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The article "Pregnant women's dietary patterns and knowledge of gestational weight gain: A cross-sectional study" discusses the increasing prevalence of overweight and obese pregnant women and the associated risks of pregnancy complications. The study by Busisiwe et al. highlights that many women are not gaining weight in line with recommendations, possibly due to lower education and socioeconomic status. The article suggests the need for further research on the correlation between excessive weight gain during pregnancy and complications, as well as the importance of providing specific dietary recommendations to pregnant women. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the use of methotrexate (MTX) as a conservative treatment for tubal pregnancy, highlighting the importance of predicting readmission rates for treatment failure. Factors such as previous pelvic inflammatory disease and pretreatment serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels are associated with readmission. The study suggests that elevated hCG levels prior to treatment are linked to higher failure rates, emphasizing the need for further analysis and larger sample sizes to improve the accuracy of predictions. The authors recommend prospective questionnaire analysis for more reliable data and stress the importance of testing these findings in clinical practice. [Extracted from the article]

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a powerful tool getting into the field of clinical examination. Its preliminary application in pre-implantation comprehensive chromosomal screening (PCCS) of assisted reproduction (test-tube baby) has shown encouraging outcomes that improves the success rate of in vitro fertilization. However, the conventional NGS library construction is time consuming. In addition with the whole genome amplification (WGA) procedure in prior, makes the single cell NGS assay hardly be accomplished within an adequately short turnover time in supporting fresh embryo implantation. In this work, we established a concise single cell sequencing protocol, ChromInst, in which the single cell WGA and NGS library construction were integrated into a two-step PCR procedure of ~ 2.5hours reaction time. We then validated the feasibility of ChromInst for overnight PCCS assay by examining 14 voluntary donated embryo biopsy samples in a single sequencing run of Miseq with merely 13M reads production. The good compatibility of ChromInst with the restriction of Illumina sequencing technique along with the good library yield uniformity resulted superior data usage efficiency and reads distribution evenness that ensures precisely distinguish of 6 normal embryos from 8 abnormal one with variable chromosomal aneuploidy. The superior succinctness and effectiveness of this protocol permits its utilization in other time limited single cell NGS applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of the correlation between the spin-state behaviour and the structural features in transition-metal complexes is of pronounced importance to the design of spin crossover compounds with high performance. However, the study of the influence of ligand symmetry on the spin crossover properties is still limited due to the shortage of suitable structural systems. Herein we report the magneto-structural correlations of three mononuclear Fe(II) isomers with respect to their ligand symmetry. In this work, two phenyl-substituted meso and optically pure pybox ligands were employed to construct meso (1), optically pure (2), and racemic (3) ligand types of [Fe(pybox)2]2+ complexes. Their magnetic susceptibilities were measured via temperature-dependent paramagnetic 1H NMR spectroscopy. We fitted the midpoint temperatures of the transition (T1/2) of 260 K for 1(ClO4), 247 K for 2(ClO4), and 281 K for 3(ClO4). The influence of structural symmetry on spin crossover was rationalized through density functional theory calculations. The optimized structures of [Fe(pybox)2]2+ complex cations show that the geometric distortion of the central FeN6 coordination sphere is mainly caused by the steric congestions between adjacent phenyl substituents. In these compounds, there is a distinct correlation that more steric congestions produce larger coordination distortion and favor the electron configuration in the high-spin state, which reflects in the increase of T1/2. Additionally, the influence of the counter anion and lattice solvent on the meso series compounds was inspected. It is revealed that multiple factors dominate the spin-state behaviour in the solid state. This work provides deep insight into the effect of ligand symmetry on the spin transition behaviour in spin crossover compounds. It demonstrates that molecular symmetry should be considered in the design of spin crossover compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saikosaponin b2 (SSb2) can be extracted from Bupleurum spp. roots (Radix Bupleuri), which belongs to the Umbelliferae family. The current study aimed to explore the effects of SSb2 on proliferation of breast cancer cells and to identify the mechanism by which SSb2 affects breast cancer cell migration. mRNA expression levels of STAT3 and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) were determined and increased expression was observed in 16 breast cancer tissues compared with the paracancerous tissues. MTT, wound healing, colony formation assays and western blot suggested that SSb2 inhibited MCF-7 proliferation and migration. It was further identified by