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Sous-vide (SV), as a mild processing technique, exhibits some potential for keeping the original flavor of oyster. The dynamic changes mechanism of flavor and taste in oyster during SV processing (0-30 min/75 °C) were investigated. SV processing for 10-15 min improved the umami of oysters, likely due to the increase in adenosine monophosphate and glutamate, while processing for 20-30 min resulted in a significant loss of "grassy" flavor. GC-MS and GC-IMS analysis showed that the loss of short-chain aldehydes, such as (E)-2-pentenal, (E)-2-hexenal and (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal may be related to the weakening of the "grassy" flavor, and the formation of 2,3-diethylpyrazine and octanal produced a "cooked" and "fatty" flavor. The analysis of lipidomics indicated that phosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, synthesized mainly through glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism, were key precursors for aldehyde formation. This study provides a theoretical basis for controlling the flavor quality of oyster during mild processing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Fractures are common accidents for long-term hospitalized patients with schizophrenia (SZ) in psychiatric hospitals, and once they occur, patients usually endure the pain of fractures for a long time. Accumulating evidence has supported the implementation of dance/movement therapy (DMT) as a promising intervention for patients with SZ. However, no research has been conducted to investigate its role in balance ability in SZ. This study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a 12-week DMT intervention in bone mineral density and balance ability in patients with SZ using a randomized, controlled trial design. A total of 58 veterans with SZ were randomly assigned to the DMT intervention group (n = 29) and the treatment-as-usual (TAU) group (n = 29). Bone mineral density (BMD) and balance ability were measured in both groups at two measurement points (at baseline and at the end of Week 12). We found that patients in the DMT intervention group had significant improvements in BMD and balance ability compared with the TAU group by using repeated measures analysis of variance. Treatment with DMT demonstrated a significant improvement in BMD from baseline to week 12 (0.03, 95% CI: 0.01-0.05). For the Berg total score and static and dynamic balance, the mean changes in the DMT group were 7.3 (95% CI: 5.6-9.0), 4.0 (95% CI: 0.9-7.1), and 3.7 (95% CI: 2.6-4.8), respectively. Regression analysis showed that baseline BMD was a significant predictor of improvement in BMD from baseline to week 12 in the DMT group (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). Our results suggest for the first time that DMT intervention may be effective in beneficially regulating BMD and balance ability in SZ patients., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The vitreous body keeps the lens and retina in place and protects these tissues from physical insults. Existing studies have reported that the mechanical properties of vitreous body varied after liquefaction, suggesting mechanical properties could be effective parameters to identify vitreous liquefaction process. Thus, in this work, we aimed to propose a method to determine the mechanical properties of vitreous bodies. Fresh porcine eyes were divided into three groups, including the untreated group, the 24 h liquefaction group and the 48 h liquefaction group, which was injected collagenase and then kept for 24 h or 48 h. The indentation tests were carried out on the vitreous body in its natural location while the posterior segment of the eye was fixed in the container. A finite element model of a specimen undertaking indentation was constructed to simulate the indentation test with surface tension of vitreous body considered. Using the inverse method, the mechanical parameters of the vitreous body and the surface tension coefficient were determined. For the same parameter, values were highest in the untreated group, followed by the 24 h liquefaction group and the lowest in the 48 h liquefaction group. For C 10 in the neo-Hookean model, the significant differences were found between the untreated group and liquefaction groups. This work quantified vitreous body mechanical properties successfully using inverse method, which provides a new method for identifying vitreous liquefactions related studies.

Increasing the copy number of peptides is an effective method to genetically engineer recombinant expression and obtain umami peptides in large quantities. However, the umami taste value of multicopy number umami peptides is lower than the single ones, thus limiting the industrial application of recombinantly expressed umami peptides. With aims to solve this problem, modification of an umami beefy meaty peptide (BMP) with trypsin hydrolysis sites was carried out via homology modeling and molecular docking in this study. A total of 1286 modified peptide sequences were created and molecularly simulated for docking with the homology modeling-constructed umami receptor (T1R1/T1R3), and 837 peptides were found to be better docked than the BMP. Afterward, the MLSEDEGK peptide with the highest docking score was synthesized. And umami taste evaluation results demonstrated that this modified peptide was close to that of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and BMP, as confirmed by electronic tongue and sensory evaluation (umami value: 8.1 ± 0.2 for BMP; 8.2 ± 0.3 for MLSEDEGK peptide). Meanwhile, mock trypsin digestion of eight copies of MLSEDEGK peptide results showed that the introduced digestion sites were effective. Therefore, the novel modified BMP in this study has the potential for large-scale production by genetic engineering.

