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Banana (Musa spp.) production worldwide is seriously threatened by Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). The best way to control this disease is to grow resistant cultivars. However, it requires large-scale field evaluations and labor- and time-consuming to obtain disease-resistant germplasm. Development of early, reliable, and reproducible selection strategies are considered as the efficient approach which could speed up the selection procedure. In this study, two pairs of sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) primers related to banana Foc resistance/susceptibility were screened from 100 pairs of random primers. Correspondingly, two pairs of sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers (namely SC4-F/SC4R and SC14-F/SC14R, respectively) were successfully generated from these two SRAP markers using 30 cultivars either resistant or susceptible to Foc. Both SCAR markers were located in mitochondrion genome and showed discriminatory power of 96.67% and 100%, respectively. In additional, these two SCAR markers were employed simultaneously to screen potential resistant germplasm from 53 accessions with unknown resistance to Foc, and the results revealed a consistency of 83.0% with each other, further indicating their high reliability and reproducibility. These results suggest that both SCAR markers could be used in molecular marker-assisted selection for banana germplasm resistant to Fusarium.

Generally, the imaging quality of Fourier single-pixel imaging (FSI) will severely degrade while achieving high-speed imaging at a low sampling rate (SR). To tackle this problem, a new, to the best of our knowledge, imaging technique is proposed: firstly, the Hessian-based norm constraint is introduced to deal with the staircase effect caused by the low SR and total variation regularization; secondly, based on the local similarity prior of consecutive frames in the time dimension, we designed the temporal local image low-rank constraint for the FSI, and combined the spatiotemporal random sampling method, the redundancy image information of consecutive frames can be utilized sufficiently; finally, by introducing additional variables to decompose the optimization problem into multiple sub-problems and analytically solving each one, a closed-form algorithm is derived for efficient image reconstruction. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves imaging quality significantly compared with state-of-the-art methods.

BACKGROUND: Isolated gastrointestinal venous malformations (GIVMs) are extremely rare congenital developmental abnormalities of the venous vasculature. Because of their asymptomatic nature, the diagnosis is often quite challenging. However, as symptomatic GIVMs have nonspecific clinical manifestations, misdiagnosis is very common. Here, we report a case of isolated diffuse GIVMs inducing mechanical intestinal obstruction. A literature review was also conducted to summarize clinical features, diagnostic points, treatment selections and differential diagnosis in order that doctors may have a comprehensive understanding of this disease. CASE SUMMARY: A 50-year-old man presented with recurrent painless gastrointestinal bleeding for two months and failure to pass flatus and defecate with nausea and vomiting for ten days. Digital rectal examination found bright red blood and soft nodular masses 3 cm above the anal verge. Computed tomography showed that part of the descending colon and rectosigmoid colon was thickened with phleboliths in the intestinal wall. Colonoscopy exhibited bluish and reddish multinodular submucosal masses and flat submucosal serpentine vessels. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed anechoic cystic spaces within intestinal wall. The lesions were initially thought to be isolated VMs involving part of the descending colon and rectosigmoid colon. Laparoscopic subtotal proctocolectomy, pull-through transection and coloanal anastomosis and ileostomy were performed. Histopathology revealed intact mucosa and dilated, thin-walled blood vessels in the submucosa, muscularis, and serosa involving the entire colorectum. The patient recovered with complete symptomatic relief during the 52-mo follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of isolated GIVMs is challenging. The information presented here is significant for the diagnosis and management of symptoms.

