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Xanthoceras sorbifolium (yellowhorn) is a woody oil plant with super stress resistance and excellent oil characteristics. The yellowhorn oil can be used as biofuel and edible oil with high nutritional and medicinal value. However, genetic studies on yellowhorn are just in the beginning, and fundamental biological questions regarding its very long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis pathway remain largely unknown. In this study, we reconstructed the VLCFA biosynthesis pathway and annotated 137 genes encoding relevant enzymes. We identified four oleosin genes that package triacylglycerols (TAGs) and are specifically expressed in fruits, likely playing key roles in yellowhorn oil production. Especially, by examining time-ordered gene co-expression network (TO-GCN) constructed from fruit and leaf developments, we identified key enzymatic genes and potential regulatory transcription factors involved in VLCFA synthesis. In fruits, we further inferred a hierarchical regulatory network with MYB-related (XS03G0296800) and B3 (XS02G0057600) transcription factors as top-tier regulators, providing clues into factors controlling carbon flux into fatty acids. Our results offer new insights into key genes and transcriptional regulators governing fatty acid production in yellowhorn, laying the foundation for efforts to optimize oil content and fatty acid composition. Moreover, the gene expression patterns and putative regulatory relationships identified here will inform metabolic engineering and molecular breeding approaches tailored to meet biofuel and bioproduct demands.

Abstract Coriaria nepalensis Wall. (Coriariaceae) is a nitrogen-fixing shrub which forms root nodules with the actinomycete Frankia. Oils and extracts of C. nepalensis have been reported to be bacteriostatic and insecticidal, and C. nepalensis bark provides a valuable tannin resource. Here, by combining PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C scaffolding techniques, we generated a haplotype-resolved chromosome-scale genome assembly for C. nepalensis. This genome assembly is approximately 620 Mb in size with a contig N50 of 11 Mb, with 99.9% of the total assembled sequences anchored to 40 pseudochromosomes. We predicted 60,862 protein-coding genes of which 99.5% were annotated from databases. We further identified 939 tRNAs, 7,297 rRNAs, and 982 ncRNAs. The chromosome-scale genome of C. nepalensis is expected to be a significant resource for understanding the genetic basis of root nodulation with Frankia, toxicity, and tannin biosynthesis.

Terpenes and terpenoids are key natural compounds for plant defense, development, and composition of plant oil. The synthesis and accumulation of a myriad of volatile terpenoid compounds in these plants may dramatically alter the quality and flavor of the oils, which provide great commercial utilization value for oil-producing plants. Terpene synthases (TPSs) are important enzymes responsible for terpenic diversity. Investigating the differentiation of the TPS gene family could provide valuable theoretical support for the genetic improvement of oil-producing plants. While the origin and function of TPS genes have been extensively studied, the exact origin of the initial gene fusion event - it occurred in plants or microbes - remains uncertain. Furthermore, a comprehensive exploration of the TPS gene differentiation is still pending. Here, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the fusion of the TPS gene likely occurred in the ancestor of land plants, following the acquisition of individual C- and N- terminal domains. Potential mutual transfer of TPS genes was observed among microbes and plants. Gene synteny analysis disclosed a differential divergence pattern between TPS-c and TPS-e/f subfamilies involved in primary metabolism and those (TPS-a/b/d/g/h subfamilies) crucial for secondary metabolites. Biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) analysis suggested a correlation between lineage divergence and potential natural selection in structuring terpene diversities. This study provides fresh perspectives on the origin and evolution of the TPS gene family.

Wood decay resistance (WDR) is marking the value of wood utilization. Many trees of the Lauraceae have exceptional WDR, as evidenced by their use in ancient royal palace buildings in China. However, the genetics of WDR remain elusive. Here, through comparative genomics, we revealed the unique characteristics related to the high WDR in Lauraceae trees. We present a 1.27-Gb chromosome-level assembly for Lindera megaphylla (Lauraceae). Comparative genomics integrating major groups of angiosperm revealed Lauraceae species have extensively shared gene microsynteny associated with the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites such as isoquinoline alkaloids, flavonoid, lignins and terpenoid, which play significant roles in WDR. In Lauraceae genomes, tandem and proximal duplications (TD/PD) significantly expanded the coding space of key enzymes of biosynthesis pathways related to WDR, which may enhance the decay resistance of wood by increasing the accumulation of these compounds. Among Lauraceae species, genes of WDR-related biosynthesis pathways showed remarkable expansion by TD/PD and conveyed unique and conserved motifs in their promoter and protein sequences, suggesting conserved gene collinearity, gene expansion and gene regulation supporting the high WDR. Our study thus reveals genomic profiles related to biochemical transitions among major plant groups and the genomic basis of WDR in the Lauraceae.

