Minimum acquisition methods for simultaneously imaging T(1), T(2), and proton density with B(1) correction and no spin-echoes.

The spin lattice (T(1)) and spin-spin (T(2)) relaxation times, along with the proton density (PD) contain almost all of the information that (1)H MRI routinely uses in clinical diagnosis and research, but are seldom imaged directly. Here, three methods for directly imaging T(1), T(2), and PD with the least possible number of acquisitions - three, are presented. All methods utilize long 0° self-refocusing adiabatic pre-pulses instead of spin-echoes to encode the T(2) information prior to a conventional gradient-echo MRI sequence.

Thermodynamic and structural characterization of halogen bonding in protein-ligand interactions: a case study of PDE5 and its inhibitors.

The significance of halogen bonding in protein-ligand interactions has been recognized recently. We present here the first comprehensive thermodynamic and structural characterization of halogen bonding in PDE5-inhibitor interactions. ITC studies reveal that binding strength of the halogen bonding between chlorine, bromine, and iodine of inhibitor and the protein is -1.

Indole alkaloids from the roots of Isatis indigotica and their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production.

Three rare indole-2-S-glycosides, indole-3-acetonitrile-2-S-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), indole-3-acetonitrile-4-methoxy-2-S-β-D-glucopyranoside (2) and N-methoxy-indole-3-acetonitrile-2-S-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), together with 11 known indole alkaloids were isolated from the roots of Isatis indigotica Fort. (Cruciferae). The structures of 1-3 were elucidated on the basis of mass spectrometry and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy.

Highly conserved RNA pseudoknots at the Gag-Pol junction of HIV-1 suggest a novel mechanism of -1 ribosomal frameshifting.

-1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF) is utilized by many viruses to synthesize their enzymatic (Pol) and structural (Gag) proteins at a defined ratio. For efficient -1 PRF, two cis-acting elements are required: a heptanucleotide frameshift site and a downstream stimulator such as a pseudoknot. We have analyzed the gag-pol junction sequences from 4254 HIV-1 strains.

Ras-induced epigenetic inactivation of the RRAD (Ras-related associated with diabetes) gene promotes glucose uptake in a human ovarian cancer model.

RRAD (Ras-related associated with diabetes) is a small Ras-related GTPase that is frequently inactivated by DNA methylation of the CpG island in its promoter region in cancer tissues. However, the role of the methylation-induced RRAD inactivation in tumorigenesis remains unclear. In this study, the Ras-regulated transcriptome and epigenome were profiled by comparing T29H (a Ras(V12)-transformed human ovarian epithelial cell line) with T29 (an immortalized but non-transformed cell line) through reduced representation bisulfite sequencing and digital gene expression.

Detection and analysis of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in breast cancer patients by an effective method of HPV capture.

Despite an increase in the number of molecular epidemiological studies conducted in recent years to evaluate the association between human papillomavirus (HPV) and the risk of breast carcinoma, these studies remain inconclusive. Here we aim to detect HPV DNA in various tissues from patients with breast carcinoma using the method of HPV capture combined with massive paralleled sequencing (MPS). To validate the confidence of our methods, 15 cervical cancer samples were tested by PCR and the new method.

Synthesis and anti-cancer activities of apigenin derivatives.

A novel series of apigenin derivatives with phloroglucinol or resorcinol as raw materials were synthesized according to Baker-Venaktaraman reaction and their in vitro inhibitory activities on colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) and leucocythemia (HL-60) cell lines were evaluated by the standard methyl thiazole tetrazolium (MTT) method. The results of biological test showed that some of apigenin derivatives possessed stronger anti-cancer activities than apigenin. Compound 6 showed the strongest activity against colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) and leucocythemia (HL-60) cell lines with IC50 valure of 2.

Cellular mechanisms of a new pyrazinone compound that induces apoptosis in SKOV-3 cells.

