Parasitoid complex of legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on different pulses

The spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata Fabricius is an important herbivore of major pulses and vegetable legumes in India and the chemical pesticides are major contributors for its management. In order to have an idea on other alternative management tools, the present studies were carried out on the availability of parasitoids and its genetic variation. Totally, four larval parasitoids viz., Bassus sp., Trathala flavoorbitalis Cameron, Phanerotoma hendecasisella Cameron and an undetermined Braconid wasp were recorded on M. vitrata larva. The occurrence of P. hendecasisella was reported for the first time from Tamil Nadu, India. The Bassus sp. was found to be dominant with the parasitism of 3.0 to 12.7% in different pulses and total parasitism of four parasitoids was maximum in pigeonpea (16.1 %). Total parasitism had a positive relationship with number of webbings on cowpea. The larval parasitoids Bassus sp. and braconid wasp (undetermined) yielded specific fragments (~800 bp) with mitochondrial COI primer. Presence of Wolbachia was confirmed in all four larval parasitoids with the amplicons size between 600 and 650 bp. Present study clearly indicated the close proximity of Bassus sp. on M. vitrata than other parasitoids studied. Hence, it gives way for further insights on suitability, mass culturing and development for sustainable management of this insect pest.

Physiological and transcriptional responses to heat stress in a typical phenotype of Pinellia ternata / 中国天然药物

Pinellia ternata is an important medicinal plant, and its growth and development are easily threatened by high temperature. In this study, comprehensive research on physiological, cytological and transcriptional responses to different levels of heat stress were conducted on a typical phenotype of P. ternata. First, P. ternata exhibited tolerance to the increased temperature, which was supported by normal growing leaves, as well as decreased and sustained photosynthetic parameters. Severe stress aggravated the damages, and P. ternata displayed an obvious leaf senescence phenotype, with significantly increased SOD and POD activities (46% and 213%). In addition, mesophyll cells were seriously damaged, chloroplast thylakoid was fuzzy, grana lamellae and stroma lamellae were obviously broken, and grana thylakoids were stacked, resulting in a dramatically declined photosynthetic rate (74.6%). Moreover, a total of 16 808 genes were significantly differential expressed during this process, most of which were involved in photosynthesis, transmembrane transporter activity and plastid metabolism. The number of differentially expressed transcription factors in MYB and bHLH families was the largest, indicating that these genes might participate in heat stress response in P. ternata. These findings provide insight into the response to high temperature and facilitate the standardized cultivation of P. ternata.

Effectiveness of Foot Reflex Therapy in Post-Operative Pain among Patients Subjected to Major Abdominal Surgery

Most patients experience post–operative pain and it is unavoidable. It is the duty of the nurses to ensure that patients' pain is assessed and managed effectively when they are at the hospital. Foot reflex therapy is one effective way nurses can adopt to manage the patient with pain after surgery. We wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of foot reflex therapy on post-operative pain in patients who are subjected to major abdominal surgery. METHODSThis is a descriptive randomized control study that was conducted at Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital, among 360 patients who underwent major abdominal surgery. They were equally divided into two groups as control and study groups and the results were analyzed statistically. RESULTSMajority of the patients in the study group showed a positive effect on pain control during 4th and 5th [ (Mean: 1.27 with SD: 1.12) (Mean: 0.03with SD: 0.32) at p < 0.001] post-operative day following foot reflex therapy. CONCLUSIONSThe existing pain and the post-operative pain can be managed by nurses, patients, their care takers or families together, whenever appropriate, in a multidisciplinary manner. Foot reflex therapy is one such alternative complementary therapy which the nurses can adopt to implement the techniques independently.

