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Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a key crop that contributes significantly to the global economy. In this work, 100 soybean varieties were obtained from Can Tho University and analysed for diversity using an ISSR marker and nine yield component characteristics. The findings of principal component analysis indicate that the first axis accounted for the majority of variance in the germplasm (51.4%), followed by the second axis (18.1%). Thereby the seed width (group I), node number (group II), and 100 seed weight (group III) within the axis all have a significant effect on the population's phenotype. Eight agromorphological characteristics (seed length, seed breadth, seed thickness, plant height, number of nodes, pod number, seed number, and 100 seed weight) varied significantly across the 100 soybean germplasms. Classification of the samples into two clusters was performed using ISSR markers analysis. The first cluster included 95 germplasms. Five distinct varieties comprised the second cluster (V57, V83, V62, V63, V67). Following a model-based structural study, two populations were formed, with some genotypes mixing considerably. The study's findings are instructive for future research targeted at boosting the yields of the 100 soybean varieties in Vietnam.

Taxonomy—the classification of species—is an important branch of biology that allows us to systematically understand and study biodiversity. Conventional taxonomy relies heavily on morphological and anatomical structures for classification, but recent discoveries of potentially cryptic species and morphological plasticity in many species underscore the importance of having an alternative or complementary method for species classification. In this paper, we discuss the emerging method of classification using biochemical signals, i.e., chemotaxonomy. We also present a case study on the feasibility of biomarker-based chemotaxonomy on the marine red alga Laurencia snackeyi using halogenated snyderane-type sesquiterpenes, which were proposed in earlier studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Hyperthermia is used as an adjuvant treatment to sensitize cancer cells to subsequent radiotheraphy or chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to study the effect of severe hyperthermia on osteosarcoma cells and its underlying causes. METHODS: Short-term (1 h) severe hyperthermia (45°C) was applied to osteoblast-like osteosarcoma cells (MG-63) and the heat shock response and cell death mechanisms were investigated after recovery at 37°C for 72 h. RESULTS: Cell viability was significantly reduced (p

Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a widely available and sustainable energy resource that can be directly or indirectly converted to biofuels and value-added bioproducts. In such LCB conversion, enzymatic saccharification is commonly regarded as a green alternative to chemical hydrolysis due to less energy-intensive, less toxic, and more environment-benign for efficient fermentable sugar recovery. However, enzymatic saccharification faces substantial challenges, since the complex polymeric matrices of LCB necessitates a variety of enzymes for complete and adequate saccharification. Empirical evidence on enzymatic saccharification has paved the way for optimizing the processes and design for enhancing the performance in LCB. This review examines the enzymatic saccharification of LCB, focusing on the important parameters affecting the process, such as pH, temperature, agitation, enzyme/substrate loading, residence time, and the enzymes required to degrade various LCB components. Various strategies have been reported to improve the performance in saccharification and to address the non-productive adsorption of enzymes. A preliminary economic competency valuation of enzyme-derived fermentable sugars is proposed. Wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse and corn stalk appear, in this case, to be the most economic competent LCBs for commercial enzyme-derived fermentable sugar production. Lastly, practical challenges and future research directions on the enzymatic saccharification of LCB are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies carried out in mouse 3T3-L1 cell culture have shown that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) inhibited adipocyte differentiation. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomers on morphological changes and on mRNA expressions in the in vitro adipocyte isolated from specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicken. The adipocytes were isolated from SPF chicken and cultured in differentiation-induction medium with different concentrations of cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA. After day 7, the adipocyte differentiations were monitored morphologically and mRNA expressions of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and acyl-coenzyme A binding domain containing 5 (ACBD 5) were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Our data suggested that cis-9, trans-11 CLA downregulated the expression of LPL and ACBD 5 genes, which was concurrently observed with decrease in the adipocyte area size and cell number compared to the control and trans-10, cis-12 treated groups. Based on this finding, we concluded that dietary CLA modulate fat reduction in chicken via alteration of transcription of key adipogenic genes and adipose cellularity.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly malignant primary bone cancer. Severe side effects and multidrug resistance are obstacles faced with chemotherapy against OS. With the hope to overcome the obstacles of the conventional chemotherapy, various targeted drug delivery systems using nanotechnology have been explored in the past few decades. Biogenic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) has great potential to be a smart drug delivery system. Results: In this study, cockle shells-derived aragonite nanoparticles (ANPs) were developed and loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). The physicochemical properties of the DOX-loaded ANPs (DOX-ANPs) were characterised by various techniques. The results of drug-loading study demonstrated that DOX was loaded onto ANPs at high loading and encapsulation efficiency (11.09% and 99.58%, respectively). The pH-sensitive release of DOX from DOX-ANPs was successful. At lower pH values (4.8), the release of DOX was much quicker than that at pH 7.4. Additionally, cellular uptake study using fluorescence microscopy showed obviously cellular uptake of DOX-ANPs through endocytosis. Moreover, the flow cytometric analysis revealed DOX-ANPs-induced cell cycle arrest, which was consistent with the mechanism of DOX. DOX-ANPs also showed an efficient cytotoxicity against OS cancer cells, close to the toxicity effect of free DOX at the same concentration. Morphological observations showed microvilli disappearance, chromatin condensation, cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and formation of apoptotic bodies, which confirmed both DOX-ANPs- and DOX-induced apoptosis of OS cancer cells in vitro. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that ANPs could act as a pH-sensitive drug delivery against OS.