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Rapalogs (everolimus and temsirolimus) are allosteric mTORC1 inhibitors and approved agents for advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), although only a subset of patients derive clinical benefit. Progress in genomic characterization has made it possible to generate comprehensive profiles of genetic alterations in ccRCC; however, the correlations between recurrent somatic mutations and rapalog efficacy remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate by using multiple patient-derived ccRCC cell lines that compared to PTEN-proficient cells, PTEN-deficient cells exhibit hypersensitivity to rapalogs. Rapalogs inhibit cell proliferation by inducing G

The instinctive protective stress responses of tumor cells hamper low-temperature photothermal therapy (LTPTT), resulting in tumor recurrence and metastasis. The rapid blood clearance and low-efficiency tumor enrichment of nanomedicines also decrease the efficacy of LTPTT. In this study, we fabricated coassembled photothermal agents (indocyanine green, ICG) and autophagy inhibitors (chloroquine, CQ) and red blood cell and cancer cell hybrid membrane (RCm)-camouflaged ICGCQ@RCm nanoparticles (ICGCQ@RCm NPs) to enhance tumor LTPTT. The ICGCQ@RCm NPs exhibited prolonged blood drug circulation and markedly enhanced drug accumulation in tumor tissues. The ICGCQ@RCm NPs reduced the thermal tolerance of tumor cells to sensitize ICG-mediated LTPTT by inhibiting protective autophagy. The ICGCQ@RCm NPs exerted strong immunogenic cell death (ICD) after efficient LTPTT to activate antitumor immunity. In addition, ICGCQ@RCms optimized the therapeutic efficacy by imaging-guided LTPTT, taking advantage of the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence of ICG. Consequently, the ICGCQ@RCm NPs effectively inhibited tumors under mild LTPTT, significantly suppressed tumor metastasis and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, the ICGCQ@RCm NPs showed high biosafety

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common intraocular cancer in adults. UMs are usually initiated by a mutation in GNAQ or GNA11 (encoding Gq or G11, respectively), unlike cutaneous melanomas (CMs), which usually carry a BRAF or NRAS mutation. Currently, there are no clinically effective targeted therapies for UM carrying Gq/11 mutations. Here, we identified a causal link between Gq activating mutations and hypersensitivity to bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) inhibitors. BET inhibitors transcriptionally repress YAP via BRD4 regardless of Gq mutation status, independently of Hippo core components LATS1/2. In contrast, YAP/TAZ downregulation reduces BRD4 transcription exclusively in Gq-mutant cells and LATS1/2 double knockout cells, both of which are featured by constitutively active YAP/TAZ. The transcriptional interdependency between BRD4 and YAP identified in Gq-mutated cells is responsible for the preferential inhibitory effect of BET inhibitors on the growth and dissemination of Gq-mutated UM cells compared to BRAF-mutated CM cells in both culture cells and animal models. Our findings suggest BRD4 as a viable therapeutic target for Gq-driven UMs that are addicted to unrestrained YAP function.

The interfacial behavior and the process of micellization of octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (OTAB) in aqueous solution without or with 70 g/L short chain alcohol including methanol, ethanol, 1-...

Background Recent shifts in lifestyles and diets have caused the incidence of obesity to increase rapidly, resulting in a serious threat to modern human health. There is a growing interest the use of plant or fungi derived supplements as a safe and effective means to treat obesity. In recent times, edible-medicinal fungi have garnered attention as therapeutics owing to their biocompatibility and effectiveness. Attempts to determine the therapeutic effects of these fungi have become a prime focus in drug discovery programs. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the anti-obesity effects of P. eryngii chitin in rats with obesity induced by administration of a high fat diet. Methods To investigate the therapeutic effects of chitin from Pleurotus eryngii on high fat diet-induce obesity, we treated obese rats with different concentrations of chitin from P. eryngii for 4 weeks, using Lipitor as positive control. The living condition, food intake, body weight, perirenal adipose tissue, periepididymal adipose tissue, adipose tissue coefficient, serum lipid levels, including total cholesterol (TC), total glyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), were measured, and levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), themalonaldehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in liver were determined. The rats were also monitored for pathological changes in the liver and aorta. Results These studies indicated that administration of chitin from P. eryngii could significantly decrease obese rat food utilization rates and accumulation of adipose tissue in the body, thus preventing development of increased body weight. The treatment also significantly reduced serum lipid levels, including levels of TC, TG and LDL-C. Treatment with P. eryngii-derived chitin also enhanced ALT and AST enzymatic activity, enhanced SOD enzymatic activity, and reduced the MDA content of the liver, as well as significantly reducing the liver index and alleviating liver steatosis and aortic atherosclerosis resulting from obesity. Conclusions In conclusion, chitin from P. eryngii had therapeutic effects on hyperlipidemia, fatty liver, and aortic atherosclerosis resulting from obesity in rats.

