Toxin acidic residue evolutionary function-guided design of de novo peptide drugs for the immunotherapeutic target, the Kv1.3 channel.

During the long-term evolution of animal toxins acting on potassium channels, the acidic residues can orientate the toxin binding interfaces by adjusting the molecular polarity. Based on the evolutionary function of toxin acidic residues, de novo peptide drugs with distinct binding interfaces were designed for the immunotherapeutic target, the Kv1.3 channel.

Kv Channel S1-S2 Linker Working as a Binding Site of Human β-Defensin 2 for Channel Activation Modulation.

Among the three extracellular domains of the tetrameric voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels consisting of six membrane-spanning helical segments named S1-S6, the functional role of the S1-S2 linker still remains unclear because of the lack of a peptide ligand. In this study, the Kv1.3 channel S1-S2 linker was reported as a novel receptor site for human β-defensin 2 (hBD2).

Enhancement of Ion Activation and Collision-Induced Dissociation by Simultaneous Dipolar Excitation of Ions in x- and y-Directions in a Linear Ion Trap.

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) in linear ion traps is usually performed by applying a dipolar alternating current (AC) signal to one pair of electrodes, which results in ion excitation mainly in one direction. In this paper, we report simulation and experimental studies of the ion excitation in two coordinate directions by applying identical dipolar AC signals to two pairs of electrodes simultaneously. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that the ion kinetic energy is higher than that using the conventional CID method.

Successful Splenectomy for Hypersplenism in Wilson's Disease: A Single Center Experience from China.

Splenomegaly and pancytopenia are common in Wilson's disease (WD) and splenectomy is one of the conventional treatments for splenomegaly and the associated pancytopenia. However, splenectomy remained controversial for hypersplenism in WD as it was reported that splenectomy leaded to serious emotional and neurological deterioration in WD patients with hypersplenism. In the current study, we present our experiences in 70 WD patients with hypersplenism who had undergone splenectomy, outlining the safety and efficacy of splenectomy in WD.

GPU Assisted Simulation Study of Ion-Ion Reactions within Quadrupole Ion Traps.

In this study, a gas-phase ion-ion reaction model was developed, and it was integrated into an ion trajectory simulation program. GPU parallel computation techniques were also applied to accelerate the simulation process. With this simulation tool, the dependence of ion-ion reaction rate within 3D quadrupole ion traps on both ion trap operation parameters and the characteristics of reaction pair were investigated.

Comparison of ultrasound-assisted cloud point extraction and ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid liquid microextraction for copper coupled with spectrophotometric determination.

In this work, ultrasound-assisted cloud point extraction (UA-CPE) and ultrasound-assisted dispersive liquid liquid microextraction (UA-DLLME) were investigated and compared firstly as ultrasound-assisted liquid phase microextraction methods, which were coupled with spectrophotometer for copper preconcentration and detection. Compared to conventional CPE and DLLME, the extraction patterns were changed and improved by the effect of ultrasound. As novel methods, their applications were expanded and the analytical performance of spectrophotometric determination for copper was considerably improved.

Relationships between antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activities of tartary buckwheat during germination.

Relationships of changes between major non-enzymatic antioxidant compounds and antioxidant capacities of tartary buckwheat during germination were evaluated by means of correlation analysis and principal component analysis in this paper. The changes of antioxidant compounds, including vitamin C, vitamin E, flavonoids, carotenoids, and chlorophyll, and antioxidant activities were detected. A good accumulation in the content of vitamin C (0.

Quantitative detection of nitric oxide in exhaled human breath by extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is a useful biomarker of various physiological conditions, including asthma and other pulmonary diseases. Herein a fast and sensitive analytical method has been developed for the quantitative detection of eNO based on extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS). Exhaled NO molecules selectively reacted with 2-phenyl-4, 4, 5, 5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO) reagent, and eNO concentration was derived based on the EESI-MS response of 1-oxyl-2-phenyl-4, 4, 5, 5-tetramethylimidazoline (PTI) product.

Factors influencing the anxiety and depression of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and related factors of anxiety and depression in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Materials And Methods: A total of 115 DCM patients were consecutively recruited into present study, and general information was recorded. Zung's self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were used to evaluate the anxiety and depression of these patients.

Realistic modeling of ion-neutral collisions in quadrupole ion traps.

In this study, three ion-neutral collision models have been discussed and compared, including the Langevin, the hard-sphere and the mixed collision models. With the pseudo-potential approximation, analytical expressions of ion secular motions with the hard-sphere and mixed collision models have been obtained for the first time. Through numerical simulations and theoretical calculations, it is found that the mixed collision model could be used as a general description of ion-neutral collisions under different conditions.

Development and characterizations of a miniature capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry system.

