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• MR imaging has served as a problem-solving procedure in ectopic pregnancy. • MR imaging features can be criteria for early diagnosis of tubal pregnancy. • Detailed assessment of ectopic implantation is necessary for management decision-making.

A novel alkaline-stable lipase I from Penicillium cyclopium with improved thermostability was prepared by molecular modification.

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L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC) has been shown to enhance cognitive performance. Meanwhile, vegetable oils must be refined to remove the impurities for them to be edible. Phospholipase B (PLB), having the ability of hydrolyzing both the sn-1 and sn-2 acyl ester bonds of phospholipids, can produce GPC using PC as substrate and transform the non-hydratable phospholipids into their hydratable forms. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae plb gene, which encodes PLB, was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 to produce recombinant PLB (rPLB). Fermentation optimisation yielded rPLB activity levels as high as 1723 U/mL. rPLB demonstrated maximum enzymatic activity at 40 C and pH 5.5 and was stable at temperatures between 30 and 40 C and pH values between 5.0 and 6.0. rPLB synthesised GPC with a conversion rate of 17% (w/ w) and exhibited high degumming activity towards peanut oil, decreasing the phosphorus content from 91.8 to 3.7 mg/kg within 3 h. This study describes a candidate phospholipase for potential applications involving the modification of phospholipids and vegetable oil degumming.

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Purpose: To determine the effect of miR-30a-5p on hepatoma cell radiosensitivity and elucidate the underlying mechanism.Methods: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used tomeasure miR-30a-5p expression in HepG2 and THLE-3 cells. After 4-Gy X-ray irradiation or miR-30a-5p mimic transfection, the miR-30a-5p level in HepG2 cells was determined using qRT-PCR. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the correlation between miR-30a-5p and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) levels, while the effects of miR-30a-5p on the viability of HepG2 cells were determined using clone formation and 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assays. Apoptotic cells were evaluated by flow cytometry whereas the protein levels of GRP78, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), BCL2-Associated X Protein (Bax), and cleaved-caspase-9 were quantified by immunoblotting.Results: MicroRNA-30a-5p expression was decreased in HepG2 cells but reduced after 4-Gy x-ray treatment, while miR-30a-5p mimic transfection upregulated miR-30a-5p expression (p < 0.05). Cell viability was inhibited after x-ray irradiation or miR-30a-5p mimic transfection and further inhibited by irradiation + miR-30a-5p (p < 0.05). Irradiation or miR-30a-5p transfection triggered cell apoptosis; however, irradiation + miR-30a-5p induced more apoptosis, upregulated Bax and cleaved-caspase-9 expression, and reduced Bcl-2 expression (p < 0.05). MicroRNA-30a-5p also suppressed GRP78 expression.Conclusion: MicroRNA-30a-5p may enhance HCC x-ray radiosensitivity by inhibiting GRP78., and may be useful in developing treatment strategies for HCC patients.

Background: An ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from Wuhan, China, is currently recognized as a global public health emergency, which has subsequently spread to the rest of China and other countries. The WHO raised the COVID-19 alert to the highest level. The virus is a new highly contagious via human-to-human transmission. The median duration of viral shedding is 20.0 days. We report that the longest duration of viral shedding was 32.0 days from illness onset in a patient with moderate COVID-19 admitted to QianJiang Central Hospital.Case presentation: A 37-year-old male sought medical advice while suffering from fever, dry cough, fatigue, dizziness, runny nose and diarrhoea. Five days before the visit, he had a history of travel from affected geographic areas. The patient had a positive RT-PCR test, and chest CT images showed multiple nodules and mixed ground-glass opacification with consolidation in both lungs. Laboratory findings showed that his lymphocyte and CD4+ counts were below the normal range. The patient was given antiviral treatment, including arbidol, lopinavir, IFN-α, and traditional Chinese medicine, and other necessary support care. All clinical symptoms and CT imaging manifestation abnormalities resolved during the course of therapy.Conclusion: Although the positive RT-PCR tests were verified in consecutive upper respiratory specimens, the clinical symptoms, CT imaging findings, CD4+ lymphocyte counts, and IgG antibody levels had obviously improved. Positive tests may be detecting pieces of inactive viruses, which would not be transmissible in individual cases.