AIM: To study the effects of preoperative regional arterychemotherapy (PRACT) in inducing growth inhibition andapoptosis of gastric carcinorna (GC) calls.METHODS: TUNEL ( terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferaseTdT-media...AIM: To study the effects of preoperative regional arterychemotherapy (PRACT) in inducing growth inhibition andapoptosis of gastric carcinorna (GC) calls.METHODS: TUNEL ( terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferaseTdT-mediated dUTP-fluorescein and labeling) method andimmunohistochemical techniques were used to detect thestate of apoptosis and proliferation of GC cells inhistopathologic sections. A total of 110 cases of GC and 68cases of metastatic lymph node with or without PRACT wereadopted. Correlations between apoptosis index (Al),proliferation index (PI) and PRACT and prognosis wereanalysed.RESULTS: The apoptosis index (Al) was significantly higherin the PRACT group (12.5 ‰ + 4.33‰) than in the untreatedgroup (7. 1‰ + 3. 43 ‰, P ＜ 0. 001 ), whereas theproliferation index (PI) in the PRACT group (33.8 % ± 8.8% ) was eignificantly lower than that in untreated group (43.6 % + 12.8 %, P＜0.01). Both Al and PI were correlated tothe differentiation degree of GC in PRACT group, the Al inthe differentiated group was higher than that inundifferentiated group (P＜0.001), but the PI was lower inthe differentiated group than that of the undifferentiatedgroup ( P ＜ 0.01 ). The Al of GC cells in metastatic lymphnode was also significantly higher in the PRACT group (7.9‰+ 3.41‰) than in the untreated group (3.6 ‰ + 2.93 ‰,P ＜ 0.01 ), though the PI of GC cells in metastatic lymphnodes in the PRACT group (17. 2 % + 6. 8 % ) wassignificantly lower than that in the untreated group (26.7 %+ 9. 3 %, P ＜ 0. 01 ). The severity of histopathologicchanges was significantly higher in the PRACT group than inthe untreated group ( P ＜ 0.05). In addition, postoperativesurveys demonstrated that the 5-year survival rate of GCpatients in the PRACT group was significantly higher than thatof patients in the untreated group (P＜0.01).CONCLUSION: Preoperative regional artery chemotherapy(PRACT) showed inhibitory action on the growth of GC cellsmainly through inhibiting proliferation and inducing theapoptosis of tumor cells展开更多
PROLINE(Pro)is an essential amino acid for proteins and free Pro extensively exists in plants.Pro accumulates in plant cells in response to water stress,salinity,low temperature,air pollu-tants,etc.and has been mainly...PROLINE(Pro)is an essential amino acid for proteins and free Pro extensively exists in plants.Pro accumulates in plant cells in response to water stress,salinity,low temperature,air pollu-tants,etc.and has been mainly studied for its role in the osmotic adjustment of plants subject-ed to drought and salinity.In addition to acting as a cytoplasmic osmoticum,Pro展开更多
1996年，美国全国多发性硬化协会（US National Multiple Sclerosis Society, NMSS）的临床试验建议委员会（Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis）根据对多发性硬化（multiple sclerosis，MS）专家的调查问...1996年，美国全国多发性硬化协会（US National Multiple Sclerosis Society, NMSS）的临床试验建议委员会（Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis）根据对多发性硬化（multiple sclerosis，MS）专家的调查问卷确立了MS基于病程的临床分型，旨在明确自然史和人口学研究的亚组定义、促进临床试验受试者的均质化纳入以及在医生和MS患者之间的明确交流，确定了复发缓解型（RRMS）、继发进展型（SPMS）、原发进展型（PPMS）和进展复发型（PRMS）四种类型，并给出了良性和恶性MS的定义。展开更多
INTRODUCTIONAlthough the long-term postoperative survival rateof gastric cancer(GC) patients has been improvedsignificantly since the local dissection of lymph nodewas widely used in China,yet the low curativeresectio...INTRODUCTIONAlthough the long-term postoperative survival rateof gastric cancer(GC) patients has been improvedsignificantly since the local dissection of lymph nodewas widely used in China,yet the low curativeresection rate and the high recurrence rate fromperitoneal and hepatic metastases hinder it fromfurther improvement.To alter the currentunsatisfactory status of GC treatment,a展开更多