Postoperative day 3 drain amylase versus fistula risk score: predicting clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula following pancreatico-duodenectomy

Background: Clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) remains the most common cause of perioperative morbidity following pancreatico-duodenectomy (PD). Early and accurate prediction of CR-POPF can be helpful in postoperative drain management as well as stratifying patients for enhanced recovery protocol after surgery. Both fistula risk score (FRS) and postoperative drain amylase levels have been analyzed in past. However, currently there is no clear consensus regarding the ideal predictor. Present study sought to assess the utility of postoperative day 3 drain amylase (POD-3DA) level as a predictor of CR-POPF in comparison with FRS.Methods: A retrospective analysis was done on 57 patients who underwent PD at our institute between 2014 to 2018. POPF was defined and graded in accordance with ISGPF definition. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis predicted a threshold of POD3DA >486 IU/l associated with CR-POPF. Sensitivity, specificity and odds ratios with 95%CI calculated and ROC curves were plotted for POD3DA of ≥500 IU/l and FRS (negligible/low vs. moderate/ high) as predictors of CR-POPF.Results: Incidence of POPF and CR-POPF was 63% and 32% respectively. Sensitivity and specificity of POD3DA ≥500 and moderate/high FRS for predicting CR-POPF were 83%, 79% & 78%, 51% respectively. Difference between ROC area under the curve (AUC) for POD3DA ≥500 IU/l (0.868) and FRS (0.692) was significant (p=0.028). Combining FRS and POD3DA ≥500 IU/l improved specificity (87%) at the cost of sensitivity (67%). The negative predictive value of POD3DA <500 IU/l and negligible/low FRS were 91.2% and 83.3% respectively.Conclusions: POD3DA level greater than 5 times of upper normal range is more precise at predicting CR-POPF, hence clinically more reliable for drain and postoperative management.

The prognostic significance of POD24 in 106 cases with splenic marginal lymphoma with bone marrow invasion / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To explore the effect of progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) on overall survival (OS) of splenic marginal lymphoma (SMZL) with bone marrow invasion, and to compare the clinical characteristics between POD24 SMZL with non-POD24 SMZL patients. Methods: The SMZL patients with bone marrow invasions were retrospectively analyzed between January 2002 and January 2017 treated in our institute, and the patients with sufficient follow-up time to judge POD24 were evaluated the clinical characteristics and prognosis, patients who died of non-progressive factors were excluded. Results: 106 patients were enrolled with a median age of 57 (25-79) years old. ①Clinical characteristics: All patients presented with bone marrow invasion and splenomegaly, 59.4% (63/106) with huge spleen, 14.8% (15/101) with hepatomegaly. Complex karyotype were found in 22.7% (18/79) patients; 13q deletion, 11q (ATM) deletion, 17p (TP53) deletion, and CEP12 abnormality patients presented with the percentage of 5.1% (4/78) , 1.3% (1/72) , 2.5% (2/80) , and 7.5% (4/53) , respectively.②Survival analysis: Univariate analysis showed that POD24, HGB less than 100 g/L and FISH detection of trisomy 12 were poor prognostic factors of OS. Multivariate analysis showed that only POD24 had independent prognostic significance[HR=20.116 (95%CI 2.226-181.820) , P=0.008]. ③Subgroup features: Patients with POD24 had significantly higher rates of mediastinal lymphadenopathy (63.6%vs 18.9%, P=0.005) and complex karyotype (50.0%vs 17.9%, P=0.024) than those without POD24. While the incidence of abdominal lymphadenopathy, anemia, thrombocytopenia, the lower albumin, and the increasing lactate dehydrogenase were higher in POD24 patients, but with no statistically difference. Conclusion: POD24 is an independent prognostic factor of the OS in SMZL. SMZL patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and complex karyotypes when diagnosed have a higher risk of POD24.