Thai indigenous pigs (TIPs) are important genetic resources. Crosses with exotic pig breeds and wild boars may cause genetic losses. To date, the physical characteristics of TIPs have been inconsistent. The classification of TIPs by genetic information is needed to pursue an appropriate conservation program. In this study, the genetic diversity, cluster analysis, and phylogenetic relationship of TIPs were investigated using twenty-nine pig microsatellite markers. Blood samples were collected from TIPs from three regions of Thailand: north (NT, n = 118), northeast (NE, n = 61), and south (ST, n = 75). The mean total number of distinct alleles and the effective number of alleles per locus were 11.851 and 5.497, respectively. The mean observed heterozygosity (Ho) and mean expected heterozygosity (He) were 0.562 and 0.837, respectively. The F values of the microsatellite loci were positive under Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium at p < 0.001, with overall mean values of Fis, Fit, and Fst of 0.247, 0.281, and 0.046, respectively. A total of 5, 5, and 17 private alleles were found at frequencies greater than 0.050 in the NT, NE, and ST pigs, respectively. Three optimal clusters ( K = 3) were proposed within the TIP populations. Pigs from the NT and NE regions were mixed in two clusters, while members of the ST region were clearly separated. The phylogenetic tree confirmed that the pigs from NT and NE were each divided into two subgroups, while the pigs from ST were clustered into one group. A microsatellite analysis revealed the high genetic diversity of the TIP populations and confirmed the genetic divergence of the TIPs from the European and Chinese breeds. A genetic admixture of the TIP with the local wild boars was detected.

Background: Previous studies of the genetic polymorphism of the Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) of Huis were focussed on the northwest of China. However, the population genetic characteristics of Chinese Hui residing in Yunnan province, Southwest China, remain unclear., Aim: To provide genetic data for 37 Y-STRs in the Chinese Hui population of Yunnan province, as well as to investigate population genetic relationships between the Chinese Hui and another 26 populations from China and neighbouring countries., Subjects and Methods: In total, 326 unrelated healthy male individuals were genotyped using the Goldeneye TM Y Plus PCR Amplification Kit. Genetic relationships between different populations were analysed using YHRD's AMOVA tools., Results: A total of 279 haplotypes were detected, out of which 244 were unique. The overall haplotype diversity (HD) and discrimination capacity (DC) were 0.9989 and 0.8611, respectively. The gene diversity (GD) ranged from 0.0544 (DYS645) to 0.9656 (DYS385)., Conclusions: The population comparison indicated that Muslim populations (Hui, Salar and Uighur) showed significantly more genetic affinity than other populations. Our results could be applied in forensic practice and population genetic studies.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of force degradation and surface morphology of 9 brands of elastic ligatures over 6 weeks, both in vivo and in vitro, to provide some reference for clinical selection of appropriate elastic ligatures and determination of appropriate follow-up visit time., Methods: Choosing 9 kinds of brands of elastic ligatures (American Orthodontics, Ormco, 3M Grey, TP Orthodontics, Xihu, Yahong, Creative, Protect, 3M dusty blue), which are common in the market. For the in vivo study, 9 volunteers (5 males, 4 females, aged 22-26 years) were chosen to wear elastic ligature fixators, which were made to fix the elastic ligature in the mouth without bonding brackets on the teeth. The residual force and percentage of force degradation of elastic ligatures were estimated after 0, 1 hour, 2 hours, 8 hours, 1 day, 2 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks processed in vivo and in vitro (25°C dry air condition, 37°C artificial saliva, pH = 6.7 and oral environment); A 1-way analysis of variance and t test were used to identify statistical significance (P <0.05). The surface morphology of the initial state and after a 6-week process in vivo and in vitro were observed separately., Results: The characteristics of force degradation and surface morphology of 9 brands of elastic ligatures were different over 6 weeks; With the extension of time, the tensile force declined, and the percentage of force degradation of all groups decreased sharply by about 9.1%-32.3% in the first day, then the rate reduced steadily. In addition, during the first day, the percentage of force degradation declined most sharply in the first hour (4.4%-16.5%). The percentage of force degradation of 9 elastic ligatures was reduced by about 11.3%-37.3% over 6 weeks in all groups. At the same time, the characteristics of force degradation in the same brand are that in vivo > artificial saliva > air (P <0.05). After a 6-week process, the surface morphologic defects were aggravated under a scanning electron microscope, corresponding to the change of mechanical properties in each brand., Conclusions: The mechanical properties of elastic ligatures are reduced with time extension and decreased greater in vivo than in vitro; According to the characteristics of force degradation of different brands of elastic ligatures, clinicians can choose the proper elastic ligatures at different stages of treatment, and adjust the follow-up visit time appropriately. For example, in alignment and leveling, the elastic ligatures with slow force degradation, such as Ormco, TP, and so on, maybe more suitable to ensure close contact between the archwire and the bracket. In the space-closing stage, the elastic ligatures with fast force degradation may be more appropriate to reduce the friction between the archwire and the bracket, such as 3M Grey, Yahong, Protect, and so on., (Copyright © 2022 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We describe Gehyra wongchan sp. nov. from Tham Khao Chan (Khao Chan Cave), Tha Luang District, and Wat Khao Wong, Kok Samrong District, in Lopburi Province, central Thailand. The new species differs from all currently recognized Gehyra by the following combination of morphological characters and dorsal color pattern: maximal known snoutvent length of 52.4 mm, 810 supralabials, 7680 dorsal and 4850 ventral scale rows around midbody, absence of skin folds on limbs, 17 or 18 preanofemoral pores in males in a continuous series extending to mid-length of femur (pores absent in females), tail not- to moderately widened behind vent in adults, a single row of widened subcaudals, digits and toes unwebbed, 7 or 8 divided subdigital lamellae on 4th toe, and a dorsal pattern with white spots as large or larger than adjacent crescentic black markings on a beige to light-brown background.

