A Cell Factory of a Fungicolous Fungus for Efficient Production of Natural Products.

Fungal natural products are rich sources of clinical drugs. Particularly, the fungicolous fungi have a large number of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) to produce numerous bioactive natural products, but most BGCs are silent in the laboratory. We have shown that a fungicolous fungus NRRL 3705 predominantly produces the highly reduced polyketide-type mycotoxins aurovertins.

CircRNA circ-IQGAP1 Knockdown Alleviates Interleukin-1β-Induced Osteoarthritis Progression via Targeting miR-671-5p/TCF4.

Objective: To explore the function of circular RNA IQ motif-containing GTPase-activating protein 1 (circ-IQGAP1) in interleukin (IL)-1β-induced osteoarthritis (OA) model and to explore whether circ-IQGAP1 can modulate microRNA-671-5p (miR-671-5p) and transcription factor 4 (TCF4) to regulate chondrocyte apoptosis, inflammatory injury, and extracellular matrix degradation.

Methods: The cartilage tissues were collected from 32 OA patients or normal subjects. Human chondrocyte CHON-001 cells were challenged via different doses of IL-1β for 24 hours.

Application of multidirectional stitching technology in a laparoscopic suturing instructional program: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Surgeon suturing technology plays a pivotal role in patient recovery after laparoscopic surgery. Intracorporal suturing and knot tying in minimally invasive surgery are particularly challenging and represent a key skill for advanced procedures. In this study, we compared the application of multidirectional stitching technology with application of the traditional method in a laparoscopic suturing instructional program.

Role of alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors in cardiomyocyte differentiation from murine-induced pluripotent stem cells.

Objectives: Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes are a promising source of cells for regenerative heart disease therapies, but progress towards their use has been limited by their low differentiation efficiency and high cellular heterogeneity. Previous studies have demonstrated expression of adrenergic receptors (ARs) in stem cells after differentiation; however, roles of ARs in fate specification of stem cells, particularly in cardiomyocyte differentiation and development, have not been characterized.

Materials And Methods: Murine-induced pluripotent stem cells (miPSCs) were cultured in hanging drops to form embryoid bodies, cells of which were then differentiated into cardiomyocytes.

Three-dimensional poly-(ε-caprolactone) nanofibrous scaffolds directly promote the cardiomyocyte differentiation of murine-induced pluripotent stem cells through Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Background: Environmental factors are important for stem cell lineage specification, and increasing evidence indicates that the nanoscale geometry/topography of the extracellular matrix (ECM) directs stem cell fate. Recently, many three-dimensional (3D) biomimetic nanofibrous scaffolds resembling many characteristics of the native ECM have been used in stem cell-based myocardial tissue engineering. However, the biophysical role and underlying mechanism of 3D nanofibrous scaffolds in cardiomyocyte differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) remain unclear.

Expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in rabbit radial defect site with different lengths.

Background: It has been studied that the distribution of bone morphogenetic protein 2 is regular under bone defect situation.

Objective: To observe the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 in rabbit radial defect site with different lengths.

Methods: Forty-eight New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups randomly.

[Heat impact upon the infectivity of hepatitis B virus in serum].

Objective: This article was to explore the impact of temperature on hepatitis B virus infectivity.

Methods: HBV positive serum with a HBV DNA titer of 1.33 × 10(8) copies/ml was aliquots into 23 Ep tubes with 1.

[Etiology monitoring of influenza virus and variation in hemagglutinin genes of H13 subtype in Wuxi area].

Objective: To monitor the seasonal distribution of influenza types and subtypes in Wuxi area during 2005-2008, and to investigate the variation in hemagglutinin (HA) genes of A/H3N2 strains in 2008.

Methods: Nose-throat swab specimens were collected in Wuxi area from flu-like patients from outpatient departments of hospitals as well as from clustering flu-like outbreak patients from workspace, followed by MDCK cell inoculation. Types and subtypes of positive influenza isolates were identified using standard antiserum.

[Type and subtype distribution of influenza virus and genetic evolution of hemagglutinin in Shanghai area in duration of 2004 - 2008].

Objective: To analyze the type and subtype distribution of influenza virus and the genetic evolution of hemagglutinin (HA) in Shanghai area during 2004 to 2008.

Methods: All 962 throat swabs were collected from influenza-like patients in 5 influenza sentry hospitals and influenza outbreaks. Influenza viruses were isolated in MDCK cell lines, and then viral types and subtypes were identified.

[Sequence analysis on measles viruses isolated in Shanghai in 2005].

Objective: To ascertain the genetic characterization and genotype of measles viruses isolated in Shanghai region, in 2005.

Methods: Measles virus was isolated from throat swab specimens collected from suspected measles cases and 450 bp fragment of C terminus of nucleprotein (N) gene was amplified by RT-PCR. Sequence analysis was conducted to ascertain the genotype and to compare the difference of nucleotide with other measles virus strain published in GenBank.

[Application of gene sequence cluster in research for H3 antigenic evolution of influenza A virus].

Objective: Gene sequence data were clustered to explore evolution lineages of H3 antigen of influenza A virus.

Methods: All data of H3 RNA sequence in NCBI Genbank and Influenza sequence database were downloaded and aligned in ClustalX while two step cluster method were applied to explore the data.

Results: All sequences were aggregated into ten clusters, while seven of them mainly were human virus.