Antimicrobial effects of edible nano-composite based on bean pod shell gum, nano-TiO2, and Mentha pulegium essential oil

Natural antioxidants in edible coatings can modify the structure and improves the functionality and applicabilityof the film in food industries. This study was done to determine the antimicrobial effect of nano-compositebased on bean pod shell gum (4% w/v), TiO2 nano-particles (NPs) (1%–2% w/v) and Mentha pulegiumessential oil (EO) (2%–4% v/v) on five food-borne pathogens in two categories, including Gram positives andthree Gram-negatives bacteria. The antimicrobial activity was tested using disk diffusion test. According to theresults, Gram-positive bacteria were more susceptible than Gram-negative bacteria. Increasing M. pulegiumEO and TiO2 NPs content increased the antimicrobial activity of the edible film based on bean pod shell gum,so that the treatment containing 4% v/v M. pulegium EO and 2% w/v TiO2 NPs led to the highest inhibitionzone (11.8–15.2 mm) compared to treatment containing 2% v/v M. pulegium EO and 1% w/v TiO2 NPs withinhibition zone range of 9.8–11.5 mm. In general, TiO2 NPs and M. pulegium EO improved the functionalproperties, including antimicrobial activity of the edible film based on bean pod shell gum which increases thepotential of films to be used for fresh products.

Antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activity of face serum containing cocoa pod husk phytosome (Theobroma cacao L.)

High polyphenol content of cocoa pod extract causing it potential to be developed as antioxidant and tyrosinaseinhibitory agent in cosmetic preparations. Phytosome system known could enhance skin penetration of phytoconstituentlike polyphenol-rich extract. The objectives of this research were to formulate phytosome containing cocoa podextract, develop phytosome complex into face serum preparation, and determine antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitoryactivities of the extract and the formulated serum. The cocoa pod extract was developed into phytosome system bythin-layer method using soy-phosphatidylcholine. The phytosome then develop into face serum formulation usingViscolam MAC 10 as a gelling agent. The antioxidant activity was conducted by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicalscavenging assay and tyrosinase inhibitory activity was conducted by colorimetric enzymatic assay. The cocoa podextract has very strong antioxidant activity with inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 17.21 ppm. The extract also hastyrosinase inhibitory activity with IC50 of 199.98 ppm. The phytosome complex containing cocoa pod extract andphosphatidylcholine (1:1) has good entrapment efficiency (90.5%) with an average particle size of 672 nm. Theformulated face serum has good physical characteristic and also has antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activitiesthat equal with the marketed product (Hadalabo ultimate whitening milk, Rohto, Indonesia).

Laccase production by Myrothecium gramineum and its optimization under solid state fermentation using cowpea pod as substrate

The present study highlights the utilization of wastes such as cowpea outer pod generated from agro industries forlaccase production using Myrothecium gramineum LCJ177 under solid-state fermentation. Conventional methodswere used to optimize the process parameters. The classical one-factor-at-a-time method showed that the optimalstarch concentration was 1 g/L, peptone concentration was 0.5 g/L, copper sulfate concentration was 0.6 mM, andpyrogallol concentration was 0.8 mM. Likewise, the suitable physical conditions were an initial pH of five of theculture medium, the temperature of 30°C and moisture content of 60%. Utilization of dried cowpea outer pod as asubstrate reduces the pollution levels by converting agro-wastes as useful by-products.

The Response of Antioxidant Enzymes and Photosynthesis Dynamics of Sunflower Exposed to Aniline Wastewater

Aims: In order to investigate the tolerance of sunflower to aniline, we measured the photosynthetic parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and antioxidant enzyme activities of sunflower in aniline wastewater.Study Design: The experiment was conducted with oil sunflower No. 4 (Helianthus annuus Linn) as the experimental material. After five weeks of culture in half strength Hoagland’s nutrient solution, seedlings with uniform growth status were selected for aniline stress treatment. The concentrations of aniline stress treatment were 0, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 mg/L, respectively. Each treatment has five replicates. Leaf photosynthetic parameters were measured at fifth and tenth day after treatment under natural environmental conditions.Place and Duration of Study: Place for the study was located at Shandong Agricultural University, Taian city, Shandong, China. The experiment lasted for 10 weeks.Results: Five days after stress treatment, the net photosynthesis rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of sunflower showed an upward trend at the lower concentration of aniline (?100 mg/L) and turned to a downward trend at higher concentration of aniline (?120 mg/L). However, ten days after stress treatment, Pn, Gs and Tr of sunflower of all concentrations decreased significantly (P=.05) as compared to the control. The photochemical quenching coefficient and effective quantum yield of PS II photochemistry decreased. At the end of the ten days experiment, with the increase of aniline concentration, the photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of sunflower showed a downward trend except for intercellular CO2 concentration. The data indicated that nonstomatal limitation was responsible for the reduction of Pn. When the aniline concentration reached 180 mg/L, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) reached the highest point, which was 3.49 times and 1.78 times higher than those of the control.Conclusion: The low concentration of aniline (<120 mg/L) could promote the normal growth of sunflower in a short time. However, when the stress duration reaches a certain level, aniline will have a significant toxic effect on sunflower, thereby severely affecting the normal growth of sunflower

