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Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Nintedanib (Ninte) has been approved for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, and whether it can ameliorate chronic pancreatitis (CP) is unknown. Aims: This study was conducted to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of Ninte on pancreatic fibrosis and inflammation in vivo and in vitro. Methods: The caerulein-induced CP model of murine was applied, and Ninte was orally administered. Pathological changes in pancreas were evaluated using hematoxylin & eosin, Sirius Red, Masson's trichrome, and anti-Ki-67 staining. For in vitro studies, the effects of Ninte on cell viability, apoptosis, and migration of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) were determined by CCK-8, flow cytometry, and wound healing assays, respectively. The potential molecular mechanisms of the effects of Ninte on PSCs were analyzed by RNA-Seq and verified at the gene expression and protein activity levels by qRT-PCR and Western Blot. Results: Ninte significantly alleviated the weight loss in mice with caerulein-induced CP and simultaneously attenuated the pancreatic damage, as evidenced by reduced acinar atrophy, collagen deposition, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and inhibited cell proliferation/regeneration. Besides, Ninte markedly suppressed the transcription of fibrogenic and proinflammatory genes in pancreatic tissues. Further in vitro studies showed that Ninte significantly inhibited the transcription and protein expression of genes corresponding to fibrogenesis and proliferation in PSCs. The results of RNA-Seq analysis and subsequent verification assays indicated that Ninte inhibited the activation and proliferation of PSCs via the JAK/STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways. Conclusions: These findings indicate that Ninte may be a potential anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic therapeutic agent for CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methionine is the only one of the essential amino acids that contain sulfur, widely used as a feed additive in agriculture. In this study, the availability of 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate was confirmed as the main limitation in the complex multibranched biosynthetic pathway of L-methionine. The cycle of one-carbon units was thoroughly investigated and modified to supply 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate for L-methionine production, such as enhancing the supply of precursor, expediting the conversion rate of the cycle, introducing exogenous serine hydroxymethyltransferase and increasing pool size of one-carbon units carrier. The final strain MYA/pAmFA-4 was able to produce 20.89 g/L L-methionine by fed-batch fermentation, which was the highest titer reported in the literatures. This study is instructive for other metabolites biosynthesized needing one-carbon units or having a complex multibranched biosynthetic pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing has been approved by FDA for selecting epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients who may benefit from the first-line poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance therapy. However, the effects of HRD on the clinical outcomes of first-line chemotherapy and first-line PARPi maintenance therapy have not been rigorously evaluated in Chinese EOC patients. Here, we developed an HRD assay and applied it to two large retrospectively collected Chinese EOC patient cohorts. In the first-line adjuvant chemotherapy cohort (FACT, N = 380), HRD status significantly improved PFS (median, 15.6 months vs. 9.4 months; HR, 0.688; 95% CI, 0.526–0.899; P = 0.003) and OS (median, 89.5 months vs. 60.9 months; HR, 0.636; 95% CI, 0.423–0.955; P = 0.008). In the first-line PARPi maintenance therapy cohort (FPMT, N = 83), HRD status significantly improved PFS (median, NA vs. 12 months; HR, 0.438; 95% CI, 0.201–0.957; P = 0.033) and OS (median, NA vs. NA months; HR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.029–0.505; P = 0.001). Our results demonstrate that HRD status is a significant predictor for PFS and OS in both first-line chemotherapy and first-line PARPi maintenance therapy, providing strong real-world evidence for conducting genetic testing and improving clinical recommendations for Chinese EOC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Diabetes increases the risk for cancers. However, whether it is associated with hematologic malignancies is not clear. The present study investigated the association between diabetes and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (ML), non-Hopkin lymphoma (NHL), and multiple myeloma (MM). Methods: Newly diagnosed adult cancer patients were recruited consecutively from our clinical database. Peoples from a local enterprise were recruited to create a small-scale population-based dataset. We compared the diabetes prevalence between the cancer patients and the local people; an increase in diabetes prevalence in the cancer patients suggests an association between diabetes and the cancer(s). Results: We found that the prevalence of diabetes was 19.7%, 21.3%, 12.5%, and 12.0% in ALL, AML, NHL, and MM, respectively, which was higher than that (9.1%) in the local people. Despite that there were more male than