PPR21 is involved in the splicing of nad2 introns via interacting with PPR-small MutS-related 1 and small PPR protein 2 and is essential to maize seed development.

Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins are a large group of eukaryote-specific RNA-binding proteins that play pivotal roles in plant organelle gene expression. Here, we report the function of PPR21 in mitochondrial intron splicing and its role in maize kernel development. PPR21 is a typical P-type PPR protein targeted to mitochondria.

Discovery of Dehydroabietylamine Derivatives as Antibacterial and Antifungal Agents.

A diverse array of biologically active derivatives was derived by modifying the chemically active sites of dehydroabietylamine. Herein, we describe the synthesis of a new series of C-19-arylated dehydroabietylamine derivatives using a palladium-catalyzed C(sp)-H activation reaction. Five analogues (, , , , and ) exhibited antibacterial activity against .

Novel Coumarin 7-Carboxamide/Sulfonamide Derivatives as Potential Fungicidal Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation.

Coumarin compounds have a variety of biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-coagulation, anti-HIV, anti-fungal, and insecticidal. Amide and sulfonamide compounds have been used as fungicides for half a century, and dozens of varieties have been developed so far. This study focused on the introduction of carboxamide and sulfonamide moieties in a coumarin core to discover novel derivatives.

Effect of the acid suppressor omeprazole on the proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway.

Esophageal cancer is a malignant tumor type with one of the highest mortality rates worldwide. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which has been investigated in recent years, has been confirmed to be associated with the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer. AHR has a variety of different ligands, which regulate its activity following binding.

Novel Fluorinated 7-Hydroxycoumarin Derivatives Containing an Oxime Ether Moiety: Design, Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Biological Evaluation.

A series of fluorinated 7-hydroxycoumarin derivatives containing an oxime ether moiety have been designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antifungal activity. All the target compounds were determined by H-NMR, C-NMR, FTIR and HR-MS spectra. The single-crystal structures of compounds , , and were further confirmed using X-ray diffraction.

High expression of CIN85 promotes proliferation and invasion of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

SH3 domain‑containing kinase‑binding protein 1 (CIN85), an 85 kDa protein known to be a member of the signal adaptor family, is abnormally expressed in several human malignancies and has been found to be involved in the growth, migration and invasion of these tumors. The objective of the present study was to clarify the clinical significance of CIN85 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), as well as its in vitro functions. CIN85 expression was evaluated in 129 cases of ESCC and its adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry to explore its clinical relevance and prognostic value.

Modeling the joint distribution of firm size and firm age based on grouped data.

The firm size distribution is highly skewed to the right and often follows a power law. In practice, it is common that firm size and firm age data are aggregated and released as grouped data to avoid disclosure of confidential information. We investigate multiple parametric methods for firm size and firm age modeling based on grouped data, and propose to estimate the joint distribution of firm size and firm age using the Plackett copula.

The landscape of gene mutations and clinical significance of tumor mutation burden in patients with soft tissue sarcoma who underwent surgical resection and received conventional adjuvant therapy.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the landscape of gene mutations and the clinical significance of tumor mutation burden (TMB) in patients with soft tissue sarcoma who underwent surgical resection and received conventional adjuvant therapy.

Methods: A total of 68 patients with soft tissue sarcoma were included. Postoperative tumor tissue specimens from the patients were collected for DNA extraction.

Meta-Analysis of Two Different Methods for Cervical Esophagogastric Anastomosis: Triangulating Versus Circular Stapling.

The standard treatment for esophageal carcinoma is extensive resection of the tumor and esophagogastric anastomosis despite the high incidence of related anastomotic complications, such as stricture and leakage. Thus, the choice of the cervical esophagogastric anastomotic method-triangulating stapling (TS) versus circular stapling (CS)-is a critical decision for the surgeon. To compare the incidence of major adverse outcomes between TS and CS in patients with resectable thoracic esophageal cancer.

Design, synthesis and antifungal activities of novel pyrrole- and pyrazole-substituted coumarin derivatives.

We synthesized a series of novel pyrrole- and pyrazole-substituted coumarin derivatives and evaluated their antifungal activity against six phytopathogenic fungi in vitro. The primary assay results demonstrated that some designed compounds displayed potent activities. Among them, compounds 5g, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d and 6h exhibited more effective control than Osthole against Cucumber anthrax and Alternaria leaf spot.

Recent Advances in Indazole-Containing Derivatives: Synthesis and Biological Perspectives.

Indazole-containing derivatives represent one of the most important heterocycles in drug molecules. Diversely substituted indazole derivatives bear a variety of functional groups and display versatile biological activities; hence, they have gained considerable attention in the field of medicinal chemistry. This review aims to summarize the recent advances in various methods for the synthesis of indazole derivatives.

Simulation of Unidirectional Ion Ejection in an Asymmetric Half-Round Rod Electrode Linear Ion Trap Mass Analyzer.

