Search

Grain yield response to nitrogen nutrition has been well examined, but dynamics of total biomass, nitrogen use efficiency, photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll contents of winter wheat in response to N nutrition are not well understood. The study was planned to investigate the effects of the different nitrogen fertilization levels on photosynthetic parameters, N use efficiency, and growth and yield traits of winter wheat. The treatments comprised of seven nitrogen levels viz; 0 kg ha-1, 75 kg ha-1, 100 kg ha-1, 150 kg ha-1, 200 kg ha-1, 225 kg ha-1, and 300 kg ha-1. Nitrogen nutrition expressively enhanced growth, biomass production, and yield components of winter wheat plants. Results revealed that 225 kg ha-1 nitrogen significantly improved the growth and biomass characteristics by 11-120% than control. Similarly, in contrast to control, 225 kg ha-1 augmented the photosynthetic rate and total chlorophyll by 20% and 50%, respectively. Winter wheat under 225 kg ha-1 had significantly 149% and 54% higher nitrogen uptake and use efficiency than other treatments. Moreover, Nitrogen nutrition with 225 kg ha-1 demonstrated the maximum grain yield (6404.50 kg ha-1) and leaf area index (17.52) of winter wheat crop. Grain yield of winter wheat had a significant positive correlation with N uptake, Nuse efficiency, chlorophyll contents, and growth components. However, the negative relationship of grain yield was perceived with the photosynthetic rate. The results of the present study concluded that cultivation of winter wheat with high rate at 225 kg N ha-1 was remarkably beneficial with most favourable agronomic performance and grain yield as related to control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tyrosinase plays a key role in the formation of skin melanin. The excessive accumulation of skin melanin will cause the serious aesthetic problems for human beings.Hypothesis/purpose: To find the potent tyrosinase inhibitors using computational simulation from TCM Database@Taiwan.Study Design: Inhibitors of tyrosinase have been thought as potential drugs for the decrease of melanin synthesis in the process of pigmentation. To develop new tyrosinase inhibitors, we performed a virtual screening from Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Druglike Databases using the best 3D QSAR pharmacophore model as a 3D search query.Methods: A total of 109 compounds were obtained after filtering by Lipinski's rule of five. Finally, 148 compounds (22 from training set, 17 from test set, 109 from TCM and Druglike databases) were selected for further docking studies. De Novo Evolution designed the top 10 candidates from the docking results.Results: Hypo1 was selected as the best quantitative pharmacophore model, because Hypo1 has characters of the highest cost difference (353.773), the lowest RMS (1.985), the lowest Error (121.440), and the best correlation coefficient (0.933). By the analysis of interaction amino acids in the top 10 hits including two controls, HIS42, HIS60, HIS204, HIS208, ARG209 and VAL218 are identified as the key binding site residues, ARG209 and VAL218 are the critical residues for the inhibitory activity of tyrosinase. This finding is consistent with the results from literatures.Conclusion: De Novo Evolution study suggested Tyrosinase_1*_Evo_4, Tyrosinase_23*_Evo_7, magnolone.cdx_15_Evo_4, compound_2.cdx_2_Evo_2, Compound_B_Evo_5, Compound_C_Evo_9, Compound_D_Evo_6 and malabaricone_C.cdx_3_Evo_10 as the potential tyrosinase inhibitor candidates. De Novo Evolution study also suggested compound_2.cdx_2_Evo_2 as the most potential tyrosinase inhibitor candidate. A total of ten novel leading compounds were identified to have the favorable interaction with tyrosinase by the docking analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABO subtypes and RhD variants are the most studied blood groups in China. Some of the polymorphisms in these two blood groups have direct clinical relevance. Molecular diagnosis of blood group polymorphisms is underway in China. In addition, research groups have developed methods such as screening for blood group mimetic peptides using phage display technology. New reagents, akin to antibodies directed against RhD and ABO, are being investigated using aptamer-based techniques. Progress is also being made in the development of synthetic exoglycosidases for conversion of group A and/or B antigens to group O. Development of methoxy-polyethylene-glycol modified red cells has been successful in vitro but has not reached clinical application. In this paper, we summarize red cell immunohematology research that has been conducted in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary condition that can be imposed along an arbitrary geometric boundary in 3D elastic wave modeling. The scheme is developed by using the local coordinate system- based PML splitting equations and integral approach of the PML equations under a discretization of tetrahedral grids. However, no explicit coordinate transformations arise. The local coordinate system-based PML splitting equations make it possible to decay incident waves around the direction normal to the irregular geometric boundaries, instead of a coordinate axis direction. Based on the resulting 3D irregular PML model, we can flexibly construct the computational domain with smaller nodes by cutting uninterested zones. This results in significant reductions in computational cost and memory requirements for 3D simulations. By building a smooth artificial boundary, the irregular PML model can avoid the respective treatments to the edges and comers of the artificial boundaries. Also, the irregular PML model may reduce the grazing incidence that makes the PML model less efficient by changing the shapes of the artificial boundaries. Numerical testing was used to demonstrate the performance of the irregular PML model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defective cardiac function during sepsis has been referred to as "cardiomyopathy of sepsis." It is known that sepsis leads to intensive activation of the complement system. In the current study, cardiac function and cardiomyocyte contractility have been evaluated in rats after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Significant reductions in left ventricular pressures occurred in vivo and in cardiomyocyte contractility in vitro. These defects were prevented in CLP rats given blocking antibody to C5a. Both mRNA and protein for the C5a receptor (C5aR) were constitutively expressed on cardiomyocytes; both increased as a function of time after CLP. In vitro addition of recombinant rat C5a induced dramatic contractile dysfunction in both sham and CLP cardiomyocytes, but to a consistently greater degree in cells from CLP animals. These data suggest that CLP induces C5aR on cardiomyocytes and that in vivo generation of C5a causes C5a-C5aR interaction, causing dysfunction of cardiomyocytes, resulting in compromise of cardiac performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]