The [1,2]-Meisenheimer rearrangement is well known as the [1,2]-migration of an O -substituted hydroxylamine from a tertiary amine N-oxide, and it is frequently employed in organic synthesis to enforce adjacent carbon oxidation or install a 1,2-oxazine core, which is a prevalent structural feature and pharmacophore of many bioactive natural products. Although the [1,2]-Meisenheimer rearrangement was proposed to occur in the biosynthesis of a number of 1,2-oxazine-containing natural products, it has never been proved biosynthetically. Here, we identified the biosynthetic gene cluster of an insecticidal natural product, paeciloxazine ( 1 ), from Penicillium janthinellum and characterized a flavin-dependent monooxygenase, PaxA, as the first example that mediates the formation of a 1,2-oxazine moiety via Meisenheimer rearrangement. In vitro biochemical assays, site-directed mutations, docking and molecular dynamics simulations, and density functional theory calculations support the mechanism that PaxA first catalyzes N-oxidation to form an N-oxide intermediate, which undergoes [1,2]-Meisenheimer rearrangement with the assistance of an amino acid with proton transfer property. This study expands the repertoire of rearrangement reactions during the biosynthesis of natural products and provides a new strategy for discovering natural products with N-O tethers by genome mining.

Comprehensive metabolite analysis was carried out by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry to investigate the time-dependent metabolic changes during wheat dough heating. Thirty-five volatile metabolites comprising alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, aromatic compounds, furans, acids and esters were identified. Sixty-four non-volatile metabolites, which covered a broad spectrum of polar and non-polar constituents, were also identified and quantified. Results showed that the content of most volatile metabolites increased during heating. Meanwhile, the levels of non-volatile polar metabolites, such as sugar and amino acid, increased and the levels of non-volatile non-polar metabolites decreased or remained constant, including fatty acid methyl ester and free fatty acids. PCA results demonstrated that metabolic changes could be reflected by time-dependent shifts in the PCA loading scores during heating. Analysis of the loadings further showed that most volatile metabolites and non-volatile polar metabolites were the major contributors of the heating time-driven changes during heating. Furthermore, lipid oxidation mainly occurred in the residues of oleic acid and linoleic acid of triglycerides., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new sesquiterpene, (+)-19-methylaminoavarone ( 1 ), together with six known compounds ( 2 - 7 ), were isolated from the Xisha Islands marine sponge Dysidea sp. The structures were elucidated based on their spectroscopic data. We revised the carbon spectrum data of the compound 2 . The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were further confirmed by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis. Compounds 1 - 3 and 5-7 showed potent cytotoxic activity against several human cancer cell lines.

We describe Dixonius mekongensis sp. nov. from sandstone formations in Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, in extreme eastern Thailand along the Laotian border. The new species differs from all currently recognized Dixonius by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 51.2 mm; 16 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 32 to 34 paravertebral scales; 22 to 24 longitudinal rows of ventral scales across the abdomen; seven precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; a marked canthal stripe; and a spotted to uniform dorsal pattern. This description brings the number of Dixonius species to 13, with six species endemic to Thailand.

A new glossiphoniid leech species, Placobdelloides tridens sp. n., is discovered on the Malayan Giant Turtle (Orlitia borneensis) at the Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo in Thailand. The morphological study of this new species revealed that it is distinguished from P. siamensis, a turtle leech species that can be found commonly in Thailand. Placobdelloides tridens presented the following diagnostic morphological characteristics: a pear-shaped and triannulate body, well-developed rod-like papillae on the dorsal surface, smooth posterior and anterior suckers with nominal pits inside, a single pair of dark contiguous eyes, light yellow-brown to greenish dorsal color, absence of median line, male and female gonopore separated by a single annulus and a unique trident shape at the tip of the crop ceca. The phylogenetic relationships of P. tridens sp. n., was clarified, and shown to be a sister clade to the P. siamensis and P. sirikanchanae clade. Furthermore, this is a new host record for P. siamensis, which was found on O. borneensis, Batagur affinis and B. borneoensis in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Chonburi, Thailand.

