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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections emerged during spring to summer yearly in Taiwan, but infections were few during the pandemic. M. pneumoniae macrolide resistance soared to 85.7% in 2020 but declined to 0% during 2022-2023. Continued molecular surveillance is necessary to monitor trends in macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae.
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Antibacterianos , COVID-19 , Farmacorresistencia Bacteriana , Macrólidos , Mycoplasma pneumoniae , Neumonía por Mycoplasma , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , Taiwán/epidemiología , Macrólidos/farmacología , Macrólidos/uso terapéutico , Mycoplasma pneumoniae/efectos de los fármacos , Mycoplasma pneumoniae/genética , Neumonía por Mycoplasma/epidemiología , Neumonía por Mycoplasma/tratamiento farmacológico , Neumonía por Mycoplasma/microbiología , COVID-19/epidemiología , Niño , Antibacterianos/farmacología , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Preescolar , Pandemias , Masculino , Femenino , Lactante , Adolescente , Pruebas de Sensibilidad MicrobianaRESUMEN
Growing evidence suggests an association between osteocalcin (OCN), a peptide derived from bone and involved in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, and the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the causality of these associations and the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. We utilized a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal effects of blood OCN levels on AD and to assess the potential involvement of glucose and lipid metabolism. Independent instrumental variables strongly associated (P < 5E-08) with blood OCN levels were obtained from three independent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the human blood proteome (N = 3301 to 35,892). Two distinct summary statistics datasets on AD from the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP, N = 63,926) and a recent study including familial-proxy AD patients (FPAD, N = 472,868) were used. Summary-level data for fasting glucose (FG), 2h-glucose post-challenge, fasting insulin, HbA1c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides were incorporated to evaluate the potential role of glucose and lipid metabolism in mediating the impact of OCN on AD risk. Our findings consistently demonstrate a significantly negative correlation between genetically determined blood OCN levels and the risk of AD (IGAP: odds ratio [OR, 95%CI] = 0.83[0.72-0.96], P = 0.013; FPAD: OR = 0.81 [0.70-0.93], P = 0.002). Similar estimates with the same trend direction were obtained using other statistical approaches. Furthermore, employing multivariable MR analysis, we found that the causal relationship between OCN levels and AD was disappeared after adjustment of FG and TC (IGAP: OR = 0.97[0.80-1.17], P = 0.753; FPAD: OR = 0.98 [0.84-1.15], P = 0.831). There were no apparent instances of horizontal pleiotropy, and leave-one-out analysis showed good stability of the estimates. Our study provides evidence supporting a protective effect of blood OCN levels on AD, which is primarily mediated through regulating FG and TC levels. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying physio-pathological mechanisms.
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Enfermedad de Alzheimer , Metabolismo Energético , Estudio de Asociación del Genoma Completo , Análisis de la Aleatorización Mendeliana , Osteocalcina , Humanos , Enfermedad de Alzheimer/sangre , Enfermedad de Alzheimer/genética , Osteocalcina/sangre , Metabolismo Energético/genética , Glucemia/metabolismo , Polimorfismo de Nucleótido Simple , Masculino , Femenino , Triglicéridos/sangre , Insulina/sangreRESUMEN
Lysosomes-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs), a family of glycosylated proteins and major constituents of the lysosomal membranes, play a dominant role in various cellular processes, including phagocytosis, autophagy and immunity in mammals. However, their roles in aquatic species remain poorly known. In the present study, three lamp genes were cloned and characterized from Micropterus salmoides. Subsequently, their transcriptional levels in response to different nutritional status were investigated. The full-length coding sequences of lamp1, lamp2 and lamp3 were 1251bp, 1224bp and 771bp, encoding 416, 407 and 256 amino acids, respectively. Multiple sequence alignment showed that LAMP1-3 were highly conserved among the different fish species, respectively. 3-D structure prediction, genomic survey, and phylogenetic analysis were further confirmed that these genes are widely existed in vertebrates. The mRNA expression of the three genes was ubiquitously expressed in all selected tissues, including liver, brain, gill, heart, muscle, spleen, kidney, stomach, adipose and intestine, lamp1 shows highly transcript levels in brain and muscle, lamp2 displays highly expression level in heart, muscle and spleen, but lamp3 shows highly transcript level in spleen, liver and kidney. To analyze the function of the three genes under starvation stress in largemouth bass, three experimental treatment groups (fasted group and refeeding group, control group) were established in the current study. The results indicated that the expression of lamp1 was significant induced after starvation, and then returned to normal levels after refeeding in the liver. The expression of lamp2 and lamp3 exhibited the same trend in the liver. In addition, in the spleen and the kidney, the transcript level of lamp1 and lamp2 was remarkably increased in the fasted treatment group and slightly decreased in the refed treatment group, respectively. Collectively, our findings suggest that three lamp genes may have differential function in the immune and energetic organism in largemouth bass, which is helpful in understanding roles of lamps in aquatic species.