female cancer patients, there were more female than male diabetic patients. The increase in diabetes prevalence occurred in ALL and NHL patients aged 18 to 39 years old as well as in AML patients over 40. In MM patients, the increase in diabetes prevalence (18.6%) occurred only in females. Approximately 70% of the diabetic patients were undiagnosed before the diagnosis of the blood cancer. Approximately half of the pre-existing diabetic patients had anti-diabetic treatment, with over 70% of them still had poor glycemic control. Conclusions: Our results suggest that diabetes is associated with ALL, AML, NHL, and MM, at least in adult patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-cell lung cancers (SCLC) and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNEC) are two types of high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). Diagnostic neuroendocrine markers commonly include synaptophysin, chromogranin A, CD56, and insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1). In this study, the utility of secretagogin (SCGN) was examined in the context of pulmonary NEC diagnosis. The study included 71 pulmonary NEC cases (18 SCLCs, 13 combined-SCLCs, 23 LCNECs, and 17 combined-LCNECs). Immunohistochemical stains of SCGN, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, CD56, and INSM1 were performed on whole tumor sections. The stains were evaluated based on combined staining intensity and the proportion of positive tumor cells. At least mild staining intensity in at least 1% of the cells was considered positive. Bioinformatic studies showed specific SCGN expression in neuroendocrine cells and NECs. SCGN showed diffuse nuclear and cytoplasmic staining in NECs with intra-tumoral heterogeneity. The non-neuroendocrine components were negative. The sensitivity of SCGN was no better than the other established neuroendocrine markers based on all NECs combined or LCNECs/c-LCNECs only. However, the sensitivity of SCGN (71%) was higher than chromogranin A (68%) for SCLCs/c-SCLCs only. The average proportion of SCGN positive tumor cells was 8% higher than chromogranin A (22% versus 14%, P = 0.0332) in all NECs and 18% higher for SCLC and c-SCLC cases only (32% versus 13%, P = 0.0054). The above data showed that SCGN could be used as a supplemental neuroendocrine marker to diagnose SCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the use of Chinese medicine (CM) in cancer patients in southern China. Methods: A total of 1,950 cancer patients finished questionnaires in four provinces in southern China. The survey included socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of participants, dosage forms, efficacy, and side effects. Results: The study results showed that cancer patients with higher education (>12 years) were more likely to accept the treatment of Chinese herbs. There were 54.61% (1,065 cases) of patients chose Chinese herbs for the initial treatment and 14.46% (282 cases) chose Chinese herbs as monotherapy. Most patients (54.51%, 1,063 cases) continuously used CM for more than 6 months, and a few of them (212 cases) used CM for up to 3 years. All kinds of dosage forms of CM had been used, including CM decoction, CM patent prescription and CM injection. Concerning the efficacy in the view of patients, 40.31% (786 cases) believed that it would be effective to take Chinese herbs before they starting the anti-cancer treatment, and the percentage increased to 81.08% after 1-month CM treatment. The effect of Chinese herbs was mainly demonstrated by symptom relief and improvement of quality of life, and 8.31% (162 cases) of patients experienced control of tumor growth and decreased tumor markers. Furthermore, only 14.31% (279 cases) participants reported that they experienced side effects during CM treatment. Conclusion: This large scale investigation reflects the current situation of domestic CM usage objectively and comprehensively, which might provide new ways for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify the impacts of native vegetation on the spatial and temporal variations in hydraulic properties of bank gully concentrated flows, a series of in situ flume experiments in the bank gully were performed at the Yuanmou Gully Erosion and Collapse Experimental Station in the dry-hot valley region of the Jinsha River, Southwest China. This experiment involved upstream catchment areas with one- and two-year native grass (Heteropogon contortus) and bare land drained to bare gully headcuts, i.e., Gullies 1, 2 and 3. In Gully 4, Heteropogon contortus and Agave sisalana were planted in the upstream catchment area and gully bed, respectively. Among these experiments, the sediment concentration in runoff in Gully 3 was the highest and that in Gully 2 was the lowest, clearly indicating that the sediment concentration in runoff obviously decreased and the deposition of sediment obviously increased as the vegetation cover increased. The concentrated flows were turbulent in response to the flow discharge. The concentrated flows in the gully zones with native grass and bare land were sub- and supercritical, respectively. The flow rate and shear stress in Gully 3 upstream catchment area were highest among the four upstream catchment areas, while the flow rate and shear stress in the gully bed of Gully 4 were lowest among the four gully beds, indicating that native grass notably decreased the