Adaptation mechanism of three Impatiens species to different habitats based on stem morphology, lignin and MYB4 gene.

BACKGROUND: Impatiens is an important genus with rich species of garden plants, and its distribution is extremely extensive, which is reflected in its diverse ecological environment. However, the specific mechanisms of Impatiens' adaptation to various environments and the mechanism related to lignin remain unclear. RESULTS: Three representative Impatiens species,Impatiens chlorosepala (wet, low degree of lignification), Impatiens uliginosa (aquatic, moderate degree of lignification) and Impatiens rubrostriata (terrestrial, high degree of lignification), were selected and analyzed for their anatomical structures, lignin content and composition, and lignin-related gene expression. There are significant differences in anatomical parameters among the stems of three Impatiens species, and the anatomical structure is consistent with the determination results of lignin content. Furthermore, the thickness of the xylem and cell walls, as well as the ratio of cell wall thickness to stem diameter have a strong correlation with lignin content. The anatomical structure and degree of lignification in Impatiens can be attributed to the plant's growth environment, morphology, and growth rate. Our analysis of lignin-related genes revealed a negative correlation between the MYB4 gene and lignin content. The MYB4 gene may control the lignin synthesis in Impatiens by controlling the structural genes involved in the lignin synthesis pathway, such as HCT, C3H, and COMT. Nonetheless, the regulation pathway differs between species of Impatiens. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated consistency between the stem anatomy of Impatiens and the results obtained from lignin content and composition analyses. It is speculated that MYB4 negatively regulates the lignin synthesis in the stems of three Impatiens species by regulating the expression of structural genes, and its regulation mechanism appears to vary across different Impatiens species. This study analyses the variations among different Impatiens plants in diverse habitats, and can guide further molecular investigations of lignin biosynthesis in Impatiens.

Minimally invasive surgical removal of bilateral impacted mandibular supernumerary teeth using 3D surgical guide template: a case report.

Impacted supernumerary teeth are defined as the presence of one or more teeth in a patient's upper and lower jaws in addition to the normal number of teeth in the dental arch. It has an incidence rate of approximately 1%-14% and more frequently occurs in males than females, may be single or multiple, unilateral or bilateral, erupted or impacted. In this article, we describe the case of a patient with two supernumerary teeth between the roots of the mandibular second premolar and the first molar, which influenced the effectiveness of the first orthodontic treatment. The special anatomical position of the complex supernumerary teeth made tooth extraction challenging. Given the higher risk status of surgery, we implemented a novel tooth extracting technique for this patient. Thus, in this study, we describe a case of minimally invasive extraction of bilateral mandibular impacted supernumerary teeth using a digital 3D positioning guide plate.

[Evaluation of stress levels during parachuting training by salivary biomarker].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the stress level during parachuting training by salivary biomarker and to study the dynamic characteristics. METHODS: Twenty recruits of military parachuting training completed 8 trainings in a month. The saliva samples were collected at 2 h and 1h before boarding and at 0.5 h after landing on the 1st, 4th and 7th trainings. The levels of cortisol, chromogranin A and α-amylase in saliva samples were detected. RESULTS: The concentrations of cortisol, chromogranin A and activity of α-amylase increased significantly from pre-boarding to landing during 3 trainings. The concentrations of cortisol, chromogranin A and activity of α-amylase at 2 h before boarding and at 0.5 h after landing decreased significantly with the training times. However, the changes of 3 biomarkers at 1 h before boarding among 3 trainings were not significant. CONCLUSION: The levels of stress increased significantly for 20 recruits from pre-boarding to landing during parachuting trainings. The stress levels of 20 recruits before boarding and after landing significantly decreased with parachuting training times.

