Diallel analysis of androgenetic plant production in hexaploid Triticale (X. triticosecale,Wittmack)

Summary Studies were made on the genetic determination of androgenetic plant yield and its two components: embryo production and green plant regeneration. This involved the analysis of a complete 7×7 diallel cross of 4 androgenetic lines and 3 lines obtained by pedigree selection, one of them having the Triticum timopheevi cytoplasm. The three traits analysed are both heritable and environmentally influenced (by season and culture medium composition). The analysis of embryo production shows a mainly nuclear inheritance, with predominantly additive gene action, but also a favourable effect of Triticum timopheevi cytoplasm. Green plant regeneration has a more complex genetic determination, with additive as well as non-additive gene action and cytoplasmic influences. Hybrids appear superior to inbred lines for embryogenesis and green plant yield, but not for green plant regeneration. Androgenetic lines used as parents did not show superiority over other parents either in their own value or in the transmission of androgenetic abilities. Genetic improvement seems to be possible by recombination in progenies of hybrids between lines having complementary abilities.     

A proposed phylogenetic relationship between sea cucumber polian vesicles and the vertebrate lymphoreticular system

Evidence is presented that Polian vesicles of the sea cucumber, Holothuria cinerascens, a member of an echinoderm class considered close to the vertebrate evolutionary line, are organs of inflammatory (including immunologic) responsiveness. As such, they might represent a rudimentary beginning of what later evolved into the vertebrate lymphoreticular system.     

Study on the dehydrating effect of the red cell Na+/K+-pump in nystatin-treated cells with varying Na+ and water contents

Using the antibiotic Nystatin, we have developed a systematic method for the preparation of red blood cells with independently selected levels of intracellular Na⁺ concentrations and water content. Such cells provided an experimental model to study the effect of Na⁺/K⁺ pump stimulation on red cell water content. Even in initially dehydrated cells, stimulation of the Na⁺/K⁺ pump by elevated intracellular Na⁺ caused subsequent further loss of cell water. Cell water loss was reflected in decreased monovalent cation content per unit mass of hemoglobin and by a shift in the density distribution of the cell populations to higher densities on discontinuous Stractan gradients. We conclude that the 3 Na_out⁺ : 2 K_in⁺ stoichiometry of the Na⁺/K⁺ pump results in a net desalting effect with increased pump activity. Under the conditions of these experiments, the cell appears to have no effective mechanism to compensate for a net loss of ions and water.     

A stroma-related lncRNA panel for predicting recurrence and adjuvant chemotherapy benefit in patients with early-stage colon cancer

The heterogeneity in prognoses and chemotherapeutic responses of colon cancer patients with similar clinical features emphasized the necessity for new biomarkers that help to improve the survival prediction and tailor therapies more rationally and precisely. In the present study, we established a s troma-related l ncRNA s ignature (SLS) based on 52 lncRNAs to comprehensively predict clinical outcome. The SLS model could not only distinguish patients with different recurrence and mortality risks through univariate analysis, but also served as an independent factor for relapse-free and overall survival. Compared with the conventionally used TNM stage system, the SLS model clearly possessed higher predictive accuracy. Moreover, the SLS model also effectively screened chemotherapy-responsive patients, as only patients in the low-SLS group could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. The following cell infiltration and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network functional analyses further confirmed the association between the SLS model and stromal activation-related biological processes. Additionally, this study also identified three phenotypically distinct colon cancer subtypes that varied in clinical outcome and chemotherapy benefits. In conclusion, our SLS model may be a significant determinant of survival and chemotherapeutic decision-making in colon cancer and may have a strong clinical transformation value.     

双重响应二硫化钼纳米载药体系的制备及其性能研究

摘要 目的：制备肿瘤微环境响应释放的靶向二硫化钼纳米载药体系,并评价其载药量和释药性能。方法：以水热法合成的MoS₂纳米片为基底,利用MoS₂纳米片上的S空缺位点连接硫辛酸聚乙二醇羧酸,然后通过酰胺反应连接精氨酸-甘氨酸-天冬氨酸（RGD）靶向分子,再连接上交联剂3-(2-吡啶二硫代)丙酸N-琥珀酰亚胺酯（SPDP）,得到药物载体MoS2-PEG-RGD-SPDP（MPRS）,MPRS进一步与巯基化的阿霉素（DOX）反应,形成MPRS-DOX纳米载药体系。通过透射电子显微镜（TEM）,X-射线光电子能谱仪（XPS）以及纳米粒度电位仪对合成的材料进行表征;利用紫外可见分光光度计测试MPRS的载药性能,采用荧光分光光度计考察MPRS-DOX的释药性能。结果：成功合成MPRS-DOX纳米载药体系,其粒径大小在200 nm左右,Zeta电位为+28.2 mV;其载药效率为86.8%,载药量为53.5%。体外释药实验表明,在10 mM 谷胱甘肽（GSH）和pH=5.5的条件下DOX释放量最多。结论：成功制备了粒径合适的MPRS-DOX纳米载药体系,MPRS-DOX具有GSH和pH双重响应性,可实现预期的模拟肿瘤微环境内控制释放药物。这种GSH和pH双重响应的纳米载药体系为新一代刺激响应型纳米载药系统的构建提供了新的思路。     

Basic concepts of fluid responsiveness

Predicting fluid responsiveness, the response of stroke volume to fluid loading, is a relatively novel concept that aims to optimise circulation, and as such organ perfusion, while avoiding futile and potentially deleterious fluid administrations in critically ill patients. Dynamic parameters have shown to be superior in predicting the response to fluid loading compared with static cardiac filling pressures. However, in routine clinical practice the conditions necessary for dynamic parameters to predict fluid responsiveness are frequently not met. Passive leg raising as a means to alter biventricular preload in combination with subsequent measurement of the change in stroke volume can provide a fast and accurate way to guide fluid management in a broad population of critically ill patients.     

