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Background: Establishing mixed plantations is an effective way to improve soil fertility and increase forest productivity. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are obligate symbiotic fungi that can promote mineral nutrient absorption and regulate intraspecific and interspecific competition in plants. However, the effects of mixed plantations on the community structure and abundance of AM fungi are still unclear. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to investigate the AM fungal community in the roots and soils of pure and mixed plantations (Juglans mandshurica × Larix gmelinii). The objective of this study is to compare the differential responses of the root and rhizosphere soil AM fungal communities of Juglans mandshurica to long-term mixed plantation management. Results: Glomus and Paraglomus were the dominant genera in the root samples, accounting for more than 80% of the sequences. Compared with that in the pure plantation, the relative abundance of Glomus was higher in the mixed plantation. Glomus, Diversispora and Paraglomus accounted for more than 85% of the sequences in the soil samples. The relative abundances of Diversispora and an unidentified genus of Glomeromycetes were higher and lower in the pure plantation, respectively. The Root_P samples (the roots in the pure plantation) had the highest number of unique OTUs (operational taxonomic units), which belonged mainly to an unidentified genus of Glomeromycetes, Paraglomus, Glomus and Acaulospora. The number of unique OTUs detected in the soil was lower than that in the roots. In both the root and soil samples, the forest type did not have a significant effect on AM fungal diversity, but the Sobs value and the Shannon, Chao1 and Ace indices of AM fungi in the roots were significantly higher than those in the soil. Conclusions: Mixed forest management had little effect on the AM fungal community of Juglans mandshurica roots and significantly changed the community composition of the soil AM fungi, but not the diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) identification is one of the most meaningful approaches towards early cancer diagnosis. However, effective and practical methods for analyzing this emerging class of biomarkers are still lacking. In this work, a biosensor based on nitrophenyl functionalized black phosphorus nanosheets (NP-BPs) is fabricated for sensitive and selective detection of ctDNA. In this work, a nitrophenyl functionalized black phosphorus nanosheets (NP-BPs) biosensor is fabricated for sensitive and selective detection of ctDNA. Due to the successful nitrophenyl functionalization, the NP-BPs biosensor shows higher quenching efficiency and stronger affinity towards single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), as compared with double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Therefore, the NP-BPs biosensor exhibits 5.4-fold fluorescence enhancement when dye-labelled ssDNA probe forms dsDNA in the presence of its specific ctDNA target. This biosensor exhibits a detection limit of 50 fM and a wide linear detection range of 50 fM-80 pM, provides reliable readout in a short time (15 min). Moreover, the NP-BPs-based biosensor could be applied to discriminate single nucleotide polymorphisms in clinical serum samples. It is envisioned that the NP-BPs-based sensing platform has great potentials in early cancer diagnosis and monitoring cancer progression. • Two-dimensional biosensor has been fabricated to detect DNA in human serum samples. • NP-BPs biosensor shows high selectivity and excellent sensitivity towards ctDNA. • The proposed approach provide keys to the clinical potential boasting rapid, and accurate detection of ctDNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Air-membrane interaction has an important effect on the behavior of inflated tubes. • Air-membrane interaction decreases with the initial pressure and slenderness ratio. • Degree of constraints can reduce the air-membrane interaction. • Air-membrane interaction varies non-monotonically with the axial compression. • Influence of air-membrane interaction changes non-monotonically with the factors. Inflated membrane tubes are popularly used as supporting members in civil engineering and aerospace engineering. The stiffness and bearing capacity of the tube originate from the tensile stress of the membrane induced by the inner air pressure. Deformation of the tube under load results in a change in this pressure and hence influences the tensile stress of the enveloping membrane and the stiffness of the tube. The latter would affect the deformation again. Such an interaction between the deformation of the enveloping membrane and the inner air pressure plays an important role in the mechanical behavior of the tube, and yet it has not received any attention according to the literature. This paper experimentally studied the air-membrane interaction of an inflated tube under both axial compression and transverse bending and its influence on the critical wrinkling load and ultimate bearing capacity with variations in the initial pressure, constraint type, axial load and slenderness