SARS-CoV-2 invades human respiratory epithelial cells via an interaction between its spike RBD protein (SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD) and the host cell receptor angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2). Blocking this interaction provides a potent approach to preventing and controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this work, the ability of β-chitosan to block the binding interaction between SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and ACE2 was investigated. The inhibitory effect of β-chitosan on inflammation induced by the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD was also studied. Native-PAGE analysis indicated that β-chitosan could bind with ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and a conjugate of β-chitosan and ACE2 could no longer bind with the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD. HPLC analysis suggested that a conjugate of β-chitosan and the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD displayed high binding affinity without dissociation under high pressure (40 MPa) compared with that of β-chitosan and ACE2. Furthermore, immunofluorescent staining of Vero E6 cells and lungs from hACE2 mice showed that the presence of β-chitosan prevented SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD from binding to ACE2. Meanwhile, β-chitosan could dramatically suppress the inflammation caused by the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD both in vitro and vivo. Moreover, the decreased expression of ACE2 caused by β-chitosan treatment was restored by addition of TAPI-1, an inhibitor of the transmembrane protease ADAM17. Our findings demonstrated that β-chitosan displays an antibody-like function capable of neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and effectively preventing the binding of the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD to ACE2. Moreover, ADAM17 activation induced by β-chitosan treatment can enhance the cleavage of the extracellular domain of ACE2, releasing the active ectodomain into the extracellular environment, which can prevent the binding, internalization, and degradation of ACE2 bound to the SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and thus diminish inflammation. Our study provides an alternative avenue for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection using β-chitosan.

Background: β-glucan from Lentinus edodes (LNT) is a plant-derived medicinal fungus possessing significant bioactivities on anti-tumor. Both hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF)-1α and Nur77 have been shown to be involved in the development of breast cancer. However, there is yet no proof of Nur77/HIF-1α involvement in the process of LNT-mediated tumor-inhibition effect. Methods: Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Hematoxylin–Eosin staining were used to investigate tumor growth and metastasis in MMTV-PyMT transgenic mice. Proliferation and metastasis-associated molecules were determined by Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Hypoxic cellular model was established under the exposure of CoCl2. Small interference RNA was transfected using Lipofectamine reagent. The ubiquitin proteasome pathway was blunted by adding the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Results: LNT inhibited the growth of breast tumors and the development of lung metastases from breast cancer, accompanied by a decreased expression of HIF-1α in the tumor tissues. In in vitro experiments, hypoxia induced the expression of HIF-1α and Nur77 in breast cancer cells, while LNT addition down-regulated HIF-1α expression in an oxygen-free environment, and this process was in a manner of Nur77 dependent. Mechanistically, LNT evoked the down-regulation of HIF-1α involved the Nur77-mediated ubiquitin proteasome pathway. A strong positive correlation between Nur77 and HIF-1α expression in human breast cancer specimens was also confirmed. Conclusion: Therefore, LNT appears to inhibit the progression of breast cancer partly through the Nur77/HIF-1α signaling axis. The findings of the present study may provide a theoretical basis for targeting HIFs in the treatment of breast cancer.

During an earthquake, the seismic response of adjacent buildings will be affected by each other, which is known as structure-soil-structure interaction (SSSI). In order to study the SSSI between neighboring buildings, the slab foundation frame structure on a typical type II site in Nanjing is used as the object. ABAQUS software is used to establish a nonlinear static-dynamic coupling two-dimensional finite element analysis model of a single building and multiple buildings with different spacing. The numerical analysis of the model shows that: Under the action of earthquakes, the increase of surrounding structures will increase its own acceleration response; when the building spacing ratio is 1/2 and 1/4, the existence of adjacent buildings will reduce its own acceleration response. When the spacing ratio is greater than or equal to 1, the impact tends to be unfavorable, and it is the most unfavorable when the spacing ratio is 2. When the spacing ratio is greater than or equal to 4, the impact of adjacent buildings on each other’s peak acceleration response can be ignored.

