Primary Transformation Research Articles

Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation of Carbamazepine: Mechanism and optimal operating conditions

Effective electrochemical degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) in water was accomplished with minimal energy and chemical requirements, showing that electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Processes (eAOPs) with a Boron-Doped Diamond (BDD) anode are a promising method for the in situ degradation of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). The influence of several operating parameters (i.e., pH, temperature and initial anolyte and pollutant concentrations) was determined through the Taguchi optimization method. Optimal conditions corresponded to 1 μM CBZ, pH 2, 30 °C, 10 mM Na2SO4 and 50 A m−2, resulting in complete CBZ removal in less than 5 min. Complementary scenarios with different ion species, energy sources and current densities further corroborated the suitability of the optimum. Moreover, they revealed that the optimal conditions were driven by the presence of both SO42− and NO3− ions in solution. Hence, the optimal degradation results were also attained when replacing HNO3 by NaNO3, which allowed to operate without prior pH adjustments. The contribution of •OH and SO4•− radicals was studied through scavenging tests and it was for the first time tentatively ascribed to the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER), since the selection of the operating potential influences the type of oxidative species present. Finally, the primary transformation products formed during CBZ degradation under optimal conditions were investigated.

Automatic Load Sharing of Transformer

Transformer plays a major role in the power system. It works 24 hours a day and provides power to the load. The transformer is excessive full, its windings are overheated which leads to the judgment of the transformer installation which leads to disruption of the power supply to the load. It takes a lot of time to repair and involves a lot of costs. This project deals with transformer protection under conditions of overcrowding. The transformer could be protected by reducing the additional the transformer's load by connecting and using another transformer in conjunction the primary transformer using a microcontroller and a switch relay. The load on the first transformer is compared to the reference value by the Arduino. When the load exceeds the reference value, the slave transformer is automatically attached to the first transformer and the extra load is shared. Therefore, the number of transformers works well under conditions of overcrowding and damage could be prevented. In this project, slave transformers share the master transformer's duty in the event of overcrowding and overheating. Sensor circuit with Arduino, current transformer, and other components is designed to collect data from the master transformer, and if it is determined to be overloaded, the slave transformer is immediately attached to the master transformer and the load is shared. The Arduino keeps track of the transformer's current volume and displays it. If loads are introduced to the current transformer's second side in the second side riser. As the current volume exceeds the estimated current value of the transformer, so the microcontroller sends a travel signal to the relay, thus opening the slave transformer. Initially when we open the load, it will be shared by the first transformer. Once the load on the first transformer has been raised above its maximum capacity, the standby transformer will automatically share the load.

Quantum arithmetic operations for HSI based quantum color image

Arithmetic operations on images are important primary transformations that can be applied to many complicated image operations. We mainly study the intensity-based arithmetic operations on the QIRHSI quantum image representation model to facilitate the development of quantum image processing. The quantum circuits and unitary matrices for four arithmetic operations including reverse, complement, addition, and subtraction are proposed. Finally, the complexity analysis of quantum networks is illustrated to show the effectiveness of the proposed arithmetic operations.

Histological and immunohistochemical features and genetic alterations in the malignant progression of giant cell tumor of bone: a possible association with TP53 mutation and loss of H3K27 trimethylation

