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In this study, we grafted cholesterol with pullulan to synthesize hydrophobic pullulan(CHP). Three CHP polymers (CHP1, CHP2, and CHP3), with different degrees of substitution were designed by changing the feed ratio of cholesterol to pullulan. The 1H-NMR results showed that the hydrophobic substitutability of CHP1, CHP2, and CHP3 were calculated to be 8.26%, 5.67%, and 3.52%, respectively. The sizes of CHP1 NPs, CHP2 NPs, and CHP3 NPs were (118±7.9), (123±4.7) and (158±9.3) nm, respectively. The CHP NPs embedded with VCR and adsorbed Tween 80 (CHPT@VCR NPs). The results of microscale thermal imaging (MST) testing indicated the CHP-1 NPs with the highest degree of cholesterol substitution possessed the highest adsorption capacity for Tween 80. In vitro pharmacological studies were conducted in SJ-GBM2 cells, the results showed that the tumor cells inhibition rate and the cellular uptake rate of CHPT@VCR-1 NPs were the highest compared with CHPT@VCR-2 NPs and CHPT@VCR-3 NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.; F. vesca) represents a resilient and extensively studied model organism. While the AP2/ERF gene family plays a pivotal role in plant development, its exploration within F. vesca remains limited. In this study, we characterized the AP2/ERF gene family in wild strawberries using the recently released genomic data (F. vesca V6.0). We conducted an analysis of the gene family expansion pattern, we examined gene expression in stem segments and leaves under cold conditions, and we explored its functional attributes. Our investigation revealed that the FvAP2/ERF family comprises 86 genes distributed among four subfamilies: AP2 (17), RAV (6), ERF (62), and Soloist (1). Tandem and segmental duplications significantly contributed to the growth of this gene family. Furthermore, predictive analysis identified several cis-acting elements in the promoter region associated with meristematic tissue expression, hormone regulation, and resistance modulation. Transcriptomic analysis under cold stress unveiled diverse responses among multiple FvAP2/ERFs in stem segments and leaves. Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) results confirmed elevated expression levels of select genes following the cold treatment. Additionally, overexpression of FvERF23 in Arabidopsis enhanced cold tolerance, resulting in significantly increased fresh weight and root length compared to the wild-type control. These findings lay the foundation for further exploration into the functional roles of FvAP2/ERF genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study aimed to identify characteristics and trends in insurance-reimbursed inpatient care (NRIC) for gastric and oesophageal cancers and inform evaluation of medical systems reform. Methods The study extracted routinely collected records of claims for reimbursement from the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) in Anhui Province, China and performed descriptive and regression discontinuity analysis. Results From 2013 to 2017, NRIC in terms of person-time per million people (pmp) increased 5.60 and 20.62 times for gastric and oesophageal cancers, respectively. Total expense per episode for gastric and oesophageal cancers increased from 1130.25 and 22 697.99 yuan to 12 514.98 and 24 639.37 yuan, respectively. The ratio of out-of-pocket expenses per inpatient care episode to annual disposable income per capita was 0.43 for gastric cancer and 0.91 for oesophageal cancer and decreased by 0.17 and 0.47, respectively. Regression discontinuity modelling revealed that, when controlled for disposable income, illiteracy rate and months from start time, the treatment variable was significantly associated with person-times of NRIC pmp (β=0.613, p=0.000), length of stay per 105 people (β=−52.990, p=0.000) and total expenses per NRIC episode (β=2.431, p=0.000). Conclusions The study period witnessed substantial achievements in benefits to patients, inpatient care efficiency and equity. These achievements may be attributed mainly to the recent reforms launched in Anhui province, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MaCE) of silicon (Si) is a well-used method for the fabrication of Si nanostructures. To simplify the control etching for the fabrication of Si 3D nanostructures, we developed a new method using direct-alternating electric field to control the etching direction. We examined the MaCE process in the electric field, and evaluated the effect of different electric field frequencies and ultrasonic ion bubbles on the production of Si nanostructures. The results demonstrate that electric fields can effectively control etching direction and can be used to fabricate Si 3D nanostructures. Optimization of the electric current density and electric field frequency range has been performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]