Aims
To evaluate the antimicrobial activities of an active compound isolated from the culture broth of Amphirosellinia nigrospora JS‐1675 against various plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
Methods ...and Results
While screening for bioactive secondary metabolites from endophytic fungi, we found that A. nigrospora JS‐1675 showed strong in vitro antibacterial activity against Ralstonia solanacearum. One compound (1) was isolated and identified as (4S, 5S, 6S)‐5,6‐epoxy‐4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxy‐5‐methyl‐cyclohex‐2‐en‐1‐one. Growth of most of the tested phytopathogenic bacteria was inhibited by compound 1 and the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) layer except Pseudomonas syringae pv. lachrymans. Compound 1 also inhibited the mycelial growth of several plant pathogenic fungi. Both compound 1 and the EtOAc layer reduced bacterial leaf spot disease in detached peach leaves. They also suppressed the development of bacterial wilt on tomato seedlings quite effectively.
Conclusions
Amphirosellinia nigrospora JS‐1675 showed antimicrobial activity against plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi by producing compound 1.
Significance and Impact of the Study
This is the first report on the occurrence of compound 1 in A. nigrospora JS‐1675 and its efficacy against plant pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Their strong disease control efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt suggests that this fungus can be used as a microbial bactericide.
A cardiogenic embolus could reach the posterior circulation through the right vertebral artery because of a relatively larger diameter in cases of left vertebral artery hypoplasia. Hence, we ...investigated whether left vertebral artery hypoplasia is associated with cardiac embolisms with atrial fibrillation in the posterior circulation and its functional outcomes.
In this monocentric retrospective study, patients with acute cardioembolic stroke with atrial fibrillation were enrolled and underwent CT or neck MRA, which visualized the aortic arch and subclavian arteries. The laterality and size of vertebral artery hypoplasia were recorded. Posterior circulation stroke, basilar artery occlusion, and the functional outcomes after 3 months were investigated.
This study included 407 patients; the patients with left vertebral artery hypoplasia experienced a higher rate of posterior circulation stroke (19 versus 73; 42.2% versus 20.2%;
= .001) and basilar artery occlusion (5 versus 10; 11.1% versus 2.8%;
= .005) than the patients without left vertebral artery hypoplasia. Multivariate analysis revealed that left vertebral artery hypoplasia showed an association with lower odds of achieving a good functional outcome 3 months after the stroke (OR = 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9;
= .027).
Patients with cardioembolic stroke and left vertebral artery hypoplasia had posterior circulation stroke, basilar artery occlusion, and poor functional outcomes after 3 months.
Monodisperse spherical Ni nanoparticles with diameters of 2 nm, 5 nm, and 7 nm were synthesized from the thermal decomposition of a Ni–oleylamine complex. Ni nanocrystal superlattices were generated ...via the controlled evaporation of solvent (see Figure). The nanoparticles were successfully used as catalysts for the Suzuki coupling reaction, and were readily oxidized to produce NiO nanoparticles.
We have synthesized uniform and highly crystalline magnetite nanoparticles from the reaction of iron salts in microemulsion nanoreactors. The particle size can be controlled from 2 nm to 10 nm by ...varying the relative concentrations of the iron salts, surfactant, and solvent. Transmission electron microscope images of the nanoparticles reveal that they are very uniform in size distribution. Structural characterization using X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism shows that the nanoparticles are magnetite. The magnetic characterization of the nanoparticles showed that they are superparamagnetic at room temperature. Using a similar synthetic procedure, we have been able to synthesize nanoparticles of several mixed metal ferrites including cobalt ferrite, manganese ferrite, nickel ferrite, and zinc ferrite.
Microemulsion nanoreactors are used to synthesize uniform and highly crystalline magnetite nanoparticles from iron salts (see Figure). The diameter of the monodisperse nanoparticles can be controlled from 2 to 10 nm by varying the relative concentrations of iron salts, surfactant, and solvent.
There is a need for effective wound healing through rapid wound closure, reduction of scar formation, and acceleration of angiogenesis. Hydrogel is widely used in tissue engineering, but it is not an ...ideal solution because of its low vascularization capability and poor mechanical properties. In this study, gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) was tested as a viable option with tunable physical properties. GelMA hydrogel incorporating a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mimicking peptide was successfully printed using a three-dimensional (3D) bio-printer owing to the shear-thinning properties of hydrogel inks. The 3D structure of the hydrogel patch had high porosity and water absorption properties. Furthermore, the bioactive characterization was confirmed by cell culture with mouse fibroblasts cell lines (NIH 3T3) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. VEGF peptide, which is slowly released from hydrogel patches, can promote cell viability, proliferation, and tubular structure formation. In addition, a pig skin wound model was used to evaluate the wound-healing efficacy of GelMA-VEGF hydrogel patches; the results suggest that the GelMA-VEGF hydrogel patch can be used for wound dressing.