The effects of four different extraction methods (Folch, Soxhlet, two-step, and enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction) on the yields, lipid class, fatty acids (FAs) composition, minor components (including carotenoid, cholesterol), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values of lipids in the hepatopancreas of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) were investigated. The C16:0, C18:1, and C18:2 were identified to be the dominant FAs in crab lipids, and the FAs were present in the form of triglycerides. The Soxhlet and enzyme-assisted extraction were more suitable for crab lipids extraction, showing higher extraction rates and oxidative stability. Especially, the lipid extracted by enzyme-assisted extraction has high carotenoids content. The components of crab lipids extracted by enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction were further identified using untargeted metabolomics methods. The polyunsaturated fatty acid, sterols, amino acids, products of lipid β-oxidation and ATP degradation, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and astaxanthin were founded in crab oil. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is a popular aquatic food in China. The hepatopancreas is the major lipid storage organ of crab, and the distinctive flavor of crab is mainly from it. To compare the different extraction methods on yield, composition and properties of crab lipids can be helpful for lipids production from crab hepatopancreas. Meanwhile, the crab hepatopancreas lipids are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and astaxanthin, and have potential to be as a functional component and a crab flavor additive in food industry.

Background Bortezomib (BZM), alone or in combination with other chemotherapies, has displayed strong anticancer effects in several cancers. The efficacy of the combination of BZM and mitoxantrone (MTX) in treating prostate cancer remains unknown. Methods Anticancer effects of combination of BZM and MTX were determined by apoptosis and proliferation assay in vivo and in vitro. Expression of β-Catenin and its target genes were characterized by western blot and Real-time PCR. Results BZM significantly enhanced MTX-induced antiproliferation in vivo and in vitro. Mice administered a combination of BZM and MTX displayed attenuated tumor growth and prolonged survival. BZM significantly attenuated MTX-induced apoptosis. Moreover, the combination of BZM and MTX contributed to inhibition of the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway compared to monotherapy. Conclusions This study demonstrates that BZM enhances MTX-induced anti-tumor effects by inhibiting the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway in prostate cancer cells.

KTa0.65Nb0.35O3 and Fe-doped KTa0.65Nb0.35O3 crystals were grown by the top-seeded solution growth method (TSSG). Fe ion doping significantly improves the electro-optic properties of cubic KTN crystals. We describe their electro-optic modulation theory and experimental research. The electro-optic modulation waveform deduced by theoretical calculation is basically consistent with the waveform measured in the experiment. We observed the attenuation of light modulation under multiple voltage cycles. The modulation curve of the crystal is inconsistent when the crystal voltage is boosting and bucking. Under the same voltage condition, the higher the incident light power, the faster the modulation depth attenuation. In this experiment, the size of the KTN crystal chip is 6 mm &times, 5 mm &times, 2 mm. We obtain the effective electro-optic coefficient as s11 &minus, s12 = 1.34 &times, 10&minus, 15 m2/V2, the half-wave voltage near the Curie temperature is 39 V.

The soft part of Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) was hydrolyzed using trypsin and the hydrolysates were separated by ultrafiltration using the membrane with molecular weight cutoff of 10 and 5 kDa. Three fractions (F10000, F10000-5000, and F5000) were obtained. The F5000 showed the strongest scavenging abilities to DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radicals, and was further fractionated into four fractions (component I, II, III, and IV) by gel chromatography. The protective effects of these components on oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) in HepG2 cells were evaluated. Meanwhile, component I separated from F5000 had more positive effects on increasing the activity of catalase, decreasing lipid peroxidation, inhibiting H2 O2 -induced apoptosis, and higher yield. The component I was further separated using anion exchange chromatography and reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and the peptide sequence of Lys-Gly-Pro-Ala- Pro-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Leu was identified by mass with molecular weight of 988.3 Da. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Asian clam (C. fluminea) is used for liver protection in traditional Chinese medicine. The present study investigated the radical scavenging activity of the hydrolysates from C. fluminea and the protective effects of the hydrolysate fractions on oxidative damage induced by H2 O2 in HepG2 cells. In addition, a peptide was purified from the hydrolysate and the amino acid sequence of it was identified. Although chemical antioxidant has some side effects on health, the peptide with antioxidant activity obtained from C. fluminea would have more extensive application in food and nutraceutical.

