Transformation and Detection of Soybean Hairy Roots.

Agrobacterium rhizogenes is a soil bacteria with extensive infectivity, which can infect almost all dicotyledonous plants and a few monocotyledonous plants to induce root nodules. This is caused by the root-inducing plasmid, which contains genes responsible for the autonomous growth of root nodules and crown gall base synthesis. Structurally, it is similar to the tumor-inducing plasmid in that it mainly contains the Vir region, the T-DNA region, and the functional region of crown gall base synthesis. Its T-DNA is integrated into the nuclear genome of the plant with the assistance of Vir genes, causing hairy root disease in the host plant and the formation of hairy roots. The roots produced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes-infested plants are characterized by a fast growth rate, high degree of differentiation, physiological, biochemical, and genetic stability, and ease of manipulation and control. In particular, the hairy root system is an efficient and rapid research tool for plants that have no affinity for transformation by Agrobacterium rhizogenes and low transformation efficiency. The establishment of germinating root culture system for the production of secondary metabolites in the original plants through the genetic transformation of natural plants mediated by root-inducing plasmid in Agrobacterium rhizogenes has become a new technology combining plant genetic engineering and cell engineering. It has been widely used in a variety of plants for different molecular purposes, such as pathological analysis, gene function verification, and secondary metabolite research. Chimeric plants obtained by induction of Agrobacterium rhizogenes that can be expressed instantaneously and contemporarily are more rapidly obtained, compared to tissue culture and stably inheritable transgenic strains. In general, transgenic plants can be obtained in approximately one month.

Polyaniline nanowire array encapsulated in titania nanotubes as a superior electrode for supercapacitors.

Conducting polymer with 1D nanostructure exhibits excellent electrochemical performances but a poor cyclability that limits its use in supercapacitors. In this work, a novel composite electrode made of polyaniline nanowire-titania nanotube array was synthesized via a simple and inexpensive electrochemical route by electropolymerizing aniline onto an anodized titania nanotube array. The specific capacitance was as high as 732 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), which remained at 543 F g(-1) when the current density was increased by 20 times. 74% of the maximum energy density (36.6 Wh kg(-1)) was maintained even at a high power density of 6000 W kg(-1). An excellent long cycle life of the electrode was observed with a retention of ∼86% of the initial specific capacitance after 2000 cycles. The good electrochemical performance was attributed to the unique microstructure of the electrode with disordered PANI nanowire arrays encapsulated inside the TiO(2) nanotubes, providing high surface area, fast diffusion path for ions and long-term cycle stability. Such a nanocomposite electrode is attractive for supercapacitor applications.

[Effects of arginine enriched enteral nutrition on nutritional status and cellular immunity in burn patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of arginine enriched enteral nutrition (EN) on nutritional status and cellular immunity of severely burned patients. METHODS: Randomized, single blind, parallel and positive control investigation was employed in the study. Thirty severely burned patients were divided into enteral immune nutrition (EIN) group and EN group. Sixteen patients in EIN group received enteral nutrition enriched with arginine, while the other 14 patients in EN group received standard enteral nutrition. Nutritional support was continued for 14 days. Gastrointestinal reaction of patients in 2 groups was observed. Fasting venous blood was drawn from patients of both groups before receiving nutrition treatment and on the morning of 7th, 14th day of treatment. Level of serum protein, hepatic function parameters, renal function parameters, fasting-blood glucose, and subpopulations of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood were determined. RESULTS: (1) Incidence of gastrointestinal side effect in EIN group (25.0%) was close to that of EN group (21.4% , P > 0.05). (2) Compared with pre-treatment days, levels of prealbumin and transferrin in serum of patients in 2 groups on 7th and 14th post-treatment days were significantly increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between 2 groups. The level of total serum protein on 14th day of treatment of patients was significantly increased in both groups, and that of EIN group (66 +/- 7 g/L) was significantly higher compared with that in EN group (64 +/- 11 g/L, P < 0.05). The level of serum albumin (29 +/- 5, 32 +/- 5 g/L, respectively) of patients in EIN group on 7th and 14th day of treatment were significantly higher than that (26 +/- 4 g/L, P < 0.05) in pre-treatment days, however there was no significant difference in EN group. (3) There was no significant difference in respect of hepatic function, renal function, and fasting-blood glucose between pre-treatment and post-treatment periods in both groups (P > 0.05). (4) The ratio of CD4(+), CD8(+) on 14th day of treatment in EIN group was close to that of pretreatment level. In EN group, cell percentage of CD4(+) significantly decreased, while that of CD8(+) significantly increased (P < 0.05), and CD4(+) was significantly higher [(56 +/- 8)%] in EIN group than that in EN group [(55 +/- 12)%, P < 0.05]. In both groups, cell percentage of CD3(+) was significantly higher than that in pre-treatment days (P < 0.05), while there was no obvious change in CD4(+)/CD8(+). CONCLUSIONS: Arginine enriched enteral nutrition can effectively improve nutritional status and cellular immune function of burn patients.