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Key message The structural differences of MYB14 promoter in two grapevine genotypes affect the expression of MYB14 and stilbene synthesis in response to Al3+ and UV-C radiation. Abstract Grapevines provide an important fruit crop worldwide, but production is often limited by pathogen infection. Stilbenes, a class of secondary metabolite, represent phytoalexins that contribute to defence against pathogens in many plants, including grapevine. It is known that the transcription factors MYB14 and MYB15 are required for the activation of the promoters of resveratrol synthase to regulate stilbene biosynthesis. In the current study, we observed that stilbene levels were more highly induced by Al3+ and UV-C radiation treatments in the cultivar Vitis labrusca ‘Concord’ than in the cultivar V. vinifera ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’. We investigated whether genetic/structural variations in the MYB14 and MYB15 promoters between these two representative genotypes are responsible for the differences in stilbene accumulation. Significant differences in the structure and activity of the promoter of MYB14, but not MYB15 were identified between the two genotypes, following heterologous expression in Nicotiana benthamiana system and treatments with Al3+ and UV-C. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was detected in Concord soon after the stress treatments, but after diphenyleneiodonium chloride pre-treatment, the expressing level of VlMYB14, the promoter activity of VlMYB14 and the accumulation of stilbenes was significantly reduced. A model is presented where the induction of MYB14 contributes to stilbene accumulation in Concord following Al3+ and UV-C treatments involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) production as an early signal. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00299-018-2347-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: LINC01198 has been suggested to be able to predict overall prognosis for glioma; however, it has been little described in glioma. Results: It was shown that LINC01198 was markedly enriched in neoplasmic tissues relative to normal controls; and that elevated LINC01198 significantly correlated with unfavorable overall prognosis. Moreover, activation of STAT5A, identified as transcription factor (TF), can induce the expression of LINC01198. DGCR8, a kind of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), was identified to be able to bind with LINC01198 that can stabilize the DGCR8. Five differential miRNAs with most significant difference, including miR-21-5p, miR-34-5p, miR-1246, miR-4488 and miR-494, were obtainable after silencing of DGCR8. Conclusions: Together, the data we presented here suggested that STAT5 induced LINC01198 promotes proliferation and motility of glioma cells through stabilizing DGCR8 in glioma cells. Methods: Expression of LINC01198 was appraised by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH) in glioma clinical specimens, totaling 100 cases. Post hoc statistical analysis was conducted. In vitro, LINC01198 was stably silenced or re-expressed by transfection with lentiviral-based vectors. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation (CHIP) was applied to identify the relevant TFs that can bind with LINC01198, which was corroborated with electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA) assay. RNA-immunoprecipitation (RIP) was used to identify the RNA-binding protein that can bind with LINC01198. Moreover, miRNA microarray was used to screen out differential miRNAs after silencing of DGCR8.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a kind of adult stem cells with self-replication and multidirectional differentiation, which can differentiate into tissue-specific cells under physiological conditions, maintaining tissue self-renewal and physiological functions. They play a role in the pathological condition by lateral differentiation into tissue-specific cells, replacing damaged tissue cells by playing the role of a regenerative medicine , or repairing damaged tissues through angiogenesis, thereby, regulating immune responses, inflammatory responses, and inhibiting apoptosis. It has become an important seed cell for tissue repair and organ reconstruction, and cell therapy based on MSCs has been widely used clinically. The study found that the probability of stem cells migrating to the damaged area after transplantation or differentiating into damaged cells is very low, so the researchers believe the leading role of stem cell transplantation for tissue repair is paracrine secretion, secreting growth factors, cytokines or other components. Exosomes are biologically active small vesicles secreted by MSCs. Recent studies have shown that they can transfer functional proteins, RNA, microRNAs, and lncRNAs between cells, and greatly reduce the immune response. Under the premise of promoting proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis, they play a repair role in tissue damage, which is caused by a variety of diseases. In this paper, the biological characteristics of exosomes (MSCs-exosomes) derived from mesenchymal stem cells, intercellular transport mechanisms, and their research progress in the field of stem cell therapy are reviewed.

