Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the ADH gene family under diverse stresses in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.).

BACKGROUND: Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are the crucial enzymes that can convert ethanol into acetaldehyde. In tobacco, members of ADH gene family are involved in various stresses tolerance reactions, lipid metabolism and pathways related to plant development. It will be of great application significance to analyze the ADH gene family and expression profile under various stresses in tobacco. RESULTS: A total of 53 ADH genes were identified in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) genome and were grouped into 6 subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis. Gene structure (exon/intron) and protein motifs were highly conserved among the NtADH genes, especially the members within the same subfamily. A total of 5 gene pairs of tandem duplication, and 3 gene pairs of segmental duplication were identified based on the analysis of gene duplication events. Cis-regulatory elements of the NtADH promoters participated in cell development, plant hormones, environmental stress, and light responsiveness. The analysis of expression profile showed that NtADH genes were widely expressed in topping stress and leaf senescence. However, the expression patterns of different members appeared to be diverse. The qRT-PCR analysis of 13 NtADH genes displayed their differential expression pattern in response to the bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum L. INFECTION: Metabolomics analysis revealed that NtADH genes were primarily associated with carbohydrate metabolism, and moreover, four NtADH genes (NtADH20/24/48/51) were notably involved in the pathway of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism which related to the up-regulation of 9-hydroxy-12-oxo-10(E), 15(Z)-octadecadienoic acid and 9-hydroxy-12-oxo-15(Z)-octadecenoic acid. CONCLUSION: The genome-wide identification, evolutionary analysis, expression profiling, and exploration of related metabolites and metabolic pathways associated with NtADH genes have yielded valuable insights into the roles of these genes in response to various stresses. Our results could provide a basis for functional analysis of NtADH gene family under stressful conditions.

[Application of porous tantalum Jumbo cup in revision of hip arthroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of porous tantalum Jumbo cup on acetabular reconstruction in revision of total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: From September 2014 to December 2017, 18 patients(18 hips) with acetabular defect were reconstructed by porous tantalum Jumbo cup technology, including 6 males and 12 females;the age ranged from 54 to 76 years old with an average of(63.8±15.3) years. There were 6 cases of paprosky typeⅡA, 8 cases of typeⅡB, 2 cases of typeⅡC and 2 cases of type Ⅲ a. Harris score and visual analogue scale (VAS) were performed before and after operation. Imaging examination was performed to evaluate the position of hip rotation center and prosthesis, and to judge whether acetabular loosening, displacement and complications existed. RESULTS: All cases were followed up for 13 to 49 months, with an average of 20.6 months. Harris score increased from 54.6±4.7 to 86.5±3.2 one year after operation(P<0.01), and VAS score decreased from 6.8±0.7 to 0.8±0.6 one year after operation (P<0.01). The transverse coordinate of hip rotation center was (3.52±0.72) cm before operation and (3.47±0.54) cm after operation (P>0.05). The longitudinal coordinate of hip rotation center was improved from (3.02±0.84) cm before operation to (2.35±0.53) cm after operation (P<0.01). During the follow-up period, the Jumbo cup was well fixed without loosening and displacement, the acetabular cup had bone ingrowth in varying degrees, and no light transmission line and osteolysis around the acetabular cup were found. No complications such as infection and nerve injury occurred. CONCLUSION: The method of reconstructing acetabular bone defect with porous tantalum Jumbo cup is simple and easy, the early stability of acetabulum is good, and the short-term follow-up effect is good.

The Effect of Molecular Isomerism on the Barrier Properties of Polyimides: Perspectives from Experiments and Simulations.