Background: In Thailand, five species of Acanthosaura have been recorded so far, including Acanthosaura armata from the southern region, A. cardamomensis from the eastern region, A. crucigera from the western region, A. lepidogaster from the northern region and A. phuketensis from the Phuket Island and south-western region. However, comprehensive studies of diversity patterns and distribution of Acanthosaura are still lacking in some areas and need further information for designating areas of special conservation importance and nature protection planning in Thailand., New Information: Acanthosaura aurantiacrista is a new species of long-horned lizard of the genus Acanthosaura from northern Thailand. It is distinguished from all other species of Acanthosaura by a dagger-like nuchal spine with yellowish-orange colouration in females, bright yellow colouration in males and a combination of other morphological characters: a greater tail length to snout-vent length ratio; a larger postorbital spine, nuchal spine, dorsal spine and occipital spine compared to its head length; a smaller diastema to snout-vent length ratio; a greater number of subdigital lamellae on the fourth finger and fourth toe; and a larger gular pouch than other Acanthosaura species. Analysis of mitochondrial ND2 gene sequences revealed a sister clade between the A. aurantiacrista lineage and the A. crucigera lineage with a 100% probability of divergence, according to Bayesian analysis and strong support value for Maximum Likelihood analysis. The pairwise distance ranged from 13.8-15.0% between A. aurantiacrista and A. cardamomensis , 10.9-14.5% between A. aurantiacrista and A. crucigera and 0-1.2% amongst A. aurantiacrista populations. The discovery of this lizard increases the known endemic herpetological diversity and underscores the importance of conservation in the mountain rainforest region of northern Thailand., (Poramad Trivalairat, Kirati Kunya, Lawan Chanhome, Montri Sumontha, Taksa Vasaruchapong, Nirut Chomngam, Krittiya Chiangkul.)

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effects of interferon-γ inducible protein 10 (IP10) and complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) of T cells receptor on ovarian cancer cells and the involved mechanisms., Methods: IP10 and CDR3 were linked with single-chain antibody (scfv) and exotoxin gene muton of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PE40) to construct IP10-CDR3scfv and IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv. Then, we constructed pcDNA3.1-IP10-CDR3scfv and pcDNA3.1-IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv plasmids which were proved by HindIII/EcoRI digestion. SKOV3 cells and HOSEpiC cells were incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled IP10-CDR3scfv and IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv proteins and protein levels were examined by flow cytometry. After gene transfection, SKOV3 cells were divided into four groups: Control, pcDNA3.1(+) negative control (NC) (pcDNA3.1(+) NC transfection), IP10-CDR3scfv (IP10-CDR3scfv transfection) and IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv (IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv transfection). Levels of IP10, CDR3, Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot. Cell viability and apoptosis were investigated by CCK-8 assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI assay, respectively., Results: The levels of FITC-labeled IP10-CDR3scfv and IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv proteins in the SKOV3+IP10-CDR3scfv group and the SKOV3+IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv group were remarkably higher than that in the SKOV3 group (P<0.05). So was the HOSEpiC related groups. There was no obvious difference in the levels of IP10, CDR3, Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 between the control group and the pcDNA3.1(+) NC group. However, compared with the control group, the levels of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2 were reduced notably and the levels of IP10, CDR3 and cleaved Caspase-3 were elevated sharply in the IP10-CDR3scfv and IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv groups (P<0.05). The control group and the pcDNA3.1(+) NC group demonstrated similar cell viability and apoptosis. However, compared with the control group, cell viability in the IP10-CDR3scfv and IP10-CDR3-PE40scfv groups decreased significantly and cell apoptosis increased (P<0.05)., Conclusion: IP10-CDR3 could reduce the viability and induce the apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells by down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and Caspase-3., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2019 Chen et al.)

