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Enhanced ganoderic acid Me (GA-Me, an important anti-tumor triterpene) yield was attained with the medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum using response surface methodology (RSM). Interactions were studied with three variables, viz. glucose, peptone and culture time using a Central Composite Design (CCD). The CCD contains a total of 20 experiments with the first 14 experiments organized in a fractional factorial design, with the experimental trails from 15 to 20 involving the replications of the central points. A polynomial model, describing the relationships between the yield of GA-Me and the three factors in a second-order equation, was developed. The model predicted the maximum GA-Me yield of 11.9 mg.L-1 for glucose, peptone, culture time values of 44.4 g.L-1, 5.0 g.L-1, 437.1 h, respectively, and a maximum GA-Me yield of 12.4 mg.L-1 was obtained in the validation experiment, which represented a 129.6% increase in titre compared to that of the non-optimized conditions. In addition, 11.4 mg.L-1 of GA-Me was obtained in a 30-L agitated fermenter under the optimized conditions, suggesting the submerged culture conditions optimized in the present study were also suitable for GA-Me production on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. Purpose: To investigate the coexistence of ocular microvascular and systemic macrovascular abnormalities in early stage, newly diagnosed and previously untreated normal tension glaucoma patients (NTG). Methods: Retinal vascular reactivity to flickering light was assessed in 19 NTG and 28 age-matched controls by means of dynamic retinal vessel analysis (IMEDOS GmbH, Jena, Germany). Using a newly developed computational model, the entire dynamic vascular response profile to flicker light was imaged and used for analysis. In addition, assessments of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and pulse wave analysis (PWA) were conducted on all participants, along with blood pressure (BP) measurements and blood analyses for lipid metabolism markers. Results: Patients with NTG demonstrated an increased right and left carotid IMT (p = 0.015, p = 0.045) and an elevated PWA augmentation index (p = 0.017) in comparison with healthy controls, along with an enhanced retinal arterial constriction response (p = 0.028), a steeper retinal arterial constriction slope (p = 0.031) and a reduced retinal venous dilation response (p = 0.026) following flicker light stimulation. Conclusions: Early stage, newly diagnosed, NTG patients showed signs of subclinical vascular abnormalities at both macro- and micro-vascular levels, highlighting the need to consider multi-level circulation-related pathologies in the development and progression of this type of glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) plays an important role at the divergence point from general phenylpropanoid metabolism to several branch pathways. Although 4CL sin higher plants have been extensively studied, little has known about the 4CL gene of bamboo. Results: In current study, a Na4CL gene putative encoding 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) and its 5'-flanking region were isolated from bamboo (Neosinocalamus affinis) by RACE-PCR and genomic DNA walker, respectively. Na4CL encodes a predicted protein of 557 amino acids, with conserved motifs of adenylate-forming enzymes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Na4CL shared 62~85% identity with other known plant 4CLs, and cluster closely with some known 4CLs in monocots. Sequence analysis revealed conserved cis-acting elements (Box A and AC-II element) present in the Na4CL promoter. Additionally, a Na4CL RNAi construct was transformed into tobacco. Transgenic tobaccos displayed significant down-expression of endogenesis 4CL and reduced lignin contents. Conclusion: These results contribute to the knowledge of the presence of Na4CL gen and its possible role in phenylpropanoid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hafnium carbide ( HfC) is the most refractory compound known to mankind. A catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition method has been applied to synthesize contaminant-layer-free single crystalline HfC nanowires. The nanowires have diameter of 20-80 nm and length of several tens of microns. High-resolution transmission electron microscope images and electron diffraction patterns show that most of the nanowires grew in the <100> direction. Morphological and compositional analyses confirmed that the nanowire growth followed the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. Field ion microscopy has also been used to reveal the surface structure of the tip of the nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new polyketides: 2Z-(heptadec-12-enyl)-4-hydroxy-3,4,7,8-tetrahydro-2Hchromen- 5(6H)-one (1) and 2-(heptadec-12-enyl)-5-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrochromen- 4-one (2), together with eleven known compounds: 4-hydroxy-2-[(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl) tridecanoyl] cyclohexane-1,3-dione (3), oleiferinone (4), 4-hydroxy-2-[(3,4- methylenedioxyphenyl)undecanoyl]cyclohexane-1,3-dione (5), 4-hydroxy-2-[(11-phenylundecanoyl) cyclohexane-1,3-dione (6), proctorione C (7), surinone C (8), 5-hydroxy- 7,8,4'-trimethoxyflavone (9), 5-hydroxy-7,8,3',4'-tetramethoxyflavone (10), 5-hydroxy- 7,3',4'-trimethoxyflavone (11), 5,8-dihydroxy-7,3',4'-trimethoxyflavone (12) and cepharanone B (13) were isolated from the whole plant of Peperomia dindygulensis Miq. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D-NMR techniques. Compounds 2, 3, 5 and 8 inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation and compounds 5 and 8 sharply suppressed HUVEC tube formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root system architecture responds plastically to some abiotic stresses, including phosphorus (P), iron (Fe) and water deficiency, but its response mechanism is still unclear. We cloned and characterized a vegetative β-expansin gene, GmEXPB2, from a Pi starvation-induced soybean cDNA library. Transient expression of 35S::GmEXPB2-GFP in onion epidermal cells verified that GmEXPB2 is a secretory protein located on the cell wall. GmEXPB2 was found to be primarily expressed in roots, and was highly induced by Pi starvation, and the induction pattern was confirmed by GUS staining in transgenic soybean hairy roots. Results from intact soybean composite plants either over-expressing GmEXPB2 or containing knockdown constructs, showed that GmEXPB2 is involved in hairy root elongation, and subsequently affects plant growth and P uptake, especially at low P levels. The results from a heterogeneous transformation system indicated that over-expressing GmEXPB2 in Arabidopsis increased root cell division and elongation, and enhanced plant growth and P uptake at both low and high P levels. Furthermore, we found that, in addition to Pi starvation, GmEXPB2 was also induced by Fe and mild water deficiencies. Taken together, our results suggest that GmEXPB2 is a critical root β-expansin gene that is intrinsically involved in root system architecture responses to some abiotic stresses, including P, Fe and water deficiency. In the case of Pi starvation responses, GmEXPB2 may enhance both P efficiency and P responsiveness by regulating adaptive changes of the root system architecture. This finding has great agricultural potential for improving crop P uptake on both low-P and P-fertilized soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein crystals usually grow at a preferable temperature which is however not known for a new protein. This paper reports a new approach for determination of favorable crystallization temperature, which can be adopted to facilitate the crystallization screening process. By taking advantage of the correlation between the temperature dependence of the second virial coefficient (B22) and the solubility of protein, we measured the temperature dependence of B22 to predict the temperature dependence of the solubility. Using information about solubility versus temperature, a preferred crystallization temperature can be proposed. If B22 is a positive function of the temperature, a lower crystallization temperature is recommended; if B22 shows opposite behavior with respect to the temperature, a higher crystallization temperature is preferred. Otherwise, any temperature in the tested range can be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combination therapy for arterial embolization hyperthermia (AEH) with arsenic trioxide (As2O3) nanoparticles (ATONs) is a novel treatment for solid malignancies. This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility and therapeutic effect of AEH with As2O3 nanoparticles in a rabbit liver cancer model. The protocol was approved by our institutional animal use committee. Methodology/Principal Findings: In total, 60 VX2 liver-tumor-bearing rabbits were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 12/group) and received AEH with ATONs (Group 1), hepatic arterial embolization with ATONs (Group 2), lipiodol (Group 3), or saline (Group 4), on day 14 after tumor implantation. Twelve rabbits that received AEH with ATONs were prepared for temperature measurements, and were defined as Group 5. Computed tomography was used to measure the tumors' longest dimension, and evaluation was performed according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Hepatic