Two plant-derived aporphinoid alkaloids exert their antifungal activity by disrupting mitochondrial iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis.

Eupolauridine and liriodenine are plant-derived aporphinoid alkaloids that exhibit potent inhibitory activity against the opportunistic fungal pathogens and However, the molecular mechanism of this antifungal activity is unknown. In this study, we show that eupolauridine 9591 (E9591), a synthetic analog of eupolauridine, and liriodenine methiodide (LMT), a methiodide salt of liriodenine, mediate their antifungal activities by disrupting mitochondrial iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster synthesis. Several lines of evidence supported this conclusion.

Potential Biological Effects of (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate on the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major health issue throughout the world. However, no validated treatments for NAFLD are currently available. In-depth studies have demonstrated the efficacy of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a main bioactive chemical extracted from green tea, in treating NAFLD.

Janus particles self-assembled from a small organic atypical asymmetric gemini surfactant.

A series of atypical asymmetric gemini surfactants with an amphiphilic carbonate group (-O-CO-O-) have been prepared. Some of these compounds could self-assemble in water into gourd-shaped Janus particles (JPs). Initial results suggested that the formation of JPs was highly likely to be related to their atypical gemini surfactant structure.

Acetylation on histone H3 lysine 9 mediates a switch from transcription initiation to elongation.

The transition from transcription initiation to elongation is a key regulatory step in gene expression, which requires RNA polymerase II (pol II) to escape promoter proximal pausing on chromatin. Although elongation factors promote pause release leading to transcription elongation, the role of epigenetic modifications during this critical transition step is poorly understood. Two histone marks on histone H3, lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac), co-localize on active gene promoters and are associated with active transcription.

Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Natural Variations Contributing to Drought Resistance in Crops.

Crops are often cultivated in regions where they will face environmental adversities; resulting in substantial yield loss which can ultimately lead to food and societal problems. Thus, significant efforts have been made to breed stress tolerant cultivars in an attempt to minimize these problems and to produce more stability with respect to crop yields across broad geographies. Since stress tolerance is a complex and multi-genic trait, advancements with classical breeding approaches have been challenging.

Relapsed anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive large B-cell lymphoma expressed cluster of differentiation 4 and cytokeratin: An initially misdiagnosed case corrected by immunoglobulin κ locus gene rearrangement detection.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is a rare lymphoma subtype. The present study investigated a refractory nodal ALK-positive LBCL case in a 28-year-old Chinese male. It was initially misdiagnosed as ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma; however, the patient's lesions relapsed and spread widely following a short remission for chemotherapy and the patient succumbed to the disease 3 months' post-autologous stem cell transplantation; thus, a revision was performed.

Clonality analysis of synchronous gastro-oesophageal junction carcinoma and distal gastric cancer by whole-exome sequencing.

Gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) carcinoma and distal gastric cancer (GC) have distinct epidemiology and clinical features and their relationship is uncertain. Synchronous multiple gastric cancers located mostly at proximal and distal sites provide rare specimens for investigating the comprehensive genomic relationships among these cancers in the context of identical genetic circumstances. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from 12 patients with synchronous GEJ carcinoma and distal GC were collected in this study.

Note: Measuring instrument of singlet oxygen quantum yield in photodynamic effects.

Using diphenylisobenzofuran (CHO) as a singlet oxygen (O) reporter, a comparison method, which can be used to measure the singlet oxygen quantum yield (Φ) of the photosensitizer quantitatively, is presented in this paper. Based on this method, an automatic measuring instrument of singlet oxygen quantum yield is developed. The singlet oxygen quantum yield of the photosensitizer hermimether and aloe-emodin is measured.

Crosstalk between histone modifications indicates that inhibition of arginine methyltransferase CARM1 activity reverses HIV latency.

In eukaryotic cells, the gene expression status is strictly controlled by epigenetic modifications on chromatin. The repressive status of chromatin largely contributes to HIV latency. Studies have shown that modification of histone H3K27 acts as a key molecular switch for activation or suppression of many cellular genes.

Precise determination on the upconversion processes of the ultraviolet upconversion fluorescence of Ho-doped YO ceramic by excitation of a 532-nm continuous-wave laser.

Aiming at developing a Ho-based continuous-wave ultraviolet laser, the method of determining the weight of the excited-state absorption (ESA) process occupied in the populating of the D3 level is studied. Using the rate equation model, the weight is found to be related to the weighting factors of the double-exponential decay components of the D3 level. Using time-resolved spectroscopy, the weight of the ESA process for YO ceramic doped with 0.

Dietary Iodine Affected the GSH-Px to Regulate the Thyroid Hormones in Thyroid Gland of Rex Rabbits.

Iodine (I) is an essential trace element that can influence animal health and productivity. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary iodine on the antioxidant indices of organ (liver and thyroid gland) and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in Rex rabbits. A total of 120 4-month-old Rex rabbits (2235.

Fatal familial insomnia with abnormal signals on routine MRI: a case report and literature review.

Background: Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a rare autosomal dominant disease caused by the PRNP D178N/129 M mutation. Routine brain CT and MRI usually reveal non-specific features. We report a patient with FFI presenting with diffuse abnormal signals on MRI, later confirmed as combined with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL).