ratio. A special experimental setup and test procedure were designed and developed to test the inflated tubes. The experimental results reveal quantitatively the air-membrane interaction and its significant influence on the mechanical behaviors of an inflated membrane tube which are sensitive to the four influencing factors studied. The results can be helpful to the understanding of the behavior of inflated membrane tubes with the air-membrane interaction, and may therefore improve the reliability of the tubes in civil and aerospace engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane technology is a forward-looking approach for gas separation, while the implementation of membrane with high performance for ethylene/ethane separation still challenges the world. Herein, a multifunctional ternary deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based membrane was constructed for the cost-effective ethylene/ethane separation. The incorporation of a sweetener (Al(NO 3) 3) with the AgNO 3 /methylacetamide (NMA) mixture to form a ternary DES not only significantly promoted the ethylene/ethane selectivity but also enhanced the long-term stability of resultant membranes, which killed two birds with one stone. Various spectroscopic characterization and quantum mechanical calculations revealed that the complexing interaction between Ag+ and NMA and the complexing interaction between Al3+ and NO 3 − weakened the electrostatic interaction between Ag+ and NO 3 −, and improved the interaction energy between ethylene molecule and Ag+ carrier. By the synergy effects of two different complexing interactions, the ternary DES-based membranes exhibited high ethylene permeability, ethylene/ethane selectivity and stability, outperforming majority of the previously published data. Therefore, the membranes proved the grand potential for ethylene/ethane separation, and this work will shed light on the design of multifunctional liquid membranes for precise molecular separation. Image 1 • A multifunctional DES-based membrane was first built for C 2 H 4 /C 2 H 6 separation. • The addition of sweetener distinctly enhanced the separation selectivity. • The separation mechanism was revealed by quantum mechanical calculations. • The cost-effective membranes exhibited high performance and durable stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The g-C 3 N 4 @Fe was firstly used as the catalyst for cataluminescence (CTL)-based sensing for H 2 S. • A home-designed system was developed for reliable preparation and introduction of H 2 S samples. • The sensing performance was comparable to or better than previous works on CTL-based sensing for H 2 S. • The method was applicable for home-made real samples with high accuracy. A home designed cataluminescence (CTL)-based gas sensor was developed with high selectivity and sensitivity, using g-C 3 N 4 @Fe composite as the catalyst for the detection of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) in a controllable manner. Intensive CTL was generated due to the effectively catalytic oxidation of H 2 S on the surface of the g-C 3 N 4 @Fe but none from diverse possible gas interferents including other sulfides or thiols, which was also proportional in intensity to the H 2 S concentration. The prepared g-C 3 N 4 @Fe was thoroughly characterized by TG, FTIR, XRD, SEM, XPS and TEM, and the sensing parameters were optimized. It turned out that 0.36% Fe contained in the g-C 3 N 4 could lead to the most intensive CTL from H 2 S, with a linear range of 10–500 μmol•mol−1 (i.e. ppm) and a limit of detection 1.5 μmol•mol−1. The proposed method also showed other attractive features including rapidness, simple equipment and low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rough focusing can ensure a wide focusing scale with a fast calculation speed. • Fine focusing can achieve both the focusing accuracy and the high stability in the axial direction. • The auto-focusing algorithm for biological samples in ptychographic imaging was verified. • The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by microscopic experiments on the USAF1951 resolution targets. • Try to using an optical ptychography to image the group 8-9 of resolution targets. In ptychography, the precise diffraction distance is critical to recover the object with high quality. An auto-focus algorithm is proposed which consists of a rough focusing step and a fine focusing step. These two steps make the sharpness statistics for the amplitude reconstructed from a single diffraction pattern and the amplitude retrieved with extended ptychographic iterative engine, respectively. Through the two focusing steps, the precise focal length is achievable at visible light wavelength. By using the refocused diffraction distance, we can acquire the ptychographic retrieved object with improved quality and resolution. The proposed algorithm has been verified by computer simulations and optical experiments, both in the ptychographic imaging of biological samples and the ptychographic microscopy of resolution targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IEF-assisted hydrolysis enhanced with increasing DD of chitosan. • Electrical properties of chitosan