toxicity, tumor necrosis rate, vascular endothelial growth factor level, and microvessel density were determined. Survival rates were measured using the Kaplan-Meier method. The therapeutic temperature (42.5°C) was obtained in Group 5. Hepatotoxicity reactions occurred but were transient in all groups. Tumor growth was delayed and survival was prolonged in Group 1 (treated with AEH and ATONs). Plasma and tumor vascular endothelial growth factor and microvessel density were significantly inhibited in Group 1, while tumor necrosis rates were markedly enhanced compared with those in the control groups. Conclusions: ATON-based AEH is a safe and effective treatment that can be targeted at liver tumors using the dual effects of hyperthermia and chemotherapy. This therapy can delay tumor growth and noticeably inhibit tumor angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sm and SmZn substituted nanocrystalline barium hexaferrites (Ba1−x Sm x Fe12O19 and Ba1−x Sm x Fe12−x Zn x O19, x =0–0.6) were prepared by the sol–gel autocombustion process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) were used to characterize the phase composition, crystal structure and magnetic properties of the as-prepared barium hexaferrites. All results indicated that the substitution content (x) critically influenced on the phase composition and magnetic properties. When the substitution content x >0.2, impurity phases such as α-Fe2O3, SmFeO3 and ZnFe2O4 were detected, which diluted and weakened saturation magnetization (M s). For the Sm-doped samples, owing to the hyperfine field, canting spin, magnetic dilution and impurity phases, M s increased with x firstly, and then decreased when x >0.03. On the other hand, the coercivity (Hc) continuously increased with x. Nevertheless, for the SmZn-doped samples, M s reached maximum when x =0.06 and Hc almost unchanged with x. Compared the magnetic properties of Sm- and SmZn-doped samples, it was proved that Zn2+ substituted Fe3+ at 4f 2 sites and Sm3+ substituted Ba2+, which changed Fe3+ to Fe2+ at 2a sites in order to satisfy the electroneutrality principle. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vitex rotundifolia L. is an important plant species used in traditional Chinese medicine. For its efficient use and conservation, genetic diversity and clonal variation of V. rotundifolia populations in China were investigated using inter-simple sequence repeat markers. Fourteen natural populations were included to estimate genetic diversity, and a large population with 135 individuals was used to analyze clonal variation and fine-scale spatial genetic structure. The overall genetic diversity ( GD) of V. rotundifolia populations in China was moderate ( GD = 0.190), with about 40% within-population variation. Across all populations surveyed, the average within-population diversity was moderate ( P = 22.6%; GD = 0.086). A relatively high genetic differentiation ( Gst = 0.587) among populations was detected based on the analysis of molecular variance data. Such characteristics of V. rotundifolia are likely attributed to its sexual/asexual reproduction and limited gene flow. The genotypic diversity ( D = 0.992) was greater than the average values of a clonal plant, indicating its significant reproduction through seedlings. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed a clear within-population structure with gene clusters of approximately 20 m. Genetic diversity patterns of V. rotundifolia in China provide a useful guide for its efficient use and conservation by selecting particular populations displaying greater variation that may contain required medicinal compounds, and by sampling individuals in a population at >20 m spatial intervals to avoid collecting individuals with identical or similar genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene has been widely used as an electrode material for supercapacitors. However, parallelly-stacked graphene layers often result in inefficient ion diffusion and electron transfers that usually reduce the rate capability of a supercapacitor. In this study, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) composite films were prepared by a solvent evaporation method using PEDOT:PSS as the binder to fix aligned graphene for its good conductivity and strong π-π stacking interactions with the graphene sheets. Analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, and small-angle X-ray scattering show that the graphene sheets were well aligned when a magnetic field was applied, though they were oriented randomly without the magnetic field. As a capacitor electrode material, the aligned rGO shows a specific capacitance of 169 F g−1 with a capacitance retention