The aim of this study was to investigate alterations in the intrarenal blood pressure (BP) regulation system after renal denervation (RDN) guided by renal nerve stimulation (RNS). Twenty-one dogs ...were randomized to receive RDN at strong (SRA group, n = 7) or weak (WRA group, n = 7) BP-elevation response sites identified by RNS or underwent RNS only (RNS-control, RSC, n = 7). After 4 weeks of follow-up, renal sympathetic components, the main components of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the major transporters involved in sodium and water reabsorption were assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. Compared with RSC treatment, RDN therapy significantly reduced renal norepinephrine and tyrosine hydroxylase levels, decreased the renin content and inhibited the onsite generation of angiotensinogen. Moreover, the expression of exciting axis components, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin II and angiotensin II type-1 receptor, was downregulated, while protective axis components for the cardiovascular system, including ACE2 and Mas receptors, were upregulated in both WRA and SRA groups. Moreover, RDN reduced the abundance of aquaporin-1 and aquaporin-2 in kidneys. Although RDN had a minimal effect on overall NKCC2 expression, its activation (p-NKCC2) and directional enrichment in the apical membrane (mNKCC2) were dramatically blunted. All these changes were more obvious in the SRA group than WRA group. Selective RDN guided by RNS effectively reduced systemic BP by affecting the renal neurohormone system, as well as the sodium and water transporter system, and these effects at sites with a strong BP response were more superior.
The solid particle thermal energy storage method offers cost-effective, simple, and high-temperature suitable solutions. It effectively resolves chemical compatibility and thermal stress issues in ...shell-and-tube heat exchangers. This work studies the quartz sands' particle sizes and flow direction's impact on heat exchanger performance. The results show that heat conduction and natural convection heat transfer mechanisms exist on the particle side. Flow direction minimally affects charge/discharge time and stored energy but significantly impacts delivered/recovered energy and exergy and energy and exergy efficiencies. Optimal performance is achieved when HTO enters from the top during charging and from the bottom during discharging, creating a transparent thermal gradient of “Top Temperature High, Bottom Temperature Low”. This distribution minimizes natural convection losses, resulting in a 15–17 % increase in energy efficiency and an 11–13 % increase in exergy efficiency compared to reverse flow. Smaller particles show slightly faster temperature rise due to lower energy storage density. Large and medium particles perform well, achieving energy efficiencies of 81.5 % and 81.0 % and exergy efficiencies of 62.1 % and 61.8 %, respectively. Small particles have an energy efficiency of 79.0 % and an exergy efficiency of 60.4 %, possibly due to higher porosity and increased heat losses.
Hybrid rice breeding for exploiting hybrid vigor, heterosis, has greatly increased grain yield. However, the heterosis-related genes associated with rice grain production remain largely unknown, ...partly because comprehensive mapping of heterosis-related traits is still labor-intensive and time-consuming. Here, we present a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping method, GradedPool-Seq, for rapidly mapping QTLs by whole-genome sequencing of graded-pool samples from F
progeny via bulked-segregant analysis. We implement this method and map-based cloning to dissect the heterotic QTL GW3p6 from the female line. We then generate the near isogenic line NIL-FH676::GW3p6 by introgressing the GW3p6 allele from the female line Guangzhan63-4S into the male inbred line Fuhui676. The NIL-FH676::GW3p6 exhibits grain yield highly increased compared to Fuhui676. This study demonstrates that it may be possible to achieve a high level of grain production in inbred rice lines without the need to construct hybrids.
Molecular bottlebrushes (MBBs) with a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic shell may exist as well-defined unimolecular nanoparticles in water. However, they may also aggregate to form large particles ...if the structure of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments fail to be rationally controlled. Herein, a series of core-shell amphiphilic MBBs with a poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) backbone bearing two block copolymer side chains, poly (butyl acrylate)-b-poly ((oligo (ethylene glycol) acrylate) (PBA-b-POEGA) and poly (butyl acrylate)-b-poly (ethylene glycol) (PBA-b-PEG), were synthesized through grafting-from and grafting-onto strategies. Their hydrophilic shells are different in topology: POEGA is comblike whereas PEG is linear. The stability of the two kinds of MBB with the similar composition as unimolecular nanoparticles in water and their encapsulation capacity for guest-molecule were evaluated. Compared to the MBB with a linear PEG shell, those with comblike POEGA side chains remained stable against aggregation as demonstrated by atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurement. The MBB with a POEGA shell also displayed a much higher encapsulating capacity to a model guest molecule, pyrene, by hydrophobic interaction. This study provides guidance to the rational preparation of MBBs for applications as molecular vehicles.
