Developing multi-cellular tumor spheroid model (MCTS) in the chitosan/collagen/alginate (CCA) fibrous scaffold for anticancer drug screening.

In this work, a 3D MCTS-CCA system was constructed by culturing multi-cellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) in the chitosan/collagen/alginate (CCA) fibrous scaffold for anticancer drug screening. The CCA scaffolds were fabricated by spray-spinning. The interactions between the components of the spray-spun fibers were evidenced by methods of Coomassie Blue stain, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Autophagy is associated with cucurbitacin D-induced apoptosis in human T cell leukemia cells.

We previously reported that the inflammasome inhibitor cucurbitacin D (CuD) induces apoptosis in human leukemia cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the effects of co-treatment with an additional Bcl-xL inhibitor, Z36. Treatment with Z36 induced cell death in leukemia cell lines, with MT-4 cells exhibiting the lowest sensitivity to Z36.

[Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pleuromutilin derivatives with nitrogen-containing heterocycles as antibacterial agents].

A series of new pleuromutilins derivatives were designed and synthesized through coupling 2-aminothiazole ring of WL001 with different nitrogen-containing substituted heterocycles in the side chain. Their biological activities were evaluated against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative clinical bacteria in vitro Most new compounds displayed specificity to certain strain of bacteria. Particularly, compounds with saturated nitrogen-containing heterocycles exhibited significant antibacterial activities (0.

Curcumin combined with oxaliplatin effectively suppress colorectal carcinoma in vivo through inducing apoptosis.

Studies have shown chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic effects of several curcumin-based combinatorial treatments on colorectal cancer cells. However, their in vivo effects remain unclear. This study has demonstrated the therapeutic effect of curcumin and oxaliplatin, alone or in combination, on subcutaneously xenografted LoVo human colorectal cancer cells in immunodeficient (nu/nu) mice in vivo.

Application of Auto-regressive Linear Model in Understanding the Effect of Climate on Malaria Vectors Dynamics in the Three Gorges Reservoir.

It is important to understand the dynamics of malaria vectors in implementing malaria control strategies. Six villages were selected from different sections in the Three Gorges Reservoir for exploring the relationship between the climatic factors and its malaria vector density from 1997 to 2007 using the auto-regressive linear model regression method. The result indicated that both temperature and precipitation were better modeled as quadratic rather than linearly related to the density of Anopheles sinensis.

Cold hardiness and biochemical response to low temperature of the unfed bush tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae).

Background: The survival of overwintering ticks, is critical for their subsequent population dynamics in the spring, and consequent transmission of tick-borne diseases. Survival is largely influenced by the severity of the winter temperatures and their degree of cold hardiness at the overwintering stage. The bush tick Haemaphysalis longicornis, is widely distributed in China, and can transmit various pathogens that pose serious medical/veterinary problems.

Evaluating time-reminder strategies before amber: common signal, green flashing and green countdown.

The safety level of signalized intersection depends greatly on drivers' decision-making behaviors, which are significantly influenced by the time-reminder strategy before amber of the signal device. However, previous related studies are mainly based on the statistical results from the field data rather than explore the influence mechanism of the signal device on the signalized intersection's safety level. Therefore, this study aims to find out how these three typical signal devices with various time-reminder strategies, i.

A solution-phase bifunctional catalyst for lithium-oxygen batteries.

A lithium-oxygen battery would deliver the highest energy density of a rechargeable battery, but the multiphase electrochemical reaction on the air cathode has difficulty proceeding when operated with only solid catalysts. We report here the organic-electrolyte-dissolved iron phthalocyanine (FePc) as a shuttle of (O2)(-) species and electrons between the surface of the electronic conductor and the insulator Li2O2 product of discharge. The Li2O2 is observed to grow and decompose without direct contact with carbon, which greatly enhances the electrochemical performance.

Gene cloning, expression and immunogenicity of the protective antigen subolesin in Dermacentor silvarum.

Subolesin (4D8), the ortholog of insect akirins, is a highly conserved protective antigen and thus has the potential for development of a broad-spectrum vaccine against ticks and mosquitoes. To date, no protective antigens have been characterized nor tested as candidate vaccines against Dermacentor silvarum bites and transmission of associated pathogens. In this study, we cloned the open reading frame (ORF) of D.

Microscopic insights into extraction mechanism of copper(II) in ammoniacal solutions studied by X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculation.

A microscopic investigation on the extraction process of copper(II) in ammoniacal solutions has been performed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The structural change of copper(II) species in ammoniacal solution has been derived from X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) by principal component analysis and linear combination fitting. It was found that the coordination structure of the extracted copper complex in the organic phases is planar square and independent of the aqueous pH, whereas the geometries of copper(II) species in ammoniacal solutions changed from axially elongated octahedron to distorted planar square with increase of pH.

Isolation of liquiritigenin-4'-apiosyl-glucoside and liquiritin from the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis by high-performance centrifugal partition chromatography.

High-performance centrifugal partition chromatography (HPCPC) combined with ultraviolet detection was employed for the separation and purification of flavonoids from Glycyrrhiza. At the detection wavelength of 276 nm, two flavonoids, liquiritigenin-4'-apiosyl-glucoside and liquiritin, were successfully separated by HPCPC with an optimized two-phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate-ethanol-water (1:0.1:1, v/v/v).