Exosomes are nanoparticles of endocytic origin, secreted by a myriad of cell populations that are attracting increased attention by virtue of their ability to modulate cell-to-cell communications. They are also attrac...Exosomes are nanoparticles of endocytic origin, secreted by a myriad of cell populations that are attracting increased attention by virtue of their ability to modulate cell-to-cell communications. They are also attracting attention in a variety of immunological issues, including autoimmunity and, in particular, their ability to regulate cytokine and chemokine activation. Primary biliary cirrhosis （PBC） is considered a model autoimmune disease, which has a highly focused cytotoxic response against biliary epithelial cells. We have isolated exosomes from plasma from 29 patients with PBC and 30 healthy controls （HCs）, and studied the effect of these exosomes on co-stimulatory molecule expression and cytokine production in mononuclear cell populations using an ex vivo system. We also identified the microRNA （miRNA） populations in PBC compared to HC exosomes. We report herein that although exosomes do not change cytokine production, they do significantly alter co-stimulatory molecule expression on antigen-presenting populations. Further, we demonstrated that CD86 up-regulated expression on CD14＋ monocytes, whereas CD40 up-regulated on CD11c＋ dendritic cells by exosomes from patients with PBC. In addition, there were differences of miRNA expression of circulating exosomes in patients with PBC. These data have significant importance based on observations that co-stimulatory molecules play a differential role in the regulation of T-cell activation. Our observation indicated that aberrant exosomes from PBC selectively induce expression of co-stimulatory molecules in different subset of antigen-presenting cells. These alterations may involve in pathogenesis of autoimmune liver disease.展开更多
美国结直肠外科医师协会(The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons,ASCRS)于2019年1月公布了最新的肠道准备在择期结直肠手术中的应用临床实践指南。该指南是由国际知名结直肠外科专家组成的临床实践指南委员会修订,对肠道...美国结直肠外科医师协会(The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons,ASCRS)于2019年1月公布了最新的肠道准备在择期结直肠手术中的应用临床实践指南。该指南是由国际知名结直肠外科专家组成的临床实践指南委员会修订,对肠道准备的一些争议进行了汇总和分析。展开更多
The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation ((1310 ± 20 ) Ma - (l 207 ± 10) Ma) in Jixian, Tianjin represents a succession of 3 300 meter thick carbonate strata where are the best developed stromatolite biostrom...The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation ((1310 ± 20 ) Ma - (l 207 ± 10) Ma) in Jixian, Tianjin represents a succession of 3 300 meter thick carbonate strata where are the best developed stromatolite biostromes and thrombolite bioherms. These biostromes and bioherms, together with tidal-flat dolomites and muddy dolostones, form Wumishan cyclothems with approximately symmetrical faciessuccession fabrics, which belong to carbonate meter-scale cyclic sequences of peritidal type. These cyclothems are overlain by lagoon dolomitic mudstones and shales and by frequently developed paleosol layers, indicating that the boundary of Wumishan cyclothems is marked by an instantaneously-exposed punctuated surface. Viewed form the regularly vertical stacking patterns of Wumishan cyclothems in long-term sequences, 26 third-order sequences may be discerned in Wumishan Formation. These thirdorder sequences may also be incorporated into six second-order sequences. In order to study the variation range of third-order sea-level changes and the formation period of third-order sequence, 626 cyclothems are discerned in the middle and upper parts of Wumishan Formation where the outcrops are well developed. In terms of the total thickness and the formation period of Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation, the crust subsidence rate in the sedimentary period of Wumishan Formation is supposed to be 3 meters at each interval of 100 thousands years. Based on this assumption, Fischer plot might be designed to simulate the third-order sea-level changing pattern.展开更多
