Classification of rice (oryza sativa l. japonica nipponbare) immunophilins (fkbps, cyps) and expression patterns under water stress

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>FK506 binding proteins (FKBPs) and cyclophilins (CYPs) are abundant and ubiquitous proteins belonging to the peptidyl-prolyl <it>cis/trans </it>isomerase (PPIase) superfamily, which regulate much of metabolism through a chaperone or an isomerization of proline residues during protein folding. They are collectively referred to as immunophilin (IMM), being present in almost all cellular organs. In particular, a number of IMMs relate to environmental stresses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>FKBP and CYP proteins in rice (<it>Oryza sativa </it>cv. Japonica) were identified and classified, and given the appropriate name for each IMM, considering the ortholog-relation with <it>Arabidopsis </it>and <it>Chlamydomonas </it>or molecular weight of the proteins. 29 FKBP and 27 CYP genes can putatively be identified in rice; among them, a number of genes can be putatively classified as orthologs of <it>Arabidopsis </it>IMMs. However, some genes were novel, did not match with those of <it>Arabidopsis </it>and <it>Chlamydomonas</it>, and several genes were paralogs by genetic duplication. Among 56 IMMs in rice, a significant number are regulated by salt and/or desiccation stress. In addition, their expression levels responding to the water-stress have been analyzed in different tissues, and some subcellular IMMs located by means of tagging with GFP protein.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Like other green photosynthetic organisms such as <it>Arabidopsis </it>(23 FKBPs and 29 CYPs) and <it>Chlamydomonas </it>(23 FKBs and 26 CYNs), rice has the highest number of IMM genes among organisms reported so far, suggesting that the numbers relate closely to photosynthesis. Classification of the putative FKBPs and CYPs in rice provides the information about their evolutional/functional significance when comparisons are drawn with the relatively well studied genera, <it>Arabidopsis </it>and <it>Chlamydomonas</it>. In addition, many of the genes upregulated by water stress offer the possibility of manipulating the stress responses in rice.</p

Assessing the quality of reports about randomized controlled trials of scalp acupuncture combined with another treatment for stroke

Abstract Background This study was designed to assess the quality of reporting on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of scalp acupuncture for the treatment of stroke. Methods The following 8 databases were systematically investigated from their inception to December 2015: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, National Institute of Informatics Scholarly and Academic Information Navigator, National Digital Science Library, Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal, and Korean Studies Information Service System. RCTs utilizing scalp acupuncture as an intervention for stroke were selected, and the quality of reports was assessed based on the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials 2010 statement (CONSORT) and Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture 2010 (STRICTA). For each study, the overall quality score (OQS) of 13 CONSORT items, a combined key methodological index score (MIS) of 5 CONSORT items, and the OQS of 17 STRICTA items were measured. Results The original reports of 63 RCTs were ultimately obtained, and the median CONSORT OQS was 7 (minimum 2, maximum 11). Particularly, the items ‘trial design’, ‘sample size’, ‘ancillary analyses’, and ‘harms’ had a positive rate of less than 10%. The median MIS was 1 (minimum 0, maximum 5), with ‘allocation concealment and implementation’ and ‘intent-to-treat analysis (ITT) analysis’ having a positive rate of less than 10%. The median STRICTA OQS was 11 (minimum 6, maximum 14), and only the items ‘sample size’ and ‘intent-to-treat analysis’ were reported, with a positive rate of less than 10%. The mean CONSORT OQS increased by approximately 0.81 for each 5-year period in which manuscripts were published (95% confidence interval: 0.43 to 1.19; p < 0.001). No variable was significantly associated with MIS in the ordinal regression model. Conclusion The quality of reports on RCTs investigating scalp acupuncture treatment for stroke was moderate to low. Furthermore, reporting of some items was either insufficient or inadequate in the majority of studies. In order to improve and standardize the quality of RCTs investigating scalp acupuncture for stroke, CONSORT and STRICTA guidelines should be utilized more frequently

Assessing the quality of reports about randomized controlled trials of scalp acupuncture treatment for vascular dementia

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the quality of reports about randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of scalp acupuncture (SA) for the treatment of vascular dementia (VD). Method A systematic search of reports published through to December 2015 was performed in eight databases. The quality of RCTs that used SA as an intervention for VD was evaluated based on the 2010 Consolidated Standards for Reporting of Trials (CONSORT) and 2010 Standards for Reporting Interventions in Controlled Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) guidelines. Thirteen items from the CONSORT guideline were scored to give an overall quality score (OQS, range 0–13), and a combined key methodological index score (MIS) (range 0–5) of five key methodological items was measured. The OQS of 17 items from the STRICTA guideline (range 0–17) was also measured. Results In total, 26 reports were evaluated. The median OQS based on the CONSORT guideline was 8 (minimum 5, maximum 11), and “trial design,” “sample size,” “ancillary analyses,” and “harms” had a positive rate of less than 10%. The median MIS was 2 (minimum 0, maximum 5), with “allocation concealment and implementation,” “blinding,” and “intent-to-treat analysis” having a positive rate of less than 15%. The median OQS based on the STRICTA guideline was 12 (minimum 8, maximum 14), with “extent to which treatment was varied (1c),” “number of needle insertions per subject per session (2a),” and “setting and context of treatment (4b)” having a positive rate of less than 10%. Conclusions The overall quality of reports on RCTs of SA treatment for VD was moderate to low. The quality of methodological items was markedly lower than that of other items. The CONSORT and STRICTA guidelines should be used more frequently to standardize the quality of RCT reports of SA treatment for VD