Effects of high temperature stress on physiological indicators of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis / 中草药

Objective To provide a reference for the introduction and cultivation of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis in mid-south region of China, its resistance adaptation ability of high temperature was explored. Methods Strong seedlings of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were chosen and treated under different temperature conditions (25 ℃/20 ℃, 33 ℃/28 ℃, 39 ℃/34 ℃) for 7 d, and then investigated the effect on their related physiological indexes. Results The results showed that with the increase of temperature and stress time, the relative water content of the leaves of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis decreased significantly under the treatment of 33 ℃/28 ℃ and 39 ℃/34 ℃ for 7 d, which was 17.38% and 58.25% lower than the control (25 ℃/20 ℃) respectively. The relative conductivity and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) were both increased continuously, and it was respectively 3.59 times and 2.55 times higher than that of control under the temperature of 39 ℃/34 ℃. The content of soluble sugar decreased gradually at 39 ℃/34 ℃, which was 33.25% lower than that of the control. The changing of soluble protein content showed a wavy trend, and the fluctuation range of 33 ℃/28 ℃ treatment groups was larger than that of the control group, which increased to 1.32 times of the control after 7 d. The SOD increased firstly and then decreased. The peak value was reached after 4 d at 39 ℃/34 ℃, which was 2.35 times higher than that of the control group. The POD increased gradually in treatment group, which increased to 2.33 times of that in control group at 39 ℃/34 ℃ for 4 d, and the amplitude of the change gradually slowed down. Conclusion In the experimental temperature range, P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis grew well at 25 ℃/20 ℃, which was its optimal growth temperature. Long-term continuous temperature stress treatment at 33 ℃/28 ℃ can cause damage to plant leaves; High temperature at 39 ℃/34 ℃ will seriously damage the physiological and morphological structure of the plant, and even lead to the death of the plant.

Clinical Outcomes of Diffractive Aspheric Trifocal Intraocular Lens Implantation

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with diffractive aspheric trifocal intraocular lens FineVision Pod F IOL (PhysIOL, Liège, Belgium) implantation. METHODS: Thirty eight eyes received phacoemulsification and implantation of FineVision Pod F IOL. Uncorrected distant visual acuity (UDVA), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UIVA), uncorrected near visual acuity (UNVA), refractive values, and defocus curve were evaluated at postoperative 1 month and 3 months. Optical quality was evaluated with the contrast sensitivity test, OQAS® (Optical Quality Analysis System, Visiometrics, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain) and questionnaire. RESULTS: At the 3-month postoperative follow-up, the mean spherical equivalent was 0.01 ± 0.31 D and the mean UDVA, UIVA and UNVA were 0.04 ± 0.07, 0.19 ± 0.12, and 0.04 ± 0.07, respectively. Mean contrast sensitivities at 0.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degrees were 2.00 ± 1.54, 2.16 ± 1.60, 2.25 ± 1.76, 2.16 ± 1.83, 1.52 ± 1.47 and 1.03 ± 0.95 respectively and mean objective scatter index by OQAS® (Optical Quality Analysis System, Visiometrics) was 1.54 ± 0.74. In satisfaction analysis, general satisfaction with surgery was 89% and spectacle independence were 89% at far, 78% at intermediate and 83% at near distance. Postoperative dissatisfaction factors were dryness (36%), glare at night (32%), halo (18%). CONCLUSIONS: The FineVision Pod F IOL showed excellent distant and near visual acuities with an effective intermediate visual acuity. The eyes with FineVision Pod F IOL expected to achieve the favorable visual outcome and patient satisfaction.

