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As Gymnadenia R.Br. (Gym) has an obvious uric acid-lowering effect, but its specific bioactive substances and mechanism are still unclear. The key metabolites and pathways used by Gym to reduce uric acid (UA) were identify.An optimized extraction process for urate-lowering active substances from Gym was firstly been carried out based on the xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition modelWe found that the inhibition rate of Gym extract with 95% ethanol concentration on XOD was 84.02%, and the extraction rate was 4.32%. Interestingly, when the other conditions were the same, the XOD inhibition rate of the Gym extract with 75% ethanol concentration was 76.84%, and the extraction rate was 14.68%. A total of 539 metabolites were identified, among them, 162 different metabolites were screened, of which 123 were up-regulated and 39 were down-regulated. Besides significantly reducing the contents of UA, BUN, CRE, ROS, MDA, and XOD activity in HUA zebrafish by Gym and acutely reduce the activity of SOD.Along with the flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenylpropanoids, the ethanolic extract of Gym may be related to reduce the UA level of Gym.

Dracaena, a remarkably long-lived and slowly maturing species, is famous all over the world for the production of dragon’s blood, a precious traditional medicine used by different cultures since ancient times. However, lacking a high-quality genome,the molecular mechanisms underlying these traits are largely unknown and that greatly restricts the protection and regeneration of the rare and endangered plant resources. Here, we sequenced and assembled a chromosome-level genome of the Dracaena cochinchinensis, the first to be sequenced of Dracaena Vand. ex L. The D. cochinchinensis genome covering 1.21 Gb with a scaffold N50 of 50.06 Mb, and encodes 31,619 predicted protein-coding genes. We found D. cochinchinensis has undergone two whole genome duplications (WGDs) and two long terminal repeats (LTRs) insertion burst events. The expansion of cis-zeatin O-glucosyltransferase (cZOGT) and small auxin up-regulated RNA (SAUR) genes is account for its longevity and slow growth. In flavonoids biosynthesis pathway, transcription factors bHLH and MYB were predicted as the core regulators, and ROS as the specific signal molecule during the process of injury-induced dragon’s blood formation. Our study not only provides high-quality genomic knowledge of D. cochinchinensis, but also deciphered the mystery of its longevity, and preliminarily elucidated the molecular mechanism of dragon’s blood formation, which will facilitate the resource protection and sustainable utilization of Dracaena.SHORT SUMMARYThis study reports a chromosome-level genome assembly for D. cochinchinensis, the first genome of Dracaena Vand. ex L. It 29 provides valuable genetic resources and creates a large scope for studying Dracaena. We found the significant expansion of genes associated with its longevity and slow growth, and genes in flavonoids biosynthesis were first completely identified. Moreover, transcription factors bHLH and MYB as the core regulator of flavonoids biosynthesis, and ROS as the specific signal molecule during the process of injury-induced dragon’s blood formation were also identified. These results not only deciphered the mystery of its longevity, but also elucidated the molecular mechanism of dragon[s blood formation preliminarily, which will facilitate the resource protection and sustainable utilization of Dracaena.

Interest in the third-row transition metal osmium and its compounds as potential anticancer agents has grown in recent years. Here, we synthesized the osmium(VI) nitrido complex Na[OsVI(N)(tpm)2] (tpm = [5-(Thien-2-yl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]methanol), which exhibited a greater inhibitory effect on the cell viabilities of the cervical, ovarian, and breast cancer cell lines compared with cisplatin. Proteomics analysis revealed that Na[OsVI(N)(tpm)2] modulates the expression of protein-transportation-associated, DNA-metabolism-associated, and oxidative-stress-associated proteins in HepG2 cells. Perturbation of protein expression activity by the complex in cancer cells affects the functions of the mitochondria, resulting in high levels of cellular oxidative stress and low rates of cell survival. Moreover, it caused G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and caspase-mediated apoptosis of HepG2 cells. This study reveals a new high-valent osmium complex as an anticancer agent candidate modulating protein homeostasis.