We screened a small molecular library that was designed and independently synthesized in vitro and found a new drug (MY-03-01) that is active against ovarian cancer. We established that MY-03-01 effectively inhibited SKOV-3 cell survival in a dose-dependent manner, based on cell viability rates, and that it not only induced SKOV-3 apoptosis by itself, but also did so synergistically with paclitaxel. Secondly, when MY-03-01 was applied at 40 μM, its hemolytic activity was less than 10%, compared with the control, and there was almost no damage to normal cells at this concentration.

Combination of AZD2281 (Olaparib) and GX15-070 (Obatoclax) results in synergistic antitumor activities in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer.

In this study, we explored the antitumor activities of the PARP inhibitor AZD2281 (Olaparib) and the pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor GX15-070 (Obatoclax) in six pancreatic cancer cell lines. While both agents were able to cause growth arrest and limited apoptosis, the combination of the two was able to synergistically cause growth arrest and non-apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, in an in vivo xenograft model, the combination caused substantially increased tumor necrosis compared to either treatment alone.

Biodegradation of methyl red by Bacillus sp. strain UN2: decolorization capacity, metabolites characterization, and enzyme analysis.

Azo dyes are recalcitrant and refractory pollutants that constitute a significant menace to the environment. The present study is focused on exploring the capability of Bacillus sp. strain UN2 for application in methyl red (MR) degradation.

Ecological scale and seasonal heterogeneity in the spatial behaviors of giant pandas.

We report on the first study to track the spatial behaviors of wild giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) using high-resolution global positioning system (GPS) telemetry. Between 2008 and 2009, 4 pandas (2 male and 2 female) were tracked in Foping Reserve, China for an average of 305 days (± 54.8 SE).

Structure of the FP domain of Fbxo7 reveals a novel mode of protein-protein interaction.

The FP (Fbxo7/PI31) domains found in the F-box protein Fbxo7 and the proteasome inhibitor PI31 mediate the homodimerization and heterodimerization of Fbxo7 and PI31. Fbxo7 is the substrate-recognition subunit of the SCF(Fbxo7) (Skp1-Cul1-F-box protein) E3 ubiquitin ligase that catalyzes the ubiquitination of hepatoma up-regulated protein (HURP) and inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP). Fbxo7 also interacts with proteins that are not substrates of the ubiquitin proteasome system, such as Cdk6 and PI31.

Prelude to rational scale-up of penicillin production: a scale-down study.

Penicillin is one of the best known pharmaceuticals and is also an important member of the β-lactam antibiotics. Over the years, ambitious yields, titers, productivities, and low costs in the production of the β-lactam antibiotics have been stepwise realized through successive rounds of strain improvement and process optimization. Penicillium chrysogenum was proven to be an ideal cell factory for the production of penicillin, and successful approaches were exploited to elevate the production titer.

The cell surface GRP78 facilitates the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Invasion is a major characteristic of hepatocellular carcinoma and one of the main causes of refractory to treatment. We have previously reported that GRP78 promotes the invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma although the mechanism underlying this change remains uncertain. In this paper, we explored the role of the cell surface GRP78 in the regulation of cancer cell invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Genomics of elite sporting performance: what little we know and necessary advances.

Numerous reports of genetic associations with performance- and injury-related phenotypes have been published over the past three decades; these studies have employed primarily the candidate gene approach to identify genes that associate with elite performance or with variation in performance-and/or injury-related traits. Although generally with small effect sizes and heavily prone to type I statistic error, the number of candidate genetic variants that can potentially explain elite athletic status, injury predisposition, or indeed response to training will be much higher than that examined by numerous biotechnology companies. Priority should therefore be given to applying whole genome technology to sufficiently large study cohorts of world-class athletes with adequately measured phenotypes where it is possible to increase statistical power.

Urinary excretion of ginkgolide terpene lactones following acute consumption of Ginkgo biloba extract.

Urinary biomarkers of plant food supplement (PFS) exposure/intake represent an accurate, objective tool for determining PFS consumption in humans with applications ranging from epidemiology to subject compliance in clinical trials. Ginkgo biloba remains one of the worlds most popular PFS, yet few studies have investigated the uptake and metabolism of its primary unique bioactives: the terpene lactones. To this end, we conducted a dual-dose, acute crossover intervention using G.