Muglad Basin is an intra-Craton passive rift basin related to the Central Africa Shear Zone (CASZ), which is in the Southern-Central Republic of Sudan. Three rifting-sagging cycles were developed in the basin since early Cretaceous. The first rifting sequence in the early Cretaceous Abu Gabra Formation is considered as the new play in the basin, while the favorable play fairways are unclear due to complicated sedimentary systems developed in this period. Based on the analysis of more than 60,000 km of 2D seismic, 5,000 km2 of 3D seismic data and 200 wells data in the whole basin, five third order sequences can be divided in the Abu Gabra Formation. Facies mapping showed that during the fourth (AG2) and the last (AG1) sequences lacustrine was predominant and delta systems developed in the Western Kaikang Trough, Neem, the south of Shelungo and Fula south areas. There are two sets of source rock and three reservoir-cap assemblages developed in the Abu Gabra Formation. The favorable facies for both structural and lithological traps were delta fronts with appropriate shale content, the areas were Neem-Azraq, the western flank of Bamboo-Unity sub-basins, the eastern slope of Unity sub-basin, Haraz-Diffra in Western Kaikang Trough and Fula South.

This study provided updated evidence on how parental acculturation and social support were associated with parenting in a sample of Chinese immigrant families (n = 255). The results from multivaria...

A new species, Homalota nanjingensis Cao, Ji & Liu, sp. nov. from Jiangsu province of China, is described and illustrated. Photographs of the body and mouthparts, line drawings of the aedeagus and spermatheca are provided.

The morphology of the reproductive systems and the coupling mechanism between the male and the female genitalia during copulation in Dioryctria rubella Hampson are described. Differing from those in other genera of Phycitinae moths, the corpus bursae possesses a well-developed signum, and the seminal duct does not exhibit a bulla seminalis, instead arising from the ventral surface of the corpus bursae. The ultrastructural observation shows that the spines on the inner surface of the ductus bursae and the cervix bursa are complementary to that of cornuti on the outer surface of vesica in position and direction, which elucidates the matching mechanism between the ductus bursae and the vesica. The male possesses well-developed scale brushes, which consist of six pairs of overlapped structures. Finally, the morphological differences of scale brushes between D. rubella and other Dioryctria species and related genera, and their function during copulation are discussed.

In order to improve the efficiency of the heavy oil thermal recovery in high temperature and high pressure conditions, a new transformation joint was designed based on the theory of fluid pressure difference. Through the automatic displacement of a one-way valve and a seal tongue under the action of pressure difference, it realized intelligent transformation between the production status and the well testing status. According to the oil recovery requirements about structure size, energy loss, high temperature sealing property and high temperature resistance, thermal expansion of material, designs about structure, key sizes, material model and sealing parts were carried out, and strength of key parts was verified theoretically. Fluent was used to simulate the internal flows of the structure, to analyze and verify the energy loss under the working status. The result shows that the product can meet the requirements of heavy oil exploitation, and its simple structure, high reliability and strong durability can greatly improve the efficiency of crude oil recovery.

Polyethism or division of works among workers of social insects is always a hot issue among entomologists. Honey bees, ants, and wasps are the main target for scientists to study the division of works. Studying polyethism in termites has been increased recently due to the damages to the forests, buildings, boats and even water preserving monuments. Every year a huge amount of money is spent to control these isopteran social insects in the south east of Asia, the US, Australia and other tropical and subtropical regions. As understanding the polyethism in these social insects can be a hand in controlling them, in this review we have tried to explain different kinds of polyethism and their importance in these social insects.

