Development of Agrobacterium-mediated in planta transformation protocol through coleoptile in rice.

Genetic modification of rice is mainly carried out by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of callus accompanied by tissue culture. It is time consuming, laborious and unapplicable for cultivars unable to induce callus. In this study, we have reported a novel gene transfer protocol that involves pulling out primary leaf from coleoptile and injection of Agrobacterium culture into the empty channel. Out of 25 plants survived after injection of Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105 culture harboring pCAMBIA1301-RD29A-AtDREB1A, 8 T0 plants revealed the expected size of around 811 bp corresponding to AtDREB1A gene and Southern blotting analysis on 18 T1 plants suggested introgression of AtDREB1A. 3 T2 lines (7-9, 12-3, 18-6) exhibited accumulation of free proline and soluble sugars, yet increase of chlorophyll content, but decrease of electrolyte leakage and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde under cold stress condition at the vegetative growth stage. Yield components investigation on T2 lines showed earlier heading date and no yield loss compared to wild type plants grown under normal condition. GUS expression analysis and integrated transgene detection in T0 and T1 plants followed by evaluation of cold stress tolerance in T2 lines suggest the advantage of this in planta transformation protocol to obtain transgenic rice.

Improved anonymity preserving three-party mutual authentication key exchange protocol based on chaotic maps.

Three-party authentication key exchange is a protocol that allows two users to set up a session key for encrypted communication by the help of a trusted remote server. Providing user anonymity and mutual authentication in the authentication key exchange is important security requirements to protect users' privacy and enhance its security performance. Recently Li proposed a chaotic maps-based authentication key exchange protocol which attempts to provide mutual authentication and user anonymity, but we found that there were some faults in the key exchange phase and password change phase of his scheme. We prove that Li's scheme does not provide user anonymity and that the user's privacy information is disclosed, and propose enhanced three-party authentication key exchange protocol that provides user anonymity and we analyse its security properties and verify its validity based on BAN logic and AVISPA tool.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Peanut (Arachishypogaea L.) skin extracts of various cultivars in oxidative-damaged HepG2 cells and LPS-induced raw 264.7 macrophages.

This study was performed to investigate the distribution of phenolic compounds in the peanut skins of various cultivars, as well as their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect (Arachishypogaea L. cv. K-Ol, cv. Sinpalkwang, cv. Daan, cv. Heuksaeng) and extraction solvent. The major components of red peanut cultivars (K-Ol, Sinpalkwang, and Daan) were identified as proanthocyanidin, catechin, gallic acid, coumaric acid, and hesperidine, whereas the major components of black peanut cultivar (Heuksaeng) were identified as anthocyanin, ferulic acid, and quercetin. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, and FRAP values were the highest in Daan followed by Sinpalkwng, K-Ol, and Heuksang. Furthermore, the skin extracts of red peanuts effectively improved cell viability, reactive oxygen species generation, MDA concentration, and antioxidant enzyme activity (GR, GPx, CAT, and superoxide dismutase) in oxidative stress-induced HepG2 cells, and reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory factors (NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results suggest that red peanut skin extracts could effectively mediate physiological activity and provide valuable information for the use of peanut byproducts as functional food materials.

Physicochemical Characteristics of Starch in Sweet Potato Cultivars Grown in Korea.

The objective of this study was to investigate the structural and physicochemical properties of starch from seven sweet potato cultivars (Shinyulmi, Sinjami, Hogammi, Jeonmi, Jinyulmi, Juhwangmi, and Pungwonmi). Jeonmi and Jinyulmi had amylose contents of 40.04% and 37.39%, respectively, whereas Juhwangmi and Pungwonmihad amylose contents of 30.95% and 32.37%, respectively. As a result of amylopectin polymerization, the seven cultivars were found to have high (>48%) contents of the degree of polymerization (DP) 13∼24 fraction, whereas the DP≥37 fraction content was <3.45%. The level of resistant starch was highest in Jeonmi (>30%) and lowest in Pungwonmi (<5%). The in vitro digestibility of Pungwonmi was greater than that of the other cultivars. Starch X-ray patterns did not differ among the cultivars. The results of this study provide useful information for the food industry regarding the application of sweet potato starches.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in sweet potato after heat treatment.