The maintenance of highly proliferative capacity and full differentiation potential is a necessary step in the initiation of stem cell-based regenerative medicine. Our recent study showed that epidermal growth factor (EGF) significantly enhanced hair follicle-derived mesenchymal stem cell (HF-MSC) proliferation while maintaining the multilineage differentiation potentials. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the role of EGF in HF-MSC proliferation. HF-MSCs were isolated and cultured with or without EGF. Immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, cytochemistry, and western blotting were used to assess proliferation, cell signaling pathways related to the EGF receptor (EGFR), and cell cycle progression. HF-MSCs exhibited surface markers of mesenchymal stem cells and displayed trilineage differentiation potentials toward adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteoblasts. EGF significantly increased HF-MSC proliferation as well as EGFR, ERK1/2, and AKT phosphorylation (p-EGFR, p-ERK1/2, and p-AKT) in a time- and dose-dependent manner, but not STAT3 phosphorylation. EGFR inhibitor (AG1478), PI3K-AKT inhibitor (LY294002), ERK inhibitor (U0126), and STAT3 inhibitor (STA-21) significantly blocked EGF-induced HF-MSC proliferation. Moreover, AG1478, LY294002, and U0126 significantly decreased p-EGFR, p-AKT, and p-ERK1/2 expression. EGF shifted HF-MSCs at the G1 phase to the S and G2 phase. Concomitantly, cyclinD1, phosphorylated Rb, and E2F1expression increased, while that of p16 decreased. In conclusion, EGF induces HF-MSC proliferation through the EGFR/ERK and AKT pathways, but not through STAT-3. The G1/S transition was stimulated by upregulation of cyclinD1 and inhibition of p16 expression.

Gynostemma pentaphyllum, a member of family Cucurbitaceae, is a perennial creeping herb used as a traditional medicinal plant in China. In this study, six polymorphic nSSR and four EST‐SSR primers were used to genotype 1,020 individuals in 72 wild populations of G. pentaphyllum. The genetic diversity and population structure were investigated, and ecological niche modeling was performed to reveal the evolution and demographic history of its natural populations. The results show that G. pentaphyllum has a low level of genetic diversity and high level of variation among populations because of pervasive asexual propagation, genetic drift, and long‐term habitat isolation. Results of the Mantel test demonstrate that the genetic distance and geographic distance are significantly correlated among G. pentaphyllum natural populations. The populations can be divided into two clusters on the basis of genetic structure. Asymmetrical patterns of historical gene flow were observed among the clusters. For the contemporary, almost all the bidirectional gene flow of the related pairs was symmetrical with slight differences. Recent bottlenecks were experienced by 34.72% of the studied populations. The geographic range of G. pentaphyllum continues to expand northward and eastward from Hengduan Mountains. The present distribution of G. pentaphyllum is a consequence of its complex evolution. Polyploidy in G. pentaphyllum is inferred to be polygenetic. Finally, G. pentaphyllum is a species in need of protection, so in situ and ex situ measures should be considered in the future., In the current study, the genetic diversity and population structure were investigated combining with ecological niche modelling to reveal the evolutionary and population demographic history for natural populations of Gynostemma pentaphyllum. We assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of G. pentaphyllum, explored the migration, and speculated the formation of polyploidies, as well as provided basic information to formulate the corresponding conservation strategy.

Abies chensiensis, an endemic evergreen trees distributed in Qinling Mountains, is listed in China Species Red List as an endangered species. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Abies chensiensis was determined from Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The cpDNA is 121,329 bp in length, contains a large single copy region (LSC) of 72,843 bp and a small single copy region (SSC) of 46,126 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 1180 bp. The genome contains 120 genes, including 81 protein-coding genes, 4 ribosomal RNA genes, and 35 transfer RNA genes. The overall GC content of the whole genome is 38.3%, and the corresponding values of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions are 38.8, 37.1, and 37.5%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on 20 chloroplast genomes indicates that A. chensiensis is closely related to A. sibirica.

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments (TMEs) create tremendous obstacles for an effective cancer therapy. Herein, we developed a melittin-RADA32 hybrid peptide hydrogel loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) for a potent chemoimmunotherapy against melanoma through the active regulation of TMEs. The formed melittin-RADA32-DOX (MRD) hydrogel has an interweaving nanofiber structure and exhibits excellent biocompatibility, controlled drug release properties both in vitro and in vivo, and an enhanced killing effect to melanoma cells. A single-dose injection of MRD hydrogel retarded the growth of primary melanoma tumors by more than 95% due to loaded melittin and DOX, with concomitant recruitment of activated natural killer cells in the tumors. Furthermore, MRD hydrogel can activate dendritic cells of draining lymph nodes, specifically deplete M2-like tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and produce active, cytotoxic T cells to further defend the cells against remaining tumors, providing potent anticancer efficacy a...