The use of resistant cultivars is an effective method for the control of banana (Musa spp.) Fusarium wilt caused by race 4 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc4). However, selection of disease-resistant cultivars requires large-scale field evaluations and is time-consuming. Development of early, reliable, and reproducible selection strategies can speed up this process. Sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers have been widely employed in the resistant breeding of many crops. However, to date, there have been no reports about the presence of plant disease resistance-related SCAR markers in mitochondrial genome yet, which also plays a very important role in plant defenses. In the present study, a sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) marker, a specific fragment of 829 bp, was identified. This fragment could be amplified from Foc4-susceptible but not from the resistant cultivars. It was located in banana mitochondrial genome and mapped near the putative cytochrome c biogenesis ccmB-like mitochondrial protein. This fragment was then successfully converted into a SCAR marker, namely Mito-Foc-S001, which was found to be able to discriminate the resistance from susceptibility to Fusarium wilt disease of bananas with the discriminatory power of the new mark being 96.88%. Thus, this marker can be used in banana (Musa AAA Cavendish) breeding for Fusarium wilt disease resistance.

A novel dietary fiber (MsCDF) based core of maize straw (Core) was prepared by using high boiling solvent of sodium peroxide by high pressure pretreatment (HBSHP). The composition of MsCDF, and several physicochemical properties for MsCDF related to its nutritional quality were investigated. The results revealed that the MsCDF contains high contents total dietary fiber (TDF), soluble dietary fiber (SDF), insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and two main monosaccharaides, xylose and glucose. Meanwhile, the studies of physicochemical properties of MsCDF indicated that MsCDF performed well water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-holding capacity (OHC), Swelling, solubility (SOL), Glucose dialysis retardation index (GDRI) and adsorption capacity on cholesterol. The results of this study serve as evidence that MsCDF can be used as a functional food additive, Core can be used as a crude material to produce MsCDF and the technology of HBSHP can be used to modify the physico-chemical properties of Core.

MicroRNAs have been regarded to play a crucial role in the proliferation of different cell types including preadipocytes. In our study, we observed that miR-129-5p was down-regulated during 3T3-L1 preadipocyte proliferation, while the expression of G3BP1 showed a contrary tendency. 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay and flow cytometry showed that overexpression of miR-129-5p could bring about a reduction in S-phase cells and G2-phase arrest. Additional study indicated that miR-129-5p impaired cell cycle-related genes in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Importantly, it showed that miR-129-5p directly targeted the 3′UTR of G3BP1 and the expression of G3BP1 was inhibited by miR-129-5p mimic. Moreover, miR-129-5p mimic activated the p38 signaling pathway through up-regulating p38 and the phosphorylation level of p38. In a word, results in our study revealed that miR-129-5p suppressed preadipocyte proliferation via targeting G3BP1 and activating the p38 signaling pathway.

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Large numbers of Nile tilapia and channel catfish are processed in China providing a steady source of fish skins for the production of collagen and gelatin. Acid-soluble collagen (ASC), pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC), and gelatin (GT) were extracted from the skins of both species, and their physical and chemical properties were compared. SDS-PAGE suggested that the collagen contained two α1-chains and one α2-chain. FTIR spectra showed that the triple helical structure of ASC and PSC were more intact than that of GT. Rheological measurement and melting processes suggested that the extraction processing can significantly affect the viscoelastic properties and thermal stability of collagen and gelatin. The scanning electron microscopy showed that the interconnectivity of PSC and GT were better than that of ASC. Further work is needed to determine the potential of these materials as an alternative to mammalian-derived collagen and gelatin in applications in foods, cosmetics, and medicine.

