Seed ageing has an important effect on germination and productivity. During natural ageing, seed vigour decreases rapidly but, to date, the molecular mechanisms underlying this decrease have not been ...fully elucidated. Using omics, some of the details regarding seed vigour decline during natural ageing might be elucidated through integrated analysis.
Safflower seed germination and physio‐biochemical changes during natural ageing (stored for 4, 16 and 28 months) were determined. Proteome and lipidome profiling during natural seed ageing was performed, and the differentially expressed proteins and lipid metabolite species analysed. The surface and internal structures of cotyledons were observed. An integrating analysis of the proteome and lipidome was also carried out.
Natural seed ageing significantly decreased safflower seed germination and vigour. 4,184 proteins and 1,193 lipids were quantified, both of which show huge differences among the different naturally aged seeds. The surface of the cotyledons collapsed and cracked, and the oil bodies become looser during natural ageing. The total content of DAG and PA increased, while the content of TAG and PL (PC, PE, PS, PI and PL) significantly decreased during seeds ageing. Two lipase genes (HH‐026818‐RA and HH‐025320) likely participated in this degradation of lipids.
We conclude that the enzymes that participate in glycerolipid metabolism and fatty acid degradation probably lead to the degradation of oil bodies (TAG) and membrane lipids (PC, PE, PS, PI, PG) and, ultimately, destroy the structure, causing a decline in seed vigour during natural seed ageing.
Enzymes probably led to the degradation of oil bodies and membrane lipids, devastated the seed structure, and caused a decline in seed vigour.
The catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs) is rapidly phosphorylated at the Thr-2609 cluster and Ser-2056 upon ionizing radiation (IR). Furthermore, DNA-PKcs phosphorylation at ...both regions is critical for its role in DNA double strand break (DSB) repair as well as cellular resistance to radiation. IR-induced DNA-PKcs phosphorylation at Thr-2609 and Ser-2056, however, exhibits distinct kinetics indicating that they are differentially regulated. Although DNA-PKcs autophosphorylates itself at Ser-2056 after IR, we have reported here that ATM mediates DNA-PKcs phosphorylation at Thr-2609 as well as at the adjacent (S/T)Q motifs within the Thr-2609 cluster. In addition, our data suggest that DNA-PKcs- and ATM-mediated DNA-PKcs phosphorylations are cooperative and required for the full activation of DNA-PKcs and the subsequent DSB repair. Elimination of DNA-PKcs phosphorylation at both regions severely compromises radioresistance and DSB repair. Finally, our result provides a possible mechanism for the direct involvement of ATM in non-homologous end joining-mediated DSB repair.
Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34: 994–1004
Summary
Background The diagnosis of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is based on reflux symptoms. Although metabolic syndrome has been linked to ...erosive oesophagitis (EO), the impact of insulin resistance, the core of the metabolic syndrome, on reflux symptoms remains to be elucidated.
Aim To assess the effects of insulin resistance on GERD, including both endoscopic findings and symptoms.
Methods A total of 743 sonographic noncirrhotic adult subjects, who underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination, completed a gastro‐oesophageal reflux questionnaire and had available fasting insulin data were included. Endoscopic findings were classified according to the Los Angeles classification. Homeostatic model assessment‐insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) index was used to evaluate the status of insulin resistance. Univariate and multivariate approaches were used to evaluate the associations between insulin resistance and GERD.
Results Older age, male gender, smoking and alcohol consumption increased the prevalence of EO, but not GERD symptoms. A large waist circumference, high fasting blood glucose levels and high number of metabolic syndrome components were associated with increased prevalence of both EO and GERD symptoms, while high blood pressure was associated with increased prevalence of EO only. Moreover, higher scores in the gastro‐oesophageal reflux questionnaire were associated with higher HOMA‐IR index, and higher HOMA‐IR index was associated with increased prevalence of EO (adjusted odds ratio 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.26, P = 0.012).
Conclusions Our findings demonstrate clear associations between insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and GERD. Whether reducing insulin resistance may improve GERD symptoms or EO deserves prospective study.
We investigated cerebral structural connectivity and its relationship to symptoms in never-medicated individuals with first-onset schizophrenia using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
We recruited ...subjects with first episode DSM-IV schizophrenia who had never been exposed to antipsychotic medication (n=34) and age-matched healthy volunteers (n=32). All subjects received DTI and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. Patients' symptoms were assessed on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Voxel-based analysis was performed to investigate brain regions where fractional anisotropy (FA) values significantly correlated with symptom scores.
In patients with first-episode schizophrenia, positive symptoms correlated positively with FA scores in white matter associated with the right frontal lobe, left anterior cingulate gyrus, left superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, right middle cingulate gyrus, and left cuneus. Importantly, FA in each of these regions was lower in patients than controls, but patients with more positive symptoms had FA values closer to controls. We found no significant correlations between FA and negative symptoms.
The newly-diagnosed, neuroleptic-naive patients had lower FA scores in the brain compared with controls. There was positive correlation between FA scores and positive symptoms scores in frontotemporal tracts, including left fronto-occipital fasciculus and left inferior longitudinal fasciculus. This implies that white matter dysintegrity is already present in the pre-treatment phase and that FA is likely to decrease after clinical treatment or symptom remission.