Tanshinol borneol ester (DBZ) is a novel experimental compound that consists of two chemical structural units from danshensu and borneol. It exhibits efficacious anti-ischemic and anti-atherosclerosis activities in rats. A fecal metabolomics based on Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry combined with clinical histopathology and blood lipid estimation was employed to assess the efficacy and the metabolic changes caused by administration of DBZ in atherosclerotic rats. There were the typical pathological features of atherosclerosis and significantly increased levels of TC, TG and LDL-C in the atherosclerotic rat group. Nevertheless, atherosclerotic rats administered both DBZ (at a dose of 40 mg kg(-1)) and simvastatin (at a dose of 20 mg kg(-1)) showed good therapeutic effects. The results of the metabolomics studies showed that 55 differential metabolites such as sebacic acid, enterodiol, nonanedioic acid, dodecanedioic acid, cholic acid, 13(S)-HPODE, deoxycholic acid, some phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acids were found, indicating that abnormal metabolism occurred in the pathways of fatty acid oxidation, linoleic acid metabolism, bile acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism in atherosclerotic rats. Compared to those in the model group, the contents of 41 differential metabolites showed a tendency to recover to a healthy level after DBZ administration. Metabolomics studies suggested that DBZ exhibited good treatment efficacy against atherosclerosis by adjusting disturbed metabolic pathways related to atherosclerosis. This study could provide an experimental basis for DBZ's application to act as a candidate drug with anti-atherosclerosis activity.

The use of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in cell therapies has increased the demand for strategies that allow efficient cell scale-up. Preliminary data on the three-dimensional (3D) spinner culture describing the potential use of microcarriers for hMSCs culture scale-up have been reported. We exploited a rich source of autologous stem cells (human hair follicle) and demonstrated the robust in vitro long-term expansion of human hair follicle-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hHF-MSCs) by using CultiSpher(®)-G microcarriers. We analyzed the feasibility of 3D culture by using hHF-MSCs/CultiSpher(®)-G microcarrier constructs for its potential applicability in regenerative medicine by comparatively analyzing the performance of hHF-MSCs adhered to the CultiSpher(®)-G microspheres in 3D spinner culture and those grown on the gelatin-coated plastic dishes (2D culture), using various assays. We showed that the hHF-MSCs seeded at various densities quickly adhered to and proliferated well on the microspheres, thus generating at least hundreds of millions of hHF-MSCs on 1 g of CultiSpher(®)-G within 12 days. This resulted in a cumulative cell expansion of greater than 26-fold. Notably, the maximum and average proliferation rates in 3D culture were significantly greater than that of the 2D culture. However, the hHF-MSCs from both the cultures retained surface marker and nestin expression, proliferation capacity and differentiation potentials toward adipocytes, osteoblasts and smooth muscle cells and showed no significant differences as evidenced by Edu incorporation, cell cycle, colony formation, apoptosis, biochemical quantification and qPCR assays.

Cyclosporine A (CsA) enhances hair growth through caspase-dependent pathways by retarding anagen-to-catagen phase transition in the hair follicle growth cycle. Whether apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), a protein that induces caspase-independent apoptosis, can regulate the hair follicle cycle in response to CsA is currently unclear. Here, we show that the pro-hair growth properties of CsA are in part due to blockage of AIF nuclear translocation. We first isolate hair follicles from murine dorsal skin. We then used Western blot, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence to evaluate the expression and localization of AIF in hair follicles. We also determined whether modulation of AIF was responsible for the effects of CsA at the anagen-to-catagen transition. AIF was expressed in hair follicles during the anagen, catagen and telogen phases. There was significant nuclear translocation of AIF as hair follicles transitioned from anagen to late catagen phase; this was inhibited by CsA, likely due to reduced cyclophilin A expression and attenuated AIF release from mitochondria. However, we note that AIF translocation was not completely eliminated, which likely explains why the transition to catagen phase was severely retarded by CsA, rather than being completely inhibited. We speculate that blockade of the AIF signalling pathway is a critical event required for CsA-dependent promotion of hair growth in mice. The study of AIF-related signalling pathways may provide insight into hair diseases and suggest potential novel therapeutic strategies.