Lactobacillus paracasei that could release exopolysaccharide (EPS), was used as starter to prepare yoghurt under optimal fermented conditions. It was found that the viscosity of yoghurt increased exponentially with EPS production, and to elucidate this phenomen, the binding of EPS-S11 extracted and purified from yoghurt to casein was evaluated by turbidity and particle size analysis, zeta potential study, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) imaging, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) determination. Results indicated that EPS-S11 with an average molecular weight of 1.68 × 107 Da, was mainly composed of mannose, glucose, galactose and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio of 0.87:0.92:1:0.24. Upon the addition of EPS-S11, the turbidity and particle size of casein solution both decreased in a dose-dependent manner, while the zeta potential was dose-dependently increased, suggesting that EPS-S11 might inhibit the aggregation of casein and thus enhanced its stability. ITC titration and CLSM imaging confirmed the existence of interactions between EPS-S11 and casein, which mainly involved in electrostatic interaction as well as hydrophobic interaction.

At present, the safety of agricultural products is increasingly serious [1]. In view of the current situation, based on RFID and related technologies, the traceability system of agricultural products was designed and implemented. After defining the overall framework of the system, the various parts of the system were designed in detail. The selection of the types of information to be collected and the design of the database under the traceability environment were discussed. Based on the designed system model, the system was implemented. The traceability system consists of a collection subsystem, a query subsystem, and a storage subsystem. The system integrates long-distance information transmission and storage and RFID tag data storage. It stores, traces and analyzes information on agricultural products such as picking, transportation, warehousing and retailing. It is reliable, practical, low cost and easy to deploy.

BACKGROUND Rac1 signaling plays a crucial role in controlling macrophage functions in CD. Peptidoglycan triggers several intracellular signaling pathways, including activation of Rac1, to regulate the function of macrophage. Suppressed Rac1 signaling in non-inflamed colonic mucosa of Crohn's disease patients has been shown to correlate with increased innate immunity. MATERIAL AND METHODS We examined the effect of peptidoglycan on Rac1 signaling in macrophages and mucosal tissue samples collected from 10 patients with active Crohn's disease and further investigated the effects of peptidoglycan on apoptosis and phagocytic activities of macrophages in vitro. RESULTS Macrophage infiltration and Rac1 signaling was increased in inflamed mucosal tissues of Crohn's disease patients. Immunoblotting assays revealed that peptidoglycan dose- and time-dependently increased the expression of Rac1-GTP, phosphorylated VAV1, and phosphorylated PAK1in RAW264.7 macrophages, which, however, was attenuated by 6-thioguanine. Peptidoglycan also dose-dependently inhibited phagocytic activities of human peripheral blood monocytic cells (PBMCs), which were partially abated by 6-thioguanine or NSC23766. Flow cytometry showed that peptidoglycan (3 μg/mL) decreased the proportion of apoptotic human PBMCs versus controls. The addition of 6-thioguanine or NSC3766 to peptidoglycan led to a sharper rise in the proportion of apoptotic human PBMCs than 6-thioguanine or NSC3766 alone. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that Rac1 signaling is a common molecular target shared by peptidoglycan and immunosuppressive treatment in intestinal macrophages. Inhibiting Rac1 activation may be crucial for optimizing macrophage immunity for treatment of Crohn's disease.

Fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering were fabricated using collagen extracted from Nile tilapia skin and polycaprolactone (PCL) by electrospinning. The scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ATR-Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. Diameters of PCL/collagen fibrous scaffolds (PCFSs) decreased from 987 ± 274 to 689 ± 299 nm with an increase in collagen content, crystallinity was low, and crystal size was small. All of the characteristic bands of PCL and collagen could be observed in PCFSs. Furthermore, PCFSs had a higher dehydration temperature (50-60°C) than native collagen (32.5°C). The ultimate tensile strength of PCFSs increased with an increase in collagen content. Circular dichroism and a degradation assay in vitro indicated that PCFSs had good stability and a low degradation rate. Cellular behavior on PCFSs was investigated by a MTT assay, SEM, and laser scanning confocal microscopy. The results indicated that the PCFSs could provide a suitable environment for the growth and viability of L929 fibroblasts, maintain good cell adhesion, and retain good biocompatibility. It implied the possibility of using PCFSs as a promising candidate for tissue engineering.