Introduction: This study aimed to analyze the effects of ultrasonic removal of fractured files from the middle third of root canals on the vertical root fracture resistance., Methods: This study was an extension of a previous study assessing the effects of fractured file removal on dentinal microcracks. It included 18 bilaterally matched pairs of human mandibular incisors prepared and analyzed in the previous study. Briefly, 1 member of each pair was assigned to an ultrasonic or a control group. In the ultrasonic group, K-files were fractured in the middle third of canals followed by ultrasonic file removal and canal preparation. In the control group, the root canals were simply prepared. Micro-computed tomographic imaging was performed before and after treatment, and the cross-sectional root images were screened for microcracks. For the present study, 3-dimensional reconstruction was performed for volumetric assessments. The fracture resistance was measured using a universal testing machine. All data were statistically analyzed., Results: Fracture loads were significantly smaller in the ultrasonic group (P < .05). The percentage increase in the canal volume significantly influenced the root fracture resistance (P < .05), whereas microcracks had no significant effect (P > .05)., Conclusions: Ultrasonic removal of fractured instruments from the middle third of root canals lowers the vertical root fracture resistance, with increased dentin removal being the primary cause., (Copyright © 2019 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of five Cyrtodactylus were determined. Their compositions and structures were similar to most of the available gecko lizard mitogenomes as 13 protein-coding, two rRNA and 22 tRNA genes. The non-coding control region (CR) of almost all Cyrtodactylus mitogenome structures contained a repeated sequence named the 75-bp box family, except for C. auribalteatus which contained the 225-bp box. Sequence similarities indicated that the 225-bp box resulted from the duplication event of 75-bp boxes, followed by homogenization and fixation in C. auribalteatus . The 75-bp box family was found in most gecko lizards with high conservation (55-75% similarities) and could form secondary structures, suggesting that this repeated sequence family played an important role under selective pressure and might involve mitogenome replication and the likelihood of rearrangements in CR. The 75-bp box family was acquired in the common ancestral genome of the gecko lizard, evolving gradually through each lineage by independent nucleotide mutation. Comparison of gecko lizard mitogenomes revealed low structural diversity with at least six types of mitochondrial gene rearrangements. Cyrtodactylus mitogenome structure showed the same gene rearrangement as found in most gecko lizards. Advanced mitogenome information will enable a better understanding of structure evolution mechanisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests.

For the diagnosis and evaluation of ophthalmic diseases, imaging and quantitative characterization of vasculature in the iris are very important. The recently developed photoacoustic imaging, which is ultrasensitive in imaging endogenous hemoglobin molecules, provides a highly efficient label-free method for imaging blood vasculature in the iris. However, the development of advanced vascular quantification algorithms is still needed to enable accurate characterization of the underlying vasculature. We have developed a vascular information quantification algorithm by adopting a three-dimensional (3-D) Hessian matrix and applied for processing iris vasculature images obtained with a custom-built optical-resolution photoacoustic imaging system (OR-PAM). For the first time, we demonstrate in vivo 3-D vascular structures of a rat iris with a the label-free imaging method and also accurately extract quantitative vascular information, such as vessel diameter, vascular density, and vascular tortuosity. Our results indicate that the developed algorithm is capable of quantifying the vasculature in the 3-D photoacoustic images of the iris in-vivo, thus enhancing the diagnostic capability of the OR-PAM system for vascular-related ophthalmic diseases in vivo., ((2018) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).)

This paper introduces a novel bacterial identification assay based on thermal wave analysis through surface-imprinted polymers (SIPs). Aluminum chips are coated with SIPs, serving as synthetic cell receptors that have been combined previously with the heat-transfer method (HTM) for the selective detection of bacteria. In this work, the concept of bacterial identification is extended toward the detection of nine different bacterial species. In addition, a novel sensing approach, thermal wave transport analysis (TWTA), is introduced, which analyzes the propagation of a thermal wave through a functional interface. The results presented here demonstrate that bacterial rebinding to the SIP layer resulted in a measurable phase shift in the propagated wave, which is most pronounced at a frequency of 0.03 Hz. In this way, the sensor is able to selectively distinguish between the different bacterial species used in this study. Furthermore, a dose-response curve was constructed to determine a limit of detection of 1 × 10 4 CFU mL -1 , indicating that TWTA is advantageous over HTM in terms of sensitivity and response time. Additionally, the limit of selectivity of the sensor was tested in a mixed bacterial solution, containing the target species in the presence of a 99-fold excess of competitor species. Finally, a first application for the sensor in terms of infection diagnosis is presented, revealing that the platform is able to detect bacteria in clinically relevant concentrations as low as 3 × 10 4 CFU mL -1 in spiked urine samples.

We describe a new lowland forest-dwelling species of the genus Acanthosaura from Phuket Island and the Phuket mountain range in southwestern Thailand. Acanthosaura phuketensis sp. nov., the 11 th species in the genus, seems most closely related to A. crucigera from Myanmar and western Thailand and A. cardamomensis from the Cardamom Mountains, but can be differentiated from them by a combination of morphological and coloration characteristics. This new discovery stresses the importance of preserving the last forest patches remaining on Phuket Island, home to three other squamate endemics.

We describe a new lowland forest-dwelling Cyrtodactylus from Suk Samran District, Ranong Province, southern peninsular Thailand, having a blotched dorsal pattern, a continuous series of poreless enlarged femoral and precloacal scales, 18-20 regularly arranged dorsal tubercle rows, no precloacal groove, no transversely enlarged subcaudal plates and a maximal known snout-vent length of 59.6 mm. Cyrtodactylus ranongensis sp. nov. seems closely related to C. quadrivirgatus, but is readily distinguished from it by having 35-40 ventral scale rows, a reddish iris, heavy dorsal mottling, and lacking longitudinal dark-brown elements in its dorsal pattern.