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Abscisic acid (ABA), as a plant hormone, plays a positive role in leaf chlorosis; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is less known. Our findings provide ABA treatment reduced the chlorophyll accumulation in apple, and Malus × domestica Sucrose Non-fermenting 1-Related Protein Kinase 1.1 (MdSnRK1.1) participates in the process. MdSnRK1.1 interacts with MdGLK1, a GOLDEN2-like transcription factor that orchestrates development of the chloroplast. Furthermore, MdSnRK1.1 affects MdGLK1 protein stability through phosphorylation. We found that Ser468 of MdGLK1 is target site of MdSnRK1.1 phosphorylation. MdSnRK1.1-mediated phosphorylation was critical for MdGLK1 binding to the target gene MdHEMA1 promoters. Collectively, our results demonstrate that ABA activates MdSnRK1.1 to degrade MdGLK1 and inhibit the accumulation of chlorophyll. These findings extend our understanding on how MdSnRK1.1 balances normal growth and hormone response.
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Heat stress (HS) causes oxidative damage and abnormal metabolism of muscle, thus impairing the meat quality in broilers. Selenium is an indispensable element for enhancing antioxidant systems. In our previous study, we synthesized a novel type of biogenic selenium nanoparticles synthesized with alginate oligosaccharides (SeNPs-AOS), and found that the particle size of Se is 80 nm and the Se content is 8% in the SeNPs-AOS; and dietary 5 mg/kg SeNPs-AOS has been shown to be effective against HS in broilers. However, whether SeNPs-AOS can mitigate HS-induced the impairment of thigh muscle quality in broilers is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of dietary SeNPs-AOS on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and metabolomics of thigh muscle in broilers under HS. A total of 192 twenty-one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group (8 broilers per replicate) according to a 2 × 2 experimental design: thermoneutral group (TN, broilers raised under 23±1.5°C); TN+SeNPs-AOS group (TN group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS); HS group (broilers raised under 33 ± 2°C for 10 h/d); and HS + SeNPs-AOS group (HS group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS). The results showed that HS increased the freezing loss, cooking loss, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of thigh muscle, whereas decreased the total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as downregulated the mRNA expression of SOD2, CAT, GPX3, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), selenoprotein S (SELENOS), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), GPX4, and ferroportin 1 (Fpn1) of thigh muscle (P < 0.05). Dietary SeNPS-AOS reduced the b* value, elevated the pH0min value and the activities of T-SOD, GSH-Px, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the mRNA expression levels of GSTT1, GSTA3, GPX1, GPX3, ferritin heavy polypeptide-1 (FTH1), and Fpn1 of thigh muscle in broilers under HS (P < 0.05). Nontargeted metabolomics analysis identified a total of 79 metabolites with significant differences among the four groups, and the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in 8 metabolic pathways including glutathione metabolism and ferroptosis (P < 0.05). In summary, dietary 5 mg/kg SeNPs-AOS (Se content of 8%) could alleviate HS-induced impairment of meat quality by improving the oxidative damage, metabolic disorders and ferroptosis of thigh muscle in broilers challenged with HS. Suggesting that the SeNPs-AOS may be used as a novel nano-modifier for meat quality in broilers raised in thermal environment.
