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Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is a dicotyledonous oilseed crop that can have either spineless or spiny capsules. Spines are protuberant structures that differ from thorns or prickles. The developmental regulatory mechanisms governing spine formation in castor or other plants have remained largely unknown. Herein, using map-based cloning in 2 independent F2 populations, F2-LYY5/DL01 and F2-LYY9/DL01, we identified the RcMYB106 (myb domain protein 106) transcription factor as a key regulator of capsule spine development in castor. Haplotype analyses demonstrated that either a 4,353-bp deletion in the promoter or a single nucleotide polymorphism leading to a premature stop codon in the RcMYB106 gene could cause the spineless capsule phenotype in castor. Results of our experiments indicated that RcMYB106 might target the downstream gene RcWIN1 (WAX INDUCER1), which encodes an ethylene response factor known to be involved in trichome formation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) to control capsule spine development in castor. This hypothesis, however, remains to be further tested. Nevertheless, our study reveals a potential molecular regulatory mechanism underlying the spine capsule trait in a nonmodel plant species.

BackgroundThe current ECG criteria for diagnosing left bundle branch block (LBBB) still cannot fully differentiate between true and false blocks. The absence or presence of an LBBB is key in improving the response rate of clinical cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).MethodsWe hypothesized that the notch width of the QRS complex in the lateral leads (I, avL, V5, V6) on the LBBB-like ECG could further confirm the diagnosis of true complete left bundle branch block (t-LBBB). We performed high-density, three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping in the cardiac chambers of 37 patients scheduled to undergo CRT and whose preoperative electrocardiograms met the ACC/AHA/HRS guidelines for the diagnosis of complete LBBB. If the left bundle branch potential could be mapped from the bottom of the heart to the apex on the left ventricular septum, it was defined as a false complete left bundle branch block (f-LBBB). Otherwise, it was categorized as a t-LBBB. We compared the clinical characteristics, the real-time correspondence between the spread of ventricular electrical excitation and the QRS wave, the QRS notch width of the lateral leads (I, avL, V5, V6), and the notch width/left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (Nw/LVd) ratio between the two groups. Through ROC correlation analysis of Nw/LVd and t-LBBB, the sensitivity, specificity, and cut-off value of Nw/LVd diagnostic authenticity were obtained.ResultsTwenty-five patients were recruited to the t-LBBB group, and 12 to the f-LBBB group. In the t-LBBB group, the first peak of the QRS notch corresponded to the depolarization of the right ventricle and septum, the trough corresponded to the depolarization of the left ventricle across the left ventricle, and the second peak corresponded to the depolarization of the left ventricular free wall. In the f-LBBB group, the first peak corresponded to the depolarization of the right ventricle and most of the left ventricle, the second peak corresponded to the depolarization of the latest, locally-activated myocardium of the left ventricle, and the trough was caused by the off-peak delayed activation of the left ventricle. The QRS notch width (45.2 ± 12.3 ms vs. 52.5 ± 9.2 ms,PPConculuionUsing the current diagnostic criteria of LBBB, increasing the Nw/LVd value can diagnose LBBB more effectively.

Abstract: Ascidians (tunicates) are widely recognized as one of the most prolific producers of bioactive natural products in the marine environment. This present study reviewed the chemical diversity of marine ascidians from the Aplidium genus and their pharmacological applications since Jan 2005. The resources of this genus from China Seas, including the changes of their names in the family Polydinidae were also summarized in this paper. In addition, a concise outlook on their chemical and pharmaceutical investigation is made to support further development.

To achieve high-value utilization of peat, the process of coupling methane fermentation and extraction of fulvic acid was explored and the effects of sulfuric acid pretreatment before methane ferme...