The development of formulas estimating glomerular filtration rate(eG FR) from serum creatinine and cystatin C and accounting for certain variables affecting the production rate of these biomarkers, including ethnicity...The development of formulas estimating glomerular filtration rate(eG FR) from serum creatinine and cystatin C and accounting for certain variables affecting the production rate of these biomarkers, including ethnicity, gender and age, has led to the current scheme of diagnosing and staging chronic kidney disease(CKD),which is based on e GFR values and albuminuria.This scheme has been applied extensively in various populations and has led to the current estimates of prevalence of CKD. In addition, this scheme is applied in clinical studies evaluating the risks of CKD and the efficacy of various interventions directed towards improving its course. Disagreements between creatinine-based and cystatin-based e GFR values and between e GFR values and measured GFR have been reported in various cohorts. These disagreements are the consequence of variations in the rate of production and in factors, other than GFR, affecting the rate of removal of creatinine and cystatin C. The disagreements create limitations for all e GFR formulas developed so far. The main limitations are low sensitivity in detecting early CKD in several subjects, e.g., those with hyperfiltration, and poor prediction of the course of CKD. Research efforts in CKD are currently directed towards identification of biomarkers that are better indices of GFR than the current biomarkers and,particularly, biomarkers of early renal tissue injury.展开更多
Soybean production systems that return plant residues to the soil surface are gaining in popularity. As these practices become more widespread, more crop and weed residues are being introduced into the upper soil prof...Soybean production systems that return plant residues to the soil surface are gaining in popularity. As these practices become more widespread, more crop and weed residues are being introduced into the upper soil profile. Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the effects of varying concentrations of Palmer amaranth and pitted morningglory plant residues (aboveground portion of the plant) on soybean production. The study was arranged in a completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and five replications. Palmer amaranth and pitted morningglory residues were incorporated into soil at 20,000, 40,000, 80,000 and 160,000 ppm. Inert plastic residue at the same residue levels was included as a check. Soybean dry weight, leaf area and leaf tissue nutrient content were recorded during the study. A decrease in soybean dry weight and leaf area was observed as Palmer amaranth residue in the soil increased. Palmer amaranth residues of 160,000 ppm and 80,000 ppm in the soil significantly reduced soybean dry weight by 69% and 59%, respectively, and soybean leaf area by 60% and 57%, respectively. In contrast, pitted morningglory and inert plastic residues had no observable effect on soybean growth and development. This study demonstrated Palmer amaranth residues in the soil impacted early season soybean growth and development.展开更多
The one-bead-one-compound （OBOC） combinatorial peptide library is a powerful tool to identify ligand and receptor interactions. Here, we applied the OBOC library technology to identify mimotopes specific to the immu...The one-bead-one-compound （OBOC） combinatorial peptide library is a powerful tool to identify ligand and receptor interactions. Here, we applied the OBOC library technology to identify mimotopes specific to the immunoglobulin E （IgE） epitopes of the major shellfish allergen tropomyosin. OBOC peptide libraries with 8-12 amino acid residues were screened with serum samples from patients with shellfish allergy for IgE mimotopes of tropomyosin. Twenty-five mimotopes were identified from the screening and their binding reactivity to tropomyosin-specific IgE was confirmed by peptide ELISA. These mimotopes could be divided into seven clusters based on sequence homology, and epitope mapping by EpiSearch of the clustered mimotopes was performed to characterize and confirm the validity of mimotopes. Five out of six of the predicted epitopes were found to overlap with previously identified epitopes of tropomyosin. To further confirm the mimicry potential of mimotopes, BALB/c mice were immunized with mimotopes conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and assayed for their capacity to induce tropomyosin-specific antibodies. BALB/c mice that received mimotope immunization were found to have an elevated level of tropomyosin-specific immunoglobulin G, but not mice that received an irrelevant mimotope. This study pioneers the successful application of the OBOC libraries using whole sera to screen and identify multiple shrimp allergen mimotopes and validates their mimicry potential using in vitro, in vivo, and in silico methods.展开更多