In rare cases, giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) can undergo primary or secondary malignant transformation to malignant giant cell tumor of bone (MGCTB), but the details of the molecular alterations are still unclear. The present study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathologic and molecular features of MGCTBs based on immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and next generation sequencing (NGS) of nine MGCTBs (five primary and four secondary). Seven (78%) of 9 MGCTBs were immunohistochemically positive for H3.3 G34W. In two (22%) patients, although GCTB components were focally or diffusely positive for H3.3 G34W, their malignant components were entirely negative for H3.3 G34W, which was associated with heterozygous loss of H3F3A by FISH. NGS on four MGCTBs revealed pathogenic mutations in TP53 (n = 3), EZH2 (n = 1) and several other genes. Immunohistochemical analysis of the nine MGCTBs confirmed the p53 nuclear accumulation (n = 5) and loss of H3K27me3 expression (n = 3) and showed that they were mutually exclusive. In addition, four (80%) of five cases of pleomorphic or epithelioid cell-predominant MGCTBs were positive for p53, while three (75%) of four cases of spindle cell-predominant MGCTBs were negative for trimethylation at lysine 27 of histone 3 (H3K27me3). The results suggested that p53 alteration and dysfunction of histone methylation as evidenced by H3K27me3 loss may play an important role in the malignant progression of GCTB, and might contribute to the phenotype–genotype correlation in MGCTB. The combined histologic, immunohistochemical and molecular information may be helpful in part for the diagnosis of challenging cases.

Bromide significantly promoted the abatement of micropollutants by peroxymonosulfate: Roles of HOBr and Br2

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) is extensively investigated for water treatment, which can inevitably interact with bromide (Br−) in water to form bromine species. This study differentiated specific roles of bromine species for carbamazepine degradation during PMS treatment with Br− (PMS/Br−) via experiments and modeling. The second-order rate constants of HOBr, OBr−, Br2, Br2O, BrCl, and BrOCl with carbamazepine were first determined to be 59.5 M−1 s−1, 14.3 M−1 s−1, 1.1 × 104 M−1 s−1, 2.2 × 105 M−1 s−1, 1.4 × 107 M−1 s−1, and 2.7 × 106 M−1 s−1, respectively. By modeling, HOBr and Br2 substantially contributed to carbamazepine degradation. The contribution of Br2 was enhanced at higher Br− level and lower pH, and reached 99% at pH 3. Interestingly, Cl− significantly enhanced while HCO3− slightly enhanced the removal of carbamazepine. NOM was a sink for bromine, thereby retarding carbamazepine degradation in PMS/Br−. The maximum of total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate reached 43%, and the conversion ratio from the consumed bromine to total organic bromine (TOBr) formation was only 9% at 10 min in PMS/Br−. The primary transformation pathways of carbamazepine were hydroxylation and deacetylation, whereas bromination happened as the minor pathway. The acute toxicity was significantly reduced, and the total yields of known brominated disinfection by-products including tribromomethane and dibromoacetonitrile only accounted for 0.6% of TOBr at 10 min in PMS/Br−. This study firstly quantified specific roles of bromine species for micropollutant degradation under environmentally relevant conditions during PMS treatment of Br−-containing water.

A realist evaluation case study of the implementation of advanced nurse practitioner roles in primary care in Scotland.

AimTo evaluate Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) role implementation in primary care across Scotland in contributing to primary care transformation, and establish what works, for whom, why and in what context.DesignA realist evaluation using multiple case studies.MethodsTwo phases, conducted March 2017 to May 2018: (1) multiple case studies of ANP implementation in 15 health boards across Scotland, deductive thematic analysis of interviews, documentary analysis; (2) in‐depth case studies of five health boards, framework analysis of interviews and focus groups.ResultsSixty‐eight informants were interviewed, and 72 documents were reviewed across both phases. ANP roles involved substitution for elements of the GP role for minor illness and injuries, across all ages. In rural areas ANPs undertook multiple nursing roles, were more autonomous and managed greater complexity. Mechanisms that facilitated implementation included: the national ANP definition; GP, primary care team and public engagement; funding for ANP education; and experienced GP supervisors. Contexts that affected mechanisms were national and local leadership; remote, rural and island communities; and workload challenges. Small‐scale evaluations indicated that ANPs: make appropriate decisions; improve patient access and experience.ConclusionsAt the time of the evaluation, the implementation of ANP roles in primary care in Scotland was in early stages. Capacity to train ANPs in a service already under pressure was challenging. Shifting elements of GPs workload to ANPs freed up GPs but did little to transform primary care. Local evaluations provided some evidence that ANPs were delivering high‐quality primary care services and enhanced primary care services to nursing homes or home visits.ImpactANP roles can be implemented with greater success and have more potential to transform primary care when the mechanisms include leadership at all levels, ANP roles that value advanced nursing knowledge, and appropriate education programmes delivered in the context of multidisciplinary collaboration.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing pharmacist-provided comprehensive medication management in primary care transformation.