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•Molecular bottlebrushes (MBB) with different topological shells were prepared.•MBBs with a comblike hydrophilic shell were more stable against aggregation in water.•MBBs with a POEGA shell displayed a higher encapsulating capacity to guest molecules than that of linear PEO shell.
Genetic map is of vital importance to plant molecular genetic studies. It has been used for QTL mapping, gene cloning, and physical map construction. One common issue for construction of genetic maps ...is that one chromosome is divided into two or more groups based on low LOD values between each group. In this study, we constructed a genetic map from a F
8
RIL population derived from two domesticated narrow-leafed lupin cultivars Uncrop and Tanjil. In the first round of analysis, 37 linkage subgroups were constructed for the 20 chromosomes. The number of subgroups was greater than the number of chromosomes. And then we merged the linkage subgroups belonging to the same chromosomes based on physical maps and other genetic maps constructed from different mapping populations. The DNA variations between the parents revealed that variation density was highly consistent with marker density in the genetic map, and that the large gaps (> 15 cM) in the same linkage groups resulted from the low DNA variations density in the large regions. Furthermore, the regions with less DNA variations between the two parents will facilitate the screening of the candidate genes located in the region. A single major QTL for grey leaf spot was identified on chromosome 19 from this mapping population.
Key message
An ultra-high density genetic map containing 34,574 sequence-defined markers was developed in
Lupinus angustifolius.
Markers closely linked to nine genes of agronomic traits were ...identified. A physical map was improved to cover 560.5 Mb genome sequence.
Lupin (
Lupinus angustifolius
L.) is a recently domesticated legume grain crop. In this study, we applied the restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) method to genotype an F
9
recombinant inbred line population derived from a wild type × domesticated cultivar (
W
×
D
) cross. A high density linkage map was developed based on the
W
×
D
population. By integrating sequence-defined DNA markers reported in previous mapping studies, we established an ultra-high density consensus genetic map, which contains 34,574 markers consisting of 3508 loci covering 2399 cM on 20 linkage groups. The largest gap in the entire consensus map was 4.73 cM. The high density
W
×
D
map and the consensus map were used to develop an improved physical map, which covered 560.5 Mb of genome sequence data. The ultra-high density consensus linkage map, the improved physical map and the markers linked to genes of breeding interest reported in this study provide a common tool for genome sequence assembly, structural genomics, comparative genomics, functional genomics, QTL mapping, and molecular plant breeding in lupin.
The hip joint capsule is an essential component of hip joint function and stability, and its thickness is closely associated with certain medical conditions, surgical outcomes, and rehabilitation ...treatments. Currently, in clinical practice, hip joint capsule thickness is predominantly measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with limited utilization of ultrasound examinations for this purpose.
We retrospectively evaluated patients who visited our Sports Medicine Department between February 2017 and March 2023 and underwent both hip joint MRI and ultrasound imaging on the same side. All patients had undergone preoperative hip joint MRI and ultrasound examinations, with the time gap between the two examinations not exceeding three months. Measurements of hip joint capsule thickness were taken on both MRI and ultrasound images for the same patients to analyze their consistency. Additionally, we measured the alpha angle, lateral center-edge angle, acetabular anteversion angle, and femoral anteversion angle of the patients' hip joints and analyzed their correlation with hip joint capsule thickness measure by ultrasound.
A total of 307 patients were included in this study, with hip joint capsule thickness measured by MRI and ultrasound being 5.0 ± 1.2 mm and 5.0 ± 1.5 mm, respectively. The Bland-Altman analysis demonstrates good agreement or consistency. The paired t-test resulted in a p-value of 0.708, indicating no significant statistical difference between the two methods. The correlation analysis between acetabular anteversion angle and ultrasound-measured capsule thickness yielded a p-value of 0.043, indicating acetabular anteversion angle and capsular thickness may have negative correlation.
