechanism of CSS while the most common type is SDHB mutation. The unique mechanism of tumorigenesis including hypoxia and hypermethylation caused by SDH deficiency renders target therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors ineffective, therefore complete surgical resection is the optimal treatment in the absence of tumor metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the roles of Harvista (a sprayable 1-methylcyclopropene, 1-MCP, available component is 150 g · hm -2) and Ethephon (1 mL · L -1) applied at preharvest in apple (Malus domestica Borkh. 'Golden Delicious') fruit cuticular wax biosynthesis, the expression of genes related to fruit cuticular wax biosynthesis and ethylene biosynthesis and signaling, ethylene production rate, respiration rate, wax constituents and structure, and fruit quality were determined at harvest and during cold storage. The results showed that 1-MCP inhibited the expression levels of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling-related genes, decreased fruit ethylene production, and inhibited the expression of MdLACS1, MdCER6, MdCER4 and MdWSD1, which resulted in decreases in alcohols, acids, and esters content in fruit cuticular wax. 1-MCP also reduced fruit dropping rate from 17.17% to 12%; maintained fruit firmness, soluble solids, titratable acidity during cold storage; showed about as one fifth in the total length and one third in the widest width of wax crack as that in control at harvest. In contrast, Ethephon produced the opposite effects. In conclusion, 1-MCP inhibited fruit ethylene biosynthesis and signaling, and influenced fruit cuticular wax biosynthesis. Thus, the fruit cuticular wax constituents and structure was altered, and the fruit quality were maintained at harvest and during cold storage. The results provide a new technology for improving apple fruit harvest and postharvest quality by preharvest application of sprayable 1-MCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a quite common illness but its etiology and mechanism remain unclear. Neural epidermal growth factor-like like 2 (NELL2) plays multifunctional roles in neural cell growth and is strongly linked to the urinary tract disease. Current study aims to determine the expression, functional activities and underlying mechanism of NELL2 in BPH. Human prostate cell lines and tissues from normal human and BPH patients were utilized. Immunohistochemical staining, immunofluorescent staining, RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting were performed. We further generated cell models with NELL2 silenced or overexpressed. Subsequently, proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis of prostate cells were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry analysis. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis process were also analyzed. Our study revealed that NELL2 was up-regulated in BPH samples and localized in the stroma and the epithelium compartments of human prostate tissues. NELL2 deficiency induced a mitochondria-dependent cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell proliferation via phosphorylating extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation. Additionally, suppression of ERK1/2 with U0126 incubation could significantly reverse NELL2 deficiency triggered cell apoptosis. Consistently, overexpression of NELL2 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis. However, NELL2 interference was observed no effect on EMT and fibrosis process. Our novel data demonstrated that up-regulation of NELL2 in the enlarged prostate could contribute to the development of BPH through enhancing cell proliferation and inhibited a mitochondria-dependent cell apoptosis via the ERK pathway. The NELL2-ERK system might represent an important target to facilitate the development of future therapeutic approaches in BPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common disease among aging males with the etiology remaining unclear. We recently found myosin II was abundantly expressed in rat and cultured human prostate cells with permissive roles in the dynamic and static components. The present study aimed to explore the expression and functional activities of myosin II isoforms including smooth muscle (SM) myosin II (SMM II) and non-muscle myosin II (NMM II) in the hyperplastic prostate. Human prostate cell lines and tissues from normal human and BPH patients were used. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), Masson's trichrome, immunohistochemical staining, in vitro organ bath, RT-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western-blotting were performed. We further created cell models with NMM II isoforms silenced and proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis of prostate cells were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry. Hyperplastic prostate SMexpressed more SM1 and LC17b isoforms compared with their alternatively spliced counterparts, favoring a slower more tonic-type contraction and greater force generation. For BPH group, blebbistatin (BLEB, a selective myosin II inhibitor), exhibited a stronger effect on relaxing phenylephrine (PE) pre-contracted prostate strips and inhibiting PE-induced contraction. Additionally, NMMHC-A and NMMHC-B were up-regulated in hyperplastic prostate with no change in NMMHC-C. Knockdown of NMMHC-A or NMMHC-B inhibited prostate cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, with no changes in cell cycle. Our novel data demonstrate that expression and functional activities of myosin II isoforms are altered in human hyperplastic prostate, suggesting a new pathological mechanism for BPH. Thus, the myosin II system may provide potential new therapeutic targets for BPH/lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine-resolution differentiation trajectories of adult human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) involved in the generation of red cells is critical for understanding dynamic developmental changes that accompany human erythropoiesis. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of primary human terminal erythroid cells (CD34-CD235a+) isolated directly from adult bone marrow (BM) and umbilical cord blood (UCB), we documented the transcriptome of terminally differentiated human erythroblasts at unprecedented resolution. The insights enabled us to distinguish polychromatic erythroblasts (PolyEs) at the early and late stages of development as well as the different development stages of orthochromatic erythroblasts (OrthoEs). We further identified a set of putative regulators of terminal erythroid differentiation and functionally validated three of the identified genes, AKAP8L, TERF2IP, and RNF10, by monitoring cell differentiation and apoptosis. We documented that knockdown of AKAP8L suppressed the commitment of HSCs to erythroid lineage and cell proliferation and delayed differentiation of colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) to the proerythroblast stage (ProE). In contrast, the knockdown of TERF2IP and RNF10 delayed differentiation of PolyE to OrthoE stage. Taken together, the convergence and divergence of the transcriptional continuums at single-cell resolution underscore the transcriptional regulatory networks that underlie human fetal and adult terminal erythroid differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Bisabolene-type sesquiterpenoids, which have multiple bioactivities, including anticancer activity, are one of the main groups of compounds in the essential oil extracted from Santalum album L. and other Santalum species. Bisabolene synthetase (SaBS) is a key enzyme for the synthesis of bisabolene in S. album, but the regulation of the SaBS gene’s expression is poorly understood. In this study, a 1390-bp promoter sequence of the SaBS gene was isolated from the leaves of six-year-old S. album. A bioinformatics analysis showed that certain environment stresses and phytohormone-activated cis-acting elements were distributed in different regions of the SaBS promoter (PSaBS). Transgenic Arabidopsis carrying full-length PSaBS had significantly higher β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity than the untreated control after treatment with salicylic acid (SA), suggesting that PSaBS is a SA-inducible promoter. Histochemical GUS staining and GUS fluorometric assays of transgenic Arabidopsis showed that the GUS activity directed by PSaBS was mainly expressed in stem tissue, followed by leaves and flowers. Moreover, different regions of PSaBS showed significantly different GUS activity. A 171-bp fragment upstream of the transcriptional initiation codon (ATG) is the core promoter region of PSaBS. Our results provide insight into and a greater understanding of the transcriptional regulation mechanism of the SaBS gene, which could serve as an alternative inducible promoter for transgenic plant breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient plant proliferation and regeneration system via fasciated stems was established for the first time in Vitex rotundifolia L. Aseptic nodal segments were used as explants and cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with different plant growth regulators alone and in different combinations to investigate the induction, proliferation, axillary shoot initiation and elongation from fasciated stems and subsequent regeneration. The obtained results show that the growth of fasciated stems can be regulated by cytokinins. A higher concentration of cytokinins induced both the formation of axillary shoots from normal stems and the development of fasciated stems. Anatomical analyses revealed that fasciated stems (5 to 25 mm wide) were much wider than normal in planta shoot stems (2 to 3 mm wide). The pith cells of fasciated stems developed laterally to 0.05 - 0.08 mm in width, while normal stems were usually 0.02 to 0.04 mm in width. Flow cytometry indicated no obvious changes in chromosomes among the four types of shoots. This is the first report on the development of axillary shoots from fasciated stems in V. rotundifolia tissue culture. Our protocol serves as a new form of clonal plant regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The etiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is complex, both age and androgen are thought to be important. However, the failure of androgen blockade treatments suggests other paracrine/autocrine factors involved in BPH. Oxytocin was found to have a paracrine/autocrine role in prostate in recent years. The influence of BPH on prostatic oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression has never been studied. Material and methods: A testosterone-estradiol induced rat model of BPH was employed and human hyperplastic prostate specimens were harvested. Expressions of OTR, a1-adrenoreceptor subtypes and nitric oxide synthase isoforms were determined via real-time RT-PCR. OTR was further analyzed with Western-Blotting and histological examination. Subsequently, rat epithelial cells, human stromal cells and epithelial cells were cultured in vitro and