Many agencies actively recruit bilingual social workers. This study presents the reactions of 10 Chinese bilingual social workers to the expectations and demands of their agencies. The study employed a qualitative design with a phenomenological approach. The participants’ responses provide insight into how they manage ethnic and cultural mental health issues in Chinese populations. This study aims to improve social service delivery for clients with limited English proficiency by identifying effective, culturally competent services. The findings suggest that when hiring bilingual social workers, it is just as important for them to be culturally competent as it is for them to be an ethnic or language match with the client base. Having all of these qualities will result in staff members who can provide more effective services by making accurate diagnoses and identifying appropriate treatment plans. In addition to employing bilingual social workers, it is important to maintain good supervision as this will allow supervisees to have a unique perspective on what is involved in providing effective delivery of services to clients with limited English proficiency. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Background: There has been considerable interest in whether old age is associated with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) progression, which is still controversial. Methods: We searched multiple databases for studies published from 1980 to 2012. The inclusion criteria were case-control, cohort studies published in any language. The included studies needed to have an older group. IgAN was proven by biopsy. Results: We included 9 studies with a total of 6,543 patients. The meta-analyses of other risk factors between the older group (>50 years old) and the non-older group (15-50 years old) found significant differences in the presence of hypertension, proteinuria, serum cholesterol levels and baseline renal function. In the overall analysis, compared to the non-older group, older age significantly increased the incidence of developing end-stage renal disease [ESRD; relative risk (RR) random model 1.95; 95% CI: 1.27-3.01]. In the subgroup analyses, we found the age limit and traditional risk factors of IgAN may be the sources of heterogeneity between studies. Moreover, the RR (2.56) of the Asian countries was much higher than the RR (1.11) of the European countries. Conclusions: This comprehensive review revealed that old age is a real risk factor for IgAN progression to ESRD. The incidence of ESRD in the older IgAN patients was 1.95 times higher than that in the non-older IgAN patients. Moreover, the risk of IgAN progression to ESRD of the older patients in Asia was higher than that of the older patients in Europe.

In 2012, a new SARS-like coronavirus emerged in the Middle East, namely the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). It has caused outbreaks with high mortality. During infection of target cell, MERS-CoV S protein S1 subunit binds to the cellular receptor (DPP4), and its S2 subunit HR1 and HR2 regions intact with each other to form a stable six-helix bundle to mediate the fusion between virus and target cell membranes. Hence, blocking the process of six-helix bundle formation can effectively inhibit MERS-CoV entry into the target cells. This review focuses on the recent advance in the development of peptidic entry inhibitors targeting the MERS-CoV S2 subunit.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has caused outbreaks of SARS-like disease with 35% case-fatality rate, mainly in the Middle East. A more severe outbreak of MERS occurred recently in the Republic of Korea, where 186 people contracted the infections, causing great concern worldwide. So far, there has been no clinically available drug for the treatment of MERS-CoV infection. The potential drugs against MERS-CoV mainly consist of monoclonal antibodies, peptides and small molecular agents. Small molecular agents have an advantage of easier synthesis, lower cost in production and relatively higher stability. There is better chance for those candidates to gain a quick development. This article reviews the progress of developing small molecular MERS-CoV agents.

To explore whether MG-132 could enhance the anti-tumor activity of obatoclax against esophageal cancer cell line CaES-17.MTT assay was used to determine the cytotoxicity of obatoclax and MG-132 in CaES-17 cells. The IC(50) of obatoclax and MG-132 were used to determine the molar ratio (1:2.4) of the two drugs for combined treatment of the cells. The concentrations of obatoclax and MG-132 ranged from 1/8 IC(50) to 4 IC(50) after serial dilution, and their combination index (CI) was calculated using CompuSyn software. The expression of ubiquitin and the cleavage of PARP, caspase-9, phospho-histone H3 and phospho-aurora A/B/C in the exposed cells were examined with Western blotting; the cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry with Annexin V staining, and the percentage of cells in each cell cycle phase was also determined by flow cytometry.The CI of obatoclax and MG-132 was 0.296 for a 50% inhibition of Caes-17 cells and was 0.104 for a 95% inhibition. The cells treated with obatoclax or MG-132 alone showed increased expression of ubiquitin and cleavage of PARP and caspase-9. Compared with the cells treated with obatoclax or MG-132 alone, the cells with a combined treatment exhibited significantly increased expression of ubiquitin, cleavage of PARP and caspase-9, and expression of phospho-Histone H3 (P0.05). The combined treatment of the cells also resulted in significantly increased expression of phospho-Aurora A/B/C compared with obatoclax treatment alone. The cells with the combined treatment showed significantly higher percentages of apoptotic cells and cells in sub-G(1) and G(2)/M phases compared with the cells treated with either of the drugs (P0.05).Obatoclax combined with MG-132 shows a significant synergistic anti-tumor effect against esophageal cancer CaES-17 cells by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.

