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This work presents the synthesis of the new bent-core polymers with siloxane units connected to the one side of azobenzene units. The structure of siloxane-based azobenzene bent-core polymers, 7a–c, was elucidated by spectral analysis (nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy). The results of gel permeation chromatography suggested that all polymers (7a–c) showed polydisperse (polydispersity index >1). Besides, the extent of polymerization in the following order: 7a > 7b > 7c, where the degree of polymerization values were 7, 8 and 11, respectively. Polarizing optical microscopy revealed that the bent-core liquid crystal (BCLC) monomers, 6a and 6b, displayed the smectic A phase, whereas BCLC monomer 6c and all siloxane-based main-chain polymers (MCPs) (7a–c) were crystalline in nature. The result of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy demonstrated that all MCPs (7a–c) exhibited strong photoisomerization behavior in solution. All polymers (7a–c) showed trans to cis isomerization in about 200 s, whereas the reverse process required much longer times ranging from 400 to 520 min in solution. The photo-switching study on azobenzene containing polymers stated that the effect of alkyl chain length and type of central core units on trans to cis isomerization were negligible. In contrast, both parameters influence the cis to trans process in which the photo-switching behavior of these materials may be primarily suitably exploited in the field of photo-induced phenomenon. Time dependence photoisomerization curve of a) trans isomer (7a–c) showing the effect of UV illumination at 365 nm wavelength, which take time for trans to cis isomerization in about 200s, and b) cis isomer (7a–c) showing the thermal back relaxation time, the reverse process required much longer times ranging from 400–520 min in solution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing global biodiversity loss requires an expanded focus on multiple dimensions of biodiversity. While most studies have focused on the consequences of plant interspecific diversity, our mechanistic understanding of how genetic diversity within plant species affects plant productivity remains limited. Here, we use a tree species × genetic diversity experiment to disentangle the effects of species diversity and genetic diversity on tree productivity, and how they are related to tree functional diversity and trophic feedbacks. We found that tree species diversity increased tree productivity via increased tree functional diversity, reduced soil fungal diversity, and marginally reduced herbivory. The effects of tree genetic diversity on productivity via functional diversity and soil fungal diversity were negative in monocultures but positive in the mixture of the four tree species tested. Given the complexity of interactions between species and genetic diversity, tree functional diversity and trophic feedbacks on productivity, we suggest that both tree species and genetic diversity should be considered in afforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning in May 2022, a rising number of monkeypox cases were reported in non-monkeypox-endemic countries in the Northern Hemisphere. We adapted 2 published quantitative PCRs for use as a dual-target monkeypox virus test on widely used automated highthroughput PCR systems. We determined analytic performance by serial dilutions of monkeypox virus reference material, which we quantified by digital PCR. We found the lower limit of detection for the combined assays was 4.795 (95% CI 3.6-8.6) copies/mL. We compared clinical performance against a commercial manual orthopoxvirus research use only PCR kit by using clinical remnant swab samples. Our assay showed 100% positive (n = 11) and 100% negative (n = 56) agreement. Timely and scalable PCR tests are crucial for limiting further spread of monkeypox. The assay we provide streamlines high-throughput molecular testing for monkeypox virus on existing broadly established platforms used for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An approach to the vicinal oxyazidation of alkenes has been achieved under mild and transition metal-free conditions. This method utilizes NaN3 as the azidation agent and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxoammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEMPO+BF4-) as the single-electron oxidant as well as the oxygen source. By using this protocol, various ß-aminooxy azides were synthesized and several complex bioactive molecules were functionalized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is diagnosed as the most common intracranial malignant tumor. Cancer stem cells determine stemness and radioresistance, and may facilitate glioma recurrence. The present study aimed to investigate whether the long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) transmembrane phosphatase with tensin homology pseudogene 1 (TPTEP1) regulated cell stemness and radioresistance of glioma, and determine the underlying molecular mechanism of TPTEP1 in the modulation of glioma progression. Cell and molecular biology techniques were applied for investigating the role of TPTEP1 in glioma cell lines, animal model, and clinical samples. The results demonstrated that TPTEP1 attenuated stemness and radioresistance of glioma both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, TPTEP1 augmented MAPK14 expression by competitively interacting with microRNA (miR)‑106a‑5p, thus activating the P38 MAPK signaling pathway, and suppressing glioma stemness and radioresistance. TPTEP1 functionally bound to miR‑106a‑5p, which formed a reciprocal regulatory loop to stimulate the P38 MAPK signaling pathway. Low TPTEP1 expression levels were detected in high‑grade glioma tissues compared with low‑grade glioma tissues, and were positively associated with poor prognosis of patients with glioma. Furthermore, analysis using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database confirmed the molecular mechanism and biological significance of dysregulation of TPTEP1 in glioma progression. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that TPTEP1 may be applied as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator for glioma, and may be an alternative target for the treatment of glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollination is an important part of fertilization and reproduction in seed plants. Pollen movement largely restricts gene flow among individual plants and the manner of reproduction in a population, thereby affecting the genetic traits and fitness of plant offspring. For insect-pollinator-based plants, the flower-visiting characteristics, frequency and timing of the pollinating insects have decisive effects on the successful pollination of plants, whereas the colour and morphology of various floral components are important factors affecting the pollinating insects. Based on the pollination biology of plants, we studied the pollination mechanisms and links of Urophysa rochkii to understand its endangered status. Using U. rochkii at the full flowering period for the study, and using methods to observe, record, and perform experimental analysis, we recorded the species, frequency and flower-visiting time of these insects every 15 min and observed the effects of weather and temperature on the insects. Additionally, we captured the flower-visiting insects, brought them to the laboratory, and took photographs under a dissecting electron microscope for observation and identification. U. rochkii plants were grouped under different treatments that included removal of sepals, stamens and or pistils, while untreated plants were included as control group. In summary, the effects of floral components on the pollination process were examined. The experimental results showed that the effective pollinator of U. rochkii was Apis cerana Fabricius, and that sky-blue sepal was the most important factor affecting the flower-visiting frequency of the pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic matter (SOM) is the major factor affecting sequestration of heavy metals in soil. The mean free