During induction voltage test, the changes of data such as output voltage and output current reflects the changes of the equivalent parameters of the transformer. Through the analysis of testing data, diagnosis of winding deformation of the transformer can be made. Transformer condition evaluation can be provided on the basis of these data. In this paper, induction voltage test data is analyzed after a transformer tripping. Winding deformation of the transformer is judged. Relevance judgment is confirmed by disassembling inspection.

The separation of a hydrogen isotope mixture on porous materials was studied using equilibrium and breakthrough experiments. The adsorption equilibria of H2 and D2 on SBA-15 with mesopores and molecular sieves 5A, Y, and 10X with micropores were measured at 77 K using the volumetric method. The breakthrough experiments of a H2 and D2 mixture in each adsorbent bed were carried out at various conditions of flow rate and pressure. The equilibrium ratio of D2 to H2 on mesoporous molecular sieves was larger than the ratio on microporous molecular sieves (SBA-15 > 10X > Y > 5A), but the difference among the adsorbents decreased with increases in pressure. On the other hand, the order of breakthrough separation factor showed the opposite result (SBA-15

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), cause serious damage to agricultural production worldwide. In this study, we designed special primers based on the predicted Mitochondrial ATP synthase b subunit gene (ASB) sequence to clone the same gene in M. incognita (MiASB). The identity between the cloned MiASB and the predicted MiASB was as high as 100 %. Using the tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-mediated virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) system, we delivered MiASB RNAi triggers to the M. incognita feeding site on tomato seedlings, resulting in significantly fewer galls on the seedlings. Sixty days after inoculation with M. incognita, the number of root galls induced on the MiASB silence-treated seedlings was reduced by 64.3 % compared to that on the control seedlings, and reduced by 64.1 % compared to that on untreated control seedlings. This study revealed the MiASB silencing had a positive effect on the control of root-knot nematodes, and MiASB may be associated with the formation of galls caused by the nematode.

SnO2 ceramics with relative density about 98 % were obtained based on the addition of Zn2SnO4. The shrinkage of the ceramic samples increased sharply and got a saturated value about 13.3 % with doping more than 0.2 mol% Zn2SnO4. In the dielectric spectra, no relaxation peaks were observed and no deep trap states could be detected from 50–300 °C and 40–5 M Hz. Thus, the oxygen vacancies may not be necessary for the densification of SnO2 ceramics during sintering process. For all the samples, nonlinear electrical properties were observed and the breakdown electrical fields are in good agreement with the barrier height. With increasing Zn2SnO4 content, the activation energies E a for O− or O2− adsorbed at grain boundary decreased and the doping of Zn2SnO4 may be an important reason for the improve of grain conductivity and formation of Schottky barrier.

MoHrip1 is a protein elicitor isolated from Magnaporthe oryzae and was found to induce blast-resistance in rice. To investigate the comprehensive functions of MoHrip1, next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based digital gene expression (DGE) profiling was performed to collect the transcriptional data of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by MoHrip1. A total of 308 genes were identified with differential expression, and 80 genes were predicted to be induced specifically by MoHrip1. Among these 308 genes, a series of genes associated with the salicylic acid (SA) pathway, phytoalexin, transcription factors, and pathogen-related proteins were identified. Both the SA signaling pathway and the gibberellin (GA) pathway were activated, while the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway was repressed. The contents of endogenous SA and GA and the morphological characteristics of the rice after treatment were measured to provide evidence supporting the predictions made based on the DGE data. The 80 genes mentioned above might be candidate genes for studying interactions with MoHrip1. The transcriptional data provided global effect information in rice induced by MoHrip1, and all the results demonstrated that MoHrip1 could induce pathogen resistance and promote plant growth by regulating the contents of SA and GA directly or indirectly.