of about 70% at a current density of 50 A g−1 and its cyclic voltammetry (CV) loops maintained a rectangular shape at a voltage scan rate of 2 V s−1. The aligned rGO electrode can help break through the limitations of traditional supercapacitors and increase significantly their charge/discharge rate and power density. Image 1 • Electrode is developed with graphene aligned vertically in 12T magnetic field. • The electrode has a capacitance retention of 70% at current density of 50 A g−1. • The stability of the vertically aligned structure is outstanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been little literature about leukemia epidemiology in Nanjing in recent years. We aimed to explore the incidence rate, gender and age distribution of leukemia in Nanjing using the leukemia database of the city. Results: The average yearly incidence rate of leukemia was 3.68/105 during 2003 - 2007 in Nanjing. There were no significant difference in gender (x2 = 3.266, p > 0.05) or seasons (x2 = 11.36, p > 0.05). The incidence rate was the highest in group aged 80~ years (18.64/105). AML accounted for approximately 36.8% of all leukemias. Conclusions: The incidence rate of leukemia, especially in the aged population, was relatively high in Nanjing. Leukemia is the major malignant tumor in children. Therefore, more attention should be paid to leukemia in children and the aged people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Single-crystalline K2Nb8O21 nanoribbons with width of 100–500nm and thickness of ca. 30nm, and length up to tens of micron, have been successfully synthesized by simply calcining Nb2O5 powders in molten KCl, and characterized with XRD, SEM, SEM, HRTEM and selected-area electron diffraction technique. The growth direction of the obtained K2Nb8O21 nanoribbons was determined to be the 〈100〉 crystallography direction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Trichoderma atroviride develops a symbiont relationship with Salvia miltiorrhiza and this association involves a number of signaling pathways and proteomic responses between both partners. In our previous study, we have reported that polysaccharide fraction (PSF) of T. atroviride could promote tanshinones accumulation in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. Consequently, the present data elucidates the broad proteomics changes under treatment of PSF. Furthermore, we reported several previously undescribed and unexpected responses, containing gene expression patterns consistent with biochemical stresses and metabolic patterns inside the host. In summary, the PSF-induced tanshinones accumulation in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots may be closely related to Ca2+ triggering, peroxide reaction, protein phosphorylation, and jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction, leading to an increase in leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein synthesis. This results in the changes in basic metabolic flux of sugars, amino acids, and protein synthesis, along with signal defense reactions. The results reported here increase our understanding of the interaction between T. atroviride and S. miltiorrhiza and specifically confirm the proteomic responses underlying the activities of PSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect hormones regulate metamorphosis including that leading to sexual dimorphism. Using RNA-Seq, we discovered that the second-instar male larva (SM) of the white wax insect, Ericerus pela , have 5,968 and 8,620 differentially expressed transcripts compared with the second-instar female larva (SF) and the first-instar male larva (FM), respectively. The expression levels of genes involved in the apoptosis of old tissues and the reconstruction of new ones in the SM significantly enhanced, while the SF mainly has enhanced expression levels of anabolic genes such as chitin. We predicted that the second-instar larvae are the developmental origin of sexual dimorphic metamorphosis. Meanwhile, in the juvenile hormone (JH) metabolic pathway, CYP15A1 and JH esterase (JHE) are differentially expressed; and in the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) metabolic pathway, CYP307A1 , CYP314A1 , and CYP18A1 are differentially expressed. In the SM, the expression levels of CYP307A1 and CYP314A1 are significantly increased, whereas the expression level of CYP18A1 is significantly decreased; in the SF, the expression levels of the above genes are opposite to that of the SM. Expression trends of RNA-seq is consistent with the expression level of qRT–PCR, and seven of them are highly correlated (R ≥ 0.610) and four are moderately correlated (0.588 ≥ R ≥ 0.542). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]