Study of the rice yield variations under water saving scenarios using DSSAT crop model.

The current instability of water resources poses a major challenge and may lead to a food shortage crisis. To address this issue and to cope with the challenges of future extreme weather events and insufficient water resources, it is imperative to develop water-saving cultivation measures. This study used the long-term historical yield data of three rice varieties, TK9, TNG67 and TCS10, from an agricultural research station in Taiwan, simulated two water-saving cultivation experiments using the DSSAT crop model, and established a yield model based on the water-saving ratio, aiming to recommend appropriate irrigation water for Taiwan rice varieties.

A century-long monitoring of rice plant height during growth period in central Taiwan.

The temporal variations in the crop traits of rice, one of the major grain crops, are garnering increasing attention from agronomist, ecologists and conservation biologists. However, long-term datasets of rice plant height during growth period with consistent cropping method at the consistent research field are rather rare. Here we describe a dataset of rice plant height containing 24446 records for 20 rice cultivars collected from a research farm in central Taiwan between 1925 and 2024, spanning a century.

The clinical and hemodynamic characteristics of pulmonary hypertension in patients with OSA-COPD overlap syndrome.

Background: Our study aimed to assess the clinical and hemodynamic characteristics of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with overlapping obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), referred to OSA-COPD overlap syndrome (OS).

Methods: We enrolled a total of 116 patients with OS, COPD, or OSA who underwent right heart catheterization (RHC) due to suspected PH. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical and hemodynamic characteristics of these patients.

In situ generated PANI promoted flexible photoelectrochemical biosensor for ochratoxin A based on GOx-stuffed DNA hydrogel as enhancer.

A flexible photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor is proposed for the sensitive detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) based on glucose oxidase (GOx)-encapsulated target-responsive hydrogel, using Fenton reaction-mediated in situ formation of polyaniline (PANI) as signal amplified strategy. The target-responsive DNA hydrogels with high loading capacity can carry a large amount of GOx, which not only avoids laborious labeling process but also enhances the analytical performance. Upon introduction of target molecules, the hydrogel can be opened, and multiple GOx was released, thus producing lots of HO via catalytic reduction of glucose.

Antibacterial activity evaluation of pleuromutilin derivatives with 4(3H)-quinazolinone scaffold against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus.

Growing antibiotic resistance is causing a health care crisis, leading to an urgent need for new antibiotics to tackle serious hospital and community infections. Pleuromutilin, a naturally occurring product with moderate antibacterial activity, has a unique structure that has attracted great efforts to modify its scaffold to obtain lead compounds. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of novel pleuromutilin derivatives with a scaffold of 4(3H)-quinazolinone or its analogues at the C-14 side chain and investigated their in vitro activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis as well as Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica subsp.

In Vitro Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Activity Evaluation of a New Series of Quinazolin-4(3H)-one Derivatives.

Toxoplasmosis post serious threaten to human health, leading to severely eye and brain disease, especially for immunocompromised patients and pregnant women. The multiple side effects and long dosing period of current main treatment regiments calls for high effective and low toxicity anti-toxoplasmosis drugs. Herein, we report our efforts to synthesize a series of 2-(piperazin-1-yl)quinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives and investigate their activity against Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites in vitro based on cell phenotype screening.

Clinical characteristics of novel coronavirus cases in tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province.

Background: The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) causing an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei province of China was isolated in January 2020. This study aims to investigate its epidemiologic history, and analyze the clinical characteristics, treatment regimens, and prognosis of patients infected with 2019-nCoV during this outbreak.

Methods: Clinical data from 137 2019-nCoV-infected patients admitted to the respiratory departments of nine tertiary hospitals in Hubei province from December 30, 2019 to January 24, 2020 were retrospectively collected, including general status, clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, imaging characteristics, and treatment regimens.

Recent progress on anti-Toxoplasma drugs discovery: Design, synthesis and screening.

