A new C19-diterpenoid alkaloid named gyalanutine A (1) and fourteen known compounds 2-15 were isolated from the plant of Delphinium gyalanum C. Marquand & Airy Shaw. Compound 1 displayed an unusual lycoctonine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloid skeleton with the cleavage of N-C19 and C7-C17 bonds, and the construction of the N-C7 bond. Structures were identified by multiple spectroscopic analyses including 1 D, 2 D NMR, IR and HR-ESI-MS. Compounds were tested for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activity.

Complement receptor 3 (CD11b/CD18) is an important receptor that mediates adhesion, phagocytosis and chemotaxis in various immunocytes. The conidia of the medically-important pathogenic fungus, Aspergillus fumigatus can be internalized into alveolar epithelial cells to disseminate its infection in immunocompromised host; however, the role of CR3 in this process is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the potential role of CR3 on A. fumigatus internalization into type II alveolar epithelial cells and its effect...

Phytochemical investigation on the concentrate of Huangjing wine, resulted in the isolation of three new tyrosol derivatives 4′′′-hydroxyphenethyl 2-(R)-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionate (1), 4′′′-hydroxyphenethyl(4′-hydroxy-3′-methoxyphenyl)propionate (2) and 4′′-hydroxyphenethyl ethyl succinate (3), together with 5 known compounds, ferulic acid (4), L-phenyllactic acid (5), hydroxytyrosol (6), dihydroferulic acid (7), cyclo(L-Pro-D-Tyr) (8). Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with the literature data. All compounds displayed antioxidant effect in the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical. Among them, the new compound 2...

1. Melatonin is an indole hormone that, among its myriad biological functions, regulates circadian and seasonal rhythms in animals. The ASMT gene plays an essential role in melatonin synthesis. However, in chickens, little is known about the regulatory elements governing its transcription. 2. The following study identified the transcription start site of the chicken ASMT gene by 5’-RACE. Then, the proximal minimal promoter was identified using a series of 5′ truncations of the ASMT promoter...

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cannot be completely cured, mainly due to the existence of a latent HIV-1 reservoir. However, our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment and maintenance of HIV-1 latent reservoir is not comprehensive. Here, using a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 activation library screening, we identified E3 ubiquitin ligase F-box protein 34 (FBXO34) and the substrate of FBXO34, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (hnRNP U) was identified by affinity purification mass spectrometry, as new...

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We identified relapsing fever (RF) Borrelia in 1.45% (145/10426) of the ticks and 1.40% (40/2850) of the wild mammals in a field investigation in China. Three RF Borrelia species, including human-pathogenic Borrelia miyamotoi, Borrelia persica and unclassified Babesia sp. were determined. Main species determined from ticks was B. miyamotoi (44.14%), followed by the unclassified Borrelia sp. (42.76%), and Borrelia theileri (13.10%). In wild mammals, main species found was B. persica (57.50%), followed by the unclassified...

To evaluate the relationship between ocular magnification correction and macular choroidal thickness (ChT) measurements in children, and to demonstrate when ocular magnification correction is necessary. Chinese children aged 6–9 years with various refractive statuses were included. Swept-source optical coherence tomography was used to measure macular ChT. A self-designed program was adopted to simulate ChT changes in each sector of the ETDRS grid in the macula under various simulated axial lengths (ALs). ChT measurements were not...

Nonparametric control charts that can detect arbitrary distributional changes are highly desirable due to their flexibility to adapt to different distributional assumptions and changes. However, most of the nonparametric control charts in the literature either can only detect location changes, or involve intensive computation. In this article, we propose a new nonparametric adaptive CUSUM chart. The proposed control chart can detect arbitrary distributional changes and is computationally efficient. Its self-starting nature makes the proposed control...

Comfortable and well-fitting bras are necessary for good quality of life but hard to find for women who undergo reconstruction after breast cancer treatment. This study aimed to provide data to inform bra designs for breast cancer survivors. We measured anatomical distances used in bra design on 3D clinical photographs of patients who underwent unilateral and bilateral implant-based reconstruction to quantify changes after reconstruction relative to the measured values before the person underwent surgery. We...

In this work, g-C3N4/ZIF-8 heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized by the process which the metal organic framework ZIF-8 nanoparticles were grown onto the g-C3N4 layer in situ. Bismuth element was doped into the as-prepared g-C3N4/ZIF-8 material and new type of Bi@g-C3N4/ZIF-8 composite photocatalysts were manufactured, in which the doping element acts in adjusting the band gap in the photocatalysts. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM, FTIR, XPS, UV-Vis DRS, photoluminescence and photo-electrochemical experiments....

Little is known about alternation and difference in gut microbiota between patients with mild and severe hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). We investigated the differences in gut and oropharynx microbiotas between mild and severe HFMD in young children and changes in bacterial profiles as the disease progresses from acute to convalescent phase. Forty-two patients with confirmed HFMD were studied, among which thirty-two had severe HFMD and ten had mild HFMD. First rectal swabs were...

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants of concern (VOCs) showed severe resistance to the early-approved COVID-19 vaccines-induced immune responses. The breakthrough infections by the Omicron VOCs are currently the major challenge for pandemic control. Therefore, booster vaccination is crucial to enhance immune responses and protective efficacy. Previously, we developed a protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine ZF2001, based on the immunogen of receptor-binding domain (RBD) homodimer, which was approved in China and other countries. To adapt SARS-CoV-2 variants, we...