binding energy and the mean free adsorption energy and speciation of Zn in soil, as affected by SOM, were determined by employing Wien effect measurements. The presence of SOM markedly decreased the Zn binding energy in soils in the following order: Top (5.86 kj mol-1) < Bottom (8.66 kj mol-1) < Top OM-free (9.44 kj mol-1) a Bottom OM-fce (9-50 kj mol-1). The SOM also significantly decreased the adsorption energy of Zn on black soil particles by reducing nonspecific adsorption of Zn on their surfaces. The speciation of Zn in soils w^s elucidated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and microfocus X-ray fluorescence. The results obtained by linear combination fitting of EXAFS spectra revealed that the main forms of Zn in soil were outer-sphere Zn, Zn-illite, Zn-kaolinite, and HA-Zn. As the SOM content increased, the proportion of HA-Zn among the total immobilized Zn increased, and the proportion of nonspecific adsorbed Zn decreased. The present results implied that SOM is an important controlling factor for the environmental behavior of Zn in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) hypomethylation may play an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC). Studies were identified that investigated LINE-1 methylation levels in CRC compared with normal controls. Methods: The random-effects model was used to estimate standardized mean difference with 95% confidence intervals according to the heterogeneity between the studies. We explored the relationship between LINE-1 hypomethylation and microsatellite instability (MSI) status, clinical features, and molecular features in CRC patients using a fixed-effects model. Results: A total of 7396 CRC patients were included in the meta-analysis. LINE-1 methylation was significantly lower in CRC patients than in controls (P=0.000). Mean LINE-1 methylation was significantly lower in non-MSI-high than in MSI-high tumors (P=0.000). LINE-1 hypomethylation was found more frequently in patients with a family history compared with those without family history (P=0.002). Patients with left colon cancer had lower LINE-1 methylation than those with right colon cancer (P=0.001). LINE-1 methylation was not associated with body mass index or patient sex. LINE-1 hypomethylation was found in p21 lost tumors (P=0.000). LINE-1 methylation levels were not associated with KRAS or PIK3CA-mutation status. Conclusion: LINE-1 hypomethylation is a potential biomarker for risk of CRC and associated with various clinical and molecular features of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel palladium-catalyzed three-component reaction for the synthesis of quinazolin-4(3H)-ones from readily available 2-aminobenzamides and aryl halides via a palladium-catalyzed isocyanide insertion/cyclization sequence has been developed. This methodology efficiently constructs quinazolin-4(3H)-ones in moderate to excellent yields with the advantages of operational simplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese herbal medicines. It has been used for antiinflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial activities, and so forth. Long-term enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation caused more effect on leaves than on roots of the plant. Liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-UV-ESI-Q/TOF/MS) method was applied for simultaneous quantitative and qualitative analysis of flavonoids in leaves and roots of S. baicalensis by enhanced UV-B radiation. Both low-intensity radiation and high-intensity radiation were not significantly increaseing the contents of baicalin, wogonoside, and wogonin in roots. However different intensity of radiation has different effects on several flavonoids in leaves. Both low-intensity radiation and high-intensity radiation had no significant effect on contents of baicalin and tectoridin in leaves; the content of scutellarin was significantly decreased by low-intensity radiation; chrysin was detected in low-intensity radiation and high-intensity radiation, and chrysin content is the highest in low-intensity radiation, but chrysin was not detected in control group. Different changes of different flavonoids under enhanced UV-B radiation indicate that induction on flavonoids is selective by enhanced UV-B radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wormhole routing is an effective way to provide very high speed, very low latency communication for distributed real-time applications with high bandwidth demands. Unfortunately, the lack of traffic buffering mechanism or existing narrow buffer space in the switching devices makes it difficult to give real-time guarantees to traffic streams that contend for communication links. In this paper we proposed a simple blocking model for traffic on wormhole-routed networks and derived a distributed admission control scheme for real-time traffic streams. As criteria evaluating the performance, we measured the average number of currently admitted connections in the network during steady state to analyze the behavior of the scheme for varying network loads and bandwidth requirements of the connections. The results show that this distributed admission control scheme is sufficient to meet real-time requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient palladium-catalyzed carbonylative Sonogashira coupling via tert-butyl isocyanide insertion has been developed, which demonstrates the utility of isocyanides in intermolecular C-C bond construction. This methodology provides a novel pathway for the synthesis of alkynyl imines which can undergo simple silica gel catalyzed hydrolysis to afford alkynones. The approach is tolerant of a wide range of substrates and applicable to library synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Animal studies suggest that regulatory T (Treg) cells play a beneficial role in ventricular remodeling and our previous data have demonstrated defects of Treg cells in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the mechanisms behind Treg-cell defects remained unknown. We here sought to elucidate the mechanism of Treg-cell defects in CHF patients. Methods and Results: We performed flow cytometry analysis and demonstrated reduced numbers of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+FOXP3+CD45RO-CD45RA+ naïve Treg (nTreg) cells and CD4+CD25+FOXP3+CD45RO+CD45RA- memory Treg (mTreg) cells in CHF patients as compared with non-CHF controls. Moreover, the nTreg/mTreg ratio (p,0.01), CD4+CD25+FOXP3+CD45RO- CD45RA+CD31+ recent thymic emigrant Treg cell (RTE-Treg) frequency (p,0.01), and T-cell receptor excision circle levels in Treg cells (p<0.01) were lower in CHF patients than in non-CHF controls. Combined annexin- V and 7-AAD staining showed that peripheral Treg cells from CHF patients exhibited increased spontaneous apoptosis and were more prone to interleukin (IL)-2 deprivation- and CD95 ligand-mediated apoptosis than those from non-CHF individuals. Furthermore, analyses by both flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that Treg-cell frequency in the mediastinal lymph nodes or Foxp3 expression in hearts of CHF patients was no higher than that of the non- CHF controls. Conclusion: Our data suggested that the Treg-cell defects of CHF patients were likely caused by decreased thymic output of nascent Treg cells and increased susceptibility to apoptosis in the periphery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A very compact Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) composed of two parallel straight waveguides with left-handed material (LHM) layers is proposed. The operating principle and characteristics of the MZI with electro-optic material (EOM) core are analyzed by using the supermode theory and coupled mode theory. The result shows that regardless of material loss, a very compact MZI of only 0.87mm×0.022mm can be achieved by utilizing EOM with ultrahigh electro-optic coefficient, which means a new way to fulfill a very compact electro-optic modulator or optical switch. The absorption effect of the proposed MZI is also analyzed by perturbation method which is generated by lossy LHM layers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the