Measurement(s) LTR_retrotransposon • genome Technology Type(s) bioinformatics method • digital curation Factor Type(s) Species Sample Characteristic - Organism Rhodophyta • Chlorophyta • Bryophyta • Tracheophyta Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14684877

In-depth genome characterization is still lacking for most of biofuel crops, especially for centromeres, which play a fundamental role during nuclear division and in the maintenance of genome stability. This study applied long-read sequencing technologies to assemble a highly contiguous genome for yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium), an oil-producing tree, and conducted extensive comparative analyses to understand centromere structure and evolution, and fatty acid biosynthesis. We produced a reference-level genome of yellowhorn, ∼470 Mb in length with ∼95% of contigs anchored onto 15 chromosomes. Genome annotation identified 22,049 protein-coding genes and 65.7% of the genome sequence as repetitive elements. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) account for ∼30% of the yellowhorn genome, which is maintained by a moderate birth rate and a low removal rate. We identified the centromeric regions on each chromosome and found enrichment of centromere-specific retrotransposons of LINE1 and Gypsy in these regions, which have evolved recently (∼0.7 MYA). We compared the genomes of three cultivars and found frequent inversions. We analyzed the transcriptomes from different tissues and identified the candidate genes involved in very-long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis and their expression profiles. Collinear block analysis showed that yellowhorn shared the gamma (γ) hexaploidy event with Vitis vinifera but did not undergo any further whole-genome duplication. This study provides excellent genomic resources for understanding centromere structure and evolution and for functional studies in this important oil-producing plant.

Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as a group of signaling molecules in rice functioning in regulation of development and stress responses. Respiratory burst oxidase homologues (Rbohs) are key enzymes in generation of ROS. However, the role of the nine Rboh family members was not fully understood in rice multiple disease resistance and yield traits. In this study, we constructed mutants of each Rboh genes and detected their requirement in rice multiple disease resistance and yield traits. Our results revealed that mutations of five Rboh genes (RbohA, RbohB, RbohE, RbohH, and RbohI) lead to compromised rice blast disease resistance in a disease nursery and lab conditions; mutations of five Rbohs (RbohA, RbohB, RbohC, RbohE, and RbohH) result in suppressed rice sheath blight resistance in a disease nursery and lab conditions; mutations of six Rbohs (RbohA, RbohB, RbohC, RbohE, RbohH and RbohI) lead to decreased rice leaf blight resistance in a paddy yard and ROS production induced by PAMPs and pathogen. Moreover, all Rboh genes participate in the regulation of rice yield traits, for all rboh mutants display one or more compromised yield traits, such as panicle number, grain number per panicle, seed setting rate, and grain weight, resulting in reduced yield per plant except rbohb and rbohf. Our results identified the Rboh family members involved in the regulation of rice resistance against multiple pathogens that caused the most serious diseases worldwide and provide theoretical supporting for breeding application of these Rbohs to coordinate rice disease resistance and yield traits.

Summary: Macrophages are phenotypically and functionally diverse in the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, how to remodel macrophages with a protumor phenotype and how to manipulate them for therapeutic purposes remain to be explored. Here, we show that in the TME, RARγ is downregulated in macrophages, and its expression correlates with poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). In macrophages, RARγ interacts with tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), which prevents TRAF6 oligomerization and autoubiquitination, leading to inhibition of nuclear factor κB signaling. However, tumor-derived lactate fuels H3K18 lactylation to prohibit RARγ gene transcription in macrophages, consequently enhancing interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in the TME and endowing macrophages with tumor-promoting functions via activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling in CRC cells. We identified that nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) exerts effective antitumor action by directly binding to RARγ to inhibit TRAF6-IL-6-STAT3 signaling. This study unravels lactate-driven macrophage function remodeling by inhibition of RARγ expression and highlights NDGA as a candidate compound for treating CRC.