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Ferroptosis , Selenio , Animales , Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Selenio/metabolismo , Pollos/fisiología , Muslo , Suplementos Dietéticos/análisis , Músculo Esquelético , Respuesta al Choque Térmico , Superóxido Dismutasa/metabolismo , Carne/análisis , ARN Mensajero/metabolismo , Alimentación Animal/análisisRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Previous studies of brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, showed that carrying the plant pathogenic virus, rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV), enhanced the lethality of the entomopathogenic fungus, Metarhizium anisopliae (YTTR). The underlying mechanism for this was not established but a serine protease cascade was hypothesized to be involved. RESULTS: Two immune response genes, NlKPI and NlVenomase, were identified and shown to be involved. The synthesized double-strand RNA (dsRNA) techniques used in this study to explore gene function revealed that treatment with dsRNA to silence either gene led to a higher BPH mortality from M. anisopliae infection than the dsRNA control treatment. NlKPI and NlVenomase play vital roles in BPH immunity to defend against alien pathogens. Both genes participate in the immune response process of BPH against co-infection with RRSV and M. anisopliae YTTR by regulating the expression of antimicrobial peptides and phenoloxidase activity. CONCLUSION: Our study provided new targets for BPH biocontrol and laid a solid foundation for further research on the interaction of virus-insect-EPF (entomopathogenic fungus). © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Hemípteros , Metarhizium , Oryza , Virus de Plantas , Reoviridae , Animales , Metarhizium/fisiología , Hemípteros/fisiología , ARN Bicatenario , Inmunidad , Oryza/genéticaRESUMEN
Selenium (Se) is an indispensable trace element with versatile functions in antioxidant defense in poultry. In our previous study, we synthesized a novel type of biogenic selenium nanoparticle based on alginate oligosaccharides (SeNPs-AOS), and found that the particles are sized around 80 nm with an 8% Se content, and the dietary addition of 5 mg/kg of SeNPs-AOS could effectively alleviate the deleterious effects of heat stress (HS) in broilers, but it is still unclear whether SeNPs-AOS can improve the meat quality. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of SeNPs-AOS on breast meat quality in heat-stressed broilers, and explore the relevant mechanisms. Birds at the age of 21 days were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates per group (eight broilers per replicate) according to a 2 × 2 experimental design, using HS (33 ± 2 °C, 10 h/day vs. thermoneutral, TN, under 23 ± 1.5 °C) and SeNPs-AOS (5 mg/kg feed vs. no inclusion) as variables. The results showed that dietary SeNPs-AOS decreased the cooking loss (p < 0.05), freezing loss (p < 0.001), and shear force (p < 0.01) of breast muscle in heat-stressed broilers. The non-targeted metabolomics analysis of the breast muscle identified 78 differential metabolites between the HS and HS + SeNPs-AOS groups, mainly enriched in the arginine and proline metabolism, ß-alanine metabolism, D-arginine and D-ornithine metabolism, pantothenate, and CoA biosynthesis pathways (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, supplementation with SeNPs-AOS increased the levels of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), the activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the breast muscle (p < 0.05) in broilers under HS exposure. Additionally, SeNPs-AOS upregulated the mRNA expression of CAT, GPX1, GPX3, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), masculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma G (MafG), MafK, selenoprotein W (SELENOW), SELENOK, ferritin heavy polypeptide-1 (FTH1), Ferroportin 1 (Fpn1), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) (p < 0.05), while it downregulated Kelch-like ECH-associated pro-36 tein 1 (Keap1) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide Synthase 2 (PTGS2) expression (p < 0.05) in broilers under HS. These findings demonstrated that the dietary addition of SeNPs-AOS mitigated HS-induced oxidative damage and metabolite changes in the breast muscle of broilers, which may be related to the regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and selenoprotein synthesis. In addition, SeNPs-AOS upregulated the breast muscle gene expression of anti-ferroptosis-related molecules in broilers under HS, suggesting that SeNPs-AOS can be used as novel Se supplements against HS in broilers.
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Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for maintaining health due to its ideal antioxidant properties. We previously prepared a new type of biogenic selenium nanoparticles based on alginate oligosaccharides (SeNPs-AOS), and this study aimed to investigate the protective effects of SeNPs-AOS (Se particle size = 80 nm, Se content = 8%) on organ health in broilers challenged with HS. A total of 192 21-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into four groups according to a 2 × 2 experimental design, including a thermoneutral zone group (TN, raised under 23 ± 1.5 °C); TN + SeNPs-AOS group (TN group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS); HS group (HS, raised under 33 ± 2 °C for 10 h/day); and HS + SeNPs-AOS group (HS group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS). There were six replicates in each group (eight broilers per replicate). The results showed that SeNPs-AOS improved the splenic histomorphology, enhanced the activity of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) of the spleen, as well as upregulating the splenic mRNA expression of antioxidant-related genes in broilers under HS. In addition, SeNPs-AOS reversed the pathological changes in bursa caused by HS increased the activity of GST, GSH-Px, and CAT and upregulated the mRNA expression of Nrf2 and antioxidant-related genes in the bursa of heat-stressed broilers. In addition, dietary SeNPs-AOS improved the hepatic damage, increased the activity of GSH-Px in the liver, and upregulated the mRNA expression of antioxidant-related genes while downregulating the Keap1 gene expression of the liver in broilers during HS. Moreover, dietary SeNPs-AOS upregulated the anti-ferroptosis-related genes expression of liver in broilers under HS. In conclusion, dietary SeNPs-AOS could relieve HS-induced oxidative damage to the spleen, bursa of Fabricius and liver in broilers by upregulating the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant gene expression and SeNPs-AOS could also upregulate the expression of hepatic Nrf2-related anti-ferroptosis genes in heat-stressed broilers. These findings are beneficial for the development of new nano-antioxidants in broilers.