How to effectively integrate pharmacists into team-based models of care to maximize the benefit they bring to patients and care teams, especially during times of primary care transformation (PCT), remains unknown. The objective of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators when integrating pharmacist-provided comprehensive medication management (CMM) services into a health system's team-based PCT using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Semistructured qualitative interviews were carried out with 22 care team members regarding their perceptions of the implementation of CMM in the PCT. Transcripts were coded to identify CMM implementation barriers and facilitators, and resulting codes were mapped to corresponding CFIR domains and constructs. Fifteen codes emerged that were labeled as either a barrier or a facilitator to implementing CMM in the PCT. Facilitators were the perception of CMM as an invaluable resource, precharting, tailored appointment lengths, insurance coverage, increased pharmacy presence, enhanced team-based care, location of CMM, and identification of CMM advocates. Barriers included limited clinic leadership involvement, a need for additional resources, CMM pharmacists not always feeling part of the core team, understanding of and training around CMM's role in the PCT, changing mindsets to utilize resources such as CMM more frequently, underutilization of CMM, and CMM scheduling. Clinical pharmacists providing CMM represent a valuable interdisciplinary care team member who can help improve healthcare quality and access to primary care. Identifying and addressing implementation barriers and facilitators early during PCT rollout is critical to the success of team-based services such as CMM and becoming a learning health system.

CRISPR-Cas9-mediated chromosome engineering in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The rise of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) system has made it possible to induce double-strand breaks at almost any desired target site in the genome. In plant somatic cells, double-strand breaks are predominantly repaired by the error-prone nonhomologous end-joining pathway, which can lead to mutations at the break site upon repair. So far, it had only been possible to induce genomic changes of up to a few hundred kilobases in plants utilizing this mechanism. However, by combining the highly efficient Staphylococcus aureus Cas9 (SaCas9) with an egg-cell-specific promoter to facilitate heritable mutations, chromosomal rearrangements in the Mb range, such as inversion and translocations, were obtained in Arabidopsis thaliana recently. Here we describe the chromosome-engineering protocol used to generate these heritable chromosomal rearrangements in A. thaliana. The protocol is based on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of A. thaliana with transfer DNA constructs containing SaCas9, which is driven by an egg-cell-specific promoter, and two guide RNAs that have been preselected based on their cutting efficiency. In the T1 generation, primary transformants are selected and, if required, analyzed by Droplet Digital PCR and propagated. In the following generations, junction-specific PCR screenings are carried out until plants that carry the rearrangement homozygously are identified. Using this protocol, overall rearrangement frequencies range between 0.03% and 0.5%, depending on the type of rearrangement. In total, it takes about 1 year to establish homozygous lines.

Transforming Latinx HIV Care: Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Patient-Centered HIV Practice Transformation.

We conducted a mixed-method longitudinal evaluation of an HIV primary care practice transformation project in Washington, D.C. The project aimed to enhance organizational capacity to deliver culturally appropriate and patient-centered care for Latinxs living with HIV. Quantitative and qualitative data were simultaneously collected to capture the complex interactions among care providers, staff, and patients as well as to monitor practice changes that occurred as a result of the project implementation. The practice transformation intervention consisted of core competency workforce training, workflow redesign, and data-driven quality improvement strategies utilized to guide the intervention and to gather data from providers and patients. The mixed-methods approach facilitated meaningful change within the clinic that resulted in improved patient outcomes, patient experiences of care, and increases in staff's perceived level of knowledge of patient-centered care and improved efficiencies in HIV health care service delivery.