BACKGROUND: The ability of heat treatment with a soaking solvent to increase soluble phenolic compounds due to the liberation or breakdown of the cell matrix has been investigated in various plants. This study investigated the changes in phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of 12 sweet potato cultivars after heat treatment with distilled water or prethanol A. RESULTS: The highest total polyphenol content (134.67 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract residue) and flavonoid content (65.43 mg catechin equivalents/g extract residue) was observed in the 'Jami' (JM) cultivar after heat treatment with prethanol A. Higher polyphenol and flavonoid content was generally observed in the purple sweet potato cultivars. Salicylic acid was the major phenolic acid, followed by protocatechuic acid or chlorogenic acid in almost all untreated sweet potato cultivars. The salicylic acid, vanillic acid, gallic acid, and caffeic acid content of the sweet potatoes increased after the heat treatment, whereas the protocatechuic acid and chlorogenic acid content decreased. The highest 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity levels were observed in the JM cultivar subjected to heat treatment with prethanol A (48.15 and 80.00 mg TE/g extract residue, respectively). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that heat treatment with a soaking solvent is an efficient method to enhance the antioxidant characteristics of Korean sweet potato cultivars. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

The 2016 WHO versus 2008 WHO Criteria for the Diagnosis of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia.

The 2016 WHO diagnostic criteria for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) require both absolute and relative monocytosis (≥1×109/L and ≥10% of white blood cell counts) in peripheral blood. Moreover, myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) features in bone marrow and/or MPN-associated mutations tend to support MPN with monocytosis rather than CMML. We assessed the impact of the 2016 WHO criteria on CMML diagnosis, compared with the 2008 WHO criteria, through a retrospective review of the medical records of 38 CMML patients diagnosed according to the 2008 WHO classification. Application of the 2016 WHO criteria resulted in the exclusion of three (8%) patients who did not fulfill the relative monocytosis criterion and eight (21%) patients with an MPN-associated mutation. These 11 patients formed the 2016 WHO others group; the remaining 27 formed the 2016 WHO CMML group. The significant difference in the platelet count and monocyte percentage between the two groups indicated that the 2016 WHO criteria lead to a more homogenous and improved definition of CMML compared with the 2008 WHO criteria, which may have led to over-diagnosis of CMML. More widespread use of molecular tests and more sophisticated clinical and morphological evaluations are necessary to diagnose CMML accurately.

Predictive factors for rapid neutrophil and platelet engraftment after allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in patients with acute leukemia.

The aim of this study was to investigate predictive factors for rapid engraftment after allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (alloPBSCT) in patients with acute leukemia. Two hundred sixty-two patients receiving alloPBSCT were analyzed. Subset analyses of donor stem cells were conducted using a flow cytometric method. The correlation between rapid engraftment of neutrophils, platelets, and donor stem cells doses, as well as other recipient and donor clinical factors, was analyzed. In univariate analysis, factors correlated with neutrophil engraftment (≥0.5 × 10(9)/L) by day 12 were achievement of complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy (CR1) before hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and high numbers of CD34+ cells, CD3+ T cells, and CD3+/CD4+ T cells. Factors correlated with platelet engraftment (≥20 × 10(9)/L) by day 12 were achievement of CR1 before HCT, donor and recipient sex mismatch, and high numbers of mononuclear cells, CD34+ cells, CD3+ T cells, CD3+/CD4+ T cells, CD3+/CD8+ T cells, and CD56+ NK cells. In multivariate analysis, independent predictive factors for rapid neutrophil and platelet engraftment were CR1 before HCT (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively), high number of donor CD34+ cells (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively), and high number of CD3+ T cells (p = 0.005 and p = 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, achieving CR1 before HCT, as well as larger quantities of donor CD34+ and CD3+ T cells, may predict rapid neutrophil and platelet engraftment after PBSCT.