Staphylococcal infection has become a common cause of postinfectious glomerulonephritis in the past 3 decades. Because few investigations focus on this disease, the demographics and clinicopathological features of glomerulonephritis related to staphylococcal infection are not well characterized. We conducted a pooled analysis of published literature in electronic databases and analyzed the clinical features, laboratory findings, and histopathological changes. The patients were divided into 4 groups based on their prognosis: remission, persistent renal dysfunction, end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or death. A logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of disease outcome. A total of 83 (64 men) patients with glomerulonephritis related to staphylococcal infection from 31 reports were analyzed. The mean age was 58 years (58 ± 17). Majority of the reports originated from Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. Clinical characteristics of the cases were hematuria (82/83), proteinuria (78/83), and acute kidney injury (75/83). Visceral abscesses (26/83) and skin infections (24/83) were the common sites of infection. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen. The dominant or codominant deposition of IgA or C3 along the glomeruli was an important feature identified by immunofluorescence. There were 19 patients (22.9%) that progressed to dialysis-dependent ESRD. Twelve patients (14.5%) died. A univariate regression analysis indicated that diabetes mellitus (DM) (odds ratio [OR] 2.96; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–8.48; P = 0.04) and age (OR 4.80; 95% CI 1.84–12.53; P = 0.001) were risk factors for ESRD or death. A multivariate regression analysis also revealed that age (OR 4.90; 95% CI 1.82–13.18; P = 0.002) and DM (OR 3.07; 95% CI 0.98–9.59; P = 0.05) were independent risk factors for unfavorable prognosis. Glomerulonephritis related to staphylococcal infection has different features than typical postinfectious glomerulonephritis. The diagnosis of glomerulonephritis related to staphylococcal infection relies on immunofluorescence and electron microscopy findings. Age and DM are independent risk factors of poor prognosis for glomerulonephritis related to staphylococcal infection.

The availability of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) may have a considerable impact on species competition in phytoplankton communities. The growth, photosynthetic characteristics and competition of three strains, the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB 912, nontoxic M. aeruginosa FACHB 469 and Chlamydomonas microsphaera FACHB 52, were investigated under two different DIC concentrations (0.365 and 7.658 mmol l−1 KHCO3). In monoculture, DIC concentration did not affect the specific growth rates of any of the three strains. However, when grown in mixed culture with C. microsphaera, both toxic and nontoxic Microcystis strains showed increased percentages under low DIC concentration but decreased percentages under high DIC concentration. After 12 days’ mixed culture, the percentage of M. aeruginosa FACHB 912 or FACHB 469 decreased by 9−22% in high DIC medium, but increased by 6–11% in low DIC medium. Low DIC concentration decreased the cell size, cellular chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic capacity of...

Iron plays an important role in marine primary productivity, and Synechococcus species as major contributors to the total photosynthetic biomass in the world’s oceans might be limited by iron supply in some regions. The present study aimed to compare the photosynthesis and flow cytometric signals of four Synechococcus strains grown under different iron concentrations with either nitrate or ammonium as the sole nitrogen source. Two oceanic strains were much more sensitive to iron limitation than two coastal strains. The inhibition of iron limitation on the growth, maximal PSII photochemical yield, maximal rate of relative electron transport and photochemical quenching of the two oceanic strains was higher than for their coastal counterparts. Under iron limitation condition, the connectivity factor between individual photosynthetic units (ρ) increased for the two coastal strains, while decreased for the two oceanic strains. Furthermore, iron limitation accelerated the Q A re-oxidation of the two oceanic strains and the PQ pool re-oxidation of the two coastal strains. Under iron limitation condition, the cell size of the two coastal strains and intracellular pigment concentrations of the two oceanic strains decreased, while the side light scatter/front light scatter (SS/FS) ratio of the two coastal strains increased. In contrast to iron limitation, nitrogen source only marginally affected the photosynthesis of the four Synechococcus strains. Ammonium enhanced the growth of the two coastal strains under iron-replete condition. For the two oceanic strains, ammonium increased their cell size and decreased their SS/FS ratio and intracellular pigment concentrations under iron-deplete and iron-replete conditions.