BBIBP-CorV exerts efficient protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, waning vaccine-induced humoral immune responses after two-dose vaccination has significantly undermined durable immuno-protection. In this study, we have demonstrated that although anti-spike (S) antibody responses in BBIBP-CorV vaccinees exhibited three serotypes after 6 months including de novo sero-negative, sero-positive and sero-decay features, S-specific interferon-γ release as well as Th1 cytokine production in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were comparable, especially in vaccinees without detectable neutralizing antibodies. Notably,...

The northern areas of China are traditional endemic regions for brucellosis in both animals and humans, while occasional outbreaks of brucellosis have been observed in neglected southern provinces. On December 16, 2020, Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CQCDC) received a report of 15 Brucella seropositive employees in a biological products company. The CQCDC and the local health administrative department launched an investigation that included identification of cases, laboratory testing of samples, and employees’...

The epidemiological features of the newly emerged carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-HvKP) and its potential threat to human health are currently unknown. In this study, a total of 784 blaKPC-2-bearing CRKP strains collected from three hospitals located at different geographical locales in China during 2014-2017 were subjected to molecular typing, screening of virulence plasmid, string test and WGS (367/784 strains). The proportion of CRKP among all clinical K. pneumoniae strains increased sharply in China during...

Emerging studies indicate that infusion of HIV-resistant cells could be an effective strategy to achieve a sterilizing or functional cure. We recently reported that glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored nanobody or a fusion inhibitory peptide can render modified cells resistant to HIV-1 infection. In this study, we comprehensively characterized a panel of newly isolated HIV-1-neutralizing antibodies as GPI-anchored inhibitors. Fusion genes encoding the single-chain variable fragment (scFv) of 3BNC117, N6, PGT126, PGT128, 10E8, or 35O22 were constructed with...

Current medicine for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cannot effectively reverse or block nerve injury. Traditional Chinese Medicine practice and research imply Aconiti lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi) may meet this goal. Analysing the anti-AD effect of Fuzi and its potential molecular mechanism. AD model cells were treated with Fuzi in 0-300 mg/mL for 24 h in 37 °C. The cell viability (CV) and length of cell projections (LCP) for each group were observed, analysed, and standardised using...

Camptothecins, traditional chemotherapy drugs, have been clinically used in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which refreshes the recognition that ADCs preferably incorporate highly potent payloads. However, SN-38, active metabolite of irinotecan from camptothecins, tended to be incorporated into ADCs with an unstable acid sensitive bond, not with the widely used Cathepsin B (CTSB) sensitive bond, which may pose the risk of off-target. Herein, we reported a novel strategy to construct highly releasable and structurally stable SN-38-conjugates, in...

High-strength bolts have been widely used in steel bolted connections, and fire-induced high temperatures will affect its basic mechanical properties and fracture behavior, leading to failure of the connection and even collapse of the overall structure. Tensile experiments are conducted on Grade 10.9 high-strength bolts to investigate the effect of stress triaxiality and heating history on their mechanical and fracture properties in the whole process of fire. The true stress-strain curves are obtained to determine...

Our goal in this work was to investigate the possible role and mechanism of regulated in development and DNA damage response 1 (REDD1) in mediating high glucose (HG)-induced podocyte injury in vitro. Mouse podocytes were stimulated with HG to establish HG injury model. Protein expression was examined by Western blotting. Cell viability was measured by cell counting kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by annexin V‐FITC/propidium iodide and TUNEL apoptotic assays. Levels of reactive oxygen...

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3, ATO) has limited therapeutic benefit to treat solid tumors, whether used alone or in combination. Nanoscale drug delivery vehicles have great potential to overcome the limitation of the utility of ATO by rapid renal clearance and dose-limiting toxicity. Polymeric materials ranging from gelatin foam to synthetic polymers such as poly(vinyl alcohol) were developed for vascular embolic or chemoembolic applications. Recently, we have introduced sevelamer, an oral phosphate binder, as a new polymeric...

Late Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian (Cadomian) magmatic rocks are abundant in Iran, but their occurrence in east-central Iran is voluminous. This paper reports, for the first time, on the Cadomian rocks of the eastern Iranian region known as Tapeh Tagh and deals with their geochemistry and uranium-lead (U-Pb) zircon ages. The Tapeh Tagh region contains masses of Cadomian meta-igneous rocks (including various types of granitic gneiss) and overlying meta-sedimentary rocks. The granitic gneisses show tectonic...

1. In a previous high-throughput sequencing study, a novel circular RNA (circRNA) generated from a SUN domain containing ossification factor (SUCO) gene transcript (circSUCO) was differentially expressed during the embryonic muscle development. This study aimed to further explore the effect of circSUCO on chicken skeletal muscle development. 2. The experiment analysed the expression patterns of circSUCO in Tianfu broilers and clarified its function in the chicken skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSC) after circSUCO knockdown. The...

In this work, a PAMAM@SiO2 demulsifier was synthesized by the reaction of a hyperbranched poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) and KH570 modified SiO2. The structure, morphology and composition of PAMAM@SiO2 were characterized by FT-IR, SEM and EDS. The effect of the concentration of PAMAM@SiO2, salinity and temperature on the demulsification performance was systematically studied. The results showed that the transmittance of aqueous phase after demulsification could reach as high as 92.1% at optimal conditions, and corresponding...