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The complete mitochondrial genome of Salmo trutta fario Linnaeus was obtained by PCR amplification and sequencing. It was 16,684 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA and a control region. The arrangement of genes was identical to that of most other bony fishes. Nucleotide identity between Salmo trutta fario Linnaeus and 44 other Salmonidae species across nucleotide sequence of 12 protein-coding genes on the heavy strand was 90.0–97.5%.

Objectives. To explore the application of pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) texture analysis (TA) in predicting the interim response of primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PGIL-DLBCL). Methods. Pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 30 PGIL-DLBCL patients were studied retrospectively. The interim response was evaluated after 3-4 cycles of chemotherapy. The complete response (CR) rates in patients with different clinicopathological characteristics were compared by Fisher’s exact test. The differences in the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and texture features between the CR and non-CR groups were compared by the Mann–Whitney U test. Feature selection was performed according to the results of the Mann–Whitney U test and feature categories. The predictive efficacies of the SUVmax, MTV, and the selected texture features were assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. A prediction probability was generated by binary logistic regression analysis. Results. The SUVmax, MTV, some first-order texture features, volume, and entropy were significantly higher in the non-CR group. The energy was significantly lower in the non-CR group. The SUVmax, volume, and entropy were excellent predictors of the interim response, and the areas under the curves (AUCs) were 0.850, 0.805, and 0.800, respectively. The CR rate was significantly lower in patients with intestinal involvement. The prediction probability generated from the combination of the SUVmax, entropy, volume, and intestinal involvement had a higher AUC (0.915) than all single parameters. Conclusions. TA has potential in improving the value of pretreatment PET/CT in predicting the interim response of PGIL-DLBCL. However, prospective studies with large sample sizes and validation analyses are needed to confirm the current results.

Heme oxygenase (HO) that catalyzes the degradation of heme, is involved in responding and using oxygen in teleost fish. Physiologic heme degradation can be catalyzed by two isozymes of HO (HO-1 and HO-2). In fish, the molecular constructions, expression characteristics and hypoxic regulation of HO-2 are still not well known. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of duplicated HO-2 genes in blunt snout bream, a hypoxia sensitive fish species. Blunt snout bream HO-2a and -2b genes shared a relatively low sequence identity of 67%. The HO-2a and -2b mRNAs were widely expressed in adult tissues. During embryogenesis, HO-2a mRNAs was significantly upregulated at 16hpf and then maintained with high lever, while HO-2b mRNAs was gradually increased at 12hpf and then reduced significantly. Whole-mount in situ hybridization demonstrated that HO-2a and -2b mRNAs mainly detected in brain and eyes at different embryonic stages. The results of acute hypoxia experiment showed that both HO-2a and -2b mRNAs have significant changes in different tissues. Both HO-2a and -2b mRNAs were significantly up-regulated in the brain, but down-regulated in the gill and liver during hypoxia. Under hypoxia, HO-2a mRNA in the heart was significantly increased while HO-2b mRNA was decreased. Embryos in hypoxic conditions at different developmental stages strongly induced the mRNA expression of HO-2a and -2b. These results provide new insights into the functional conservation and divergence of HO-2 genes and improve our understanding of HO-2 responses to hypoxia.

The heme oxygenase (HO)-1 is a cytoprotective enzyme that can be involved in cytoprotection against hypoxia stress. In this study, we cloned duplicated HO-1a and HO-1b cDNAs in hypoxia-sensitive blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). HO-1a and HO-1b encode peptides with 272 amino acids and 246 amino acids, respectively, and they share a low sequence identity of 55%. HO-1a and HO-1b mRNAs were maternally deposited in the zygote, and the mRNAs decreased to the lowest levels at 8 hpf. Both mRNAs were significantly (p

The grass goldfish appeared early in the evolutionary history of goldfish, and shows heritable stability in the development of the caudal fin. The twin-tail phenotype is extremely rare, however, some twin-tail individuals were produced in the process of breeding for ornamental value. From mutations in the twin-tail goldfish genome, we identified two kinds of Tgf2 transposons. One type was completely sequenced Tgf2 and the other type was ΔTgf2, which had 858 bp missing. We speculate that the bifurcation of the axial skeletal system in goldfish may be caused by an endogenous ΔTgf2 insertion mutation in Chordin A, as ΔTgf2 has no transposition activity and blocks the expression of Chordin A. The twin-tail showed doubled caudal fin and accumulation of red blood cells in the tail. In addition, in situ hybridization revealed that ventral embryonic tissue markers (eve1, sizzled, and bmp4) were more widely and strongly expressed in the twin-tail than in the wild-type embryos during the gastrula stage, and bmp4 showed bifurcated expression patterns in the posterior region of the twin-tail embryos. These results provide new insights into the artificial breeding of genetically stable twin-tail grass goldfish families.