Penile transplantation: A long way to routine clinical practice.

Organ transplantation is an ideal treatment for certain late-stage diseases. With the report of a penile transplantation in Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa, this topic has, once again, aroused exploration in the field. At present, two penile transplantation operations have been performed and gained some positive results.

HIV Latency Gets a New Histone Mark.

Transcriptional latency of integrated HIV-1 provirus represents a major obstacle to curing HIV. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Boehm et al. (2017) identify a new lysine methyltransferase that writes a repressive histone mark associated with HIV-1 latency.

PRL-3 promotes telomere deprotection and chromosomal instability.

Phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL-3) promotes cell invasiveness, but its role in genomic integrity remains unknown. We report here that shelterin component RAP1 mediates association between PRL-3 and TRF2. In addition, TRF2 and RAP1 assist recruitment of PRL-3 to telomeric DNA.

Multi-targeting therapeutic mechanisms of the Chinese herbal medicine QHD in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Beneficial effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Qushi Huayu Decoction (QHD) were observed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients and animal models. The impact of QHD or its active components (geniposide and chlorogenic acid, GC) on NAFLD liver transcriptome and gut microbiota was examined with NAFLD rats. Increased expression for genes required for glutathione production and decreased expression for genes required for lipid synthesis was observed in NAFLD livers treated with QHD and GC.

Fluorescence intensity ratio thermometer methodology of eliminating the "decoupling" effect of a pair of thermally coupled energy levels of rare-earth ions.

By separating the thermal and nonradiative relaxation population, the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of a pair of thermally coupled energy levels of rare-earth ion is reformulated. For a pair of thermally coupled levels, if the ratio of the thermal population in the upper level to the total population of the lower level abides by the Boltzmann distribution law, the general FIR would be modulated by the proportion of the total population to the thermal population in the upper level. By defining the reciprocal of the proportion as the thermal population degree (η), the product ηFIR will follow the pure Boltzmann distribution law.

Efficacy and Safety of Naftopidil in the Medical Expulsion Therapy for Distal Ureteral Stone: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The selective α-adrenoceptor blocker is widely used as a cost-effective treatment option for medical expulsive therapy (MET) of ureteral stones. In this review, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of naftopidil for MET compared with control or tamsulosin.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar to identify randomized controlled trials that compared naftopidil with either control or tamsulosin for the management of distal ureteral stones.

New Reaction Pathway Induced by Plasmon for Selective Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation on BiOCl Possessing Oxygen Vacancies.

Selective organic transformation under mild conditions constitutes a challenge in green chemistry, especially for alcohol oxidation, which typically requires environmentally unfriendly oxidants. Here, we report a new plasmonic catalyst of Au supported on BiOCl containing oxygen vacancies. It photocatalyzes selective benzyl alcohol oxidation with O under visible light through synergistic action of plasmonic hot electrons and holes.

Single-residue molecular switch for high-temperature dependence of vanilloid receptor TRPV3.

Thermal transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, a group of ion channels from the transient receptor potential family, play important functions in pain and thermal sensation. These channels are directly activated by temperature and possess strong temperature dependence. Furthermore, their temperature sensitivity can be highly dynamic and use-dependent.

Accurate thermometry based on the red and green fluorescence intensity ratio in NaYF: Yb, Er nanocrystals for bioapplication.

A biological temperature measurement method based on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) was developed to reduce uncertainty. The upconversion luminescence of NaYF:Yb, Er nanocrystals was studied as a function of temperature around the physiologically relevant range of 300-330 K. We found that the green-green FIR Fe and red-green FIR (I/I) varied linearly as temperature increased.

Influence of phase transitions on green fluorescence intensity ratio in Er doped KNaNbO ceramic.

The fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) method is a non-contact temperature (T) measurement technique based on thermally coupled levels of rare earth ions in a doped host. Green fluorescence originating from H and S states of Er doped KNaNbO (KNN) ceramic are studied in the temperature range of 300 K to 720 K. The fluorescence intensities change dramatically around phase transition points where the crystal symmetry changes, inducing deviation of the FIR from Boltzmann's law.

The effect of imidazole on the enhancement of gadolinium-porphyrin phosphorescence at room temperature.

A mechanism for the enhanced room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of gadolinium-coordinated hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (Gd-HMME) in the presence of imidazole and free gadolinium ions (Gd) is revealed. Imidazole, the molten solvent used in the synthesis of Gd-HMME, was effective in enhancing the Gd-HMME RTP. In the presence of imidazole, further enhancement of the Gd-HMME RTP was observed upon adding Gd.

Toward elucidating the heat activation mechanism of the TRPV1 channel gating by molecular dynamics simulation.

As a key cellular sensor, the TRPV1 cation channel undergoes a gating transition from a closed state to an open state in response to various physical and chemical stimuli including noxious heat. Despite years of study, the heat activation mechanism of TRPV1 gating remains enigmatic at the molecular level. Toward elucidating the structural and energetic basis of TRPV1 gating, we have performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (with cumulative simulation time of 3 μs), starting from the high-resolution closed and open structures of TRPV1 solved by cryo-electron microscopy.