expression and aberrant methylation of X-ray repair cross-complementing gene 1 (XRCC1) in gastric carcinogenesis, and identify the molecular mechanism of gastric carcinogenesis. METHODS: The method based on methyl binding domain protein (MBD) immuno-precipitation and promoter microarray was employed to screen the gastric cancer-related methylation-sensitive gene. An immunohistochemistry assay was applied to detect the protein expression of XRCC1 in the multistep progression of gastric carcinogenesis. The mRNA expression of XRCC1 was determined by real-time PCR in tumor tissues and their corresponding non-tumorous tissues. The methylation status and Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln polymorphisms of XRCC1 in gastric cancer and gastritis tissues were analyzed by methylation-specific PCR, bisulfite genomic sequencing and direct DNA sequencing, respectively. RESULTS: Promoter microarray screening and identification suggested that XRCC1 was a methylation-sensitive gene. Immunochemistry results showed that XRCC1 protein expression gradually decreased with progression of gastric mucosal lesions (P < 0.05). The positive rate of XRCC1 in patients with well/ moderately differentiated gastric cancer was significantly higher than patients with poorly differentiated gastric cancer (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of XRCC1 in gastric cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in the non-tumorous tissues (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, XRCC1 methylation in gastric cancer tissues was more frequent than that in the gastritis tissues (P < 0.05), and the downregulation of XRCC1 expression was relevant to methylation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of XRCC1 is downregulated in gastric carcinogenesis, and promoter hypermethylation may be one of the mechanisms contributing to its downregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of prophylactic regional liver chemotherapy during the perioperative period on improving survival and preventing liver metastases in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: A comprehensive retrieval of the relevant literature was performed by searching major biomedical database, mainly from Medline and Embase. Studies reported in the selected literature were categorized into two subgroups according to the type of therapy: a perioperative hepatic artery infusion subgroup and a perioperative portal vein infusion subgroup. Mortality and liver metastasis were analyzed using a fixed-effects model. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager software. RESULTS: The results of this meta-analysis illustrated that survival and the rate of liver metastasis in patients receiving perioperative hepatic artery infusion (HAI) chemotherapy were significantly better than for those receiving surgery alone (pooled relative risk 0.46 [95% CI: 0.31–0.69] and 0.44 [95% CI: 0.28–0.68], respectively, P= 0.0002), while survival and the rate of liver metastasis in patients receiving perioperative portal vein infusion (PVI) chemotherapy were not significantly different from those receiving surgery alone (pooled relative risk 0.98 [95% CI: 0.89–1.09], P= 0.73 and 0.86 [95% CI: 0.72–1.02], respectively. P= 0.08). CONCLUSION: As a method of regional liver chemotherapy, HAI might be able to improve survival and reduce the rate of liver metastasis in patients with advanced CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Increasing evidences confirm the role of immune activation in the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure (CHF). Regulatory T cells appear central to the control of immune homeostasis. We assessed the hypothesis that the circulating frequency and function of CD4+CD25+ Foxp3+CD127low T regulatory cells (Tregs) would be deranged in patients with CHF. Methods: Ninety-nine CHF patients due to non-ischemic (NIHF) or ischemic etiology (IHF) and 24 control donors were enrolled in the study. Frequency of circulating Tregs was evaluated by flow cytometry. Foxp3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was assayed at the mRNA level by real-time PCR. Functional properties of Tregs to suppress proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion of activated CD4+CD25- T cells were measured by proliferation assay and ELISA. Results: The results demonstrated that CHF patients had significantly lower frequency of circulating Tregs and reduced Foxp3 expression in PBMCs compared with control donors. Moreover, Tregs from CHF patients showed compromised function to suppress CD4+CD25- T cells proliferation and pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion. A similar pattern with reduced Tregs frequency and compromised function was found in both NIHF and IHF patients. Correlation analysis suggested that Tregs frequency and function positively correlated with LVEF, whereas negatively correlated with LVEDD and NT-proBNP in patients with CHF. Conclusions: Our data are the first to demonstrate that frequencies of circulating Tregs in patients with CHF are reduced and their suppressive function compromised independently of the etiology. Defective Tregs may be an underlying mechanism of immune activation in CHF patients. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Bernstein (A sociolinguistic approach to socialization; with some reference to educability, Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1972), middle-class parents transmit an elaborated code to their children that relies on verbal means, rather than paralinguistic devices or shared assumptions, to express meanings. Bernstein's ideas were used to argue that working-class and linguistically diverse children in the United States were socialized to use a restricted code. Since peer groups as well as parents can be a source of valuable socialization experiences, the present study examines the communicative resources used among members of a peer group of immigrant children of predominantly Mexican heritage enrolled in a bilingual Spanish–English Head Start preschool in California, while the children are engaged in pretend play. The examples illustrate how the children use a range of communicative resources, both explicit verbalization and more paralinguistic means (e.g., code-switching), to signal for one another what constitutes the common activity they are engaged in and the alignments or ‘footings’ (Goffman, Semiotica: 1–29, 1979) they take to that activity and to each other during the play. The children's communicative resources do not readily fall into a categorization system of ‘elaborated’ and ‘restricted’. The examples suggest ways in which letting bilingual immigrant children use their own peer group style and communicative resources in classrooms may support the children's transition to school-based ways of communicating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A poly(hydroxamic acid) ligand was allowed to adsorbed copper solution resulted stable five-membered copper complex; namely Cu(II)@PHA. Then, Cu(II)@PHA was reduced with hydrazine hydride to gave copper nanocomplex Cu(0)NC@PHA. The Cu(0)NC@PHA was used for the N -aryl/alkylation (Michael addition) reaction with a variety of α,β-unsaturated Michael acceptors to produce the corresponding N -aryl/alkyl products with an excellent yield at room temperature. [Display omitted] A pure cellulose was derived from waste fibre and it was chemically modified to a hydroxamic acid ligand. The poly(hydroxamic acid) was treated with an aqueous copper solution to afford the greenish stable five-membered copper complex; namely Cu(II)@PHA. Further, the Cu(II)@PHA was treated with a reducing agent hydrazine hydride to give brown colour cellulose supported copper nanocomplex (Cu(0)NC@PHA). The Cu(0)NC@PHA was characterised by ATR-FTIR, FE-SEM & EDS, TEM, ICP-OES, TGA, XRD and XPS analyses. The cellulose-based Cu(0)NC@PHA was used for the n -aryl/alkylation (Michael addition) reaction with a variety of α,β -unsaturated Michael acceptors to produce the corresponding n -aryl/alkyl products with an excellent yield at room temperature. The Cu(0)NC@PHA showed extraordinary stability and it was easily filtered out from the reaction mixture and may potentially recycled up to five times without loss of its original catalytic ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The effect of chronic immobilization stress (CIS) on the biochemical parameters has been one of the hot topics in neuroscience. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CIS on the levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA in brains of rats. The rats were randomly divided into stressed and control groups. The stressed group was given CIS 3 h a day for 21 days continuously. GR of rats’ hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were detected by immunohistochemistry method. In addition, the CRF mRNA and POMC mRNA of rats’ brain regions (hypothalamus, pituitary, hippocampus, and PFC) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). After exposure to CIS for 21 days, the GR immuno staining (the gray values) of the stressed group was less than that of the control group in hippocampal CA1, dentate gyrus, and PFC (P P  [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel actinobacterium strain, designated HUAS 2-6 T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Camellia oleifera Abel collected from Taoyuan County, Northwestern Hunan Province, South China. This strain was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain HUAS 2-6 T is characterized by morphology typical of members of the genus Streptomyces, with deep purplish vinaceous aerial mycelia and deep dull lavender substrate mycelia. Strain HUAS 2-6 T, based on the full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, exhibited the highest similarities to S. puniciscabiei S77T (99.31%), S. filipinensis NBRC 12860 T (99.10%), S. yaanensis CGMCC 4.7035 T (99.09%), S. fodineus TW1S1T (99.08%), S. broussonetiae CICC 24819 T (98.76%), S. achromogenes JCM 4121 T (98.69%), S. barringtoniae JA03T (98.69%), and less than 98.70% with other validly species. In phylogenomic tree, strain HUAS 2-6 T was clustered together with S. broussonetiae CICC 24819 T, suggesting that they were closely related to each other. However, average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridisation (dDDH) between them were much less than the species cutoff values (ANI 96.7% and dDDH 70%). Moreover, in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain HUAS 2-6 T is distinct from S. broussonetiae CICC 24819 T. On the basis of the polyphasic data, strain HUAS 2-6 T is proposed to represent a novel species, Streptomyces camelliae sp. nov. (= MCCC 1K04729T = JCM 35918 T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incremental accretion of continental fragments from East Gondwana to Eurasia resulted in the growth of Asia and rise of the Tibetan Plateau, yet its detailed evolution remains uncertain. Argoland, a continental fragment that rifted from NW Australia during the Late Jurassic, played a key role in the initial opening of the Indian Ocean and the evolution of eastern Tethys. However, its present identity remains elusive, with East Java-West Sulawesi currently assumed to be the most likely option. To constrain the missing Argoland and its role in India-Asia convergence, we report new detrital zircon data from Sulawesi, Indonesia, and West Burma, Myanmar, and synthesize literature results from relevant regions in Southeast Asia, which (>15,000) reveal age profiles of West Sulawesi, the central Sulawesi metamorphic belt, and southeast Borneo comparable to that of Bird's Head, New Guinea, whereas age patterns of West Burma and East/West Java are similar to those of NW Australia. Notably, the most dominant age populations in NW Australia are rarely detected in Sulawesi and Borneo. These observations, combined with previous geological records and recent paleomagnetic data, suggest that West Burma is the mysterious Argoland, opposing the currently favored East Java-West Sulawesi model, with East Java and West Sulawesi probably having originated from NW Australia and Bird's Head, respectively. We estimate an average northward motion of ~6-8 cm/yr for West Burma, which split from NW Australia to approach the equator during ca. 155-95 Ma, shedding new light on the reconstruction and breakup of northern East Gondwana, progressive building of Southeast Asia, and India-Asia convergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Tree survival affects forest biodiversity, structure and functioning. However, little is known about feedback effects of biodiversity on survival and its dependence on functional traits and interannual climatic variability. 2. With an individual-based dataset from a large subtropical forest biodiversity experiment, we evaluated how species richness, functional traits and time-dependent covariates affected annual tree survival rates from age 3–12 (years) after planting 39 species across a diversity gradient from 1 to 2, 4, 8 and 16 tree species. 3. We found that overall survival rates marginally increased with diversity at the plot level, with large variation among plots within diversity levels. Significant variation among species in survival responses to diversity and changes in these responses with age were related to species functional traits and climatic conditions. Generally, survival rates of conservative species (evergreen, late-successional species with thick leaves and high carbon to nitrogen ratio but low specific leaf area, leaf phosphorus and hydraulic conductivity) increased with diversity, age and yearly precipitation, whereas acquisitive species showed opposite responses. 4. Synthesis. Our results indicate that interactions between diversity, species functional traits and yearly climatic conditions can balance survival among species in diverse forests. Planting mixtures of species that differ in functional traits in afforestation projects may lead to a positive feedback loop where biodiversity maintains biodiversity, together with its previously reported beneficial effects on ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In sport-specific training, the velocity and movement of resistance training should match the particular movement as closely as possible to achieve optimal transfer to performance. Velocity-based resistance training (VBRT), plyometric resistance training (PRT), and passive leg press training (PLPT) are three resistance training methods that emphasize rapid contraction and have been proven to improve the rate of force development and power. The purpose of this investigation was to determine which training method is more efficient in improving rapid force, power, and performance. Methods: Stratified sampling was used to allocate 36 senior high school Taekwondo athletes to a VBRT group (n = 12), PRT group (n = 12), and PLPT group (n = 12). All training groups completed a six-week resistance training program that included three training sessions per week. Before and after the resistance training, the athletes' rapid force (50-ms rate of force development and maximal rate of force development), power (jump height and peak force), and specific performance (speed of single side kick and continuous side kick) were evaluated. Data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests to compare differences between groups. One-way ANOVA and the Scheffé's post-hoc test were used to compare the differences between the baseline and training effects. Results: After six weeks of training, the three groups showed significant training effects on rapid force (both measures), power (jump height only), and specific performance (both measures). In addition, the percentage enhancement of the maximal rate of force development under PLPT was significantly higher than that under PRT. Conclusion: All three training methods, VBRT, PRT, and PLPT, develop rapid force and power, which can be converted to specific performance. However, PLPT is a better resistance training method to increase the maximal rate of force development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidized single-walled carbon nanotubes (o-SWNTs) was modified by covalently and noncovalently linking PEG to the o-SWNTs. The influence of oxidation time, PEG molecular weight, and type of