Interface engineering on 2D layered nanomaterials plays pivotal roles in achieving novel properties and superior device performance. In this work, hierarchical nanotubes consisting of 2D monolayer MoS2 and carbon (MoS2:C) interoverlapped superstructure nanosheets have been synthesized, in which the MoS2 and carbon layers are alternately sandwiched. The hierarchical architectures assembled from the MoS2:C superstructures are beneficial for: (i) providing substantially expanded (002) interlayer spacing (0.98 nm) of 2H-MoS2 which facilitates fast Na+ insertion/extraction reaction kinetics, (ii) improving electrical conductivity of MoS2 by carbon monolayer insertion with ideal heterointerface contact, (iii) preventing aggregation of MoS2 nanosheets, and (iv) accommodating volume change upon sodiation/desodiation. The superstructure nanotubes are demonstrated as a robust anode material for sodium storage with superior electrochemical performance. They deliver a high rate-capability and maintain discharge capacities of 295 and 187 mAh g−1 at high current densities of 10.0 and 20.0 A g−1, respectively. Furthermore, they show durable cycling life (capacity retention of 101.3%, 108.2% and 107.8% after 200 cycles at current densities of 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 A g−1, respectively, in comparison to those of the 2nd cycles), and an initial Coulombic efficiency as high as 84%. The MoS2:C superstructure nanotubes perform among the best of current MoS2-based electrode materials.

Green synthesis of metastable wurtzite Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals through a top-down synthetic strategy is presented. Formation mechanisms associated with Kirkendall and etching effects are illustrated in detail. The nanocrystals exhibit remarkable photoluminescence properties at room temperature.

Tc1-like transposons consist of an inverted repeat sequence flanking a transposase gene that exhibits similarity to the mobile DNA element, Tc1, of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans. They are widely distributed within vertebrate genomes including teleost fish; however, few active Tc1-like transposases have been discovered. In this study, 17 Tc1-like transposon sequences were isolated from 10 freshwater fish species belonging to the families Cyprinidae, Adrianichthyidae, Cichlidae, and Salmonidae. We conducted phylogenetic analyses of these sequences using previously isolated Tc1-like transposases and report that 16 of these elements comprise a new subfamily of Tc1-like transposons. In particular, we show that one transposon, Thm3 from silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix; Cyprinidae), can encode a 335-aa transposase with apparently intact domains, containing three to five copies in its genome. We then coinjected donor plasmids harboring 367 bp of the left end and 230 bp of the right end of the nonautonomous silver carp Thm1 cis-element along with capped Thm3 transposase RNA into the embryos of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala; one- to two-cell embryos). This experiment revealed that the average integration rate could reach 50.6% in adult fish. Within the blunt snout bream genome, the TA dinucleotide direct repeat, which is the signature of Tc1-like family of transposons, was created adjacent to both ends of Thm1 at the integration sites. Our results indicate that the silver carp Thm3 transposase can mediate gene insertion by transposition within the genome of blunt snout bream genome, and that this occurs with a TA position preference.

Follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1) peptides play important roles in inhibiting myoblast proliferation and differentiation. Here, we characterized and examined the expression patterns of fstl1a and -b in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). These genes encode 314 aa and 310 aa peptides, respectively, sharing a sequence identity of 83%. Except for the existence of the follistatin-N-terminal (FOLN) and Kazal-type 2 serine protease inhibitor (Kazal 2) domains, grass carp Fstl1a and -b do not share amino acid sequence similarity with Fst1 and -b. Both fstl1a and -b mRNAs were widely expressed in adult tissues. During embryogenesis, grass carp fstl1a and -b mRNA was detected in the presomitic mesoderm and somites at 12h post fertilization (hpf). At 24hpf, fstl1a mRNA was expressed in the hindbrain, somites, notochord and tailbud, while fstl1b mRNA was only detected in the tailbud. At 36hpf, fstl1a mRNA was detected in the hindbrain and notochord, and fstl1b was also expressed in the notochord. Furthermore, fstl1a and -b were downregulated in brain and liver tissue following injection with 10 or 50μg hGH, while fstl1b was significantly up-regulated in muscle tissue after 10μg hGH treatment. Both fstl1a and -b were significantly up-regulated at 2, 4 or 6days of nutrient restriction, and fstl1a was still highly expressed in the liver and muscle after 3days of refeeding, as was fstl1b in the brain and muscle. The expression of these genes returned to near control levels following 6days of refeeding. Our findings suggest that the two fstls play important but divergent roles in embryonic development and tissue growth regulation in grass carp.