A novel, rapid and sensitive chemiluminescence (CL) method for the determination of oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTCH) is described in this paper. The presented method was based on the fact that OTCH could immensely enhance the CL of the reaction of cerium sulfate and tris(2,2‐bipyridyl) ruthenium (II) in acidic medium. Under optimal experimental conditions, CL intensity was favorably linear for OTCH in the range 5.0 × 10−7 to 5.0 × 10−5 g/ml, with a detection limit of 1.5 × 10−7 g/ml (S/N = 3). The relative standard detection was 4.76% for 5.0 × 10−6 g/ml (n = 11). This method was successfully applied to the analysis of OTCH in milk and egg white samples. According to the results of the kinetic curves for OTCH in the Ru(bipy)32+–Ce(SO4)2 CL system, together with CL and ultraviolet (UV)–visible spectra, the possible mechanism of the CL reaction is discussed briefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract microRNAs act as fine-tuners in the regulation of plant growth and resistance against biotic and abiotic stress. Here we demonstrate that rice miR1432 fine-tunes yield and blast disease resistance via different modules. Overexpression of miR1432 leads to compromised resistance and decreased yield, whereas blocking miR1432 using a target mimic of miR1432 results in enhanced resistance and yield. miR1432 suppresses the expression of LOC_Os03g59790, which encodes an EF-hand family protein 1 (OsEFH1). Overexpression of OsEFH1 leads to enhanced rice resistance but decreased grain yield. Further study revealed that miR1432 and OsEFH1 are differentially responsive to chitin, a fungus-derived pathogen/microbe-associated molecular pattern (PAMP/MAMP). Consistently, blocking miR1432 or overexpression of OsEFH1 improves chitin-triggered immunity responses. In contrast, overexpression of ACOT, another target gene regulating rice yield traits, has no significant effects on rice blast disease resistance. Altogether, these results indicate that miR1432 balances yield and resistance via different target genes, and blocking miR1432 can simultaneously improve yield and resistance.

Abstract Background Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most destructive diseases of rice. An increasing number of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to fine-tune rice immunity against M. oryzae and coordinate with growth and development. Results Here, we showed that rice microRNA159a (Osa-miR159a) played a positive role in rice resistance to M. oryzae. The expression of Osa-miR159a was suppressed in a susceptible accession at 12, 24, and 48 h post-inoculation (hpi); it was upregulated in a resistant accession of M. oryzae at 24 hpi. The transgenic rice lines overexpressing Osa-miR159a were highly resistant to M. oryzae. In contrast, the transgenic lines expressing a short tandem target mimic (STTM) to block Osa-miR159a showed enhanced susceptibility. Knockout mutations of the target genes of Osa-miR159a, including OsGAMYB, OsGAMYBL, and OsZF, led to resistance to M. oryzae. Alteration of the expression of Osa-miR159a impacted yield traits including pollen and grain development. Conclusions Our results indicated that Osa-miR159a positively regulated rice immunity against M. oryzae by downregulating its target genes. Proper expression of Osa-miR159a was critical for coordinating rice blast resistance with grain development.

IntroductionThe staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC), a commercially available bio-product from Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), has been widely used to control MPE.ObjectivesWe designed and performed a new systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis to clarify the perfusion protocols with SEC, determine their clinical effectiveness and safety, and reveal the indication and optimum usage for achieving the desired responses.MethodologyAll randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about SEC for MPE were collected from electronic databases (from inception until July 2021), and clustered into multiple logical topics. After evaluating their methodological quality, we pooled the data from each topic using the meta-analysis or descriptive analysis, and summarized the evidence quality using the grading of recommendation assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) approach.ResultsAll 114 studies were clustered into SEC perfusion alone or plus chemical agents. The SEC alone showed a better complete response (CR), a lower pleurodesis failure, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and a higher fever than cisplatin (DDP) alone. The SEC and chemical agents developed 10 perfusion protocols. Among them, only SEC and DDP perfusion showed a better CR, a lower failure, disease progression and ADRs, and a higher fever than DDP alone. The SEC (100–200 ng per time, one time a week for one to four times) with DDP (30–40 mg, or 50–60 mg each time) significantly improved clinical responses for patients with moderate to large volume, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores ≥40, ≥50, or ≥60, and anticipated survival time (AST) ≥2 or 3 months. Most results were moderate to low quality.ConclusionCurrent pieces of evidence indicate that super-antigen SEC is a pleurodesis agent, which provides an attractive alternative to existing palliative modalities for patients with MPE. Among 10 protocols, the SEC and DDP perfusion is a most commonly used, which shows a significant improvement in clinical responses with low ADRs. These findings also provide a possible indication and optimal usage for SEC and DDP perfusion.