treated with gradient concentrations of OT from 1 to 5 days. Cell proliferation was tested by Cell Counting Kit-8 and Flow Cytometry. Results: The rat BPH model was validated with significant increased prostate weight. H-E stain revealed a different histopathology between human and rat BPH. Masson's trichrome staining demonstrated that smooth muscle (SM) cells, epithelium cells and collagen fibers were simultaneously augmented in this rat BPH model and human BPH samples. OTR mainly localized in epithelium in rat prostate whereas it mainly localized in stroma in human prostate. OTR gene was upregulated 3.3-fold in rat BPH and 3.0- fold in human BPH, along with increased expression of 2.0-fold a1aARs and 3.0-fold eNOS for rat BPH and 5.0-fold a1aARs for human BPH. The expression of OTR protein was upregulated 1.4-fold in rat BPH and 3.9-fold in human BPH, respectively. Increased concentrations of exogenous OT can accelerate proliferation of rat epithelial cells and human stromal cells but has no impact on human epithelial cells in vitro. Flow Cytometry showed oxytocin could significantly increase G2/M period cell number. Conclusions: Our novel data demonstrates a significant and previously undocumented upregulation of OTR in both rat and human BPH. Moreover, exogenous OT accelerates proliferation of rat prostate epithelial cells and human prostate stromal cells. It is suggested OTR is involved in the development of BPH and OT regulatory system could be a potential new target for the BPH treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing trend in aerosol concentration has been observed in Himalayas in recent years, but the understanding of the chemical composition and sources of aerosol remains poor. In this study, molecular chemical composition of water soluble organic matter (WSOM) from two filter samples (denoted as F30 and F43) collected during high aerosol loading periods at a high altitude station (Qomolangma Station, QOMS, 4276 m a.s.l.) in the northern Himalayas were identified by positive electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS). More than 4500 molecular formulas were identified in each filter sample which were classified into two compound groups (CHO and CHON) based on their elemental composition with both accounting for nearly equal contributions in number (45%-55%). The relative abundance weighted mole ratio of O / Cw for F30 and F43 are 0.43 and 0.38, respectively, and the weighted double bond equivalent (DBEw), an index for the saturation of organic molecules, were 6.26 and 6.92, respectively, suggesting their medium oxidation and saturation degrees. Although the O / Cw mole ratio was comparable for CHO and CHON compounds, the DBEw was significant higher in CHON compounds than CHO compounds. More than 50% molecular formulas in Van Krevelen (VK) diagram (H / C vs. O / C) located in 1-1.5 (H / C) and 0.2-0.6 (O / C) regions, suggesting potential lignin-like compounds. The distributions of CHO and CHON compounds in VK diagram, DBE vs. number of C atoms, and other diagnose diagrams showed highly similarities between each other suggesting their similar source and/or atmospheric processes. Detailed molecular information in the common formula of these two filters was explored. Many formulas with their homologous series of compounds formed from biogenic volatile organic compounds and biomass mass burning emitted compounds were found in the WSOM with high relative abundance suggesting the important contribution of these two sources in Himalayas. The high DBE and high nitrogen containing of aerosol would have important implication for aerosol light absorption and biogeochemical cycle in this remote region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ballistic protection for body armor usually requires both of high strength and high energy mitigation. In this work, we introduce and evaluate a new kind of body armor, i.e. a hybrid panel of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabrics and soft energy absorption materials and structures (EAMS), by combing the advantages of bullet-proof and energy absorption of the respective material structures. A combined experimental and numerical study is conducted to evaluate the ballistic performance of the UHMWPE fabrics/ EAMS hybrid panel. The resulting back-face signature (BFS) values of the hybrid panel are reduced by 6–17%, compared to the pure UHMWPE fabrics panel with the same areal density. If the EAMS is simply superimposed onto the UHMWPE fabrics, the reduction of BFS can be 50% or more with respect to the pure UHMWPE one. The effects of the geometrical factors of EAMS and mass ratio of UHMWPE fabrics to EAMS on the BFS values are studied using comprehensive finite element method (FEM) analyses. The strategies for optimal design of the UHMWPE fabrics/EAMS composite armor are proposed. The results presented herein shed useful insights for the design for high performance and energy mitigating body armors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve radial suspension and eliminate the effect of rotor gravity in wind turbines, a novel structure of a generator combined with a magnetic bearing (GCWMB) is proposed in this paper. The GCWMB not only has the characteristics of the traditional permanent magnet (PM) generator but also has the advantages of reducing friction and starting wind speed, eliminating rotor gravity. The structure and principle of the GCWMB are analyzed in this paper. To improve the calculation accuracy of flux density, an analytical model based on the Fourier