bank gully flow rate and shear stress. The Darcy-Weisbach friction factor (resistance f) and flow energy consumption in the gully bed of Gully 4 were notably higher than those in the other three gully beds, clearly indicating that native grass increased the bank gully surface resistance and flow energy consumption. The Reynolds number (Re), flow rate, shear stress, resistance f, and flow energy consumption in the gully beds and upstream areas increased over time, while the sediment concentration in runoff and Froude number (Fr) decreased. Overall, increasing vegetation cover in upstream catchment areas and downstream gully beds of the bank gully is essential for gully erosion mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) finely control gene expression in prokaryotes and synthetic sRNA has become a useful high-throughput approach to tackle current challenges in metabolic engineering because of its many advantages compared to conventional gene knockouts. In this review, we first focus on the modular structures of sRNAs and rational design strategies of synthetic sRNAs on the basis of their modular structures. The wide applications of synthetic sRNAs in bacterial metabolic engineering, with or without the aid of heterogeneously expressed Hfq protein, were also covered. In addition, we give attention to the improvements in implementing synthetic sRNAs, which make the synthetic sRNA strategy universally applicable in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. Key points: • Synthetic sRNAs can be rationally designed based on modular structures of natural sRNAs. • Synthetic sRNAs were widely used for metabolic engineering in various microorganisms. • Several technological improvements made the synthetic sRNA strategy more applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate the effects of an expressive writing intervention on quality of life (QoL) among mainland Chinese breast cancer patients. A total of 118 Chinese breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a cancer-facts writing condition (CTL group), an emotional disclosure writing condition (EMO group), a self-regulation writing condition (SR group), or a neutral control condition with no writing tasks (CON group). QoL was assessed by FACT-B at baseline, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. A repeated measure analysis of variance revealed significant effects of time (F = 13.9, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.20) and the time × group interaction (F = 3.5, P < 0.01, η2 = 0.08) on QoL. Residualized change models showed that the CTL, EMO and SR groups reported higher levels of QoL than the CON group at the 6-month follow-up. The EMO group had a higher level of QoL than the SR group. The CTL group had higher level of physical well-being compared to the SR group. Mainland Chinese breast cancer patients shortly after diagnosis benefit from expressive writing. They benefited more from cancer-facts and emotional disclosure compared to self-regulation. The study indicated that the impact of expressive writing may differ due to stage of cancer survivorship, social, and cultural context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Zhejiang University: Science A is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Guided by bioisosterism and pharmacokinetic parameters, we designed and synthesized a series of novel benzamide derivatives. Preliminary in vitro studies indicated that compounds 10b and 10j show significant inhibitory bioactivity in HepG2 cells (IC50 values of 0.12 and 0.13 μM, respectively). Compounds 10b and 10j induced the expression of HIF-1α protein and downstream target gene p21, and upregulated the expression of cleaved caspase-3 to promote tumor cells apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the protective effect of the natural compound flavonoids of Rosa roxburghii Tratt (FRT) against γ-radiation-induced apoptosis and inflammation in mouse thymus cells in vivo and in vitro. Thymus cells and mice were exposed to 60Co γ-ray at a dose of 6 Gy. The radiation treatment induced significant cell apoptosis and inflammation. Radiation increased the expressions of cleaved caspase 3/8-10, AIF, and PARP-1, and FRT could mitigate their activation and inhibit subsequent apoptosis in the thymus both in vitro or in vivo. Irradiation increased the mRNA expression of ICAM-1/VCAM-1, IL-1α/IL-6 and TNF-α/NF-κB. Our results also indicated that FRT alleviated gene expression of some inflammatory factors such as ICAM-1/VCAM-1, TNF-α/NF-κB, but not IL-1α/IL-6. Irradiation increased the protein expression levels of ICAM-1/VCAM-1, IL-1α/IL-6 and TNF-α/NF-Κb, and our results also indicated that FRT alleviated protein level expression of certain inflammatory factors such as ICAM-1, IL-1α/IL-6, TNF-α/NF-κB, but not VCAM-1. Our results suggested that FRT enhanced radioprotection at least partially by regulating caspase 3/8-10, AIF, and PARP-1 to reduce apoptosis and by regulating ICAM-1, IL-1α/IL-6, TNF-α/NF-κB to reduce inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, Critically ill patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) [[1]] and despite the study of genomics of ARDS, there is little progress [[2]]. The objective of this investigation is to utilize RNA sequencing data and analysis to identify novel gene targets in ARDS. In this analysis of RNA sequencing data from deceased patients with ARDS identified by the presence of DAD and a clinically relevant mouse model of ARDS, novel genes were identified. [Extracted from the article]