The Structure and Mechanical Properties of Pods after Dehydration / 医用生物力学

Objective To investigate the structure and mechanical properties of pods after dehydration and the biomechanical mechanism of spreading pod seed injection due to torsion crack. Methods The layered pods, the cell size and direction at different cellular layers were analyzed by histology, microstructure observation, mechanical property test and high-speed photography. The process of pod ejection was observed, and the principle of pod ejection was summarized. Results The ejection of pods started from the crack of the bottom, and cracked gradually from the bottom to the top. The cell arrangement of two parts of the same pod was opposite. Each pod was divided into 4 layers wherein the first exterior layer and the middle layer were orthogonal to each other. There was a layer of cells between the first exterior layer and the middle layer, of which the cell wall was broken. In the process of dehydration, fibers in the outer layer shrank and fibers in the middle layer stretched. Conclusions Pod fiber will be contracted in the orthogonal direction after dehydration to accumulate elastic performance and generate pre-stress, and finally the pod is cracked to release the pre-stress.

ANÁLISIS ESPACIAL DE LA INCIDENCIA DE ENFERMEDADES EN DIFERENTES GENOTIPOS DE CACAO (Theobroma cacao L.) EN EL YOPAL (CASANARE), COLOMBIA / Spatial Analysis of Diseases Incidence in Different Cocoa Genotypes (Theobroma cacao L.) in Yopal (Casanare), Colombia

RESUMEN Las enfermedades "pudrición negra del fruto" y "moniliasis" son reportadas como limitantes en plantaciones de cacao en Colombia. Fueron evaluados los patrones espaciales de incidencia para estas dos enfermedades en un cultivo de cacao durante un monitoreo de trece semanas en campo. Semivariogramas e interpolación kriging fueron usados para analizar el comportamiento espacial de "pudrición negra del fruto", los estadísticos Join Count e Indice de Moran se emplearon para estudiar el comportamiento espacial de "moniliasis". La incidencia de "pudrición negra del fruto" presentó estructura de dependencia espacial de acuerdo a los semivariogramas durante el tiempo de evaluación, mientras que la autocorrelación espacial de sitios de infección de "moniliasis" se distribuyó de forma aleatoria entre las plantas de cacao según el Indice de Moran. El rango de dispersión estimado de "pudrición negra del fruto" varió entre 21,74 y 40,23 m y los mapas kriging evidenciaron el progreso espacio-temporal de la enfermedad durante las semanas evaluadas. Las condiciones experimentales dadas y la aproximación de los análisis espaciales, contribuyeron al entendimiento de la dinámica espacial de dos enfermedades limitantes en tres clones de cacao en la Orinoquía Colombiana.

ABSTRACT "Black pod" and "frosty pod" diseases are reported as limiting in cocoa plantations in Colombia. Spatial patterns of incidence for these two diseases were evaluated during a thirteen weeks long period of monitoring in the field. Semivariogram and kriging interpolation were used to analyze the spatial behavior of "black pod" and Join Count and Moran's Index statistics were used to analyze the spatial behavior of "frosty pod". The incidence of "Black pod" has a spatial dependence structure according to semivariogramas during the evaluation time, while spatial autocorrelation of "moniliasis" infection sites was randomly distribuited among cocoa plants according to the Moran's Index. The estimated dispersion range of "Black pod" was from 21.74 to 40.23 m y the kriging maps showed the spatio-temporal progression of the disease during the evaluated weeks. The experimental conditions given and spatial analysis approach, contributed to the understanding of the spatial dynamics of two limiting diseases in three clones of cocoa in the Colombian Orinoquia.