新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)疫情爆发以来,从2020年1月23日至2020年3月5日由中国临床研究人员在中国临床试验注册中心(www.chictr.org.cn)和美国临床试验注册网站(www.clinicaltrials.gov)两个平台上登记注册并已经或将要在中国境内进...新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)疫情爆发以来,从2020年1月23日至2020年3月5日由中国临床研究人员在中国临床试验注册中心(www.chictr.org.cn)和美国临床试验注册网站(www.clinicaltrials.gov)两个平台上登记注册并已经或将要在中国境内进行的针对新型冠状病毒肺炎的干预性临床试验项目总数已超过200个。这一现象引起了社会各界的关注。本文在对已登记注册的249个在中国开展的COVID-19临床试验项目的主要特征作描述性分析的基础上,借鉴美国国家卫生研究院(National Institutes of Health)组建的专项疾病领域国家临床试验网络的实践,思考在突发流行病情况下提高临床试验质量与效率的对策。展开更多
Iron is an essential nutrient for plant metabolism such that Fe-limited plants display chlorosis and suffer from reduced photosynthetic efficiency. Differential display previously identified genes whose expression was...Iron is an essential nutrient for plant metabolism such that Fe-limited plants display chlorosis and suffer from reduced photosynthetic efficiency. Differential display previously identified genes whose expression was elevated in Fe-deficient maize roots. Here,we describe the functional characterization of one of the genes identified in the screen,ZmFDR3 (Zea maize Fe-deficiency-related). Heterologous functional complementation assays using a yeast iron uptake mutant showed that ZmFDR3 functions in iron transport. ZmFDR3 contains a domain found in FliN-proteins of the type III secretion system and is predicted to localize to the thylakoid of plastids. Fluorescence immunocytochemistry showed that ZmFDR3 is localized in the plastids of roots,stems and leaves,with high expression found in guard cell chloroplasts. Transgenic tobacco expressing a 35S-ZmFDR3 construct contains elevated iron content,displays well arranged thylakoid membranes and has photosynthetic indices that are higher than those of the wild type. Together,these results suggest that ZmFDR3 functions in chloroplast iron transport.展开更多
There is considerable concern about the potential impact of climate change on agriculture, such as the accumulation of chilling hours needed to break the dormancy of many perennial plants, like fruit trees. Therefore,...There is considerable concern about the potential impact of climate change on agriculture, such as the accumulation of chilling hours needed to break the dormancy of many perennial plants, like fruit trees. Therefore, this study aimed to determine if there had been a significant change in air temperatures and chill hours, chill units, and chill portion accumulation in South Carolina over the last two decades. Two decades of daily maximum (T<sub>max</sub>) and minimum (T<sub>min</sub>) air temperature records were obtained from weather stations in thirty-one counties in South Carolina. Hourly temperature data, reconstructed from the daily data, were used to calculate the daily and annual chill hours, chill units, and chill portions accumulation using four different chill models for each location and year. The chill models included the T(t) °C model, the 0°C °C model, the Utah model, and the Dynamic model. For each county, regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the historical trends. Despite year-to-year variability, the tendency was a statistically significant (α = 0.05) increase in air temperature, averaging 0.089°C per year for 20 out of 31 counties in South Carolina. The other 11 counties had no significant change in temperature. The average temperature increase in the 31 counties was 0.072°C per year. The temperature increase resulted in a decrease in annual chill accumulation during the fall to spring, averaging 17.7 chill hours, 8.6 chill hours, 17.0 chill units, and 0.40 chill portions per year calculated with the T(t) °C, 0°C °C, Utah, and Dynamic models, respectively. However, whether this decrease in chill values was statistically significant or not depended on the chill model used. This study did not investigate the cause of the observed historical trends in temperature and chill accumulation. Still, if the trends continue, they could significantly impact the future of the temperate fruit tree industry in the state.展开更多
