Recognizing the enormous potential of DNA markers in plant breeding, many agricultural research centers and plant breeding institutes have adopted the capacity for marker development and ...marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, due to rapid developments in marker technology, statistical methodology for identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and the jargon used by molecular biologists, the utility of DNA markers in plant breeding may not be clearly understood by non-molecular biologists. This review provides an introduction to DNA markers and the concept of polymorphism, linkage analysis and map construction, the principles of QTL analysis and how markers may be applied in breeding programs using MAS. This review has been specifically written for readers who have only a basic knowledge of molecular biology and/or plant genetics. Its format is therefore ideal for conventional plant breeders, physiologists, pathologists, other plant scientists and students.
The heterostructure interface provides a powerful platform for exploring rich emergent phenomena, such as interfacial superconductivity and nontrivial topological surface states. Here, SrRuO3/SrIrO3 ...superlattices were epitaxially synthesized. The magnetic and magneto-transport properties of these superlattices were characterized. A broad cusp-type splitting in the zero-field-cooling/field-cooling temperature-dependent magnetization and magnetization relaxation, which follows the modified stretched function model, accompanied by double hysteresis magnetization loops were demonstrated. These physical effects were modulated by the SrIrO3 layer thickness, which confirms the coexistence of interfacial spin glass and ferromagnetic ordering in the superlattices. In addition, the topological Hall effect was observed at low temperatures, and it is weakened with the increase of the SrIrO3 layer thickness. These results suggest that a noncoplanar spin texture is generated at the SrRuO3/SrIrO3 interfaces because of the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction. This work demonstrates that SrIrO3 can effectively induce interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions in superlattices, which would serve as a mechanism to develop spintronic devices with perovskite oxides.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Abstract
Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) WTe
2
and MoTe
2
with orthorhombic Td phase, being potential candidates as type-II Weyl semimetals, are attracted much attention recently. Here we ...synthesized a series of miscible Mo
1−
x
W
x
Te
2
single crystals by bromine vapor transport method. Composition-dependent X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, as well as composition and temperature-dependent resistivity prove that the tunable crystal structure (from hexagonal (2H), monoclinic (β) to orthorhombic (Td) phase) can be realized by increasing W content in Mo
1−
x
W
x
Te
2
. Simultaneously the electrical property gradually evolves from semiconductor to semimetal behavior. Temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy proves that temperature also can induce the structural phase transition from β to Td phase in Mo
1−
x
W
x
Te
2
crystals. Based on aforementioned characterizations, we map out the temperature and composition dependent phase diagram of Mo
1−
x
W
x
Te
2
system. In addition, a series of electrical parameters, such as carrier type, carrier concentration and mobility, have also been presented. This work offers a scheme to accurately control structural phase in Mo
1−
x
W
x
Te
2
system, which can be used to explore type-II Weyl semimetal, as well as temperature/composition controlled topological phase transition therein.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
Quality of life concerns in patients with advanced diseases might be different from other patients and are shaped by sociocultural context. The objective of this qualitative study was to ...identify domains and themes of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that Chinese patients with advanced cancer in Singapore considered relevant and important.
Methods
English- and Chinese-speaking patients with advanced solid cancer were recruited from a tertiary cancer center and a community-based hospice for in-depth interview or focused group discussion. Thematic analysis was used to identify subthemes, themes, and domains from the transcripts.
Results
Forty-six ethnic Chinese (aged 26–86, 48 % male) participated in the study. Six domains of HRQoL concerns were identified: pain and suffering, physical health, social health, mental health, financial well-being, and spiritual health. Pain and suffering are not limited to the physical domain, reflecting the multidimensional nature of this concept. Pain and suffering must also be understood within the cultural context. Healthcare relations (i.e., social health), existential well-being and religious well-being (i.e., spiritual health), and suffering (i.e., pain and suffering) are not fully captured in the existing HRQoL instruments. In addition, financial issues and the practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships emerged as unique features possibly arising from our sociocultural context and healthcare financing landscape.
Conclusion
Socioculturally specific issues not measured by the existing HRQoL instruments for use in patients with advanced cancers or terminal diseases were found in our study. These are non-physical pain and suffering, meaning of illness, meaning of death, financial issues, and practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships.