The measurements of joint capsule thickness obtained through ultrasound and MRI showed good consistency, suggesting that ultrasound can be used in clinical practice as a replacement for MRI in measuring hip joint capsule thickness. There was a significant correlation between acetabular anteversion angle and hip joint capsule thickness, indicating potential for further research in this area.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) is the most recently domesticated crop in major agricultural cultivation. Its seeds are high in protein and dietary fibre, but low in oil and starch. Medical and ...dietetic studies have shown that consuming lupin-enriched food has significant health benefits. We report the draft assembly from a whole genome shotgun sequencing dataset for this legume species with 26.9x coverage of the genome, which is predicted to contain 57,807 genes. Analysis of the annotated genes with metabolic pathways provided a partial understanding of some key features of lupin, such as the amino acid profile of storage proteins in seeds. Furthermore, we applied the NGS-based RAD-sequencing technology to obtain 8,244 sequence-defined markers for anchoring the genomic sequences. A total of 4,214 scaffolds from the genome sequence assembly were aligned into the genetic map. The combination of the draft assembly and a sequence-defined genetic map made it possible to locate and study functional genes of agronomic interest. The identification of co-segregating SNP markers, scaffold sequences and gene annotation facilitated the identification of a candidate R gene associated with resistance to the major lupin disease anthracnose. We demonstrated that the combination of medium-depth genome sequencing and a high-density genetic linkage map by application of NGS technology is a cost-effective approach to generating genome sequence data and a large number of molecular markers to study the genomics, genetics and functional genes of lupin, and to apply them to molecular plant breeding. This strategy does not require prior genome knowledge, which potentiates its application to a wide range of non-model species.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disabling disease with a high incidence that is regularly accompanied by cardiovascular complications. Several studies have suggested that ...renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) is closely associated with RA. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying Angiotensin-(1–7) Ang-(1–7) and its Mas receptor agonist (AVE0991) on joint inflammation and cardiac complications in a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model.
Methods
Collagen type II was injected into DBA/1 mice to construct an arthritis model. CIA mice were treated with Ang-(1–7) (2.0 mg/kg intraperitoneally) and AVE0991 (3.0 mg/kg intraperitoneally). The serum levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1 β, IL-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined by ELISA. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-
κ
B) signaling pathways in joint tissues and the transforming growth factor (TGF)-
β
/Smad pathway and levels of
α
-Smooth muscle action (SMA) and
β
-myosin heavy chain (MHC) protein expression in cardiac tissues were assessed by western blots. The levels of TGF-
β
/Smad pathway,
α
-SMA, and
β
-MHC RNA in cardiac tissues were analyzed by real time-PCR. The levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa ligand (RANKL) and promoting matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 expression in the ankle joints were detected by immunohistochemistry and real time-PCR.
Results
Ang-(1–7) and AVE0991 reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines and inhibited the MAPKs and NF-
κ
B signaling pathways in ankle joint tissues, reduced RANKL and MMP3 expression, and ameliorated local joint inflammation and bone destruction compared with the control group. In addition, Ang-(1–7) and AVE0991 attenuated the TGF-
β
/Smad signaling pathway, reduced the levels of
α
-SMA and
β
-MHC expression, and diminished inflammatory cell infiltration into the myocardial interstitium and myocardial interstitial fibrosis in the hearts of CIA mice.
Conclusions
Ang-(1–7) alleviated joint damage caused by inflammation likely through the attenuation of NF-
κ
B and MAPK pathways and ameliorated inflammation-induced cardiac fibrosis and activation of the TGF-
β
/Smad pathway. Moreover, Ang-(1–7) was likely mediated through the Mas receptor. This study provides theoretical evidence for exploring novel clinical therapeutic approaches for RA and its cardiac complications.
The molecular composition and structure of heavy oil and the subfraction have always been one of the most controversial topics despite the continuous improvement of detection and analytical methods. ...In this contribution, the composition and structure of nitrogen-containing compounds (NCs) in middle and low temperature coal tar (MLCT) and the subfractions are studied by GC × GC-TOF MS and ESI FT-ICR MS coupled with collision-induced dissociation (CID) through isolating a narrow window of mass-defined ions based on the developed MLCT subfraction separation method. It is found that the new separation subfraction method combined with high resolution mass spectrometry is efficient to detect the characteristics of each fraction at the molecular level. Eighty nitrogen compounds, dominant of quinolines, carbazoles and pyridines are identified in MLCT. The distribution laws of compound classes, carbon numbers, DBE are obtained with reasonable representative molecules for aromatic, resin and asphaltene. The qualitative analysis shows the island and archipelago structural motifs coexist in MLCT and the island-type is the predominant structure in aromatic (94%), resin (86%) and asphaltene (80%). The archipelagic structures in large molecules are more abundant. Meanwhile, the heterolysis mode is the predominant bond cleavages path for MLCT molecules and the proton transfers reactions occur during CID process.
•The structure of coal tar molecules is studied by FT-ICR MS coupled with GC×GC-TOF MS based on new separation method.•The distributions of island and archipelago structural motifs in coal tar subfractions are obtained by qualitative method.•The bond cleavage behaviors are innovatively analyzed for large molecules in coal tar.
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