The diimidazolium salt 1,5-bis[1-ethylimidazoliumylethoxy]naphthalene hexafluorophosphate (2) and the dibenzimidazolium salt 1,4-bis[1-(n-butyl)benzimidazoliumylethoxy]benzene hexafluorophosphate (4), as well as their N-heterocyclic carbene silver(I) cyclophanes [naphthalene(OCH2CH2imyEt)2Ag]2(PF6)2 (5) and [benzene(OCH2CH2bimynBu)2Ag]2(PF6)2 (6), have been prepared and characterized. Each cation in complexes 5 and 6 contains a 30-membered macrometallacycle. In the crystal packing of 5 and 6, 3D architectures are formed via intermolecular weak interactions, including π–π interactions, hydrogen bonds, and C–H···π contacts. The recognition of neutral p-phenylenediamine (PDA) molecules using 5 and 6 as receptors via fluorescent and UV/vis spectroscopic titrations have been investigated.

An industrial fermentation system using lignocellulosic hydrolysate, waste yeast hydrolysate, and mixed alkali to achieve high-yield, economical succinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes was developed. Lignocellulosic hydrolysate and waste yeast hydrolysate were used efficiently as carbon sources and nitrogen source instead of the expensive glucose and yeast extract. Moreover, as a novel method for regulating pH mixed alkalis (Mg(OH)(2) and NaOH) were first used to replace the expensive MgCO(3) for succinic acid production. Using the three aforementioned substitutions, the total fermentation cost decreased by 55.9%, and 56.4 g/L succinic acid with yield of 0.73 g/g was obtained, which are almost the same production level as fermentation with glucose, yeast extract and MgCO(3). Therefore, the cheap carbon and nitrogen sources, as well as the mixed alkaline neutralize could be efficiently used instead of expensive composition for industrial succinic acid production.

We report on juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis from long-chain intermediates by specific reproductive tissues and the corpora allata (CA) prepared from adult longhorned beetles, Apriona germari. The testes, male accessory glands (MAGs), ovaries, and CA contained the long-chain intermediates in the JH biosynthetic pathway, farnesoic acid (FA), methyl farnesoate (MF), and JH III. The testes and ovaries, but not CA, produced radioactive JH III after the addition of (3)H-methionine and, separately, unlabeled methionine, to the incubation medium. We inferred that endogenous FA is methylated to MF in the testes and ovaries. Addition of farnesol led to increased amounts of FA in the testes, MAGs, ovaries, and CA, indicating oxidation of farnesol to FA. Addition of FA to incubation medium yielded increased JH III, again indicating methylation of FA to MF in the testes, MAGs, ovaries, but not CA. Addition of MF to incubation medium also led to JH III, from which we inferred the epoxidation of MF to JH III. JH biosynthesis from farnesol in the testes, MAGs, and ovaries of A. germari proceeds via oxidation to FA, methylation to MF, and epoxidation to JH III. This is a well-known pathway to JH III, described here for the first time in reproductive tissues of longhorned beetles. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Escherichia coli AFP111, a pflB, ldhA, ptsG triple mutant of E. coli W1485, can be recovered for additional succinate production in fresh medium after two-stage fermentation (an aerobic growth stage followed by an anaerobic production stage). However, the specific productivity is lower than that of two-stage fermentation. In this study, three strategies were compared for reusing the cells. It was found when cells were aerobically cultivated at the end of two-stage fermentation without supplementing any carbon source, metabolites (mainly succinate and acetate) could be consumed. As a result, enzyme activities involved in the reductive arm of tricarboxylic acid cycle and the glyoxylate shunt were enhanced, yielding a succinate specific productivity above g⁻¹(DCW)h⁻¹ and a mass yield above 0.90 g g⁻¹ in the subsequent anaerobic fermentation. In addition, the intracellular NADH of cells subjected to aerobic cultivation with metabolites increased by more than 3.6 times and the ratio of NADH to NAD+ increased from 0.4 to 1.3, which were both favorable for driving the TCA branch to succinate.

Bionic design is a new method in engineering design. The mouthpart of the larva long horned beetle and its tunnel in wood are discussed in this article. To improve the cutting properties and tool life are always the main aim of cutting tool design. The foreground of cutting tool design using the larva long horned beetle is discussed on the bases of the mouthpart maxillae of Aphrodisium sauteri (Matsushita) and the tunnel in Quercus myrsinaefolia. The research can also make direction at new tool material and tool geometry parameter design.