DEVELOPMENT OF FIBROUS CALCITE VEINS RELATED TO HYDROCARBON GENERATION AND OVERPRESSURING IN ORGANIC‐RICH SHALE SOURCE ROCKS: THE VACA MUERTA FORMATION, NEUQUÉN BASIN, ARGENTINA

Fibrous calcite bed‐parallel veins (BPVs) are a typical feature of the Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous Vaca Muerta Formation in the subsurface of the Neuquén Basin (Argentina). The formation is considered to be the main source rock in the basin as well as an important unconventional play. This study examines the growth of BPVs through an analysis of core from three wells located along a transect extending for some 150 km from the NE Platform near the basin margin in the east to the Agrio fold‐and‐thrust belt at the Andean deformation front in the west. The main objective is to integrate fluid inclusion data with the palaeothermal and palaeopresure evolution obtained from a regional‐scale 2D basin and petroleum systems model to examine the timing of fracture development and its relationship with hydrocarbon generation in the Vaca Muerta Formation through time.The apertures of BPVs were measured in more than 360 m of core from three wells (wells A, D and E). This data was combined with optical petrography to investigate the number of calcite cementation events, and the temperature of cement precipitation based on fluid inclusion data. The organic geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of the Vaca Muerta source rock were also analysed. The integrated results were incorporated into a poro‐elastic basin model to investigate the impact of horizontal shortening due to Andean compression on pore pressure development and fracturing in the Vaca Muerta Formation. This framework allowed the timing of BPV formation to be determined together with possible mechanisms governing overpressure conditions through time.Near the Andean deformation front in the west of the modelled section where the Vaca Muerta Formation is in the wet gas window (well D) and dry gas window (well A), BPVs are characterized by two or more generations of calcite fibres indicating multiple growth phases. Calcite which precipitated during cementation event 1 (E1) in the internal zones of BPVs consists of crystals oriented perpendicular to fracture walls, indicating perpendicular vein opening. Calcite precipitated during cementation event 2 (E2) in the outer zones of BPVs includes curved and oblique crystals. During this phase, shear occurred between the opening vein walls as a result of horizontal shortening. Cementation event 3 (E3) is characterized by an equant mosaic of calcite crystals which preserve intracrystalline porosity. E1cements formed between 110 and 90 Ma with trapping temperatures of ∼112 °C (upper Vaca Muerta, well A) and ∼125 °C (lower Vaca Muerta, well D). Fracturing resulted from disequilibrium compaction and from volumetric expansion due to primary cracking of kerogen within the oil window. E2 cements record a trapping temperature of ∼159 °C and formed between 70 and 55 Ma (lower Vaca Muerta, well D) during maximum burial of the Vaca Muerta Formation, synchronous with the secondary cracking of retained liquid hydrocarbons and the beginning of Andean compression. E3 cements (upper Vaca Muerta, well A) have a trapping temperature of ∼162 °C, and formed between 65 Ma and 53 Ma synchronous with the generation of thermogenic gas.By contrast, in the east of the modelled section in the less deformed foreland area of the Neuquén Basin where the Vaca Muerta Formation is in the early oil window (well E), BPVs are composed of a single generation of calcite fibres (E1)with a trapping temperature of ∼118 °C. The E1 cement is characterized by calcite crystals which are oriented perpendicular to fracture walls with no evidence of shearing. According to model simulations, cementation here occurred between 64 Ma and 53 Ma during maximum burial and was related to overpressures which resulted from both disequilibrium compaction and primary transformation of kerogen into oil.The data presented suggests that in some intervals of the Vaca Muerta Formation, a slight increase in TOC content is accompanied by an increase in vein thickness, with the highest number of cementation events occurring towards the Andean deformation front in the west of the study area compared to the foreland in the east.

BHIPP:0–5: Primary care practice transformation in early childhood behavioral health integration.

BHIPP:0–5: Primary care practice transformation in early childhood behavioral health integration.

Chromatin Remodeler Smarca5 Is Required for Cancer-Related Processes of Primary Cell Fitness and Immortalization.