EVALUACIÓN DE LA PECTINA EXTRAÍDA ENZIMÁTICAMENTE A PARTIR DE LAS CÁSCARAS DEL FRUTO DE CACAO (Theobroma cacao L.)

La presente investigación tuvo como propósito evaluar el rendimiento y las características de la pectina extraída enzimáticamente a partir de la cáscara, pericarpio del fruto de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.); para ello, se realizó un diseño de tipo unifactorial, con 4 niveles de tratamiento, variando la concentración de complejo enzimático comercial Viscozyme L., de la marca Novozyme®. La pectina obtenida fue caracterizada, de acuerdo a la metodología planteada por Owens et al. 1952. Se elaboró un producto comercial tipo conserva (mermelada), donde se comparó la pectina obtenida enzimáticamente, con pectina comercial de alto y bajo metoxilo; en ambos casos fue evaluada la viscosidad aparente del fluido obtenido. Como resultados, se obtuvo mayor rendimiento de extracción de pectina promedio (13,0±0,53%), utilizando la mayor concentración de complejo enzimático (82,9 µL/100g cáscara), presentando diferencias significativas con los demás tratamientos (p<0,05); el porcentaje de metóxilo (ME) fue de 1,58±0,01%, el peso equivalente (PE) 5091,4±77,6 mg/meq; la acidez libre (AL) 0,20±0,01meq/g; el grado de esterificación (GE) 72±0,1% y el porcentaje de ácido anhídridogalacturónico (AAG) 12,5±1,0%. Con respecto al producto comercial, se observaron características reológicas de un fluido no Newtoniano pseudoplástico, con una viscosidad aparente máxima de 6043,7 mPa.s y mínima de 1741,3 mPa.s, al aumentar la fuerza del torque, presentando una menor capacidad viscosante que la pectina comercial. De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos, se demostró que existe la oportunidad de obtener pectinas a partir de residuos del sector cacaotero, utilizando enzimas comerciales, con posibles usos en la industria alimentaria.

This research was aimed to evaluate the yield and characteristics of pectin extracted enzymatically from cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) pod husks pericarp. For this a unifactorial type design with 4 levels of treatment varying the concentration of commercial enzyme complex Viscozyme L. of the brand Novozyme®.. The obtained pectin was characterized according to the methodology proposed by Owens et al. 1952. A commercial preserved product (jam) was elaborated, where pectin obtained enzymatically was compared with high and low methoxyl commercial pectin, in both cases the apparent viscosity of the obtained fluid was evaluated. The highest pectin extraction yield (13.0 ± 0.53%) was obtained using the highest concentration of enzyme complex (82.9 µL / 100g shell), showing significant differences with the other treatments (p <0,05). Percentage of methoxyl (ME) was 1.58 ± 0.01%, equivalent weight (PE) 5091.4 ± 77.6mg/meq, free acidity (AL) 0.20 ± 0.01meq/g, degree of Esterification (GE) 72 ± 0.1% and the percentage of anhydridogalacturonic acid (AAG) 12.5 ± 1.0%. With respect to the commercial product, rheological characteristics of a pseudoplastic non-Newtonian fluid with a maximum apparent viscosity of 6043,7 mPa.s and a minimum of 1741,3 mPa.s were observed when increasing the torque force, presenting a lower viscosity capacity than the commercial pectin. According to the results obtained it was demonstrated that there is an opportunity to obtain pectins from residues from the cocoa sector using commercial enzymes with possible uses in the food industry.