This paper conducts the discussion on the role of the computer technology in promoting students' Interest in learning. Students' interest in learning is constantly evolving from low to high levels, through fun, fun and interest in three stages. In interesting stages, the interest of the student is associated with the external characteristics of the stimulus, such as the interest of the novel and interesting teaching content, and when these factors disappear, the interest will soon drop or even disappear. In the computer aided teaching process, the advancement independent study mechanism founds, this time the student community is regarded as the teaching main body, becomes the study the master, the student may act according to own study progress condition to carry on the content repetition study. From this perspective, this paper proposes the novel idea that will later promote the further development of the related subjects.

Three Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates 17802(tdh﹣, trh﹢, tlh﹢), 33846(tdh﹢, trh﹣, tlh﹢) and 05432 (tdh﹣, trh﹣, tlh﹢) were exposed to chloramine-T and sodium hypochlorite to investigate their susceptibility and resistance to chlorine-containing disinfectants. Results showed that sublethal disinfectant condition contributed to the formation of resistant strains, which minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were 2 folds higher than original strains. Differences were observed in physiological and biochemical properties between the original and resistant strains including growth kinetics, cultural character and biochemical characterizations, the resistant strains demonstrated higher lag phase than the original strains in the growth of tryptic soy broth (TSB) with adding 2.5% NaCl. They lost the abilities to grow in thiosulfate citrate bile sucrose（TCBS）media and chromogenic (CHROM) agar and to produce certain proteases such as lysine decarboxylase, ornithine decarboxylase and urease. The most significant change in biochemical characters of the strains was that the resistant strains could grow in the media without containing salts while the original strains could not.

Fibroblast growth factor 1 (Fgf1) is known as a mitogenic factor involved in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation in vertebrates. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of two fgf1 genes in grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ). Grass carp fgf1a and fgf1b cDNAs are highly divergent, sharing a relatively low amino acid sequence identity of 50%, probably due to fish-specific gene duplication. fgf1a and fgf1b mRNAs were detected in the zygote and expressed throughout embryogenesis. Both fgf1a and fgf1b mRNAs were primarily detectable in the notochord at 12 hpf. At 24 hpf, fgf1a mRNA was mainly expressed in the gut and somites, while fgf1b transcript persisted in the notochord and was detected in the tailbud. At 36 hpf, both fgf1a and fgf1b transcripts were detected in the brain, somites, and tailbud. In addition, the fgf1a mRNA was detected at the base of the yolk sac, whereas the fgf1b mRNA was expressed in the pectoral fin. In adult fish, duplicated fgf1a and fgf1b mRNAs were distributed in most tissues. After 2–6 days of starvation, both fgf1a and fgf1b mRNAs were upregulated in the muscle and liver. In the brain, fgf1a mRNA was upregulated, while fgf1b mRNA was significantly downregulated at 6 days. Furthermore, both fgf1a and fgf1b mRNA levels were significantly decreased in the brain and muscle after administration of 10 or 50 μg of the human growth hormone (hGH),while their mRNA levels were no significant difference in the liver. These results suggest that duplicated fgf1s may play important but divergent roles in the grass carp development.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor-like 1 (FGFRL1) is a novel FGF receptor (FGFR) lacking an intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. FGFRs control the proliferation, differentiation and migration of cells in various tissues. However the functions of FGFRL1 in teleost fish are currently unknown. In this study, we report the identification of two fgfrl1 genes in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) that share 56% amino acid sequence identity. Both fgfrl1a and 1b were transcribed throughout embryogenesis, and mRNA levels were particularly high during somitogenesis. Using in situ hybridization, fgfrl1a transcripts were detected in notochord, somites, brain and eye at 14, 24 and 36 h post fertilization (hpf). In contrast, fgfrl1b was transcribed mainly in the endoderm at 14 hpf, in the gut and proctodeum at 24 hpf, and in the lens, pharyngeal arch and proctodeum at 36 hpf. In adult fish, fgfrl1a was abundantly expressed in heart, brain and muscle, while fgfrl1b was expressed strongly in eye, muscle and gill. Furthermore, both genes were significantly (p

The Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D) has been reported to be sensitive. The authors examined the reliability and validity of a Chinese (Taiwanese) version of the CSI-D for elderly patients.Four groups were tested with the CSI-D: 31 with mild or moderate dementia; 32 non-dementia, depressed subjects; and 34 low-education, and 30 high-education normal-comparison subjects. Patients with dementia or depression were selected from outpatients of two hospitals. Testing was carried out in either the community or outpatient setting.The internal consistency, interrater reliability, and test-retest reliability of the CSI-D were good. The CSI-D was highly correlated with scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination and 10-word-list-learning task. Correlation with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale was not significant. Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis suggested that the CSI-D was a good instrument in differentiating dementia from depression and normal subjects with low education. It had good sensitivity and specificity. Education was related to the cognitive scores but not related to informant scores. The combination of an informant interview with a cognitive test enhanced the performance of the CSI-D.The Taiwan Chinese version of the CSI-D is psychometrically sound, brief, easy to complete, and therefore suitable as a screening instrument for dementia in Taiwan. The study reinforces earlier suggestions that the informant interview yields improved validity for detecting dementia.

This study aimed to understand the current inclinations toward depression and compulsion for members of four different religious groups, and to predict religious beliefs along the suicide path through analyzing the lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts for members of these religious groups. Participants in this cross-sectional study, which adopted purposive sampling, were members of Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, and Taoism in northern Taiwan. In the case of suicide experiences, suicides among people one knows, and tendency toward compulsion and depression, there are statistical differences between the four religions. According to the results, some people with suicidal tendency will attend religious activities; therefore, we predict that religious beliefs play an important role in suicide prevention.

Objective: Research in the West has shown that persons with severe mental illness are easy targets of criminals. The aim of the present study was to investigate the types, incidence, and prevalence of crime victimization and its demographic and clinical correlates among persons with severe mental illness in Taiwan. Methods: Participants diagnosed with schizophrenia or major affective disorders were selected from the psychiatric service of a general hospital. They were asked about any crime perpetrated against them within the preceding year. Only crimes occurring after a psychiatric diagnosis had been made were included. The results of this survey were compared with crimes among the general population in 2000 as reported by the Taiwan Crime Victimization Survey of the Ministry of Justice. Results: The 1 year prevalence of victimization in the study population was 16.8%, compared with 11.3% in the general population. After controlling for demographic and clinical variables it was found that those with affective disorders or a history of alcohol abuse were more likely to be victimized. Conclusion: In Taiwan, persons with severe mental illness are more vulnerable to crime victimization than the general population.

Though with known estimation bias concern, Logan plot with the time activity curve from a reference region as the input function is a simple and robust graphical analysis method for quantifying distribution volume ratio (DVR) of [11C] Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), which reflects β amyloid deposit in human brains, a cardinal neuropathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Various parts of the cerebellum have been used as the reference tissue region due to the fact that it shows no specific binding to PiB. Manual drawing has been the primary means to obtain the tracer time activity curve from different sub-regions of the cerebellum. The objective of this study was to implement a program to batch the Logan quantification procedure over multiple subjects and over multiple time intervals in the standard brain template coordinate space, utilizing a pre-defined anatomical automated labeling (AAL) cerebellum region in the SPM5 toolbox. Additionally, we compared the effects of using different cerebellum AAL sub-regions on our ability to distinguish patients with AD and normal controls. Using data from our normal subjects, we tested the batch program on different time frames and different AAL sub-regions. For each given combination of settings, the results were identical to those obtained when the Logan analysis was performed separately for each individual subject. The PiB quantification batch program provides an efficient and applicable tool that will be useful in PiB-PET studies of AD and AD-related risk factors.

Objective To examine (1) the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUD) and its various correlates, and (2) the detection rate of AUD by nonpsychiatric physicians and its related factors associated with increased chances of detection among inpatients in a general hospital in rural eastern Taiwan. Methods A well-trained psychiatrist interviewed all adult patients admitted during a 1-month period using the Alcohol Inventory and reviewed all medical records for alcohol-related diagnoses. Results A total of 303 inpatients aged 18 to 93 years were evaluated, of whom 78 (25.7%) were diagnosed by the psychiatrist as having AUD within the past year. Males, aborigines, middle-aged, current smokers and betel quid chewers had a significantly higher odds ratio for AUD. Nonpsychiatric physicians detected only 14.1% patients with recent AUD. Internists identified AUD nearly four times as often as surgeons. Better detection was associated with higher level of alcohol intake. Conclusions This study demonstrates the high prevalence of AUD among hospitalized patients in eastern Taiwan and the frequent failure of physicians to identify the disorder. These findings suggest that more effort should be directed toward increasing medical professionals' awareness of AUD in general hospital settings, especially among high-risk groups.