The goal of this study was to determine the osmoregulatory ability of a juvenile marine fish, silver moony (
Monodactylus argenteus
), for the purpose of developing a new experimental species for ...ecophysiological research. In this study,
M. argenteus
was acclimated to freshwater (FW), brackish water (BW), or seawater (SW). The salinity tolerance of this euryhaline species was effective, and the fish survived well upon osmotic challenges. The largest apical surface of mitochondrion-rich cells was found in the FW individuals. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that Na
+
, K
+
-ATPase immunoreactive (NKA-IR) cells were distributed in the interlamellar region of the gill filaments of the silver moony in all experimental groups. In addition to the filaments, NKA-IR cells were also found in the lamellae of the FW individuals. The number of NKA-IR cells in the gills of the FW individuals exceeded that of the BW and SW individuals. The NKA-IR cells of FW and SW individuals exhibited bigger size than that of BW fish. The NKA activities and protein expression of the NKA α-subunit in the gills of the FW individuals were significantly higher than in the BW and SW groups. Additionally, the relative amounts of Na
+
, K
+
, 2Cl
−
cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) were salinity-dependent in the gills. Immunofluorescent signals of NKCC1 were localized to the basolateral membrane of NKA-IR cells in all groups. In the gills of the FW individuals, however, some NKA-IR cells did not exhibit a basolateral NKCC1 signal. In conclusion, the present study illustrated the osmoregulatory mechanisms of this easy- and economic-to-rear marine teleost with euryhaline capacity and proved the silver moony to be a good experimental animal.
In the branchial mitochondrion-rich (MR) cells of euryhaline teleosts, the Na
+
/K
+
/2Cl
−
cotransporter (NKCC) is an important membrane protein that maintains the internal Cl
−
concentration, and ...the branchial Na
+
/K
+
-ATPase (NKA) is crucial for providing the driving force for many other ion-transporting systems. Hence this study used the sailfin molly (
Poecilia latipinna
), an introduced aquarium fish in Taiwan, to reveal that the potential roles of NKCC and NKA in sailfin molly were correlated to fish survival rates upon salinity challenge. Higher levels of branchial NKCC were found in seawater (SW)-acclimated sailfin molly compared to freshwater (FW)-acclimated individuals. Transfer of the sailfin molly from SW to FW revealed that the expression of the NKCC and NKA proteins in the gills was retained over 7 days in order to maintain hypoosmoregulatory endurance. Meanwhile, their survival rates after transfer to SW varied with the duration of FW-exposure and decreased significantly when the SW-acclimated individuals were acclimated to FW for 21 days. Double immunofluorescence staining showed that in SW-acclimated sailfin molly, NKCC signals were expressed on the basolateral membrane of MR cells, whereas in FW-acclimated molly, they were expressed on the apical membrane. This study illustrated the correlation between the gradual reductions in expression of branchial NKCC and NKA (i.e., the hypoosmoregulatory endurance) and decreasing survival rates after hyperosmotic challenge in sailfin molly.
The Photoluminescence of quantum dots have been found to be a useful tool for the detection of small to medium sized analyte molecules in a host–guest environment. By the incorporation of quantum ...dots into molecularly imprinted polymers, which can offer shape and selectivity, the former can respond by quenching the photoluminescence emission upon template binding. In this work host polymers were synthesized and cased into thin films using functional monomers such as methacrylic acid (MAA), CdSe/ZnS core-shell derivatized with 4-vinyl pyridine and ethylene glycol dimethacrylic acid (EGDMA) as a cross-linker. The intensity of photoluminescence emission is detected upon analyte binding.
Coronavirus disease 2019 has severely affected public health. Under social distancing and lockdown policies, patients with musculoskeletal pain have fewer opportunities than usual to receive routine ...medical care for pain management in hospitals. Therefore, we provided some suggestions for such patients to manage musculoskeletal pain and techniques that may be performed at home during this period.
•Haplotype TG of COMT rs4633-rs4680 is associated with MDD risk.•Homozygous TG is correlated with upregulated total-COMT mRNA in MDD and controls.•Haplotype TG female controls had relatively higher ...MB-COMT protein and activity.•The non-TG female control group had higher S-COMT protein, but lower COMT activity.•COMT activity was much lower in MDD subjects compared to controls.
COMT rs4680 Val158 allele is associated with high MB-COMT protein expression and elevated activity compared to the Met158 allele in post-mortem brains. A meta-analysis study suggested the link between COMT SNPs and MDD risk; in addition, MB membrane-bound (MB-COMT) specific genetic variation was reported that influences predisposition to depression amongst females.