Current routine practice and clinico-pathological characteristics associated with acute promyelocytic leukemia in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) can be life threatening, necessitating emergency therapy with prompt diagnosis by morphologic findings, immunophenotyping, cytogenetic analysis, or molecular studies. This study aimed to assess the current routine practices in APL and the clinico-pathologic features of APL. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 48 Korean patients (25 men, 23 women; median age, 51 (20-80) years) diagnosed with APL in 5 university hospitals between March 2007 and February 2012. RESULTS: The WBC count at diagnosis and platelet count varied from 0.4 to 81.0 (median 2.0)×10(9)/L and 2.7 to 124.0 (median 54.5)×10(9)/L, respectively. The median values for prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were 14.7 (11.3-44.1) s and 29 (24-62) s, respectively. All but 2 patients (96%) showed a fibrin/fibrinogen degradation product value of >20 µg/mL. The D-dimer median value was 5,000 (686-55,630) ng/mL. The t(15;17)(q22;q12 and PML-RARA fusion was found in all patients by chromosome analysis and/or multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), with turnaround times of 8 (2-19) d and 7 (2-13) d, respectively. All patients received induction chemotherapy: all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) alone (N=11, 26%), ATRA+idarubicin (N=25, 58%), ATRA+cytarabine (N=3, 7%), ATRA+idarubicin+cytarabine (N=4, 9%). CONCLUSION: Since APL is a medical emergency and an accurate diagnosis is a prerequisite for prompt treatment, laboratory support to implement faster diagnostic tools to confirm the presence of PML-RARA is required.

Coexistence of fibrillary glomerulonephritis in a patient with multiple myeloma.

A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for two weeks due to edema in both legs. A bone marrow aspiration test confirmed a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. The result of the patient's renal biopsy showed fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN). FGN is a rare form of glomerulopathy that is diagnosed using electron microscopy when deposits of amyloid-like fibrils are observed on the mesangium and microvascular wall. These fibrils do not respond to Congo red staining and are generally 12-30 nm in diameter. This is a report of an unusual case of fibrillary glomerulonephritis in a patient with multiple myeloma.

Successful Chemotherapy Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Myeloma and Multi-organ Dysfunction with Infiltration of Eosinophils: A Case Report.

Eosinophils are derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Peripheral blood eosinophilia is defined as an absolute eosinophil count of ≥0.5×10(9)/L. Eosinophilia is classified into primary or clonal eosinophilia, secondary eosinophilia, and idiopathic categories including idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. Both hematopoietic and solid neoplasms may be associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia, but multiple myeloma is rarely associated with eosinophilia. We now report the case of a 31-year-old man with multiple myeloma associated with marked eosinophilia who developed multiple organ dysfunction with infiltration of eosinophils. He recovered after treatment with chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation.

Objective evaluation of photoepilation by phototrichogram.

Photoepilation is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. However, there has been no objective method to evaluate the efficacy of hair removal. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of photoepilation more objectively using a phototrichogram method. Thirteen young, healthy, female volunteers were enrolled in this study. At initial work-up, semi-permanent tattoos were marked in both axillae of all the volunteers and hair variables were evaluated by phototrichogram and digital camera. Intense pulsed light-assisted photoepilations were performed in both axillae of the volunteers twice at 4-week intervals. At each visit, dermatologists checked changes of hair parameters. Clinically, 8 weeks after two treatments, hair reduction of all patients was achieved. Total hair counts, changes of anagen ratio, non-vellus hair counts, hair density, anagen growth rate and hair diameter were decreased sequentially and the reduction was statistically significant. No correlations were found between power, pain, patient and doctor evaluations at 4 weeks. Doctor evaluations correlated with anagen hair counts, anagen/total hair ratio, anagen/telogen ratio and total growth rate. Using phototrichograms could be an objective evaluation technique for hair removal. Anagen parameters and total growth rate of hairs in phototrichograms may be able to be predictable values for evaluating epilation.

Long-term exercise training attenuates age-related diastolic dysfunction: association of myocardial collagen cross-linking.

The incidence of diastolic heart failure increases dramatically with age. We investigated the impact of long-term exercise training on age-related diastolic dysfunction. Old (25-month-old) male Fischer 344 rats were studied after 12 weeks of treadmill exercise training or sedentary cage life (N=7, in each group). We determined cardiac performance using a pressure-volume conductance catheter and magnetic resonance imaging. Collagen volume fraction (CVF) and myocardial collagen solubility by pepsin as an index of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) cross-linked collagen were measured. The maximal slope of systolic pressure increment (+dP/dt) and the slope of end-systolic pressure-volume relation were higher, and end diastolic volume (EDV), Delta EDV (the percentage of the EDV increment-to-baseline EDV) and the slope of end-diastolic pressure-volume relation were lower in training group. The maximal slope of diastolic pressure decrement (-dP/dt) and time constant of LV pressure decay (tau) had no difference. AGEs cross-linked collagen, not CVF was reduced by exercise training. Long-term exercise training appears to attenuate age-related deterioration in cardiac systolic function and myocardial stiffness and could be reduce in pathologic AGEs cross-linked collagen in myocardium.