A high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel (HNS) was processed by high-pressure torsion (HPT) for up to 5 turns to reveal the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties. The effects of the ...microstructure refinement and the increasing density of defects with imposed strain on the strength, damage and fracture behaviors of the HNS were investigated through the Ellipse criterion. The influences of these processes on the critical shear (τ0) and normal (σ0) fracture stresses determine the fracture mode.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Metastasis is the chief cause of mortality from cancer, but the mechanisms leading to metastasis are poorly understood. We used a proteomics approach to screen for metastasis-associated proteins and ...found that collapsin response mediator protein-4 (CRMP4) expression was inversely associated with the lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa). Subsequent in vitro and in vivo studies revealed that overexpression of CRMP4 not only suppressed the invasion ability of PCa cells, but also strongly inhibited tumor metastasis in an animal model. Furthermore, methylation of a CpG island within the promoter region of the CRMP4 gene is responsible for downregulation of CRMP4 expression. Thus, in this study, we show new function of CRMP4 as a metastasis-suppressor in PCa. The findings provide new mechanistic insights into metastasis and therapeutic potential for this most common male cancer.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Postnatal maturation of the immune system is poorly understood, as is its impact on illnesses afflicting term or preterm infants, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and BPD-associated pulmonary ...hypertension. These are both cardiopulmonary inflammatory diseases that cause substantial mortality and morbidity with high treatment costs. Here, we characterized blood samples collected from 51 preterm infants longitudinally at five time points, 20 healthy term infants at birth and age 3 to 16 weeks, and 5 healthy adults. We observed strong associations between type 2 immune polarization in circulating CD3
CD4
T cells and cardiopulmonary illness, with odds ratios up to 24. Maternal magnesium sulfate therapy, delayed hepatitis B vaccination, and increasing fetal, but not maternal, chorioamnionitis severity were associated with attenuated type 2 polarization. Blocking type 2 mediators such as interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-13, or signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) in murine neonatal cardiopulmonary disease in vivo prevented changes in cell type composition, increases in IL-1β and IL-13, and losses of pulmonary capillaries, but not gains in larger vessels. Thereby, type 2 blockade ameliorated lung inflammation, protected alveolar and vascular integrity, and confirmed the pathological impact of type 2 cytokines and STAT6. In-depth flow cytometry and single-cell transcriptomics of mouse lungs further revealed complex associations between immune polarization and cardiopulmonary disease. Thus, this work advances knowledge on developmental immunology and its impact on early life disease and identifies multiple therapeutic approaches that may relieve inflammation-driven suffering in the youngest patients.
Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) is useful in Hodgkin and B-cell lymphomas. Few data exist on T-cell and natural killer (NK)-cell lymphomas. Thirty consecutive ...T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas were investigated with PET-computerized tomography (CT). In 12 NK-cell lymphomas, all nasal/extranasal lesions were FDG-avid. In nasal/maxillary areas, FDG-avid tumours were consistently more localised than on CT, suggesting that soft tissue masses on CT were partly due to inflammation. These findings have important implications in radiotherapy planning. In two NK-cell lymphomas, PET did not detect morphologically occult marrow infiltration uncovered by in situ hybridisation for Epstein–Barr-virus-encoded small RNA. In angioimmunoblastic lymphoma (
n
= 7), peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified (PTCL-U,
n
= 4) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL,
n
= 3), involved nodal/extranodal sites shown on CT and/or biopsy were concordantly PET-positive. In one PTCL-U, PET detected FDG-avid marrow infiltrations not shown on biopsies. In contrast, cutaneous ALCL (
n
= 1) and mycosis fungoides (
n
= 2) showed minimal FDG uptake. In one case of T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukaemia, marrow, nodal and bowel infiltrations were not FDG-avid. PET maximum standardised uptake value did not correlate with clinicopathological features and prognosis. These observations defined the pre-treatment value of PET-CT in T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas. The post-treatment role requires further studies.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Among peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, nocturnal PD (NPD) is known to improve sleep apnea compared with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), but the contributing factors are unclear.
...Thirty-eight incident ESRD patients underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG) during NPD and CAPD. Bioelectrical impedance analysis, magnetic resonance imaging of the upper airway, and urea kinetics (Kt/V) during sleep were measured on both occasions.
The prevalence of severe sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index, AHI > or = 15/h) was 21.1% during NPD, and 42.1% during CAPD. Mean AHI increased from 9.6 +/- 2.7/h during NPD to 21.5 +/- 4.2/h during CAPD. Both obstructive and central apnea worsened after conversion to CAPD. NPD achieved greater reductions in total body water, hydration fraction, and net ultrafiltration than CAPD during sleep. Overnight peritoneal Kt/V and creatinine clearance were lower after conversion. Both peritoneal Kt/V and peritoneal creatinine clearance correlated with AHI, as did their changes after conversion. Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging revealed reduced pharyngeal volumes and cross-sectional area, and tongue enlargement after conversion.
Improvement in sleep apnea during NPD versus CAPD is associated with better fluid and uremic clearance and reduced upper airway congestion during sleep.
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