Purpose: The phenotypic transformation of human brain vascular smooth muscle cells (HBVSMC) is widely involved in the appearance and progression of intracranial aneurysms (IA). Aneurysm (IA) Circular RNA circ_FOXO3 functions pivotally in vascular diseases and tumors, but its regulatory role as well as its molecular mechanism in IA is still uncertain. This research was to explore how circ_FOXO3 works and its mechanism in vitro model of HBVSMC IA induced by H2O2. Methods: Thirty-eight patients with IA and their normal tissues were clinically collected. Examination of endothelin-1, vascular hematoma factor, circ_FOXO3, microRNA (miR)-122-5p and KLF6 and the correlation of circ_FOXO3 with clinical case information were ensured. Establishment of an in vitro IA model was through HBVSMC induced by H2O2 and transfection with circ_FOXO3, miR-122-5p and KLF6 related plasmids was to figure out their roles in cell growth. The relationship among circ_FOXO3, miR-122-5p with KLF6 was detected. Results: Up-regulated circ_FOXO3 and KLF6 and reduced miR-122-5p were in IA tissues; Circ_FOXO3 was associated with smoking history, Hunt-Hess grading and endothelial injury degree. Repressive circ_FOXO3 or KLF6 and strengthening miR-122-5p facilitated H2O2-induced proliferation and repressed HBVSMC apoptosis, while elevation of circ_FOXO3 or depressive miR-122-5p was opposite. circ_FOXO3 bound to miR-122-5p, whose target was KLF6, which participated in controlling IA by mediating the circ_FOXO3/miR-122-5p axis. Conclusion: In summary, the findings suggest that circ_FOXO3 suppresses H2O2-induced proliferation of HBVSMC but promotes apoptosis via modulation of miR-122-5p/KLF6 axis. Targeted therapy of circ_FOXO3/miR-122-5p/KLF6 axis is supposed to be a promising treatment approach for IA patients.

The hierarchical clustering algorithm has been proved useful in portfolio investment, which is one of the hottest issues in finance. In our new portfolio strategy, central, peripheral and dispersed portfolios constructed from clusters detected using unweighted and weighted modularity are compared according to their past performances, and the optimal portfolio is used in the investment period only if the market index return predicted by the LR, WMA or BP models is positive to avoid losses when the market drops. Our strategy is tested using the daily data of Chinese A-share market from January 4, 2008 and December 31, 2016, and the average investment return during different moving investment periods and 200 repeated runs is calculated. We find that although incorporating dispersed portfolio into our strategy has no significant effect in raising the investment return, it shows a similar performance as the peripheral portfolio, and the strategy constructed using unweighted modularity generally outperforms its counterpart by using weighted modularity. In addition, the market trend prediction can refine the investment return of our strategy. In brief, the strategy constructed using the BP model and unweighted modularity has the best investment return, which also outperforms the Markowitz portfolio.

Antibiotics discharged into the environment cause increased environmental resistance. Four types of antibiotics (quinolones, tetracyclines, macrolides, and

The Gerbode defect is a special type of ventricle septum defect causing a communication between the left ventricle and right atrium. In this article, we present a rare case of 2-year-old congenital Gerbode defect. The location of this defect was special, just at the interventricular septum between the tricuspid and mitral valve. She underwent the closure of the defect with an autologous pericardial patch in station of mild hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass.

Atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) is a common complication in patients who have undergone a Fontan operation. In this study, we investigated whether abnormal Ca2+ handling contributes to the Fontan operation-related atrial arrhythmogenic substrate. Mongrel dogs were randomly assigned to sham and Fontan groups. The Fontan operation model was developed by performing an atriopulmonary anastomosis. After 14 days, an electrophysiological study was performed to evaluate the AT vulnerability. Ca2+ handling properties were measured by loading atrial cardiomyocytes (CMs) with fura-2 AM. The L-type Ca2+ (ICa−L) and Na+–Ca2+ exchanger (INCX) currents of the CMs were recorded by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. The key Ca2+ handling proteins expression was assessed by Western blotting. The AT inducibility was higher in the Fontan group than in the sham group (85.71 vs. 14.29%, P

Phospholipids are one of the major bioactive ingredients of Antarctic krill Euphausea superba. A feasible and effective extraction method of Antarctic krill oil was investigated and modified by orthogonal test which the ratio of solid to liquid was 1:2.5, extraction time was 5 min, ratio of ethyl acetate (EA) and n-butanol (BuOH) was 1:1. With this method, the extract of krill oil has a higher phospholipids content of 27.7% - 42.3%, together with total oil yields of 4.15% - 6.18%.

A new rearranged lignan, asasiebolin (1), was isolated from a kind of traditional Chinese medicine Asarum sieboldii, together with two known lignans, L-sesamin and L-asarinin. Asasiebolin (1) contained a benzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carboxyl moiety linked to a hydroxymethyl at C-3 of the tetrahydrofuran core, which might be rearranged after a cleavage from C-4. The structure with relative configuration was elucidated by in-depth spectral methods.

Atrial arrhythmia is an important cause of late death in patients after the Fontan-Style operation. However, the detailed electrophysiological characteristics of the post-Fontan atrium and its underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated electrophysiological characteristics and the ionic remodeling in the right atrium (RA) of a canine model after the Fontan operation. We performed the operation of RA to pulmonary artery connection to mimic the Fontan operation. We undertook hemodynamic measurements, cardiac electrophysiological studies, and ion current measurements. The expression of ionic channels was analyzed by PCR and western-blotting. Our Fontan model induced RA hypertension, enlarged the size of RA, and increased atrial fibrosis, representing the classic characteristic of Fontan patients. In the Fontan group, the atrial effective refractory period and the active potential duration were reduced, and the atrial tachycardia has been more often to be induced. The electrical conduction mapping showed that the Fontan group reduced the conduction velocity. The Fontan operation significantly down-regulated the expression of KCND3/Kv4.3, CACNA1C/Cav1.2 and SCN5A, but up-regulated the expression of KCNJ2/Kir2.1. Correspondingly, The Fontan operation reduced transient-outward (Ito) and L-type Ca2 (ICa,L) and INa currents, while increasing the inward-rectifier current (IK1). Thus, the net shortening of the action potential in the post-Fontan atrium is associated with the altered expression of ionic channels which disturbed the balance between inward and outward currents. Taken together, the Fontan operation induces the ionic remodeling, and thus altered electrophysiological characteristics of the right atrium, improving our understanding on the pathophysiology of atrial arrhythmias in Fontan patients.

The marine phytoplankton Prorocentrum lima is one of the toxic and harmful microalgae which can cause red tides. In chemical investigation on cultured strain P. lima PL11, seven compounds were isolated and identified by spectroscopic data, including three typical shellfish toxins okadaic acid (OA, 1), OA methyl ester (2), and prorocentrolide (3), three terpenoids (4–6), and one polyketide (7). Compounds 5 and 6 should be derived from carotenoid fucoxanthin. Compounds 4–7 were isolated from this genus of microalgae for the first time.

A novel β-diketone 4-[4-(Dibenzylamino) phenyl]-2,4-dioxobutanoic (DPD) and its corresponding Eu3+ complex with 1,10-phenanthroline were synthesized. The structure, thermal behaviour and fluorescence property of the complex was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The fluorescence characterization shown that the addition of β-diketone and 1,10-phenanthroline enhance the fluorescence intensity of the complex. Eu3+ complex was considered to be a valuable organic light-emitting material with bright red fluorescence because of its strong emission band. Furthermore, the thermal stability characterizarion shows that the obtained rare earth β-diketone complexes have good thermostability.

Diversity analysis on secondary metabolites of Antarctic microbes, Rhodococcus sp. NJ-008 and Pseudomonas sp. NJ-011, together with the structural elucidation of some purified compounds, has been carried out for understanding of their chemical constituents. The methanol extracts of Rhodococcus sp. NJ-008 and Pseudomonas sp. NJ-011 were subjected to HPLC-TOF MS test for diversity analysis on secondary metabolites, respectively. The chemical constituents of NJ-011 are mainly N-containing compounds including some alkaloids and short polypeptides, while those of NJ-008 are not N-containing ones. Three compounds were also isolated and identified from extract of NJ011 by different column chromatography and preparative HPLC, and their structures were elucidated as b-carboline (1), 3-benzylhexahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione (2) and 3-isobutylhexahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione (3) by comparison of TOF MS, 1Hand 13C-NMR data with those reported. More microbial material of Pseudomonas sp. NJ-011 should be needed for exploration of the minor constituents with complicated structures.

Chemical investigation of the stems of Homalium ceylanicum (Gardner) Benth. (Flacourtiaceae/Salicaceae sensu lato) led to the isolation and structural elucidation of fifteen phenolic glycosides, including two new examples (1 and 2). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses including MS, 1D and 2D NMR data, and the known ones were identified by comparison of 1H and 13C NMR data with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1 and 2, together with 3, 4 and 7, are glycosides of 2, 5-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol which are the chemical character of Salicaceae. This study thus provides chemical evidence that supports the genus Homalium placed in Salicaceae sensu lato.

Three steroidal saponins, including astrogorgiosides A (1) and B (2) bearing acetamido-glucose moieties, and astrogorgioside C (3) with a 19-nor and bearing an aromatized B ring steroid aglycone, together with a known major saponin dimorphoside A (4), were obtained from the gorgonian Astrogorgia dumbea collected near Dongshan Island in East China Sea. Structures of these compounds were elucidated by in-depth spectral and chemical methods, including 2D-NMR, HR-ESI-MS spectra, and acidic hydrolysis. For the first time, acetamido-glucose moiety is being reported from a gorgonian. The B-ring aromatized steroid aglycone of compound 3 is also rare in marine natural products. Compounds 1-3 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 26.8-45.6 µM against human tumor cells Bel-7402 and K562.

Background Linear headache (LH) has recently been described as a paroxysmal or continuous fixed head pain restricted in a linear trajectory of 5–10 mm in width, linking one endpoint in occipital or occipitocervical region with another endpoint in ipsilateral nasion or forehead region. For some patients, this headache had some features resembling migraine without aura. Methods We made a prospective search of patients presenting with a clinical picture comprised under the heading of LH and we have accessed eight new cases. A detailed clinical feature of the headache was obtained in all cases to differentiate with cranial neuralgia, paroxysmal hemicrania, cervicogenic headache, nummular headache and migraine. Results The eight LH patients complained of a recurrent moderate to severe, distending, pulsating, or pressure-like pain within a strictly unilateral line-shaped area. The headache duration would be ranged from 1 h to 2 days or persistent for 1–6 months with recurrent worsening of headaches. For some patients, this headache had couple of features similar to that of migraine pattern, such as accompaniments of nausea, vomiting, and phonophobia, diziness, triggering factors of noise, bright night, resting after physical activity, fatigue, menstruation, and response to anti-migraine therapy. Conclusions This description reinforces the proposal of LH as a new headache syndrome or a new variant of a previously known headache syndrome, probably of migraine.

In this study, we determined the neuroprotective effect of aucubin on diabetes and diabetic encephalopathy. With the exception of the control group, all rats received intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ; 60 mg/kg) to induce type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). Aucubin (1, 5, 10 mg/kg ip) was used after induction of DM (immediately) and diabetic encephalopathy (65 days after the induction of diabetes). The diabetic encephalopathy treatment groups were divided into short-term and long-term treatment groups. Treatment responses to all parameters were examined (body weight, plasma glucose, Y-maze error rates and proportion of apoptotic cells). In diabetic rats, aucubin controlled blood glucose levels effectively, prevented complications, and improved the quality of life of diabetic rats. In diabetic encephalopathy, aucubin significantly rescued neurons in the hippocampal CA1 subfield and reduced working errors during behavioral testing. The significant neuroprotective effect of aucubin could be seen not only in the short term (15 days) but also in the long term (45 days), which was a highly encouraging finding. These data suggest that aucubin may be a potential neuroprotective agent.