A miniature capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CE/MS) system has been developed in this work. A 100% electrical driven miniaturized CE device was integrated with a miniature MS instrument, which has a discontinuous atmospheric pressure interface (DAPI) for coupling with atmospheric pressure ionization sources. A nanoelectrospray ionization (nano-ESI) source was developed with a sheath liquid interface for coupling the miniature CE and the MS system.

Inactivation of PNKP by mutant ATXN3 triggers apoptosis by activating the DNA damage-response pathway in SCA3.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), also known as Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), is an untreatable autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease, and the most common such inherited ataxia worldwide. The mutation in SCA3 is the expansion of a polymorphic CAG tri-nucleotide repeat sequence in the C-terminal coding region of the ATXN3 gene at chromosomal locus 14q32.1.

Plectasin, first animal toxin-like fungal defensin blocking potassium channels through recognizing channel pore region.

The potassium channels were recently found to be inhibited by animal toxin-like human β-defensin 2 (hBD2), the first defensin blocker of potassium channels. Whether there are other defensin blockers from different organisms remains an open question. Here, we reported the potassium channel-blocking plectasin, the first defensin blocker from a fungus.

Vertebral Osteomyelitis Caused by Mycobacterium abscessus Surgically Treated Using Antibacterial Iodine-Supported Instrumentation.

Mycobacterium abscessus infections rarely develop in healthy individuals, and mostly they occur in immunocompromised hosts. Vertebral osteomyelitis due to Mycobacterium abscessus is very rare and only three previous cases of spinal infection caused by Mycobacterium abscessus have been reported. Mycobacterium abscessus isolates are uniformly resistant to antituberculous agents and can display a virulent biofilm-forming phenotype.

Protein encoded by ORF093 is an effective vaccine candidate for infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus in Chinese perch Siniperca chuatsi.

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the causative agent of a disease causing high mortality and economic losses in Chinese perch, Siniperca chuatsi in China. Little information about the antigenicity of ISKNV proteins is available. In this study the ORF093 gene of ISKNV was cloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET32a(+) and eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.

Ginsenoside Rg3 improves erectile function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Introduction: Ginsenoside Rg3 is one of the active ingredients isolated from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer.

Ion collision crosssection measurements in quadrupole ion traps using a time-frequency analysis method.

In this study, a method for measuring ion collision crosssections (CCSs) was proposed through time-frequency analysis of ion trajectories in quadrupole ion traps. A linear ion trap with added high-order electric fields was designed and simulated. With the presence of high-order electric fields and ion-neutral collisions, ion secular motion frequency within the quadrupole ion trap will be a function of ion motion amplitude, thus a function of time and ion CCS.

Nucleolin down-regulation is involved in ADP-induced cell cycle arrest in S phase and cell apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells.

High concentration of extracellular ADP has been reported to induce cell apoptosis, but the molecular mechanisms remain not fully elucidated. In this study, we found by serendipity that ADP treatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and human aortic endothelial cells (HAEC) down-regulated the protein level of nucleolin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. ADP treatment did not decrease the transcript level of nucloelin, suggesting that ADP might induce nucleolin protein degradation.

Mass selective ion transfer and accumulation in ion trap arrays.

The concept and method for mass selective ion transfer and accumulation within quadrupole ion trap arrays have been demonstrated. Proof-of-concept experiments have been performed on two sets of ion trap arrays: (1) a linear ion trap with axial ion ejection plus a linear ion trap with radial ion ejection; (2) a linear ion trap with axial ion ejection plus a linear ion trap with axial ion ejection. In both sets of ion trap arrays, ions trapped in the first ion trap could be mass selectively transferred and accumulated into the second ion trap, while keeping other ions reserved in the first ion trap.

Endogenous animal toxin-like human β-defensin 2 inhibits own K(+) channels through interaction with channel extracellular pore region.

Human potassium channels are widely inhibited by peptide toxins from venomous animals. However, no human endogenous peptide inhibitor has been discovered so far. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time using electrophysiological techniques, that endogenous human β-defensin 2 (hBD2) is able to selectively and dose-dependently inhibit the human voltage-gated Kv1.

Smoking and major depressive disorder in Chinese women.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors that contribute to smoking in female patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and the clinical features in depressed smokers.

Methods: We examined the smoking status and clinical features in 6120 Han Chinese women with MDD (DSM-IV) between 30 and 60 years of age across China. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between clinical features of MDD and smoking status and between risk factors for MDD and smoking status.

Cardiomyocyte-specific loss of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) reproduces the abnormalities in lipids found in severe heart failure.

Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) catalyzes the final step in triglyceride synthesis, the conversion of diacylglycerol (DAG) to triglyceride. Dgat1(-/-) mice exhibit a number of beneficial metabolic effects including reduced obesity and improved insulin sensitivity and no known cardiac dysfunction. In contrast, failing human hearts have severely reduced DGAT1 expression associated with accumulation of DAGs and ceramides.