At maturation stage of enamel development, a specialized basal lamina (sBL) was built between ameloblasts and enamel. After the teeth eruption, the ameloblasts transform into the inner cell layer of junctional epithelium. The inner cell layer forms the internal basal lamina of junctional epithelium. However, the composition of the sBL and internal basal lamina was not clarified. The objective of our study was to make a description of the localization of amelotin (AMTN), laminin γ2 (LAMC2) and Odontogenesis-associated phosphoprotein (ODAPH) on the sBL and internal basal lamina. In immunohistochemical study, AMTN, LAMC2 and ODAPH were detected on the sBL at maturation stage. AMTN was also detected in ameloblasts at maturation stage. The expression of AMTN decreased from early-to-late maturation stage. In contrast, the expression of LAMC2 and ODAPH was stable. Immunofluorescence double-staining showed the localization of AMTN was close to enamel surface. However, the localization of ODAPH was close to ameloblasts. LAMC2 and ODAPH were observed on internal basal lamina of junctional epithelium. In contrast, no expression of AMTN was detected on internal basal lamina of junctional epithelium. Our results suggested that ODAPH might participate in enamel maturation and periodontal health, which might provide a better understanding of enamel defects and periodontal disease in clinic.

The emergence and popularization of various fifth-generation fighter jets with supersonic cruise, super maneuverability, and stealth functionalities have raised higher and more comprehensive challenges for the tactical performance and operational indicators of air defense weapon systems. The training of air defense systems requires simulated targets; however, the traditional targets cannot simulate the radar cross-section (RCS) distribution characteristics of fifth-generation fighter aircrafts. In addition, the existing target aircrafts are expensive and cannot be mass-produced. Therefore, in this paper, a corner reflector and a Luneburg ball reflector with RCS distribution characteristics of a fifth-generation fighter in a certain spatial area are designed for target simulation. Several corner reflectors and Luneburg balls are used to form an array to realize the simulations. The RCS value and distribution characteristics of the target can be combined with fuzzy clustering and a single-chip microcomputer to design an intelligent switching system, which improves the practicability of the intelligent target design proposed in this paper.

Radar cross-section (RCS) means that at a given frequency, the emitted electromagnetic wave illuminates the surface of the object and then reflects back to the radar or the receiving antenna signal. The change of the attitude angle of the target will greatly affect the RCS by changing the shape and size of the measured target, then the purpose of jamming the radar signal can be realized. Therefore, this paper proposes a bucket reflector design based on complex structure by changing the material structure and attitude angle, it achieves the purpose of simulating the RCS distribution curve of the horizontal azimuth angle of the target. Finally the demand target is simulated to achieve radar interference.

As a special ecosystem in cities, urban wetland parks have important environmental regulation and social service functions. This paper proposes a new methodology of urban wetland planning and management based on the vulnerability of the ecological environment. The Jixi National Wetland Park (JNWP) was taken as the research area to analyze the ecological, geological and environmental factors that affect urban wetlands. A remote sensing image, digital elevation model, and environmental quality interpolation processing were used to generate the factor layer, and a comprehensive evaluation index system was established. The fuzzy Delphi analytic hierarchy process (FDAHP) method was used to calculate the comprehensive weight of each evaluation factor. A model to evaluate the ecological environment vulnerability of the JNWP was established. Then, an improved k-means clustering algorithm was used to classify the ecological environment of the study area. The ecological environment vulnerability of the wetland was evaluated. The results showed that the vulnerability of the ecological environment in the study area could be divided into five levels, including very low, low, medium, high and very high vulnerability areas. According to the vulnerability level and the results of k-means++ cluster analysis, the JNWP is divided into five areas. The wetland buffer zone is the main factor that determines the distribution of ecological environment vulnerability in urban wetlands. However, cultivated land development and ecological environmental restoration are the main factors that determine the evolution of ecological environment vulnerability in urban wetlands. The FDAHP and geographic information systems (GIS), combined with cluster analysis, are effective methods to evaluate the vulnerability of the ecological environment of urban wetlands, which provides a scientific and accurate methodology for the management and sustainable development of urban wetlands.