We describe a new forest-dwelling Cyrtodactylus from Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. Cyrtodactylus inthanon sp. nov. is characterized by a maximum known SVL of 87.3 mm; 18 to 20 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; a continuous series of 34 to 37 enlarged femoro-precloacal scales, including four to six pitted (female) or pore-bearing (male) scales on each femur separated by a diastema from five pitted (females) or pore-bearing (male) precloacal scales; no precloacal groove or depression; transversely enlarged subcaudal scales; and three to five irregular beige dorsal bands between limb insertions. The discovery of a new reptile endemic to Doi Inthanon reinforces the high importance of this mountain in terms of biodiversity conservation.

A method is proposed to determine the mechanical properties of retina based on in vivo experiments and numerical simulations. First, saline water was injected into the anterior chamber of the right eye of a cat to cause acute high intraocular pressure. After the eye was scanned using optical coherence tomography under different acute high intraocular pressures, the images of the retina in vivo were obtained and the thickness of the retina was calculated. Then, the three-dimensional structure of the optic nerve head including the retina and the choroid were reconstructed using image processing technology. Three different material models for the retina and the choroid were taken and the finite element models of the optic nerve head were constructed. Finally, an inverse method was proposed to determine the parameters of a constitutive model of the retina and of the choroid simultaneously. The results showed that the deformation of the retina can be properly simulated taking into consideration the nonlinear elastic properties of the retina and of the choroid.

We describe a new forest-dwelling Cyrtodactylus from Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. Cyrtodactylus doisuthep sp. nov. is characterized by a maximal known SVL of 90.5 mm; 19 or 20 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; a continuous series of 34 or 35 enlarged femoro-precloacal scales, including six or seven pitted scales on each femur (male and females) separated by a diastema from six pitted (females) or pore-bearing (male) precloacal scales; no precloacal groove or depression; transversely enlarged subcaudal scales; and six or seven irregular thin beige dorsal bands between limb insertions.

Background: Understanding the mechanical properties of the iris can help to have an insight into the eye diseases with abnormalities of the iris morphology. Material parameters of the iris were simply calculated relying on the ex vivo experiment. However, the mechanical response of the iris in vivo is different from that ex vivo, therefore, a method was put forward to determine the material parameters of the iris using the optimization method in combination with the finite element method based on the in vivo experiment., Material and Methods: Ocular hypertension was induced by rapid perfusion to the anterior chamber, during perfusion intraocular pressures in the anterior and posterior chamber were record by sensors, images of the anterior segment were captured by the ultrasonic system. The displacement of the characteristic points on the surface of the iris was calculated. A finite element model of the anterior chamber was developed using the ultrasonic image before perfusion, the multi-island genetic algorithm was employed to determine the material parameters of the iris by minimizing the difference between the finite element simulation and the experimental measurements., Results: Material parameters of the iris in vivo were identified as the iris was taken as a nearly incompressible second-order Ogden solid. Values of the parameters μ1, α1, μ2 and α2 were 0.0861 ± 0.0080 MPa, 54.2546 ± 12.7180, 0.0754 ± 0.0200 MPa, and 48.0716 ± 15.7796 respectively. The stability of the inverse finite element method was verified, the sensitivity of the model parameters was investigated., Conclusion: Material properties of the iris in vivo could be determined using the multi-island genetic algorithm coupled with the finite element method based on the experiment.

With the ever-increasing global demand for high quality rice in both local production regions and with Western consumers, we have a strong desire to understand better the importance of the different traits that make up the quality of the rice grain and obtain a full picture of rice quality demographics. Rice is by no means a 'one size fits all' crop. Regional preferences are not only striking, they drive the market and hence are of major economic importance in any rice breeding / improvement strategy. In this analysis, we have engaged local experts across the world to perform a full assessment of all the major rice quality trait characteristics and importantly, to determine how these are combined in the most preferred varieties for each of their regions. Physical as well as biochemical characteristics have been monitored and this has resulted in the identification of no less than 18 quality trait combinations. This complexity immediately reveals the extent of the specificity of consumer preference. Nevertheless, further assessment of these combinations at the variety level reveals that several groups still comprise varieties which consumers can readily identify as being different. This emphasises the shortcomings in the current tools we have available to assess rice quality and raises the issue of how we might correct for this in the future. Only with additional tools and research will we be able to define directed strategies for rice breeding which are able to combine important agronomic features with the demands of local consumers for specific quality attributes and hence, design new, improved crop varieties which will be awarded success in the global market.