showed no significant effect on the hydrolysis. • Structural compactness determined the hydrolysis behavior of different-DD chitosan. This study explored the impact of re-acetylation on induced electric field (IEF)-assisted hydrolysis of chitosan. Chitosan with different degree of deacetylation (DD) exhibited different charge content but similar electrical conductivity and output voltage of the electrolyte system, thus theoretically resulting in equivalent electro-processing efficiency. However, molecular and rheological measurements suggested that the hydrolysis rate decreased with an increase of DD. Re-acetylation had no significant effect on the molecular weight and viscosity of chitosan but damaged its granular and crystal structure, making chitosan chains more susceptible to the acid. The IEF-assisted hydrolysis of dissolved chitosan confirmed that the structural compactness of chitosan played a more important role on the hydrolysis than the charge content. This study extended current knowledge regarding the effect of charge content and structural compactness on IEF-assisted hydrolysis process, which contributed to the applications of IEF in biopolymer modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Preparation of high content galactomannan hydrogel. • Effect of galactomannan content on hydrogel properties. • BAC, as a redox-responsive crosslinker, can regulate hydrogel degradation and drug release. • Hydrogen bond and chemical bond can give GA-PAM-BAC hydrogel elasticity and fatigue resistance. An oxidation-reduction responsive degradable highly elastic galactomannan hydrogel was synthesized from galactomannan (GA), N,N -bis (acryloyl) cysteamine (BAC) and acrylamide by grafting polymerization in aqueous solution. The microstructure, degradability and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were emphatically investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), ultraviolet spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The mechanical properties of hydrogels can be improved by adjusting the content of GA. Continuous cyclic compression tests showed that the hydrogel did not rupture under 60 %,70 %,80 % strain and quickly recovered to its original shape. The degradation rate and drug release rate of hydrogel can be adjusted by the concentration of the reductant and the reduction time. These hydrogels broaden the scope of application of GA and can be tuned with a broad range of mechanical, degradation and release properties and therefore hold potential applications in drug carriers, tissue engineering scaffolds, extracellular matrix and other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria, one of the largest health burdens worldwide, is caused by Plasmodium spp. infection. Upon infection, the host's immune system begins to clear the parasites. However, Plasmodium species have evolved to escape the host's immune clearance. T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (Tim-3), a surface molecule on most immune cells, is often referred to as an exhaustion marker. Galectin (Gal)-9 is a Tim-3 ligand and the T helper (Th) 1 cell response is inhibited when Gal-9 binds to Tim-3. In the present study, dynamic expression of Tim-3 on key populations of lymphocytes during infection periods of Plasmodium berghei and its significance in disease resistance and pathogenesis were explored. Methods: Tim-3 expression on critical lymphocyte populations and the proportion of these cells, as well as the levels of cytokines in the sera of infected mice, were detected by flow cytometry. Further, in vitro anti-Tim-3 assay using an anti-Tim-3 antibody and in vivo Tim-3-Gal-9 signaling blockade assays using α-lactose (an antagonist of Gal-9) were conducted. An Annexin V Apoptosis Detection Kit with propidium iodide was used to detect apoptosis. In addition, proteins associated with apoptosis in lung and spleen tissues were confirmed by Western blotting assays. Results: Increased Tim-3 expression on splenic CD8+ and splenic CD4+, and circulatory CD4+ T cells was associated with a reduction in the proportion of these cells. Furthermore, the levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-22, and interferon (IFN)-γ, but not that of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-10, and IL-9, increased to their highest levels at day 4 post-infection and decreased thereafter. Blocking Tim-3 signaling in vitro inhibited lymphocyte apoptosis. Tim-3-Gal-9 signaling blockade in vivo did not protect the mice, but induced the expression of the immunosuppressive molecule, T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT), in Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected mice. Conclusions: Tim-3 on lymphocytes negatively regulates cell-mediated immunity against Plasmodium infection, and blocking Tim-3-galectin 9 signaling using α-lactose did not significantly protect the mice; however, it induced the compensatory expression of TIGIT. Further investigations are required to identify whether combined blockade of Tim-3 and TIGIT signaling could achieve a better protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) plays an important role in lipid metabolism and clearance. Statins are the most