[Preparation of curcumin solid dispersion and inclusion complex].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare the curcumin solid dispersion and the curcumin inclusion complex, evaluate its stability and the transdermal properties. METHODS: The samples were prepared with hydrophilic, or water-soluble polymers, by solvent and solvent-melting methods. The optical microscope and the melting point were used to identify the state of the drug existence in it, and UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to determine the solubility and content of different samples. They were placed under conditions of light, phosphate buffers with different pH values and different metal ions to determine their stability. The lipid/aqueous partition coefficients and the permeation of samples were measured. RESULTS: The content and solubility of curcumin in the solid dispersion prepared with PVP k-30 as the carrier were larger than those of other solid dispersions, with 81.26% and 337.59 microg/mL, respectively. The oil-water distribution coefficient was 26.04, indicating good penetration properties. CONCLUSION: The solubilty and stability of curcumin can be improved to various degrees. The solubility and oil-water partition coefficient of the curcumin solid dispersion prepared by povidone k-30 as a carrier is the largest.

Clinical outcomes of prenatal diagnosis of the fetal micrognathia: A case report.

RATIONALE: Micrognathia is a subtle facial malformation characterized by a small mandible and receding chin. Fetal micrognathia is often associated with chromosomal abnormalities, skeletal dysplasia, and various syndromes. Once it is dignosised, detailed fetal malformation screening and chromosome examination should be carried out. PATIENT CONCERN: One pregnant woman with suspicion of fetal micrognathia was referred from her local hospital to our hospital for detailed fetal malformation screening and fetal echocardiography. Examination of the fetus was performed using a two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound probe in multiple planes. The fetus showed micrognathia without glossoptosis with features of the inferior facial angle (IFA) ≤50° and his tongue reached anterior mandibular border box during normal movement. DIAGNOSES: The fetus was diagnosed as isolated micrognathia prenatally without multisystem abnormalities. INTERVENTIONS: Amniocentesis was performed and the fetus was found to carry 46XN with 6q14.1 duplication, the significance of which was unclear. OUTCOMES: The fetus was labored through vagina at 38 weeks gestation. A small soft cleft palate was diagnosed after delivery. LESSONS: This case suggests that once prenatal diagnosis of the fetal micrognathia has been made, we should carefully examine the presence of fetus's multisystem developmental abnormalities and due consideration should be given for associated soft cleft palate.

Self-organized polymer aggregates with a biomimetic hierarchical structure and its superhydrophobic effect.

Nature always gives us inspirations to fabricate functional materials by mimicking the structure design of biomaterials. In this article, we report that polymeric aggregates with morphology similar to the papilla on lotus leaf can be self-organized in the polymer solution by adding 16 wt% water into 5 mg/ml polycarbonate solution in N,N'-dimethylformamide. The hierarchically structured aggregates at micro- and nano-scale alone show superhydrophobic effect without the need of modification with low surface energy compound. Small amount of liquid can be wrapped by the aggregates to form the so-called liquid marble. Influence of the amount of water added into the solution on the morphology of resultant polymer aggregates was investigated. By using the hierarchical aggregates as the surface building blocks, superhydrophobic coating with a static water contact angle larger than 160 degrees and sliding angle less than 5 degrees (for a water drop of 5 microl) was formed. Other solutions, like acid, basic and blood plasma are also repelled on the coating.

Psychosocial stress enhances non-drug-related positive memory retrieval in male abstinent heroin addicts.

Stress exposure in addicted individuals is known to provoke drug craving, presumably through a memory-like process, but less is known about the effects of stress on non-drug-related affective memory retrieval per se in such individuals, which is likely to provide important insights into therapy for relapse. In present study, we explored the effect of stress on retrieval of neutral and emotionally valenced (positive and negative) words in abstinent heroin addicts. In present study, 28 male inpatient abstinent heroin addicts and 20 sex-, age-, education- and economic status-matched healthy control participants were assessed for 24h delayed recall of valenced and neutral word lists on two occasions 4 weeks apart-once in a nonstress control condition, once after exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test in a counterbalanced design. In addition, attention, working memory, blood pressure, heart rate and salivary cortisol were assessed. We found acute stress at the time of word list recall enhanced retrieval of positively valenced words, but no effect on negative and neutral word retrieval in abstinent heroin addicts was observed. No changes were detected for attention and working memory. The stressor induced a significant increase in salivary free cortisol, blood pressure and heart rate. Stress can enhance non-drug-related positive memory in abstinent heroin addicts. Our findings will provide richer information in understanding dysregulation of their emotional memory processing under stress and hopefully provide insight into designing improved treatments for drug addiction.