A novel carbazole-containing diamine (M-2,7-CPDA) isomer of our previously reported diamine 2,7-CPDA, has been synthesized using a two-step synthesis. Compared with 2,7-CPDA, the substituted position of amino is changed from para to meta for M-2,7-CPDA. The two diamines were polymerized with pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) to prepare two isomeric polyimides (M-2,7-CPPI and 2,7-CPPI), respectively. The effects of para/meta isomerism on microstructures and gas barrier performances of the two isomeric polyimides were studied by positron annihilation test, X-ray diffraction and molecular simulation. The results display that meta-connected M-2,7-CPPI has less ordered chain structure and weaker hydrogen bonding than para-connected 2,7-CPPI, which leads to loose chain stacking and thereby increased free volumes of M-2,7-CPPI. The higher free volumes promote the solubility and diffusivity of gas in M-2,7-CPPI. As a result, the meta-linked M-2,7-CPPI shows a lower gas barrier than its para-linked analog. The work provides guidance for the design and synthesis of high-performance barrier polymers.

Nomograms to Predict Overall and Cancer-Specific Survival in Gastric Signet-Ring Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The objective of our study was to develop and validate nomograms to predict the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) of the stomach. METHODS: Data were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. A total of 1781 patients were randomly allocated to a training set (n = 1335) and a validation set (n = 446). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the prognostic effect of variables. Nomograms were developed to estimate OS and CSS and assessed using the concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and decision curve analyses (DCA). DCA was utilized to compare the nomograms and the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system. RESULTS: Age, race, tumor size, T, N, M stage, and use of surgery and/or radiotherapy were included in the nomograms. C-indexes for OS and CSS were 0.74 and 0.75 in the training set, respectively. C-indexes for OS and CSS were 0.76 and 0.76 in the validation set. Calibration plots and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed good predictive accuracy. According to the decision curve analyses (DCA), the new model was more useful than the TNM staging system. CONCLUSIONS: We developed nomograms to predict OS and CSS in patients with SRCC of the stomach. Nomograms may be a valuable clinical supplement of the conventional TNM staging system.

Structure-Gas Barrier Property Relationship in a Novel Polyimide Containing Naphthalene and Amide Groups: Evaluation by Experiments and Simulations.

In order to meet the increasingly stringent requirements for heat resistance and barrier properties in the packaging and electronic device encapsulation field. A high-barrier polyimide (NAPPI) contains naphthalene ring and amide group was prepared by polymerization of a novel diamine (NAPDA) and pyromellitic dianhydride. The structure and properties of diamine monomers and polymers were characterized. Results show that the NAPPI exhibits superior barrier properties with extremely low water vapor and oxygen transmission rate values of 0.14 g·m-2·day-1 and 0.04 cm3·m-2·day-1, respectively. In addition, the NAPPI presents outstanding mechanical properties and thermal stability as well. This article attempts to explore the relationship between NAPPI structure and barrier properties by combining experiment and simulation. Studies on positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy, Wide angle X-ray diffractograms and molecular dynamics simulations prove that the NAPPI has smaller interplanar spacing and higher chain regularity. In addition, the strong chain rigidity and interchain cohesion of NAPPI due to the presence of the rigid naphthalene ring and a large number of hydrogen bond interactions formed by amide groups result in compact chain packing and smaller free volume, which reduces the solubility and diffusibility of small molecules in the matrix. In general, the simulation results are consistent with the experimental results, which are important for understanding the barrier mechanism of NAPPI.

Impact of Backbone Amide Substitution at the Meta- and Para-Positions on the Gas Barrier Properties of Polyimide.

This study designed and synthesised a meta-amide-substituted dianiline monomer (m-DABA) as a stereoisomer of DABA, a previously investigated para-amide-substituted dianiline monomer. This new monomer was polymerised with pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) to prepare a polyimide film (m-DABPI) in a process similar to that employed in a previous study. The relationship between the substitution positions on the monomer and the gas barrier properties of the polyimide film was investigated via molecular simulation, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WXRD), and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) to gain deeper insights into the gas barrier mechanism. The results showed that compared with the para-substituted DABPI, the m-DABPI exhibited better gas barrier properties, with a water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) and an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) as low as 2.8 g·m-2·d-1 and 3.3 cm3·m-2·d-1, respectively. This was because the meta-linked polyimide molecular chains were more tightly packed, leading to a smaller free volume and lower molecular chain mobility. These properties are not conducive to the permeation of small molecules into the film; thus, the gas barrier properties were improved. The findings have significant implications for the structural design of high-barrier materials and could promote the development of flexible display technology.

