Splenic ectopic pregnancy: Rare location of ectopic pregnancy, how does it present?

Splenic ectopic pregnancy (SEP) is a rare high-mortality condition, particularly relating to life-threatening intraperitoneal bleeding due to a high risk of spontaneous rupture. Diagnosing in a timely fashion is extremely crucial and the patients could benefit from active treatment strategies and early management. In this article, we reviewed a case of 40 years-old female who complained of lower quadrant abdominal pain and amenorrhea with a history of intrauterine device (IUD) insertion for over 6 years. Elevating b-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) blood levels were documented, raising concern about pregnancy-related emergency conditions. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging results suggested a splenic ectopic pregnancy entity with a high rupture rate. The patient subsequently underwent laparoscopic resection for splenic mass removal. Ectopic pregnancy should cautiously be excluded in all cases of abdominal pain in childbearing-age women.

Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of glioblastoma of the optic pathway during adulthood.

Glioma has been previously known as the most common adult brain tumor. Glioma of the optic pathway is predominated by low-grade neoplasms. High-grade glioma in adults is extremely rare. In this study, we present the case of a 46-year-old male patient who developed glioblastoma of the optic chiasm extending along the optic tract. This study aims to discuss several common differential diagnoses of nontumor diffuse lesions in the optic pathway and their clinical symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging findings, which could help navigate management.

Non-conventional octameric structure of C-phycocyanin.

C-phycocyanin (CPC), a blue pigment protein, is an indispensable component of giant phycobilisomes, which are light-harvesting antenna complexes in cyanobacteria that transfer energy efficiently to photosystems I and II. X-ray crystallographic and electron microscopy (EM) analyses have revealed the structure of CPC to be a closed toroidal hexamer by assembling two trimers. In this study, the structural characterization of non-conventional octameric CPC is reported for the first time. Analyses of the crystal and cryogenic EM structures of the native CPC from filamentous thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermoleptolyngbya sp. O-77 unexpectedly illustrated the coexistence of conventional hexamer and novel octamer. In addition, an unusual dimeric state, observed via analytical ultracentrifugation, was postulated to be a key intermediate structure in the assemble of the previously unobserved octamer. These observations provide new insights into the assembly processes of CPCs and the mechanism of energy transfer in the light-harvesting complexes.

LED Lights Promote Growth and Flavonoid Accumulation of Anoectochilus roxburghii and Are Linked to the Enhanced Expression of Several Related Genes.

Anoectochilus roxburghii is a wild edible species and has been traditionally used for a wide range of diseases in many countries. Our research aims to find the optimal light-emitting diode (LED) lighting conditions to improve the growth and development of A. roxburghii seedling at the acclimation stage. Two-month-old explants were cultured under the various lighting conditions including red (R), blue (B), BR (one blue: four red), BRW151 (one blue: five red: one white), BRW142 (one blue: four red: two white), and fluorescent lamp (FL). The results showed that the lighting conditions not only affect the growth and morphology of plants but also the accumulation of total flavonoids. Single wavelengths (B or R LED) inhibited the growth and secondary biosynthesis of A. roxburghii, while the BR LED showed an enhancement in both growth and biomass accumulation. A. roxburghii plants were grown under BR LED light has average plant height (7.18 cm), stem diameter (17.6mm), number of leaves (5.78 leaves/tree), leaf area (4.67 cm2), fresh weight (0.459 g/tree), dry matter percentages (11.69%), and total flavonoid (1.811 mg/g FW) is considered to be superior to FL lamps and other LEDs in the experiment. This indicates that both blue and red wavelengths are required for the normal growth of A. roxburghii. To learn more about how light affects flavonoid biosynthesis, we evaluated the expression of genes involved in this process (pal, chs, chi, and fls) and found that BR LED light enhances the expression level of chi and fls genes compared to fluorescent lamps (1.18 and 1.21 times, respectively), leading to an increase in the flavonoid content of plant. Therefore, applying BR LED during in vitro propagation of A. roxburghii could be a feasible way to improve the medicinal value of this plant.