Actinobacillus succinogenes, a typical succinic acid producing microorganism, was inhibited seriously by ammonium ion, which hampered industrialization of A. succinogenes with ammonium ion based material as the pH controller. In this study, we have isolated an ammonium ion-tolerant mutant of A. succinogenes by continuous-culture technique in which all environmental factors beside the stress (ammonium ion) were maintained constant. In this technique, the mutant-generating system was not operated as a nutrient-limited chemostat, but as a nutrient-unlimited system where cells were continuous cultured at the maximum specific growth rate. Mutants were isolated on agar plates containing a acid-base indicator bromothymol blue and high level of ammonium ion which gives 100% killing of the parent strain. When cultured in anaerobic bottles at ammonium ion concentration of 354 mmol/L, the mutant YZ0819 could produce succinic acid 40.21 g/L with yield 80.4%, while the parent strain NJ113 did not grow. With NH4OH being used to buffer the culture pH in 3.0 liter stirred bioreactor, YZ0819 produced 35.15 g/L succinic acid with yield 70.3%, 155% higher than that obtained by NJ113. In addition, the morphology of YZ0819 in fermentation broths was changed. Cells of YZ0819 were aggregated from the beginning to the end of fermentation. These results indicate that YZ0819 would be used to be the potential strain produced efficiently succinic acid with NH4OH as the pH controller and the formation of aggregates may be useful as an aid in the transferring of cells from a cultivation medium for various industrial applications.

We report on juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis in vitro by male accessory glands (MAGs) in the longhorned beetle, Aprionona germari, accompanied by the transfer of JH from males to females during copulation. JH was extracted from the MAGs and separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. JH III was identified as the major JH by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A radiochemical assay and a non-radioactive method were used to measure the in vitro rate of JH biosynthesis by the MAGs. After 4 h of incubation with 3H-methionine in the medium, the radioactivity in the MAGs substantially increased. In a separate assay, incubation of the MAGs with non-radioactive methionine for 4 h resulted in a 39% increase in JH III. Seven-day-old males were injected with medium 199 containing 3H–methionine and 24 h later they were mated with virgin females. Hemolymph and the MAGs were collected from the mated males and hemolymph, ovaries and eggs were collected from the mated females for assaying radioactive JH. The radioactivity incorporated into JH in the MAGs was transferred to the females during copulation and later transferred into their eggs. Assayed 1 h after copulation, JH III level in the MAGs decreased 42% and the content of JH III in the male hemolymph did not change, whereas the content of JH III in the female hemolymph and ovaries both increased. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The alkyl chain-linked diimidazolium (or dibenzimidazolium) salts, 1,1′-diethyl-4,4′-tetramethylene-diimidazolium-diiodide (L1H2·I2) and 1,1′-diethyl-3,3′-trimethylene-dibenzimidazolium-diiodide (L2H2·I2), and their silver(I) and copper(II) coordination polymers, [L1AgI]n (1) and [L2Cu2I4]n (2), have been prepared and characterized. Complex 1 is a 1D helical polymer generated by bidentated carbene ligands (L1) and Ag(I) atoms. The 1D polymer of 2 is formed by bidentated carbene ligands (L2) and coplanar quadrilateral Cu2I2 units. 3D supramolecular frameworks in the crystal packings of 1 and 2 are formed via intermolecular weak interactions, including C–H···π contacts, π–π interactions and C–H···I hydrogen bonds.

Cobalt(II) and copper(II) complexes with deprotonated N-[2′-(4-methyl)pyrimidinyl]-2-nitrobenzenesulfonylurea were synthesized and their structures were characterized by IR spectrum, elemental analysis and X-ray diffraction. The deprotonated sulfonylurea is a bidentate ligand to Co(II) or Cu(II) in octahedral geometry. In the packing diagrams of the complexes, C–H ··· O hydrogen bonds are observed. The UV and fluorescence spectra of the complexes are described, and the thermogravimetric analyses of the complexes were performed.