The design of biocompatible and efficacious anticancer biomaterials to achieve relatively low tumor recurrence rates is the main pursuit of cancer photothermal therapy (PTT). RADA16-I is a synthetic amphiphilic peptide with the sequence RADARADARADARADA that can self-assemble into a peptide nanofiber hydrogel. In this study, we synthesized a novel melittin–RADA32–indocyanine green (ICG) hydrogel (“MRI hydrogel”), which contains melittin in the peptide hydrogel backbone and ICG in the hydrogel matrix, for enhanced PTT of glioblastomas. The MRI hydrogel exhibited physiologic characteristics similar to those of the RADA16 hydrogel, while displaying concentration-dependent cytotoxicity to C6 glioma cells and photothermal effects. The in vivo biodistribution of the MRI hydrogel was visualized by near-infrared fluorescence and photoacoustic imaging. More importantly, in vivo PTT provided by the MRI hydrogel significantly reduced the tumor size and the tumor recurrence rate compared with the RADR16-ICG hydrogel ...

Gynostemma BL., belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, is a genus containing 17 creeping herbaceous species mainly distributed in East Asia. It can be divided into two subgenera based on different fruit morphology. Herein, we report eight complete chloroplast genome sequences of the genus Gynostemma, which were obtained by Illumina paired-end sequencing, assembly, and annotation. The length of the eight complete cp genomes ranged from 157,576 bp (G. pentaphyllum) to 158,273 bp (G. laxiflorum). Each encoded 133 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, eight rRNA genes, and one pseudogene. The four types of repeated sequences had been discovered and indicated that the repeated structure for species in the Subgen. Triostellum was greater than that for species in the Subgen. Gynostemma. The percentage of variation of the eight cp genomes in different regions were calculated, which demonstrated that the coding and inverted repeats regions were highly conserved. Phylogenetic analysis based on Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood methods strongly supported the phylogenetic position of the genus Gynostemma as a member of family Cucurbitaceae. The phylogenetic relationships among the eight species were clearly resolved using the complete cp genome sequences in this study. It will also provide potential molecular markers and candidate DNA barcodes for future studies and enrich the valuable complete cp genome resources of Cucurbitaceae.

v/v) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. A tandem mass spectrometric detection with an electrospray ionization (ESI) interface was conducted via collision induced dissociation (CID) under negative ionization mode. The MS/MS transitions monitored were m/z 343.0448 → m/z 313.2017 for usnic acid and m/z 153.1024 → m/z 136.2136 for protocatechuic acid (internal standard). The linear range was calculated to be 2.0-160.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 3.0 pg/mL. The inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision were within ± 7.0%. Pharmacokinetic study showed that the apartment of usnic acid in vivo confirmed to be a two compartment open model. The method was fully valid and will probably be an alternative for pharmacokinetic study of usnic acid.

A novel rhodamine based probe has been synthesized as an “off–on” chemosensor for Fe3+. Upon coordination with Fe3+, the probe displayed good brightness and fluorescent enhancement. A linear relationship was observed to exist between the relative fluorescence intensity of this probe and the concentration of Fe3+ in the range of 5 μM–20 μM with a detection limit of 5 μM. It offered highly sensitive toward Fe3+ over other ions. The recognizing behaviors toward Fe3+ have been investigated both experimentally and computationally. It can be expected that Fe3+ coordinated with the N atom of thiazole moiety in the probe accompanied by the transferring of electrons of the phenylthiazole resulted in the opening of the spiro-ring.

A fluorescent chemosensor for Fe3+, rhodamine-aminobenzothiazole conjugate has been synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and X-ray crystallography. The sensor demonstrates strong Fe3+- selective orange fluorescence and a pink color switch. Furthermore, the recognizing behavior has been investigated both experimentally and computationally.