PEG linkage on the blood clearance time of PEG-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was investigated. The toxicity profile of SWNTs covalently linked to PEG (c-PEG-o-SWNTs) in rats has also been determined. The pharmacokinetics of c-PEG-o-SWNTs in rats and their distribution in vital organs were monitored by Raman spectroscopy, and the blood clearance of homogenate isoliquiritigenin (ISL) was determined by HPLC. Photos of tissue and tissue sections were taken to evaluate the toxicity of c-PEG-o-SWNTs. We found that SWNTs which were covalently modified with PEG and have a molecular weight of 3500 had the longest blood clearance half-lives. However, SWNTs were toxic to the kidneys and the hearts. The high renal clearance of long-term fate SWNTs may occur because of impaired kidney filtration function. Therefore, we assume that while researchers study the long-term fate of SWNTs, the toxicity of SWNTs also needs to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel and highly efficient strategy for the synthesis of isocoumarins and phthalides through a palladium(O)-catalyzed reaction incorporating fert-butyl isocyanide has been developed. This process, providing one of the simplest methods for the synthesis of this class of valuable lactones, involves two steps including cydization reaction and simple acid hydrolysis. The methodology is tolerant of a wide range of substrates and applicable to library synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and highly efficient strategy for the synthesis of 3-substituted isocoumarins through a copper(I)-catalyzed reaction of 1-(2-halophenyl)-1,3-diones has been developed. The procedure is based on a cascade copper-catalyzed intramolecular Ullmann-type C-arylation and rearrangement process. This methodology is tolerant of a wide range of substrates and applicable to library synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Silkworm is the basis of sericultural industry and the model organism in insect genetics study. Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) underlying economically important traits of silkworm is of high significance for promoting the silkworm molecular breeding and advancing our knowledge on genetic architecture of the Lepidoptera. Yet, the currently used mapping methods are not well suitable for silkworm, because of ignoring the recombination difference in meiosis between two sexes. Results: A mixed linear model including QTL main effects, epistatic effects, and QTL × sex interaction effects was proposed for mapping QTLs in an F2 population of silkworm. The number and positions of QTLs were determined by F-test and model selection. The Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm was employed to estimate and test genetic effects of QTLs and QTL × sex interaction effects. The effectiveness of the model and statistical method was validated by a series of simulations. The results indicate that when markers are distributed sparsely on chromosomes, our method will substantially improve estimation accuracy as compared to the normal chiasmate F2 model. We also found that a sample size of hundreds was sufficiently large to unbiasedly estimate all the four types of epistases (i.e., additive-additive, additive-dominance, dominance-additive, and dominance-dominance) when the paired QTLs reside on different chromosomes in silkworm. Conclusion: The proposed method could accurately estimate not only the additive, dominance and digenic epistatic effects but also their interaction effects with sex, correcting the potential bias and precision loss in the current QTL mapping practice of silkworm and thus representing an important addition to the arsenal of QTL mapping tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial operations, domestic and agricultural activities worldwide have had major problems with various contaminants caused by environmental pollution. Heavy metal pollution in wastewater also a prominent issue; therefore, a well built and economical treatment technology is demanded for pollution-free wastewater. The present work emphasized pure cellulose extracted from jute fiber and further modification was performed by a free radical grafting reaction, which resulted in poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA)-grafted cellulose and poly(acrylonitrile)-grafted cellulose. Subsequently, poly(hydroxamic acid) and poly(amidoxime) ligands were prepared from the PMA-grafted cellulose and PAN-grafted cellulose, respectively. An adsorption study was performed using the desired ligands with heavy metals such as copper, cobalt, chromium and nickel ions. The binding capacity (qe) with copper ions for poly(hydroxamic acid) is 352 mg g−1 whereas qe for poly(amidoxime) ligand it was exhibited as 310 mg g−1. Other metal ions (chromium, cobalt and nickel) show significance binding properties at pH 6. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm study was also performed. The Freundlich isotherm model showed good correlation coefficients for all metal ions, indicating that multiple-layers adsorption was occurred by the polymer ligands. The reusability was evaluated and the adsorbents can be reused for 7 cycles without significant loss of removal performance. Both ligands showed outstanding metals removal capacity from the industrial wastewater as such 98% of copper can be removed from electroplating wastewater and other metals (cobalt, chromium, nickel and lead) can also be removed up to 90%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single von Willebrand factor C-domain proteins (SVWCs) are mainly found in arthropods. Their expression may be regulated by several environmental stresses, including nutritional status and bacterial and viral infections. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we identified a member of the SVWC family from the river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense as a soluble and bacteria-inducible pattern-recognition receptor (designated MnSVWC). In vitro, recombinantMnSVWC exhibited pronounced binding and Ca21- dependent agglutinating abilities against diverse microbes, including Gram-negative bacteria (i.e. Escherichia coli and Aeromonas victoria), Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis), and yeast (Pichia pastoris). ELISA assays revealed that recombinantMnSVWC recognizes a broad range of various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and has high affinity to lipopolysaccharide and lysine-type and diaminopimelic acid-type peptidylglycan and D-galactose and low affinity to D-mannan and b-1,3-glucan. Mutant MnSVWCP57A with an impaired Glu-Pro-Asn (EPN) motif displayed reduced affinity to all these PAMPs to varying extent. Moreover,MnSVWC bound to the surface of hemocytes and promoted their phagocytic activity and clearance of invasive bacteria. RNAi-mediated MnSVWC knockdown in prawn reduced the ability to clear invading bacteria, but did not block the activities of the Toll pathway or the arthropod immune deficiency (IMD) pathway, or the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes. These results indicate that MnSVWC functions as an extracellular pattern-recognition receptor in M. nipponense that mediates cellular immune responses by recognizing PAMPs, agglutinating invasive microbes, and promoting phagocytosis in hemocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a new large-scale hydrological and water resources model, the Community Water Model (CWatM), which can simulate hydrology both globally and regionally at different resolutions from 30 arc min to 30 arc sec at daily time steps. CWatM is open-source in the Python programming environment and has a modular structure. It uses global, freely available data in the netCDF4 file format for reading, storage, and production of data in a compact way. CWatM includes general surface and groundwater hydrological processes, but also takes into account human activities, such as water use and reservoir regulation, by calculating water demands, water use, and return flows. Reservoirs and lakes are included in the model scheme. CWatM is used in the framework of the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP), which