Immobilization of trypsin onto the superparamagnetic carboxymethyl chitosan (Fe3O4 (PEG+CM-CTS)) nanoparticles was studied. FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy data demonstrated that the Fe3O4 (PEG+CM-CTS) nanoparticles were capable of preventing the trypsin unfolding. Due to the large specific surface area and excellent dispersibility, the adsorption equilibrium of trypsin onto the nanoparticles was achieved quickly within 30min. The results of kinetic parameters (Michaelis constant, Km) with regards to the free trypsin (FT) and immobilized trypsin (IT) were 23.1 and 24.1mg/mL separately, implying that IT has less affinity to the BAEE used as the substrate. However, the MALDI-TOF MS analysis indicated that, IT could be used for fast and efficient Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) digestion under very facile processes, thanks to the easy manipulation of the magnetic nanoparticles (MNs), as well as the greatly reduced digestion time (from 12h to 15min). IT exhibited a sound stability after re-uses for six times, with 76.3% of the initial activity thereof still retained, thus making it more attractive in the application fields. These results are expected to open up a great potential use of such Fe3O4 (PEG+CM-CTS) nanoparticles as a superior nanosupport for trypsin immobilization., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: A clear understanding of the blood vessels in the eye is helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic diseases, such as glaucoma. Conventional techniques such as micro-CT imaging and histology are not sufficiently accurate to identify the vessels in the eye, because their diameter is just a few microns. The newly developed medical imaging technology, X-ray phase-contrast imaging (XPCI), is able to distinguish the structure of the vessels in the eye. In this study, XPCI was used to identify the internal structure of the blood vessels in the eye., Methods: After injection with barium sulfate via the ear border artery, an anesthetized rabbit was killed and its eye was fixed in vitro in 10% formalin solution. We acquired images using XPCI at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility. The datasets were converted into slices by filtered back-projection (FBP). An angiographic score was obtained as a parameter to quantify the density of the blood vessels. A three-dimensional (3D) model of the blood vessels was then established using Amira 5.2 software., Results: With XPCI, blood vessels in the rabbit eye as small as 18 μm in diameter and a sixth of the long posterior ciliary artery could be clearly distinguished. In the 3D model, we obtained the level 4 branch structure of vessels in the fundus. The diameters of the arteria centralis retinae and its branches are about 200 μm, 110 μm, 95 μm, 80 μm and 40 μm. The diameters of the circulus arteriosus iridis major and its branches are about 210 μm, 70 μm and 30 μm. Analysis of vessel density using the angiographic score showed that the blood vessels had maximum density in the fundus and minimum density in the area anterior to the equator (scores 0.27 ± 0.029 and 0.16 ± 0.032, respectively). We performed quantitative angiographic analysis of the blood vessels to further investigate the density of the vessels., Conclusions: XPCI provided a feasible means to determine the structure of the blood vessels in the eye. We were able to determine the diameters and morphological characteristics of the vessels from both 2D images and the 3D model. By analyzing the images, we obtained measurements of the density distribution of the microvasculature, and this approach may provide valuable reference information prior to glaucoma filtration surgery.

Objectives: To assess whether Chula formula can predict the proper length of nasotracheal intubation., Material and Method: This was a prospective study of 100 patients (50 males and 50 females) who underwent general anesthesia with nasotracheal intubation (number 8.0 for male and 7.0 for female) between December 2005 and March 2007. The Chula formula was used to calculate the length of endotracheal tube (ETT) at the right external naris = 9 + (body height/10) cm. After intubation, a fiberoptic bronchoscope was inserted into the ETT to measure the distance from the tip of ETT to the carina and the distance from the upper border of the cuff of ETT to the vocal cords., Results: The mean length of nasotracheal tube at the right external naris calculated by Chula formula was 25.4 cm in males and 24.4 cm in females. The mean distance from the tip of ETT to the carina was 3.9 cm in males and 3.1 cm in females. The mean distance from the upper border of the cuff of ETT to the vocal cords was 2.6 cm in males and 3.0 cm in females. Ninety-three patients with upper border of the cuff of ETT had it placed at least 2 cm below the vocal cords, and in seven patients, the distance from the tip of ETT to the carina was found to be 1 to 1.9 cm. In every patient, it was found that the tip of ETT was placed at least 2 cm cephalad to the carina., Conclusion: In the present study, the Chula formula could be used to predict the proper length of nasotracheal intubation in 93 of 100 patients.

Quantification of the mechanical properties of the iris is necessary to assess the clinical significance of passive iris deformation, which has been suggested as a mechanism for angle closure glaucoma. The animal model simulating the total pupillary block was developed to simulate angle closure glaucoma, and experiments were performed on isolated porcine irises, deformation of the iris was captured when changing the pressure difference between the posterior and anterior chamber. A simple mechanical model was used to account for the geometry of the experiment. The relationship between the area strain (delta) and the pressure differences between the posterior and anterior chamber (P') is described as delta=b(0)+b(1)LnP'. Furthermore the radial 2D elastic mechanics parameter was calculated. The average 2D elastic mechanics parameter of porcine iris was found to be 5.3N/m in the radial direction and 24.7N/m in azimuthal direction. Experimental results provide reliable theoretical and experimental base for explanation of the blindness caused by Glaucoma.