common drugs used to modulate the lipid profile in the clinic therapy; the associations between ApoE polymorphisms and statin response to lipids were inconsistent in previous studies among different ethnicities. Our study aimed to demonstrate the relationships among the statins response and the ApoE gene common polymorphisms and lifestyle risk factors in Chinese arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) patients with dyslipidemia. Methods: A total of 1002 dyslipidemia ASCVD patients were recruited in this study, including 311 patients with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These patients were all treated with drugs atorvastatin (10 mg/d) or rosuvastatin (5 mg/d) for at least 4 weeks and genotyped for ApoE e2/e3/e4 alleles, using Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) and Sanger sequencing. The plasma lipids levels were determined before and after statins treatment. Results: The results of ApoE genotyping with KASP method were consistent with the sequencing analysis. In the total 1002 patients, the E2 phenotypes (e2/e3, e2/e2) had significant lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) baseline levels than subjects with E3 (e3/e3, e2/e4) and E4 (e3/e4, e4/e4) phenotypes (P = 0.007, 0.005, respectively), and E2 phenotypes had the highest triglyceride (TG) baseline levels. To statins treatment, E2 phenotypes had a better response in TG, Total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C reduction percentage compared with other phenotypes, and smoking/alcohol drinking status also had a significant influence on statins response of LDL-C lowering. No significant difference was found in the effects of lipids decreasing between atorvastatin and rosuvastatin drugs in all patients. Conclusions: We developed the KASP technique for the ApoE genotyping, and demonstrated ApoE polymorphisms interacted with smoking/drinking to influence the declining extent of TG, TC and LDL-C levels after statins therapy in Chinese dyslipidemia ASCVD patients. These discoveries developed our cognition with the genetic polymorphisms effects on statin response, which should be taken more seriously in smoking/drinking E4 amino acid isoform carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolutionarily conserved Trithorax group protein Ash1 is a SET domain histone methyltransferase that mono- and dimethylates lysine 36 of histone H3 (H3K36). Ash1 forms a complex with Mrg15 and Nurf55, and the binding of Mrg15 greatly stimulates the catalytic activity of Ash1, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of the tandem Mrg15-interacting and SET domains of human Ash1L in complex with Mrg15. Ash1L interacts with Mrg15 principally via a segment located N-terminal to the catalytic SET domain. Surprisingly, an autoinhibitory loop in the post-SET region of Ash1L is destabilized on Mrg15 binding despite no direct contact. Dynamics of the autoinhibitory loop can be attributed to subtle structural changes of the S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) binding pocket induced by Mrg15 binding, implicating a mechanism of conformational coupling between SAM and substrate binding sites. The findings broaden the understanding of regulation of H3K36 methyltransferases. • We solved the crystal structure of hAsh1L bound to Mrg15 • hAsh1L interacts with Mrg15 mainly via an N-terminal extension • The autoinhibitory loop of hAsh1L is disordered upon Mrg15 binding • Mrg15 binding induces displacement of SAM Crystal structure of the hAsh1L-Mrg15 complex reveals that the N-terminal end of hAsh1L binds Mrg15, and stimulation of hAsh1L's methyltransferase activity is associated with destabilization of its autoinhibitory loop, likely due to subtle alteration of the SAM binding pocket upon Mrg15 binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To include the two key parameters of circulating air volume and instantaneous ultraviolet illuminance, as well as the minor influencing factors such as temperature, humidity, comings and goings of personnel and other parameters into the scope of conventional monitoring, and monitor and alarm each parameter, the key problem is to design the data transmission of sensors of existing products and debug the network management system, and solve every problem in the research process through the cycle of experiment-trial-experiment. The specific functions of a single instrument and system software can be achieved by solving the key links such as type selection of various sensors, circuit interface, guarantee measures for measurement accuracy of various parameters, research and development of networked air disinfection management system software, design of WiFi interface, cost control of single machine and system and so on. And ultraviolet luminance sensors can be used to monitor the ultraviolet intensity in the machine in real time, and monitor 7 parameters, including circulating air volume, ozone concentration, comings and goings of personnel, temperature, humidity and leaked ultraviolet intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the cause of failure of the primary surgery for complex tibial plateau fractures and to define the therapeutic strategy of