This study investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the extracts of the flowers, essential oil (EO) and semi-volatile fractions (SVF) of Chimonanthus praecox. The chemical composition of the EO was analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) which revealed that the EO contained elemene, muurolene, caryophyllene, cadinol and spathulenol. The effective antibacterial activity of the EO suggested that its different responses on the microorganisms studied depended on the synergistic effects of the compounds contained in the EO. The effective antioxidant activity of the EO showed that the EO had a more marked antioxidant effect on scavenging O2(-)· and OH· than DPPH·, and SVF had a higher potential for scavenging DPPH· than the EO. Our data suggested that the flowers of Chimonanthus praecox had pharmaceutical benefits, and are also a potential source of natural antioxidants and biocides.

In order to investigate the characterizations of skin adsorption material (SAD) prepared from skin of corn stalks by High Boiling Solvent treatment, neutral proteinase and maltogenic amylase were selected as adsorbate to assess its potential applicability for enzyme immobilization. The structure of SAD and Skin were compared by FT-IR and XRD. The characterizations of the adsorption of the different enzymes onto SAD were studied. The isotherm of the maltogenic amylase was found to be linear with the Freundlich equation, and proteinase was found to be linear with the Langmuir equation in the studied concentration range. SAD could be applied the bio-active material and Skin to prepare SAD.

Gelatin extracted from squid (Dosidicus eschrichitii Steenstrup) skin was hydrolysed with pepsin to prepare Angiotensin-I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptide. The ACE-inhibitory activity was measured by spectrophotometric assay. The hydrolysate was fractionated into three ranges of molecular weight (6 kDa

Uniform single-crystalline hexagonal-shaped Sb2Te3 nanoplates with a thickness of 30–40 nm have been successfully synthesized by a glucose-assisted solvothermal process in the mixed solvents of ethanediamine and water. It is found that the reaction time, concentration of glucose, reaction temperature and the volume ratio of ethanediamine to water play important roles in the formation of the uniform Sb2Te3 nanoplates. Based on the experimental results, the possible reaction process and formation mechanism of these hexagonal nanoplates is proposed. Different from previous reports, the growth process of such Sb2Te3 nanoplates can be reasonably explained by a self-assembly process and an Ostwald ripening mechanism. The thermoelectric transport properties are investigated by measuring the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient in the temperature range of 300–600 K. The samples show much more enhanced Seebeck coefficients than that of bulk Sb2Te3. Meanwhile, the size of the sample has much impact on both the electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient.

In present work, the chemical composition of the petroleum ether extract (PE) and the ethyl ether extract (ETE) of Albizia julibrissin Durazz Pod and their biological activity were investigated, and the biodegradation relationship between with these chemical composition were discussed. The components of the two extracts were identified by GC and by GC-MS. ETE showed a higher level of antimicrobial activity than PE, which were judged by the disc diffusion method of determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration and the minimal bactericidal concentration. The antioxidant properties of the extracts were evaluated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, the auto-oxidation of pyrogallol test, and compared with those of the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The results showed that the antioxidant activity of ETE was higher than that of PE (p 0.01) in the DPPH radical scavenging assay. However, in the auto-oxidation of pyrogallol test, the antioxidant activity of PE was higher than that of ETE (p

In this article, the effects of galvanizing process parameters, especially cooling rate, on the microstructures of coating was investigated. The microstructures of Al-Zn-Si coating were analyzed by the following methods: surface microstructure, cross-section microstructure, thickness and composition of alloy layer by SEM and its accessories, distribution of each element along depth by glow-discharge emission spectrometer, micro-area elemental distribution image analysis of each element distribution on surface and cross-section by electron probe, crystallization orientation by X-ray diffraction instrument. The results showed that coating was made up of aluminum-rich dendrite, interdendritic zinc-rich phase and alloy layer, that cooling rate affected depth of alloy layer in Al-Zn-Si coating directly, that zinc concentrated in the surface layer of coating and silicon in the alloy layer, while the coating has larger depth it also concentrated in the surface layer, that aluminum-rich dendrite has preferred orientation in the solidification process.

