Development of SSR and SNP markers for identifying opium poppy

Papaver somniferum L. (opium poppy) is the original plant of heroin, which is a major narcotic drug, and this plant has brought great harm to human health. However, the ban on opium poppy cultivation and trafficking is facing great challenges because of abnormal profits. Therefore, rapid and accurate identification is important to address the abovementioned problems. In this study, eleven simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers and two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were mined to distinguish opium poppy from other six Papaver species. These molecular markers were further verified through a large number of plant materials of these seven Papaver species. An excellent multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system that simultaneously amplifies the three of eleven SSR markers was developed, which effectively improves the efficiency and speed of identification. The present research is of great implication for identifying and investigating the illegal cultivation and trafficking of opium poppy.

     

In vitro evaluation of the intensifying photodynamic effect due to the presence of plasmonic hollow gold nanoshells loaded with methylene blue on breast and melanoma cancer cells

BackgroundHypoxia is one of the most important limiting factors in photodynamic therapy that can reduce the effectiveness of this treatment. By designing a nanocomplex of plasmonic nanoparticles and photosensitizers with similar optical properties, the rate of free oxygen radical production can be increased and the efficiency of photodynamic therapy can be improved. in this study, we tried to use the outstanding capacities of hollow gold nanoshells (HGNSs) as a plasmonic nanocarrier of methylene blue (MB) to improve the performance of photodynamic therapy.Methods and materialAfter synthesis and optimization of hollow gold nanoshells loaded with Methylene blue (HGNSs-PEG-MB), the characteristics of MB, HGNSs, HGNSs-PEG, HGNSs-PEG-MB, and their toxicity at different concentrations on the cell lines was determined. After determining of optimum concentration of nano agents, irradiation of cell was performed with non-coherent of light source with 670 nm wavelength and an intensity of 14.9 mW/cm². Twenty-four hours after irradiation, an MTT assay was used to determine cell survival percentage. To compare the results, we defined different indexes such as treatment efficiency (TE), synergism ratio (SYN), and the amount of exposure required for 50% cell death (ED50). All the tests were repeated at least four times on the DFW and MCF-7 cancer cell lines.ResultsFor combination therapies with Lumacare irradiated HGNSs-PEG-MB, the UC index was less than one for all concentrations (P < 0.05). Also, the IC50 index for this nanostructure in non-irradiated conditions and less than 9 min irradiation time was lower than other treatment groups (P < 0.05). ED50 amounts for HGNSs-PEG-MB in all concentrations were greater than the other groups. TE Index was also reported to be greater than 1 in all irradiation conditions and concentrations.ConclusionIn this study, HGNSs-PEG in the role of nanocarriers for methylene Blue was used. The results showed that irradiated HGNSs-PEG-MB by 670 nm light severely induced cell death and greatly improved the efficiency of photodynamic therapy in melanoma and breast cancer cells.     

Asthme chez un magasinier de l'industrie cosmétique

Methacrylate-induced asthma has been recognized as an occupational disease only since 1987, but since the 1940 s acrylates have been known to cause cutaneous allergic reactions such as contact dermatitis. Dental and orthodontic professionals are the most commonly affected by this allergy. The following case report describes a patient with asthma who worked in a cosmetics manufacturing plant where the main product was methacrylate-based nail glue. The patient was responsible for filling containers with this powdered product. When first seen, the patient's respiratory symptoms were not linked to his occupation or to his handling methacrylate, but subsequently allergy tests led to the diagnosis of occupational acrylate-induced asthma.     

趋化因子CXCL13及其受体CXCR5在1型糖尿病DPNP中的作用机制

目的 探讨趋化因子CXCL13及其受体CXCR5在1型糖尿病引发的糖尿病性周围神经病理性疼痛（DPNP）中的作用机制。方法 将36只C57BL/6小鼠随机分为C57BL/6空白对照组和C57BL/6模型组（每组18只）。C57BL/6模型组采用腹腔注射链脲佐菌素（60 mg/kg）构建1型糖尿病模型。每周观测小鼠的体质量、血糖、机械痛和热痛阈值。于第15周检测2组脊髓中趋化因子、趋化因子受体和促炎因子水平的变化以及血清中炎症因子的变化。在上述试验基础上,再分别取12只C57BL/6小鼠和12只CXCR5^-/-小鼠按前述方法分别设立对照组和模型组（每组6只）,于第4周检测各组机械痛敏、第6周检测热痛敏。结果 C57BL/6模型组小鼠的脊髓中CXCL13和CXCR5等趋化因子及其受体的mRNA明显上调（P均<0.05）。C57BL/6模型组小鼠血糖升高、体质量减少,第4周的机械痛阈值降低、第6周的热痛阈值降低（P均<0.05）,但CXCR5^-/-模型组小鼠机械痛和热痛阈值无变化。与C57BL/6空白对照组比较,C57BL/6模型组小鼠的星形胶质细胞标志物胶质纤维酸性蛋白、小型胶质细胞标志物离子钙结合衔接分子1以及炎症因子标志物环氧化酶-2、IL-1β以及磷酸化的丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（ERK）和信号转导和转录激活因子3（STAT3）的水平升高（P均<0.05）;血清中炎症因子IL-6、TNF-α和IL-1β蛋白水平升高（P均<0.01）。结论 趋化因子CXCL13及其受体CXCR5的激活或可促使1型糖尿病DPNP的发生,相关机制可能是通过激活胶质细胞与磷酸化的ERK、STAT3和炎症因子表达实现的。     

Wireless Capsule Endoscopy Video Reduction Based on Camera Motion Estimation

Wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE) is a novel technology aiming for investigating the diseases and abnormalities in small intestine. The major drawback of WCE examination is that it takes a long time to examine the whole WCE video. In this paper, we present a new reduction scheme for WCE video to reduce the examination time. To achieve this task, a WCE video motion model is proposed. Under this motion model, the WCE imaging motion is estimated in two stages (the coarse level and the fine level). In the coarse level, the WCE camera motion is estimated with a combination of Bee Algorithm and Mutual Information. In the fine level, the local gastrointestinal tract motion is estimated with SIFT flow. Based on the result of WCE imaging motion estimation, the reduction scheme preserves key images in WCE video with scene changes. From experimental results, we notice that the proposed motion model is suitable for the motion estimation in successive WCE images. Through the comparison with APRS and FCM-NMF scheme, our scheme can produce an acceptable reduction sequence for browsing and examination.     