western blot analysis that SSb2 treatment reduced levels of phosphorylated STAT3, VASP, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP) 2 and MMP9 in MCF-7 compared with the untreated cells. In addition, it was demonstrated that inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation decreased VASP expression levels and induction of STAT3 phosphorylation increased VASP levels. Furthermore, it was observed that the treatment of Kunming mice with SSb2 at 30 mg/kg/day for 30 days induced no obvious changes in the liver or kidney tissues, as determined by haematoxylin and eosin staining. In conclusion, these results indicated that SSb2 may be a potential antitumor drug for the treatment of breast cancer, which acts by suppressing proliferation and migration by downregulating the STAT3 signalling pathway and inhibiting the expression of VASP, MMP2 and MMP9 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of sodium butyrate (NaB) on Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cells and analyzed the relevant mechanism. Here, we demonstrated that a certain concentration of NaB effectively induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to detect cell viability and the apoptosis rate. Western blotting was used to detect changes in the Bcl-2 expression level. We observed cell shape changes with microscopy. Immunofluorescence revealed some apoptotic nuclei. Electron microscopy revealed thick nucleoli, chromatin margination, reduced mitochondria, and dramatic vacuoles. Collectively, our findings elucidated the morphological mechanism by which NaB changed the ultrastructure of MCF-7 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Inhibition of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) expression could modulate the adhesion and proliferation of breast cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well defined. Here, we show that knockdown of the VASP changes the ultrastructure of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Transfection of VASP shRNA significantly lowered the expression of VASP protein in MCF-7 cells. In the shRNA-VASP group, immunofluorescence showed diminished presence of F-actin, and it was lower in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm. After VASP was inhibited, the MCF-7 cells were oval in shape with blunt lamellipodium, disappearance of the cristae of mitochondria, decreased microvilli and more vacuoles. Collectively, our findings elucidated the morphological mechanism that knockdown of the VASP changed the ultrastructure of MCF-7 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To investigate the effect of ritonavir on hepatocyte proliferation, we detected the change of cleaved caspase-3 expression level in the hepatocytes. Furthermore, the morphological and ultrastructural changes of hepatocytes derived from RTV-treated mice have been observed. The results showed that ritonavir can evidently inhibit hepatocyte proliferation and increase cleaved caspase-3 expression level. Under the electron microscope, chromatin margination, mitochondrial cristae disappearance, karyopyknosis and cytoplasmic vacuolization can be observed in the hepatocytes of mice treated with ritonavir. In conclusion, the mechanism of ritonavir's hepatotoxicity is that it induces apoptosis of hepatocytes via the caspase-cascade system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the protective effect of curcumin (CU) on the hepatic ultrastructural damage induced by cisplatin in mice. 18 adult Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal saline (NS) group, cisplatin treatment group (CP) and CU + CP group ( n = 6 for each group). Mice in control group and CP group were administered with NS (20 mL/kg/day) and CU + CP group were i.p injected with CU (200 mg/kg/day) for 10 days. Then cisplatin (50 mg/kg/day) was injected in mice of CP group and CU + CP group, while those in control group were given the same volume of NS. Five days after injection all mice were killed and liver dissected. The hepatic morphological structures were observed under light microscope and transmission electron microscope. The results indicated that CU alleviated the hepatic histopathological damages induced by cisplatin, which included declined body weight, vacuolated cytoplasm and blurred liver trabecular structure. Moreover, no hepatic ultrastructural damages were observed in the CU protective group with condensed and marginated nuclear chromatin, bile canaliculi outstreched and bile deposited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critical gene phlD for 2, 4-DAPG biosynthesis from Pseudomonas fluorescens was cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3)/pET28a(+)/phlD recombinant strain. The gene of phlD was amplified using Pseudomonas fluorescens 2P24 genome as template. The PhlD of 42 000 Da fusion protein was induced and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pET28a(+) system. The phlD gene sequence was analyzed, the senior structure of the protein coded by the phlD also forecasted. PhlD was one of polyketide synthase of type-III , and the function of PhlD was similar to the polyketal synthase and acyltransferase. The fermentation liquid of recombinant strain was detected, and synthesis of the phloroglucinol was implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method to synthesize indole-2,3-diones and 2-hydroxy-3(2H)-benzofuranones is developed via a one-stop oxidative cyclization of the corresponding ortho-functionalized acetophenones (I) and (III). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]