(-)-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.
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.
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.
Abstract Background Previous studies showed improvement in heart function by injecting bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) after AMI. Emerging evidence suggested that both the number and ...function of BMSCs decline with ageing. We designed a randomized, controlled trial to further investigate the safety and efficacy of this treatment. Methods Patients with ST-elevation AMI undergoing successful reperfusion treatment within 12 hours were randomly assigned to receive an intracoronary infusion of BMSCs (n = 21) or standard medical treatment (n = 22) (the numbers of patients were limited because of the complication of coronary artery obstruction). Results There is a closely positive correlation of the number and function of BMSCs vs. the cardiac function reflected by LVEF at baseline (r = 0.679, P = 0.001) and at 12-month follow-up (r = 0.477, P = 0.039). Six months after cell administration, myocardial viability within the infarct area by 18-FDG SPECT was improved in both groups compared with baseline, but no significant difference in the BMSCs compared with control groups (4.0 ± 0.4% 95%CI 3.1–4.9 vs. 3.2 ± 0.5% 95%CI 2.1–4.3, P = 0.237). 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT demonstrated that myocardial perfusion within the infarct area in the BMSCs did not differ from the control group (4.4 ± 0.5% 95%CI 3.2–5.5 vs. 3.9 ± 0.6% 95%CI 2.6–5.2, P = 0.594). Similarly, LVEF after 12 and 24 months follow-up did not show any difference between the two groups. In the BMSCs group, one patient suffered a serious complication of coronary artery occlusion during the BMSCs injection procedure. Conclusions The clinical benefits of intracoronary injection of autologous BMSCs in acute STEMI patients need further investigation and reevaluation.
Non-mammalian vertebrates have an intrinsically photosensitive iris and thus a local pupillary light reflex (PLR). In contrast, it is thought that the PLR in mammals generally requires neuronal ...circuitry connecting the eye and the brain. Here we report that an intrinsic component of the PLR is in fact widespread in nocturnal and crepuscular mammals. In mouse, this intrinsic PLR requires the visual pigment melanopsin; it also requires PLCβ4, a vertebrate homologue of the Drosophila NorpA phospholipase C which mediates rhabdomeric phototransduction. The Plcb4(-/-) genotype, in addition to removing the intrinsic PLR, also essentially eliminates the intrinsic light response of the M1 subtype of melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (M1-ipRGCs), which are by far the most photosensitive ipRGC subtype and also have the largest response to light. Ablating in mouse the expression of both TRPC6 and TRPC7, members of the TRP channel superfamily, also essentially eliminated the M1-ipRGC light response but the intrinsic PLR was not affected. Thus, melanopsin signalling exists in both iris and retina, involving a PLCβ4-mediated pathway that nonetheless diverges in the two locations.
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