the revision surgery for the same. Methods: Twenty-one cases with failure of primary surgery for complex tibial plateau fractures were treated in our hospital from January 2012 to September 2016. There were 13 males and 8 females with an average age of 39.4 years (ranged between 27 and 58 years). Patients presented with different types of complex tibial plateau fractures like Schatzker type V (n=9), VI (n=12), type 41.C1 (n=9), type 41.C2 (n=6), and type 41.C3 (n=6). The therapeutic strategy for revision surgery in individual patients was decided following careful analysis and accurate assessment of the causes of failure of the primary surgery. All the patients were followed-up with Rasmussen radiographic scores and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee scores. Results: All 21 patients underwent clinical and radiological examination after a mean follow-up time of 32.6 months. The average time of fracture healing was 4.5 months (ranged between 3 and 6 months). During the last follow-up, the mean range of motion of knee extension was 2.3° and knee flexion was 123.8°. The mean radiological Rasmussen score was 15.6 points, with an overall success rate of 85.7%. The average HSS knee score was 84.3 points, with an overall success rate of 80.9%. Conclusion: The common reasons for the failure of primary surgery of complex tibial plateau fractures were inadequate experience of the surgeon, inaccurate diagnosis and management, improper selection of implants, and poor surgical techniques. The key factors to succeed revision surgery were adequate preoperative evaluation, accurate intraoperative procedures, and proper postoperative rehabilitation. Level of evidence: Level IV, case series, treatment study [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) antisense non-coding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) in anti-inflammation of rhein in uric acid nephropathy (UAN) rats. Methods: Rat models of UAN were induced by adenine and potassium oxonate. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to assess inflammation factor in serum and supernatant. ANRIL mRNA level was detected using real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Immunostaining was used to observe pathological changes of renal tissues in rats. Results: ANRIL and inflammatory factor levels were highly expressed in patient with UAN. Furthermore, rhein showed an observable effect on anti-inflammatory and renal protection in UAN rats, rhein inhibited expressions of ANRIL in vivo or in vitro. Besides, ANRIL-mediated inflammatory response attenuated protective effect of rhein. Conclusions: ANRIL-mediated inflammatory response attenuated the protective effect of rhein in UAN rats. This study showed an understanding of the role and mechanism of ANRIL in UAN, which provides a new target and therapy for the prevention and treatment of UAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) radio occultation (RO) technique vertically scans the atmosphere from 0 to 800 km altitude over eastern Asia and the Pacific Ocean during the 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The mean wavelet spectra derived from dozens of atmospheric and ionospheric RO sounding profiles within ten hours after the earthquake illustrate that the atmospheric oscillations with a vertical wavelength ranging from 0.5 to 8 km and from 10 to 40 km, respectively, appear in the stratosphere and ionosphere within 6 hours after the earthquake initial rapture. The vertical wavelength estimated from the atmospheric gravity wave dispersion relation is compared with the observed vertical wavelength. The small-scale gravity waves may not be easy to reach the upper ionosphere. These RO-observed long-lasting atmospheric and ionospheric oscillations may consist of the earthquake/tsunami wavefront and its residual oscillatory tail. The results suggest that the RO technique is a powerful tool which is suitable for probing earthquake/tsunami-induced oscillations in the atmosphere, and allow a more comprehensive understanding of the excitation, propagation, and dissipation of earthquake/tsunami-induced gravity waves in the entire atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Guidelines have classified patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and diabetes as a special population, with specific sections presented for the management of these patients considering their extremely high risk. However, in China up-to-date information is lacking regarding the burden of diabetes in patients with ACS and the potential impact of diabetes status on the in-hospital outcomes of these patients. This study aims to provide updated estimation for the burden of diabetes in patients with ACS in China and to evaluate whether diabetes is still associated with excess risks of early mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) for ACS patients. Methods: The Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS Project was a collaborative study of the American Heart Association and the Chinese Society of Cardiology. A total of 63,450 inpatients with a definitive diagnosis of ACS were included. Prevalence of diabetes was evaluated in the overall study population and subgroups. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine the association between diabetes and in-hospital outcomes, and a propensity-score-matched analysis was further conducted. Results: Among these ACS patients, 23,880 (37.6%) had diabetes/possible diabetes. Both STEMI and NSTE-ACS patients had a high prevalence of diabetes/possible diabetes (36.8% versus 39.0%). The prevalence of diabetes/possible diabetes was higher in women (45.0% versus 35.2%, p < 0.001). Even in patients younger than 45 years, 26.9% had diabetes/possible diabetes. While receiving comparable treatments for ACS, diabetes/possible diabetes was associated with a twofold higher risk of all-cause death (adjusted odds ratio 2.04 [95% confidence interval 1.78–2.33]) and a 1.5-fold higher risk of MACCE (adjusted odds ratio 1.54 [95% confidence interval 1.39–1.72]). Conclusions: Diabetes was highly prevalent in patients with ACS in China. Considerable excess risks for early mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events were found in these patients. Trial registration NCT02306616. Registered December 3, 2014 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite advance in the treatment of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), how the current clinical practice varies across hospitals in China is less known. This study evaluated the variation in hospital management of STEMI from data collected in the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China (CCC) Project. Methods: As a nation-wide quality improvement registry in China, the CCC project was established among 150 tertiary hospitals in collaboration of American Heart Association (AHA) and Chinese Society of Cardiology. Clinical information of AHA/ACC guidelines recommended therapies were collected from November 2014 to March 2018. Average level and variation in hospital management of STEMI were evaluated. Results: A total of 45240 patients with STEMI across China were included in this study. The mean age of the participants was 61.7±12.6 years and 78.2% of them were men. The median of hospital stays was 10 days, with substantial variation across the hospitals (inter-quartile range, 7-13 days). The performances for quality measure were low for β-blocker at discharge (67.3%, 12.5%-96.9%), ACEI/ARB at discharge (55.9%, range across hospitals: 8.3%-94.9%) and smoking cessation advice (34.6%, 0%-97.2%) in eligible patients, with high variability across hospitals. High-performing measures included P2Y12 inhibitor at discharge (96.5%, 38.1%-100%), aspirin at arrival (96.3%, 76.1%-100%) and discharge (93.7%, 35.2%-100%), statins at discharge (92.4%, 36.9%-100%) in eligible patients. After excluding transferred patients, reperfusion for STEMI was performed in 61.1% (6.7%-98.1%) of the 21 908 patients admitted directly with STEMI. Primary PCI and fibrinolysis accounted for 97% and 3% of these reperfusions, respectively. Conclusions: The quality of care for patients hospitalized with STEMI is not satisfactory in China, even among tertiary hospitals. Large disparities exist across hospitals and continuous quality improvement projects are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC radio occultation soundings of total electron content in the ionosphere (from 150 to 550 km) and refractivity index in the lower atmosphere (from 0 to 60 km) after/during the 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake/tsunami. The refractivity index observations show the first evidence of the Tohoku earthquake/tsunami‐induced vertical oscillations in the lower atmosphere. The atmospheric oscillations with vertical wavelength ranging from 0.5 to 8 km and from 10 to 40 km, respectively, appear in the stratosphere and ionosphere after the earthquake onset. The short vertical wavelengths suggest that the oscillations are the atmospheric oscillatory tail due to the wavefront of the earthquake/tsunami. The radio occultation technique is a tool for detecting the atmospheric waves induced by earthquake or some other sources. Plain Language Summary: It has been well known that the sudden uplift of the Earth's surface due to earthquake/tsunami significantly disturbs the upper atmosphere and ionosphere. However, the evidence of earthquake/tsunami‐induced waves in the lower atmosphere is insufficient due to the lack of observation supporting. Here the FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC (F3/C) radio occultation refractivity index is for the first time to capture the Tohoku earthquake‐induced vertical oscillations at the stratosphere altitudes from 30 to 40 km. The results in this study not only shed lights on understanding of earthquake/tsunami waves perturbing the whole atmosphere but also suggest that the radio occultation technique can benefit to the earthquake/tsunami warning system. Key Points: The study shows the first evidence of the Tohoku earthquake/tsunami‐induced vertical oscillations in the stratosphereAtmospheric oscillations with vertical scale range from 10 to 40 km and from 0.5 to 8 km, respectively, in the ionosphere and stratosphereThe oscillations are mainly the atmospheric oscillatory tail due to the tsunami [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacokinetic and metabolism studies of 12-riboside-pseudoginsengenin DQ (RPDQ), a novel ginsenoside with an anti-cancer effect, were carried out, aiming at discussing the characteristics of the ginsenoside with glycosylation site at C-12. In the pharmacokinetic analysis, we developed and validated a method by UPLC-MS to quantify RPDQ in rat plasma. In the range of 5–1000 ng/mL, the assay was linear (R2 > 0.9966), with the LLOQ (lower limit of quantification) being 5 ng/mL. The LOD (limit of detection) was 1.5 ng/mL. The deviations of intra-day and inter-day, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), were ≤ 3.51% and ≤ 5.41% respectively. The accuracy, expressed as relative error (RE), was in the range –8.82~3.47% and –5.61~2.87%, respectively. The recoveries were in the range 85.66~92.90%. The method was then applied to a pharmacokinetic study in rats intragastrically administrated with 6, 12, and 24 mg/kg RPDQ. The results showed that RPDQ exhibited slow oral absorption (Tmax = 7.0 h, 7.5 h, and 7.0 h, respectively), low elimination (t1/2 = 12.59 h, 12.83 h, and 13.74 h, respectively) and poor absolute bioavailability (5.55, 5.15, and 6.08%, respectively). Moreover, the investigation of metabolites were carried out by UPLC-QTOF-MS. Thirteen metabolites of RPDQ were characterized from plasma, bile, urine, and feces of rats. Some metabolic pathways, including oxidation, acetylation, hydration, reduction, hydroxylation, glycine conjugation, sulfation, phosphorylation, glucuronidation, glutathione conjugation, and deglycosylation, were profiled. In general, both the rapid quantitative method and a good understanding of the characteristics of RPDQ in vivo were provided in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Rtt109 is a unique histone acetyltransferase acetylating histone H3 lysine 56 (H3K56), a modification critical for DNA replication-coupled nucleosome assembly and genome stability. In cells, histone chaperone Asf1 is essential for H3K56 acetylation, yet the mechanisms for H3K56 specificity and Asf1 requirement remain unknown. We have determined the crystal structure of the Rtt109-Asf1-H3-H4 complex and found that unwinding of histone H3 α N , where K56 is normally located, and stabilization of the very C-terminal β strand of histone H4 by Asf1 are prerequisites for H3K56 acetylation. Unexpectedly, an interaction between Rtt109 and the central helix of histone H3 is also required. The observed multiprotein, multisite substrate recognition mechanism among histone modification enzymes provides mechanistic understandings of Rtt109 and Asf1 in H3K56 acetylation, as well as valuable insights into substrate recognition by histone modification enzymes in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent parasite of the five Plasmodium species that cause human malaria, and biological analysis of the parasite is critical for the development of novel strategies for disease control. DNA endonucleases are important for maintaining the biological activity, gene stability of the parasite and interaction with host immune systems. In this study, ten sequences of DNA endonucleases were found in the genome of P. falciparum 3D7 clone, seven of them were predicted to contain an endonuclease/exonuclease/phosphatase (IPR005135) domain which plays an important role in DNA catalytic activity. The seven DNA endonucleases of P. falciparum were systematically investigated. Methods: Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 clone was cultured in human O+ RBCs, RNA was extracted at 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48 h post invasion and real-time quantitative PCR was carried out to analyse the transcription of the seven DNA endonuclease genes in asexual stages. Immunofluorescence assay was carried out to confirm the location of the encoded proteins expressed in the erythrocytic stages. Finally, the catalytic activity of the DNA nucleases were tested. Results: Of the seven proteins analysed, two proteins were not soluble. Fragments derived from the rest five endonuclease sequences were successfully expressed as soluble proteins, and which were used to generate antisera for protein localization. The proteins were all located in the nucleus at ring and trophozoite stages. While at schizont stage, proteins encoded by PF3D7_1238600, PF3D7_0107200 and PF3D7_0319200 were in the punctuated forms in the parasite most likely around nuclei of the merozoites. But the proteins encoded by PF3D7_0305600 and PF3D7_1363500 were distributed around the infected erythrocyte membrane. The enzymatic activity of the recombinant GST-PF3D7_1238600 was very efficient without divalent iron, while the activity of the rest four enzymes was iron dependent. Further, divalent irons did not show any specific enhancement on the activity of GST-PF3D7_1238600, but the activity of GST-PF3D7_0107200, GST-PF3D7_1363500 and GST-PF3D7_0319200 were Cu2+ dependent. The activity of GST-PF3D7_0305600 was dependent on Mg2+ and Mn2+. Except GST-PF3D7_1363500, four of the GST tagged recombinant proteins hydrolysed the supercoiled circular plasmid DNA with or without divalent metal ions. The GST-PF3D7_1363500 protein only changed the supercoiled