series decomposition is proposed to establish the model of flux density in the outer air gap. Taking into account the edge effects and the eccentricity of the rotor, an improved equivalent magnetic circuit method is adopted to model and analyze the flux density in the inner air gap. The effectiveness and correctness of the proposed analytical model in the outer and inner air gaps are verified by finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of explant and its preparation are most likely one of the most important biotic factors that determine the success of a tissue culture protocol when the explant is derived from ex vitro organs. This review assesses the disinfection protocols available for saffron (Crocus sativus L.; Iridaceae) explants in an attempt to ascertain the most suitable set of parameters that could ensure successful tissue culture in subsequent treatments. From a methodological perspective, two explant types are most commonly adopted in saffron biotechnology, namely the use of fresh field-grown shoots, or dormant corms. The latter is more recommended to minimize contamination and to allow the use of more aggressive disinfection treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most common age-associated progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN). The pathogenesis of PD and the mechanisms underlying the degeneration of DA neurons are still not fully understood. Our previous quantitative proteomics study revealed that hyaluronan and proteoglycan binding link protein 2 (Hapln2) is one of differentially expressed proteins in the substantia nigra tissues from PD patients and healthy control subjects. However, the potential role of Hapln2 in PD pathogenesis remains elusive. In the present study, we characterized the expression pattern of Hapln2. In situ hybridization revealed that Hapln2 mRNA was widely expressed in adult rat brain with high abundance in the substantia nigra. Immunoblotting showed that expression levels of Hapln2 were markedly upregulated in the substantia nigra of either human subjects with Parkinson's disease compared with healthy control. Likewise, there were profound increases in Hapln2 expression in neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rat. Overexpression of Hapln2 in vitro increased vulnerability of MES23.5 cells, a dopaminergic cell line, to 6-hydroxydopamine. Moreover, Hapln2 overexpression led to the formation of cytoplasmic aggregates which were co-localized with ubiquitin and E3 ligases including Parkin, Gp78, and Hrd1 in vitro. Endogenous a-synuclein was also localized in Hapln2-containing aggregates and ablation of Hapln2 led to a marked decrease of α-synuclein in insoluble fraction compared with control. Thus, Hapln2 is identified as a novel factor contributing to neurodegeneration in PD. Our data provides new insights into the cellular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium officinale is one of the most important Chinese medicinal herbs. Polysaccharides are one of the main active ingredients of D. officinale. To identify the genes that maybe related to polysaccharides synthesis, two cDNA libraries were prepared from juvenile and adult D. officinale, and were named Dendrobium-1 and Dendrobium-2, respectively. Illumina sequencing for Dendrobium-1 generated 102 million high quality reads that were assembled into 93,881 unigenes with an average sequence length of 790 base pairs. The sequencing for Dendrobium-2 generated 86 million reads that were assembled into 114,098 unigenes with an average sequence length of 695 base pairs. Two transcriptome databases were integrated and assembled into a total of 145,791 unigenes. Among them, 17,281 unigenes were assigned to 126 KEGG pathways while 135 unigenes were involved in fructose and mannose metabolism. Gene Ontology analysis revealed that the majority of genes were associated with metabolic and cellular processes. Furthermore, 430 glycosyltransferase and 89 cellulose synthase genes were identified. Comparative analysis of both transcriptome databases revealed a total of 32,794 differential expression genes (DEGs), including 22,051 up-regulated and 10,743 down-regulated genes in Dendrobium-2 compared to Dendrobium-1. Furthermore, a total of 1142 and 7918 unigenes showed unique expression in Dendrobium-1 and Dendrobium-2, respectively. These DEGs were mainly correlated with metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. In addition, 170 DEGs belonged to glycosyltransferase genes, 37 DEGs were related to cellulose synthase genes and 627 DEGs encoded transcription factors. This study substantially expands the transcriptome information for D. officinale and provides valuable clues for identifying candidate genes involved in polysaccharide biosynthesis and elucidating the mechanism of polysaccharide biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: This study aims to compare the clinicopathological features of gastric carcinoma between two different time periods, and to investigate the prognostic factors for gastric carcinoma.Patients and Methods: One thousand sixteen consecutive gastric cancer patients were divided into two groups according to the operation date, period I (1994-1999) and period II (2000-2006). The clinicopathological features and prognosis were compared between the two periods.Results: There were significant differences in the proportions of early gastric carcinoma, different tumor node metastasis (TNM) staged patients, specialized operation and adjuvant chemotherapy between the two periods. The 5-year survival rate after curative resection within period II, were significantly higher than those within period I. Stratification analysis revealed that the survival rates of the patients with curative resection, lymph node metastasis, advanced disease, different TNM stages, specialized operations, without adjuvant chemotherapy within period II, were significantly higher than those within period I. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that Borrmann type, histologic type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, curative resection, adjuvant chemotherapy, and different time periods were independent prognostic factors for gastric carcinoma.Conclusions: The treatment efficacy of gastric carcinoma within the recent period improved highly when compared with that within the early period. It was the elevated diagnostic rate of early gastric cancer, standardized radical operation, and adjuvant chemotherapy that contributed to such improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Santalum album (sandalwood) is one of the economically important plant species in the Santalaceae for its production of highly valued perfume oils. Sandalwood is also a hemiparasitic tree that obtains some of its water and simple nutrients by tapping into other plants through haustoria which are highly specialized organs in parasitic angiosperms. However, an understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in haustorium development is limited. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses were performed to identify changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways associated with the development of the S. album haustorium. A total of 56,011 non-redundant contigs with a mean contig size of 618 bp were obtained by de novo assembly of the transcriptome of haustoria and non-haustorial seedling roots. A substantial number of the identified differentially expressed genes were involved in cell wall metabolism and protein metabolism, as well as mitochondrial electron transport functions. Phytohormone-mediated regulation might play an important role during haustorial development. Especially, auxin signaling is likely to be essential for haustorial initiation, and genes related to cytokinin and gibberellin biosynthesis and metabolism are involved in haustorial development. Our results suggest that genes encoding nodulin-like proteins may be important for haustorial morphogenesis in S. album. The obtained sequence data will become a rich resource for future research in this interesting species. This information improves our understanding of haustorium development in root hemiparasitic species and will allow further exploration of the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying plant parasitism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the higher harmonic component of the magnetic field in magnetically levitated permanent-magnet planar motors (PMPMs), a sinusoidal index for 2-dimensional (2D) wave is proposed and verified by calculating the average total harmonic distortion (THD) of the discrete waveform. Based on this, a novel optimal design method using THD for 2-dimensional wave (THD2D) and fundamental amplitude is proposed for PMPMs. The finite element analysis and experimental results show that the higher harmonic component of magnetic field is reduced with average fundamental amplitude invariant, and the back-EMF is better. So the optimal design method can improve the electromagnetic performance of magnetically levitated PMPMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the spatial error structures of eight precipitation estimates derived from four different satellite retrieval algorithms including TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA), Climate Prediction Center morphing technique (CMORPH), Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN). All the original satellite and bias-corrected products of each algorithm (3B42RTV7 and 3B42V7, CMORPH_RAW and CMORPH_CRT, GSMaP_MVK and GSMaP_Gauge, PERSIANN_RAW and PERSIANN_CDR) are evaluated against ground-based Asian Precipitation-Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation of Water Resources (APHRODITE) over Central Asia for the period of 2004 to 2006. The analyses show that all products except PERSIANN exhibit overestimation over Aral Sea and its surrounding areas. The bias-correction improves the quality of the original satellite TMPA products and GSMaP significantly but slightly in CMORPH and PERSIANN over Central Asia. 3B42RTV7 overestimates precipitation significantly with large Relative Bias (RB) (128.17%) while GSMaP_Gauge shows consistent high correlation coefficient (CC) (>0.8) but RB fluctuates between -57.95% and 112.63%. The PERSIANN_CDR outperforms other products in winter with the highest CC (0.67). Both the satellite-only and gauge adjusted products have particularly poor performance in detecting rainfall events in terms of lower POD (less than 65%), CSI (less than 45%) and relatively high FAR (more than 35%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) increases with age. Elderly patients with AML are less tolerant to high-intensity consolidation therapy than younger patients, with significantly worse prognoses. Induction and consolidation therapy combined with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell microtransplantation may improve the prognosis of elderly patients with AML. The present study reports the effect of maintenance therapy with low-dose chemotherapy treatment combined with