Encapsulation of single cells on a microfluidic device integrating droplet generation with fluorescence-activated droplet sorting

Encapsulation of single cells is a challenging task in droplet microfluidics due to the random compartmentalization of cells dictated by Poisson statistics. In this paper, a microfluidic device was developed to improve the single-cell encapsulation rate by integrating droplet generation with fluorescence-activated droplet sorting. After cells were loaded into aqueous droplets by hydrodynamic focusing, an on-flight fluorescence-activated sorting process was conducted to isolate droplets containing one cell. Encapsulation of fluorescent polystyrene beads was investigated to evaluate the developed method. A single-bead encapsulation rate of more than 98 % was achieved under the optimized conditions. Application to encapsulate single HeLa cells was further demonstrated with a single-cell encapsulation rate of 94.1 %, which is about 200 % higher than those obtained by random compartmentalization. We expect this new method to provide a useful platform for encapsulating single cells, facilitating the development of high-throughput cell-based assays.     

Highly crystalline nickel hexacyanoferrate as a long-life cathode material for sodium-ion batteries

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) are attractive cathode candidates for high energy density, including long life-cycle rechargeable batteries, due to their non-toxicity, facile synthesis techniques and low cost. Nevertheless, traditionally synthesized PBAs tend to have a flawed crystal structure with a large amount of [Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ openings and the presence of crystal water in the framework; therefore the specific capacity achieved has continuously been low with poor cycling stability. Herein, we demonstrate low-defect and sodium-enriched nickel hexacyanoferrate nanocrystals synthesized by a facile low-speed co-precipitation technique assisted by a chelating agent to overcome these problems. As a consequence, the prepared high-quality nickel hexacyanoferrate (HQ-NiHCF) exhibited a high specific capacity of 80 mA h g⁻¹ at 15 mA g⁻¹ (with a theoretical capacity of ∼85 mA h g⁻¹), maintaining a notable cycling stability (78 mA h g⁻¹ at 170 mA g⁻¹ current density) without noticeable fading in capacity retention after 1200 cycles. This low-speed synthesis strategy for PBA-based electrode materials could be also extended to other energy storage materials to fabricate high-performance rechargeable batteries.

A low-speed synthesis strategy was designed to fabricate Prussian blue analog based electrode materials for high-performance rechargeable batteries.     

The effect of surfactants on hydrate particle agglomeration in liquid hydrocarbon continuous systems: a molecular dynamics simulation study

Anti-agglomerants (AAs), both natural and commercial, are currently being considered for gas hydrate risk management of petroleum pipelines in offshore operations. However, the molecular mechanisms of the interaction between the AAs and gas hydrate surfaces and the prevention of hydrate agglomeration remain critical and complex questions that need to be addressed to advance this technology. Here, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the effect of model surfactant molecules (polynuclear aromatic carboxylic acids) on the agglomeration behaviour of gas hydrate particles and disruption of the capillary liquid bridge between hydrate particles. The results show that the anti-agglomeration pathway can be divided into two processes: the spontaneous adsorption effect of surfactant molecules onto the hydrate surface and the weakening effect of the intensity of the liquid bridge between attracted hydrate particles. The MD simulation results also indicate that the anti-agglomeration effectiveness of surfactants is determined by the intrinsic nature of their molecular functional groups. Additionally, we find that surfactant molecules can affect hydrate growth, which decreases hydrate particle size and correspondingly lower the risk of hydrate agglomeration. This study provides molecular-level insights into the anti-agglomeration mechanism of surfactant molecules, which can aid in the ultimate application of natural or commercial AAs with optimal anti-agglomeration properties.

Schematic of anti-agglomeration effect of surfactants promoting gas hydrate particle dispersion.     

顶空气相色谱法检测他达拉非原料药中4种溶剂残留量

目的建立测定他达拉非原料药中4种常见溶剂(甲醇、乙腈、异丙醇、四氢呋喃)残留量的顶空气相色谱法。方法采用顶空进样方式,分离柱采用DB-624柱(30 m×0.53 mm,3.0μm),程序升温,进样口温度为230℃,分流比为5∶1,载气为高纯氮气(纯度为99.999%),载气流速为1.8 mL/min;采用氢火焰离子化检测器检测,检测器温度为250℃。外标法定量。结果甲醇、乙腈、异丙醇、四氢呋喃的质量浓度线性范围分别为0.66~1.5 mg/mL,0.0082~0.205 mg/mL,0.06~1.5 mg/mL,0.0144~0.36 mg/mL;平均加样回收率分别为101.22%,100.59%,97.74%,100.73%,RSD分别为4.67%,2.63%,1.01%,2.28%(n=6);检测限分别为2μg/mL,8μg/mL,5μg/mL,6μg/mL。结论该方法操作简单,灵敏度高,准确性好,为可他达拉非中有机溶剂残留量的控制提供依据。