An asymmetric trapping field was generated from an asymmetric half-round rod electrode linear ion trap (A-HreLIT), and its performance of unidirectional ion ejection was studied. Two different asymmetric structures of A-HreLITs were constructed, one rotating y electrode pairs toward an x electrode with an angle θ, and the other stretching one x electrode with a distance α. The center of trapping field was displaced away from the geometrical center of the ion trap, defined to be the midpoint along the axis of y between x electrodes, which leads to unidirectional ion ejection through one x electrode.

The Effects of Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps on Mortality in Patients Undergoing High-Risk Coronary Revascularization: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Stenting Era.

Background: Intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) have generally been used for patients undergoing high-risk mechanical coronary revascularization. However, there is still insufficient evidence to determine whether they can improve outcomes in reperfusion therapy patients, mainly by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). This study was designed to determine the difference between high-risk mechanical coronary revascularization with and without IABPs on mortality, by performing a meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials of the current era.

Efficacy and Safety of Corticosteroids for Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Corticosteroids are an option in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). However, the benefits and adverse effects of corticosteroids, especially in severe CAP, have not been well assessed.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases from inception to May 2015 were searched.

Musashi-2 promotes hepatitis Bvirus related hepatocellular carcinoma progression via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Our recent study observed that the expression of Musashi-2 (MSI2), a member of the Musashi family, was up-regulated in hepatitis B virus (HBV) related hepatocellular carcinoma parenchymal cells. Using quantitative PCR, tissue microarray (TMA) and immunohistochemical staining, we evaluated MSI2 mRNA and protein levels in tumor tissues from patients with different stages of hepatocellular carcinoma with paired adjacent noncancerous sample sets. The following techniques were used to further investigate MSI2 function and its potential molecular mechanism: RNAi, wound healing assay, Transwell assay, quantitative PCR and western blot analysis.

c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3 expression in the retina of ocular hypertension mice: a possible target to reduce ganglion cell apoptosis.

Glaucoma, a type of optic neuropathy, is characterized by the loss of retinal ganglion cells. It remains controversial whether c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) participates in the apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma. This study sought to explore a possible mechanism of action of JNK signaling pathway in glaucoma-induced retinal optic nerve damage.

Serum total bilirubin and long-term outcome in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associated between serum total bilirubin (STB) levels and long-term outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: A total of 1,273 consecutive patients were enrolled. Patients were grouped according to their baseline STB levels: Group 1 (STB < 3.

The effects of perioperative β-blockers on mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery in real world: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Background: Despite the fact that recent evidence from meta-analysis of randomized trials indicates an increase in mortality, perioperative treatment with β-blockers is still widely advocated. We therefore performed a meta-analysis of cohort studies to evaluate the effects of perioperative β-blockers on mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery in the real world scenarios.

Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase from the inception to April 2014 for cohort studies, assessing the effect of perioperative β-blockers on mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

Effect of statin therapy on mortality from infection and sepsis: a meta-analysis of randomized and observational studies.

Introduction: Observational data have suggested that statin therapy may reduce mortality in patients with infection and sepsis; however, results from randomized studies are contradictory and do not support the use of statins in this context. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of statin therapy on mortality from infection and sepsis.

Methods: We searched electronic databases (PubMed and Embase) for articles published before November 2013.

Examination of artificial MiRNA mimics with centered-site complementarity for gene targeting.

Background: MiRNA primarily acts to repress gene expression at the post-transcriptional level through imperfect complementarity of its 5' region to the "seed site" in the 3' untranslated region of target mRNAs, with its "3'-supplementary site" and "center site" also playing important roles under certain circumstances. The aim of this study was to test if artificial miRNA mimics (miR-Mimics) that are designed to target the "centered sites" without "seed sites" complementarity are able to repress gene expression as natural miRNAs.

Methods: We designed miR-Mimics carrying centered-site matches (CS-miR-Mimics) or seed-site matches (SS-miR-Mimics) and siRNA to two antiapoptotic genes BCL2 and AKT1.

Ehrlichiosis and zoonotic anaplasmosis in suburban areas of Beijing, China.

In 2006, an unusual nosocomial outbreak of anaplasmosis occurred in Anhui Province, China. To follow these emerging tickborne-rickettsioses, a larger survey of Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum seroprevalence among farm worker populations, and the divergence of the partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of A. phagocytophilum among domestic animals, were conducted in Yanqing, Miyun, and Tongzhou Counties in Beijing from March to April, 2009.

[Investigation on Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection among farmers and domestic animals in rural areas of Beijing, China].

Objective: To investigate the status of Ehrlichia (E.) chaffeensis and Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum infection among farming populations and domestic animals in the rural area of Beijing, China.

Testing for differentially-expressed microRNAs with errors-in-variables nonparametric regression.

MicroRNA is a set of small RNA molecules mediating gene expression at post-transcriptional/translational levels. Most of well-established high throughput discovery platforms, such as microarray, real time quantitative PCR, and sequencing, have been adapted to study microRNA in various human diseases. The total number of microRNAs in humans is approximately 1,800, which challenges some analytical methodologies requiring a large number of entries.