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Objective: The aim of this study was to analysis the effect of cultivars on the adaptability of kiwifruit processing to chips while six cultivars of kiwifruit were used as the raw material. Methods: Kiwifruit chips were prepared by the method of vacuum freeze-dried. Sensory evaluation and nine indexes such as the yield of kiwifruit chips, water-soluble pectin, acid-soluble pectin, soluble sugar, total acid content, sugar-acid ratio. ascorbic acid content, hardness and crispness of kiwifruit chips were analyzed. Results: There were significantly differences among yield, nutrient content and sensory indicators in kiwifruit chips while the kiwifruit chips were prepared with different cultivars. Kiwifruit chips with cultivar name "Jinyan" were higher in yield, water-soluble pectin, soluble sugar and hardness of kiwifruit chips, but were lower in total acid content and crispness of kiwifruit chips. Kiwifruit chips with cultivar name "Jinmei" were higher in yield, water-soluble pectin, soluble sugar and ascorbic acid, and were lower in total acid, hardness and crispness of kiwi fruit chips. Kiwifruit chips with cultivar name "Jinyuan" were higher in water-soluble pectin, acid-soluble pectin, bound-pectin, soluble sugar, total acid and ascorbic acid, and were lower in hardness and crispness of kiwi fruit chips. Kiwifruit chips with cultivar name "Jintao" were higher in yield, sugar-acid ratio, ascorbic acid, hardness and crispness of the chips, and were lower in water-soluble pectin and total acid in kiwifruit chips. Kiwifruit chips with cultivar name "Cuiyu" were higher in yield, sugar-acid ratio, crispness of kiwifruit chips, and were lower in acid-soluble pectin, bound-pectin, soluble sugar, total acid and hardness of chips. Kiwifruit chips with cultivar name "Donghong" were higher in yield of kiwifruit chips, acid-soluble pectin, bound-pectin, soluble sugar, sugar-acid ratio and hardness of chips, and were lower in water-soluble pectin, total acid and crispness of chips. Conclusion: The cultivars of kiwifruit had extremely effect on the yield, nutrient content and sensory indicators of kiwifruit chips. Kiwifruit named "Donghong" was considered as the optimal cultivar to be prepared kiwifruit chips by vacuum freeze-drying method.

High luminance blue Micro‐LEDs were designed and fabricated in 4×4 and 8×8 arrays, with a size of 18 × 36μm. Our results showed that the performance of the LED arrays is comparable to that of a single LED, with smoother data. Testing a certain number of LED arrays under the same current density can better reflect the performance of a single LED device. Additionally, for small current range tests, the lack of precision in the testing equipment can be compensated for by appropriately increasing the number of LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High luminance blue Micro-LEDs were designed and fabricated in 4×4 and 8×8 arrays, with a size of 18 × 36μm. Our results showed that the performance of the LED arrays is comparable to that of a single LED, with smoother data. Testing a certain number of LED arrays under the same current density can better reflect the performance of a single LED device. Additionally, for small current range tests, the lack of precision in the testing equipment can be compensated for by appropriately increasing the number of LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile method for the synthesis of pyrrolo[2,3‐j]phenanthridines from indoleanilines and aldehydes in the presence of Brønsted acid catalyst and benzoquinone oxidant has been established. This approach features excellent yields, high efficiency and a wide range of substrate scope. Mechanism studies exhibited that this reaction was a cascade process including acid‐catalyzed condensation of indoleanilines with aldehydes, cyclization and oxidative aromatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the association between waist circumference and the development of hypertension based on a nationwide cohort Chinese population. A total of 5330 individuals free of hypertension at baseline were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The association between waist circumference and the development of hypertension was analyzed by an adjusted cox regression model and visualized by restricted cubic splines. Further, we applied the supervised machine learning methods to evaluate the importance of multiple variates for new‐onset hypertension. Additionally, the robustness of the association was assessed by a subgroup analysis. A total of 1490 individuals (28.0%) developed hypertension during a mean follow‐up of 3.32 years. The new‐onset hypertension was more observed in those with increased waist circumference (P for trend <.001). In the fully adjusted Cox regression, each 10 cm increase of waist circumference would result in an 18% elevated risk of hypertension. The random forest method and the Extreme Gradient Boosting method revealed waist circumference as an important feature to