microtransplantation in elderly patients with AML following consolidation. Between January 2011 and April 2014, three elderly patients (>55 years old), including one 58-year-old patient with acute mixed lineage leukemia (AMLL) and two patients with AML aged 59 years and 62 years, underwent microtransplantation maintenance therapy. Following a complete response to induction chemotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy with two to four cycles of medium dose Ara-c (auto transplantation was performed in the patient with AMLL), maintenance therapy was performed using low-dose Ara-c combined with human leukocyte antigen haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell microtransplantation, which was repeated every 3 to 6 months. The patients were followed up for 27, 20 and 16 months, respectively, and all three patients achieved disease-free survival. The bone marrow Wilms' tumor suppression gene (WT1) level of the case with AMLL was dynamically monitored. The results showed that the WT1 level was abnormally high prior to microtransplantation and gradually declined to normal levels subsequent to the process. None of the patients suffered from graft versus host disease during the microtransplantation process. In conclusion, microtransplantation maintenance therapy following consolidation therapy is feasible in elderly patients with AML, and is expected to be able to further remove residual lesions and improve treatment efficacy. A large-scale clinical trial is required to confirm the effect of maintenance therapy in elderly patients with AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A recent genome-wide association study indicated that the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs11081062 in DLGAP1 and rs26728 in EFNA5 were associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in Caucasians. The present case-control association study assessed the global relevance of these two SNPs with respect to OCD subtypes in a Chinese Han population. Methods: We recruited 320 OCD patients and 431 age- and sex-matched controls from a Chinese Han population. rs11081062 and rs26728 SNPs were genotyped by real-time TaqMan polymerase chain reaction, and the chi-squared test was used to compare allele and genotype frequencies of variants between the two groups. Results: No significant differences were found in allele or genotype frequencies of DLGAP1 rs11081062 and EFNA5 rs26728 between the OCD and control groups. Moreover, consistently negative results were observed when classifying by sex, onset age, and comorbidity. However, on analyzing OCD subphenotypes, significant associations were observed between rs11081062 and the presence of contamination obsessions and cleaning compulsions (χ2=7.724, P=0.021 by genotype; χ2=3.745, P=0.053 by allele; and χ2=0.821, P=0.365 by genotype, χ2=27.809, P=0.000 by allele, respectively), and rs26728 with the presence of repeating compulsions (χ2=8.285, P=0.004 by genotype; χ2=7.512, P=0.006 by allele). Conclusion: Although we found no association between DLGAP1 rs11081062 and EFNA5 rs26728 SNPs with OCD in a Chinese Han population, obvious associations were observed with OCD subphenotypes. Therefore, it appears to be useful to divide OCD into more homogeneous subphenotypes to help understand the complex genetic basis of this disorder. Further investigations are needed to replicate these findings using larger sample sizes, different populations, and other polymorphisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: There is a discrepancy between the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) guidelines (7th edition) and the Japanese treatment guidelines (3rd edition) with regard to the extent of D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer. In the AJCC, hepatic artery station (No.12a) lymph node (LN) metastasis is classified as distant metastasis, whereas in the Japanese guidelines, this classified is regional metastasis. This study aimed to evaluate whether it is appropriate to reclassify No.12a LN metastasis as distant metastasis in consideration of survival outcome. Methods: In this retrospective analysis, data from patients with gastric cancer who underwent regular D2 or greater lymphadenectomy between 1996 and 2006 were evaluated to determine any association between the clinicopathological features of hepatic artery LNs and survival prognosis. Results: Among the 247 patients with gastric cancer who underwent No.12 LN harvest, 45 (18.2%) were positive for No.12a LN metastasis. No.12a LN metastasis was significantly associated with poor clinicopathological features, advanced tumor stage, and poor overall survival. The 5-year survival rate of patients with No.12a LN metastasis was significantly better than that of patients with distant metastasis (P < 0.05), but was similar to that of patients with LN involvement in the D2 lymphadenectomy region (P > 0.05). No.12a LN metastasis was shown to significantly influence survival outcome in univariate analysis, but was not identified as a significant independent predictor in multivariate analysis. In logistic multivariate regression analysis, T stage, N stage, and station No.3, 5, and 6 LN metastasis were independent predictors of No.12a LN involvement. Conclusions: It is inappropriate to reclassify No.12a LN metastasis as distant metastasis. We propose that this be considered as regional metastasis and be included in the extent of D2 lymphadenectomy to improve survival outcomes in patients with gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]