Population biology and feeding habits of the nephropid lobster Metanephrops thomsoni (Bate, 1888) in the East China Sea.

Population biology and feeding habits of the nephropidlobsterMetanephrops thomsoni (Bate) was studied from a field survey sampled with bottom trawls in the East China Sea. The female/male ratio was 1.06:1. Three size-class groups were discriminated for both sexes, which may correspond to one to three year-old cohorts. The average stage fecundity was 471 in each brood. Larger than two-year-size-class females are multi broods during the breeding season. Gut analysis showed that this lobster is a common camivore and mainly consume crustaceans and fishes, regardless of sex and carapace length size.

Optimization of antibacterial activity by Gold-Thread (Coptidis Rhizoma Franch) against Streptococcus mutans using evolutionary operation-factorial design technique.

This study was conducted to find the optimum extraction condition of Gold-Thread for antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans using The evolutionary operation-factorial design technique. Higher antibacterial activity was achieved in a higher extraction temperature (R2 = -0.79) and in a longer extraction time (R2 = -0.71). Antibacterial activity was not affected by differentiation of the ethanol concentration in the extraction solvent (R2 = -0.12). The maximum antibacterial activity of clove against S. mutans determined by the EVOP-factorial technique was obtained at 80 degrees C extraction temperature, 26 h extraction time, and 50% ethanol concentration. The population of S. mutans decreased from 6.110 logCFU/ml in the initial set to 4.125 logCFU/ml in the third set.

SUMOylation of pontin chromatin-remodeling complex reveals a signal integration code in prostate cancer cells.

Posttranslational modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) controls diverse cellular functions of transcription factors and coregulators and participates in various cellular processes including signal transduction and transcriptional regulation. Here, we report that pontin, a component of chromatin-remodeling complexes, is SUMO-modified, and that SUMOylation of pontin is an active control mechanism for the transcriptional regulation of pontin on androgen-receptor target genes in prostate cancer cells. Biochemical purification of pontin-containing complexes revealed the presence of the Ubc9 SUMO-conjugating enzyme that underlies its function as an activator. Intriguingly, 5alpha-dihydroxytestosterone treatments significantly increased the SUMOylation of pontin, and SUMOylated pontin showed further activation of a subset of nuclear receptor-dependent transcription and led to an increase in proliferation and growth of prostate cancer cells. These data clearly define a functional model and provide a link between SUMO modification and prostate cancer progression.

[Clinical significance of reticulocyte maturation parameters in the differential diagnosis of macrocytic anemias].

BACKGROUND: Macrocytic anemias are commonly seen in clinical practice, and precise etiologic diagnosis is essential for proper management. We evaluated the clinical utility of reticulocyte maturation parameters in macrocytic anemias to discriminate among myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), megaloblastic anemia (MA), and non-megaloblastic macrocytic anemia associated with chronic liver disease (MA-CLD). METHODS: Using an automated reticulocyte counter, we retrospectively analyzed and compared reticulocyte maturation parameters including immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF), mean reticulocyte volume (MRV), mean sphered cell volume (MSCV) of normal control (N=34), and patients diagnosed with MDS (N=31), MA (N=52), and MA-CLD (N=196). RESULTS: Macrocytic anemias from MA, MDS and MA-CLD showed higher values of reticulocyte maturation parameters including IRF, MRV and MSCV than normal control (P<0.01). MDS showed higher values of reticulocyte maturation parameters including IRF, MRV and MSCV than MA-CLD (P<0.01). IRF and MRV were significantly lower in MA-CLD than in both MA and MDS (P<0.01). MSCV was significantly higher in MDS than in MA (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the measurement of reticulocyte maturation parameters may be a useful tool in the differential diagnosis of macrocytic anemia. The presence of high values of IRF (> or = 0.39), MRV (> or = 129.5 fL), and MSCV (> or = 102.3 fL) makes the diagnosis of MA-CLD unlikely and underlying MDS should be considered.