Smarca5, an ATPase of the ISWI class of chromatin remodelers, is a key regulator of chromatin structure, cell cycle and DNA repair. Smarca5 is deregulated in leukemia and breast, lung and gastric cancers. However, its role in oncogenesis is not well understood. Chromatin remodelers often play dosage-dependent roles in cancer. We therefore investigated the epigenomic and phenotypic impact of controlled stepwise attenuation of Smarca5 function in the context of primary cell transformation, a process relevant to tumor formation. Upon conditional single- or double-allele Smarca5 deletion, the cells underwent both accelerated growth arrest and senescence entry and displayed gradually increased sensitivity to genotoxic insults. These phenotypic characteristics were explained by specific remodeling of the chromatin structure and the transcriptome in primary cells prior to the immortalization onset. These molecular programs implicated Smarca5 requirement in DNA damage repair, telomere maintenance, cell cycle progression and in restricting apoptosis and cellular senescence. Consistent with the molecular programs, we demonstrate for the first time that Smarca5-deficient primary cells exhibit dramatically decreased capacity to bypass senescence and immortalize, an indispensable step during cell transformation and cancer development. Thus, Smarca5 plays a crucial role in key homeostatic processes and sustains cancer-promoting molecular programs and cellular phenotypes.

Realizing the Dream: The Future of Primary Care Research.

Primary care research is central to the successful transformation of care delivery, providing the crucial evidence to overcome the longstanding and widespread threats and challenges to the realization of primary care's full potential. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as the federal agency specifically charged with conducting and supporting primary care research, plays a pivotal role in supporting the research and generating the evidence needed to advance primary care. Drawing upon decades of AHRQ-supported research studies, extensive stakeholder consultation, and a Primary Care Research Summit held in fall 2020, we discuss the primary care research central to successful primary care transformation and for realizing the vision of a high-performing US health system to effectively serve all Americans and their communities while advancing health equity.Realizing the potential of primary care will require wise investments in primary care research. Newly generated evidence needs to be rapidly incorporated into the design of the delivery system, clinical care, and community interventions. Investments in evidence-informed primary care redesign can catalyze progress to achieving the quintuple aim-improved health outcomes, increased value, better patient and clinician experience, and health equity. Primary care research can provide the evidence to help stem the twin epidemics of clinician burnout and lack of trust in the health system. Actualizing this vision will require a concerted and coordinated effort by policy makers, researchers, clinicians, and community members and a commitment to ensuring people and communities have ready access to primary care.Appeared as Annals "Online First" article.

Primary Double Winding Coupling DC Transformer for DC Micro-Grid Applications

Primary Double Winding Coupling DC Transformer for DC Micro-Grid Applications

Establishment of High-Efficiency Screening System for Gene Deletion in Fusarium venenatum TB01.

Genetic engineering is one of the most effective methods to obtain fungus strains with desirable traits. However, in some filamentous fungi, targeted gene deletion transformant screening on primary transformation plates is time-consuming and laborious due to a relatively low rate of homologous recombination. A strategy that compensates for the low recombination rate by improving screening efficiency was performed in F. venenatum TB01. In this study, the visualized gene deletion system that could easily distinguish the fluorescent randomly inserted and nonfluorescent putative deletion transformants using green fluorescence protein (GFP) as the marker and a hand-held lamp as the tool was developed. Compared to direct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening, the screening efficiency of gene deletion transformants in this system was increased approximately fourfold. The visualized gene deletion system developed here provides a viable method with convenience, high efficiency, and low cost for reaping gene deletion transformants from species with low recombination rates.

Founder transformants of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) obtained through the introduction of DS-Red, Rec, Rep and CRISPR/Cas9 expressing constructs for developing base lines of recombinase mediated gene stacking.