Structure and Gas Barrier Properties of Polyimide Containing a Rigid Planar Fluorene Moiety and an Amide Group: Insights from Molecular Simulations.

A novel diamine (FAPDA) bearing rigid planar fluorene and amide groups was successfully synthesized. Using such diamine and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), a high-barrier polyimide (FAPPI) was obtained. FAPPI exhibits an outstanding gas barrier. Its water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and oxygen transmission rate (OTR) are as low as 0.51 g·m-2·day-1 and 0.43 cm3·m-2·day-1, respectively. Additionally, FAPPI shows excellent thermal stability with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 5.8 ppm·K-1 and a glass transition temperature (T g) of 416 °C. Molecular simulations, positron annihilation, and X-ray diffraction were utilized to gain insight on the microstructures for the enhanced barrier properties. Introducing fluorene moieties and amide groups improves the regularity and rigidity of molecular chains and increases interchain interaction of PI, resulting in low free volumes and decreased movement capacity of the chain. The low free volumes of FAPPI restrain the gas diffusivity and solubility. Meanwhile, the decreased chain movement reduces the diffusivity of gases. Consequently, barrier performances of FAPPI are improved. The polyimide possesses widespread application in the microelectronics packaging fields.

Clinical characteristics of platelets and its possible gender dimorphism in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of platelet-associated parameters in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients with varying degrees of disease severity and investigate the sexual dimorphism of platelet features in NAFLD patients. METHODS: A total of 829 NAFLD patients were divided into separate groups based on body mass index (BMI), liver stiffness measurement (LSM), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. The platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) parameters were analyzed among different groups, and the sex-based differences were compared. RESULTS: The PC decreased with age in both sexes; in 30-59-year-old female subjects, the PC decreased by a conspicuous margin. The MPV increased with age in females, but not in males. The PDW increased significantly in females aged 30-59 years. With the increase in BMI and CAP, the PC showed a decreasing trend. The MPV increased with the increasing CAP value in male patients. With the increasing LSM value, the PC displayed a decreasing trend. CONCLUSION: The PC showed marked sex-based differences in NAFLD patients and is affected by age and BMI. Regular changes of platelet parameters could be found in patients with varying degrees of NAFLD. These changes might be helpful in assessing the severity of NAFLD.

Integrative Analyses of Biochemical Properties and Transcriptome Reveal the Dynamic Changes in Leaf Senescence of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.).

Leaf senescence is an important process of growth and development in plant, and it is a programmed decline controlled by a series of genes. In this study, the biochemical properties and transcriptome at five maturity stages (M1∼M5) of tobacco leaves were analyzed to reveal the dynamic changes in leaf senescence of tobacco. A total of 722, 1,534, 3,723, and 6,933 genes were differentially expressed (DEG) between M1 and M2, M1 and M3, M1 and M4, and M1 and M5, respectively. Significant changes of nitrogen, sugars, and the DEGs related to metabolite accumulation were identified, suggesting the importance of energy metabolism during leaf senescence. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis found that DEGs were enriched in biosynthetic, metabolic, photosynthesis, and redox processes, and especially, the nitrogen metabolic pathways were closely related to the whole leaf senescence process (M1∼M5). All the DEGs were grouped into 12 expression profiles according to their distinct expression patterns based on Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) software analysis. Furthermore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis found that these DEGs were enriched in pathways of carbon metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and photosynthesis among these expression profiles. A total of 30 core genes were examined by Weight Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), and they appeared to play a crucial role in the regulatory of tobacco senescence. Our results provided valuable information for further functional investigation of leaf senescence in plants.

High-Barrier Polyimide Containing Carbazole Moiety: Synthesis, Gas Barrier Properties, and Molecular Simulations.