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Because of the lack of contact and spacer doping techniques for two-dimensional (2D) transistors, most high-performance 2D devices have been produced with nontypical structures that contain electrical gating in the contact regions. In the present study, we used chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) as a strong p-dopant for WSe2 monolayers used in transistors. The HAuCl4-doped devices exhibited a record-low contact resistance of 0.7 kΩ·µm under a doping concentration of 1.76 × 1013 cm-2. In addition, an extrinsic carrier diffusion phenomenon was discovered in the HAuCl4-WSe2 system. With a suitably designed spacer length for doping, a normally off, high-performance underlap top-gate device can be produced without the application of additional gating in the contact and spacer regions.
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Axially chiral N-substituted quinazolinones are important bioactive molecules, which are presented in many synthetic drugs. However, most strategies toward their atroposelective synthesis are mainly limited to the axially chiral arylquinazolinone frameworks. The development of modular synthetic methods to access diverse quinazolinone-based atropisomers remains scarce and challenging. Herein, we report the regio- and atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral N-vinylquinazolinones via the strategy of asymmetric allylic substitution-isomerization. The catalysis system utilized both asymmetric transition-metal catalysis and organocatalysis to efficiently afford trisubstituted and tetrasubstituted N-vinylquinazolinone atropisomers, respectively. With the meticulous design of ß-substituted allylic substrates, both Z- and E-tetrasubstituted axially chiral N-vinylquinazolinones were obtained in good yields and high enantioselectivities.
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A series of trimetallic cyanidometal-bridged compounds [Men Cp(dppe)FeII -(µ-NC)-RuII (MeOpy)4 -(µ-CN)-FeII (dppe)CpMen ] - [PF6 ]2 (N[PF6 ]2 , n=0, N =1; n=1, N=2; n=3, N=3; Cp=cyclopentadiene, dppe=1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, MeOpy=4-methoxypyridine) and their one- and two-electron oxidized compounds N3+ and N4+ were synthesized and characterized. Meanwhile, a series of corresponding linear cyanido-bridged pentanuclear compounds [Men Cp(dppe)FeIII -(µ-NC)-RuII (MeOpy)4 -(µ-NC)-AgI -(µ-CN)-RuII (MeOpy)4 -(µ-CN)-FeIII (dppe)CpMen ][BF4 ]5 (M[BF4 ]5 , n=0, M=4; n=1, M=5; n=3, M=6) were also obtained and well characterized. The investigations suggest that in the trinuclear system there exists remote interaction between the two Fe centers, but no significant interactions exist across the central silver unit between the metals on the two sides of the silver center in the pentanuclear system. In both the trinuclear N4+ and the pentanuclear M5+ complexes, there exists the neighboring RuII âFeIII MM'CT transitions, and the MM'CT energy in the corresponding trinuclear system is higher than those in the pentanuclear system in which no remote metal-metal interaction occurs. Meanwhile, as the substituted methyl groups on the cyclopentadiene increases, the redox potential of the ruthenium in the trinuclear N4+ series increases, but that in the pentanuclear M5+ complexes decreases.