Cotton being the major fiber crop across the world is exposed to numerous biotic and abiotic stresses. Genetic transformation of cotton is vital to meet the world's food, feed and fiber demands. Genetic manipulation by randomly transferring the genes emanate variable gene expression. Targeted gene insertion by latest genome editing tools results in predictable expression of genes at a specified location. Gene stacking technology emerged as an adaptive strategy to combat biotic and abiotic stresses by integrating 2-3 genes simultaneously and at a specific site to avoid variable gene expression at diverse locations. This study explains the development of cotton's founder transformants to be used as a base line for multiple gene stacking projects. We introduced Cre and PhiC31 mediated recombination sites to specify the locus of incoming genes. CRISPR-Cas9 gene was integrated for developing CRISPR based founder lines of cotton. Cas9 gene along with gRNA was integrated to target Rep (replication) region of cotton leaf curl virus. Replication region of virus was specifically targeted to diminish further proliferation and preventing the virus to develop new strains. To successfully develop these primary transformants, a model transformation system has been optimized with the red color visualization (DS-Red). Following red color transformation system, three baselines with recombination specified site (Rec), targeted replication region (Rep) and Cas9 founder lines have been developed. These founder transformants are useful for developing recombinase mediated and CRISPR/Cas9 based originator lines of cotton. Moreover, these transformants will set up a base system for all the recombinase mediated gene stacking projects.

Degradation mechanism of tetracycline using sulfidated nanoscale zerovalent iron driven peroxymonosulfate and metabolomic insights into environmental risk of intermediates products

• S-nZVI driven PMS exhibited an excellent performance to eliminate tetracycline. • Both SO 4 •− and •OH as dominant species were committed to degrading tetracycline. • Ten degradation intermediates were screened and determined by HRMS analysis. • Further intermediates products induced upmetabolism of carbohydrate, citrate cycle. • SO 4 •− based incomplete mineralization decreased the toxicity of tetracycline. Sulfide-modified nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI) has aroused increasing interest due to its excellent ability towards environmental decontamination. Heterogeneous catalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-H) mediated by iron-based materials has been explored by previous researches. Yet, unknown role and degradation mechanism of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-H) through S-nZVI driven peroxymonosulfate (PMS) need to be further investigated. In current research, the impacts of S-nZVI dosage, PMS dosage, initial pH, anions and humic acids were independently explored during TC-H degradation process. S-nZVI exhibited the high efficiency for activating PMS. TC-H degradation followed a pseudo-first order kinetics reaction with k obs at 0.1403 min −1 . HA, Cl − , HPO 4 2− , NO 3 − exhibited varied reduction of the reaction rates on TC-H removal. Besides, SO 4 •− and •OH were dedicated to degrading TC-H, and SO 4 •− was proved to be predominant one. The alteration of sulfide species from XPS analysis played a pivotal role in raising the electron transfer rate to improve TC-H degradation. Ten intermediates products were determined through HRMS and primary transformation mechanism involved in N-demethylation reaction, demethylation reaction, elimination reaction and hydrogenation reaction were proposed. Based on metabolomics analysis, up-regulated expression of carbohydrate metabolism, citrate cycle, CoA biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation and amino acid synthesis in Escherichia coli were significantly induced by the further products, whereas glutathione metabolism was significantly down-regulated, endorsing that potential toxicity induced by intermediates were weakened. To sum up, S-nZVI/PMS as a promising nano-water environmental remediation method could be feasible for emerging environment organic pollutants control.

In silico view of MTA1 biochemical signatures in breast malignancy for improvement in immunosurveillance

