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Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient that participates in several plant metabolisms. Soil application of Zn is an effective strategy to increase the productivity and Zn concentration in maize grains, but the effect of Zn fertilizers on the nutrients uptake and biofortification still needs more studies. In this study, a greenhouse plot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of the optimum Zn fertilizer doses (0, 5.7, and 11.4 kg ha−1) on the nutrients uptake and Zn biofortification of maize crops. Zn applications were found to increase significantly the transpiration rate; photosynthesis rate, Zn, and P concentration in the maize shoot at the VT (Tasseling) stage as well as the grain Zn and maize grain yield. P, Mg, and phytic acid (PA) concentration in grains was also increased with a Zn application of 11.4 kg ha−1. The PA/Zn molar ratio in grains decreased due to the Zn application doses as compared with the control treatment, but there was no significant difference between Zn 5.7 and 11.4 kg ha−1 doses, while Zn 5.7 kg ha−1 achieved a higher PA/Fe molar ratio in maize grains compared to other treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total synthesis approach of CS-E oligosaccharides was established and a series of derivatives were synthesized. These oligosaccharides were evaluated for a glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-binding protein interaction against cytokines, midkine, and pleiotrophin, by surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) assay. The binding epitopes of oligosaccharides to midkine were mapped using a saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR technique. The groups on the reducing end contributed to binding affinity, and should not be ignored in biological assays. These findings contribute to the structure and activity relationship research and a foundation of understanding that will underpin potential future optimization of this class of oligosaccharides as pharmaceutical agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the dynamic effects of renewable energy investment (green financing), green technology, and trade openness on consumption-based (trade-adjusted) carbon emissions in BRICS economies from 2000 to 2020. The study employs the cross-section autoregressive distributed lag method for empirical estimation to address slope heterogeneity and cross-sectional dependency issues in panel data. The findings exhibit that green financing and sustainable technologies mitigate consumption-based carbon emissions in the long-run, while trade openness contributes to emissions in BRICS countries. The short-run outcomes are compatible with long-run; however, the magnitude of long-run estimates is larger than the short-run. Moreover, the error correction term reveals a significant negative coefficient value, endorsing the conversion towards steady-state equilibrium with a 37% yearly adjustment rate in case of any deviation from equilibrium. The robustness of results is confirmed through augmented mean group and common correlated effect mean group. These findings imply that BRICS countries should encourage financing in renewable energy projects and allocate R&D investment to promote the adaptation of sustainable technologies. In addition, sustainable and green trade policies would help to curb trade-adjusted pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the added value of an organic ingredient strategy and the transfer mechanisms at work when placing an organic label on product brands. We proposed and empirically tested an integrated model that included three stages: brand and label equity; transfer mechanisms; and product evaluation. We first selected an organic label and product brands and then tested our hypotheses with a sample of French consumers. The results confirm the positive influence of brand and label equity on transfer mechanisms (brand/label perceived fit and ease of transfer) and, in turn, illustrate how ease of transfer influences the overall product evaluation. A surprising result is that brand/label perceived fit does not directly affect the overall product evaluation; rather, it only influences brand/label ease of transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory disorder of the pancreas, and severe acute pancreatitis is associated with high mortality. Early assessment the severity of AP has an important significance for improving clinical outcomes. Our object aimed to develop a nomogram with high simplicity and rapidity for predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis. Patients admitted to the Hunan Provincial People's Hospital within 72 h from onset of AP from January 2010 and December 2020 were enrolled to establish a nomogram. Independent predictors were determined using univariate and multivariate analysis and then assembled to construct a predicting nomogram. The performance of proposed nomogram was evaluated by Brier score and Harrell's concordance index (C-index). Meanwhile, clinical data of AP patients from January 2021 to January 2022 were collected for