Using General Anesthesia plus Muscle Relaxant in a Patient with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type IV: A Case Report

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic disease characterized by degeneration of spinal cord motor neurons, which results in hypotonia and muscle weakness. Patients with type IV SMA often have onset of weakness from adulthood. Anesthetic management is often difficult in these patients as a result of muscle weakness and hypersensitivity to neuromuscular blocking agents as shown by (Lunn and Wang; 2008, Simic; 2008, and Cifuentes-Diaz et al.; 2002). Herein we report a case of anesthetic management of a patient with SMA type IV for mammectomy and review some other cases of SMA patients receiving different kinds of anesthesia

The sequence flanking the N-terminus of the CLV3 peptide is critical for its cleavage and activity in stem cell regulation in Arabidopsis

The "Shakespeare Authorship Question"—regarding the identity of the poet-playwright—has been debated for over 150 years. Now, with the growing list of signatories to the "Declaration of Reasonable Doubt," the creation of a Master's Degree program in Authorship Studies at Brunel University in London, the opening of the Shakespeare Authorship Research Studies Center at the Library of Concordia University in Portland, and the release of two competing high-profile books both entitled Shakespeare Beyond Doubt, academic libraries are being presented with a unique and timely opportunity to participate in and encourage this debate, which has long been considered a taboo subject in the academy.https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/280

Molecular mechanism of ethylene stimulation of latex yield in rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) revealed by de novo sequencing and transcriptome analysis

Differential expression of unigenes involved in hormone signaling in E8 and E24 compared to C samples of Hevea brasiliensis. Ethylene signalling pathway: ETR1: ETHYLENE RESPONSE 1; CTR1: CONSTITUTIVE TRIPLE RESPONSE 1; EIN2: ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 2; EIN3: ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3; ERF1/2: ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 1/2; EBF1/2: EIN3 binding F-Box protein 1/2; BR signaling pathway: BRI1: Brassinosteroid-Insensitive 1; BAK1: BRI1-associated kinase 1; BKI1: BRI1 KINASE INHIBITOR 1; BSK: BR SIGNALING KINASE; BSU1: bri1 SUPPRESSOR 1; BIN2: BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE 2; BZR1/2: BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1/2; TCH: TOUCH genes; CYCD3: CYCLIN D3; GA signaling pathway: GID1: GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF 1; GID2: GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF 2; DELLAs: DELLA growth inhibitors; TF: transcriptional factor; Auxin signaling pathway: AUX1: AUXIN1; TIR1: TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1; IAA: INDOLE ACETIC ACID; ARF: AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR; SAUR: Small Auxin-Up RNA; G10H: geraniol 10-hydroxylase gene; Cytokinin signaling pathway: CRE1: CYTOKININ RESPONSE 1; AHP: histidine phosphotransfer protein; B-ARR: type-B response regulator (ARR); A-ARR: type-A response regulator (ARR); SA signalling pathway: NPR1: Non-expressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1; TGA: the bZIP transcription factors; PR1: pathogenesis related protein 1; JA signaling pathway: JAR1: JASMONATES RESISTANT 1; JA-Ile: jasmonoyl isoleucine; JAZ: Jasmonate ZIM-domain-containing protein; MYC2: a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor; ORCA3: Octadecanoid-derivative Responsive Catharanthus AP2-domain gene; ABA signalling pathway: PYR1/PYLs: Pyrabactin Resistance Protein1/PYR-Like proteins; PP2Cs: protein phosphatases which fall under the category of type 2C; SnRK2: SNF1 (Sucrose-Nonfermenting Kinase1)-related protein kinase 2: ABF: ABA responsive element (ABRE) binding factors. Cells with gray border lines in the upper rows represent differentially expressed unigenes in E8 compared to C and cells with green border lines in the lower rows represent differentially expressed unigenes in E24 compared to C. Relative levels of expression are showed by a color gradient from low (blue) to high (red). (JPG 249 kb

Expressions and clinic significance of miRNA-143, miRNA- 34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101 and miRNA-218 in cervical cancer tissues

Purpose: To search for novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of cervical cancer, as well as novel therapeutic target for cervical cancer.Methods: A total of 96 cervical tissue specimens were collected from patients in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, out of which 10 were normal control. The remaining specimens (86) were cervical cancer specimens and were divided into 4 groups (A - D) based on tumor-biomarker levels of CA125 and SCC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction technology (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expressions of miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101 and miRNA-218 in the cervical cancer tissues.Results: The levels of CA125 (U/mL) and SCC (ug/L) expressed in normal control group and groups A - D were 11.75 and 0.73 (n = 10), 382 and 2.72 (n = 25), 912.9 and 3.93 (n = 21), 1675 and 5.87 (n = 29), and 2120 and 6.66 (n = 11), respectively. Furthermore, qRT-PCR results showed that the expressions of miRNA-944 and miRNA-218 in cervical cancer tissues were markedly up-regulated compared to normal control tissues (p < 0.01). In contrast, the expression level of miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, and miRNA-101 were significantly decreased (p < 0.01).Conclusion: The biomarkers, miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101 and miRNA-218, can be considered novel for early diagnosis of cervical cancer.Keywords: Cervical cancer, Biomarkers, miRNA-143, miRNA-34A, miRNA-944, miRNA-101, miRNA- 21