Composite material silica gel microspheres encapsulated by salicylic acid functionalized polystyrene(SG–PS–azo–SA) have been synthesized, and the dynamic adsorption and desorption properties of this silica gel matrix inorganic–organic composite material for Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III) have been investigated. The results displayed that SG–PS–azo–SA had excellent adsorption for Cu(II), and the film diffusion dominated the adsorption process of SG–PS–azo–SA for Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III). These metal ions could be desorbed with the eluent solution of 2.5 mol/L HCl, 3% thiourea in 0.5 mol/L HCl, and 0.5% thiourea in 1 mol/L HCl, respectively. When the elution was carried out for 30 min, 30 min, and 132 min, the desorption ratio ω could reach 91.1%, 99.4%, and 60.84%, respectively. Thus, silica gel encapsulated by polystyrene coupled with salicylic acid (SG–PS–azo–SA) is favorable and useful for the removal of metal ions Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III), and the high adsorption capacity make it a promising candidate ...

The present study was undertaken to develop a novel adsorbent for heavy metal ions, and this paper presents the synthesis and characterization of a composite material-silica gel microspheres encapsulated by salicyclic acid functionalized polystyrene (SG-PS-azo-SA) with a core-shell structure. SG-PS-azo-SA was used to investigate the adsorption of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Fe(III), Hg(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Cr(VI), Pd(II), Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III) from aqueous solutions. The results revealed that SG-PS-azo-SA has better adsorption capacity for Cu(II), Ag(I) and Au(III). Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to analyze the experimental data, the best interpretation for the experimental data was given by the Langmuir isotherm equation with the maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III) at 1.288 mmol g−1, 1.850 mmol g−1 and 1.613 mmol gt-1, respectively. Thus, silica gel encapsulated by salicyclic acid functionalized polystyrene (SG-PS-azo-SA) is favorable and useful for the removal of Cu(II), Ag(I) and Au(III) metal ions.

A novel inorganic–organic composite material silica gel microspheres encapsulated by imidazole functionalized polystyrene (SG-PS-azo-IM) has been synthesized and characterized. This composite material was used to investigate the adsorption of Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Hg(II), Pb(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Ag(I), and Au(III) from aqueous solutions, and the research results displayed that SG-PS-azo-IM has the highest adsorption capacity for Au(III). Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to analyze the experimental data, the best interpretation for the experimental data was given by the Langmuir isotherm equation, and the maximum adsorption capacity for Au(III) is 1.700 mmol/g. The adsorption selectivity, the dynamic adsorption and desorption properties of SG-PS-azo-IM for Au(III) have also been studied. The results showed that SG-PS-azo-IM had excellent adsorption for Au(III) in four binary ions system, especially in the systems of Au(III)–Zn(II) and Au(III)–Cu(II), and almost Au(III) could be desorbed with the eluent solution of 0.5% thiourea in 1 mol/L HCl. Moreover, this novel composite material was used to preconcentrate Au(III) before its determination by flame atomic adsorption spectrometry. In the initial concentration range of 0.10–0.20 μg/mL, multiple of enrichment could reach 5.28. Thus, silica gel encapsulated by polystyrene coupling with imidazole (SG-PS-azo-IM) is favorable and useful for the removal of transition metal ions, and the high adsorption capacity makes it a good promising candidate material for Au(III) removal.

The two-dimensional coordination polymer cadmium phosphate with the morphology of rectangle layers was prepared by solid-state template reaction at room temperature, and was characterized by XRD, FTIR, and TEM techniques. The as-synthesized sample is a layered cadmium phosphate material, in which the structure is poly (CdPO4−) anion framework with ammonium ions and water species residing in the space between the layers, and cadmium ions are coordinated by the phosphate oxygen atoms. This article also presents the adsorption of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution on the as-synthesized coordination polymer cadmium phosphate, and the results showed that this inorganic polymer adsorbent had good adsorption capacity. It could reach to the saturation adsorption capacity within an hour, and its excellent adsorption capacity for Pb(II) was 5.50 mmol/g when the initial solution concentration was 1.68 × 103 μg/mL at T = 278K. Moreover, the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms were studied, it revealed that the adsorption kinetics can be modeled by pseudo second-order rate equation wonderfully. The apparent activation energy (Ea), ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS were 3.16 kJ mol−1, −13.97 kJ mol−1, −11.84 kJ mol−1, and 7.66 J mol−1 K−1, respectively. And it was found that Langmuir equation could well interpret the adsorption of the as-synthesized coordination polymer cadmium phosphate for Pb(II) ions. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

The microwave-enhanced reactions of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-substituent-1,2,4-triazoles with benzoyl chloride or arylaldehydes under solvent-free conditions without catalyst were studied. 3-Substituded-6-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazoles were easily prepared by the reactions of 4-amino-5-merecapto-3-substituded-1,2,4-triazoles with benzoyl chloride. 4-Arylideneamino-5-mercapto-3-substituted-1,2,4-triazoles were obtained by the condensation of 4-amino-5-mercapto-3-substituent-1,2,4-triazoles with arylaldehydes. This method possessed such advantages as short reaction time, environmentally benign procedures, easy purification, and high yield.