New evidences on the regulation of SF-1 expression by POD1/TCF21 in adrenocortical tumor cells

OBJECTIVES: Transcription Factor 21 represses steroidogenic factor 1, a nuclear receptor required for gonadal development, sex determination and the regulation of adrenogonadal steroidogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether silencing or overexpression of the gene Transcription Factor 21 could modulate the gene and protein expression of steroidogenic factor 1 in adrenocortical tumors. METHODS: We analyzed the gene expression of steroidogenic factor 1 using qPCR after silencing endogenous Transcription Factor 21 in pediatric adrenal adenoma-T7 cells through small interfering RNA. In addition, using overexpression of Transcription Factor 21 in human adrenocortical carcinoma cells, we analyzed the protein expression of steroidogenic factor 1 using Western blotting. RESULTS: Transcription Factor 21 knockdown increased the mRNA expression of steroidogenic factor 1 by 5.97-fold in pediatric adrenal adenoma-T7 cells. Additionally, Transcription Factor 21 overexpression inhibited the protein expression of steroidogenic factor 1 by 0.41-fold and 0.64-fold in two different adult adrenocortical carcinoma cell cultures, H295R and T36, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Transcription Factor 21 is downregulated in adrenocortical carcinoma cells. Taken together, these findings support the hypothesis that Transcription Factor 21 is a regulator of steroidogenic factor 1 and is a tumor suppressor gene in pediatric and adult adrenocortical tumors.

Physicochemical changes of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis seed during different stages of germination / 中草药

Objective To investigate the regulation mechanism of enzymes and endogenous hormones of different stages of Paris polyphylla Smith var. chinensis seed germination, aiming to provide scientific basis for taking effective treatment measures during the different stages of seed dormancy and germination to increase seedling emergence rate. Methods The morphological differences of different stages of P. polyphylla Smith var. chinensis seeds germination after treatment with variable temperature stratification were observed and measured. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), malic acid deoxy enzyme (MDH) and 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) were determined by routine physiological and biochemical methods. Levels of 6 endogenous hormones, named indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GA3), abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), Trans-Zeatin (TZ), and jasmonic acid (JA) were quantitatively determined by mass spectrometry. The correlation among enzyme activity, endogenous hormone content and embryo rate during seed germination was studied. Results In the stages of non-germinating, epicotyl dormancy and upcoming emerging of P. polyphylla Smith var. chinensis seeds, seed weight and embryo rate increased gradually; the activities of SOD and POD increased gradually, while activities of CAT and MDH decreased gradually. The G-6-PDH activity levels showed two peaks and the levels of non-germinating stage and stage before epicotyl elongation after germination were obviously higher than those of other stages. The contents of IAA, GA3, ABA and JA increased gradually, and the contents of IAA and JA were significantly higher in the upcoming emerging stage than those of other stages (P < 0.01). The contents of TZ and SA increased first and then decreased. TZ levels of cotyledon differentiation stage and endosperm maturation stage were obviously higher than those of other stages (P < 0.01). SA level was highest in the early stage of emerge, and the levels of SA in germinating radicle just breaking through the seed coat stage and endosperm formation stage were second. The change of CAT enzyme activity was negatively correlated with embryo rate, and the content of IAA and JA was positively correlated with embryo rate. Conclusion CAT could inhibit the growth of embryo, and IAA and JA had positive effects on the growth of embryo.

Influence of Peanut Cultivars and Environmental Conditions on the Diversity and Community Composition of Pod Rot Soil Fungi in China

Peanut yield and quality are seriously affected by pod rot pathogens worldwide, especially in China in recent years. The goals of this study are to analyze the structure of fungal communities of peanut pod rot in soil in three peanut cultivars and the correlation of pod rot with environmental variables using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 46,723 internal transcribed spacer high-quality sequences were obtained and grouped into 1,706 operational taxonomic units at the 97% similarity cut-off level. The coverage, rank abundance, and the Chao 1 and Shannon diversity indices of the operational taxonomic units were analyzed. Members of the phylum Ascomycota were dominant, such as Fusarium, Chaetomium, Alternaria, and Sordariomycetes, followed by Basidiomycota. The results of the heatmap and redundancy analysis revealed significant variation in the composition of the fungal community among the three cultivar samples. The environmental conditions in different peanut cultivars may also influence on the structure of the fungal community. The results of this study suggest that the causal agent of peanut pod rot may be more complex, and cultivars and environmental conditions are both important contributors to the community structure of peanut pod rot fungi.