A high-barrier polyimide (2,7-CPI) was synthesized through the polymerization of pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and a novel diamine (2,7-CDA) containing carbazole moiety. The synthesized diamine and polyimide were fully characterized by elemental analyses, FTIR and NMR. The 2,7-CPI displays very attractive barrier performances, with oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) low to 0.14 cm3·m-2·day-1 and 0.05 g·m-2·day-1, respectively. Meanwhile, 2,7-CPI also exhibits exceptional thermal stability with a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 467 °C, 5% weight-loss temperature (Td5%) of 550 °C under N2 and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 3.4 ppm/K. The barrier performances of 2,7-CPI are compared with those of a structural analogue (2,7-CPPI) and a typical polyimide (Kapton). Their barrier performances with respect to microstructure were investigated by molecular simulations, wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS). The results show that 2,7-CPI possesses better coplanar structure and more number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds among the three PIs, which result in tight chain packing and thereby high crystallinity, low free volume, and decreased chains mobility. That is, the high crystallinity and low free volume of 2,7-CPI reduce the diffusion and solubility of gases. Meanwhile, the poor chains mobility further decreases the gases diffusion. The reduced diffusion and solubility of gases consequently promote the improvement of barrier properties for 2,7-CPI. The polyimide has a wide application prospect in the field of flexible electronic packaging industries.

Comparison of clinical characteristics between lean and obese nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in the northeast Chinese population.

INTRODUCTION: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is seen commonly in patients with obesity, but there are many non-obese people who also have NAFLD, which we call lean NAFLD. The objective of this study is to compare the characters of lean and obese NAFLD individuals aimed to better understand the pathogenesis of NAFLD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 496 NAFLD cases (history of alcohol consumption, medication used within the last 3 months, hepatitis virus infection, autoimmune or hereditary liver disease were excluded), divided into an obese (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2) NAFLD group (n = 395) and lean (BMI < 25 kg/m2) NAFLD group (n = 101), were investigated. Gender, age, alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides, cholesterol, and the blood glucose were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: A male-dominated discrepancy of gender distribution was more evident in obese NAFLD group. Elevated alanine amonotransferase was more common in the obese NAFLD group. 50-59 years was the peak age of both lean and obese NAFLD groups. Normal triglycerides (TG) patients were more common in the lean NAFLD group, while the proportion of elevated TG patients was higher in the obese NAFLD group. No statistically significant difference in the proportion of elevated cholesterol patients was found between the two groups. In the lean NAFLD group, the proportion of females was higher in the normal fasting glucose group. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual dimorphism exists in lean NAFLD patients, but this trend was most pronounced during the age range 40-49 years and disappeared after entering the 50-59-year-old age range. In lean NAFLD patients, normal levels of TG and blood glucose were more common, and occurrence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis was less common than among obese NAFLD.

Medium-term follow-up of laparoscopic surgery on radical gastrectomy with D2 dissection for gastric cancer / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To explore the feasibility and clinical outcome of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy with D2 dissection by comparing the efficacy of open surgery on radical gastrectomy with D2 dissection for gastric cancer patients. Methods The patients with gastric cancer from October 2008 to August 2013 were divided into two groups according to the different surgical methods. Among them, 175 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery (laparoscopy-assisted surgery group, Group L), and 163 patients underwent laparotomy surgery (open surgery group, Group O). The number of lymph nodes dissected, postoperative recovery, complications, mortality and survival rate of the two groups were compared and analyzed. Results There was no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes resect between the two groups [Group L and Group O: (26.3 ± 13.9) vs (26.8 ± 10.2), t = -0.40, P = 0.684]. Compared with open surgery, the laparoscopy-assisted surgery showed significantly less intraoperative blood loss and quicker recovery of gastrointestinal function. The postoperative hospitalization time of laparoscopic group was less than that of laparotomy group, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in 3-year survival rate between the two groups (Group L vs Group O: 92.00％ vs 92.63％, P = 0.262). Conclusions Compared to open surgery, laparoscopic gastrectomy is safer and has quicker postoperative recovery. There is no statistical difference in the number of resect lymph nodes between lapamscopic and open gastrectomy.

Modeling the physiological glucose-insulin dynamic system on diabetics.