Comportement mécanique de panneaux en bois lamellé croisé régulièrement espacés. : Modélisation et validation expérimentale en condition ambiante et exposée au feu

Cross Laminated Timber (CLT, or crosslam) panels are engineered timber products composed of layers made of wooden lamellas placed side by side, glued on their upperand lower faces and stacked crosswise. In the present thesis, the influence of lateral spaces between lamellas of each layer on the panel’s mechanical response is investigated with modeling and tests. Both configurations of standard panels having short spaces and innovative CLT panels with large spaces are analyzed.As a first approach, the bending behavior of standard crosslam was modeled by means of an equivalent-layer model based on simplified hypotheses on mechanical properties of laterally glued or unglued layers. The good agreement of the predicted behavior with an experiment of the literature finally allowed an investigation on several CLT properties by means of parameter studies.Then, 4-points bending tests on standard and innovative CLT floors were performed in order to quantify the influence of periodic spaces on the panels' mechanical response. It appears that the influence of transverse shear effects on the elastic and failure behavior of spaced CLT increases with the increasing spaces between boards.In order to take into account transverse shear effects, spaced CLT have been modeled as periodic thick plates by means of a higher-order plate theory for laminated plates. This model has been applied to the geometry of spaced CLT with a periodic homogenization scheme. Existing simplified methods for spaced crosslam were compared as well with refined modeling and test results. Moreover, available in-plane shear tests of the literature have been compared to the modeling results. It appears that the bending behavior of spaced CLT can be predicted with simplified existing approaches, while only the more refined modeling can predict the in-plane and transverse shear behavior. Then, closed-form solutions for predicting spaced CLT elastic behavior were derived in order to encourage the application of spaced CLT panels in modern timber construction.One further study within this thesis concerns the analysis of fire-exposed standard CLT floors. The comparison between test results and both advanced and simplified modeling led to a suggestion for a possible improvement the standard fire design modelLes panneaux en bois lamellé croisé (en anglais CLT - Cross Laminated Timber) sont des éléments de structure composés de couches en bois collées entre eleese et empilées de façon croisée. Chaque couche est composée de planches en bois juxtaposées et généralement non collées sur leur chants. Dans cette thèse, nous étudions l'influence sur le comportement mécanique des espacements entre planches des panneaux avec une approche par modélisation et expérimentation. Les panneaux CLT standard sont considérés comme des panneaux avec des espacements de très faible dimension par opposition aux panneaux avec espacements importants que nous appelons panneaux innovants. Nous modélisons dans un premier temps le comportement en flexion de panneaux standard à l'aide d'un modèle de couche homogène équivalente basée sur des hypothèses simplifiées de la mécanique d'une couche avec chants collés ou non collés. Nous observons un bon accord entre les résultats de notre modélisation et des résultats expérimentaux issus de la littérature. Des études paramétriques sont ensuite réalisés portant sur certaines propriétés des panneaux.Nous avons ensuite réalisé des essais de flexion 4-points sur des panneaux CLT standard et innovants pour quantifier l'influence des espacements sur la réponse mécanique des panneaux. Il se trouve que l'influence des effets de cisaillement transverse sur le comportement élastique et à la rupture augmente avec l'augmentation des vides dans le panneau.Afin de prendre correctement en compte les effets du cisaillement, les CLT espacés sont modélisés comme des plaques épaisses périodiques à l'aide d'un modèle de plaque d'ordre supérieur. Ce modèle a été appliqué à la géométrie des panneaux CLT espacés avec un schéma d'homogénéisation périodique. Des méthodes simplifiées existantes ont également été comparées avec les résultats des essais et le modèle de plaque. De plus, des résultats d'essais de cisaillement dans le plan des panneaux CLT standard issus de la littérature ont été comparés avec nos résultats. La raideur de flexion des CLT espacés peut être prédite avec des méthodes simples existantes, alors que seule la modélisation que nous proposons permet de prédire le comportement en cisaillement transverse et dans le plan. Finalement, des formules analytiques ont été obtenues pour prédire le comportement élastique des CLT espacés. Ces formules donnent une bonne approximation u comportement des CLT espacés et peuvent être utilisées dans le cadre d'une démarche pratique de dimensionnement.Enfin, une étude concernant l'analyse du comportement au feu des panneaux CLT standard est présentée. La comparaison entre des résultats d'essais au feu et une modélisations avancée et simplifiée a permis de proposer une possible amélioration de la méthode de dimensionnement au feu standar

Experiments and calculations of cnoidal wave loads on a coastal-bridge deck with girders

Medical Device Clinical Trial Plan Approval number 516. (DOCX 527 kb

Additional file 3: of Scalp acupuncture and electromagnetic convergence stimulation for patients with cerebral infarction: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

The Institutional Review Board of Chonnam National University Hospital approval of this study (CNUH-2015-114). (DOCX 1609 kb