To estimate the pollution of As and Pb in the Songhua River which flows through the major rice-producing regions in China, the present study investigated the level and release of As and Pb in surficial sediments which collected from nine sites in Songhua River (M-M). The concentration of As and Pb was ranged as follows: As = 3.104~15.01 μg/g, Pb = 20.10~37.42 μg/g; the average concentration: As = 6.466 ± 3.077 μg/g, Pb = 28.88 ± 5.077 μg/g. By analysis vertically, the average concentration of As was 5.166 ± 1.496 μg/g in the upstream, 5.815 ± 1.793 μg/g in the midstream, and 9.716 ± 4.977 μg/g in the downstream. The average concentration of Pb was 27.83 ± 4.552 μg/g in the upstream, 28.66 ± 6.333 μg/g in the midstream, and 30.99 ± 4.837 μg/g in the downstream. It indicated that the concentration of As and Pb increased gradually from upstream to downstream. As existed mainly as insoluble state and Pb existed mainly as sulfide and organic combining state in surficial sediments, and the species of As and Pb could transform with the change of the circumstance. The release of quantity of As was higher than Pb. The pH of 6 was not conducive to the release of As and Pb. When the temperature was 35 and 6 °C, the release of As and Pb in surficial sediments were restrained, respectively. Fumaric acid and citric acid played an important role in promoting the release of As, but not conducive to Pb. Furthermore, the reasonable aeration rate was beneficial to the release process of As and Pb in surficial sediment. By kinetic analysis, the Elovich equation ( Ct = 84.931-8.952ln t) could be used to describe the dynamic process of the release of As in a relatively short time. The Elovich equation ( C = 2.724 + 1.3724ln t) and double constant rate equation (ln C = 1.4646 + 0.1522ln T) could well describe the dynamics process of the release of Pb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The embryology of the genus Hemerocallis L. was studied to re-evaluate its current systematic position proposed by recent phylogenies based on molecular data. Using the improved carbol fuchsin-aniline blue staining method and conventional paraffin sectioning technique, we followed the development of anther and pollen grain, ovule and female gametophyte, and embryo and endosperm up to seed maturity. Our results showed that the (1) anther wall development is of the Monocot type, with a one cell-thick middle layer and a secretory tapetum, (2) microsporocytes cytokinesis is of the intermediate type, (3) microspore tetrads are tetragonal or decussate, (4) pollen grains are two-celled, (5) ovary is superior and trilocular, with axile placentas bearing two collateral ovules per locule, (6) ovules are anatropous, tenuinucellate, and bitegmic, with micropyle formed by the inner integument, (7) megaspore tetrads are linear, and only the chalazal one is functional, (8) embryo sac development is typically of Polygonum type, (9) embryogenesis is of Graminad type, and (10) endosperm development is of nuclear type. Overall, our study thus confirms that the embryological features of Hemerocallis support its exclusion from Liliaceae in Liliales, its inclusion in Asparagales, and its affinities with Asphodelaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of the Chinese medicine (CM) Compound Zhuye Shigao Granule (复方竹叶石膏颗粒, CZSG) on acute radiation-induced esophagitis (ARIE) in cancer patients. Methods: In a blinded, randomized, Kangfuxin Solution (康复新液, KFX)-controlled, single-centre clinical trial, 120 patients with lung, esophagus or mediastinal cancer were prospectively enrolled and assigned to the treatment group (60 cases) and control group (60 cases) by the random number table method. All patients received concurrent or sequential radiotherapy (2 Gy per day, 5 times per week, for 4 weeks) and were treated for 4 weeks since the radiation therapy. Patients in the treatment group were given 12 mg CZSG orally, thrice daily, while patients in the control group were given 10 mL KFX orally, thrice daily. The major indicators were observed, including the incidence and grade of esophagitis, time of occurrence and duration. Minor indicators were changes of CM symptoms, weight and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) Scale during 4 weeks from the beginning, recorded once a week. Blood routine examination and hepatorenal function were detected at the 2nd and 4th weeks. Results: The incidence and grade of ARIE were significantly decreased in the treatment group compared with the control group ( P<0.05). CZSG appeared to significantly delay the time of ARIE occurrence and reduce the duration compared with KFX ( P<0.05). The scores of CM symptoms, KPS and weight were improved significantly in the treatment group compared with the control group ( P<0.05). There were no blood routine and hepatorenal function abnormal or obvious side-effects in both groups. Hemoglobin was improved and neutrophil and interleukin 6 were decreased in both groups after 4-week treatment compared with before treatment ( P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions: CZSG can decrease the incidence and grade of ARIE, delay the time of occurrence, reduce duration and alleviate the damage of ARIE. It