compares global model outputs. The flexible model structure allows dynamic interaction with hydro-economic and water quality models for the assessment and evaluation of water management options. Furthermore, the novelty of CWatM is its combination of state-of the-art hydrological modeling, modular programming, an online user manual and automatic source code documentation, global and regional assessments at different spatial resolutions, and a potential community to add to, change, and expand the open-source project. CWatM also strives to build a community learning environment which is able to freely use an open-source hydrological model and flexible coupling possibilities to other sectoral models, such as energy and agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A regional power grid containing high-density wind power is generally connected to a load centre through longdistance transmission lines. Voltage problems, caused by wind speed fluctuation, in the sending-end grid have become increasingly serious. The variable speed wind turbine has been used to compensate the deficit in reactive power. However, the available methods could not meet the requirement because the controllable range of reactive power contributed by wind farms cannot be adjusted. A new idea of reactive power control realised by the active control before wind speed fluctuation was proposed to prevent the voltage variation. Firstly, the influence of wind speed fluctuation on voltage was analysed, and the power controllable range of wind turbines was studied. The principle and strategy of the active control of reactive power were proposed based on the model predictive control theory. Then, the active control model was established according to the system dynamic demand for reactive power. According to wind speed forecasting, the reactive control capability of wind turbine was excavated to meet the grid demand by adjusting active power before wind speed variation, and the reduced active power of wind farms is optimally compensated by thermal powers. Finally, the method was proven to solve voltage problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-resolution nutrient emission inventory can provide reliable and accurate identification of priority control areas, which is crucial for efficient decisions on water quality restoration. However, the inventories widely used in large-scale modeling are usually based on provincial inputs, which induce the challenges of lacking localized parameters and missing localized characteristic when provincial scale inputs are converted to finer scales with the down-scale methods. Based on elaborate investigations and statistical data at the county scale with multi-scale data conversion, the China Emission Inventory of Nutrients (CEIN) was developed with a spatial resolution of a 0.1° grid and sub-basin scales. The Yangtze River Basin was used as a case study to illustrate the potential applications of CEIN. The emissions of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of Yangtze River Basin is 0.43 Mt and 0.04 Mt for point sources, 11.09 Mt and 4.64 Mt for diffuse sources in 2017. The hotspot analysis for 2606 sub-basins indicated that cropland is the key source of nutrient emissions, accounting for 58.88% and 79.15% of TN and TP, respectively. Industrial sewage and freshwater aquaculture accounted for 27.39% (TN) and 21.98% (TP) of the point sources, which is substantial due to their direct discharge into surface waters. The current results also reveal that, in contrast to CEIN, the previously used common emission factors based on GDP per capita produced considerable overestimations of 2.37 and 2.65 times the actual TN and TP emissions, respectively. Additional advantages of the CEIN have been demonstrated in identifying priority control areas more accurately with reduced bias and quantifying the effects of policies at much smaller scales. For example, the CEIN helps to distinguish hotspots, which was neglected when identifying sources at the level-III sub-basin scale, and indicates that the management of fractional areas (TN: 16.97%; TP: 13.44%) provides the highest nutrient emissions control (TN: 44.34%; TP: 48.65%) for the entire basin. The evaluation of China's toilet revolution policy demonstrates that achieving equitable access to safe sanitation has resulted in a reduction of 7240 t of TN and 833 t of TP, which is extremely critical for rural water quality and health. [Display omitted] • High-resolution China Emission Inventory of Nutrients (CEIN) is developed with 0.1° grid. • Priority control areas were identified for 2606 sub-basins in the Yangtze River Basin. • Previous emission factors with GDP per capita produced considerable overestimations. • CEIN can quantify effects of policies at much smaller scales with reduced bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous zeolite ZSM-5 (ZSM-5-M) was synthesized and used as support for the preparation of highly efficient nickel phosphide catalyst (Ni2P/ZSM-5-M) in the deep hydrogenation of phenanthrene and in the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DM-DBT). Compared with Ni2P catalysts supported silica and high surface area hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) (Ni2P/SiO2 and Ni2P/HMS), Ni2P/ZSM-5-M exhibits higher hydrogenation and HDS activity. The phenanthrene conversion and deep hydrogenation products selectivity over Ni2P/ZSM-5-M (95% and 83%) are much higher than those over Ni2P/SiO2 (61% and 73%) and Ni2P/HMS (69% and 45%) under mild conditions. The 4,6-DM-DBT conversion over Ni2P/ZSM-5-M (93%) was higher than that over Ni2P/SiO2 (62%). This feature is attributed to the difference in surface properties of support. A large amount of acidic hydroxyl groups on the zeolites can interact strongly with catalyst precursor, resulting in the formation of highly dispersed Ni2P particles with small sizes, which provide abundant hydrogenation active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of discovering new anticancer agents, we have designed and synthesized novel α-aminophosphonate derivatives containing a 2-oxoquinoline structure using a convenient one-pot three-component method. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for ntitumor activities against the A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma cell), HeLa (human cervical carcinoma cell), MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell), and U2OS (human osteosarcoma cell) cancer cell lines in vitro, employing a standard 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results of pharmacological screening indicated that many compounds exhibited moderate to high levels of antitumor activities against the tested cancer cell lines and that most compounds showed more potent inhibitory activities comparable to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) which was used as a positive control. The mechanism of representative compound 4u (diethyl((2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinolin-3-yl)(phenyl-amino)methyl)phosphonate) indicated that the compound mainly arrested HeLa cells in S and G2 stages and was accompanied by apoptosis in HeLa cells. This action was confirmed by acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, Hoechst 33342 staining, and flow cytometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Recent studies have shown that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as promising biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to determine whether miR-19b-3p, miR-134-5p and miR-186-5p can be used as novel indicators for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: To investigate the kinetic expression of the three selected miRNAs, we enrolled 18 patients with AMI and 20 matched controls. Plasma samples were collected from each participant, and total RNA was extracted. Quantitative real-time PCR and ELISA assays were used to investigate the expression of circulating miRNAs and cardiac troponin I (cTnI), respectively. Plasma samples from another age- and gender-matched cohort were collected to investigate the impact of medications for AMI on the expression of the selected miRNAs. Results: Levels of plasma miR-19b-3p, miR-134-5p and miR-186-5p were significantly increased in early stage of AMI. Plasma miR-19b-3p and miR-134-5p levels reached peak expression immediately after admission (T0), whereas miR-186-5p achieved peak expression at 4 h after T0. All of these times were earlier than the peak for cTnI (8 h after T0). In addition, all three miRNAs were positively correlated with cTnI. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that each single miRNA showed considerable diagnostic efficiency for predicting AMI. Furthermore, combining all three miRNAs in a panel increased the efficiency of distinguishing between patients with AMI and controls. Moreover, we found that heparin and medications for AMI did not impact the expression of these circulating miRNAs. Conclusion: Circulating miR-19b-3p, miR-134-5p and miR-186-5p could be considered promising novel diagnostic biomarkers for the early phase of AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titania nanotube-based local drug delivery is an attractive strategy for combating implant-associated infection. In our previous study, we demonstrated that the gentamicin-loaded nanotubes could dramatically inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on implant surfaces. Considering the overuse of antibiotics may lead to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, we synthesized a new quaternized chitosan derivative (hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan, HACC) with a 27% degree of substitution (DS; referred to as 27% HACC) that had a strong antibacterial activity and simultaneously good biocompatibility with osteogenic cells. Titania nanotubes with various diameters (80, 120, 160, and 200 nm) and 200 nm length were loaded with 2 mg of HACC using a lyophilization method and vacuum drying. Two standard strain, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (American Type Culture Collection 43300) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (American Type Culture Collection 35984), and two clinical isolates, S. aureus 376 and S. epidermidis 389, were selected to investigate the bacterial adhesion at 6 h and biofilm formation at 24, 48, and 72 h on the HACC-loaded nanotubes (NT-H) using the spread plate method, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Smooth titanium (Smooth Ti) was also investigated and compared. We found that NT-H could significantly inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on its surface compared with Smooth Ti, and the NT-H with 160 nm and 200 nm diameters had stronger antibacterial activity because of the extended HACC release time of NT-H with larger diameters. Therefore, NT-H can significantly improve the antibacterial ability of orthopedic implants and provide a promising strategy to prevent implant-associated infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research used bioassay method to explore seed tolerance of Cd in terms of seed germination and seedling growth. Specifically, 12 rice varieties of three types were investigated under Cd stress, covering germination rate, shooting index, vigor index, seedling and shoot lengths, and fresh weights. The results showed that as Cd concentration grew, seed germination and seedling growth kept increasingly inhibited; germination index, vigor index, root length, shoot length and fresh weights went down; inhibition effects on seed germination and seedling growth were conventional rice >two-line hybrid rice >three-line hybrid rice. Shenyou 9588, Tianyou 998, Chuanxiang 8, and Y Liangyou 1 performed strongly in Cd tolerance; C Liangyou 651, Nei 5 You 263, Xiangwanxian 16, Huanghuazhan, Xiangwanxian 13, and Zhunliangyou 527 performed poorly in Cd tolerance, and Cd tolerance of rest treatments were moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity of Yunnan, which is located in the Hengduan Mountains region of South-west China, is still underestimated. Here, we explore species diversity of Asian green pitvipers occurring in this region. Based on four mtDNA gene fragments (cyt. b, ND4, 12S RNA, and 16S RNA), we inferred phylogenetic position and relationships of Yunnan green pitvipers using Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods. Both methods consistently revealed that all examined Yunnan specimens are placed in five clades which should be referred to Trimeresurus albolabris, Viridovipera stejnegeri, V. gumprechti, and the genus Popeia, respectively. It was unexpected that the samples allied to V. gumprechti did not form a monophyletic clade, but rather two well supported, distinct clades. Further morphological comparison suggested that the specimens nested within the clade Popeia should be identified as P. popeiorum, which is a species new to China. As a result, there are currently at least five species occurring in Yunnan, China: Trimeresurus albolabris, Viridovipera stejnegeri, V. yunnanensis, V. gumprechti, and Popeia popeiorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biodiversity of Yunnan, which is located in the Hengduan Mountains region of South-west China, is still underestimated. Here, we explore species diversity of Asian green pitvipers occurring in this region. Based on four mtDNA gene fragments (cyt. b, ND4, 12S RNA, and 16S RNA), we inferred phylogenetic position and relationships of Yunnan green pitvipers using Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods. Both methods consistently revealed that all examined Yunnan specimens are placed in five clades which should be referred to Trimeresurus albolabris, Viridovipera stejnegeri, V. gumprechti, and the genus Popeia, respectively. It was unexpected that the samples allied to V. gumprechti did not form a monophyletic clade, but rather two well supported, distinct clades. Further morphological comparison suggested that the specimens nested within the clade Popeia should be identified as P. popeiorum, which is a species new to China. As a result, there are currently at least five species occurring in Yunnan, China: Trimeresurus albolabris, Viridovipera stejnegeri, V. yunnanensis, V. gumprechti, and Popeia popeiorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T gene polymorphism has been suggested to be associated with the risk of essential hypertension (EH), however, results remain inconclusive. To investigate this association, the present meta-analysis of 27 studies including 5,418 cases and 4,997 controls was performed. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval were calculated using the random-effects model. A significant association between the MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism and EH was found under the allelic (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.20-1.45; P=0.000), dominant (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.25-1.55; P=0.000), recessive (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.18-1.62; P=0.000), homozygote (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.32-1.92; P=0.000), and heterozygote (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.20-1.45; P=0.000) genetic models. A strong association was also revealed in subgroups, including Asian, Caucasian and Chinese. The Japanese subgroup did not show any significant association under all models. Meta-regression analyses suggested that the study design was a potential source of heterogeneity, whereas the subgroup analysis additionally indicated that the population origin may also be an explanation. Another subgroup analysis revealed that hospital-based studies have a stronger association than population-based studies, however, the former suffered a greater heterogeneity. Funnel plot and Egger's test manifested no evidence of publication bias. In conclusion, the present study supports the evidence for the association between the MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism and EH in the whole population, as well as in subgroups, such as Asian, Caucasian and Chinese. The carriers of the 677T allele are susceptible to EH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDO) has been developed to efficiently promote the metal-free direct coupling of an amino function of one