Leaching of major ions from acid precipitation in a subtropical forest was examined based on an experiment in four sample sites in Shaoshan City, Hunan Province, China, from January 2001 to June 2002. Results clearly show that when rain passed through the canopy, pH increased and the evidence of ion uptake was presented for SO42−, NO3−, Mg2+ and NH4+ ions, especially of NH4+ and NO3−. The percentages of dissolved SO42−, Ca2+ and Mg2+ show a decreasing trend with increasing rainfall. Percentages of leaching Ca2+, K+ and Cl− ions show an increasing trend as a function of increased pH values. The forest canopy in Shaoshan City has a strong effect on the uptake of SO42− and NO3− ions under acid rain conditions. The decreasing order of ions leaching in the forest canopy is as follows: K+ > Ca2+ > Cl− > Mg2+ > SO42− > NO3− > NH4+ > Na+.

Introduction Successful stem cell therapy relies on large-scale generation of stem cells and their maintenance in a proliferative multipotent state. This study aimed to establish a three-dimension culture system for large-scale generation of hWJ-MSC and investigated the self-renewal activity, genomic stability and multi-lineage differentiation potential of such hWJ-MSC in enhancing skin wound healing. Methods hWJ-MSC were seeded on gelatin microbeads and cultured in spinning bottles (3D). Cell proliferation, karyotype analysis, surface marker expression, multipotent differentiation (adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic potentials), and expression of core transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and C-MYC), as well as their efficacy in accelerating skin wound healing, were investigated and compared with those of hWJ-MSC derived from plate cultres (2D), using in vivo and in vitro experiments. Results hWJ-MSC attached to and proliferated on gelatin microbeads in 3D cultures reaching a maximum of 1.1–1.30 × 107cells on 0.5 g of microbeads by days 8–14; in contrast, hWJ-MSC derived from 2D cultures reached a maximum of 6.5 -11.5 × 105 cells per well in a 24-well plate by days 6–10. hWJ-MSC derived by 3D culture incorporated significantly more EdU (P

Rationale: Breast cancer, the most common form of cancer among women, rarely metastases to the head and neck region. To date, there have been only 6 similar cases in the literature, and most patients in these reports had very poor prognosis. Patients concerns: We report a 61-year-old female presented pain and numbness on the right side of the face 5 years after being diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. Diagnosis: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a tissue mass in the sphenoid sinus. The tissue biopsy confirmed metastasis of breast cancer. Intervention: The patient received initial chemotherapy and radiotherapy plus 10 cycles of maintenance chemotherapy Outcomes: The patient got long-term progression-free survival time. The total time to progression was 32 months. Lessons: Although breast cancer rarely metastasizes to the head and neck region, awareness should be raised when breast cancer patients experience headache or have sinus-related symptoms. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy may be effective to treat paranasal sinus metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer, and patients may achieve long-term survival.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the correlation between environmental factors and the lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents of Polygalae Radix. METHOD The contents of lipophilic constituent were determined by GC-MS and hydrophilic constituents by HPLC. Geographical factors were collected by on-site inspection and climate factors by the local meteorological data. The relationship between the content of the lipophilic and hydrophilic constituents and the factors were analyzed by SPSS 18.0. RESULT There was linear relationship between the content of lipophilic constituent and climate factors such as average temperature of July, average temperature of January. There was also linear relationship between hydrophilic constituents and climate factors such as annual average temperature, latitude, annual average rainfall. CONCLUSION The main climate factors that affect liposoluble constituent content were average temperature of July, average temperature of January, and the main climate factors that affect hydrophilic constituent content were annual average temperature, latitude, annual average rainfall. The study would contribute to the quality evaluation and suitability of origin of Polygalae Radix.