The authors report a 57-year-old male patient who presented with diarrhea, darkened urine, jaundice and increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Initially, his symptoms, which included hemolytic anemia, acute renal failure and low platelet count, seemed to be caused by renal injuries associated with thrombotic microangiopathy, hemolytic-uremic syndrome in particular. However, a renal biopsy indicated acute tubular necrosis and hemosiderin deposition. A CD55 and CD59 assay, Ham test and sugar-water hemolysis test confirmed the diagnosis of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. After fluid infusion, diuresis and urine alkalization, the patient gradually regained nearly normal renal function. This case illustrates that paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria may present with acute kidney injury when hemolysis, diarrhea and hemosiderin deposits in the renal tubular epithelial cells and renal tubules are present. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to prevent disease progression and irreversible chronic renal failure.

A sequence characterised amplified region marker was developed to determine an acid resistance-related gene in Lactobacillus plantarum. A random amplified polymorphic DNA marker named S116-680 was reported to be closely related to the acid resistance of the strains. The DNA band corresponding to this marker was cloned and sequenced with the induction of specific designed PCR primers. The results of PCR test helped to amplify a clear specific band of 680 bp in the tested acid-resistant strains. S116-680 marker would be useful to explore the acid-resistant mechanism of L. plantarum and to screen desirable malolactic fermentation strains.

Aerobic growth conditions significantly influenced anaerobic succinate production in two-stage fermentation by Escherichia coli AFP111 with knockouts in rpoS , pflAB , ldhA , and ptsG genes. At a low cell growth rate limited by glucose, enzymes involved in the reductive arm of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the glyoxylate shunt showed elevated activities, providing AFP111 with intracellular redox balance and increased succinic acid yield and productivity.

The aims of the present study were to validate the differential diagnostic model of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and non-diabetic renal diseases (NDRD) established in 2003 and to establish a new diagnostic model suitable for the current clinical characteristics of DN.We examined 200 patients with Type 2 diabetes who underwent kidney biopsy from 2004 to 2012. The 2003 differential diagnostic model based on the data collected from 1993 to 2003 was evaluated by the diagnostic test and changes in the clinical differentiation parameters of DN and NDRD were analyzed. Logistic regression, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) analysis were applied.The 2003 diagnostic model showed an accuracy of 77.5%. A significantly elevated incidence of hematuria, longer history of diabetes, and reduced level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were observed in the DN group from 2004 to 2012 compared with DN group from 1993 to 2003. Histories of diabetes mellitus (Dm), systolic blood pressure (Bp), HbA1c (Gh), hematuria (Hu), diabetic retinopathy (Dr), and hemoglobin (Hb) are independently related to DN. Thus, a new diagnostic model was constructed as follows: PDN = exp (0.846 + 0.022 Dm + 0.033Bp + 2.050 Gh-2.664 Hu-0.078 Hb + 2.942Dr)/[1 + exp (0.846 + 0.022 Dm + 0.033 Bp + 2.050 Gh-2.664 Hu-0.078 Hb + 2.942 Dr)].Validation tests determined that the accuracy of the new model were 90.9%.Changes in people with DN, clinical characteristics have reduced the diagnostic efficacy of the 2003 diagnostic model. The newly established model can provide a better, more current differentiation between DN and NDRD.

To design and construct an HIV-1 subunit vaccine containing the N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR) domain N51 in gp41 of the HIV-1 CRF01_AE recombinant subtype in China and study its immunogenicity.Two pairs of primers were designed to amplify DNA fragment encoding N51Fd gene, which was then subcloned into pFUSE-hIgG1-Fc2 vector. The recombinant plasmid pFUSE/N51Fd was confirmed by DNA sequencing. Western blotting was used to measure the correct expression of the recombinant protein N51FdFc-AE. The N51FdFc-AE protein was used to immunize BALB/c mice, and the specific antibody response was measured by ELISA.A recombinant plasmid pFUSE/N51Fd was successfully constructed and the N51FdFc-AE recombinant protein was expressed effectively in 293T cells. The purified N51FdFc-AE recombinant protein (35 kD) was detected by Western blotting with rabbit anti-gp41 N/C peptide antibodies. The mouse anti-sera could specifically recognize the antigens derived from gp41 NHR. The titers of the specific antibodies were up to 1:102 400 with an average titer of 1:51 200.The recombinant N51FdFc-AE protein can effectively induce the gp41 NHR-specific immune responses in BALB/c mice and could be used as an immunogen for design of HIV-1 subunit vaccine.