Search Results (14)

This study presents detailed microstructural observations of the mouthparts and sensory organs of adult cicadomorphan species, obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Despite microstructural variation, the overall morphology of the mouthparts, comprising a three-segmented labium and a bundle of interlocking stylets (maxillae and mandibles), is highly conserved across species, supporting its evolutionary significance in sap feeding from floem, xylem, or epidermis cells. Variations in the number and shape of mandibular stylet barbs likely reflect adaptations to different host plant tissues. The presence of an identical dual interlocking system between the maxillary stylets, which is found consistently across taxa, enhances functional stability during feeding and indicates a conserved mechanism among cicadomorphans. The species studied exhibit two distinct types of salivary canal closure: hooked and T-shaped. The latter potentially represents a state linked to specialised feeding strategies, such as sap xylem feeding. On the labial tip, there are different shapes of the anterior sensory fields. This area hosts a complex array of sensilla of different numbers, including gustatory (sensilla peg, PS1 and PS2, basiconica, BS3, double basiconica, DB), olfactory (finger–like, FLS) and thermo-hygroreceptive (sensillum dome-shaped, DS, and coeloconicum, CS) types, which facilitate host detection and feeding site selection. In the posterior sensory field, sensilla contact-chemosensory (sensilla basiconica, BS1 and BS2, and sensillum trichoideum, TS) are present. Mechanosensilla chaetica (CH1–CH3) are widely distributed on the last labial segment and may contribute to labium positioning. These findings emphasise the presence of both conserved and specialised morphological traits reflecting evolutionary and ecological diversification within Cicadomorpha. Full article

Background/Objectives: Patients with shock suffer from hyperlactatemia, which can lead to endothelial dysfunction. The use of the adsorber Cytosorb^® (CS) is recommended in these patients as it may contribute to higher lactate clearance and hemodynamic stabilization. However, it is unclear whether CS can directly adsorb lactate and can therefore increase lactate clearance. Methods: The Cyto-SOLVE trial included patients undergoing continuous kidney replacement therapy combined with CS application. Patients with a lactate concentration > 2 mmol/L and measurements of lactate pre- and post-adsorber, as well as measurements in the blood 10 min and 1, 3, 6, and 12 h after initiation were selected. Lactate clearance was calculated using the following formula: bloodflow_(mL/min) × concentration_pre−post/concentration_pre. A t-test was used with the collected samples. Changes in the lactate concentration and vasopressor requirement were recorded before initiation and at the end of therapy. Results: Sixty-five lactate concentrations were measured pre- and post-CS application, as well as in patients’ blood, in a total of 14 patients (median age of 52 years, 10 males, median SAPS-II 67). There was no significant change in the lactate concentration pre- and post-CS application (mean pre-CS: 6.7 mmol/L, mean post-CS: 6.9 mmol/L, RR: −0.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.4–0.1, p = 0.13, Cohen’s d: 0.90). The mean lactate clearance was −6 mL/min (standard deviation (SD): 21 mL/min), with no correlation with the initial lactate concentration or blood flow. In contrast, the mean lactate clearance measured using the dialyzer was 39 mL/min (SD: 28 mL/min). When comparing values before and after treatment, no significant change was observed in the lactate blood concentrations (mean of 9.0 vs. 8.5 mmol/L), nor in the requirement for vasopressin (median of 1.9 vs. 1.8 IE/h) or norepinephrine (mean of 2.7 vs. 2.6 mg/h). Conclusions: The adsorber CS cannot directly adsorb lactate, unlike kidney replacement therapy. Therefore, it is not suitable for achieving faster extracorporeal lactate elimination. Understanding the adsorption spectrum is of great relevance and should be considered when using CS in clinical practice. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains a critical condition with high mortality rates despite advances in treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of urinary output at various time intervals during CS and its effectiveness as a predictor of 30-day mortality, particularly in comparison to the Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS 3). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 96 patients diagnosed with CS, assessing urinary output at different intervals (0–6 h, 6–12 h, 12–24 h, and 0–24 h) as potential predictors of 30-day mortality. SAPS 3 was calculated for all patients, and its predictive value was compared to that of urinary output using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Additional analyses included ROC curve assessment and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Results: Urinary output at 6–12 h was significantly associated with 30-day mortality in univariate analysis. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) for urinary output at 0–6 h, 6–12 h, and 12–24 h was 0.61 (p = 0.07), 0.63 (p = 0.04), and 0.61 (p = 0.08), respectively. These AUROCs did not differ significantly between the three urinary output parameters. Regarding the cumulative urinary output of 0–24 h, the most pronounced impact was observed in patients producing less than 0.5 mL/kg/h. In multivariate analysis, when combined with SAPS 3, the predictive power of urinary output diminished. SAPS 3 alone demonstrated significant predictive value with an AUROC of 0.77 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: While early urinary output is a valuable predictor of 30-day mortality in patients with CS, its prognostic strength is limited when considered alongside comprehensive risk assessments like SAPS 3. These findings suggest that a multifaceted approach, incorporating both early and comprehensive indicators, is essential for accurately predicting outcomes in CS patients. Full article

A lack of control over blood loss can have catastrophic implications, including death. Although several hemostatic medications have been employed to reduce bleeding, a vast majority of them are ineffective, expensive, or pose health risks to the patient. To overcome these constraints, chitosan-polyethylene glycol (CS-PEG) hemostatic gels loaded with ethanolic extract of Jatropha mollissima sap (EES) were prepared and their hemostatic, physicochemical, and cytotoxic properties were evaluated. The gels were produced by mixing CS with PEG (an external plasticizer) and EES. The phytochemical analysis revealed a significant concentration of total polyphenols and tannins content in the extract and catechin was identified as one of the key compounds of EES. Infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed the presence of EES in the gels, as well as the chemical interaction between CS and PEG. The gels were thermally stable between 25 and 37 °C (ambient and human body temperature range), had pseudoplastic deformation behavior (rheological properties preserved after shearing), were simple to inject (compression force 30 N), and were biocompatible. In vivo experiments showed that both CS-PEG-EES gels exhibited greater hemostatic action in preventing tail hemorrhage in Wistar rats, with decreased bleeding time and blood weight compared with unloaded CS-PEG gels (control groups) and Hemostank, a commercial product. However, the gel prepared with acetic acid was more efficient in controlling bleeding. These findings reveal that CS-PEG-EES gels can reduce hemorrhages and are a potent, simple, and safe hemostatic agent. Full article

The acylcarnitine (AC) profile has been shown to be altered in survivors of a prolonged stay in intensive care unit (ICU), with higher short-chain derivates compared to reference ranges. The present study aimed at describing the AC profile of patients surviving a short ICU stay versus patients surviving a >7-day multiple organ dysfunction. Patients discharged from ICU after an elective and non-complicated cardiac surgery (CS) were recruited. For each CS, one to two adults, matched for gender and age, were recruited among patients enrolled in our post-ICU follow-up program after an ICU stay ≥7 days (PS). In both groups, the AC profile was determined during the week following ICU discharge. A total of 50 CS patients (SAPS II 23 (18–27)) survived an ICU stay of 2 (2–3) days and were matched to 85 PS patients (SAPS II 36 (28–51), p < 0.001) who survived an ICU stay of 11 (8–15.5) days. No carnitine deficiency was observed in either group. Their total AC/C0 ratio was similar: 0.355 (0.268–0.415) and 0.358 (0.289–0.417), respectively (p = 0.391). A ratio >0.4 representing a disturbed mitochondrial metabolism was observed in 26/85 (30.6%) PS patients and in 15/50 (30%) CS patients (p > 0.999). The long-chain ACs were elevated in both groups, with a greater increase in the CS group. The short-chain ACs were higher in the PS group: 1.520 (1.178–1.974) vs. 1.185 (0.932–1.895) μmol/L (p < 0.001). The role of the AC profile as potential marker of catabolism and/or mitochondrial dysfunction during the critical illness trajectory should be further investigated. Full article

In an attempt to increase sustainability of construction materials, both ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) and, less popular, copper slag (CS) can be used in alkali-activated composites. However, such composites are often more susceptible to cracking, triggered by the self-desiccation processes. The addition of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) may enable internal curing of concrete and prevent excessive cracking. Thus, this paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of SAP as an internal curing agent for alkali-activated slag mortars containing GGBS and CS. The samples were activated by sodium silicate using 6.5% Na₂O by mass of precursor. The evaluation was based on the analysis of mechanical properties, autogenous shrinkage, and water absorption capacity of two types of SAPs. Depending on the type of polymer, a higher alkali concentration in SAP solutions speeds up early age reactions up to 7 days. After this period, SAP collapses and reactions follow at the same pace as the reference sample. In the presence of CS, SAP with higher absorption and smaller particles well-distributed in the mix leads to a higher extension of reactions, observed in higher values of autogenous shrinkage (AS). This results in increased compressive strength of GGBS-CS mortars, achieving values 8.8% greater than the reference sample (without SAP) at 6 months. Although its leads to higher cracking susceptibility, SAP can improve mechanical properties and promote new applications for sustainable material containing copper slag. Full article

Plant stress-associated proteins (SAPs) contain A20/AN1 zinc finger domains and are involved in plant response to abiotic stresses. In this study, we aimed to explore the biological function of tea plant CsSAPs. A total of 14 CsSAP genes were identified in the tea plant genome using a reference genome database (Camellia sinensis var. sinensis). The CsSAPs were divided into the following two groups: Group I, containing one AN1 domain and/or one A20 domain; and Group II, containing two AN1 domains and/or two C2H2 domains. The sequence alignments and conserved domains analysis indicated that the CsSAPs were highly structurally conserved in terms of amino acid sequence and protein structure. The CsSAPs showed different transcript levels in spatio-temporal expression and in response to cold and drought stress in tea plants. Furthermore, the expression of CsSAP12 was considerably upregulated under drought stress. The overexpression of CsSAP12 in transgenic tomatoes showed increased tolerance to drought stress compared with the wild type. Altogether, the results showed that CsSAP12 might be involved in drought stress. Thus, CsSAP12 might be a target gene in genetic engineering to improve drought tolerance in tea plants. Full article

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common postoperative complications. Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) can prevent the occurrence of SSIs if administered appropriately. We carried out a retrospective cohort study to determine the incidence of SSIs and assess whether SAP were administered according to WHO guidelines for Caesarean section (CS) and herniorrhaphy patients in Bo regional government hospital from November 2019 to October 2020. The analysis included 681 patients (599 CSs and 82 herniorrhaphies). Overall, the SSI rate was 6.7% among all patients, and 7.5% and 1.2% among CS patients and herniorrhaphy patients, respectively. SAP was administered preoperatively in 85% of CS and 70% of herniorrhaphy patients. Postoperative antibiotics were prescribed to 85% of CS and 100% of herniorrhaphy patients. Ampicillin, metronidazole, and amoxicillin were the most commonly used antibiotics. The relatively low rate of SSIs observed in this study is probably due to improved infection prevention and control (IPC) measures following the Ebola outbreak and the current COVID-19 pandemic. A good compliance rate with WHO guidelines for preoperative SAP was observed. However, there was a high use of postoperative antibiotics, which is not in line with WHO guidelines. Recommendations were made to ensure the appropriate administration of SAP and reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics. Full article

A Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) is one of the major translocated sugars in the vascular bundle of cucumber, but little RFOs can be detected in fruits. Alpha-galactosidases (α-Gals) catalyze the first catabolism step of RFOs. Six α-Gal genes exist in a cucumber genome, but their spatial functions in fruits remain unclear. Here, we found that RFOs were highly accumulated in vascular tissues. In phloem sap, the stachyose and raffinose content was gradually decreased, whereas the content of sucrose, glucose and fructose was increased from pedicel to fruit top. Three alkaline forms instead of acid forms of α-Gals were preferentially expressed in fruit vascular tissues and alkaline forms have stronger RFO-hydrolysing activity than acid forms. By inducible gene silencing of three alkaline forms of α-Gals, stachyose was highly accumulated in RNAi-CsAGA2 plants, while raffinose and stachyose were highly accumulated in RNAi-CsAGA1 plants. The content of sucrose, glucose and fructose was decreased in both RNAi-CsAGA1 and RNAi-CsAGA2 plants after β-estradiol treatment. In addition, the fresh- and dry-weight of fruits were significantly decreased in RNAi-CsAGA1 and RNAi-CsAGA2 plants. In cucurbitaceous plants, the non-sweet motif within the promoter of ClAGA2 is widely distributed in the promoter of its homologous genes. Taken together, we found RFOs hydrolysis occurred in the vascular tissues of fruits. CsAGA1 and CsAGA2 played key but partly distinct roles in the hydrolysis of RFOs. Full article

The Casparian strip domain protein 1 (OsCASP1) is necessary for the formation of the Casparian strip (CS) in the rice endodermis. It also controls Ca²⁺ transport to the stele. Here, we demonstrated that OsCASP1 overexpression enhanced Ca tolerance in rice. Under normal conditions, OsCASP1-overexpressed lines showed similar concentrations of essential metals in the roots and shoots compared to the wild type, while under high Ca conditions, Ca in the roots, shoots, and xylem sap of the OsCASP1-overexpressed lines was significantly decreased. This did not apply to other essential metals. Ca-inhibited growth was significantly alleviated in the OsCASP1-overexpressed lines. Furthermore, OsCASP1 overexpression resulted in earlier formation of both the CS and functional apoplastic barrier in the endodermis but did not induce ectopic CS formation in non-endodermal cell layers and affect suberin accumulation in the endodermis. These results indicate that the overexpression of OsCASP1 promotes CS formation in endodermal cells and inhibits Ca²⁺ transport by the apoplastic pathway, restricting Ca accumulation in the roots and shoots under high Ca conditions. Taken together, the results suggest that OsCASP1 overexpression is an effective way to improve rice adaptation to high Ca environments. Full article

Drip irrigation (DI) has been widely utilized for crops and its water-saving effect has been confirmed by numerous studies. However, whether this technology can save so much water under the field scale during practical application is still uncertain. In order to answer this question, evapotranspiration (ET), soil water content, transpiration and evaporation over the DI and border irrigation (BI) in an arid area of NW China were continuously measured by two eddy covariance systems, micro-lysimeters, the packaged stem sap flow gauges and CS616 sensors during 2014–2018 growing seasons. The results showed that the DI averagely increased crop water use efficiency (CWUE) by 11% per year against BI. The deep drainage under DI treatment was lower than BI by 8% averagely for the five-year period. While for the ET, the DI averagely decreased ET by 7% and 40mm per year against the traditional BI. The decrease in ET was mainly due to the significant reduction in soil evaporation instead of transpiration. Oppositely, we found that DI may increase maize (Zea mays L.) transpiration in some year for the better preponderant growth of crop. Thus, the accelerating effect on transpiration of DI and its reducing effect on soil evaporation should be considered simultaneously. In our experiment, DI only improved CWUE and WUE (water use efficiency) by 11% and 15% on average in a large farmland scale, unable to always be more than a 20% improvement, as concluded by many other field experiments. Consequently, the water-saving effect of DI should not be overestimated in water resource evaluation. Full article

