(-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant polyphenol in green tea, which has shown anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, anti-radiation, anti-mutant, anti-cancer and ...anti-fibrotic actions, and has shown improvements of diabetes, obesity, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and central nervous system disorders. In addition, EGCG is reported to enhance the human immunity. Recently, EGCG has been found to play a vital role in infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. The review summarizes the progress of researches on anti-infective properties of EGCG, so as to elucidate the potential role of EGCG in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
Cell transplantation is a potential strategy for treating blindness caused by the loss of photoreceptors. Although transplanted rod-precursor cells are able to migrate into the adult retina and ...differentiate to acquire the specialized morphological features of mature photoreceptor cells, the fundamental question remains whether transplantation of photoreceptor cells can actually improve vision. Here we provide evidence of functional rod-mediated vision after photoreceptor transplantation in adult Gnat1−/− mice, which lack rod function and are a model of congenital stationary night blindness. We show that transplanted rod precursors form classic triad synaptic connections with second-order bipolar and horizontal cells in the recipient retina. The newly integrated photoreceptor cells are light-responsive with dim-flash kinetics similar to adult wild-type photoreceptors. By using intrinsic imaging under scotopic conditions we demonstrate that visual signals generated by transplanted rods are projected to higher visual areas, including V1. Moreover, these cells are capable of driving optokinetic head tracking and visually guided behaviour in the Gnat1−/− mouse under scotopic conditions. Together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of photoreceptor transplantation as a therapeutic strategy for restoring vision after retinal degeneration.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Water uptake is the fundamental and essential requirement for seed germination. Pecan seed has a hard woody endocarp that plays an important role during water uptake.
To explore water uptake during ...germination, the spatiotemporal pattern of water and effect of the endocarp were analysed using high‐field MRI, dye‐tracing, wax blocking and SEM of water uptake.
Isolated seeds completed water uptake in 8 h while whole seeds required 6 days, hence, cracking the endocarp plays an important role. The hilum is the channel through which water enters the seed, while the remainder of the seed coat consist of cells covered with a waxy layer that act as a barrier to water absorption. The region with the highest water content in pecan seed is the edge of the U‐shaped region, and water can progressively diffuse from this U‐shaped region into the whole kernel.
We report a new water absorption stage between phase II and phase III of the triphasic model of water uptake of pecan seeds. Cracking the endocarp changed water distribution in pecan seeds, which may trigger further water absorption and radicle elongation.
The cracking of endocarp leads to a new water absorption stage in pecan seeds during germination.
Dendrobium catenatum
is a medicinal plant with rich pharmacological activity and wide economic value, and one of its main active components is flavonoids. However, the gene families of the flavonoid ...biosynthesis pathway of
D. catenatum
have not been systematically identified and analyzed, and their specific roles are still unclear. In this study, a genome-wide analysis of 11 gene families involved in
D. catenatum
flavonoid biosynthesis was performed. A total of 55 genes were identified and analyzed for their gene structure, subcellular localization, conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships, number and location of
cis
-acting elements and expression at different tissues and ages using bioinformatics software. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the gene family members are evolutionarily conserved. Subcellular localization shows these genes were located in many important components in cell. Analysis of their
cis
-acting elements showed that a large number of elements responsive to light and MYB transcription factors were present in these genes. The expressions of different genes were significantly different in different tissues and ages of
D. catenatum
. In conclusion, the gene family members involved in flavonoid biosynthesis in
D. catenatum
are structurally and functionally diverse and are hypothesized to play different roles in different tissues and ages of
D. catenatum
. The results of this study provide valuable information for analyzing the biological functions and evolution of the relevant genes in the
D. catenatum
flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and lay the foundation for further exploring the regulatory mechanisms of these genes in
D. catenatum
flavonoid biosynthesis.
Magnetic plucking applies the strategy of frequency up-conversion in inertial energy harvesting when the energy source, such as human motion, only provides excitations with very low and irregular ...frequencies. This paper presents an analysis of three different magnet configurations to achieve magnetic plucking based on a three-dimensional analytical cube permanent magnet model: direct repulsive configuration, orthogonal configuration and indirect repulsive configuration. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the indirect repulsive configuration generates the largest tip displacement given the pratical constraints in designing a wearable energy harvester. We have implemented this configuration in a wrist-worn rotational energy harvester to pluck multiple piezoelectric beams. Other configurations, however, can potentially be advantageous in applications with alternative constraints.