cysteine-free peptide or protein and a C-terminal thioester of the second peptide in ionic liquids. The amide-coupling reaction proceeds smoothly under mild conditions to afford the corresponding products in good to excellent yields (63-94%). Peptide couplings were also achieved using in-situ-generated thioesters by the thioesterification of oxo esters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T (Treg) cells play a protective role against the development of atherosclerosis. Previous studies have revealed Treg cell defects in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTACS), but the mechanisms underlying these defects remain unclear. In this study, we found that the numbers of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+CD127low Treg cells and CD4+CD25+CD127lowCD45RA+CD45RO- naive Treg cells were lower in the NSTACS patients than in the chronic stable angina (CSA) and the chest pain syndrome (CPS) patients. However, the number of CD4+CD25+CD127lowCD45RA- CD45RO+ memory Treg cells was comparable in all of the groups. The frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127lowCD45RO- CD45RA+CD31+ recent thymic emigrant Treg cells and the T cell receptor excision circle content of purified Treg cells were lower in the NSTACS patients than in the CSA patients and the CPS controls. The spontaneous apoptosis of Treg cells (defined as CD4+CD25+CD127lowannexinV+7-AAD-) was increased in the NSTACS patients compared with the CSA and CPS groups. Furthermore, oxidized LDL could induce Treg cell apoptosis, and the oxidized LDL levels were significantly higher in the NSTACS patients than in the CSA and CPS groups. In accordance with the altered Treg cell levels, the concentration of TNF-α was increased in the NSTACS patients, resulting in a decreased IL-10/TNF-α ratio. These findings indicate that the impaired thymic output of Treg cells and their enhanced susceptibility to apoptosis in the periphery were responsible for Treg cell defects observed in the NSTACS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trafficking protein particle complex 4 (TRAPPC4) is implicated in vesicle-mediated transport, but its association with disease has rarely been reported. We explored its potential interaction with ERK2, part of the ERK1/2 complex in the Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase/ Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase (ERK-MAPK) pathway, by a yeast two-hybrid screen and confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down. Further investigation found that when TRAPPC4 was depleted, activated ERK1/2 specifically decreased in the nucleus, which was accompanied with cell growth suppression and apoptosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Overexpression of TRAPPC4 promoted cell viability and caused activated ERK1/2 to increase overall, but especially in the nucleus. TRAPPC4 was expressed more highly in the nucleus of CRC cells than in normal colonic epithelium or adenoma which corresponded with nuclear staining of pERK1/2. We demonstrate here that TRAPPC4 may regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis in CRC by interaction with ERK2 and subsequently phosphorylating ERK1/2 as well as modulating the subcellular location of pERK1/2 to activate the relevant signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Fluorofenidone (1-(3-fluorophenyl)-5-methyl-2-(1H)-pyridone) is a novel pyridone agent. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of fluorofenidone on angiotensin (Ang)II-induced fibrosis and the involved molecular mechanism in rat proximal tubular epithelial cells. Methods: NRK-52E cells, a rat proximal tubular epithelial cell line, were incubated with medium containing AngII, with or without nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (DPI), losartan, fluorofenidone (2, 4 and 8 mmol/L) and pirfenidone (8 mmol/L) for 24 h. Cells in the serum-free medium were controls. The expression of three subunits of NADPH oxidase, including p47phox, Nox-4 and p22phox, were determined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and western blot. NADPH oxidase activity was measured directly by superoxide dismutase (SOD) inhibitable cytochrome C reduction assay. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by dichlorofluorescein fluorescence analysis. The mRNA and protein expression of collagen I and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 were determined by real-time RT–PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Fluorofenidone significantly inhibited TGF-β1 and collagen I expression upregulation induced by AngII or TGF-β1 respectively. Moreover, fluorofenidone greatly reduced the elevation of expression and activity of NADPH oxidase and inhibited ROS generation induced by AngII in rat proximal tubular epithelial cells. These responses were also attenuated by DPI, losartan, and pirfenidone. Conclusion: Fluorofenidone acted as an anti-oxidative and anti-fibrotic agent through the mechanisms of blocking NADPH oxidase-dependent oxidative stress and inhibiting TGF-β1 expression in rat proximal tubular epithelial cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare single mosaicplasty, mosaicplasty associated with gene enhanced tissue engineering and mosaicplasty associated with the gels of non-gene transduced bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in alginate for the treatment of acute osteochondral defects in a goat model. The principle and methods of tissue engineering were used. BMSCs were separated and amplified in vitro, and human transforming growth factor-β1 (hTGF-β1) gene was transduced to the cells. Then, the cells were suspended in the alginate. At the same time using mosaicplasty to repair the defects on the medial femoral condyle, the dead space between the cylindrical grafts were filled with the gels of hTGF-β1 gene transduced BMSCs in alginate. Single mosaicplasty and mosaicplasty associated with the gels of non-gene transduced BMSCs in alginate were compared by the different time observation. All of the three treatments could repair the acute osteochondral defects. Mosaicplasty associated with gene enhanced tissue engineering had a better integration than single mosaicplasty, and mosaicplasty associated with the gels of non-gene transduced BMSCs in alginate. Mosaicplasty associated with tissue engineering could solve the problem of the poor concrescence of the remnant defect and the integration of single mosaicplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background C3H10T1/2 cells, from a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line, were used to investigate the improvement of alginate-based microencapsulated cells for cellular therapy. Methods Purified sodium alginate (PSA) and non-purified sodium alginate (SA) were used to prepare alginate-based microcapsules, and their biocompatibility and membrane strength were then compared for the purposes of analyzing the advantages of purifying SA. In addition, poly-l-lysine (PLL) was replaced by chitosan for alginate-chitosan microcapsule preparation. The process of optimization and chemical modification of alginate-chitosan microcapsules using polyethylene glycol was also reviewed. Results The results showed improved biocompatibility and membrane strength of PSA-based microcapsules. Under optimal conditions, mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-loaded alginate-chitosan microcapsules with good morphology could be obtained using PSA and chitosans of medium molecular weight (1.0-2.5×105). A chitosan solution of 0.1% (w/v) and a reaction time of 7 min between alginate and chitosan were determined as optimal preparation parameters. Discussion It could be concluded that the chemical modification of alginate-based microcapsules can improve their biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and efficient copper-catalyzed method for the synthesis of 4H-3,1-benzoxazin-4-one derivatives has been developed. This procedure is based on a tandem intramolecular C-N coupling/rearrangement process. This method would provide a new and useful strategy for construction of N-heterocycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]