Peanuts pods grow underground and mature unevenly, resulting that choosing the correct time to harvest is more complicated than other crops. Pod maturity can be determined by blasting with a pressure washer to remove ...Peanuts pods grow underground and mature unevenly, resulting that choosing the correct time to harvest is more complicated than other crops. Pod maturity can be determined by blasting with a pressure washer to remove outer skin of the pod (exocarp) to expose the color of the middle layer (mesocarp). The mesocarp color changes with maturity from white to yellow, orange, brown and finally black. The sum of percentage from orange, brown, and black mesocarp (OBB) color and black color (BL) represents the kernels that are mature enough to harvest. The goal of this research is to identify methodologies to estimate OBB and BL of the pods using RGB images taken in the field and validate the proposed model using other pod images. The Mahalanobis distance classification method was used to process sets of images and calculate pod area (number of pixels) corresponding to two classes (mesocarp and background) with nine different color groups. The results showed a performance of 94% effectiveness for mesocarp using Mahalanobis distance classification. Statistical regression for OBB and BL was developed based on 315 images of peanut pods taken from the field. The R2 and root mean square error of predicted and actual OBB were 0.93 and 4.1%, respectively. The R2 and root mean square error of predicted and actual BL were 0.88 and 1.8%, respectively. The validation of OBB using other images provided reasonable estimation (R2 = 0.98 and RMSE = 2.73%). This study introduces a novel, cost-effective, and non-destructive method for estimating peanut maturity using RGB imagery and Mahalanobis distance classification in the field. This innovative approach addresses the limitations of traditional methods and offers a robust alternative for real-time maturity assessment.展开更多
文摘AIM: To study the effects of preoperative regional arterychemotherapy (PRACT) in inducing growth inhibition andapoptosis of gastric carcinorna (GC) calls.METHODS: TUNEL ( terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferaseTdT-mediated dUTP-fluorescein and labeling) method andimmunohistochemical techniques were used to detect thestate of apoptosis and proliferation of GC cells inhistopathologic sections. A total of 110 cases of GC and 68cases of metastatic lymph node with or without PRACT wereadopted. Correlations between apoptosis index (Al),proliferation index (PI) and PRACT and prognosis wereanalysed.RESULTS: The apoptosis index (Al) was significantly higherin the PRACT group (12.5 ‰ + 4.33‰) than in the untreatedgroup (7. 1‰ + 3. 43 ‰, P ＜ 0. 001 ), whereas theproliferation index (PI) in the PRACT group (33.8 % ± 8.8% ) was eignificantly lower than that in untreated group (43.6 % + 12.8 %, P＜0.01). Both Al and PI were correlated tothe differentiation degree of GC in PRACT group, the Al inthe differentiated group was higher than that inundifferentiated group (P＜0.001), but the PI was lower inthe differentiated group than that of the undifferentiatedgroup ( P ＜ 0.01 ). The Al of GC cells in metastatic lymphnode was also significantly higher in the PRACT group (7.9‰+ 3.41‰) than in the untreated group (3.6 ‰ + 2.93 ‰,P ＜ 0.01 ), though the PI of GC cells in metastatic lymphnodes in the PRACT group (17. 2 % + 6. 8 % ) wassignificantly lower than that in the untreated group (26.7 %+ 9. 3 %, P ＜ 0. 01 ). The severity of histopathologicchanges was significantly higher in the PRACT group than inthe untreated group ( P ＜ 0.05). In addition, postoperativesurveys demonstrated that the 5-year survival rate of GCpatients in the PRACT group was significantly higher than thatof patients in the untreated group (P＜0.01).CONCLUSION: Preoperative regional artery chemotherapy(PRACT) showed inhibitory action on the growth of GC cellsmainly through inhibiting proliferation and inducing theapoptosis of tumor cells
文摘PROLINE(Pro)is an essential amino acid for proteins and free Pro extensively exists in plants.Pro accumulates in plant cells in response to water stress,salinity,low temperature,air pollu-tants,etc.and has been mainly studied for its role in the osmotic adjustment of plants subject-ed to drought and salinity.In addition to acting as a cytoplasmic osmoticum,Pro
