Double In Situ Approach for the Preparation of Polymer Nanocomposite with Multi-functionality

A novel one-step synthetic route, the double in situ approach, is used to produce both TiO2nanoparticles and polymer (PET), and simultaneously forming a nanocomposite with multi-functionality. The method uses the release of water during esterification to hydrolyze titanium (IV) butoxide (Ti(OBu)4) forming nano-TiO2in the polymerization vessel. This new approach is of general significance in the preparation of polymer nanocomposites, and will lead to a new route in the synthesis of multi-functional polymer nanocomposites

C-Type Lectin in Chlamys farreri (CfLec-1) Mediating Immune Recognition and Opsonization

Background: C-type lectins are a superfamily of Ca 2+ dependent carbohydrate-recognition proteins that play significant diverse roles in nonself-recognition and clearance of invaders. Though they are well characterized in vertebrates, the study of the potential function and mechanism of C-type lectins in invertebrate immunity is still in its infancy. Methodology: A C-type lectin (CfLec-1) from scallop Chlamys farreri, a dominant cultured mollusk species in China, was selected to investigate its mRNA expression, localization and the possible functions in innate immunity in the present study. After scallop was stimulated by three typical PAMPs, the mRNA expression of CfLec-1 in hemocytes was poles apart. It was significantly up-regulated (p,0.01) after scallops were stimulated by LPS or b-glucan, but significantly down-regulated (p,0.01) after PGN stimulation. The binding ability of recombinant CfLec-1 (designated as rCfLec-1) towards eight PAMPs was investigated subsequently by PAMPs microarray, which revealed rCfLec-1 could bind LPS, PGN and mannan in vitro, indicating CfLec-1 served as a PRR involved in the pathogen recognition. Immunofluorescence assay with polyclonal antibody specific for CfLec-1 revealed that CfLec-1 was mainly located in the mantle and gill of the scallop. CfLec-1 could bind to the surface of scallop hemocytes and recruited hemocytes to enhance their encapsulation in vitro, and this process could be specifically blocked by anti-rCfLec-1 antibody. Meanwhile, rCfLec-1 could also enhance the phagocytic activity of scallop hemocytes against Escherichia coli

Set optimization - a rather short introduction

Recent developments in set optimization are surveyed and extended including various set relations as well as fundamental constructions of a convex analysis for set- and vector-valued functions, and duality for set optimization problems. Extensive sections with bibliographical comments summarize the state of the art. Applications to vector optimization and financial risk measures are discussed along with algorithmic approaches to set optimization problems

A Novel Splicing Mutation Alters DSPP Transcription and Leads to Dentinogenesis Imperfecta Type II

Dentinogenesis imperfecta (DGI) type II is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by a serious disorders in teeth. Mutations of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) gene were revealed to be the causation of DGI type II (DGI-II). In this study, we identified a novel mutation (NG_011595.1:g.8662T>C, c.135+2T>C) lying in the splice donor site of intron 3 of DSPP gene in a Chinese Han DGI-II pedigree. It was found in all affected subjects but not in unaffected ones or other unrelated healthy controls. The function of the mutant DSPP gene, which was predicted online and subsequently confirmed by in vitro splicing analysis, was the loss of splicing of intron 3, leading to the extended length of DSPP mRNA. For the first time, the functional non-splicing of intron was revealed in a novel DSPP mutation and was considered as the causation of DGI-II. It was also indicated that splicing was of key importance to the function of DSPP and this splice donor site might be a sensitive mutation hot spot. Our findings combined with other reports would facilitate the genetic diagnosis of DGI-II, shed light on its gene therapy and help to finally conquer human diseases

AB-QTL analysis in winter wheat: II. Genetic analysis of seedling and field resistance against leaf rust in a wheat advanced backcross population

The present study aimed to localize exotic quantitative trait locus (QTL) alleles for the improvement of leaf rust (P.triticina) resistance in an advanced backcross (AB) population, B22, which is derived from a cross between the winter wheat cultivar Batis (Triticumaestivum) and the synthetic wheat accession Syn022L. The latter was developed from hybridization of T.turgidum ssp. dicoccoides and T.tauschii. Altogether, 250 BC2F3 lines of B22 were assessed for seedling resistance against the leaf rust isolate 77WxR under controlled conditions. In addition, field resistance against leaf rust was evaluated by assessing symptom severity under natural infestation across multiple environments. Simultaneously, population B22 was genotyped with a total of 97 SSR markers, distributed over the wheat A, B and D genomes. The phenotype and genotype data were subjected to QTL analysis by applying a 3-factorial mixed model analysis of variance including the marker genotype as a fixed effect and the environments, the lines and the marker by environment interactions as random effects. The QTL analysis revealed six putative QTLs for seedling resistance and seven for field resistance. For seedling resistance, the effects of exotic QTL alleles improved resistance at all detected loci. The maximum decrease of disease symptoms (−46.3%) was associated with marker locus Xbarc149 on chromosome 1D. For field resistance, two loci had stable main effects across environments and five loci exhibited marker by environment interaction effects. The strongest effects were detected at marker locus Xbarc149 on chromosome 1D, at which the exotic allele decreased seedling symptoms by 46.3% and field symptoms by 43.6%, respectively. Some of the detected QTLs co-localized with known resistance genes, while others appear to be as novel resistance loci. Our findings indicate, that the exotic wheat accession Syn022L may be useful for the improvement of leaf rust resistance in cultivated wheat

Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes as Determined by Glycated Haemoglobin A1c and Glucose Levels in a Developing Southern Chinese Population

BACKGROUND: The American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization have recently adopted the HbA1c measurement as one method of diagnostic criteria for diabetes. The change in diagnostic criteria has important implications for diabetes treatment and prevention. We therefore investigate diabetes using HbA1c and glucose criteria together, and assess the prevalent trend in a developing southern Chinese population with 85 million residents. METHODS: A stratified multistage random sampling method was applied and a representative sample of 3590 residents 18 years of age or above was obtained in 2010. Each participant received a full medical check-up, including measurement of fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour post-load plasma glucose, and HbA1c. Information on history of diagnosis and treatment of diabetes was collected. The prevalence of diabetes obtained from the present survey was compared with the data from the survey in 2002. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes based on both glucose and HbA1c measurements was 21.7% (95% CI: 17.4%-26.1%) in 2010, which suggests that more than 1 in 5 adult residents were suffering from diabetes in this developing population. Only 12.9% (95% CI: 8.3%-17.6%) of diabetic residents were aware of their condition. The prevalence of pre-diabetes was 66.3% (95% CI: 62.7%-69.8%). The prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes which met all the three diagnostic thresholds (fast plasma glucose, 2 hour post-load plasma glucose, and HbA1c) was 3.1% and 5.2%, respectively. Diabetes and pre-diabetes as determined by HbA1c measurement had higher vascular risk than those determined by glucose levels. The prevalence of diabetes increased from 2.9% (95% CI: 2.0%-3.7%) in 2002 to 13.8% (95% CI: 10.2%-17.3%) in 2010 based on the same glucose criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the diabetes epidemic is accelerating in China. The awareness of diabetes is extremely low. The glucose test and HbA1c measurement should be used together to increase detection of diabetes and pre-diabetes

The sudden change phenomenon of quantum discord

Even if the parameters determining a system's state are varied smoothly, the behavior of quantum correlations alike to quantum discord, and of its classical counterparts, can be very peculiar, with the appearance of non-analyticities in its rate of change. Here we review this sudden change phenomenon (SCP) discussing some important points related to it: Its uncovering, interpretations, and experimental verifications, its use in the context of the emergence of the pointer basis in a quantum measurement process, its appearance and universality under Markovian and non-Markovian dynamics, its theoretical and experimental investigation in some other physical scenarios, and the related phenomenon of double sudden change of trace distance discord. Several open questions are identified, and we envisage that in answering them we will gain significant further insight about the relation between the SCP and the symmetry-geometric aspects of the quantum state space.Comment: Lectures on General Quantum Correlations and their Applications, F. F. Fanchini, D. O. Soares Pinto, and G. Adesso (Eds.), Springer (2017), pp 309-33

Internet addiction: a 21st century epidemic?

Internet addiction, while not yet officially codified within a psychopathological framework, is growing both in prevalence and within the public consciousness as a potentially problematic condition with many parallels to existing recognized disorders. The rapid and unfettered increase in the number of people accessing a relatively unrestricted internet substantially increases the possibility that those suffering with an underlying psychological comorbidity may be at serious risk of developing an addiction to the internet, lending further credence to this hitherto understudied condition. In this commentary, I outline my recommendations for improved diagnosis, study and prevention of internet addiction

The chromosome content and genotype of two wheat cell lines and of their somatic fusion product with oat

Somatic hybridization seeks to genetically combine phylogenetically distant parents. An effective system has been established in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) involving protoplasts from a non-totipotent cell line adapted to in vitro culture (T1) in combination with totipotent protoplasts harvested from embryogenic calli (T2). Here, we report the karyotype and genotype of T1 and T2. Line T1 carries nine A (A-genome of wheat), seven B (B-genome of wheat) and eight D (D-genome of wheat) genome chromosomes, while T2 cells have 12 A, 10 B and 12 D genome chromosomes. Rates of chromosome aberration in the B- and D-genomes were more than 25%, higher than in the A-genome. DNA deletion rates were 55.6% in T1 and 19.4% in T2, and DNA variation rates were 8.3% in T1 and 13.9% in T2. Rate of DNA elimination was B- > D- > A-genome in both T1 and T2. The same set of cytological and genetic assays was applied to a derivative of the somatic fusion between protoplasts of T1, T2 and oat (Avena sativa L.). The regenerant plants were near euploid with respect to their wheat complement. Six wheat chromosome arms—4AL, 3BS, 4BL, 3DS, 6DL and 7DL—carried small introgressed segments of oat chromatin. A genotypic analysis of the hybrid largely confirmed this cytologically-based diagnosis