Adsorption of precious metal ions from aqueous solutions has earned great concern recently due to environmental protection factor and the value of precious metals. In this article, a novel adsorbent silica gel microspheres encapsulated by amino functionalized polystyrene (SG-PS-NH2) has been synthesized, and the adsorption selectivity and the dynamic adsorption properties of SG-PS-NH2 for Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III) has been investigated. The results displayed that SG-PS-NH2 had excellent adsorption for Au(III)/Ag(I) in binary ion systems, especially in the systems of Au(III)-Zn (II), Au(III)-Ni(II), and Ag(I)-Zn(II). The dynamic adsorption showed that the adsorption capacities of SG-PS-NH2 for Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III) increased with the prolonging of contact time, and the affinity order of three metal ions adsorbed by of SG-PS-NH2 is Au(III) > Ag(I) > Cu(II), which is inversely correlated with their electronegativities. The regeneration capacities of SG-PS-NH2 were investigated by using the eluent solution of 0.5% thiourea in 1 mol/L HCl, and it is found that the changes of the adsorption capability are relatively small after several cycles of adsorption–desorption. Thus, silica gel encapsulated by polystyrene containing amino groups (SG-PS-NH2) is favorable and useful for the removal of precious metal ions because it is eco-friendly and easier to reuse. The comparison of SG-PS-NH2 with other adsorbents suggests that SG-PS-NH2 have great potential applications in environmental protection and the recovery of precious metals. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010

To research the germplasm resources and the contents of senegenin in processing products of Polygala tenuifolia.The contents of senegenin in wild Polygala tenuifolia and cultivated samples of Polygala tenuifolia were determined by RP-HPLC, and compared.The contents of senegenin in wild reduce gradually along Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei to Dongbei. The contents of senegenin in cultivated three-year samples of three year Polygala tenuifolia from five main place was similar, 0.44%-0.49%. The content of senegenin were 0.44%-0.64% in the wand and 0.03%-0.09% in the residual part of stem, and the content of senegenin in Polygala tenuifolia was more than that in processing products.There is a correlation between the content of senegenin in Polygala tenuifolia and ecology environment that show a is inverse proportion with the quality grade, and the contents in the processing products were decreased. Senegenin can be used as a characteristic marker in range. This research provides a reference for search a index for quality control of Radix polygala and its processing products.

This paper presented the synthesis of a novel composite adsorbent silica gel microspheres encapsulated with 5-sulfosalicylic acid functionalized polystyrene (SG-PS-azo-SSA). It was characterized by titration method, FT-IR (Fourier transform infrared spectrometer), SEM (scanning electron microscope), EDXAS (energy dispersive X-ray analysis system), etc. SG-PS-azo-SSA has been used to investigate the adsorption of Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), Pd(II), Cu(II), Ag(I) and Au(III) from aqueous solutions. The research results revealed that SG-PS-azo-SSA has the better adsorption capacity for Cu(II), Ag(I) and Au(III). Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to analyze the experimental data and the adsorption of Cu(II), Ag(I) and Au(III) on SG-PS-azo-SSA fitted well to the Langmuir isotherm equation. The obtained maximum adsorption capacity for Cu(II), Ag(I), and Au(III) is 0.472 mmol/g, 0.822 mmol/g and 0.810 mmol/g, respectively. Thus, silica gel encapsulated by 5-sulfosalicyclic acid functionalized polystyrene (SG-PS-azo-SSA) is favorable and useful for the removal of Cu(II), Ag(I) and Au(III) metal ions.