external validation. Album (OR 0.891, 95%CI 0.867–0.917), calcium (OR 0.151, 95%CI 0.084–0.273), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (OR 1.055, 95%CI 1.023–1.088) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (OR 6.292, 95%CI 4.459–8.879) were identified as independent factors of SAP after univariate and multivariate analysis (p <.05). A predictive nomogram was accordingly established using these four independent variables. The internally verified C-index was 0.796 (95% CI 0.773–0.818), Brier score was 0.138. The externally verified C index was 0.820 (95% CI 0.754–0.887). A nomogram for predicting the severity of AP was well developed, it may be of great significance for clinicians to quickly assess the progress of AP and choose more-targeted strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are reporting the complete plastid genome of Amphicarpaea ferruginea, a grass species with development and utilization prospect. The A. ferruginea plastome is 152,531 bp long, with two inverted repeat(IR) regions (25,616 bp each) that separate a large single copy (LSC) region (83,364 bp) and a small single copy (SSC) region (17,935 bp). A total of 130 genes were annotated, including 85 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic tree shows that Amphicarpaea edgeworthii is closely related to Amphicarpaea ferruginea with strong bootstrap support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective：Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Hydrogen (H2), a flammable, colorless, and odorless gas, has been observed to have preventive and therapeutic effects on brain trauma and other neurological disorders, but its exact mechanism has not been fully clarified. Methods: To further study the mechanism underlying the role of hydrogen gas in alleviating BBB damage after TBI, we performed the scratch injury model on cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells (bEnd.3), which formed the microvascular endothelial barrier – an integral part of the highly specialized BBB. Results: In the case of TBI, hydrogen was able to improve the decline of cell viability induced by TBI. More importantly, inhibition of PI3 K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway or activation of autophagy reduced the protective effect of hydrogen on cell viability, indicating that such protective effect was regulated by PI3 K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway and was related to the inhibition of autophagy. Conclusion: So we concluded that hydrogen improved the cell viability in a microvascular endothelial cell model of TBI partly through inhibition of autophagy, and inhibitory effect of hydrogen on autophagy was exerted by activating PI3 K/Akt/GSK3β signal pathway. These findings enriched our knowledge about the mechanism of hydrogen therapy against TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel 4″-O-desosaminyl clarithromycin derivatives with 11, 12-arylalkyl side chains was synthesized by coupling 6-deoxy-desosamine donors (18, 19) with 4″-OH of compounds 5a–c. The activities of the target compounds were tested against a series of macrolide-sensitive and macrolide-resistant pathogens. Some of them showed activities against macrolide sensitive and resistant pathogens, and compounds 21d and 21e displayed significant improvement of activities against resistant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new isolates (1−3) including one new sterol and two new flavonoids together with three known sterols (4−6) were isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were determined mainly by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus and cytotoxic activities. The results showed that compounds 2 and 3 exhibited high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rate of 34.2 and 33.4%, respectively, which were roughly equivalent to that of positive control. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1 and 4–6 against five human tumour cell lines were also tested, and tested compounds showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumour cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel 5-O-(4′,6′-O-dimodified)-mycaminose 14-membered ketolides were assessed for their in vitro antibacterial activities against a panel of sensitive and resistant pathogens. Compound 1 and compound 2, two ester analogs, showed the best antibacterial activities against several macrolide-sensitive and macrolide-resistant strains. These results indicated that introducing ester to 6-OH and a small volume ether substituent to the 4-OH of mycaminose could improve the antibacterial activities of ketolides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE(SPL) transcription factor genes are functionally diverse; they control a number of fundamental aspects of plant growth and development, including vegetative phase change, flowering time, branching and leaf initiation rate. In our previous study, expression profiling showed that Bra033221, a transcript-derived fragment of anAtSPL8ortholog, was up-regulated at flower bud differentiation stage 5. This result suggested that Bra033221 has a function similar to that ofAtSPL8. In the present study,BrcSPL8, anAtSPL8homolog, was cloned from pak choi (Brassica rapasubsp.chinensis) based on Bra033221 using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The full-length cDNA was 1117 bp and contained a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 987 bp; this ORF encoded a predicted protein with 328 amino acid residues, a calculated molecular mass of 36.55 kDa and an isoelectric point of 8.85.BrcSPL8was expressed in all analysed apices. Its expression levels before flower differentiation stage 1 were low and almost invariable, and the highest expression was detected in the apex at flower differentiation stage 5, suggesting thatBrcSPL8has a role during flower development in pak choi. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are recommended for preventing gastrointestinal lesions induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). We performed this study: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of PPIs, (2) to explore the association between effectiveness and potential influential factors, and (3) to investigate the comparative effect of different PPIs.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify randomized controlled trials comparing different classes of PPIs, or comparing PPIs with placebo, H2 receptor antagonists or misoprostol in NSAIDs users. Both pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis were performed.Results: Analyses were based on 12,532 participants from 31 trials. PPIs were significantly more effective than placebo in reducing ulcer complications (relative risk [RR] = 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20 to 0.42) and endoscopic peptic ulcers (RR = 0.27; 95% CI, 0.22 to 0.33), with no subgroup differences according to class of NSAIDs, ulcer risk, history of previous ulcer disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, or age. To prevent one ulcer complication, 10 high risk patients and 268 moderate risk patients need PPI therapy. Network meta-analysis indicated that the effectiveness of different PPIs in reducing ulcer complications and endoscopic peptic ulcers is generally similar. PPIs significantly reduced gastrointestinal adverse events and the related withdrawals compared to placebo; there is no difference in safety between different PPIs.Conclusions: PPIs are effective and safe in preventing peptic ulcers and complications in a wide spectrum of patients requiring NSAID therapy. There is no major difference in the comparative effectiveness and safety between different PPIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the process of icogenin analog research, we obtained two cytotoxic steroids: compound4and compound6casually. Theirin vitroantitumor activities were tested by the standard MTT assay. The results disclosed that compound4(IC50 = 3.65–6.90 μM) showed potential antitumor activities against HELA, KB cell lines and compound6(IC50 = 2.40–9.05 μM) showed potential antitumor activities against HELA, BGC-823, KB, A549, HCT-8 cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Some novel josamycin derivatives bearing an arylalkyl-type side chain were designed and synthesized. By HWE or Wittig reaction, 16-aldehyde group of josamycin analogs were converted into unsaturated carbonyl compounds. They were evaluated for theirin vitroantibacterial activities against a panel of respiratory pathogens.8band8eexhibited comparable activities against a panel of respiratory pathogens, especially to resistant ones in the series of desmycarosyl josamycin analogs. Among of all the target molecules,21showed the best antibacterial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: This study evaluates the role of hypothyroidism in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by comparing the OSA indices in hypothyroid OSA (OSA-HYPOT) with euthyroid OSA (OSA-EUTHY) patients.Methods: After literature search in several electronic databases and selection of studies by following eligibility criteria, meta-analyses of mean differences/standardized mean differences were performed to compare OSA indices at the time of diagnosis between OSA-HYPOT and OSA-EUTHY patients. Metaregression analyses were carried out to examine the relationship between age, BMI, sample size, and gender vs OSA indices in OSA-HYPOT patients.Results: Twelve studies and five case reports recruiting 192 OSA-HYPOT and 1423 OSA-EUTHY patients were included in the meta-analysis. Prevalence (mean ± SD) of clinical hypothyroidism in OSA patients was 8.12 ± 7.13% and that of subclinical hypothyroidism 11.07 ± 8.49%. Apnea-Hypopnea Index, time of sleep with oxygen desaturation <90%, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale were significantly higher in the OSA-HYPOT patients at diagnosis, whereas there was no significant difference in arousal index, respiratory disturbance index and sleeping efficiency between OSA-HYPOT and OSA-EUTHY patients. Body mass index was positively associated with Apnea-Hypopnea Index in OSA-HYPOT patients.Conclusions: Hypothyroidism is found to be associated with severity of OSA. However, obesity can be a confounder in the outcomes observed herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic bronchitis (CB) are common respiratory diseases globally. The aim of this meta-analysis was to quantify the risk of these two diseases being associated with Helicobacter pylori infection. Methods: A literature search was performed to identify studies published before 5 June 2014 for relevant risk estimates. Fixed and random effect meta-analytical techniques were conducted for COPD and CB. Results: Sixteen observational studies involving 1390 patients with COPD, 734 with CB and more than 13 000 controls were included. Helicobacter pylori infection was associated with an increased risk of COPD and CB [odds ratio (OR) 2.