Metastasis Associated 1 (MTA1) chromatin modifier oncoprotein played a crucial role in both normal and genotoxic stress situations for genome maintenance. To investigates MTA1 regulatory pattern with drug resistance abilities in breast primary carcinoma to advanced invasive stages for identification of cancer adapting defense system. We design rationale in silico pipeline from data retrieval to analysis i.e. gene enrichment analysis performed by GeneCards Version 5.1: THE HUMAN GENE DATABASE (www.genecards.org), UALCAN database (www.ualcan.path.uab.edu) for analyzing MTA1 gene expression and promoter methylation in both breasts normal and cancerous tissue samples, cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics (www.cbioportal.org) database for MTA1 mutation analysis and finally analyzed MTA1 functional association with anticancer drugs in breast malignancy via online CCLE GDSC toolkit (www.public.tableau.com/CCLE_GDSC_Correlations). Our results revealed MTA1 overexpression aggressive behavior in stage II, stage III, TNBC-LAR, TNBC-M, TNBC-UNS, IDC, ILC, and post-menopause events of breast malignancy. MTA1 upregulation strongly promotes primary tumor transformation into invasive metastatic carcinoma by hijacking the host lymphatic system and cytokine signaling in both ductal and glandular breast cancers. MTA1 upregulation in the African-American population invites to design de novo model of cancer cell homeostasis under a reduced supply of vegetable nutrients, local-foreign stress, and replicative capacity for metastasis. MTA1 showed a hypomethylation profile that reflects regulatory strength under stress-mediated situations for higher events of transcription. In drug resistance analysis MTA1 has strong resistance towards 15 anti-cancer drugs that confirmed its previously reported behavior of genotoxic stress adaptation for metastasis. Our in silico evidence invites us to design a comprehensive strategy against MTA1 mediated stress managing proteome. In the future there is an urgent need to explore MTA1 shared stress coped protein networks for early diagnosis and better prognosis.

Primary malignant tumours and malignant transformation of cysts in the retrorectal space: MRI diagnosis and treatment outcomes.

BackgroundThere are no clear guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant retrorectal tumours. The purpose of this study was to increase preoperative diagnostic knowledge and to describe the outcomes of treatment for these patients.MethodsThis retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent complete retrorectal tumour resection between May 2006 and July 2018, and had confirmed post-operative pathology reports. Demographic and clinical data (including imaging, perioperative, pathological, and prognostic data) were collected and analysed.ResultsMalignant lesions were identified in 15 (9 [60%], female) patients. The median age of the patients was 59 years (range, 34–72 years). Primary malignant tumours were identified in seven patients with solid tumours, in which gastrointestinal stromal tumours accounted for 71.4% (five of seven) and the remainder were chordoma or mucinous adenocarcinoma. Malignant transformation of cysts occurred in another eight patients with heterogeneous tumours, while histopathological features were present in 75% (six of eight) of patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma, and the remainder were squamous-cell carcinoma or neuroendocrine tumour (Grade 2). The malignant characteristics of the solid portions observed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were as follows: the cyst wall of the tumour was irregularly thickened; the surface was convex or lobed; the solid tumour had no capsule, or the capsule was destroyed; and the surface had a gyrus-like morphology. At a median follow-up time of 52 months (range, 13–100 months), the overall recurrence-free survival rate was 40.0% and the survival rate was 46.7%.ConclusionSome MRI features can be used to distinguish malignant retrorectal tumours from benign retrorectal tumours. The survival rate of patients with malignant retrorectal tumours is poor.

An Efficient Agrobacterium-mediated Genetic Transformation Using cry1F gene in Castor (Ricinus communis L.) for protection Against lepidopteran Insects

to foliage feeders like Spodoptera litura which resulted in a loss of production. This report focuses on the development of an optimized protocol for the transformation of castor shoot apices by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404 containing plasmid construct pBIN1F harboring neomycin phosphotransferase (nptII), as selectable marker gene and Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai (Bt) cry1F gene controlled by cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Several parameters like O.D., concentration of kanamycin and acetosyringone were optimized and produced a significant difference in the transformation efficiency. Co-cultivation time and seedling age were factors, with overall transformation efficiency of 2.0% in 15 days-old seedlings and co-cultivated for 3 days. The surviving and actively developing shoot apices were validated for gene integration by molecular analysis after being preliminarily screened on kanamycin. Furthermore, PCR, qRT-PCR and insect bioassay were used to confirm the putative primary transformants. When bioassayed against newly hatched Spodoptera litura hatchlings, these putative transgenics with cry1F gene caused significant (≤93%) insect mortality. Cry1F gene expressing transgenic plants had adequate defence against Spodoptera litura when exposed to castor.