POD-1/Tcf21 overexpression reduces endogenous SF-1 and StAR expression in rat adrenal cells

During gonad and adrenal development, the POD-1/capsulin/TCF21transcription factor negatively regulates SF-1/NR5A1expression, with higher SF-1 levels being associated with increased adrenal cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. In adrenocortical tumor cells, POD-1 binds to the SF-1 E-box promoter region, decreasing SF-1 expression. However, the modulation of SF-1 expression by POD-1 has not previously been described in normal adrenal cells. Here, we analyzed the basal expression of Pod-1 and Sf-1 in primary cultures of glomerulosa (G) and fasciculata/reticularis (F/R) cells isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats, and investigated whether POD-1 overexpression modulates the expression of endogenous Sf-1 and its target genes in these cells. POD-1 overexpression, following the transfection of pCMVMycPod-1, significantly decreased the endogenous levels of Sf-1 mRNA and protein in F/R cells, but not in G cells, and also decreased the expression of the SF-1 target StAR in F/R cells. In G cells overexpressing POD-1, no modulation of the expression of SF-1 targets, StAR and CYP11B2, was observed. Our data showing that G and F/R cells respond differently to ectopic POD-1 expression emphasize the functional differences between the outer and inner zones of the adrenal cortex, and support the hypothesis that SF-1 is regulated by POD-1/Tcf21 in normal adrenocortical cells lacking the alterations in cellular physiology found in tumor cells.

Interaction of Elevated CO2 and Moisture Stress on Blackgram Growth and Yield.

An experiment was conducted with blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) cv T-9 in Open top chambers (OTCs) to assess the impact of moisture deficit and its interaction with two levels of CO2 (550ppm and 700ppm) on biomass and seed yield. At flowering stage moisture deficit was imposed by withholding irrigation. Both elevated CO2 levels improved the total biomass and the extent of improvement was 2.7% and 23.5% under irrigated conditions, while 9.0% and 26.1% under moisture stress conditions at 550ppm and 700ppm of CO2 respectively. Higher improvement in seed yield than biomass at both elevated CO2 levels was recorded and under irrigated condition the seed yield improved by 26.3% and 58.9% while under moisture deficit conditions by 9.0% and 34.7% at 550ppm and 700ppm respectively. Though moisture deficit reduced the total biomass, seed yield and HI at all CO2 levels, however the magnitude of reduction was less at elevated CO2 levels. The ameliorative effect of enhanced CO2 concentrations under moisture deficit condition was observed through better pod number in blackgram as compared with ambient control which reflected as higher seed yield.

Clinical performance of 3-body fat measurements in obese adolescents 15 to 18 years-old / Medidas da gordura corporal em adolescentes obesos de 15 a 18 anos

There is a lack of information about the performance and clinical use of body fat measurements in children and adolescents, particularly in obese people. Objective: the purpose of this study was to compare percentage body fat (%BF) among 3 different methodologies, including hydrostatic weighing (HW), dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and air displacement plethysmography (ADP), in obese adolescents. Subjects: A total of 36 obese adolescents were evaluated, which 15 males (16.00 + 0.9 yrs, 105.0 + 10.9 kg, 179.9 + 7.2 cm, 34.9 + 4.4 kg/m2) and 21 females (16.5 + 1.5 yrs, 91.1 + 10.5 kg, 163.6 + 4.2 cm, 34.1 + 3.7 kg/m2). All of them performed HW, total body DXA and ADP. Results: For males, the means of %BF regarding HW, DXA and ADP were 45.7 + 9.0, 42.3 + 5.2 and 35.6 + 7.9, respectively. For females, the means of %BF were 47.7 + 6.8, 50.7 + 4 and 42.4 + 5.3, respectively. No significant difference was found between HW and DXA. In general, the %BF values provided by ADP measurements were lower than other two methods. Conclusion: There was a good agreement between DXA and HW methods, but ADP measurements can underestimate the %BF in obese adolescents.