In vitro molecular pattern classification via DNA-based weighted-sum operation

Recent progress in molecular computation suggests the possibility of pattern classification in vitro. Weighted sum is a primitive operation required by many pattern classification problems. Here we present a DNA-based molecular computation method for implementing the weighted-sum operation and its use for molecular pattern classification in a test tube. The weights of the classifier are encoded as the mixing ratios of the differentially labeled probe DNA molecules, which are competitively hybridized with the input-encoding target molecules to compute the decision boundary of classification. The computation result is detected by fluorescence signals. We experimentally verify the underlying weight encoding scheme and demonstrate successful discrimination of two-group labels of synthetic DNA mixture patterns. The method can be used for direct computation on biomolecular data in a liquid state.     

A combined physical and physiological dormancy controls seasonal seedling emergence of Geranium robertianum

Temperate forest herbs with seeds exhibiting both a physical and a physiological dormancy mechanism are rare, and knowledge on the factors regulating germination of these species is fragmentary. The biennial Geranium robertianum L. grows mainly in temperate woodlands, but can also be found in exposed habitats. Seedlings of G. robertianum are known to emerge from spring until autumn, but little is known about the environmental factors regulating germination. In this study, phenology of seedling emergence and of physical dormancy loss was examined for seeds buried at shaded or sunny exposed locations. The role of temperature in regulating dormancy and germination was analysed by incubating seeds in temperature sequences simulating temperatures that seeds experience in nature. The results indicate that most seeds of G. robertianum buried in sunny conditions germinate immediately after physical dormancy loss in summer. Seeds buried in shaded conditions also lose physical dormancy mainly during summer, but remain physiologically dormant and do not germinate until late winter or early spring. Besides physical dormancy, seeds of G. robertianum also initially have a high level of physiological dormancy, which is reduced during dry storage. Physiological dormancy is reduced through chilling in winter, thus enabling the seeds to germinate at low temperatures. We conclude that a complex combination of physical and physiological dormancy ensures that G. robertianum seeds germinate in summer at exposed sites and in early spring at shaded sites.     

RIKEN structural genomics beamlines at the SPring-8; high throughput protein crystallography with automated beamline operation

RIKEN Structural Genomics Beamlines, BL26B1 & BL26B2 at the SPring-8, have been constructed for the structural genomics research. The main feature of the beamline is full automation of the successive data collections to maximize the beam-time efficiency. The beamline optics adopted a standard design commonly used for the SPring-8 bending magnet beamlines. Beamline instruments are operated by centralized control system through the computer network to achieve the automatic operation. The core part of the beamline development is a sample management system composed of sample changer robots for laboratory and beamline, and a networked sample database. BL26B1 has started user operation, and the automatic operation with the sample management system has been implemented at BL26B2.     

老年白内障患者术前焦虑障碍的影响因素分析及对术后干眼症状和视觉相关生活质量的影响

摘要 目的：探讨老年白内障患者术前焦虑障碍的影响因素,并观察术前焦虑障碍对术后干眼症状和视觉相关生活质量的影响。方法：选择2020年12月~2022年5月期间江苏省人民医院眼科收治的老年白内障患者100例作为研究对象。所有患者入院第1天采用状态-特质焦虑问卷（STAI）评估焦虑状况,采用单因素和多因素Logistic回归分析老年白内障患者发生术前焦虑障碍的影响因素,并观察其对术后干眼症状和视觉相关生活质量的影响。结果：本研究100例老年白内障患者中,有46例患者出现术前焦虑障碍,占比46.00%,平均STAI评分为（59.27±3.16）分;有54例未出现术前焦虑障碍,占比54.00%,平均STAI评分为（35.39±5.28）分。根据是否出现术前焦虑障碍将患者分为焦虑障碍组（n=46）和无焦虑障碍组（n=54）。单因素分析显示,老年白内障患者术前焦虑障碍与年龄、性别、文化程度、家庭人均月收入、外科手术史、合并基础疾病种类、是否双眼白内障、付费方式、家庭关系有关（P<0.05）,而与婚姻状况、居住地无关（P>0.05）。年龄为60~69岁、家庭关系差、性别为女、文化程度为小学及以下、无外科手术史、双眼白内障、合并基础疾病种类为2种及以上是老年白内障患者发生术前焦虑障碍的危险因素（P<0.05）。焦虑障碍组术后干眼症状评分高于无焦虑障碍组（P<0.05）。焦虑障碍组社会角色限制、精神健康状态、社交功能、近距离工作、总体视觉情况、远距离工作、周边视野、独立性、一般健康状态、驾驶、色彩视觉、眼痛分值及总分均低于无焦虑障碍组（P<0.05）。结论：年龄、家庭关系、性别、文化程度、外科手术史、双眼白内障、合并基础疾病种类是老年白内障患者术前焦虑障碍的影响因素。老年白内障患者存在术前焦虑障碍可增加术后发生干眼症状的风险,并降低其视觉相关生活质量。     