circular plasmid DNA into nicked plasmids, even with Cu2+. Conclusions: Fragments derived from five of the endonuclease sequences of P. falciparum 3D7 clone were successfully expressed. The proteins displayed diverse cell distribution, biochemical and enzymatic activities, which indicated that they carried different biological function in the development of the parasite in the erythrocytes. The DNA repair and DNA degradation capacity of the DNA endonucleases in the biology of the parasite remained further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HnRNP A2/B1 has been found to be an oncogenic protein strongly related to the growth of human glioma cells. Herein, β-asarone, the main component in the volatile oil of Acori tatarinowii Rhizoma, inhibited the cell viability, proliferation, and colony formation ability of U251 cells. Moreover, β-asarone induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Notably, β-asarone suppressed the expression of hnRNP A2/B1 and hnRNPA2/B1 overexpression remarkably reversed β-asarone-mediated apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Importantly, β-asarone promoted the alternative splicing of Bcl-x by enhancing the ratio of Bcl-xS/Bcl-xL. Meanwhile, hnRNPA2/B1 overexpression mitigated the promoting effect of β-asarone on the alternative splicing of Bcl-x. β-asarone also regulated the level of the key proteins involved in the death receptor pathway and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Additionally, β-asarone modulated the cell cycle-related proteins p21, p27, Cdc25A, cyclin D, cyclin E, and CDK2. Finally, β-asarone inhibited tumor growth and induced apoptosis in nude mice bearing U251 tumor xenografts. β-asarone also suppressed the hnRNP A2/B1 expression, enhanced the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 and p27 and the ratio of Bcl-xS/Bcl-xL, and reduced the expression of CDK2 in U251 xenografts. Together, β-asarone-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of U251 cells may be related to the suppression of hnRNPA2/B1-mediated signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous administration of compound danshen dripping pills (CDDP) showed good efficacy in relieving myocardial ischemia clinically. To probe the underlying mechanism, metabolic features were evaluated in a rat model of acute myocardial ischemia induced by isoproterenol (ISO) and administrated with CDDP using a metabolomics platform. Our data revealed that the ISO-induced animal model showed obvious myocardial injury, decreased energy production, and a marked change in metabolomic patterns in plasma and heart tissue. CDDP pretreatment increased energy production, ameliorated biochemical indices, modulated the changes and metabolomic pattern induced by ISO, especially in heart tissue. For the first time, we found that ISO induced myocardial ischemia was accomplished with a reduced fatty acids metabolism and an elevated glycolysis for energy supply upon the ischemic stress; while CDDP pretreatment prevented the tendency induced by ISO and enhanced a metabolic shift towards fatty acids metabolism that conventionally dominates energy supply to cardiac muscle cells. These data suggested that the underlying mechanism of CDDP involved regulating the dominant energy production mode and enhancing a metabolic shift toward fatty acids metabolism in ischemic heart. It was further indicated that CDDP had the potential to prevent myocardial ischemia in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family of antimicrobial peptide, cathelicidins, which plays important roles against infections in animals, has been identified from many species. Here, we identified a novel avian cathelicidin ortholog from ducks and named dCATH. The cDNA sequence of dCATH encodes a predicted 146-amino-acid polypeptide composed of a 17-residue signal peptide, a 109-residue conserved cathelin domain and a 20-residue mature peptide. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that dCATH is highly divergent from other avian peptides. The α-helical structure of the peptide exerted strong antimicrobial activity against a broad range of bacteria in vitro, with most minimum inhibitory concentrations in the range of 2 to 4 μM. Moreover, dCATH also showed cytotoxicity, lysing 50% of mammalian erythrocytes in the presence or absence of 10% fetal calf serum at concentrations of 32 μM or 20 μM and killing 50% HaCaT cells at a concentration of 10 μM. The effects on bacterial outer and inner membranes, as examined by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy, indicate that dCATH kills microbial cells by increasing permeability, causing a loss of membrane integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of 3,3-bis(silyl)allyloxy lithium, generated from enol ether (II), to α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds such as (I), (IV), (VI), and (VIII), proceeds in an 1,4- over 1,2-manner with medium to good regioselectivity, whereas the parent allyloxy lithium species undergoes complete 1,2-addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new series of bisbenzimidazole derivatives (VI) is designed and synthesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]