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81-2.36, p for heterogeneity = 0.05; and OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.33-1.86, p for heterogeneity = 0.08]. We discovered a significant association between CagA-positive strains and risk for COPD (OR 3.46, 95% CI 2.29-5.25, p for heterogeneity = 0.20). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggested a potential relationship between H. pylori infection and the development of COPD and CB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Under suboptimal storage and transport conditions, influenza virus (flu-v) RNA is prone to degradation and lysis buffers from RNA extraction kits have a potential to stabilize RNA. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different lysis buffers on the stability of flu-v RNA. Materials & methods: Aliquots of flu-v suspension were processed in parallel with two lysis buffers, and then underwent cyclic freeze-thaw or prolonged storage at 4, 22 and -20°C. The viral RNA was analyzed by using real-time and conventional RT-PCR amplifying, respectively, partial and full-length sequences of the flu-v matrix gene. Results: The viral RNA remained intact in samples treated with either of the two lysis buffers for at least 7 days at 4°C, 90 days at -20°C or following seven freeze-thaw cycles, but buffer A was superior to buffer B in protecting RNA from degradation at 4°C and 22°C, or following a further increase of freeze-thaw cycles. Conclusion: Lysis buffer preservatives provide viral RNA stabilization, whereas different lysis buffers vary in their ability to stabilize viral RNA, and thus their performance characteristics should be evaluated prior to their application in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to simplify the synthesis of OSW-1's disaccharide side chain and explore the structure–activity relationship of OSW-1, three 16α-O-maltose OSW-1 analogs carrying three maltose side chains bearing different protections were designed and synthesized. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) inhibits cancer cell growth, and there is a controversy regarding the cancer chemoprotective effects of pharmacologic doses of this compound that exhibits prooxidant activity. We hypothesized that the anticancer activity of pharmacologic doses of ascorbic acid (<5 mM) is due, in part, to reactive oxygen species-dependent downregulation of specificity protein (Sp) transcription factors Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 and Sp-regulated genes. In this study, ascorbic acid (1–3 mM) decreased RKO and SW480 colon cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis and necrosis, and this was accompanied by downregulation of Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 proteins. In addition, ascorbic acid decreased expression of several Sp-regulated genes that are involved in cancer cell proliferation [hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-Met), epidermal growth factor receptor and cyclin D1], survival (survivin and bcl-2), and angiogenesis [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFR1 and VEGFR2)]. Other prooxidants such as hydrogen peroxide exhibited similar activities in colon cancer cells, and cotreatment with glutathione inhibited these responses. This study demonstrates for the first time that the anticancer activities of ascorbic acid are due, in part, to ROS-dependent repression of Sp transcription factors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel series of acylide derivatives have been synthesized which exhibit in vitro potency against key respiratory pathogens. Modification of position 3 was accomplished by replacing different 3-O-substituted acyl groups in the macrolide core via a facile procedure. Compounds 7a-7i were eventually yielded by the conjunction of diverse hetero-aryl side chains with the 11-N,12-O-carbamate sub-structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome ofTamiops swinhoeihas been determined in this study. It is 16,513 bp in size and consists of 2 rRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes and one non-coding region (D-loop). The overall base composition of the heavy strand of theT. swinhoeimitochondrial genome is A: 32.63%, T: 28.67%, C: 26.33% and G: 12.37%. The alignment of theTamiopsspecies control regions exhibited high genetic variability and rich A + T content (63.42%). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]