Four tagSNPs, including rs4680, were genotyped. 268 MDD subjects and 223 controls were enrolled. MDD severity was rated by HDRS. Total-COMT and MB-COMT mRNA were detected by quantitative PCR. COMT protein and activity were assayed by western blot and methyltransferase assay, respectively.
Haplotype TG of rs4633-rs4680, rs4646312 C, and rs4633 T allele might be linked to MDD vulnerability. Haplotype TG may interact with gender and affect MDD risk, since female haplotype TG carriers were estimated for a 9.17-fold higher risk than counterparts. COMT SNPs were not associated with HDRS scores. Haplotype TG female controls had higher MB-COMT protein, whereas non-TG female controls had higher soluble cytoplasmic (S-COMT) protein than other groups. COMT activity was much higher in controls than in MDD subjects.
Restricted numbers of homozygous TG carriers were recruited and analyzed for COMT mRNA, protein and activity. Only peripheral blood samples were used.
A female-specific haplotype (haplotype TG)-MDD vulnerability association was found. TG female controls had higher MB-COMT protein and S-COMT. Altogether, high COMT protein and activity in female TG controls may be predisposing factors for enhanced MDD risk, though not correlated to MDD severity as rated by HDRS.
Incorporation of semiconductor nanoparticles into molecularly imprinted polymer provides a sensor material which can be easily shaped and with better selectivity because the bound template would ...quench the photoluminescence (PL) emission of quantum dots significantly. In this work, artificial receptors of various templates were synthesized with functional monomers such as methacrylic acid (MAA), semiconductor like CdSe/ZnS core–shell derivatized with 4-vinylpyridine and ethylene glycol dimethacrylic acid as the cross-linker. The quenching of photoluminescence emissions is presumably due to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer between quantum dots and template molecules. The photoluminescence emission is unaffected upon incubation of analyte with the blank control polymer.
Infection with the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the development of the novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and associated clinical symptoms, which ...typically presents as an upper respiratory syndrome such as pneumonia. Growing evidence indicates an increased prevalence of neurological involvement (e.g., in the form of stroke) during virus infection. COVID-19 has been suggested to be more than a lung infection because it affects the vasculature of the lungs and other organs and increases the risk of thrombosis. Patients with stroke are vulnerable to secondary events as a result not only of their poor vascular condition but also of their lack of access to rehabilitation resources. Herein, we review current knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of COVID-19, its possible association with neurological involvement, and current drug therapies. Suggestions are also offered regarding the potential for current neurorehabilitation therapies to be taught and practiced at home.
Abstract
Conclusions: Radial forearm free flap (RFFF)-accompanied phonation tube (PT) for voice and speech restoration after pharyngolaryngectomy is promising, especially in phonation efficacy and ...intelligibility. It offers not only another safe surgical option but also a satisfactory result for such patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer. Objectives: We use RFFF with RFFF-accompanied PT for one-stage reconstruction both for tissue defect and voice reconstruction in patients undergoing total pharyngolaryngectomy. Methods: Eight male patients with advanced hypopharyngeal cancer underwent total pharyngolaryngectomy. Voice restoration was done with RFFF-accompanied PT. Phonation outcomes and speech outcomes of the patients were evaluated and scored. Results: The mean follow-up time was 13.7 months. All free flaps were successful without perioperative mortality. All the patients were able to produce sound. Phonation efficacy ranged from 70% to >90% postoperatively and 40% to >90% at the last follow-up. The speech intelligibility was graded as moderately good.
The hitherto elusive disilavinylidene (H2SiSi) molecule, which is in equilibrium with the mono‐bridged (Si(H)SiH) and di‐bridged (Si(H2)Si) isomers, was initially formed in the gas‐phase reaction of ...ground‐state atomic silicon (Si) with silane (SiH4) under single‐collision conditions in crossed molecular beam experiments. Combined with state‐of‐the‐art electronic structure and statistical calculations, the reaction was found to involve an initial formation of a van der Waals complex in the entrance channel, a submerged barrier to insertion, intersystem crossing (ISC) from the triplet to the singlet manifold, and hydrogen migrations. These studies provide a rare glimpse of silicon chemistry on the molecular level and shed light on the remarkable non‐adiabatic reaction dynamics of silicon, which are quite distinct from those of isovalent carbon systems, providing important insight that reveals an exotic silicon chemistry to form disilavinylidene.
Si/C‐Isoelektronizität: Die bimolekulare Gasphasenreaktion von Silicium im Grundzustand mit Silan (SiH4) unter Einzelstoßbedingungen gibt einen Einblick in die bisher vernachlässigte Siliciumchemie auf molekularer Ebene. Die Ergebnisse verbessern unser Verständnis vom Konzept der Isoelektronizität, das vor rund einem Jahrhundert vorgeschlagen wurde.
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