The upcoming 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours is part of an effort to hierarchically catalogue human cancers arising in various organ ...systems within a single relational database. This paper summarizes the new WHO classification scheme for myeloid and histiocytic/dendritic neoplasms and provides an overview of the principles and rationale underpinning changes from the prior edition. The definition and diagnosis of disease types continues to be based on multiple clinicopathologic parameters, but with refinement of diagnostic criteria and emphasis on therapeutically and/or prognostically actionable biomarkers. While a genetic basis for defining diseases is sought where possible, the classification strives to keep practical worldwide applicability in perspective. The result is an enhanced, contemporary, evidence-based classification of myeloid and histiocytic/dendritic neoplasms, rooted in molecular biology and an organizational structure that permits future scalability as new discoveries continue to inexorably inform future editions.
This study investigated the thermal sensation of elderly people in Taiwan, older than 60 years, in indoor microclimate at home, and their requirements for establishing thermal comfort. The study was ...conducted using both a thermal sensation questionnaire and measurement of indoor climatic parameters underlying the thermal environment. Survey results were compared with those reported by Cheng and Hwang (2008, J. Tongji Univ., 38, 817–822) for non‐elders to study the variation between different age groups in requirements of indoor thermal comfort. The results show that the predominant strategy of thermal adaptation for elders was window‐opening in the summer and clothing adjustment in the winter. The temperature of thermal neutrality was 25.2°C and 23.2°C for the summer and the winter, respectively. Logistically regressed probit modeling on percentage of predicted dissatisfied (PPD) against mean thermal sensation vote revealed that the sensation votes corresponding to a PPD of 20% were ± 0.75 for elders, about ± 0.10 less than the levels projected by ISO 7730 model. The range of operative temperature for 80% thermal acceptability for elders in the summer was 23.2–27.1°C, narrower than the range of 23.0–28.6°C reported for non‐elders. This is likely a result of a difference in the selection of adaptive strategies.
Practical Implications
Taiwan in the last decade has seen a rapid growth in the elderly population in its societal structure, and as such the quality of indoor thermal comfort increasingly concerns the elderly people. This study presents the results from field‐surveying elders residing in major geographical areas of Taiwan, and discusses the requirements of these elders for indoor thermal comfort in different seasons. Through a comparison with the requirements by non‐elders, this study demonstrates the unique sensitivity of elders toward indoor thermal quality and the selection of adaptive strategies that need to be considered when a thermal comfort zone is attempted in a household of members consisting of different age groups.
Long carrier lifetime is what makes hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites high-performance photovoltaic materials. Several microscopic mechanisms behind the unusually long carrier lifetime have been ...proposed, such as formation of large polarons, Rashba effect, ferroelectric domains, and photon recycling. Here, we show that the screening of band-edge charge carriers by rotation of organic cation molecules can be a major contribution to the prolonged carrier lifetime. Our results reveal that the band-edge carrier lifetime increases when the system enters from a phase with lower rotational entropy to another phase with higher entropy. These results imply that the recombination of the photoexcited electrons and holes is suppressed by the screening, leading to the formation of polarons and thereby extending the lifetime. Thus, searching for organic–inorganic perovskites with high rotational entropy over a wide range of temperature may be a key to achieve superior solar cell performance.
FeSe layer-based superconductors exhibit exotic and distinctive properties. The undoped FeSe shows nematicity and superconductivity, while the heavily electron-doped KxFe2-ySe2 and single-layer ...FeSe/SrTiO3 possess high superconducting transition temperatures that pose theoretical challenges. However, a comprehensive study on the doping dependence of an FeSe layer-based superconductor is still lacking due to the lack of a clean means of doping control. Through angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy studies on K-dosed thick FeSe films and FeSe0.93S0.07 bulk crystals, here we reveal the internal connections between these two types of FeSe-based superconductors, and obtain superconductivity below ∼ 46 K in an FeSe layer under electron doping without interfacial effects. Moreover, we discover an exotic phase diagram of FeSe with electron doping, including a nematic phase, a superconducting dome, a correlation-driven insulating phase and a metallic phase. Such an anomalous phase diagram unveils the remarkable complexity, and highlights the importance of correlations in FeSe layer-based superconductors.
Aim
Diabetes is a risk factor in infective endocarditis. However, few studies have focused on the prognostic value of prediabetes in infective endocarditis. This analysis aimed to explore the ...relationship between prediabetes and outcomes for people with infective endocarditis.
Methods
Diabetes and prediabetes definitions were based on the American Diabetes Association 2014 criteria. A total of 866 people who had been consecutively diagnosed with infective endocarditis between January 2009 and July 2015 were included in the analysis. They were divided into three groups: normoglycaemia (n = 469), prediabetes (n = 246) and diabetes (n = 151). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for adverse outcomes.
Results
Overall in‐hospital mortality was 8.5% (74 of 866), and differed significantly among the normoglycaemia, prediabetes and diabetes groups (3.4%, 12.6% and 17.9%, respectively; P < 0.001). Compared with the normoglycaemia group, the adjusted odds ratio for in‐hospital death was 2.42 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–5.31; P = 0.027) for prediabetes and 3.39 (95% CI 1.48–7.80; P = 0.004) for diabetes. The cumulative long‐term death rate was significantly higher in the prediabetes or diabetes groups than in the normoglycaemia group (log‐rank = 34.82; P < 0.001).
Conclusion
In addition to diabetes, prediabetes was also associated with a higher risk of in‐hospital and long‐term mortality among people with infective endocarditis. Therefore, attention should be paid to this population.
What's new
Compared with normoglycaemic people, those with infective endocarditis and diabetes demonstrated higher in‐hospital and long‐term mortality.
Prediabetes was also a significant risk factor for mortality in people with infective endocarditis.
Early identification and better monitoring and treatment is also suggested for people with prediabetes in order to improve their prognoses.
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