Hypofrontality is a common finding in schizophrenia in many countries. To date, there have been few studies on Chinese patients with schizophrenia. We thus wondered whether hypofrontality exists in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. We investigated 45 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls using brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Subjects were also administered the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery (HRNB) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R). Images were analyzed using a semi-quantitative reading and a quantified region of interest analysis. We found that schizophrenic patients showed hypoperfusion in the frontal and temporal lobes and hyperperfusion in the basal ganglia. Schizophrenic patients with both negative and positive symptoms showed asymmetric perfusion in the temporal lobe. Schizophrenic patients with prominent negative symptoms also showed asymmetric perfusion in the prefrontal lobes. Negative symptoms showed a significantly negative correlation with regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the left frontal lobe. Improved memory quotient (MQ) was significantly correlated with increased rCBF in the left temporal lobe. These findings from Chinese patients confirm a similar regional neuroanatomic dysfunction as in Western patients with the disease.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to fabricate a tissue-engineered bone graft anchoring dental implant with bone marrow stromal cell (bMSC) seeded coral-implant composite scaffold. Materials and methods Titanium dental implants (3 mm in diameter) were inserted into the cylinder coral scaffolds (5 mm in diameter and 1 mm in wall thickness). bMSCs were isolated from iliac bone marrow of adult New Zealand White rabbits, induced by dexamethasone and seeded into the composite scaffold at the density of 2 × 10 8 /mL in 200 μL medium. Nine cell coral-implant complexes were incubated in vitro for 5 days. One complex was processed for scanning electronic microscopy. The other 8 complexes, together with 4 coral scaffold without cell acting as control, were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice back. At 1 and 2 months after implantation, 4 specimens from the experiment group and 2 specimens from the control group were harvested respectively. New bone restoration and new bone integration with dental implant were evaluated by gross inspection, manual handling test, radiographic examination, and histologic observation. Results Specimens harvested at 2 months after implantation were red and similar to native bone. Manual handling test showed that dental implants were fixed in the newly formed bone. Radiographic examination showed that most of the coral scaffold had been absorbed. Bone density x-ray shadow could be observed around the dental implant. Histologic examination showed that large amount of new bone formed around the dental implants and integrated well with the implants in some area. In the control group no bone formation was observed both macroscopically and microscopically. Conclusion The results of the study suggested that the tissue-engineered bone of bMSCs seeded natural coral-implant composite scaffold is promising for dental implant anchoring, which has positive implication for clinical jaw reconstruction.

The relationship between species diversity of plant communities with soil factors was discussed with two statistical methods: single variable regression and multivariate stepwise regression. Both single factor and multiple stepwise regression analysis indicated that, soil pH, total salt and soil moisture played significant roles to species diversity by single-factor regression, could be all the same under interactions of multiple variables. However, organic substance played striking role by single-factor analysis, was removed under interactions of multiple factors. Of the three layers (0-10cm of surface layer, 10-30 cm of middle layer and 30-50 cm of deep layer), the middle layer strikingly influenced species diversity of plant community. Therefore, the conclusions by the two analysis methods were basically consistent with each other.

Regression analysis was used to study the relationship between four diversity indices and 19 soil factors at three different soil layers in ecotone between desert and oasis in Fukang, Xinjiang. The results indicated that soil pH, total salt content, soil organic matter, Cl-, K+ + Na+, Mg2+, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus were correlative to species diversity significantly (P0.05). The relationships between pH and diversity and between organic matter and diversity were best fitted in form of binomial model, and it meant that the highest species diversity occurred in middle of the gradient. The relationships between diversity and other 6 indices were in form of negative linear regression, showing that the contents of total salt, Cl-, K+ + Na+, Mg2+ were greater, and the species diversity indices were smaller. And the regression of total nitrogen and available phosphorus with evenness were similar to the former, that is, with the contents of soil total nitrogen and available phosphorus increasing, evenness indices decline correspondingly. The results of regression analysis between amount of plants and soil moisture and salt showed that plant abundance was influenced by soil water and salt significantly (P0.01).

Neurodevelopmental disorders are classified as diseases that cause abnormal functions of the brain or central nervous system. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders show impaired language and speech abilities, learning and memory damage, and poor motor skills. However, we still know very little about the molecular etiology of these disorders. Recent evidence implicates the bromodomain-containing proteins (BCPs) in the initiation and development of neurodevelopmental disorders. BCPs have a particular domain, the bromodomain (Brd), which was originally identified as specifically binding acetyl-lysine residues at the N-terminus of histone proteinsin vitroandin vivo. Other domains of BCPs are responsible for binding partner proteins to form regulatory complexes. Once these complexes are assembled, BCPs alter chromosomal states and regulate gene expression. Some BCP complexes bind nucleosomes, are involved in basal transcription regulation, and influence the transcription of many genes. However, most BCPs are involved in targeting. For example, some BCPs function as a recruitment platform or scaffold through their Brds-binding targeting sites. Others are recruited to form a complex to bind the targeting sites of their partners. The regulation mediated by these proteins is especially critical during normal and abnormal development. Mutant BCPs or dysfunctional BCP-containing complexes are implicated in the initiation and development of neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the pathogenic molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In this review, we focus on the roles of regulatory BCPs associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including mental retardation, Fragile X syndrome (FRX), Williams syndrome (WS), Rett syndrome and Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS). A better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis, based upon the roles of BCPs, will lead to screening of targets for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders.