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Objective/Background: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs for fighting this disease. Recent studies have reported that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can be used as anticancer drugs. Methods: We discovered brevinin-1EG, a novel antimicrobial peptide from Pelophylax nigromaculatus, using gene cloning techniques. Brevinin-1EG was then investigated for its structure and biological activity. Results: Brevinin-1EG, with an alpha-helical structure, showed broad-spectrum anti-proliferative activity against several cancer cell lines, including U-2OS, HepG2, HT-29, A375, HeLa, and A549 cells, with IC50 values ranging from 15 to 22 μg/mL. These same concentrations were insufficient to induce hemolysis in erythrocytes, indicating the safety of this molecule. Brevinin-1EG also exhibited antioxidant activity, scavenging ABTS·+ and DPPH free radicals. Conclusion: Brevinin-1EG has good safety and potential use as an anticancer therapeutic agent. It provides support for the research of new peptide drugs and templates for structural modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corylus L. is an economically and phylogenetically important genus in the family Betulaceae. Taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of Corylus species have long been controversial for lack of effective molecular markers. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of six Corylus species were assembled and characterized using next-generation sequencing. We compared the genome features, repeat sequences, sequence divergence, and constructed the phylogenetic relationships of the six Corylus species. The results indicated that Corylus cp genomes were typical of the standard double-stranded DNA molecule, ranging from 160,445 base pairs (bp) (C. ferox var. thibetca) to 161,621 bp (C. yunnanensis) in length. Each genome contained a pair of inverted repeats (IRs), a large single-copy (LSC) region and a small single-copy (SSC) region. Each of the six cp genomes possessed 113 unique genes arranged in the same order, including 80 protein-coding, 29 tRNA, and 4 rRNA genes. C. yunnanensis contained the highest number of repeat sequences, and the richest SSRs in six cp genomes were A/T mononucleotides. Comparative analyses of six Corylus cp genomes revealed four hotspot regions (trnH-psbA, rpoB-trnC, trnF-ndhJ, and rpl32-trnL) that could be used as potential molecular markers. Phylogenetic analyses of the complete chloroplast genomes and 80 protein-coding genes exhibited nearly identical topologies that strongly supported the monophyly of Corylus and simultaneously revealed the generic relationships among Betulaceae. The availability of these genomes can offer valuable genetic information for further taxonomy, phylogeny, and species delimitation in Corylus or even Betulaceae plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundPrevious studies on telemedicine interventions have shown that older diabetic patients experience difficulty in using computers, which is a barrier to remote communication between medical teams and older diabetic patients. However, older people in China tend to find it easy to use mobile phones and personal messaging apps that have a user-friendly interface. Therefore, we designed a mobile health (mHealth) system for older people with diabetes that is based on mobile phones, has a streamlined operation interface, and incorporates maximum automation. ObjectiveThe goal of the research was to investigate the use of mobile phone–based telemedicine apps for management of older Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Variables of interest included efficacy and safety. MethodsA total of 91 older (aged over 65 years) patients with T2DM who presented to our department were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Patients in the intervention group (n=44) were provided glucometers capable of data transmission and received advice pertaining to medication, diet, and exercise via the mHealth telemedicine system. Patients assigned to the control group (n=47) received routine outpatient care with no additional intervention. Patients in both groups were followed up at regular 3-month intervals. ResultsAfter 3 months, patients in the intervention group showed significant (P