Objective Single dose administration of methotrexate (MTX) is considered the first line of treatment in selected patients with an ectopic pregnancy (EP). However, data regarding MTX efficacy among obese patients is limited. We sought to investigate the efficacy of MTX single dose regimen among obese patients MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective cohort study conducted at a gynecology department in a tertiary teaching hospital, between January 2010 and December 2018, including women diagnosed with an EP and treated by a single-dose regimen of MTX.  https://www.selleckchem.com/pharmacological_epigenetics.html  We compared success rate and gestation characteristics between obese and non-obese women. Results Overall, 195 women were treated with single-dose intramuscular MTX for EP during the study period. Of those, 31 women (15.9%) were obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and the rest 164 (84.1%) were of normal body weight. Median MTX dosage for the obese group was 95 milligrams (IQR 91-104) vs. 83 milligrams (IQR 78-87) for the non-obese group. Treatment success rate of the overall cohort was 66.6% (130/195) and treatment success rate of single-dose MTX was comparable between the obese and non-obese groups (64.5% vs. 67.0%, p = 0.78). Obese patients were older as compared to non-obese (median age 33 vs. 29, p = 0.03). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, percentage hCG change from day 1 to day 4 was the only factor associated with treatment success (aOR 1.02; 95%CI 1.01, 1.04, p less then 0.001). Conclusion Single-dose MTX treatment among obese patients diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy led to similar success rates as compared to non-obese patients.Pitaya (Hylocereus spp.) is the only commercial cultivation of fruit containing abundant betalains for consumer. Betalains are water-soluble nitrogen-containing pigments with high nutritional value and bioactivities. In this study, contents of betaxanthins and betacyanins were compared between 'Guanhuabai' (H. undatus) and 'Huanglong' (H. megalanthus) pitayas and key genes involved in betalain biosynthesis were screened from 'Huanglong' pitaya by RNA-Seq technology. Twenty-nine candidate genes related to betalain biosynthesis were obtained from the transcriptome data. Based on expression characteristics and sequence analyses, HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 were further analyzed. HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 were both conserved in 'PSPG-box' and localized in nucleus. Silencing of HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 resulted in a significant reduction in betacyanin and betaxanthin contents. Those results suggested that HmB5GT1 and HmHCGT2 are possibly involved in betalain biosynthesis in H. megalanthus. The present work provides new information on betalain biosynthesis in Hylocereus at the transcriptional level.The aim of this study was to substitute part of soybean phospholipid (SPC) with hydrogenated soybean phospholipid (HSPC) in curcumin-loaded liposomes (Cur-LP), in order to further enhance stability and release performances of curcumin. When the SPC/HSPC mass ratio changed from 100 to 55, vesicle size, encapsulation efficiency and alkali resistance of curcumin increased, although a small decrease in centrifugal stability was observed. Salt stability became worse as more HSPC was used (37 and 010). Owing storage at 4 °C and 25 °C, Cur-LP at a SPC/HSPC mass ratio of 55 performed well considering vesicle size, lipid oxidation and curcumin retention. These vesicles displayed also the best sustained-release performance in simulated digestion, attributed to the tighter lipid packing in membranes as indicated by fluorescence probes, DSC and FTIR. This study can guide the development of a Cur-LP product with improved shelf-life stability by using HSPC.Objective This study aimed to to perform genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii strain or variant causing atypical toxoplasmic uveitis in Indonesia patients. Methods Ocular fluid samples originated from 46 uveitis patients with non-specific ocular manifestation were analyzed forToxoplasma infection by PCR of the B1 locus. The clonal type was determined by amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of SAG2 and GRA6 loci in B1-positive samples. Clinical data was obtained from the medical records. Results Pan uveitis was the most frequent manifestation (65.2%) and mostly unilateral (76.1%). PCR of the B1 locus identified 8 positive subjects (12.5%), majorly with panuveitis (n = 6); two of these individuals had diabetes mellitus. Phylogenetic analysis with maximum likelihood, of the SAG2 locus in the B1-positive samples resulted T. gondii SAG2 type III allele. No positive result was obtained from PCR of GRA6 locus. Conclusion Toxoplasma gondii SAG2-type III allele was identified in atypical presentation of toxoplasmic uveitis in Indonesia.Mitotic progression is orchestrated by the microtubule-based motor dynein, which sustains all mitotic spindle functions. During cell division, cytoplasmic dynein acts with the high-molecular-weight complex dynactin and nuclear mitotic apparatus (NuMA) to organize and position the spindle. Here, we analyze the interaction interface between NuMA and the light intermediate chain (LIC) of eukaryotic dynein. Structural studies show that NuMA contains a hook domain contacting directly LIC1 and LIC2 chains through a conserved hydrophobic patch shared among other Hook adaptors. In addition, we identify a LIC-binding motif within the coiled-coil region of NuMA that is homologous to CC1-boxes. Analysis of mitotic cells revealed that both LIC-binding sites of NuMA are essential for correct spindle placement and cell division. Collectively, our evidence depicts NuMA as the dynein-activating adaptor acting in the mitotic processes of spindle organization and positioning.There is pressing urgency to understand the pathogenesis of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus clade 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes the disease COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein binds angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and in concert with host proteases, principally transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), promotes cellular entry. The cell subsets targeted by SARS-CoV-2 in host tissues and the factors that regulate ACE2 expression remain unknown. Here, we leverage human, non-human primate, and mouse single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets across health and disease to uncover putative targets of SARS-CoV-2 among tissue-resident cell subsets. We identify ACE2 and TMPRSS2 co-expressing cells within lung type II pneumocytes, ileal absorptive enterocytes, and nasal goblet secretory cells. Strikingly, we discovered that ACE2 is a human interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) in vitro using airway epithelial cells and extend our findings to in vivo viral infections. Our data suggest that SARS-CoV-2 could exploit species-specific interferon-driven upregulation of ACE2, a tissue-protective mediator during lung injury, to enhance infection.