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De-domestication is a unique evolutionary process during which crops re-acquire wild-like traits to survive and persist in agricultural fields without the need for human cultivation. The re-acquisition of seed dispersal mechanisms is crucial for crop de-domestication. Common wheat is an important cereal crop worldwide. Tibetan semi-wild wheat is a potential de-domesticated common wheat subspecies. However, the crucial genes responsible for its brittle rachis trait have not been identified. Genetic mapping, functional analyses and phylogenetic analyses were completed to identify the gene associated with Qbr.sau-5A, which is a major locus for the brittle rachis trait of Tibetan semi-wild wheat. The cloned Qbr.sau-5A gene is a new Q allele (Qt ) with a 161-bp transposon insertion in exon 5. Although Qt is expressed normally, its encoded peptide lacks some key features of the APETALA2 family. The abnormal functions of Qt in developing wheat spikes result in brittle rachises. Phylogenetic and genotyping analyses confirmed that Qt originated from Q in common wheat and is naturally distributed only in Tibetan semi-wild wheat populations. The identification of Qt provides new evidence regarding the origin of Tibetan semi-wild wheat, and new insights into the re-acquisition of wild traits during crop de-domestication.

Two cDNAs encoding putative type 1 acyl-CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT1, EC 2.3.1.20), were cloned from Tetraena mongolica, an extreme xerophyte with high oil content in the stems. The 1 488-bp and 1 485-bp of the open reading frame (ORF) of the two cDNAs, designated as TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b, were both predicted to encode proteins of 495 and 494 amino acids, respectively. Southern blot analysis revealed that TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b both had low copy numbers in the T. mongolica genome. In addition to ubiquitous expression with different intensity in different tissues, including stems, leaves and roots, TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b, were found to be strongly induced by high salinity, drought and osmotic stress, resulting in a remarkable increase of triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in T. mongolica plantlets. TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b activities were confirmed in the yeast H1246 quadruple mutant (DGA1, LRO1, ARE1, ARE2) by restoring DGAT activity of the mutant host to produce TAG. Overexpression of TmDGAT1a and TmDGAT1b in soybean hairy roots as well as in T. mongolica calli both resulted in an increase in oil content (ranging from 37% to 108%), accompanied by altered fatty acid profiles.

Aim We conducted this study to evaluate the role of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in diagnosing and differential diagnosis hepatic veno-occlusive disease (HVOD), and as well as assessing the clinical therapeutic effects. Methods From 2007 to 2010, 10 inpatients with weight increasing, liver pains, ascites, jaundice and history of taking gynura rhizome before hospitalization were scanned with a 64-MDCT. The data were reconstructed every 0.625 mm and reviewed using multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) and liver CT angiography (CTA) on a GE AW4.2 workstation. Patients were re-scanned with MDCT after medication so that the clinical therapeutic effect could be evaluated before the patients discharging from hospital. Results In 10 HVOD patients, the diagnoses of MDCT were coincident with clinical results. All patients had ascites and pleural fluid, hepatomegaly except the caudate lobe in MDCT. Failure to view hepatic veins in hepatic 3 phase scans, but portal veins and inferior vena cava were unobstructed. In portal-phase, hepatic enhancements were non-uniform. Three patients were incorrectly diagnosed before hospital admission. All patients improved significantly after hepato-protection and supporting therapy. No ascites, hydrothorax, hepatomegaly and obstruction of hepatic veins were observed by MDCT before patients were discharged from hospital. Conclusion Multidetector computed tomography combined with MPR and liver CTA images are helpful in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of HVOD and in the evaluation of clinical therapeutic effects.