is safe and effective in the prevention and cure of ARIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Complementary and alternative medicine, particularly herbal therapy, is widely used by patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), but controlled data are limited. To describe the clinical presentation and treatment strategies for UC in inpatients from Shanghai, China and to improve the therapeutic outcomes for patients with UC. Methods: Medical records from 247 patients with UC who were admitted to Longhua Hospital Affifiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2008 and June 2013 were analyzed for gender, age, course of the disease, clinical type, extent and severity of the disease, treatment strategies, and therapeutic outcomes. Results: Gender ratios and disease onset of inpatients with UC in the Shanghai area were consistent with other reports in the literature. In contrast to previous studies, most patients exhibited disease of the left colon, over half of the patients had problems of the rectum or sigmoid colon, and most patients had either mild or moderate UC. Comparison of Sutherland Disease Actirity Index scores for patients treated with Chinese medicine (CM) and those treated with integrated CM and Western medicine revealed signifificant reductions in scores for both groups after treatment ( P<0.01), with no signifificant difference in therapeutic effects between groups ( P=0.938). Conclusions: Herbal medicine has been widely used in patients with mild to moderate disease and as adjunct therapy in patients with moderate to severe disease. Therefore, the strategy was proposed for the treatment of UC with CM therapy based on 2 steps according to the stage of the disease, even in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let L = −Δ + V be a Schr:dinger operator and let L = (−Δ) + V be a Schrödinger type operator on ℝ ( n ⩾ 5), where V≠ 0 is a nonnegative potential belonging to certain reverse Hölder class B for s ⩾ n/2. The Hardy type space $$H_{{L_2}}^1$$ is defined in terms of the maximal function with respect to the semigroup $$\left\{ {{e^{ - t{L_2}}}} \right\}$$ and it is identical to the Hardy space $$H_{{L_1}}^1$$ established by Dziubański and Zienkiewicz. In this article, we prove the L -boundedness of the commutator R = bRf - R(bf) generated by the Riesz transform $$R = {\nabla ^2}L_2^{ - 1/2}$$ , where $$b \in BM{O_\theta }(\varrho )$$ , which is larger than the space BMO(ℝ). Moreover, we prove that R is bounded from the Hardy space $$H_{\mathcal{L}_1 }^1 $$ into weak $$L_{weak}^1 (\mathbb{R}^n )$$ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify novel therapeutic agents to treat cancer, we synthesized a series of diaryl ether derivatives. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that the presence of a chlorine or hydroxyl at the para-position on the phenyl ring ( 5h or 5k) significantly enhanced antitumor activity. Compound 5h had stronger growth inhibitory activity in HepG2, A549, and HT-29 cells than compound 5k, with IC values of 2.57, 5.48, and 30.04 μM, respectively. Compound 5h also inhibited the growth of other cells lines, including Hep3B, PLC/PRF5, SMMC-7721, HeLa, and A375, with IC values of 2.76, 4.26, 29.66, 18.86, and 10.21 μM, respectively. The antitumor activity of compound 5h was confirmed by a colony forming assay. Further, our results indicated that the antitumor activity of compound 5h may be mediated by enhancing expression of p21 and cl-caspase3, and leading to apoptosis of cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustering Ensemble aggregates several base clustering analyses into a consensus clustering result, which is more accurate, stable and meaningful than standard clustering algorithm. In this paper, the ensemble information is described by data cluster association matrix. However, most data cluster association matrix overlooks an important type of information about the relationship between clusters. This paper proposes a new method WETU to refine the data cluster association matrix with link-based similarity measure. The refined data cluster association matrix is obtained according to the similarity of clusters among all base clustering results, not in one base clustering result. In addition, WETU can provide more discriminative information than CSM and WTU. The data cluster association matrix is refined into high level real-valued matrix, which can be aggregated by real-valued method, such as Global k-means. Experiments on synthetic dataset and UCI datasets show that the proposed method outperforms standard K-means, base clustering algorithm and CSM+Global k-means and WTU+Global k-means.T [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain 39 is an endophytic fungus which was isolated from Dioscorea nipponica Makino (DNM). After Strain 39 co-cultured with ethanol extract of DNM rhizomes for several days, the content of saponins in this culture mixture would be obviously increased. To analyze the mechanism of this microbial transformation, we used the differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) method to compare the transcriptomes between Strain 39 cultured in normal PD medium and in PD medium which added ethanol extract of DNM rhizomes. We amplified 29 DDRT-PCR bands using 12 primer combinations of three anchored primers and five random primers, and six bands were re-amplified. Analysis