Toxoplasma gondii severely threaten the health of immunocompromised patients and pregnant women as this parasite can cause several disease, including brain and eye disease. Current treatment for toxoplasmosis commonly have high cytotoxic side effects on host and require long durations ranging from one week to more than one year. The regiments lack efficacy to eradicate T.

Semi-synthesis, antibacterial activity, and molecular docking study of novel pleuromutilin derivatives bearing cinnamic acids moieties.

To develop new antibiotics owning a special mechanism, we used the molecular assembly method to synthesize a series of novel pleuromutilin derivatives containing a cinnamic acid scaffold at the C-14 side chain. We evaluated their antibacterial activity and used in silico molecular docking to study their binding mode with the target. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) study suggested that compounds with NO (13e), OH (13u), and NH (13y) appeared more active (0.

Antibacterial activity evaluation of synthetic novel pleuromutilin derivatives in vitro and in experimental infection mice.

A series of novel pleuromutilin derivatives embracing 7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine moiety were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens as well as in vivo efficacy in lethal systemic infected mice. Most compounds displayed good in vitro potency against MSSA, MRSA, MSSE, MRSE and E. faecium (MIC = 0.

Epigallocatechin gallate from green tea exhibits potent anticancer effects in A-549 non-small lung cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and inhibition of cell migration.

Purpose: Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is considered as a rich source of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which has been shown to exert impressive pharmacological properties. The anticancer properties of EGCG have been extensively studied however, its anticancer activity has not been explored in lung cancer. The present study was therefore designed to evaluate the anticancer effects of EGCG against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line A-549 and normal human fibroblast FR-2 cells.

Proteomic analysis of endothelial lipid rafts reveals a novel role of statins in antioxidation.

As inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, statins have pleiotropic vascular-protective effects, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects. We investigated the short-term beneficial effects of statins on modulating the translocation of lipid-raft-related proteins in endothelial cells (ECs). Human umbilical vein ECs were treated with atorvastatin for 30 min or 2 h; lipid-raft proteins were isolated and examined by quantitative proteome assay.

[Clinical observation of therapeutic effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects and safety of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: ECMO were initiated in 6 patients with ARDS, not responding to conventional mechanical ventilation. Oxygenation status, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) level, and fraction of inspired oxygen [FiO(2)] were compared before and after treatment with ECMO, while the adverse effects of ECMO were recorded.

The correlation between ventricular repolarization and clinical severity of spinal cord injuries.

Background: Alteration in ventricular repolarization has been reported in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). However, its clinical impact remains unclear.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between SCIs and ventricular repolarization and the associated clinical impact.

[Study on the interaction of L-cysteine dipeptide with DNA].

In the present paper the interaction mechanism and mode of biologically active cysteine dipeptide (Cys-Cys) with DNA was studied by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and fluorescence spectroscopy using ethidium bromide as a fluorescence probe. The results showed that in the buffer solution of Tris-HCl (pH 7.20), at low concentration of Cys-Cys, the ultraviolet spectrum of DNA-Cys-Cys system produced hypochromic effect with increasing the concentration of Cys-Cys.

[Clinical observation on drug-separated moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) for treatment of infantile autumn diarrhea].

Objective: To observe therapeutic effect of drug-separated moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) for treatment of infantile autumn diarrhea.

Methods: One hundred and thirty-six cases were randomly divided into an obser vation group and a control group, 68 cases in each group. The observation group were treated with drug-separated moxibustion at Shenque (CV 8) and the control group with oral administration of Smecta.

[Acupuncture at Siguan points for treatment of primary dysmenorrhea].

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture at Siguan points with Qinglong Baizei method on primary dysmenorrhea (PD) and to study the mechanism.

Methods: One hundred and eighty cases of PD were zandomly divided into group A, group B and group C, 60 cases in each group. Group A were treated by acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3) with Qinglong Baiwei method; group B were treated by routine acupuncture with Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Ciliao (BL 32) selected as main points; and group C were treated by oral administration of Yueyueshu Decoction.