Abnormal Ca homeostasis has been associated with impaired glucose metabolism. However, the epidemiological evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess the association between circulating Ca levels ...and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or abnormal glucose homeostasis through conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eligible studies were identified by searching electronic database (PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar) and related references with de novo results from primary studies up to December 2018. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the weighted relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI for the associations. The search yielded twenty eligible publications with eight cohort studies identified for the meta-analysis, which included a total of 89 165 participants. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of albumin-adjusted serum Ca, the pooled RR was 1·14 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·24) for T2DM (n 51 489). Similarly, serum total Ca was associated with incident T2DM (RR 1·25; 95 % CI 1·10, 1·42) (n 64 502). Additionally, the adjusted RR for 1 mg/dl increments in albumin-adjusted serum Ca or serum total Ca levels was 1·16 (95 % CI 1·07, 1·27) and 1·19 (95 % CI 1·11, 1·28), respectively. The observed associations remained with the inclusion of a cohort study with ionised Ca as the exposure. However, data pooled from neither case-control (n 4) nor cross-sectional (n 8) studies manifested a significant correlation between circulating Ca and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, accumulated data from the cohort studies suggest that higher circulating Ca levels are associated with an augmented risk of T2DM.
Hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) is in its infancy in clinical liver transplantation. Potential benefits include diminished preservation injury (PI) and improved graft function. Molecular data to ...date has been limited to extrapolation of animal studies. We analyzed liver tissue and serum collected during our Phase 1 trial of liver HMP. Grafts preserved with HMP were compared to static cold stored (SCS) transplant controls. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed on liver biopsies. Expression of inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules and chemokines, oxidation markers, apoptosis and acute phase proteins and the levels of CD68 positive macrophages in tissue sections were evaluated. RT‐PCR of reperfusion biopsy samples in the SCS group showed high expression of inflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules and chemokines, oxidative markers and acute phase proteins. This upregulation was significantly attenuated in livers that were preserved by HMP. Immunofluorescence showed larger numbers of CD68 positive macrophages in the SCS group when compared to the HMP group. TEM samples also revealed ultrastructural damage in the SCS group that was not seen in the HMP group. HMP significantly reduced proinflammatory cytokine expression, relieving the downstream activation of adhesion molecules and migration of leukocytes, including neutrophils and macrophages when compared to SCS controls.
The authors report that hypothermic machine preservation of 20 transplanted human livers resulted in down‐regulation of a variety of molecular markers of ischemia/reperfusion injury compared to standard cold storage control cases.
Bone and dentin share similar biochemical compositions and physiological properties. Dentin, a major tooth component, is formed by odontoblasts; in contrast, bone is produced by osteoblasts. Osterix ...(Osx), a zinc finger-containing transcription factor, has been identified as an essential regulator of osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. However, it has been difficult to establish whether Osx functions in odontoblast differentiation and dentin formation. To understand the role of Osx in dentin formation, we analyzed mice in which Osx was subjected to tissue-specific ablation under the control of either the Col1a1 or the OC promoter. Two independent Osx conditional knockout mice exhibited similar molar abnormalities. Although no phenotype was found in the crowns of these teeth, both mutant lines exhibited short molar roots due to impaired root elongation. Furthermore, the interradicular dentin in these mice showed severe hypoplastic features, which were likely caused by disruptions in odontoblast differentiation and dentin formation. These phenotypes were closely related to the temporospatial expression pattern of Osx during tooth development. These findings indicate that Osx is required for root formation by regulating odontoblast differentiation, maturation, and root elongation. Cumulatively, our data strongly indicate that Osx is a site-specific regulator in tooth root formation.
While the past 2 decades have witnessed an increasing understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) arising from East Asia, particularly Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China, knowledge of ALS ...throughout the whole of Asia remains limited. Asia represents >50% of the world population, making it host to the largest patient cohort of ALS. Furthermore, Asia represents a diverse population in terms of ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds. In this review, an overview is presented that covers what is currently known of ALS in Asia from basic epidemiology and genetic influences, through to disease characteristics including atypical phenotypes which manifest a predilection for Asians. With the recent establishment of the Pan-Asian Consortium for Treatment and Research in ALS to facilitate collaborations between clinicians and researchers across the region, it is anticipated that Asia and the Pacific will contribute to unravelling the uncertainties in ALS.
The tooth root is an important part of the tooth that works together with the surrounding periodontium to maintain the tooth in the alveolar socket. The root develops after crown morphogenesis. While ...the molecular and cellular mechanisms of early tooth development and crown morphogenesis have been extensively studied, little is known about the molecular mechanisms controlling tooth root formation. Here, we show that β-catenin is strongly expressed in odontoblast-lineage cells and is required for root formation. Tissue-specific inactivation of β-catenin in developing odontoblasts produced molars lacking roots and aberrantly thin incisors. At the beginning of root formation in the mutant molars, the cervical loop epithelium extended apically to form Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath (HERS), but root odontoblast differentiation was disrupted and followed by the loss of some HERS inner layer cells. However, the outer layer of the HERS extended without the root, and the mutant molars finally erupted. The periodontal tissues extensively invaded the dental pulp. These results indicate that there is a cell-autonomous requirement for Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the dental mesenchyme for root formation.
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