Pristimerin exhibits anti-cancer activity by inducing ER stress and AKT/GSK3β pathway through increasing intracellular ROS production in human esophageal cancer cells.

Pristimerin (Pris), a bioactive triterpenoid compound extracted from the Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae families, has been reported to exhibit an anti-cancer property on various cancers. However, the effects of Pris on esophageal cancer are poorly investigated. This current study sought to explore the activity and underlying mechanism of Pris against human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells.

[Characteristics and Source Apportionment of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the Automobile Industrial Park of Shanghai].

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors of ozone and fine particulate matter, and have attracted more and more research attention. There are few long-term observational studies of VOCs in automobile industry parks. From January 1 to December 31,2019, 79 kinds of VOCs were quantitatively detected by on-line gas chromatograph in an automobile industrial park in Shanghai.

Determination of trace bismuth by flow injection-hydride generation collection-atomic absorption spectrometry.

Bismuth hydride gas was collected on-line and determined via a new flow injection-hydride generation collection-flame atomic absorption spectrometry system. The performance of the gas-liquid separator, hydride gas collection time, acidity of the sample solution, NaBH(4) concentration, and the effects of concomitant interferents were investigated to optimize the conditions of this new method. Interferences from concomitant elements were investigated, and recoveries of 94.

Fluorescence Analysis of the Fibrinolytic Principle (FP) from Agkistrodon acutus Venom.

The conformation and the properties of the fibrinolytic principle (FP) from Agkistrodon acutus venom were studied by chemical modification and fluorescence spectroscopy. Results showed that there are more than one tryptophan (Trp) residue in the FP molecule and they are located in the more hydrophobic core, could be quenched by acrylamide (Acr), a polarized quencher without electric charge. The collisional quenching constants of FP at different concentrations of Acr were calculated in terms of Stern-Volmer equation, and the fraction of the Trp quenched was obtained by the modified Stern-Volmer equation as 83%.

Biochemical Properties of Bound-Ca(2+) in Fibrinolytic Principle (FP) Separated from Agkistrodon acutus Venom.

It has been determined that each FP molecular contains one Ca(2+)-binding site. By the use of fluorescence probe Tb(3+), the distance between Tb(3+) and tryptophan (Trp) residue was obtained to be 0.375.