predict the development of hypertension. The sensitivity analysis indicated a consistent trend between waist circumference and new‐onset hypertension in all BMI categories. This study suggested high waist circumference as an independent risk factor for new‐onset hypertension based on a nationwide cohort of Chinese adults aged ≥45 years old. Our results supported that waist circumference should be routinely measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the correlation between sleep quality and everyday cognitive function in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Methods. Two hundred and eighty one women who visited the menopause clinic of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital for the first time were included in the study. Socialdemographic characteristics of the patients were obtained by using the general information questionnaire. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used toassess sleep quality and its seven dimensions (sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, subjective sleep quality, sleep medicationand daytime dysfunction).Everyday cognitive function was assessed by using the short version of Everyday Cognition (Ecog-12). Mann-Whitney U (two independent samples) or Kruskal-Wallis H (multiple indepentdent samples) test was used for univariate analysis of patents' everyday cogitive function. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship of sleep quality and its seven dimensions with everyday cognitive function.Multiple linear stepwise regressionwas used to analyze the influencing factors of everyday cognitive function. Results. The Ecog-12 score of 281 women was 1.42 (1.17,1.67). The score of PSQI was 6.0 (3.0, 10.0). 40.9% of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women had poor sleep quality (PSQI≥8). There was no statisticaldifference in patients' everyday cognitive function among all social demographic characteristic variables (age, body mass index, monthly income, occupationstatus, educational level, menopausal status, parity, regular exercise and history of chronic diseases). Compared to women with good sleep quality,women with poor quality scored higher in Ecog-12 (P=0.000). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the scores of 7 dimensions of PSQI and totalscore of PSQI were positively correlated with Ecog-12 score (P=0.000). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the explanation rate of sleep medication and daytime dysfunction on everyday cognitive function deline was 12.6%. Conclusion. Sleep medication and daytime dysfunction are the independent influencing factors of everyday cognitive function decline in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with sleep disturbance should take sleep medication considerately, actively improve sleep quality, maintain good daytime function, andavoid or reduce cognitive impairment caused by sleep problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new isopimarane-type diterpenoid, crolaevinoid A, along with four known analogues was isolated from the twigs and leaves of Croton laevigatus. The structures of the isolated compounds were established on the basis of NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses. The isolated compounds were examined the antibacterial activities. Unfortunately, the compounds showed no antibacterial activity against Micrococcus luteus, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Aeromonas hydrophila, Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp pneumoniae, Acinetobacter Baumanii, and Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single individual and array matrix Micro‐LED were designed and fabricated with size from 6um to 100um We investigated the effects of current density on the performance of color shift and evaluate our device stability and uniformity. Meanwhile, we measured the device leakage current less than 10−12A and calculated the ideal factor, which are between 1.8 and 2.0. We also compared with different etching power (high power and low power) on Micro‐LEDs' sidewall morphology and current‐voltage performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aphapolin A, a nemoralisin-type diterpenoid possessing a unique 4/5-fused-ring system that is unprecedented in previously reported nemoralisin diterpenoid, and aphapolin B, a novel nemoralisin-type diterpenoid derivative containing a benzofuran moiety, along with a new natural product were isolated from Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) R. Parker. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by spectroscopy data, X-ray crystallography diffraction analysis, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Plausible biosynthetic pathways of aphapolins A and B were also delineated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyropheophorbide- α methyl ester ( MPPa) was a promising photosensitizer with stable chemical structure, strong absorption, higher tissue selectivity and longer activation wavelengths. The present study investigated the effect of MPPa-mediated photodynamic treatment on lung cancer A549 cells as well as the underlying mechanisms. Cell Counting Kit-8 was employed for cell viability assessment. Reactive oxygen species levels were determined by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Cell morphology was evaluated by Hoechst staining and transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial membrane potential, cellular apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were evaluated flow-cytometrically. The protein levels of apoptotic effectors were examined by Western blot. We found that the photocytotoxicity of MPPa showed both drug- and light- dose dependent characteristics in A549 cells. Additionally, MPPa- PDT caused cell apoptosis by reducing mitochondrial membrane potential, increasing reactive oxygen species ( ROS) production, inducing caspase-9/caspase-3 signaling activation as well as cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. These results suggested that MPPa- PDT mainly kills cells by apoptotic mechanisms, with overt curative effects, indicating that MPPa should be considered a potent photosensitizer for lung carcinoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetabular fractures have always been very challenging for orthopedic surgeons; therefore, appropriate preoperative evaluation and planning are particularly important. This study aimed to explore the application methods and clinical value of preoperative computer simulation (PCS) in treating pelvic and acetabular fractures. Spiral computed tomography (CT) was performed on 13 patients with pelvic and acetabular fractures, and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data were then input into Mimics software to reconstruct three-dimensional (3D) models of actual pelvic and acetabular fractures for preoperative simulative reduction and fixation, and to simulate each surgical procedure. The times needed for virtual surgical modeling and reduction and fixation were also recorded. The average fracture-modeling time was 45 min (30–70 min), and the average time for bone reduction and fixation was 28 min (16–45 min). Among the surgical approaches planned for these 13 patients, 12 were finally adopted; 12 cases used the simulated surgical fixation, and only 1 case used a partial planned fixation method. PCS can provide accurate surgical plans and data support for actual surgeries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A rare case of atlantoaxial lateral mass joint interlocking secondary to traumatic posterolateral C1,2 complete dislocation associated with type II odontoid fracture is herein reported and the impact of atlantoaxial joint interlocking on fracture reduction discussed. A 72-year-old man presented with traumatic atlantoaxial lateral mass joint interlocking without spinal cord signal change, the diagnosis being confirmed by radiography and 3-D reconstruction digital anatomy. Posterior internal fixation was performed after failure to achieve closed reduction by skull traction. After many surgical attempts at setting had failed because of interlocking of the lateral mass joints, reduction was achieved by compressing the posterior parts of the atlantal and axial screws. Odontoid bone union and C1,2 posterior bone graft fusion were eventually obtained by the 12-month follow-up. The patient had a complete neurological recovery with no residual neck pain or radiculopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the ability of commercial selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst to catalyze the oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury, Fe 2 O 3 was introduced. Modifying with Fe 2 O 3 can significantly enhance the elemental mercury oxidation ability of SCR catalyst. Fe 2 O 3 /SCR prepared by an impregnation method was employed as mercury oxidation catalysts in the simulated flue gas, and the role of Fe 2 O 3 was investigated. The temperature window was from 150 to 450 °C. In this study, Fe 2 O 3 /SCR (1% Fe, wt.) was found to be an optimal catalyst with a mercury oxidation efficiency of higher than 90% at 350 °C using a simulated flue gas. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer Emmet Teller (BET) measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results indicated that the Fe 2 O 3 was well-dispersed on the surface of SCR. The surface areas and catalytic oxidation activity were not consistent patterns, and the diameter of the mercury atom was much smaller than the pore diameter of the Fe 2 O 3 /SCR catalysts. Loading content of Fe 2 O 3 was a very important factor for the removal of mercury. HCl was the most effective flue gas component responsible for the Hg 0 oxidation. However, SO 2 had a slight inhibition effect on Hg 0 oxidation. Furthermore, change experiment of a mercury valence state was performed. And the mechanism of Hg 0 oxidation was also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Genistein inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells; however, the underling molecular mechanisms remain to be determined. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether genistein reduces cell viability by suppressing the phosphorylation of AKT and activating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in colorectal cancer cells. Materials and methods: The anti-proliferative effects of genistein (0, 25, 50, and 100 μM) on HCT-116 and LoVo cells were assessed using MTT assay. Genistein-induced apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. The mRNA level ofBaxwas detected by real-time PCR. The protein levels of Bax, total Akt, and phosphorylated Akt were assessed by western blot. Results: The IC50values of genistein were 690, 135, and 61 μM in HCT-116 cells and 204, 135, and 93 μM in LoVo cells after treatment for 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. After treatment with different concentrations of genistein (0, 25, 50, and 100 μM) for 48 h, the early apoptotic cells in HCT-116 increased from 1.99% ± 0.55% to 6.78% ± 2.12%, 23.16% ± 3.87%, and 36.99% ± 3.76%, respectively. The same concentrations of genistein increased the early apoptotic cells in LoVo from 2.56% ± 1.42% to 3.21% ± 1.52%, 18.22% ± 3.56%, and 23.56% ± 3.02%, respectively. Moreover, genistein increased the mRNA and protein levels of Bax, while it inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt in HCT-116 cells. Conclusion: Genistein inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells. Genistein induced the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in HCT-116 cells by inhibiting phosphorylation of Akt. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The hydrogenation of nitrobenzene was investigated over magnetically recoverable Pt deposited on multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Under optimal reaction conditions (333 K, 4 MPa), high yield of aniline (>99%) was observed in solvent-free conditions. The Pt/MWCNTs catalyst cannot be reused while the Pt/MWCNTs-Fe3O4can be recycled four times without any loss of activity. The results of characterization showed the existence of interaction between MWCNTs and Fe3O4, which can effectively stabilize the Pt nanoparticles. Moreover, the magnetic nanocomposites can be readily isolated from the reaction system by a magnet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euphorpekone A (1) and euphorpekone B (2), two new diterpenoids, 3β-hydroxy-25-methyloxylanosta-8,23-diene, a new triterpenoid (3), together with a known triterpenoid, 3β,25-dihydroxylanosta-8,23-diene (4), were isolated fromEuphorbia pekinensisRupr. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of UV, IR, 1D (1H,13C, NOE) and 2D (1H–1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC) NMR, HR-ESI-MS, X-ray diffraction analysis, and CD method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Context: Formononetin, an isoflavone, can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, including those of the prostate. However, its antitumor mechanism remains unclear. Aim: To investigate whether the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)/insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1 R) signaling pathway mediates the formononetin antitumor effect on prostate cancer cells. Materials and methods: The viability of PC-3 cells was measured by MTT assay 48 h after formononetin treatment (25, 50 and 100 μM). Formononetin-induced cell apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. Expression of Bax mRNA was detected by real-time PCR, and the expression levels of Bax and IGF-1 R proteins were detected by western blots. Results: At concentrations >12.5 μM, formononetin significantly inhibited the proliferation of human prostate cancer cells. Formononetin increased Bax mRNA and protein expression levels and decreased the expression levels of pIGF-1 R protein in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: High concentrations of formononetin-induced apoptosis in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells through inhibition of the IGF-1/IGF-1 R pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel heptanornemoralisin-type diterpenoids nornemoralisins A (1) and B (2), together with two known compounds nemoralisin (3) and nemoralisin A (4), were isolated from the stem bark and leaves of Aphanamixis polystachya (Wall.) R. Parker. Their structures were established through comprehensive analyses of NMR spectroscopic data and high resolution mass spectrometric (HR-ESI-MS) data. The absolute configurations of carbon stereocenters were elucidated by circular dichroism (CD) analyses. The four compounds were tested for their potential cytotoxic effects against ACHN, HeLa, SMMC-7721, and MCF-7 cell lines. Nornemoralisins A (1) and B (2) exhibited significant cytotoxicity on ACHN with an IC 50 value of 13.9 ± 0.8 and 10.3 ± 0.4 μ M, respectively, and other compounds failed to reveal obvious cytotoxicity on the tested cell lines, compared to positive control vinblastine (IC 50 , 28.0 ± 0.9 μ M). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Clonal integration played different roles during submergence and de-submergence. • Clonal integration brought benefits to apical ramets upon submergence. • Quick photoassimilation recovery resulted in weak clonal integration after de-submergence. Abstract Responses to both submergence and de-submergence are important for evaluating flood tolerance of plants. Clonal integration (resource translocation between connected ramets within clones) has been shown to increase flood tolerance of amphibious clonal plants. However, no study has truly separated the effects of clonal integration during de-submergence from those during submergence. We grew 40 clonal fragments of the amphibious plant species Alternanthera philoxeroides , each consisting of two ramet systems, under half-submerged conditions (one ramet system submerged and the other un-submerged) for 30 d and then de-submerged for 20 d. To evaluate the effects of clonal integration during submergence, stolon connection between the two ramet systems was either severed or not on day 1, and 10 replicates of the fragments of each treatment were harvested on day 30. To evaluate the effects of clonal integration after de-submergence, the remaining 20 clonal fragments with connected stolons during submergence were de-submerged; half of them were subjected to stolon severing on day 31 and the remaining 10 fragments were not. All the 20 fragments for de-submergence were harvested on day 50. After 30 d of submergence, stolon connection between the submerged and the un-submerged ramets significantly increased growth, biomass allocation to roots and photosynthetic capacities of the submerged ramets, and also increased growth and photosynthetic capacities of the un-submerged ramets. Consequently, clonal integration significantly increased growth of the apical ramets, the basal ramets and the whole fragments. However, after 20 d of de-submergence, stolon connection did not significantly affect growth or photosynthetic capacities of either de-submerged or un-submerged ramets. The results suggest that clonal integration plays different roles during submergence and de-submergence. It increases performance of submerged ramets during submergence by translocation of photosynthates from un-submerged ramets, but plays little roles during de-submergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proton of alcohols as the sole hydrogen source in diboron-mediated nickel-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of cyclic N -sulfonyl imines has been developed, providing the chiral cyclic sulfamidates in excellent enantioselectivities. The mechanistic investigations suggested that the proton of alcohols could be activated by tetrahydroxydiboron to form active nickel hydride species.

Aim: This study investigates the trend in general obesity and abdominal obesity in US adults from 2001 to 2018., Methods: We included 44,184 adults from the nine cycles of the continuous NHANES (2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017-2018). The age-adjusted mean body mass index and waist circumference were calculated, and the sex-specific annual change was estimated by the survey cycle. We used the weighted sex-specific logistic regression models to analyze the prevalence of general obesity and abdominal obesity from 2001 to 2018. The weighted adjusted odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated., Results: Our study showed that general obesity and abdominal obesity account for about 35.48 and 53.13% of the US population. From 2001-2002 to 2017-2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of general obesity increased from 33.09 to 41.36% in females and from 26.88 to 42.43% in males. During 2001-2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of abdominal obesity increased from 57.58 to 67.33% in females and from 39.07 to 49.73% in males. A significant time-dependent increase was observed in the prevalence of general obesity (adjusted OR, 1.007; 95% CI 1.005-1.009, P < 0.001) and abdominal obesity (adjusted OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.004-1.008; P < 0.001)., Conclusion: General obesity and abdominal obesity are a heavy health burden among US adults, and the increasing trend remains in both males and females from 2001 to 2018., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sun, Huang, Hua, Qu, Cheng, Liu, Kong, Ma and Sun.)

Compared with the well-established asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reactions on the pyrrole ring of indoles, the catalytic asymmetric Pictet-Spengler reaction on the benzene ring of indoles has been rarely studied. Herein the C6-selective Pictet-Spengler reactions of indoles have been realized by employing 2-(1 H -indol-7-yl)anilines and isatins in the presence of chiral phosphoric acid, affording novel polycyclic indole derivatives bearing spiro quaternary stereocenters in excellent yields with excellent enantioselectivities. This reaction could be conducted on the gram scale without any loss of activity or enantioselectivity.