PURPOSE To find the lowest effective dose of verteporfin in the treatment of acute central serous chorioretinopathy with photodynamic therapy (PDT). METHODS Patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy were chosen and treated with PDT with verteporfin. Decreasing doses of verteporfin were applied to the first 7 patients at 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, and 10% of the full dose (6 mg/m). Other patients were treated with the effective lowest dose (30% of full dose). Fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, and optical coherence tomography recordings were performed before PDT and at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months after PDT. The pretreatment and posttreatment best-corrected visual acuity were compared. RESULTS Fifteen eyes of 15 patients with the diagnosis of acute central serous chorioretinopathy were chosen and treated with PDT. The results at each dose suggested that 30% of the full dose of verteporfin was the lowest effective dose. The mean improvement in visual acuity was 4.1 +/- 0.25 lines at follow-up (mean 11.8 months). No complications were found during observation, except 1 patient at 70% dose who developed retinal angiomatous proliferation at the 1-month follow-up. CONCLUSION On the basis of the results of this study and available information regarding the expected rate of spontaneous resolution, 30% verteporfin dose seems to be safe and effective in the treatment of acute central serous chorioretinopathy.

A novel (3,4-disfluoro)phenylquione (2F-PQ) was synthesized through the reaction of 3,4-Difluoroaniline and 1,4-benzoquinone. Its structure was verified by 1 H NMR, FTIR and Raman spectra. The ground-state geometries were optimized by using density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-311G + (d,p), B3PW91/6-311G + (d,p) and MPB3PW91/6-311G + (d,p) level without symmetry constrains, respectively. The predicted FTIR and Raman spectra scaled by factor are well consistent with experimental spectra.

A series of 2-amino-6-(2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)-4-pyridine-3-carbo-nitriles were synthesized by the one-pot, multicomponent reaction of 3-acetyl-coumarin, aromatic aldehydes, malononitrile, and ammonium acetate in acetic acid under microwave irradiation. The reactions were completed in 10–13 min with 61–86% yields, were environmental benign, and had easy workup. Their structures were confirmed by 1H NMR, IR, and MS spectra and elemental analysis.

TRB3, a human homolog of Drosophila Tribbles, has been recently shown as a critical negative regulator of Akt and S6 kinase activation in a number of cellular processes. Here we found that TRB3 interacted with an important cell cycle regulator CtIP (CtBP-interacting protein) and the interaction involved the C-terminus of both proteins. Interestingly, TRB3 and CtIP co-localized to the nucleus in HeLa cells and exhibited a unique dot-like pattern. Finally, we demonstrated that TRB3 was overexpressed in multiple tumor tissues. Since CtIP plays important roles in cell cycle checkpoint control and it has been implicated in tumorigenesis, our data suggest that TRB3 may be involved in these biological processes through interacting with CtIP.

Fish oil was extracted and refined from Nile tilapia viscera. Uncoated liposomes (un-L) and carboxymethylchitosan (CMCS)-coated liposomes (CM-L) containing fish oil were prepared, and their characteristics, stability, and release in vitro were studied. The CMCS coating increased the mean diameter of liposomes but there was no effect on entrapment efficiency. The surface structure and characteristics of liposomes were determined. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the hydrogen bonding formed between the CMCS and the carbonyl region of the liposomes' bilayer. The transition temperature of CM-L was higher than un-L. The stabilities of un-L and CM-L stored at 4 °C were better than 25 °C. Moreover, the CM-L was significantly more stable than un-L when stored at 25 °C. The release behaviors of un-L and CM-L were governed by 2 distinct stages and the first-order model was the most suitable model for the whole release procedure. The diffusion and erosion may be the main release mechanisms for the full controlled release of fish oil from the liposomes. This study can provide theories and practice information for further applications of fish oil from tilapia viscera.Fish oil is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids which has several health benefits. Undesirable oxidation of fish oil compromised its health benefits and also affects the sensory quality of food products containing fish oil. The CMCS-coated liposomes containing fish oil increased the stability and solubility of fish oil in food system. It can be used in various food matrices as a functional component especially in aqueous food system.