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone H3 lysine 27 methyltransferases. Non-synonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) in the ezh2 gene may cause Weaver Syndrome that is a prominent and rare congenital disorder. Several EZH2 genetic variants have been characterized and reported, but there is no information available on their structural dynamics. Our study employs an in silico approach for structural and functional characterization of EZH2 nsSNPs. We identified 19 EZH2 nsSNPs majorly associated with Weaver Syndrome, among which four SET-domain nsSNPs including V621M, A677T, R679C, and H689Y significantly affected EZH2 structure. We conducted the triplicate of 100 ns of molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) to compare the dynamic interaction behaviors between wild-type and mutants of EZH2 with their substrate, H3K27me0 peptide. The simulation results revealed that the mutants had higher levels of structural variations as evidenced by secondary structure, density, distance plots, and principal component analysis. Compared to EZH2-WT, the mutants A677T and H689Y have shown lower binding energy with H3K27me0 peptide due to the denaturing of 310 helixes as exemplified by MM/PBSA calculations and secondary structure analysis. Our analysis shed light on mechanisms of structural variations of EZH2 nsSNPs and lay a stone to develop mutant-based therapeutic strategies for the design of target-specific scaffolds against Weaver Syndrome.

To examine the effects of vasopressors on free flap outcomes.Most micro-surgeons avoid the use of vasopressors during free flap surgery due to concerns of vasoconstriction, which could potentially lead to vascular thrombosis and flap failure. Previous studies lack the statistical power to draw meaningful conclusions.All free flaps between 2004 and 2014 from a single institution were reviewed retrospectively. Vasopressors were given intraoperatively as an intravenous bolus when blood pressure dropped20% from baseline. The timing of intraoperative vasopressor administration was divided into 3 phases: from anesthesia induction to 30 minutes before the start of flap ischemia (P1); end of P1 to 30 minutes after revascularization (P2); end of P2 to end of surgery (P3). Agents included phenylephrine, ephedrine and calcium chloride.A total of 5671 free flap cases in 4888 patients undergoing head and neck, breast, trunk, or extremity reconstruction were identified. Vasopressors were used intraoperatively in 85% of cases. The overall incidence of pedicle compromise was 3.6%, with a flap loss rate of 1.7%. A propensity score matching analysis showed that intraoperative use of any agents at any time of surgery was not associated with increased overall pedicle compromise [51/1584 (3.2%) vs 37/792 (4.7%); P = 0.074] or flap failure rates [26/1584 (1.6%) vs 19/792 (2.4%); P = 0.209]. Rather, there was less risk of venous congestion [33/1584 (2.1%) vs 31/792 (3.9%); P = 0.010].Intraoperative use of phenylephrine, ephedrine, or calcium chloride as an intravenous bolus does not increase flap compromise and failure rates in cancer patients.