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Because of the intrinsic low carrier density of monolayer two-dimensional (2D) materials, doping is crucial for the performance of underlap top-gated 2D devices. However, wet etching of a high-k (dielectric constant) dielectric layer is difficult to implement without causing performance deterioration on the devices; therefore, finding a suitable spacer doping technique for 2D devices is indispensable. In this study, we developed a remote doping (RD) method in which defective SiOx can remotely dope the underlying high-k capped 2D regions without directly contacting these materials. This method achieved a doping density as high as 1.4 × 1013 cm-2 without reducing the mobility of the doped materials; after 1 month, the doping concentration remained as high as 1.2 × 1013 cm-2. Defective SiOx can be used to dope most popular 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides. The low-k properties of SiOx render it ideal for spacer doping, which is very attractive from the perspective of circuit operation. In our experiments, MoS2 and WS2 underlap top-gate devices exhibited 10× and 200× increases in their on-currents, respectively, after being doped with SiOx. These results indicate that SiOx doping can be conducted to manufacture high-performance 2D devices.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 had reported over 676 million cases by March 2023. The main aim of this study is to investigate whether the levels of anti-S and anti-N antibodies could precisely indicate the degree of protection against SARS-CoV-2 and affect the probability or time of contracting COVID-19. In this study, a serosurveillance study was conducted in healthcare workers (HCWs) at a regional hospital in Taiwan to evaluate their antibody levels based on infection and vaccination status. Of 245 HCWs enrolled, all have been vaccinated prior to infection. Of these, 85 participants were infected by SARS-CoV-2, while 160 participants were not infected at the time of blood sample collection. The level of anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody was significantly higher in the infected HCWs than in the non-infected participants (p < 0.001). It is worth noting that the mean duration between the administration of the last dose of the vaccine and the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 5.61 ± 2.95 months. Our follow-up survey revealed that the non-infected group had significantly higher levels of antibodies compared to the infected group (all p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study suggests that the level of antibodies could serve as a reflection of the protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has the implication for vaccine decision-making policies in the future.
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In recent years, metal-free photoredox-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (O-ATRP) has gained wide attention because of its advantages (e.g., no metal contamination and mild reaction conditions). However, this traditional one-photon excitation catalysis has thermodynamic limits. Most photocatalysts cannot effectively reduce the initiators and drive the polymerization under visible light. Herein, we investigate the two-photon excitation-catalyzed O-ATRP, in which the catalyst can absorb two photons to accumulate energy. Compared to one-photon excitation catalysis, this method not only has distinct advantages in the controllability, reaction rate, and catalyst loading but also can chemically reduce the various initiators (e.g., aryl halides) to initiate the polymerization. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation reveals that the two-photon excitation process reached a higher energy end state with stronger reduced ability via a thermodynamically more stable intermediate. We believe that this work will provide a new strategy for photoredox-catalyzed O-ATRP.
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Surgical resection is the most common approach for the treatment of osteosarcoma. However, two major complications, including residual tumor cells and large bone defects, often arise from the surgical resection of osteosarcoma. Discovering new strategies for programmatically solving the two above-mentioned puzzles has become a worldwide challenge. Herein, a novel one-step strategy is reported for natural phenolic acid planted nanohybrids with desired physicochemical properties and steerable photothermal effects for efficacious osteosarcoma suppression and bone healing. Nanohybrids are prepared based on the self-assembly of chlorogenic acid and gold nanorods through robust Au-catechol interface actions, featuring precise nanostructures, great water solubility, good stability, and adjustable hyperthermia generating capacity. As expected, on the one hand, these integrated nanohybrids can severely trigger apoptosis and suppress tumor growth with strong hyperthermia. On the other hand, with controllable mild NIR irradiation, the nanohybrids promote the expression of heat shock proteins and induce prominent osteogenic differentiation. This work initiates a brand-new strategy for assisting osteosarcoma surgical excision to resolve the blockage of residual tumor cells elimination and bone regeneration.
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Neoplasias Óseas , Hipertermia Inducida , Osteosarcoma , Humanos , Osteogénesis , Ácido Clorogénico/farmacología , Neoplasia Residual/terapia , Osteosarcoma/tratamiento farmacológico , Osteosarcoma/metabolismo , Regeneración Ósea , Neoplasias Óseas/tratamiento farmacológicoRESUMEN
Background and Objectives: In 2004, the Health Administration of Taiwan began to promote a hospital-based cancer screening quality improvement program, under the principle that "prevention is better than therapy". The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in patients who received a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) at a hospital in central Taiwan. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study. Results: Fecal occult blood immunoassays for CRC screening were conducted in 58,891 participants, of whom 6533 were positive (positive detection rate 11.10%). The positive patients then underwent colonoscopy, and the detection rates of polyps and CRC accounted for 53.6% and 2.4% of all colonoscopy-confirmed diagnoses (3607), respectively. We further enrolled data from patients diagnosed with CRC at our hospital from 2010 to 2018. The patients with CRC were divided into two groups according to whether or not they had received fecal occult blood screening. Among the 88 patients with CRC by screening, 54 had detailed medical records including cancer stage. Of these 54 patients, 1 (1.8%) had pre-stage, 11 (20.4%) had stage I, 24 (44.4%) had stage II, 10 (18.5%) had stage III, and 8 (14.8%) had stage IV CRC. The early cancer detection rates of the screening and non-screening groups were 66.7% and 52.7%, respectively, and the difference was significant (p = 0.00130). Conclusions: In this study, screening with FIT significantly increased the early detection of CRC. The main advantage of FIT is the non-invasiveness and low cost. It is hoped that the further adoption of early screening can increase the detection rates of colorectal polyps or early cancer to improve survival, reduce the high cost of subsequent cancer treatment, and reduce the burden on the patient and healthcare system.