Epigenomic analysis of lung adenocarcinoma reveals novel DNA methylation patterns associated with smoking.

The importance of epigenetic regulation has been increasingly recognized in the development of cancer. In this study, we investigated the impact of smoking, a major risk factor of lung cancer, on DNA methylation by comparing the genome-wide DNA methylation patterns between lung adenocarcinoma samples from six smokers and six nonsmokers. We identified that smoking-induced DNA methylations were enriched in the calcium signaling and neuroactive ligand receptor signaling pathways, which are closely related to smoking-induced lung cancers.

Biotransformation of baicalin to baicalein significantly strengthens the inhibition potential towards UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) isoforms.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of biotransformation of baicalin into baicalein towards the inhibition potential towards one of the most important drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). in vitro incubation method using recombinant UGTs-catalyzed 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) glucuronidation was used to evaluate the inhibition towards important UGT isoforms in the liver, including UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A6, 1A9, and 2B7. At the same concentration (100 microM), baicalein showed stronger inhibition potential than baicalin towards all the tested UGT isoforms.

The calcium-sensing receptor R990G polymorphism is associated with increased risk of hypertriglyceridemia in obese Chinese.

Background: We have demonstrated that the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is involved in lipid metabolism; however, whether CaSR polymorphisms affect lipid metabolism in obesity is still unclear. The present study aimed to determine the effects of CaSR polymorphisms on HTG risk in obese Chinese.

Methods: A total of 972 subjects with HTG and 1197 with normal triglyceride (NTG) were stratified by body mass index (BMI) into normal weight, overweight or obesity subgroups.

Expression, purification and crystallization of the FP domain of the human F-box protein Fbxo7.

Fbxo7 is a conserved protein in higher eukaryotes that belongs to the F-box protein family. Fbxo7 is the substrate-recognition component of the SCFFbxo7 (Skp1-Cul1-Fbox protein) E3 ubiquitin ligase. Besides the F-box motif, Fbxo7 also contains a C-terminal proline-rich region, an N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain and a novel FP (Fbxo7/PI31) domain preceding the F-box motif.

Panobinostat synergistically enhances the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin, doxorubicin or etoposide on high-risk neuroblastoma cells.

High-risk neuroblastoma remains a therapeutic challenge with a long-term survival rate of less than 40%. Therefore, new agents are urgently needed to overcome chemotherapy resistance so as to improve the treatment outcome of this deadly disease. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDACIs) represent a novel class of anticancer drugs.

Toxoplasma gondii: immune response and protective efficacy induced by ROP16/GRA7 multicomponent DNA vaccine with a genetic adjuvant B7-2.

Toxoplasma gondii infection occurs commonly in humans and other warm-blooded animals. Its serious impact on public health and livestock sectors makes the development of an effective vaccine particularly important. In the current study, we constructed a multiantigenic DNA vaccine expressing ROP16 and GRA7 of T.

Photoluminescence from amino-containing polymer in the presence of CO2: carbamato anion formed as a fluorophore.

Organic photoluminescent materials are important to many applications especially for diagnosis and detection, and most of organic photoluminescent materials contain fluorophores with extended conjugated structures. Recently some of amino-containing polymers without fluorophores with extended conjugated structure are observed to be photoluminescent, and one possible cause of the photoluminescence is oxidation of the amines. Here we show that photoluminescence can be produced by exposing a typical amino-containing polymer, polyethylenimine, to carbon dioxide.

[A meta-analysis on the efficacy of stem cells transplantation therapy on the prevention of cardiac remodeling and main adverse cardiovascular event in patients with chronic heart failure].

Objective: Stem cells transplantation is a promising strategy in cardiology. This meta-analysis summarizes the efficacy and safety of stem cells transplantation on top of standard medication on chronic heart failure patients.

Methods: The following databases were searched, including Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2011), PubMed (1980 to 2011), Embase (1990 to 2011), CBM (1978 to 2011), CNKI (1994 to 2011), VIP (1989 to 2011), and WanFang Data (1998 to 2011).