of real-time PCR and sequence alignment showed that three clones were up-regulated in sample group: squalene epoxidase, squalene synthase, and catalase, one clone was expressed only in sample group. The possible roles and origins of the above genes were discussed, and the molecular mechanism of Strain 39 biotransformation was speculated. This study is the first report of the molecular biotransformation mechanism of saponins production by endophytic fungus of DNM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1) plays an important role in tumor progression by helping tumor cell to escape from host immunological surveillance or modifying the characteristics of connective tissue around. RCAS1 may appropriately reflect the development and prognosis of tumor. In the study, we sought to identify the clinical significance of RCAS1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis and tumor recurrence monitoring. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) with tissue array slides was preformed to analyze RCAS1 protein expression in CRC, colorectal polyps, and normal colon tissues. RCAS1 levels in colorectal cancer were significantly higher than those in colorectal polyps and normal colon tissues ( P < 0.001). Silencing RCAS1 gene in human colonic adenocarcinoma cells decreased cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis through the p53 signaling pathway. Further analysis by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that serum RCAS1 levels in CRC are significantly higher than in healthy controls and polyps ( P < 0.05), in which the highest serum RCAS1 level is reported in the recurrence group. The serum RCAS1 levels have a significant correlation with clinical stage and pathologic grading. Furthermore, the positive rate of serum RCAS1 in CRC was 82.1 %, which was higher than carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Especially in CEA-negative cases, the sensitivity of RCAS1 was 88.2 %. Finally, CRC patients who were followed up showed a serum RCAS1 level which significantly decreased after surgery ( P < 0.001) and obviously increased in the recurrence group. Taken together, our data demonstrated that RCAS1 is not only a supplementary serological biomarker for CRC diagnosis but also useful for monitoring tumor recurrence. RCAS1 might be a supplementary serological marker for CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two progeny populations of upland cotton derived from mass selection-mass crossing, MSF and its family lines MSF, were generated from 17 hybrid cotton lines derived from regional trials conducted in the Yellow River basin and Yangtze River basin in China. These populations were used to verify 39 reported molecular markers that were related to quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for Verticillium wilt resistance of cotton. Only 12 of 39 markers were polymorphic; 19 had no polymorphisms, and amplification failed for eight markers. The differences in disease grades of aa/AA genotype individuals for five markers, BNL3241, NAU1225, NAU1230, JESPR153, and BNL3031, reached either significant or highly significant levels in at least one population. These markers can thus be effectively used for marker-assisted selection (MAS) of the target trait. Especially for JESPR153 and BNL3031, the differences in disease grades of aa/AA genotype individuals both reached either significant or highly significant levels in the two populations. These two markers should be given preferential consideration when undertaking MAS. The two flanking markers were more effective than the single flanking marker for MAS of single-loci QTL. The selection effect will be greatly enhanced through a reasonable allocation of marker combinations for multi-locus QTL polymerization. When using multi-locus markers for multi-locus QTL-assisted polymerization breeding, the selection effect can be improved progressively by increasing the number of polymerization markers. The possible interaction of different QTLs or genetic backgrounds does not influence the selection effect. A combination of resistant genotypes and disease grade performance enabled final selection of three individuals resistant to Verticillium wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: T-helper (Th) cells abnormalities are considered to be associated with the pathogenesis of Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recently, The Th22 cells have been identified and implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although therir role in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unclear. The present study intends to investigate their roles in SLE. Methods: Clinical data were collected in 65 SLE patients and 30 healthy controls. The patients were divided into active and inactive groups. CD4IFN-γIL-17IL-22Tcells (Th22 cells),CD4 IFN-γIL-22IL-17T cells (Th17 cells),and CD4 IFN-γ (Th1 cells) were assayed by flow cytometry. Serum interleukin-22 (IL-22) and IL-17 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The main observation focused on increased Th22 cells in patients with sole lupus skin disease and decreased Th22 cells in patients with sole lupus nephritis. Likewise, concentrations of serum IL-22 were increased in patients with sole lupus skin disease, and decreased in patients with sole lupus nephritis. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between the percentage of Th22 cells and IL-22 production. The percentage of Th17 cells or concentration of serum IL-17 correlated positively with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Conclusion: Th22 seems to be a more significant index to predict the tissue involvement of SLE than Th17, although Th17 may play a role in the activity of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, CHBrNO, was synthesized and structurally characterized by elemental analysis, IR, MS, H NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal is of orthorhombic system, space group Pbca with a = 11.706(2) Å, b = 18.038(4) Å, c = 20.369(4) Å, α = 90.00°, β = 90.00°, γ = 90.00°, V = 4301.0(15) Å, Z = 8, Dc = 1.474 g/cm, F (000) = 1952.0, μ(MoKα) = 1.941 mm, the final R = 0.0670 and wR = 0.2319 for reflections with I > 2σ( I). The crystal structure is stabilized by un-classical hydrogen-bonding C-H···O forming a three-dimensional network. The optimized geometric bond lengths and bond angles obtained by using density functional theory have been compared with X-ray diffraction values. In addition, the preliminary biological test showed that the title compound had anti- Mycobacterium phlei 1180 activity. Graphical Abstract: The title compound, CHBrNO, was synthesized and structurally characterized by spectrum and X-ray diffraction, optimized by DFT and tested for inhibition against Mycobacterium phlei 1180 strain.[Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cancer (including carcinoma in situ) is the most common malignancy during pregnancy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with paclitaxel plus cisplatin has been used in patients with cervical cancer successfully, but experience of its prenatal treatment is limited. Case report: We report two pregnant women with locally advanced cervical cancer. They were treated with cisplatin plus paclitaxel NACT until fetal pulmonary maturity was achieved, and then accepted cesarean section followed by radical hysterectomy. To minimize the chemo-resistant/radio-resistant tumor cell clones and increase the potencies of NACT, we modified the dose of the chemotherapeutic agents and the treatment interval using cisplatin (50 mg/m) and paclitaxel (75 mg/m) every 2 weeks. Evaluation for clinical response to chemotherapy displayed a partial and complete response, respectively. Both patients had not had any evidence of recurrence for 21 and 13 months. Their children did not have any evidence of malformations and showed normal development at 21 and 13 months of follow-up, respectively. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus cisplatin appears to be feasible and safe for pregnant patients with invasive cervical cancer and infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to observe the therapeutic effect of pentapeptide PLNPK on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mice, and to study the inhibitory effect of PLNPK on activation of T cells in vivo. Methods: Murine SLE-like chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was induced. After treatment with PLNPK (100, 200, 400 μg/kg per day) for 70 days, serum blood urea nitrogen, creatine, total cholesterol, triglyeride and albumin were tested, and serum levels of anti-dsDNA and anti-histone antibodies were detected by ELISA. The pathological damage and IgG deposition in the kidney were identified. Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced T lymphocyte proliferation in SLE mice was also tested. Results: PLNPK can reduce serum blood urea nitrogen, creatine, total cholesterol, triglyeride, and elevate serum albumin, and reduce levels of anti-dsDNA and anti-histone antibodies in the murine SLE model. Pathological damage and IgG deposition in the kidney were reduced in the PLNPK-treated group. PLNPK inhibited T lymphocyte infiltration in kidney tissues and ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferation in SLE mice. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that PLNPK can suppress T cell function and reduce the production of autoantibodies, and may be a feasible and effective therapy in the SLE model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have shown that changes in the glycan structures of cells correlate with tumorigenesis, however, a casual link between the altered glycan structures and the abnormal GJIC in cancer cells is rarely studied. In this paper, we investigated the effects of sialic acid on the Cx43 gap junction functions, and clarified its potential mechanisms thereby. Sialidase significantly increased Cx43 gap junction functions in constructed Cx43-Hela cells along with down-regulation of cell surface sialic acid, which is dramatically reversed by sialidase inhibitor NeuAc2en. Further study indicated that sialidase failed to affect Cx43 at either protein or phosphorylation level, instead, it induced a considerable fraction of Triton X-100 insoluble, as compared with the untreated cells. We also found that sialidase treatment reduced the N-cadherin glycosylation and enhanced both Cx43-ZO-1 interaction and N-cadherin-ZO-1 association. Moreover, sialidase promoted the cell-cell adhesion with elevating N-cadherin binding to β-catenin, accompanied by increasing colocalization of Cx43 with microtubules at the cell periphery. Based on live cell microscopy, with the FARP technology in the Cx43-EGFP-Hela cells, we found that Cx43 in