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Inmunoensayo , Tamizaje Masivo , Sangre Oculta , Neoplasias Colorrectales/diagnóstico , Inmunoensayo/métodos , Tamizaje Masivo/métodos , Taiwán/epidemiología , Detección Precoz del Cáncer , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Persona de Mediana Edad , AncianoRESUMEN
Bamboo nodes play a key role in the hollow structure and the rapid growth of bamboo culm. Studying on the anatomical structure of bamboo is helpful to understand its growth mechanism. Taking the noninvasive, high-resolution and accurate technical advantages of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we conducted cross-sectional high-resolution MRI scanning on the tip of young Moso bamboo culm (removed shoot sheath) and extracted the gray value of the MRIs by using MATLAB software to explore the differences of water distribution in nodes, proximal nodes, and internodes. The results showed that numerous vascular bundles were repeatedly twisted and rotated horizontally at the nodal diaphragms and inner wall near the nodal diaphragms of the young bamboo, forming an intricate and highly connected network. The structure protected important tissues from mechanical stress by allocating axial loads, and enabled to laterally transport water and nutrients, which was an important basis for the rapid growth of Moso bamboo in relatively short term. The signal value (also known as brightness value) of MRIs indicated that water content of vascular bundles in young bamboo culm was much higher than that of surrounding parenchyma tissues. The mean value and standard deviation of water content between pixels of internodes were significantly higher than that of nodes, and the values of that in the proximal nodes were intermediate. The development of MRI would play a significant role in the studies of bamboo anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry.
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Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Poaceae , Poaceae/anatomía & histología , Poaceae/crecimiento & desarrollo , Brotes de la Planta/anatomía & histología , Brotes de la Planta/crecimiento & desarrolloRESUMEN
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of amyloid ß peptides (Aß) and impaired glucose metabolism in the brain. Osteocalcin (OCN), an osteoblast-derived protein, has been shown to modulate brain functions but whether it has any effect on AD is undetermined. In this study, daily intraperitoneal injection of OCN for 4 weeks ameliorated the anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive dysfunctions in the APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice model, as shown in the increased entries into the central area in open field test, the increased time and entries into open arms in elevated plus maze test, the increased time spent in the light chamber in light-dark transition test, as well as the reduced escape latency and the increased preference for target quadrant in Morris water maze test. Aß burden in the hippocampus and cortex of AD mice was ameliorated by OCN. Besides, OCN improved the neural network function of the brain, mainly in the enhanced power of high gamma band in the medial prefrontal cortex of AD mice. The proliferation of astrocytes in the hippocampus in AD mice was also inhibited by OCN as demonstrated by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, OCN enhanced glycolysis in astrocytes and microglia, as evidenced by elevated glucose consumption, lactate production, and increased extracellular acidification rate. Such an effect was abolished when the receptor of OCN - Gpr158 was knockdown in astrocytes. Our study revealed OCN as a novel therapeutic factor for AD potentially through reducing Aß burden and upregulation of glycolysis in neuroglia.
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The AP2/ERF family is an important class of transcription factors involved in plant growth and various biological processes. One of the AP2/ERF transcription factors, RAP2.6L, participates in various stresses responses. However, the function of RAP2.6L is largely unknown in apples (Malus domestica). In this study, an apple gene homologous to Arabidopsis AtRAP2.6L, MdERF113, was analyzed by bioinformatic characterization, gene expression analysis and subcellular localization assessment. MdERF113 was highly expressed in the sarcocarp and was responsive to hormonal signals and abiotic stresses. MdERF113-overexpression apple calli were less sensitive to low temperature, drought, salinity, and abscisic acid than wild-type. Subcellular localization revealed that MdERF113 was a nuclear-localized transcription factor, and yeast experiments confirmed that MdERF113 has no autonomous activation activity. Overall, this study indicated that MdERF113 plays a role in regulating plant growth under abiotic conditions.