Abstract
EMPIX2 is a novel hybrid pixel detector readout ASIC for electron microscopy with a
maximum frame rate of 100 kfps and a very large dynamic range (5 × 10
5
:1). It
features 128 × 128 square ...pixels at a pitch of 150 μm. Adaptive gain switching and
charge pump technology are applied to enhance the dynamic range. The pixels can operate in two
modes: pulse mode and continuous mode. In pulse mode, ultra-fast gain switching enables a rapid
response to pulsed electron sources, making it highly suitable for UEM applications. In continuous
mode, the power consumption and dynamic range are optimized for STEM applications. The readout is
frame-based, and digital image data is output by 64 pairs of LVDS drivers working in DDR mode at a
clock frequency of 400 MHz. A dedicated data acquisition system was developed for the transmission
and processing of the image data. Preliminary verification of the readout chip was performed using
an on-chip calibration source.
This paper reports the simulation-based analysis of six dynamical structures with respect to their wrist-worn vibration energy harvesting capability. This work approaches the problem of maximizing ...energy harvesting potential at the wrist by considering multiple mechanical substructures; rotational and linear motion-based architectures are examined. Mathematical models are developed and experimentally corroborated. An optimization routine is applied to the proposed architectures to maximize average power output and allow for comparison. The addition of a linear spring element to the structures has the potential to improve power output; for example, in the case of rotational structures, a 211% improvement in power output was estimated under real walking excitation. The analysis concludes that a sprung rotational harvester architecture outperforms a sprung linear architecture by 66% when real walking data is used as input to the simulations.
To develop and validate a nomogram to predict 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by combining optimised radiomics features, clinicopathological factors, ...and conventional image features extracted from three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images.
A total of 172 patients with NSCLC were selected to construct the model, and 74 and 72 patients were selected for internal validation and external testing, respectively. A total of 828 radiomics features were extracted from each patient's 3D CT images. Univariable Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select features and generate a radiomics signature (radscore). The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by calibration curves, clinical practicability, and the c-index. Kaplan–Meier (KM) analysis was used to compare the overall survival (OS) between the two subgroups.
The radiomics features of the NSCLC patients correlated significantly with survival time. The c-indexes of the nomogram in the training cohort, internal validation cohort, and external test cohort were 0.670, 0.658, and 0.660, respectively. The calibration curves showed that the predicted survival time was close to the actual survival time. Decision curve analysis shows that the nomogram could be useful in the clinic. According to KM analysis, the 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rates of the low-risk group were higher than those of the high-risk group.
The nomogram, combining the radscore, clinicopathological factors, and conventional CT parameters, can improve the accuracy of survival prediction in patients with NSCLC.
•C-index of nomogram was higher than that of the clinical model and radscore.•The HazardRatio value of Radscore is 3.98.•The nomogram has the potential to be used as prognostic biomarkers in NSCLC patients.
, an important opportunistic fungal pathogen that parasitizes in multiple mammalian lungs, may cause life-threatening
pneumonia (PCP) and even death among immunocompromised individuals. With the ...rapid development of high-throughput sequencing and multi-omics technologies, systematic comparative analyses of genome, transcriptome, and whole-genome sequencing results demonstrate that
is a type of obligate biotrophic fungi, and requires obtaining nutrition from hosts. In addition, sexual reproduction is an essential process for
survival, production and transmission, and asexual reproduction facilitates
survival, which provides new insights into understanding of the whole developmental process of
in the host lung and inter-host transmission of
. This review summarizes the advances in the reproduction mode of
and underlying mechanisms, which provides insights into prevention and treatment of PCP, notably for the prophylaxis against nosocomial transmission of PCP.
A cDNA clone encoding a 64-amino acid type 3 metallothionein protein, designated GhMT3a, was isolated from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) by cDNA library screening. Northern blot analysis indicated that ...mRNA accumulation of GhMT3a was up-regulated not only by high salinity, drought, and low temperature stresses, but also by heavy metal ions, abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cotton seedlings. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants overexpressing GhMT3a showed increased tolerance against abiotic stresses compared with wild-type plants. Interestingly, the induced expression of GhMT3a by salt, drought, and low-temperature stresses could be inhibited in the presence of antioxidants. H2O2 levels in transgenic tobacco plants were only half of that in wild-type (WT) plants under such stress conditions. According to in vitro assay, recombinant GhMT3a protein showed an ability to bind metal ions and scavenge ROS. Transgenic yeast overexpressing GhMT3a also showed higher tolerance against ROS stresses. Taken together, these results indicated that GhMT3a could function as an effective ROS scavenger and its expression could be regulated by abiotic stresses through ROS signalling.
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