Boosting Granular Support Vector Machines for the Accurate Prediction of Protein-Nucleotide Binding Sites.

Aim And Objective: The accurate identification of protein-ligand binding sites helps elucidate protein function and facilitate the design of new drugs. Machine-learning-based methods have been widely used for the prediction of protein-ligand binding sites. Nevertheless, the severe class imbalance phenomenon, where the number of nonbinding (majority) residues is far greater than that of binding (minority) residues, has a negative impact on the performance of such machine-learning-based predictors.

Influence of high-carbon basal fertiliser on the structure and composition of a soil microbial community under tobacco cultivation.

Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in cycling soil nutrients and providing organic nutrients for plant growth and development. Fertilisation balances soil fertility and quality, and affects soil microbial communities. Fertilisation is a frontier subject in agricultural and environmental sciences.

Anti-ulcer and anti-Helicobacter pylori potentials of the ethyl acetate fraction of Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Solanaceae) in rodent.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Solanaceae) has been widely used in Chinese folk medicine due to its wide distribution throughout the country, for the treatment of a wide range of diseases including heat and cold, sore throat, fever, fungal infection, inflammation, toothache, rheumatism, burn, analgesic, ulcer and urinary diseases.

[The integrity study on PEG-PCL micelles transcellular transported across MDCK epithelial cell monolayer using FRET technology].

The integrity of poly(ethylene glycol)-co-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-PCL) micelles transcellular transported across madin-darby canine kidney(MDCK) epithelial cells was investigated. Fluorescein isothiocyanate isomer I(FITC) was conjugated to PEG-PCL and the product PEG-PCL-FITC was identified by fluorescence spectra. Two micelles were prepared using the thin-film hydration method: 3,3’-dioctadecyloxacarbocyanine perchlorate (DiO) and 1,1’-dioctadecyl-3,3,3’,3’-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) co-loaded PEG-PCL micelles (DiO-DiI-M), DiI loaded and PEG-PCL-FITC contained micelles(FITC-DiI-M).

[Estimation of vegetation canopy water content using Hyperion hyperspectral data].

Vegetation canopy water content (VCWC) has widespread utility in agriculture, ecology and hydrology. Based on the PROSAIL model, a novel model for quantitative inversion of vegetation canopy water content using Hyperion hyperspectral data was explored. Firstly, characteristics of vegetation canopy reflection were investigated with the PROSAIL radiative transfer model, and it was showed that the first derivative at the right slope (980 - 1 070 nm) of the 970 nm water absorption feature (D98-1 070) was closely related to VCWC, and determination coefficient reached to 0.

Expression levels of IL-27 and IL-17 in multiple myeloma patients: a higher ratio of IL-27:IL-17 in bone marrow was associated with a superior progression-free survival.

The goal of the study was to investigate the levels of interleukin-27 (IL-27) and IL-17 in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) of multiple myeloma (MM). The levels of IL-27 and IL-17 were determined in MM patients and controls using ELISA. The results showed a decreased IL-27 and elevated IL-17 level in MM patients and a negative association of IL-27 with IL-17.

Norcantharidin enhances bortezomib-antimyeloma activity in multiple myeloma cells in vitro and in nude mouse xenografts.

Norcantharidin (NCTD), the demethylated analog of the Chinese medicine cantharidin, exhibits anti-myeloma activity by inactivating nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which is implicated in multiple myeloma (MM) cell survival and resistance to bortezomib (BTZ). We investigated whether NCTD could potentiate the anti-tumor activity of BTZ in MM. NCTD inhibited the proliferation of MM cells and potentiated the anti-myeloma effects of BTZ by down-regulating IKKα and p-IκBα, which induced the accumulation of IκBα and inhibited the constitutive activation of NF-κB.

[Norcantharidin potentialize the chemosensitivity of adriamycin through the NF-κB/IκBα signaling pathway].

Objective: To explore the synergetic effect of norcantharidin (NCTD) and adriamycin (ADR) on the proliferation and apoptosis of multiple myeloma (MM) cells.

Methods: Human MM cell line U266 cells were treated with NCTD alone (10 µmol/L) or in combination with ADR (0.25 µmol/L).

Oxidative damage to RNA and expression patterns of MTH1 in the hippocampi of senescence-accelerated SAMP8 mice and Alzheimer's disease patients.

Mammalian MTH1 protein, a MutT-related protein, catalyzes the hydrolysis of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine triphosphate (8-oxoGTP) to monophosphate, thereby preventing incorporation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoguanine) into RNA. In this study, we applied immunohistochemistry to follow the expression of MTH1 and the amount of 8-oxoguanine in RNA during aging. There were increased amounts of 8-oxoguanine in RNA in the CAl and CA3 subregions of hippocampi of 8- and 12-month-old SAMP8 mice, which exhibited early aging syndromes and declining learning and memory abilities compared to those of age-matched control SAMR1 mice.

Age-related alterations in the expression of MTH2 in the hippocampus of the SAMP8 mouse with learning and memory deterioration.

MutT-related proteins degrade 8-oxo-7,8-dihydrodeoxyguanosine triphosphate (8-oxo-dGTP), a mutagenic substrate for DNA synthesis in the nucleotide pool, thereby preventing DNA replication errors. MTH2 (Mut T homolog 2), which belongs to this family of proteins, possesses 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine triphosphatase (8-oxo-dGTPase) activity and appears to function in the protection of the genetic material from the untoward effects of endogenous oxygen radicals. To examine the roles of MTH2 in the aging process, we used the senescence-accelerated prone mouse 8 (SAMP8), which exhibits early aging syndromes and declining abilities of learning and memory.