文摘1996年，美国全国多发性硬化协会（US National Multiple Sclerosis Society, NMSS）的临床试验建议委员会（Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis）根据对多发性硬化（multiple sclerosis，MS）专家的调查问卷确立了MS基于病程的临床分型，旨在明确自然史和人口学研究的亚组定义、促进临床试验受试者的均质化纳入以及在医生和MS患者之间的明确交流，确定了复发缓解型（RRMS）、继发进展型（SPMS）、原发进展型（PPMS）和进展复发型（PRMS）四种类型，并给出了良性和恶性MS的定义。
文摘INTRODUCTIONAlthough the long-term postoperative survival rateof gastric cancer(GC) patients has been improvedsignificantly since the local dissection of lymph nodewas widely used in China,yet the low curativeresection rate and the high recurrence rate fromperitoneal and hepatic metastases hinder it fromfurther improvement.To alter the currentunsatisfactory status of GC treatment,a
文摘Exosomes are nanoparticles of endocytic origin, secreted by a myriad of cell populations that are attracting increased attention by virtue of their ability to modulate cell-to-cell communications. They are also attracting attention in a variety of immunological issues, including autoimmunity and, in particular, their ability to regulate cytokine and chemokine activation. Primary biliary cirrhosis （PBC） is considered a model autoimmune disease, which has a highly focused cytotoxic response against biliary epithelial cells. We have isolated exosomes from plasma from 29 patients with PBC and 30 healthy controls （HCs）, and studied the effect of these exosomes on co-stimulatory molecule expression and cytokine production in mononuclear cell populations using an ex vivo system. We also identified the microRNA （miRNA） populations in PBC compared to HC exosomes. We report herein that although exosomes do not change cytokine production, they do significantly alter co-stimulatory molecule expression on antigen-presenting populations. Further, we demonstrated that CD86 up-regulated expression on CD14＋ monocytes, whereas CD40 up-regulated on CD11c＋ dendritic cells by exosomes from patients with PBC. In addition, there were differences of miRNA expression of circulating exosomes in patients with PBC. These data have significant importance based on observations that co-stimulatory molecules play a differential role in the regulation of T-cell activation. Our observation indicated that aberrant exosomes from PBC selectively induce expression of co-stimulatory molecules in different subset of antigen-presenting cells. These alterations may involve in pathogenesis of autoimmune liver disease.
文摘美国结直肠外科医师协会(The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons,ASCRS)于2019年1月公布了最新的肠道准备在择期结直肠手术中的应用临床实践指南。该指南是由国际知名结直肠外科专家组成的临床实践指南委员会修订,对肠道准备的一些争议进行了汇总和分析。
基金the National Natural ScienceFoundation of China (No. 49802012) and also by the Ministry of Science and Technology (SSER).
文摘The Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation ((1310 ± 20 ) Ma - (l 207 ± 10) Ma) in Jixian, Tianjin represents a succession of 3 300 meter thick carbonate strata where are the best developed stromatolite biostromes and thrombolite bioherms. These biostromes and bioherms, together with tidal-flat dolomites and muddy dolostones, form Wumishan cyclothems with approximately symmetrical faciessuccession fabrics, which belong to carbonate meter-scale cyclic sequences of peritidal type. These cyclothems are overlain by lagoon dolomitic mudstones and shales and by frequently developed paleosol layers, indicating that the boundary of Wumishan cyclothems is marked by an instantaneously-exposed punctuated surface. Viewed form the regularly vertical stacking patterns of Wumishan cyclothems in long-term sequences, 26 third-order sequences may be discerned in Wumishan Formation. These thirdorder sequences may also be incorporated into six second-order sequences. In order to study the variation range of third-order sea-level changes and the formation period of third-order sequence, 626 cyclothems are discerned in the middle and upper parts of Wumishan Formation where the outcrops are well developed. In terms of the total thickness and the formation period of Mesoproterozoic Wumishan Formation, the crust subsidence rate in the sedimentary period of Wumishan Formation is supposed to be 3 meters at each interval of 100 thousands years. Based on this assumption, Fischer plot might be designed to simulate the third-order sea-level changing pattern.