// Tingting Men 1, * , Cuicui Yu 2, * , Dan Wang 3 , Fang Liu 3 , Jingjing Li 3 , Xiaoying Qi 3 , Chunhua Yang 3 , Wenguo Jiang 3 , Xiaodan Wei 3 , Xuri Li 3 , Bin Wang 4 , Jia Mi 3 and Geng Tian 3 1 School of Nursing, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China 2 Department of Anesthesiology, Yantai Yu Huang Ding Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, China 3 Medicine and Pharmacy Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China 4 Institute of Molecular Imaging, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Geng Tian, email: tiangengshandong@yeah.net Jia Mi, email: Jia.mi@kemi.uu.se Bin Wang, email: binwang001@aliyun.com Keywords: prostate cancer, interleukin-10, polymorphism, peripheral blood interleukin-10, meta-analysis Received: December 16, 2016 Accepted: April 11, 2017 Published: April 29, 2017 ABSTRACT This study purported to investigate the impact of interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene 4 polymorphisms (-1082G>A, -819T>C, -592A>C and 210T>C) on peripheral blood IL-10 variation and prostate cancer (PCa) risk, with a special consideration given to various origins of between-study heterogeneity. 2 researchers independently fulfilled literature retrieval, quality assessment and information collection. Sub-grouped analyses per ethnicity, continent, design type, control source, genotyping procedure, genotype validation, age-matched status, study sample size, quality score and controls’ mean age were conducted, respectively. Total 17 unduplicated studies (patients/controls: 7561/8101) were assessable for PCa risk, and 4 unduplicated studies (1189 subjects) for peripheral blood IL-10 variation. Pooling all assessable studies identified a marginally significant association between the -1082A allele and increased PCa risk (odds ratio (OR)=1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00 to 1.21) (Heterogeneity I 2 =64.3%), and no significance was detected in sub-grouped analyses of this polymorphism. Contrastingly, the -592C allele was significantly associated with reduced PCa risk in both prospective (OR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.77 to 0.95) and population-based (OR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.00) studies (Heterogeneity I 2 =0.0% and 18.1%). Moreover, carriers of combined -592CA/CC genotypes had a significant higher level of peripheral blood IL-10 than the -592AA genotype carriers (weighted mean difference=0.45 and 0.54 mg/dL, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.67 and 0.30 to 0.39). The above comparisons possessed a low probability of publication bias. In sum, our findings suggested that IL-10 gene -592A>C polymorphism may represent a promising candidate locus for the occurrence of PCa, and further signified a contributing role of this polymorphism in prostate carcinogenesis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation and leads to an increased risk of colon cancer. There are many studies using phyto-ingredients as a novel approach for the treatment of UC. The plant Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae) is a safe and edible vegetable that has been extensively adopted in traditional Chinese medicine for conditions involving inflammation, and the most active phytochemical agent is andrographolide. The andrographolide derivative 3,14,19-triacetyl andrographolide, which is known as CX-10 (a hemi chemical synthesized from andrographolide), has been found to possess strong anti-inflammatory properties. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of CX-10 as a complementary and alternative medicine against dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice. Our results revealed that CX-10 treatment reduced body weight loss, reduced colon length shortening, decreased colon weight, decreased the spleen index, decreased the disease activity index (DAI), and alleviated histological damage in the colon. The expression of TNF-α and IL-6 and the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in colonic tissues were significantly reduced in CX-10 supplemented mice. It is noteworthy that the efficacy of 200 mg/kg of CX-10 was equivalent to that of the mesalazine positive control (200 mg/kg). Furthermore, western blot analysis revealed that CX-10 treatment reduced the expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 and p-IκBα, increased the expression of IκBα and down-regulated the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), ERK and JNK. In conclusion, CX-10 treatment attenuated DSS-induced UC in mice through inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and MAPK pathways and reducing TNF-α and IL-6 levels, suggesting that CX-10 is a potential therapeutic drug for UC.

Uniform lanthanide orthophosphate LnPO(4) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho) nanoparticles have been systematically synthesized via a facile, fast, efficient ultrasonic irradiation of inorganic salt aqueous solution under ambient conditions without any surfactant or template. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as kinetic decays were employed to characterize the samples. The SEM and the TEM images show that the hexagonal structured lanthanide orthophosphate LnPO(4) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd. Sm, Eu, Gd) products have nanorod bundles morphology, while the tetragonal LnPO(4) (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho) samples prepared under the same experimental conditions are composed of nanoparticles. HRTEM micrographs and SAED results prove that these nanostructures are polycrystalline in nature.

A general and facile ultrasonic irradiation method has been established for the synthesis of the lanthanide orthovanadate LnVO4 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu) nanoparticles from an aqueous solution of Ln(NO3)3 and NH4VO3 without any surfactant or template. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as kinetic decays were employed to characterize the as-prepared products. Ultrasonic irradiation has a strong effect on the morphology of the LnVO4 nanoparticles. The SEM and TEM images illustrate that the as-formed LnVO4 particles have a spindle-like shape with an equatorial diameter of 30−70 nm and a length of 100−200 nm, which are the aggregates of even smaller nanoparticles of 10−20 nm. The results of XRD confirm the formation of a well-crystallized LnVO4 phase with a tetragonal...

Three-dimensional flowerlike Lu2O3 and Lu2O3:Ln3+ (Ln = Eu, Tb, Dy, Pr, Sm, Er, Ho, Tm) microarchitectures have been successfully synthesized via ethylene glycol (EG)-mediated hydrothermal method followed by a subsequent heat treatment process. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectra, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, elemental analysis, inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometric analysis, ion chromatogram analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectra, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence spectra as well kinetic decays, and cathodoluminescence spectra were used to characterize the samples. Hydrothermal temperature, EG, and CH3COONa play critical roles in the formation of the lutetium oxide precursor microflowers. The reaction mechanism and the self-assembly evolution process have been proposed. The as-formed lutetium oxide precursor could transform to Lu2O3 with their original flower...