Penicisteckins A-D ( 1 - 4 ), two pairs of atropodiastereomeric biaryl-type hetero- and homodimeric bis-isochromans with 7,5'- and 7,7'-linkages and a pair of atropodiastereomeric 2-(isochroman-5-yl)-1,4-benzoquinone derivatives [penicisteckins E ( 5 ) and F ( 6 )], were isolated from the Penicillium steckii HNNU-5B18. Their structures including the absolute configuration were determined by extensive spectroscopic and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and TDDFT-ECD calculations. Both the bis-isochromans and the isochroman/1,4-benzoquinone conjugates represent novel biaryl scaffolds containing both central and axial chirality elements. The monomer anserinone B ( 8 ) exhibited potent antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with minimal inhibition concentration values ranging from 2 to 8 μg mL -1 . Plausible biosynthetic pathways of 1 - 6 are proposed, which suggest how the absolute configurations of the isolates were established during the biosynthetic scheme.

A bifunctional squaramide-catalyzed reaction of pyrazolin-5-ones with o-quinone methides in situ generated from 2-(1-tosylalkyl)phenols has been successfully developed, providing a facile access to chiral pyrazolones with high enantioselectivities. In addition, the chiral spiropyrazolones with adjacent tertiary and quaternary stereogenic centers can also be obtained through cascade chlorination/cyclization of the chiral pyrazolones.

A low dose of formononetin accelerates the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro ; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of formononetin in CNE2 cell proliferation. CNE2 cells were treated with 0 to 1 μM formononetin. To inhibit mitogen activated protein kinase / extracellular regulate kinase (MAPK/ERK) kinase (MEK) and microRNA (miR)-375, cells were pretreated with either PD98059 or a miR-375 inhibitor, respectively, followed by co-treatment with formononetin (0.3 μM) plus an inhibitor. Female rats were ovariectomized (OVX), and some OVX rats received formononetin or estrogen (E 2 ) injections. Sham operated animals were used as controls. Compared to control, 0.3 μM formononetin accelerated proliferation and decreased late apoptosis of CNE2 cells. However, formononetin-induced pro-growth and anti-apoptosis activity was abolished by PD98059 and the miR-375 inhibitor. In addition, 0.1 and 0.3 μM formononetin significantly increased estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and bcl-2, but decreased protein-phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) protein expression, all of which was reversed by the miR-375 inhibitor. Additionally, formononetin treatment resulted in a transient upregulation of phosphorylated (p)-ERK1/2. In vivo studies indicated that formononetin significantly increased endometrium thickness and down-regulated ERα expression in OVX rats. Taken together, our study demonstrates that a low concentration of formononetin can promote growth of CNE2 cells and uterine tissues, possibly through regulating the ERα-miR-375-PTEN-ERK1/2-bcl-2 signaling pathway., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST We confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication.

Objective: To evaluate the molluscicidal effect of the chlorosalicylicamide sustained-release granules (LDS-SRG) on Oncomelania hupensis., Methods: Seven effective concentrations or dosages of LDS-SRG, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2 and 6.4 mg/L （for immersion test） or g/m2（for spraying test）, were prepared from the original 5% and 10% concentrations or dosages in the laboratory. In the immersion test, each concentration of LDS-SRG was incubated with 3 packs of snails（30 snails in each pack）, and each pack was taken for snail counting at 24, 48 and 72 h respectively. In the spraying test, each dosage of LDS-SRG was applied to 200 snails, and the snail mortality was calculated in 50 randmoly collected snails on days 3 and 7, and in the whole on day 14 after administration. In the field immersion test, LDS-SRG at concentrations of 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 g/m3 was incubated with 6 packs of snails （30 snails in each pack）, and each 2 packs were taken at 24, 48, and 72 h to calculate the snail mortality. In the field spraying test, 0.8, 1.6 and 3.2 g/m2 LDS-SRG was sprayed in 3 snail-positive ditches （～100 m2）, and 10 boxes of snails were selected