Walsogynes H-O from Walsura chrysogyne.

Eight new limonoids, walsogynes H-O (1-8) were isolated from the barks of Walsura chrysogyne, and their structures were determined on the basis of the 1D and 2D NMR data. Walsogynes H-M (1-6) and O (8) were concluded to be 11,12-seco limonoids with a dodecahydro-1H-naphtho[1,8-bc:3,4-c']difuran skeleton, and walsogyne N (7) to be 11,12-seco limonoid sharing a unique dodecahydronaphtho[1,8-bc:5,4-b'c']difuran skeleton. Walsogynes H-O (1-8) exhibited potent antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain with IC value of 2.

Effect of dienogest on pain and ovarian endometrioma occurrence after laparoscopic resection of uterosacral ligaments with deep infiltrating endometriosis.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of dienogest (DNG) in preventing the occurrence of pain and endometriomas after laparoscopic resection of uterosacral ligaments (USLs) with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).

Study Design: This retrospective analysis included 126 patients who underwent laparoscopic resection of USLs with DIE followed by postoperative administration of DNG or no medication. Every 6 months postoperatively, patients answered questions and underwent ultrasound examination to identify pain and/or endometrioma.

A comparison of maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy with mental disorders: results of an analysis using propensity score-based weighting.

Purpose: To assess and compare maternal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancy with or without mental disorders.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of births at our institution from January 2009 to December 2011, which included all live singleton births during these 3 years. Women emergently transferred to our institution in the middle of their pregnancies were excluded.

Chlorophyll b reductase plays an essential role in maturation and storability of Arabidopsis seeds.

Although seeds are a sink organ, chlorophyll synthesis and degradation occurs during embryogenesis and in a manner similar to that observed in photosynthetic leaves. Some mutants retain chlorophyll after seed maturation, and they are disturbed in seed storability. To elucidate the effects of chlorophyll retention on the seed storability of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), we examined the non-yellow coloring1 (nyc1)/nyc1-like (nol) mutants that do not degrade chlorophyll properly.

Binding and functional properties of five extrinsic proteins in oxygen-evolving photosystem II from a marine centric diatom, Chaetoceros gracilis.

Oxygen-evolving photosystem II (PSII) isolated from a marine centric diatom, Chaetoceros gracilis, contains a novel extrinsic protein (Psb31) in addition to four red algal type extrinsic proteins of PsbO, PsbQ', PsbV, and PsbU. In this study, the five extrinsic proteins were purified from alkaline Tris extracts of the diatom PSII by anion and cation exchange chromatographic columns at different pH values. Reconstitution experiments in various combinations with the purified extrinsic proteins showed that PsbO, PsbQ', and Psb31 rebound directly to PSII in the absence of other extrinsic proteins, indicating that these extrinsic proteins have their own binding sites in PSII intrinsic proteins.

Purification and characterization of a stable oxygen-evolving Photosystem II complex from a marine centric diatom, Chaetoceros gracilis.

Oxygen-evolving Photosystem II particles (crude PSII) retaining a high oxygen-evolving activity have been prepared from a marine centric diatom, Chaetoceros gracilis (Nagao et al., 2007). The crude PSII, however, contained a large amount of fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding proteins (FCP).