Objective: To predict the proper depth of placement of endotracheal tubes, oral and nasal., Material and Method: This was a prospective study of 100 patients who underwent general anesthesia with oral endotracheal intubation. The cuff of the endotracheal tube was placed 2 cm below the vocal cords. The positions of the endotracheal tube tip and the airway distances of the patients were measured by fiberoptic bronchoscope; OC = the distance from the right upper canine to the vocal cords, NC = the distance from the right external naris to the vocal cords and T = the distance from the vocal cords to the carina. The correlation between the airway distances and patient's factors were analyzed. The proper depth of placement of the endotracheal tube was calculated with the formula OTT = OC + T-2, nasal endotracheal tube NTT = NC + T-2., Results: The mean distance from the endotracheal tube tip to the carina was 3.0 +/- 1.48 cm (ranged 0.7 - 7.5 cm). The distance from the endotracheal tube tip to the carina of 86 from 100 patients was more than 2 cm. The mean OC was 9.79 +/- 1.27 cm. The mean NC was 15.00 +/- 0.84 cm. The mean T were 13.03 +/- 1.48 cm in males and 11.63 +/- 1.25 cm in females and it also related to the height of the person (Pearson correlation = 0.557, p value < 0.05). These distances did not relate to gender., Conclusion: The predicted formula of the depth of the endotracheal tube as "Chula formula"; OTT = 4 + (Ht/10) cm (The distance from the right upper canine to the point which is 2 cm above the carina) NTT = 9 + (Ht/10) cm (The distance from the right external naris to the point which is 2 cm above the carina).

Objective: To qualify the mechanical properties of the iris during its passive deformation under the condition of glaucoma., Material and Methods: Experiments simulating the total pupillary block was performed on isolated rabbit irises to determine the passive mechanical behavior of the intact iris., Results: The relationship between the area strain(delta) and the pressure of posterior chamber relative to the anterior chamber(P') was obtained: (P1) was obtained P'+b eb1 delta.

Prevalence of anti-HCV antibody in 1193 hospitalized patients (848 males and 345 females) in psychiatric department was investigated. Overall prevalence ratio was 9.1%, indicating significantly higher than that of healthy blood donors. In the classification of ICD-10, the prevalence of the inpatients diagnosed in schizophrenia group and psychoactive substance use group accounted for 6.2% and 13.8%, respectively. However, adequate reasons such as sanitary issues were not found to account for the high prevalence. Only the age of the patients could account for the high prevalence in the schizophrenic group. In the psychoactive substance abuse group, the sanitary issues might be a major cause of the very high prevalence of anti-HCV antibody, while other factors such as dysfunction of the immune system might be considered to account for it.

Background: To evaluate the distributions of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) at class I and II loci that may contribute to the genetic susceptibility to psoriasis patients in the north-eastern Thai population., Materials and Methods: We analyzed the allelic frequencies of HLA class I and II by using the polymerase chain reaction-amplification refractory mutation system (PCR-ARMS) technique and polymerase chain reaction-single stranded conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP), respectively, in 140 north-eastern Thais with psoriasis that were sudivided into two groups: one with age at onset < 40 years (type I psoriasis; 95 cases) and the other with age at onset > 40 years (type II psoriasis; 45 cases). Three hundred healthy unrelated north-eastern Thais were used as controls., Results: HLA-A*01, -A*0207, -A*30, -B*08, -B*13, -B*4601, -B*57, -Cw*01, -Cw*0602, and -DRB1*07 were positively associated with type I psoriasis, whereas HLA-A*24, -A*33, and -Cw*04 were negatively associated with type I psoriasis with statistical significance when compared to the controls. The Cw*0602 allele showed the strongest correlation with this type. In addition, the frequencies of HLA-A*0207, -A*30, -Cw*01, and -DRB1*1401 were significantly increased in type II psoriasis. HLA-A*207, -B*4601, -Cw*01, -DRB1*09, -DQB1*0303 (AH46.1), HLA-A*01-B*57-Cw*0602-DRB1*07-DQB1*0303 (AH57.1), and HLA-A*30, -B*13, -Cw*0602, -DRB1*07, and -DQB1*02 (AH13.1) were identified as high-risk major histocompatibility complex (MHC) halotypes for psoriasis patients in the early onset group in north-eastern Thais., Conclusions: This study demonstrates not only the differential association between HLA markers and types of psoriasis according to age at onset, but also a newly found high-risk and a protective haplotype in Thai psoriasis patients.