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Associations between daily physical activity (PA) and executive functioning have rarely been investigated among young adults. This study examined these associations among 162 university students (74 females and 88 males; mean age=19.0, SD=1.1 years). We measured PA objectively, using hip-mounted accelerometers, and assessed executive functioning in a task-switching paradigm. Anthropometrics measurements were gathered using standardized procedures. Through linear regression modeling, we found moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (b=-0.19, 95% CI=[-0.35, -0.03], p=.02) and light physical activity (b=-0.17, 95% CI=[-0.34, -0.01], p=.04) to be associated with smaller global reaction time switch costs. Total PA was not associated with task-switching performance, and there were no statistically significant associations between PA indicators and local switch costs. As both moderate-to-vigorous and light physical activities were associated with better executive function in young adults, there can be important cognitive benefits to remaining physically active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides Lam. is a widespread and important Chinese medicinal plant. In this study, we have sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of H. sibthorpioides, which is 152,880 bp in length with large (LSC 84,064 bp) and small (SSC 18,690 bp) single-copy regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs 25,063 bp) and contains 113 unique genes with 17 genes duplicated in the IR making a total of 130 genes. The phylogenetic analysis strongly supports the position of H. sibthorpioides and indicates it belongs to the Araliaceae family, potential to facilitate a better understanding of population and phylogenetic studies in Apiales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides Lam. is a widespread and important Chinese medicinal plant. In this study, we have sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of H. sibthorpioides , which is 152,880 bp in length with large (LSC 84,064 bp) and small (SSC 18,690 bp) single-copy regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IRs 25,063 bp) and contains 113 unique genes with 17 genes duplicated in the IR making a total of 130 genes. The phylogenetic analysis strongly supports the position of H. sibthorpioides and indicates it belongs to the Araliaceae family, potential to facilitate a better understanding of population and phylogenetic studies in Apiales., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper., (© 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

While infection with H. pylori is a strong risk factor for gastric cancer, most H. pylori-colonized individuals, even those with the high-risk CagA(+)VacA(+) strain, remain asymptomatic over their lifetime. We hypothesized that the discordant outcomes were due to differences in the host immune responses. Previously, Tim-3-mediated immune modulation was observed in H. pylori-challenged mice. In this study, we compared Tim-3-related responses in CagA(+)VacA(+) H. pylori-infected asymptomatic individuals and H. pylori-associated gastric adenocarcinoma patients. We showed that compared to H. pylori-uninfected individuals, both H. pylori-infected asymptomatic and gastric cancer patients upregulated Tim-3 overall. However, the Tim-3 upregulation was enriched on Th1 cells in asymptomatic patients and on Treg and CD8(+) T cells in gastric cancer patients, with respective differences in T cell subset functions. In gastric cancer patients, high Tim-3 expression on Treg and CD8(+) T cells, but not on Th1 cells, was associated with worse prognosis. H. pylori-antigen presentation by tumor-associated macrophages upregulated Tim-3 expression more effectively than by blood monocyte-derived macrophages in vitro. The upregulation of Tim-3 in vitro depended on the concentration of H. pylori antigen but not on whether the cells were from asymptomatic or cancer patients. These data suggest that the discrepancy in Tim-3 upregulation in asymptomatic and cancer subjects is induced by cancer but not the other way around. Once gastric cancer is developed, Tim-3 expression is associated with worse prognosis.

The first total synthesis of the akuammiline alkaloid (+/-)-vincorine (6) has been accomplished in about 1% overall yield in 31 steps. A concise assembly of the core 1,2-disubstituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-4a,9a-iminoethanocarbazole (1), a distinctive feature of akuammiline and strychnos alkaloids, was developed via a three-step one-pot cascade reaction consisting of copper-catalyzed intramolecular cyclopropanation, ring-opening, and ring closure. The construction of the last seven-membered E-ring in a rigid two-ring moiety (31, 45 to 47) through Heck coupling, Michael addition, pi-allyl/Heck or pi-allyl/Stille coupling failed, leading us to seek an alternative method. After successful addition of an acetate side chain on C15 of the cyclohexenyl ring (D-ring) in Boc-protected 35b by a Johnson-Claisen rearrangement and multistep modification of the functionality in the rearrangement product 33a, the E-ring formation was then realized for providing pentacyclic lactam 32 through intramolecular condensation of the acid group on the D-ring and the amine group on the C-ring with Mukaiyama's reagent. An E-ethylidenyl group on the E-ring was stereoselectively added to afford lactam 56a through a two-step reaction of 32 consisting of aldol addition with acetaldehyde and cis-elimination of the resulting hydroxyl group. Final elaboration of 56a, including opening of the seven-membered E-ring, selective reduction of the alpha,beta-unsaturated ester, and reclosure of the seven-membered E-ring completed the total synthesis of 6.