• Hoffmann Lauritzen posted an update 9 hours, 43 minutes ago

    Correlation of gene expression with alkaloid accumulation phenotypes was evident, including low putrescine methyltransferase expression for all species in the Suaveolentes section or clear correlation of nicotine demethylase with conversion rates of nicotine to nornicotine in the majority of species. Multiple additional correlations between alkaloid accumulation and gene expression values were identified, which makes this study an important fundament toward future scientific exploration of the Nicotiana genus.Objective An outbreak of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan (Hubei, China) in December, 2019. Facing this largescale infectious public health event, everyone is under great psychological pressure. The aim was to investigate the psychological status of people affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Methods The online cross-sectional study involving 922 participants (656 medical staff and 266 general population) was conducted in China between February and March, 2020. The psychological status was evaluated using the Symptom Check List 90 Revised (SCL-90). Linear and logistic regression analysis were used to examine the effect in the study. Results Of the 922 participants, approximately 18.3% had psychological health problems. The score of the SCL-90 was significant higher in medical staff (mean = 1.49) than that in general population (mean = 1.36). In addition, the participants enrolled in March were less likely to have psychological health problems than in February (odds ratio = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30 to 0.59). Female had a 1.44-fold risk of psychological health problems than male (95% CI = 1.01 to 2.03). Conclusions In the study, 18.3% had psychological health problems during the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic. With the remission of the epidemic, the psychological health status of participants has been improved. Medical staff were likely to have higher SCL-90 scores than general population and female had more psychological problems than male. Our findings can be used to formulate psychological interventions for improving the mental health of vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 epidemic.As an approach to enhance autogenous bone grafting, the fusion rate of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is close to 100%, which is significantly higher than other bone graft methods. However, there are some obvious problems in applying rhBMP-2 clinically. Among them, early endplate osteolysis frequently occurs in the lumbar interbody fusion, which readily leads to cage subsidence or shift, thus influencing clinical effects. Moreover, robust bone formation activity and serious osteolysis coexist. What is the internal mechanism? How do we solve this problem? Strontium (Sr) is now widely used for the treatment of osteoporosis. It elicits a double effect in that it simultaneously enhances bone formation and inhibits bone resorption. We propose that Sr might be a solution for osteolysis induced by rhBMP-2 in spinal interbody fusion. Whether this synergistic effect leads to new metabolic pathway activation remains to be explored. Clarifying the synergistic effect and mechanism will be of great importance in improving both the osteogenic effect and reducing the dose amount of rhBMP-2, as well as corresponding costs.While humanity struggles to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, it is imperative that effective and affordable therapeutic strategies be evolved. Since a majority of the SARS-CoV-2 deaths are due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a strategy to mitigate the same could save countless lives. Since SARS-CoV-2 related ARDS has a strong immunological component, many investigators are utilizing monoclonal antibodies against IL-6, TNF-alpha and CCR5. However, targeting a single cytokine with an expensive monoclonal antibody could be a less pragmatic approach. Pamapimod nmr We propose the use of cyclophosphamide as an immunomodulator, given its proven role in various settings including autoimmune diseases, and in the post-haploidentical stem cell transplant. Cyclophosphamide could deplete cytotoxic and effector T cell populations while relatively sparing the regulatory T cells (Tregs). Cyclophosphamide could tip the balance away from the overtly pro-inflammatory and could be a less expensive and effective alternative to the currently investigated monoclonal antibodies.The menstrual cycle appears to have evolved in humans and some other species to improve reproductive efficiency by enabling progesterone production without the presence of the fetus. This phenomenon is termed spontaneous decidualization. Repeated menstruation is produced in modern women because of better general health and having fewer pregnancies later in life and limiting breast feeding. The repeated breakdown of a progesterone primed endometrium releases an inflammatory cascade which appears to have short and long term adverse consequences. Repetitive modern menstruation is no longer a sign of good general and reproductive health but a harbinger of possible future health problems. Cyclical menstruation has no intrinsic biological value or necessity in modern life. Spontaneous decidualization can be prevented by using estrogen-progestin combinations or progestins on their own. Newer and safer hormonal products are now available and should become even safer in the future. Hormonal suppression of spontaneous decidualization should be encouraged in adolescent and young women as a health promotional option.Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases in the world, with a high degree of disability. Among the various therapeutic possibilities, brain stimulation appears in a promising approach, with deep brain stimulation (DBS) being the best described and successful, yet it has the limitation of being invasive. In this context we present transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive treatment that brings a new perspective when thinking about treatment of neurological diseases. It is easy to handle, low cost, few side effects and good adherence to patients. TDCS presents good evidence for clinical practice, but when it comes to PD the results obtained are inconclusive and some protocols have not yet been tested. In this hypothesis we propose that the use of tDCS applied in the supplemental motor areas, together with a gait training, can facilitate the motor learning and modulate the neurons for better potentiation of the exercises together with patients with walking difficulties due to PD.