Fruit and seed size are important yield component traits that have been selected during crop domestication. In previous studies, Advanced Backcross Quantitative Trait Loci (AB-QTL) and Chromosome Segment Substitution Line (CSSL) populations were developed in peanut by crossing the cultivated variety Fleur11 and a synthetic wild allotetraploid (Arachis ipaensis × Arachis duranensis)^4x. In the AB-QTL population, a major QTL for pod and seed size was detected in a ~5 Mb interval in the proximal region of chromosome A07. In the CSSL population, the line 12CS_091, which carries the QTL region and that produces smaller pods and seeds than Fleur11, was identified. In this study, we used a two-step strategy to fine-map the seed size QTL region on chromosome A07. We developed new SSR and SNP markers, as well as near-isogenic lines (NILs) in the target QTL region. We first located the QTL in ~1 Mb region between two SSR markers, thanks to the genotyping of a large F₂ population of 2172 individuals and a single marker analysis approach. We then used nine new SNP markers evenly distributed in the refined QTL region to genotype 490 F₃ plants derived from 88 F₂, and we selected 10 NILs. The phenotyping of the NILs and marker/trait association allowed us to narrowing down the QTL region to a 168.37 kb chromosome segment, between the SNPs Aradu_A07_1148327 and Aradu_A07_1316694. This region contains 22 predicted genes. Among these genes, Aradu.DN3DB and Aradu.RLZ61, which encode a transcriptional regulator STERILE APETALA-like (SAP) and an F-box SNEEZY (SNE), respectively, were of particular interest. The function of these genes in regulating the variation of fruit and seed size is discussed. This study will contribute to a better knowledge of genes that have been targeted during peanut domestication. Full article

Stress-associated proteins (SAPs) are a class of zinc finger proteins that confer tolerance to a variety of abiotic and biotic stresses in diverse plant species. However, in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), very little is known about the roles of SAP gene family members in regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, a total of 12 SAP genes (named as CsSAP1-CsSAP12) were identified in the cucumber genome, which were unevenly distributed on six chromosomes. Gene duplication analysis detected one tandem duplication and two segmental duplication events. Phylogenetic analysis of SAP proteins from cucumber and other plants suggested that they could be divided into seven groups (sub-families), and proteins in the same group generally had the same arrangement of AN1 (ZnF-AN1) and A20 (ZnF-A20) domains. Most of the CsSAP genes were intronless and harbored a number of stress- and hormone-responsive cis-elements in their promoter regions. Tissue expression analysis showed that the CsSAP genes had a broad spectrum of expression in different tissues, and some of them displayed remarkable alteration in expression during fruit development. RT-qPCR results indicated that all the selected CsSAP genes displayed transcriptional responses to cold, drought, and salt stresses. These results enable the first comprehensive description of the SAP gene family in cucumber and lay a solid foundation for future research on the biological functions of CsSAP genes. Full article

Objectives. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of the postreperfusion mode of death using the distinctions in clinical characteristics of patients who died and survived after reperfusion therapy, treated due to ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
Material and methods. This consecutive study has involved 36 patients: 18 patients who died from progressive heart failure (PHF) (group 1, n=13) or from cardiac rupture (CR) (group 2, n=5) after primary coronary intervention. The control group consisted of 18 randomly selected patients who survived inhospital period (group 3). The initial and postreperfusion heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic arterial pressures (SAP and DAP), maximal ST elevation (max ST­) and depression (max ST¯), ST score, TIMI flow grade, coronary score (CS), and their perireperfusion changes were assessed for each patient. The complex prognostic predictors – TIMI Risk Score and TIMI Risk Index – were also assessed. The data analysis was performed by standard statistical and machine learning approach methods.
Results. The comparison of three patients’ groups according to simple ECG or circulatory characteristics showed that more significant differences were seen in postreperfusion characteristics or their perireperfusion changes. Herewith, the major part of significantly different characteristics (baseline SAP, DAP, and HR, postreperfusion SAP, DAP, ST score, and TIMI flow grade, resolution of ST score) was observed comparing both the groups of dead patients with survivors (control group). The differences in the complex predictors (TIMI Risk Score and TIMI Risk Index) were similar. However, the smallest number of significantly different characteristics was seen comparing both the groups of dead patients. The baseline DAP (P=0.045), postreperfusion SAP (P=0.04) and DAP (P=0.03), and ST score (P=0.0025) were higher in the patients who died from CR. The postreperfusion ST score and SAP were also identified as necessary components in the assessment of informative prognostic sets according to feature selection methods used in data mining field.
Conclusion. The postreperfusion ST score, SAP, and DAP could be useful for the prediction of inhospital postreperfusion mode of death in patients with STEMI; evidently more clinical predictors could be useful for the prediction of general occurrence of postreperfusion deaths. Full article