the plague recovered more quickly in sialidase treatment group, indicating that sialidase could promote the Cx43 traffic to the plague. Overall, these studies indicate cell surface sialic acid on cancer cells may suppress Cx43 gap junction functions via inhibiting Cx43 traffic to the plague involving in sialylated N-cadherin, a process that likely underlies the intimate association between abnormal GJIC and glycosylation on cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrical and electromagnetic shielding wood-metal composite was prepared by using electroless nickel plating. The effects of solution amount, plating time and plating temperature on surface resistivity and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness were investigated. And P content, microstructure and surface feature of layers obtained at different temperatures were analyzed by energy dispersion spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that layers with higher electro-conductivity and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness were obtained under the optimum conditions that plating solution was 500 mL, plating time was 30 min and plating temperature was 62°C. The results showed by EDS analysis that P content increased gradually in a small extent with plating temperature increased. It was showed by XRD and SEM analysis that layers plated at different temperatures were all microcrystalline structure and uniform and successive, which had noticeable metal luster. Those indicated that plating temperature had little influence on microstructure and surface feature under pH value invariable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

D-Sorbitol-6-phosphate 2-dehydrogenase (S6PDH, E.C. 1.1.1.140) catalyzes the NADH-dependent conversion of D-fructose 6-phosphate (F6P) to D-sorbitol 6-phosphate (S6P). In this work, recombination and characterization of Haloarcula marismortuiD-sorbitol-6-phosphate 2-dehydrogenase are reported. Haloarcula marismortuiD-sorbitol-6-phosphate 2-dehydrogenase was expressed in P. pastoris and Arabidopsis thaliana. Enzyme assay indicated that HmS6PDH catalyzes the reduction of D-fructose 6-phosphate to D-sorbitol 6-phosphate and HmS6PDH activity was enhanced by NaCl. Furthermore, transgenic A. thaliana ectopic expressing HmS6PDH accumulate more sorbitol under salt stress. These results suggest that the ectopic expression of HmS6PDH in plants can facilitate future studies regarding the engineering and breeding of salt-tolerant crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to quantitatively assess intracranial pressure (ICP) using optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) measurements. We recruited 316 neurology patients in whom ultrasonographic ONSD was measured before lumbar puncture. They were randomly divided into a modeling and a test group at a ratio of 7:3. In the modeling group, we conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to assess associations between ICP and ONSD, age, sex, BMI, mean arterial blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure. We derived the mathematical function 'Xing &Wang' from the modelling group to predict ICP and evaluated the function in the test group. In the modeling group, ICP was strongly correlated with ONSD (r = 0.758, p < 0.001), and this association was independent of other factors. The mathematical function was ICP = −111.92 + 77.36 × ONSD (Durbin-Watson value = 1.94). In the test group, a significant correlation was found between the observed and predicted ICP (r = 0.76, p < 0.001). Bland-Altman analysis yielded a mean difference between measurements of −0.07 ± 41.55 mmH2O. The intraclass correlation coefficient and its 95%CIs for noninvasive ICP assessments using our prediction model was 0.86 (0.79-0.90). Ultrasonographic ONSD measurements provide a potential noninvasive method to quantify ICP that can be conducted at the bedside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichlorophenol (TCP) is a widely used and persistent environmentally toxic compound that poses a carcinogenic risk to humans. Phytoremediation is a proficient cleanup technology for organic pollutants. In this study, we found that the disulfide isomerase-like protein AtPDIL1-2 in plants is a good candidate for enhancing 2,4,6-TCP phytoremediation. The expression of AtPDIL1-2 in Arabidopsis was induced by 2,4,6-TCP. The heterologously expressed AtPDIL1-2 in Escherichia coli exhibited both oxidase and isomerase activities as protein disulfide isomerase and improved bacteria tolerance to 2,4,6-TCP. Further research revealed that transgenic tobacco overexpressing AtPDIL1-2 was more tolerant to high concentrations of 2,4,6-TCP and removed the toxic compound at far greater rates than the control plants. To elucidate the mechanism of action of AtPDIL1-2, we investigated the chemical interaction of AtPDIL1-2 with 2,4,6-TCP for the first time. HPLC analysis implied that AtPDIL1-2 exerts a TCP-binding activity. A suitable configuration of AtPDIL1-2-TCP binding was obtained by molecular docking studies using the AutoDock program. It predicted that the TCP binding site is located in the b-b′ domain of AtPDIL1-2 and that His254 of the protein is critical for the binding interaction. These findings imply that AtPDIL1-2 can be used for TCP detoxification by the way of overexpression in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]