腹腔镜下改良Soave术对先天性巨结肠患儿肛门功能、肠道菌群及生活质量的影响

摘要 目的：探讨腹腔镜下改良Soave术对先天性巨结肠患儿肛门功能、肠道菌群及生活质量的影响。方法：选取2019年5月~2022年3月期间本院接收的先天性巨结肠患儿68例,根据手术方案的不同将患儿分为常规组（常规经腹腔镜辅助下Soave术,32例）和改良组（腹腔镜下改良Soave术,36例）,比较两组临床指标、肛门功能、肠道菌群、生活质量的变化及并发症发生情况。结果：与常规组比较,改良组手术时间、术后肠蠕动时间、住院时间较短,术中出血量较少（P<0.05）。改良组的优良率高于常规组（P<0.05）。改良组术后3个月健康生活量表简表（SF-36）各维度评分高于常规组（P<0.05）。改良组术后3个月双歧杆菌、乳酸杆菌、粪肠球菌高于常规组（P<0.05）,大肠杆菌低于常规组（P<0.05）。改良组的中期并发症发生率、短期并发症发生率低于常规组（P<0.05）。结论：与常规经腹腔镜辅助下Soave术相比,先天性巨结肠患儿采用腹腔镜下改良Soave术治疗,在改善肛门功能、肠道菌群、生活质量、临床指标、降低并发症发生率等方面效果显著,临床应用价值较高。     

Ethanol production from starch by immobilized Aspergillus awamori and Saccharomyces pastorianus using cellulose carriers

A simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process was investigated to produce ethanol using two kinds of cellulose carriers that were respectively suitable for immobilization of Aspergillus awamori and Saccharomyces pastorianus. The maximum ethanol concentration attained by the batch operation was 25.5 g l⁻¹. Under suitable conditions, both cellulose carriers with immobilized cells could be reused efficiently for three cycles. The total amount of ethanol production was 66.0 g (per 1 l working volume) after the repeated operation. Ethanol productivity mainly depends on a saccharification process. There is a limit in durability in the repeated batch operation, and it is important to maintain high activity of the fungus in order to produce ethanol efficiently. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2001) 27, 52–57. Received 11 December 2000/ Accepted in revised form 02 June 2001     

The reverse operation of Na+/Cl−‐coupled neurotransmitter transporters – why amphetamines take two to tango

Sodium‐chloride coupled neurotransmitter transporters achieve reuptake of their physiological substrate by exploiting the pre‐existing sodium‐gradient across the cellular membrane. This terminates the action of previously released substrate in the synaptic cleft. However, a change of the transmembrane ionic gradients or specific binding of some psychostimulant drugs to these proteins, like amphetamine and its derivatives, induce reverse operation of neurotransmitter:sodium symporters. This effect eventually leads to an increase in the synaptic concentration of non‐exocytotically released neurotransmitters [and – in the case of the norepinephrine transporters, underlies the well‐known indirect sympathomimetic activity]. While this action has long been appreciated, the underlying mechanistic details have been surprisingly difficult to understand. Some aspects can be resolved by incorporating insights into the oligomeric nature of transporters, into the nature of the accompanying ion fluxes, and changes in protein kinase activities.     

Pathway of ammonia assimilation in illuminated Lemna minor

Plants of duckweed (Lemna minor) were grown under constant illumination and with a controlled supply of ammonium-N so as to maintain a constant low concentration. In two kinetic experiments (differing in illumination and N level) with ¹⁵N-ammonia, plants were periodically harvested and their free amino acids analysed for ¹⁵N abundance. Attempts were then made to fit the data by computer simulation models. Only models which had at least two or more intracellular compartments gave adequate fits. Two two-compartment models were tested fully. Both had in compartment 1 the glutamine synthetase-glutamate synthase cycle and in compartment 2 a second site of glutamine synthesis. In one model the glutamate for compartment 2 was derived by transport from compartment 1; in the second model it was synthesized from ammonia by glutamate dehydrogenase at a rate equivalent to 10% of the total N uptake. This second model was rejected after it was found that plants previously treated with methionine sulphoximine and aza-serine (inhibitors of the glutamate synthase cycle) were unable to incorporate ¹⁵N. In spite of wide differences in labelling pattern between the two experiments the first model gave acceptable fits to both when different pool sizes were allowed for. Operation of the glutamate synthase cycle was confirmed by the correspondence between model and data for labelling of glutamine amide, glutamine amino and glutamic acid. Consideration of enzyme distributions suggested that compartment 1 (the glutamate synthase system) is the chloroplasts and compartment 2 the cytosol. Analysis of asparagine and neutral amino acids made it possible to construct balance sheets for N uptake in the two experiments. They suggest that all glutamine synthesized in the chloroplast is used for glutamate and asparagine synthesis and that the cytosol enzyme meets the need of the cell for glutamine per se. The high turnover rates for asparagine indicate that this compound is an important intermediate even under steady state conditions, and carries between 20 and 50% of the products of N assimilation.     

Metformin attenuates post-epidural fibrosis by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 and HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathways

Excessive post-epidural fibrosis is a common cause of recurrent back pain after spinal surgery. Though various treatment methods have been conducted, the safe and effective drug for alleviating post-epidural fibrosis remains largely unknown. Metformin, a medicine used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, has been noted to relieve fibrosis in various organs. In the present study, we aimed to explore the roles and mechanisms of metformin in scar formation in a mouse model of laminectomy. Post-epidural fibrosis developed in a mouse model of laminectomy by spinous process and the T12-L2 vertebral plate with a rongeur. With the administration of metformin, post-epidural fibrosis was reduced, accompanied with decreased collagen and fibronectin in the scar tissues. Mechanistically, metformin decreased fibronectin and collagen deposition in fibroblast cells, and this effect was dependent on the HMGB1/TLR4 and TGF-β1/Smad3 signalling pathways. In addition, metformin influenced the metabolomics of the fibroblast cells. Taken together, our study suggests that metformin may be a potential option to mitigate epidural fibrosis after laminectomy.