A novel mathematical model is presented to describe the dynamic behavior of plasma glucose and insulin on diabetic subjects. Though various models have been proposed to simulate the short-term (a variety of intravenous glucose or insulin injection) glucose-insulin dynamics, it is intended to construct a modified delay differential equations (DDEs) model based on the human glucose-insulin metabolic system. Five specific adjustable parameters inside the model are defined as the factors of the major physiological functions. Then several clinical data sets (56 subjects) which includes the information of food ingestion and exogenous insulin injection are verified and the model could practically reflect the dynamics and oscillation behavior on diabetic subjects by varying the adjustable parameters. Moreover, the corresponding parameters are fairly helpful to identify the patient's conditions of major physiological functions. This generic glucose-insulin dynamic model can be expected to develop such advanced therapy strategies for diabetics in the future.

Modeling the physiological glucose-insulin system on normal and diabetic subjects.

This paper aims to present a mathematical model to describe the plasma glucose and insulin daily variations on normal and diabetic subjects. The proposed model consists of two delay differential equations (DDEs) where five adjustable parameters are used to characterize the respective dynamics and oscillation behavior of normal and diabetic subjects. Several clinical data tests demonstrate that the suggested model is practical to approach the daily-life glucose dynamics on normal, diabetic Type 1 and Type 2 subjects. Moreover, the corresponding parameters are fairly persuasive to identify the patients' conditions of physiological functions.

CdTe quantum dot functionalized silica nanosphere labels for ultrasensitive detection of biomarker.

The enhanced sensitivity for detection of biomarkers based on CdTe quantum dot functionalized silica nanosphere labels can be achieved by an increase in CdTe QD loading per sandwiched immunoreaction.

Enzyme-functionalized silica nanoparticles as sensitive labels in biosensing.

A novel strategy for sensitive detection of biomarkers using horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-functionalized silica nanoparticles as the label is presented. The enzyme-functionalized silica nanoparticles were fabricated by coimmobilization of HRP and alpha-fetoprotein antibody (anti-AFP, the secondary antibody, Ab2), a model protein, onto the surface of SiO(2) nanoparticles using gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPMS) as the linkage. Through "sandwiched" immunoreaction, the enzyme-functionalized silica nanoparticle labels were brought close to the surface of gold substrates, as confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. Enhanced detection sensitivity was achieved where the large surface area of SiO(2) nanoparticle carriers increased the amount of HRP bound per sandwiched immunoreaction. The electrochemical and chemiluminescence measurement showed 29.5- and 61-fold increases in detection signals, respectively, in comparison with the traditional sandwich immunoassay. The improved particle synthesis using a "seed-particle growth" route yielded particles of narrow size distribution, which allowed consistent loading of HRP and anti-AFP on each microsphere and ensured subsequent immunosensing possessed high sensitivity and reproducibility. This strategy was successfully demonstrated as a simple, cost-effective, specific, and potent method to detect AFP in practical samples.

Reduction of arginase I activity and manganese levels in the liver during exposure of rats to methylmercury: a possible mechanism.

The toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg) is, in part, thought to be due to its interaction with thiol groups in a variety of enzymes, but the molecular targets of MeHg are poorly understood. Arginase I, an abundant manganese (Mn)-binding protein in the liver, requires Mn as an essential element to exhibit maximal enzyme activity. In the present study, we examined the effect of MeHg on hepatic arginase I in vivo and in vitro. Subcutaneous administration of MeHg (10 mg/kg) for 8 days to rats resulted in marked suppression of arginase I activity. With purified arginase I, we found that interaction of MeHg with arginase I caused the aggregation of arginase I as evaluated by centrifugation and subsequent precipitation, and then the reduction of catalytic activity. Experiments with organomercury column confirmed that arginase I has reactive thiols that are covalently bound to organomercury. While MeHg inhibited arginase I activity, Mn ions were released from this enzyme. These results suggest that MeHg-mediated suppression of hepatic arginase I activity in vivo is, at least in part, attributable to covalent modification of MeHg or substantial leakage of Mn ions from the active site.