Simulation of diffusion of O 2 and CO 2 in amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) and related alkylene and isomeric polyesters

The diffusion of small molecules through polymers is important in many areas of polymer science, such as gas barrier and separation membrane materials, polymeric foams, and in the processing and properties of polymers. Molecular simulation techniques have been applied to study the diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide as small molecule penetrants in models of bulk amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and related alkylene and isomeric polyesters. A bulk amorphous configuration with periodic boundary conditions made into a unit cell whose dimensions were determined for each of the simulated polyesters in the cell having the experimental density. The diffusion coefficients for O 2 and CO 2 were determined via NVE molecular dynamics simulations using the Dreiding 2.21 molecular mechanics force field over a range of temperatures (300, 500 and 600 K) using up to 3 ns simulation time. We have focussed on the influence of the temperature, polymer dynamics, number of CH 2 groups, density and free volume distribution on the diffusion properties. Correlation of diffusion coefficients with free volume and number of CH 2 groups was found.     

Truck Drivers Sleep-Wake Time Arrangements

Irregular working hours, including night work, change sleep-wake time arrangements which in turn might affect the ability to drive safely. This study aims to compare the effects of an irregular and a fixed day shift system on the sleep-wake cycle of truck drivers. The investigation of sleep-wake cycle was carried-out with 37 truck drivers working on two transportation plants: 24 working on irregular working hours and 13 on fixed day shift. The truck drivers filled out sleep logs and wore actigraphs for 10 consecutive days to identify activity and rest episodes. The group working in irregular hours showed more sleep episodes per 24 h and they were shorter compared to the fixed shift group (p < 0.05). No differences were found between the two transportation plants. These results suggest an the influence of working hours on specific sleep-wake patterns. The polyphasic sleep pattern shown by irregular shift group could be a strategy to cope with sleep deprivation, which may account for their difficulty to resist falling asleep behind the wheel.     

床旁超声联合血乳酸对感染性休克患者容量反应性的预测价值分析

目的:研究床旁超声与血乳酸(LAC)联合应用于感染性休克患者容量反应性预测中的效能。方法:选取2015年10月~2017年10月于我院接受治疗的120例感染性休克患者进行研究。对所有患者均开展补液试验,并按照试验结果的差异将其分作反应组63例和无反应组57例。对两组人员均实施床旁超声检查以及LAC水平检测,并对比相关指标水平。通过Pearson相关性分析明确感染性休克患者床旁超声指标与LAC水平的关系。采用受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线分析床旁超声与LAC联合预测上述患者容量反应性的效能。结果:两组补液后平均动脉压(MAP)、中心静脉压(CVP)均高于补液前(P<0.05),反应组补液前下腔静脉呼吸变异率(△IVC)、主动脉峰值流速呼吸变异率(△VpeakAO)、肱动脉最大速度变异率(△VpeakBA)高于补液后及无反应组(P<0.05)。两组补液后LAC水平均低于补液前,且反应组低于无反应组(P<0.05)。经Pearson相关性分析可得:感染性休克患者LAC水平与△IVC、△VpeakAO、△VpeakBA均呈正相关(P<0.05)。经ROC曲线分析可知:床旁超声联合LAC预测感染性休克患者容量反应性的曲线下面积、灵敏度、特异度以及约登指数均高于床旁超声和LAC单独预测。结论:感染性休克患者补液后LAC水平降低,床旁超声联合LAC预测感染性休克患者容量反应性的效能较高,具有一定的临床应用价值。     

The influence of the reference electrode location on the M−wave characteristics in the quadriceps

IntroductionIn the compound muscle action potential (M wave) recorded using the belly-tendon configuration, the contribution of the tendon electrode is assumed to be negligible compared to the belly electrode. We tested this assumption by placing the reference electrode at a distant (contralateral) site, which allowed separate recording of the belly and tendon contributions.MethodsM waves were recorded at multiple selected sites over the right quadriceps heads and lower leg using two different locations for the reference electrode: the ipsilateral (right) and contralateral (left) patellar tendon. The general parameters of the M wave (amplitude, area, duration, latency, and frequency) were measured.Results(1) The tendon potential had a small amplitude (<30%) compared to the belly potential; (2) Changing the reference electrode from the ipsilateral to the contralateral patella produced moderate changes in the M wave recorded over the innervation zone, these changes affecting significantly the amplitude of the M−wave second phase (p = 0.006); (3) Using the contralateral reference system allowed recording of short-latency components occurring immediately after the stimulus artefact, which had the same latency and amplitude (p = 0.18 and 0.25, respectively) at all recording sites over the leg.ConclusionsThe potential recorded at the “tendon” site after femoral nerve stimulation is small (compared to the belly potential), but not negligible, and makes a significant contribution to the second phase of belly-tendon M wave. Adopting a distant (contralateral) reference allowed recording of far-field components that may aid in the understanding of the electrical formation of the M wave.