in each ditch on days 3, 7 and 14 to calculate the snail mortality. The 50% wettable powder of niclosamide ethanolamine salt （WPN） with effective concentrations or dosages of 1.0 mg/L （or g/m2 and g/m3） was used as the positive control. Fresh water served as the blank control., Results: In the labratory immersion test using the original concentration of 5%, both 0.1-6.4 mg/L LDS-SRG for 72 h and 1.6-6.4 mg/L LDS-SRG for 48 h caused 100% mortality; and the concentration lethal to 50% （LC50） at 24, 48 and 72 h was 0.70, 0.01 and 0.01 mg/L respectively. When using the original concentration of 10%, both 0.1-6.4 mg/L LDS-SRG for 72 h and 0.2-6.4 mg/L LDS-SRG for 48 h caused 100% mortality; and the LC50 at 24, 48 and 72 h was 0.15, 0.01 and 0.01 mg/L respectively. The labratory spraying test showed that 7-day administration of 1.6 and 6.4 g/m2 LDS-SRG as well as 14-day administration of 3.2 and 6.4 g/m2 LDS-SRG prepared from 5% dosage, resulted in a snail mortality>95%, with the LD50 on days 3, 7 and 14 being 0.06, 0.16, and 0.18 g/m2; 14-day administration of 1.6 g/m2 LDS-SRG as well as 7-day administration of 6.4 g/m2 LDS-SRG prepared from 10% dosage, resulted in a snail mortality>95%, with the LD50 on days 3, 7 and 14 being 3.29, 0.75, and 0.16 g/m2. The mortality by various dosages of LDS-SRG prepared from 5% dosage was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). In the field immersion test, the snail mortality by 1.6 g/m3 LDS-SRG prepared from 5% and 10% concentrations for 72 h was 96.43% and 98.21% respectively (P>0.05 versus the control group). In the field spraying test, the snail mortality by 3.2 g/m2 LDS-SRG prepared from 5% dosage for 3, 7 and 14 days was 93.99%, 91.18% and 86.48% respectively, and that from 10% dosage was 94.95%, 93.50% and 85.43%, all significantly higher than that of the control group （82.83%, 72.38% and 48.38%）（P<0.05）; the snail mortality by 0.8 g/m2 LDS-SRG prepared from 5% dosage for 14 days（66.51%） and that by 1.6 g/m2 LDS-SRG prepared from 5% dosage for 3 days（84.61%） were both significantly higher than that by 10% LDS-SRG（20.13% and 43.06%） （P<0.05）., Conclusion: The 5% and 10% LDS-SRG used separately in the immersion test and the spraying test both meet the requirements of the national standard of Efficacy Test Methods and Evaluation of Molluscicide for Pesticide Registration.

Objective: This study aimed to construct a large conductance calcium activated potassium channel α (BKCa) subunit plasmid with two tags by the overlapping PCR technique to set up a steady base for future ion channel study., Methods: Based on the existing coding BKCa channel α subunit expression plasmid pcDNA3.1-hSlo, we constructed a double-tag expression plasmid, namely, pcDNA3.1-Flag-hSlo-GFP (Flag-hSlo-GFP)., Results: Flag tag was inserted into the S1-S2 extracellular loop of BKCa channel α subunit, and GFP tag was connected to the C-terminus of BKCa channel α subunit. Sequence of the constructed plasmid was confirmed successful., Conclusions: The expression plasmid Flag-hSlo-GFP was constructed successfully with overlapping PCR. Overlapping PCR is a valuable method for amplifying long size genes.

Abstract Context: Formononetin, an isoflavone, can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, including those of the prostate. However, its antitumor mechanism remains unclear. Aim: To investigate whether the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)/insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1 R) signaling pathway mediates the formononetin antitumor effect on prostate cancer cells. Materials and methods: The viability of PC-3 cells was measured by MTT assay 48 h after formononetin treatment (25, 50 and 100 μM). Formononetin-induced cell apoptosis was measured by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. Expression of Bax mRNA was detected by real-time PCR, and the expression levels of Bax and IGF-1 R proteins were detected by western blots. Results: At concentrations >12.5 μM, formononetin significantly inhibited the proliferation of human prostate cancer cells. Formononetin increased Bax mRNA and protein expression levels and decreased the expression levels of pIGF-1 R protein in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: High concentrations of formononetin-induced apoptosis in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells through inhibition of the IGF-1/IGF-1 R pathway.