RNA interference (RNAi) has been developed as an efficient technology. RNAi insect-resistant transgenic plants expressing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) that is ingested into insects to silence target genes can affect the viability of these pests or even lead to their death. HaHR3, a molt-regulating transcription factor gene, was previously selected as a target expressed in bacteria and tobacco plants to control Helicoverpa armigera by RNAi technology. In this work, we selected the dsRNA-HaHR3 fragment to silence HaHR3 in cotton bollworm for plant mediated-RNAi research. A total of 19 transgenic cotton lines expressing HaHR3 were successfully cultivated, and seven generated lines were used to perform feeding bioassays. Transgenic cotton plants expressing dsHaHR3 were shown to induce high larval mortality and deformities of pupation and adult eclosion when used to feed the newly hatched larvae, and 3rd and 5th instar larvae of H. armigera. Moreover, HaHR3 transgenic cotton also demonstrated an improved cotton yield when compared with controls.

Dexamethasone (Dex) has anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties against many conditions. There is a potential teratogenic risk, however, for pregnant women receiving Dex treatment. It has been claimed that Dex exposure during pregnancy could affect osteogenesis in the developing embryo, which still remains highly controversial. In this study, we employed chick embryos to investigate the effects of Dex exposure on skeletal development using combined in vivo and in vitro approach. First, we demonstrated that Dex (10(-8)-10(-6)μmol/egg) exposure resulted in a shortening of the developing long bones of chick embryos, and it accelerated the deposition of calcium salts. Secondly, histological analysis of chick embryo phalanxes exhibited Dex exposure inhibited the proliferation of chondrocytes, increased apoptosis of chondrocytes and osteocytes, and led to atypical arranged hypertrophic chondrocytes. The expression of genes related to skeletogenesis was also analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of ALP, Col1a2 and Col2a1 was decreased in the Dex treated phalanxes. A detectable increase was observed in Runx-2 and Mmp-13 expression. We next examined how Dex affected the different stages of skeletogenesis in vitro. Utilizing limb bud mesenchyme micromass cultures, we determined that Dex exposure exerted no effect on apoptosis but impaired chondrogenic cell proliferation. Interestingly, low dose of Dex moderately prompted nodule formation as revealed by alcian blue staining, but higher doses of Dex significantly inhibited similar chondrogenic differentiation. Dex exposure did not induce apoptosis when the chondrogenic precursors were still at the mesenchymal stage, however, cell viability was suppressed when the mesenchyme differentiated into chondrocytes. Alizarin red staining revealed that the capacity to form mineralized bone nodules was correspondingly enhanced as Dex concentrations increased. The mRNA level of Sox-9 was slightly increased in mesenchymal cell mass treated by low concentration of Dex. Mmp-13 expression was obviously up-regulated by Dex in both mesenchymal cells and primary chondrocyte cultures. And Col10a1 expression was also increased by Dex exposure in chondrocyte. In summary, we have revealed that different concentrations of Dex exposure during early gestation could exert a biphasic effect on vertebrate skeletal development.

Harmonic currents elimination are significant for improving efficiency and reliability for wind power system with PMSG. Several factors can induce harmonic current, in which the most significant is back EMF distortion. In order to compensate the voltage distortion, we propose a harmonic elimination method in multiple synchronous rotating reference frames in this paper. Different orders of current harmonics are transformed into their corresponding synchronous rotating frames respectively and PI regulators are used to compensate the voltage distortion, which are implemented in parallel with the fundamental regulator. Experiments are carried out to verify the effective of the proposed method, providing good voltage compensation results.