Background Linear headache (LH) has recently been described as a paroxysmal or continuous head pain restricted in a linear trajectory of 5–10 mm in width, linking one endpoint in occipital or occipitocervical region with another endpoint in ipsilateral nasion or forehead region. The sagittal line-shaped pain area of LH is close and parallel to a sagittal venous sinus, the superior sagittal sinus (SSS). For some patients, the LH had some features resembling the pattern of migraine without aura. Case description A 45 year-old woman complained with a distinct headache for more than half years. The pain trajectory of the headache is confined to a coronal line-shaped area of 5–10 mm in width linking the two points in the bilateral temporal regions with the occipital protuberance. This coronal line-shaped pain area is close and parallel to a coronal cambered venous sinus complex, the combination of the confluences of sinus and the bilateral cavernous sinus (CS), superior petrosal sinus (SPS) linking the CS with transverse sinus (TS) and TS into which the SPS feeds. The patient had a past history of migraine without aura for 10 years and her son had a benign paroxysmal vertigo (BPV) for 12 years. Both of her coronal line-shaped headache and her son’s vertigo had well response to sodium valproate. Discussion and evaluation Its clinical characteristics were distinctly different from those of other two headache entities defined with topographical criteria, nummular headache and epicrania fugax, and different from other existing headache entities except for migraine without aura. Conclusion The distinct coronal line-shaped headache is suggestive of a variant of LH, a coronal LH, and probably belongs to a subtype of migraine without aura as proposed for LH. This coronal LH reinforces the proposal of LH as a new headache syndrome or a subtype of a previously known headache syndrome, probably of migraine.

s Polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles were successfully polymerized on the surface of Pt electrode to form nanostructured films. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) micrographs showed that the just-synthesized films were compact with diameter of nanoparticles on films about 50 and 30 nm for HClO 4 and citric acid doped PANI films, respectively. And the surface of the electrode was coated completely with PANI films. After electrical stimulation for 1 month in 0.9% sodium chloride solution, there were no fissures appearing on PANI films. The compact film would act as a protecting membrane of the Pt surface, and is suitable to be used as the electrode coating for long-time performance. The time frame of human plasma fibronectin (FN) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption illustrated that electrical stimulation enhanced the amount of protein adsorption on PANI films up to 1.7-fold increase as compared to that without electrical stimulation. The SEM images of BSA adsorption for 120 min indicated that electrical stimulation might initiate the aggregation of BSA, and the nanostructure of the PANI films could inhibit the aggregation. We also found that the protein adsorption decreased conductivity of PANI films, which maybe due to the protein barriers formed on them. These results provided a good reference for the use of conducting polymers as neural probe coating.

Three new phenolic glycosides, scolochinenosides C-E ( 1- 3), and a new triterpenoid, scolopianate A ( 4), were isolated from the stems of SCOLOPIA CHINENSIS, along with 15 known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compound 3 contains a novel highly oxygenated lactone bridge ring attached at the aglycone. Six lanostane triterpenoids ( 10- 15) were discovered for the first time in a species other than GANODERMA LUCIDUM (Polyporaceae). In addition, the phenolic glycosides were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against snake venom phosphodiesterase I.

Seven new phenolic glucosides, xylocosides A–G (1–7), together with 18 known compounds were isolated from the stems of Xylosma controversumClos. In compounds 3–6, the glucose residue is esterified at C(6) by 2-hydroxycyclopentanecarboxylic acid. These new structures were established by spectroscopic-data interpretation and chemical methods.

Four rare isoryanodane diterpenoids namely itols A–D (1–4) and two isoryanodane glucosides (5 and 6) were isolated from the bark and twigs of Itoa orientalis. Their structures were determined by NMR and MS techniques and the structure of 1 was confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These six diterpenoids obviously showed insecticidal activity against Spodoptera exigua, with LC50 28.62 ppm for 1 and 52.76 ppm for 2, respectively. In anti-inflammatory assay, compounds 1 and 4–6 showed anti-COX-2 activity, with inhibitory rates of 54.7–78.3% at 10 μM.

Two new phenolic glycosides, scolochinenosides A and B (1 and 2), and a new flavonoid glycoside, scoloside A (3), were isolated from the leaves of Scolopia chinensis (Lour.) Clos, together with eight known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences.