Aim. This study aims to explore the relationships between organisational citizenship behaviour, job satisfaction and turnover intention. Background. Because of the changing health policies landscape, Taiwan’s hospital administrators are facing major cost reduction challenges. Specifically, the high turnover rate of nurses represents a hindrance and a human resource cost. This study focuses on ways of reducing the employee turnover rate through enhanced organisational citizenship behaviour and job satisfaction. Design. A cross-sectional study. Methods. This study focuses on hospital nurses in Taiwan. Our research samples were obtained from one medical centre, three regional hospitals and seven district hospitals. Out of 300 questionnaires distributed among samples, 237 were completed and returned. Pearson’s correlation was used to test for relationships among the main variables. One-way analysis of variance and Scheffe’s post hoc analysis were employed to test the influence of demographic data on the main variables. Results. The results reveal that the nurses’ job satisfaction has a significantly positive correlation with organisational citizenship behaviour and a negative correlation with turnover intention. Conclusions. This study has proven that the turnover intention of clinical nurses is related to their organisational citizenship behaviour and job satisfaction. Hospital administrators can reduce the turnover intention by meeting nurses’ needs and by promoting their organisational citizenship behaviour. Relevance to clinical practice. Organisational citizenship behaviour involves behaviour that encourages staff to endeavour to voluntarily improve organisational performance without lobbying for compensation. Employees’ job satisfaction includes satisfaction with the working environment or welfare programme in the context of human resource initiatives. Similarly, human resource protocols may serve as the starting point for promoting staff organisational citizenship behaviour. Administrators in clinical healthcare are encouraged to meet their employees’ working needs through human resource practices.

Three series of bisazo reactive red dyes were synthesised using 6-amino-1-naphthol-3-sulphonic acid and its derivatives as the coupling components. The dyeing parameters and wash fastness of these dyes on knitted cotton were evaluated and the relationships between the structure and dyeing properties were investigated. It was found that the hydrophilic groups introduced into the dye molecules decrease the substantivity and fixation of the dyes, but increase the build-up and migration properties. The defined wash-off factor can directly reflect the wash fastness of the dyes and the build-up property can be improved by commercialisation using certain auxiliaries. The results indicate that there is the possibility of synthesising a red reactive dye with a satisfying balance between high fixation and good wash fastness and several such dyes have been developed.

A highly selective fluorescence sensor was developed for Hg(II) ion detection in aqueous solutions based on the selective binding of Hg(II) ions with a pair of thymine-thymine mismatch. The sensor consists of two DNA probes functionalized with a fluorophore (fluorescein, F) and a quencher (tetramethyl rhodamine, Q) moiety separately. This pair of DNA probes contains two pairs of thymine-thymine mismatches used to detect Hg(II) ions. In the presence of Hg(II) ions, thymine-Hg2+-thymine was formed between thymine residues of probes. From that, the interaction of the two DNA probes increased. Thus, the DNA probes formed a double-stranded structure. Both the fluorophore and quencher were brought close to each other leading to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between F and Q. Under the optimum conditions, the sensor was used to detect the Hg(II) ions from 50 to 1000 nmol·L−1 with a regression equation y=5281.13−1650.56 lg[Hg2+] (R2=0.985). The linear range covers 100 to 500 nmol·L−1, and the limit of detection (LOD) is 79 nmol·L−1. The disturbance of some co-existing metal ions was explored, and no significant fluorescence quenching in the presence of 1.0 μmol·L−1 other metal ions was observed. The fluorescence sensor has good sensitivity and selectivity for Hg(II) ions providing a rapid, simple and low cost method for the detection of mercury(II) ions in aqueous solutions.

A competitive indirect chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay (ic-CLEIA) for chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in shrimp has been developed. After optimization (incubation time, concentration of Tween-20, concentration of PBS and pH), the method gave a limit of detection of 0.01 ng/mL and a detection range of 0.03-23.7 ng/mL, with an ED(50) of 0.47 ng/mL. The method has been validated on spiked shrimp samples in terms of precision (intra- and interassay coefficient variations of less than 10% and 15%, respectively) and accuracy (mean recovery 95-123%). The assay performance is better than the ELISA method which is widely used to detect chloramphenicol and indicates that the CLEIA method can be used to test aquatic samples instead of ELISA.