BACKGROUND: O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase is one of the few proteins to directly remove alkylating agents in the human DNA direct reversal repair pathway. A large number of case-control studies have been conducted to explore the association between MGMT Leu84Phe polymorphism and cancer risk. However, the results were not consistent. METHODS: We carried out a meta-analysis of 44 case-control studies to clarify the association between the Leu84Phe polymorphism and cancer risk. RESULTS: Overall, significant association of the T allele with cancer susceptibility was verified with meta-analysis under a recessive genetic model (P

Penehyclidine hydrochloride can promote microcirculation and reduce vascular permeability. However, the role of penehyclidine hydrochloride in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury remains unclear. In this study, in vivo middle cerebral artery occlusion models were established in experimental rats, and penehyclidine hydrochloride pretreatment was given via intravenous injection prior to model establishment. Tetrazolium chloride, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling and immunohistochemical staining showed that, penehyclidine hydrochloride pretreatment markedly attenuated neuronal histopathological changes in the cortex, hippocampus and striatum, reduced infarction size, increased the expression level of Bcl-2, decreased the expression level of caspase-3, and inhibited neuronal apoptosis in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Xanthine oxidase and thiobarbituric acid chromogenic results showed that penehyclidine hydrochloride upregulated the activity of superoxide dismutase and downregulated the concentration of malondialdehyde in the ischemic cerebral cortex and hippocampus, as well as reduced the concentration of extracellular excitatory amino acids in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. In addition, penehyclidine hydrochloride inhibited the expression level of the NR1 subunit in hippocampal nerve cells in vitro following oxygen-glucose deprivation, as detected by PCR. Experimental findings indicate that penehyclidine hydrochloride attenuates neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress injury after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, thus exerting a neuroprotective effect.

Uniform lanthanide orthophosphate LnPO(4) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho) nanoparticles have been systematically synthesized via a facile, fast, efficient ultrasonic irradiation of inorganic salt aqueous solution under ambient conditions without any surfactant or template. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as kinetic decays were employed to characterize the samples. The SEM and the TEM images show that the hexagonal structured lanthanide orthophosphate LnPO(4) (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd. Sm, Eu, Gd) products have nanorod bundles morphology, while the tetragonal LnPO(4) (Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho) samples prepared under the same experimental conditions are composed of nanoparticles. HRTEM micrographs and SAED results prove that these nanostructures are polycrystalline in nature.

In this paper, a new frame size adjusting method is proposed for framed slotted ALOHA algorithm in RFID system. This method does not predict the number of tags. The reader just use the current frame size and the total number of successful slots, idle slots and collision slots in current frame to select a more appropriate frame size to continue the inventory of tags in a new frame. The proposed adjusting method can be easily carried out, and simulation results show that the proposed algorithm consumes fewer time slots as compared to previous work.

Lu3Ga5O12:Eu3+, Lu3Ga5O12:Tb3+, and Lu3Ga5O12:Pr3+ phosphors were prepared through a Pechini-type sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), photoluminescence, and cathodoluminescence spectra were utilized to characterize the synthesized phosphors. The XRD results reveal that the sample begins to crystallize at 800 degrees C and fully crystallined pure Lu3Ga5O12 phase can be obtained at 1000 degrees C. The FESEM image indicates that the phosphor sample is composed of aggregated rice grainlike particles with sizes around 80-120 nm.

Trivalent dysprosium (Dy3+)-activated beta-gallium oxide (beta-Ga2O3) phosphors were synthesized by solid-state (SS), coprecipitation (CP), and citrate gel (CG) methods, respectively. The resulting beta-Ga2O3:Dy3+ phosphors were well characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and by photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectra. The phosphors prepared by different methods show different luminescence properties under the excitation of UV and low-voltage cathode rays. There exists an energy transfer from the beta-Ga2O3 host lattices to Dy3+, and the energy transfer efficiency was higher in the CG-derived phosphors than those of the SS- and CP-derived phosphors. Factors influencing the intensity of luminescence and the energy transfer efficiency from beta-Ga2O3 host to Dy3+ in beta-Ga2O3:Dy3+ phosphors were investigated in detail. It is shown that the CG method is the most respected process for the preparation of beta-Ga2O3:Dy3+ phosphors.