Malaria transmission potential in the Three Gorges Reservoir of the Yangtze River, China.

Objective: To define and evaluate the malaria transmission potential in the Yangtze River, following construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Methods: Six villages, namely, Kaixian, Fengjie, Wanzhou, Fuling, Yubei, and Zigui were selected for investigating the malaria transmission potential in the reservoir. Transmission potential was estimated by mathematical modeling and evaluation of the local malaria situation.

Curcumin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human colorectal cancer cells by activating the mitochondria apoptotic pathway.

Curcumin, a natural plant extract from Curcuma longa, is known for its anti-carcinogenic and chemopreventive effects on a variety of experimental cancer models. In this study, we evaluated the effects of curcumin and elucidated its mechanism in human colorectal carcinoma cells. Cell viability assay showed that curcumin significantly inhibited the growth of LoVo cells.

Molecular cloning and characterization of antimicrobial peptides from skin of the broad-folded frog, Hylarana latouchii.

Seven cDNA sequences encoding antimicrobial peptide (AMP) precursors were cloned by screening the skin-derived cDNA library of the broad-folded frog, Hylarana latouchii. Seven of the deduced peptides are highly similar to AMPs in five families of brevinin-2 (brevinin-2LTa, brevinin-2LTb, and brevinin-2LTc), esculentin-1 (esculentin-1LTa), esculentin-2 (esculentin-2LTa), palustrin-2 (palustrin-2LTa), and temporin (temporin-LTe). The actual sequences and characteristics of mature AMPs were analyzed by RP-HPLC and LC-MS/MS-based proteomics approaches in combination of four different protein digestion processes and by LTQ XL in combination of gas-phase fractionation (GPF) analysis.

Life cycle of Haemaphysalis doenitzi (Acari: Ixodidae) under laboratory conditions and its phylogeny based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA.

The paper investigated the life cycle of the hard tick Haemaphysalis doenitzi under laboratory conditions and its phylogeny based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA. The results revealed that the complete life cycle of H. doenitzi requires a mean duration of 109.

Identification and characterization of antimicrobial peptides from skin of Amolops ricketti (Anura: Ranidae).

As one of large amphibian group, there are a total of 45 species of Amolops in the world. However, the antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) existing in this genus has not been extensively studied. In this study, cDNAs encoding five novel AMP precursors were cloned by screening the skin-derived cDNA library of Amolops ricketti, a frog species that exists in southern and western parts of China.

Cloning and characterization of a male-specific defensin-like antimicrobial peptide from the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis.

A novel gene was identified from a cDNA library of the male accessory glands of Haemaphysalis longicornis. The full-length cDNA of the gene was 349bp, encoding a 79-amino acid defensin-like protein and therefore the protein was named HlMS-defensin. Reverse transcriptase-PCR results suggested that this gene was expressed exclusively in male ticks.

[The factors influencing the flexural strength of zirconia ceramic restorations].

Zirconia material has a very broad application prospect in prosthodontics,and restorations made of zirconia through CAD/CAM technology have been applied widely in recent years. In this paper we summarized the features of zirconia material which used for all ceramic restorations and the factors which affected its flexural property. We also sated the relevant indicators and methods used for evaluation of flexural property of zirconia material in order to lay a basis for its clinical use.

[The experimental research of the influence of cervical settling method on marginal accuracy of wax patter].

Objective: To study the influence of cervical settling method on marginal accuracy of wax patters.

Methods: 24 wax patterns were made on the standard cast specimens and round capsules of which twelve patters were made with the method of cervical settling (experiment group), twelve patters were made with the method of wax dripping (control group). Marginal accuracy of patterns were measured before sublation, sublation half an hour and twenty-four hours.

Novel cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptides from Equus asinus.

In the present study, EA-CATH1 and EA-CATH2 were identified from a constructed lung cDNA library of donkey (Equus asinus) as members of cathelicidin-derived antimicrobial peptides, using a nested PCR-based cloning strategy. Composed of 25 and 26 residues, respectively, EA-CATH1 and EA-CATH2 are smaller than most other cathelicidins and have no sequence homology to other cathelicidins identified to date. Chemically synthesized EA-CATH1 exerted potent antimicrobial activity against most of the 32 strains of bacteria and fungi tested, especially the clinically isolated drug-resistant strains, and minimal inhibitory concentration values against Gram-positive bacteria were mostly in the range of 0.

Novel families of antimicrobial peptides with multiple functions from skin of Xizang plateau frog, Nanorana parkeri.

Xizang plateau frog (Nanorana parkeri) captured in Lhasa, Tibet, China, solely lives in the subtropical plateau, where there is strong ultraviolet radiation and long duration of sunshine. Considering its harsh living environment, the frog's innate defense against microbes and environmental stress was investigated. In current study, three antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were purified and characterized from the skin secretion of N.

Micellar electrokinetic chromatography for the quantitative analysis of flavonoids in the radix of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus.

The separation and determination of eight flavonoids in the radix of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge var. mongholicus (Bge.