基金the Research Service of the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center for its support of this work
文摘The development of formulas estimating glomerular filtration rate(eG FR) from serum creatinine and cystatin C and accounting for certain variables affecting the production rate of these biomarkers, including ethnicity, gender and age, has led to the current scheme of diagnosing and staging chronic kidney disease(CKD),which is based on e GFR values and albuminuria.This scheme has been applied extensively in various populations and has led to the current estimates of prevalence of CKD. In addition, this scheme is applied in clinical studies evaluating the risks of CKD and the efficacy of various interventions directed towards improving its course. Disagreements between creatinine-based and cystatin-based e GFR values and between e GFR values and measured GFR have been reported in various cohorts. These disagreements are the consequence of variations in the rate of production and in factors, other than GFR, affecting the rate of removal of creatinine and cystatin C. The disagreements create limitations for all e GFR formulas developed so far. The main limitations are low sensitivity in detecting early CKD in several subjects, e.g., those with hyperfiltration, and poor prediction of the course of CKD. Research efforts in CKD are currently directed towards identification of biomarkers that are better indices of GFR than the current biomarkers and,particularly, biomarkers of early renal tissue injury.
文摘Soybean production systems that return plant residues to the soil surface are gaining in popularity. As these practices become more widespread, more crop and weed residues are being introduced into the upper soil profile. Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the effects of varying concentrations of Palmer amaranth and pitted morningglory plant residues (aboveground portion of the plant) on soybean production. The study was arranged in a completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and five replications. Palmer amaranth and pitted morningglory residues were incorporated into soil at 20,000, 40,000, 80,000 and 160,000 ppm. Inert plastic residue at the same residue levels was included as a check. Soybean dry weight, leaf area and leaf tissue nutrient content were recorded during the study. A decrease in soybean dry weight and leaf area was observed as Palmer amaranth residue in the soil increased. Palmer amaranth residues of 160,000 ppm and 80,000 ppm in the soil significantly reduced soybean dry weight by 69% and 59%, respectively, and soybean leaf area by 60% and 57%, respectively. In contrast, pitted morningglory and inert plastic residues had no observable effect on soybean growth and development. This study demonstrated Palmer amaranth residues in the soil impacted early season soybean growth and development.
文摘The one-bead-one-compound （OBOC） combinatorial peptide library is a powerful tool to identify ligand and receptor interactions. Here, we applied the OBOC library technology to identify mimotopes specific to the immunoglobulin E （IgE） epitopes of the major shellfish allergen tropomyosin. OBOC peptide libraries with 8-12 amino acid residues were screened with serum samples from patients with shellfish allergy for IgE mimotopes of tropomyosin. Twenty-five mimotopes were identified from the screening and their binding reactivity to tropomyosin-specific IgE was confirmed by peptide ELISA. These mimotopes could be divided into seven clusters based on sequence homology, and epitope mapping by EpiSearch of the clustered mimotopes was performed to characterize and confirm the validity of mimotopes. Five out of six of the predicted epitopes were found to overlap with previously identified epitopes of tropomyosin. To further confirm the mimicry potential of mimotopes, BALB/c mice were immunized with mimotopes conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin and assayed for their capacity to induce tropomyosin-specific antibodies. BALB/c mice that received mimotope immunization were found to have an elevated level of tropomyosin-specific immunoglobulin G, but not mice that received an irrelevant mimotope. This study pioneers the successful application of the OBOC libraries using whole sera to screen and identify multiple shrimp allergen mimotopes and validates their mimicry potential using in vitro, in vivo, and in silico methods.