Eight new benzoylated gentisyl alcohol (=2-(hydroxymethyl)benzene-1,4-diol) glucosides, itosides A–H (1–8), together with the new pyrocatechol (=benzene-1,2-diol) glycoside itoside I (9) were isolated from the bark and twigs of Itoa orientalis (Flacourtiaceae). In itosides B–D (2–4), the gentisyl alcohol moiety was esterified by 1-hydroxy-6-oxocyclohex-2-ene-1-carboxylic acid, while itosides E–H (5–8) contained instead an additional 2-hydroxybenzoic acid moiety. The compounds were accompanied by the known derivatives 4-hydroxytremulacin (10), poliothyrsoside (11), poliothyrsin (12), homaloside D (13), tremulacin, and pyrocatechol β-D-glucopyranoside. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectral and chemical methods.

This is a reply to the comments on our article “Linear headache: a recurrent unilateral head pain circumscribed in a line-shaped area” published in JHP 2014 Jun 26; 15:45. In the comments, the authors raise a question whether the linear headache (LH) we reported be a linear interictal pain in epicranial fugax (EF), based on a case they reported. We think that the LH is not a linear interictal pain in EF based on our observations and considerations.

The problem of portfolio optimization is one of the most important issues in asset management. We here propose a new dynamic portfolio strategy based on the time-varying structures of MST networks in Chinese stock markets, where the market condition is further considered when using the optimal portfolios for investment. A portfolio strategy comprises two stages: First, select the portfolios by choosing central and peripheral stocks in the selection horizon using five topological parameters, namely degree, betweenness centrality, distance on degree criterion, distance on correlation criterion and distance on distance criterion. Second, use the portfolios for investment in the investment horizon. The optimal portfolio is chosen by comparing central and peripheral portfolios under different combinations of market conditions in the selection and investment horizons. Market conditions in our paper are identified by the ratios of the number of trading days with rising index to the total number of trading days, or the sum of the amplitudes of the trading days with rising index to the sum of the amplitudes of the total trading days. We find that central portfolios outperform peripheral portfolios when the market is under a drawup condition, or when the market is stable or drawup in the selection horizon and is under a stable condition in the investment horizon. We also find that peripheral portfolios gain more than central portfolios when the market is stable in the selection horizon and is drawdown in the investment horizon. Empirical tests are carried out based on the optimal portfolio strategy. Among all possible optimal portfolio strategies based on different parameters to select portfolios and different criteria to identify market conditions, 65% of our optimal portfolio strategies outperform the random strategy for the Shanghai A-Share market while the proportion is 70% for the Shenzhen A-Share market.

Background A headache circumscribed in a line-shaped area but not confined to the territory of one particular nerve had ever been described in Epicrania Fugax (EF) of which the head pain is moving and ultrashort. In a 25-month period from Feb 2012 to Mar 2014, we encountered 12 patients with a paroxysmal motionless head pain restricted in a linear trajectory. The head pain trajectory was similar to that of EF, but its all other features obviously different from those of EF. We named this distinctive but undescribed type of headache linear headache (LH). Methods A detailed clinical feature of the headache was obtained in all cases to differentiate with EF, trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) and cranial neuralgia. Similarities and differences in clinical features were compared between LH and migraine. Results The twelve LH patients (mean age 43.9 ± 12.2) complained of a recurrent, moderate to severe, distending (n = 9), pressure-like (n = 3) or pulsating (n = 3) pain within a strictly unilateral line-shaped area. The painful line is distributed from occipital or occipitocervical region to the ipsilateral eye (n = 5), forehead (n = 6) or parietal region (n = 1). The pain line has a trajecory similar to that of EF but no characteristics of moving. The headache duration would be ranged from five minutes to three days, but usually from half day to one day in most cases (n = 8). Six patients had the accompaniment of nausea with or without vomiting, and two patients had the accompaniment of ipsilateral dizziness. The attacks could be either spontaneous (n = 10) or triggered by noise, depression and resting after physical activity (n = 1), or by stress and staying up late (n = 1). The frequency of attacks was variable. The patients had well response to flunarizine, sodium valproate and amitriptyline but not to carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine. LH is different from EF, trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) and cranial neuralgia, but it had couple of features similar to that of migraine. Conclusions The clinical picture of LH might be a subtype of migraine, or represent a novel syndrome.

Recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy (RPON), formerly named ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM), is a rare condition characterized by the association of unilateral headaches and the ipsilateral oculomotor nerve palsy. The third cranial nerve is most commonly involved in the recurrent attacks. But it is still debated whether a migraine or an oculomotor neuropathy may be the primary cause of this disorder. Here, we report an elder patient who had a recurrent ophthalmoplegia starting with an unilateral headache circumscribed in an area shaped in a line linking the posterior-parietal region and the ipsilateral eye. And the headache had couple of features similar to that of migraine, such as past history of recurrent migraine attacks, accompaniments of nausea, vomiting, and phonophobia, response to flunarizine and sodium valproate. We may herein report a subtype of OM but not a RPON. This case report indicates that OM may exist as an entity and some OM may be wrongly grouped under the category of RPON in the current international headache classification.

Five purine and carboline alkaloids were isolated from the methanol extract of the ascidian Symplegma oceania. Classic chromatographies including preparative HPLC were used for isolation and purification of the compounds. The structures were established as 6-methoxy-7-methyl-8-oxoguanine (1), 2-methylimino-3-methyl-6-methylamino- 9H-purine (2), 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-betacarboline (3), 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-methyl-beta-carboline (4) and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (5) by comparison the spectroscopic data (MS, 1H, 13C-NMR) with those reported in the literatures. Compounds 2-5 were reported from the the genus Symplegma for the first time. The purine and carboline were the major alkaloid types of S. oceania.

Four new polyhydroxylated sterols, named halicrasterols A–D (1–4), together with six known analogs (5–10) were isolated from the marine sponge Haliclona crassiloba. Compounds 1 and 2 represented rare examples of steroids featuring 17(20)E-double bonds. The structures of 1–10 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with reported data. This is the first report of a steroid profile for this species. The antimicrobial activities of 1–10 were evaluated against a panel of bacterial and fungal strains in vitro, and compounds 4 and 9 showed moderate activity against some of the Gram-positive strains with MICs ranging from 4 to 32 μg/mL.

To analyze and summarize the medical treatment experience following separation of thoracopagus conjoined twins.The clinical manifestations and the medical therapy of a pair of thoracopagus conjoined twins were analyzed. The conjunction of the female twins was from 5 cm above the nipple to the umbilicus. They also suffered from complex congenital heart diseases. At the 17th day of their lives, they were surgically separated. One girl died after the operation, the other survived but experienced heart failure, sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction (including liver, blood and kidney et al). In order to protect or maintain the main organ function, the vital signs and the objective indexes were monitored continually, such as blood routine test, C reactive protein, hepatorenal function, bacterial culture, and galactomannan test, blood gas analysis and chest radiogram.It is important to protect the main organ function and prevent or control infection. The early surgical correction of congenital heart disease may contribute to recovery of the children.

Ten triterpenoid glycosides, including five new ones (1—5), were isolated from the leaves of Ilex pernyi. The chemical structures of 1—5 were determined on the basis of the chemical and spectroscopic evidence.

Four rare isoryanodane diterpenoids namely itols A–D (1–4) and two isoryanodane glucosides (5 and 6) were isolated from the bark and twigs of Itoa orientalis. Their structures were determined by NMR and MS techniques and the structure of 1 was confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These six diterpenoids obviously showed insecticidal activity against Spodoptera exigua, with LC50 28.62 ppm for 1 and 52.76 ppm for 2, respectively. In anti-inflammatory assay, compounds 1 and 4–6 showed anti-COX-2 activity, with inhibitory rates of 54.7–78.3% at 10 μM.