Acute pulmonary embolism (acPE) is a severe disease that is often misdiagnosed as it is difficult to detect quickly and accurately. In this study, a novel electrocardiogram (ECG) model was used to estimate the probability of acPE rapidly via analysis of ECG characteristics. A total of 327 patients with acPE who were diagnosed at the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (SPPH) between 2018 and 2021 were retrospectively studied. A total of 331 patients were randomly selected as the control group, which included patients hospitalized during the same time period. The control group included patients who presented with characteristic symptoms of acPE, but this diagnosis was ruled out following further diagnostic testing. This study compared the diagnostic value of the ECG model with those of another ECG scoring model (Daniel-ECG score) and the most common prediction models (Wells score and Geneva score). This study established an ECG-predictive model using analysis of the ECG abnormalities in patients with acPE. The final ECG model included certain novel ECG signs that had not been incorporated in the previous ECG score of the patients, and thus, compared to the previous ECG score, exhibited a more favorable area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value (0.8741). The model developed in this study was named the SPPH-ECG model. Furthermore, this study compared the SPPH-ECG model with Daniel-ECG score, Wells score, and Geneva score, and the SPPH-ECG model was demonstrated to exhibit a superior AUC value (0.8741), sensitivity (79.08%), negative predictive value (79.52%), and test accuracy (79.42%), while the Geneva score presented superior specificity (100%) and positive predictive value (100%) compared with the SPPH-ECG model. In conclusion, the SPPH-ECG model may play a role in ruling out acPE in patients during diagnostic testing and diagnose acPE rapidly and accurately in combination with the Geneva scoring system.

Background: As an emerging arrhythmia monitor, ambulatory smartwatch electrocardiogram (ECG) provides an option for home-based monitoring of delayed new-onset arrhythmic events after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We aimed to validate the diagnostic efficacy of a consumer smartwatch ECG in TAVR recipients, while further explore the occurrence rate of both tachy- and brady-arrhythmia for 30 days after discharge to support risk management. Methods: Consecutive TAVR recipients from February 26th, 2021 to December 13th, 2021 were enrolled prospectively, receiving simultaneous 24-hour Holter and 12-lead ECG compared with smartwatch ECG during hospitalization and daily smartwatch ECG collection for 30 days after discharge. Results: Among 110 patients, the efficacy of smartwatch ECG presented sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing atrial fibrillation (AF) as 1.00 and 0.97, left bundle branch block (LBBB) as 0.61 and 0.88, and right bundle branch block (RBBB) as 0.60 and 0.97, respectively, compared with 24-hour Holter; presented sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing AF as 0.88 and 1.00, LBBB as 0.90 and 0.96, and RBBB as 0.83 and 0.94, respectively, compared with 12-lead ECG. At 30-day follow-up, new-onset arrhythmia included new-onset severe conduction disturbance (SCD) (23.6%), new-onset AF (21.8%), new-onset permanent LBBB (14.5%) and new-onset permanent RBBB (0.9%); 69.2% (36/52) of early new-onset LBBB recovered at 30-day follow-up. Conclusions: The diagnostic efficacy of consumer smartwatch ECG in arrhythmic events among TAVR population was acceptable, which provided a recommendable option for home-based management. Clinical Trial Registration: “Continuously ambulatory rhythm monitoring and predictors of electrocardio-related adverse events in 30 days after transcatheter aortic valve replacement”; Identifier: ChiCTR2000041244; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=66324.

MicroRNAs fine-tune plant growth and resistance against multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. The trade-off between biomass and resistance can penalize crop yield. In this study, we have shown that rice miR530 regulates blast disease resistance, yield, and growth period. While the overexpression of miR530 results in compromised blast disease resistance, reduced grain yield, and late maturity, blocking miR530 using a target mimic (MIM530) leads to enhanced resistance, increased grain yield, and early maturity. Further study revealed that the accumulation of miR530 was decreased in both leaves and panicles along with the increase of age. Such expression patterns were accordant with the enhanced resistance from seedlings to adult plants, and the grain development from panicle formation to fully-filled seeds. Divergence analysis of miR530 precursor with upstream 1,000-bp promoter sequence in 11 rice species revealed that miR530 was diverse in Oryza sativa japonica and O. sativa indica group, which was consistent with the different accumulation of miR530 in japonica accessions and indica accessions. Altogether, our results indicate that miR530 coordinates rice resistance, yield, and maturity, thus providing a potential regulatory module for breeding programs aiming to improve yield and disease resistance.

Abstract Powdery mildew (PM) fungi are biotrophic pathogens that rely on living hosts to survive and thrive. However, their colonization is restricted by host defenses at both the penetration and post-penetration stages. The tobacco PM strain Golovinomyces cichoracearum (Gc) SICAU1 has overcome penetration resistance of Arabidopsis but its growth is arrested by post-penetration resistance. While Gc SICAU1 only poorly grows in Arabidopsis Col-0 wild-type plants, it can sustainably grow for more than 20 days on the same infected leaves of the double mutant pad4–1 sid2–1 that is defective in both the synthesis and signaling of salicylic acid (SA). To understand the underlying molecular mechanisms, we conducted a comparative transcriptome analysis between Col-0 and pad4–1 sid2–1 in response to Gc SICAU1. We found that 4811 genes were differentially expressed more than four-fold between any two of the measured seven time points (0, 1, 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12 days post-inoculation). Gene expression pattern analysis suggests that differential expression of 348 genes and 190 genes may explain resistance in Col-0 and susceptibility in pad4–1 sid2–1, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis suggests that Gc SICAU1 might be arrested in Col-0 by both pattern-triggered immunity and SA-dependent defense. By contrast, its sustained growth in pad4–1 sid2–1 may be attributable to the activation of a detoxification pathway that is normally repressed by the SA-signaling pathway. Taken together, our results suggest that multiple distinct, yet interconnected pathways control the growth of tobacco powdery mildew in Arabidopsis.

The normal megastrobilli and microstrobilli before and after the sexual reversal in Pinus massoniana Lamb. were studied and classified using a transcriptomic approach. In the analysis, a total of 190,023 unigenes were obtained with an average length of 595 bp. The annotated unigenes were divided into 56 functional groups and 130 metabolic pathways involved in the physiological and biochemical processes related to ribosome biogenesis, carbon metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis. Analysis revealed 4,758 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the mega- and microstrobili from the polycone twig. The DEGs between the mega- and microstrobili from the normal twig were 5,550. In the polycone twig, 1,188 DEGs were identified between the microstrobili and the sexually reversed megastrobili. Concerning plant hormone signal transduction pathways, the DEGs from both the normal and polycone twigs displayed distinct male or female associated expression patterns. There were 36 common hormone-related DEGs from the two types of twigs of P. massoniana. Interestingly, expression of these DEGs was up-regulated in the bisexual strobili, which underwent the sexual reversal. A portion of MADS-box genes in the bisexual strobili were up-regulated relative to expression in microstrobili.

Insect galls are the abnormal growth of plant tissues induced by a wide variety of galling insects and characterized by high concentrations of auxins and cytokinins. It remains unclear whether the auxins and cytokinins affect the bacterial community structure of insect galls. We determined the concentrations of indoleacetic acid (IAA) as an example of auxin, trans-zeatin riboside (tZR) and isopentenyladenine (iP) as cytokinins in Lithosaphonecrus arcoverticus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) galls and the galled twigs of Lithocarpus glaber (Fagaceae) using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Moreover, for the first time, we compared the bacterial community structure of L. arcoverticus galls and galled twigs by high-throughput sequencing, and calculated the Spearman correlation and associated degree of significance between the IAA, tZR and iP concentrations and the bacterial community structure. Our results indicated the concentrations of IAA, tZR and iP were higher in L. arcoverticus galls than in galled twigs, and positively correlated with the bacterial community structure of L. arcoverticus galls. We suggest the high concentrations of IAA, tZR and iP may affect the bacterial community structure of L. arcoverticus galls.

Abstract Background Elderly patients have more special medical needs when compared with young ones; thus, the results of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for acetabular fractures should be stratified by age in these patients. This study seeks to determine whether the age of the patient influences the results of the ORIF for acetabular fractures. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 53 elderly patients with displaced acetabular fractures who underwent ORIF between May 2004 and May 2011. Patients were divided into two groups by age: young–old group (60–74 years) and old–old group (75–90 years). The number of patients in each group was 28 and 25. The reduction quality and clinical function was evaluated using the Matta criteria and modified Postel Merle D’Aubigne Score, respectively. Operative time, bleeding amount, and complications were recorded. Results Patients in old–old group had significantly lower anatomical reduction rate (p = 0.024), less operative time (p = 0.021), and less bleeding amount (p = 0.016) than those in the young–old group. The reduction quality in the young–old group was strongly associated with clinical function (p 0.05). Moreover, no significant difference in clinical functions (p = 0.787) and complications (p = 0.728) was detected between the two groups. Conclusions Old–old patients may expect comparable clinical functions and complications with young–old patients. The reduction quality in old–old patients may be not significantly associated with clinical function. Different treatment strategies may be applied for acetabular fractures with ORIF in different age groups.

Fitness cost is a common phenomenon in rice blast disease-resistance breeding. MiR396 is a highly conserved microRNA (miRNA) family targeting Growth Regulating Factor (OsGRF) genes. Mutation at the target site of miR396 in certain OsGRF gene or blocking miR396 expression leads to increased grain yield. Here we demonstrated that fitness cost can be trade-off in miR396-OsGRFs module via balancing growth and immunity against the blast fungus. The accumulation of miR396 isoforms was significantly increased in a susceptible accession, but fluctuated in a resistant accession upon infection of Magnaporthe oryzae. The transgenic lines over-expressing different miR396 isoforms were highly susceptible to M. oryzae. In contrast, overexpressing target mimicry of miR396 to block its function led to enhanced resistance to M. oryzae in addition to improved yield traits. Moreover, transgenic plants overexpressing OsGRF6, OsGRF7, OsGRF8, and OsGRF9 exhibited enhanced resistance to M. oryzae, but showed different alteration of growth. While overexpression of OsGRF7 led to defects in growth, overexpression of OsGRF6, OsGRF8, and OsGRF9 resulted in better or no significant change of yield traits. Collectively, our results indicate that miR396 negatively regulates rice blast disease- resistance via suppressing multiple OsGRFs, which in turn differentially control growth and yield. Therefore, miR396-OsGRFs could be a potential module to demolish fitness cost in rice blast disease-resistance breeding.

This study is aimed to evaluate the effect of lollipop sucking on the recovery of gastrointestinal function in children after congenital choledochal cyst excision. 58 children who had undergone congenital choledochal cyst excision were randomly divided into two groups: the controlled group and the experimental group. Children in the experimental group were allowed to suck on strawberry lollipops for 20–30 min once every four hours beginning six hours after the operation. The recovery time of bowel sounds and anal defecation was recorded and compared between experimental and control groups. Compared with the controlled group the recovery times of bowel sounds (41.75 ± 7.38 h vs. 51.43 ± 5.02; p

We are concerned with the following system of third-order three-point boundary value problems: u′′′(t)+f(t,v(t))=0, t∈(0,1), v′′′(t)+g(t,u(t))=0, t∈(0,1), u(0)=u′′(0)=0, u′(1)=αu(η), v(0)=v′′(0)=0, and v′(1)=αv(η), where 0

In the title compound, C13H16ClNO, the acetylindoline moiety is roughly planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0048 Å). The chloropropyl group is out of the plane and is statistically disordered over two positions. Indeed, the Cl and CH3 groups located on the stereogenic carbon exchange with each other. The whole crystal is a racemate. Non-classical C—H...O hydrogen bonds between symmetry-related benzene rings stabilize the crystal structure.

The molecule of the title compound, C13H14ClNO2, is roughly planar [maximum deviation = 0.060 (2) Å] with the disordered Cl/CH3 group asymetrically distributed on both sides of the mean plane. Indeed, the Cl and CH3 located on the stereogenic carbon exchange each other with occupancy factors in the ratio 0.60:0.40. The whole crystal is a racemate. Non-classical C—H...O hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.6959 (9) Å] between symmetry-related phenyl rings stabilize the crystal structure.

In the title compound, C9H11NOS, the thiazolidinyl ring is almost perpendicular to the phenyl ring with N—C—C—C torsion angles of 71.7 (2) and 107.1 (2)°. In the crystal, molecules are connected via N—H...O and O—H...N hydrogen bonds, forming layers.