文摘新型冠状病毒肺炎(COVID-19)疫情爆发以来,从2020年1月23日至2020年3月5日由中国临床研究人员在中国临床试验注册中心(www.chictr.org.cn)和美国临床试验注册网站(www.clinicaltrials.gov)两个平台上登记注册并已经或将要在中国境内进行的针对新型冠状病毒肺炎的干预性临床试验项目总数已超过200个。这一现象引起了社会各界的关注。本文在对已登记注册的249个在中国开展的COVID-19临床试验项目的主要特征作描述性分析的基础上,借鉴美国国家卫生研究院(National Institutes of Health)组建的专项疾病领域国家临床试验网络的实践,思考在突发流行病情况下提高临床试验质量与效率的对策。
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 30770178)Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation Key Fund Projects (B) (Grant No. KZ200710028013)
文摘Iron is an essential nutrient for plant metabolism such that Fe-limited plants display chlorosis and suffer from reduced photosynthetic efficiency. Differential display previously identified genes whose expression was elevated in Fe-deficient maize roots. Here,we describe the functional characterization of one of the genes identified in the screen,ZmFDR3 (Zea maize Fe-deficiency-related). Heterologous functional complementation assays using a yeast iron uptake mutant showed that ZmFDR3 functions in iron transport. ZmFDR3 contains a domain found in FliN-proteins of the type III secretion system and is predicted to localize to the thylakoid of plastids. Fluorescence immunocytochemistry showed that ZmFDR3 is localized in the plastids of roots,stems and leaves,with high expression found in guard cell chloroplasts. Transgenic tobacco expressing a 35S-ZmFDR3 construct contains elevated iron content,displays well arranged thylakoid membranes and has photosynthetic indices that are higher than those of the wild type. Together,these results suggest that ZmFDR3 functions in chloroplast iron transport.
文摘There is considerable concern about the potential impact of climate change on agriculture, such as the accumulation of chilling hours needed to break the dormancy of many perennial plants, like fruit trees. Therefore, this study aimed to determine if there had been a significant change in air temperatures and chill hours, chill units, and chill portion accumulation in South Carolina over the last two decades. Two decades of daily maximum (T<sub>max</sub>) and minimum (T<sub>min</sub>) air temperature records were obtained from weather stations in thirty-one counties in South Carolina. Hourly temperature data, reconstructed from the daily data, were used to calculate the daily and annual chill hours, chill units, and chill portions accumulation using four different chill models for each location and year. The chill models included the T(t) °C model, the 0°C °C model, the Utah model, and the Dynamic model. For each county, regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the historical trends. Despite year-to-year variability, the tendency was a statistically significant (α = 0.05) increase in air temperature, averaging 0.089°C per year for 20 out of 31 counties in South Carolina. The other 11 counties had no significant change in temperature. The average temperature increase in the 31 counties was 0.072°C per year. The temperature increase resulted in a decrease in annual chill accumulation during the fall to spring, averaging 17.7 chill hours, 8.6 chill hours, 17.0 chill units, and 0.40 chill portions per year calculated with the T(t) °C, 0°C °C, Utah, and Dynamic models, respectively. However, whether this decrease in chill values was statistically significant or not depended on the chill model used. This study did not investigate the cause of the observed historical trends in temperature and chill accumulation. Still, if the trends continue, they could significantly impact the future of the temperate fruit tree industry in the state.
文摘Peanuts pods grow underground and mature unevenly, resulting that choosing the correct time to harvest is more complicated than other crops. Pod maturity can be determined by blasting with a pressure washer to remove outer skin of the pod (exocarp) to expose the color of the middle layer (mesocarp). The mesocarp color changes with maturity from white to yellow, orange, brown and finally black. The sum of percentage from orange, brown, and black mesocarp (OBB) color and black color (BL) represents the kernels that are mature enough to harvest. The goal of this research is to identify methodologies to estimate OBB and BL of the pods using RGB images taken in the field and validate the proposed model using other pod images. The Mahalanobis distance classification method was used to process sets of images and calculate pod area (number of pixels) corresponding to two classes (mesocarp and background) with nine different color groups. The results showed a performance of 94% effectiveness for mesocarp using Mahalanobis distance classification. Statistical regression for OBB and BL was developed based on 315 images of peanut pods taken from the field. The R2 and root mean square error of predicted and actual OBB were 0.93 and 4.1%, respectively. The R2 and root mean square error of predicted and actual BL were 0.88 and 1.8%, respectively. The validation of OBB using other images provided reasonable estimation (R2 = 0.98 and RMSE = 2.73%). This study introduces a novel, cost-effective, and non-destructive method for estimating peanut maturity using RGB imagery and Mahalanobis distance classification in the field. This innovative approach addresses the limitations of traditional methods and offers a robust alternative for real-time maturity assessment.