Comparison Analysis of Coal Biodesulfurization and Coal’s Pyrite Bioleaching with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (A. ferrooxidans) was applied in coal biodesulfurization and coal’s pyrite bioleaching. The result showed that A. ferrooxidans had significantly promoted the biodesulfurization of coal and bioleaching of coal’s pyrite. After 16 days of processing, the total sulfur removal rate of coal was 50.6%, and among them the removal of pyritic sulfur was up to 69.9%. On the contrary, after 12 days of processing, the coal’s pyrite bioleaching rate was 72.0%. SEM micrographs showed that the major pyrite forms in coal were massive and veinlets. It seems that the bacteria took priority to remove the massive pyrite. The sulfur relative contents analysis from XANES showed that the elemental sulfur (28.32%) and jarosite (18.99%) were accumulated in the biotreated residual coal. However, XRD and XANES spectra of residual pyrite indicated that the sulfur components were mainly composed of pyrite (49.34%) and elemental sulfur (50.72%) but no other sulfur contents were detected. Based on the present results, we speculated that the pyrite forms in coal might affect sulfur biooxidation process

Targeting arginase-II protects mice from high-fat-diet-induced hepatic steatosis through suppression of macrophage inflammation

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associates with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Hypoactive AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), hyperactive mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, and macrophage-mediated inflammation are mechanistically linked to NAFLD. Studies investigating roles of arginase particularly the extrahepatic isoform arginase-II (Arg-II) in obesity-associated NAFLD showed contradictory results. Here we demonstrate that Arg-II−/− mice reveal decreased hepatic steatosis, macrophage infiltration, TNF-α and IL-6 as compared to the wild type (WT) littermates fed high fat diet (HFD). A higher AMPK activation (no difference in mTOR signaling), lower levels of lipogenic transcription factor SREBP-1c and activity/expression of lipogenic enzymes were observed in the Arg-II−/− mice liver. Moreover, release of TNF-α and IL-6 from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) of Arg-II−/− mice is decreased as compared to WT-BMM. Conditioned medium from Arg-II−/−-BMM exhibits weaker activity to facilitate triglyceride synthesis paralleled with lower expression of SREBP-1c and SCD-1 and higher AMPK activation in hepatocytes as compared to that from WT-BMM. These effects of BMM conditioned medium can be neutralized by neutralizing antibodies against TNF-α and IL-6. Thus, Arg-II-expressing macrophages facilitate diet-induced NAFLD through TNF-α and IL-6 in obesity

Alternative O-GlcNAcylation/O-Phosphorylation of Ser16 Induce Different Conformational Disturbances to the N Terminus of Murine Estrogen Receptor β

SummarySerine and threonine residues in many proteins can be modified by either phosphorylation or GlcNAcylation. To investigate the mechanism of O-GlcNAc and O-phosphate's reciprocal roles in modulating the degradation and activity of murine estrogen receptor β (mER-β), the conformational changes induced by O-GlcNAcylation and O-phosphorylation of Ser16 in 17-mer model peptides corresponding to the N-terminal intrinsically disordered (ID) region of mER-β were studied by NMR techniques, circular dichroism (CD), and molecular dynamics simulations. Our results suggest that O-phosphorylation discourages the turn formation in the S15STG18 fragment. In contrast, O-GlcNAcylation promotes turn formation in this region. Thus, we postulate that the different changes of the local structure in the N-terminal S15STG18 fragment of mER-β caused by O-phosphate or O-GlcNAc modification might lead to the disturbances to the dynamic ensembles of the ID region of mER-β, which is related to its modulatory activity

Nrf2, a Potential Therapeutic Target against Oxidative Stress in Corneal Diseases

Corneal diseases are one of the major causes of blindness worldwide. Conservative medical agents, which may prevent sight-threatening corneal disease progression, are urgently desired. Numerous evidences have revealed the involvement of oxidative stress in various corneal diseases, such as corneal wound healing and Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD). Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)/Kelch-like erythroid-cell-derived protein with CNC homology- (ECH-) associated protein 1 (Keap1)/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling is well known as one of the main antioxidative defense systems. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to elucidate the different expression profiles of Nrf2 signaling as well as the underlying mechanisms in corneal diseases, implicating that Nrf2 may serve as a potentially promising therapeutic target for corneal diseases