Chaetomadramines A-E, a class of siderophores with potent neuroprotective activity from the fungus Chaetomium madrasense cib-1.

Five hydroxamate siderophores, chaetomadramines A-E (1-5), along with seven known compounds were isolated from the fermented rice culture of the fungus Chaetomium madrasense cib-1. Compounds 1-5 were structurally elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, which were a group of unusual hydroxamate siderophores, bearing a long fatty acyl on the α-NH of the N-hydroxylated ornithine. Compounds 2-5 were new.

Chaetonigrisins A-L, a group of 3-Indole-1,2-Propanediol derived alkaloids from Chaetomium nigricolor YT-2.

Thirteen new alkaloids (1-13) as well as ten known compounds were isolated from the solid-state fermented rice medium of the fungus Chaetomium nigricolor YT-2. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data, quantum calculations, and single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. Chaetonigrisin A (1) represents an unprecedented carbon skeleton featuring a polycyclic 1H-pyrano[3,2:3,4-]​furo[2,​3-​b]​indole.

[Implementation and application of a digital cytopathological lung cancer diagnosing system].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the digital cytopathological lung cancer diagnosing system (DCLCDS) utilizing the latest computer technologies (including reinforcement learning, image segmentation and classifier) and the cytopathological knowledge on lung cancer cells.

Methods: Separate the overlapped lung cancer cells in a slice image applying the improved deBoor-Cox B-Spline algorithm; Segment cell regions in a slice image using an image segmentation algorithm based on reinforcement learning; Ensemble different classifiers, including Decision Tree classifier, Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier and Bayesian classifier, to achieve an accurate result of cytopathological lung cancer diagnosis.

Results: The accurate diagnosis rate for lung cancer identification of 224 images of small lung lesions aspiration biopsy from 120 cases randomly selected was 92.

An association study between the transthyretin (TTR) gene and mental retardation.

It is known that in the pathogenesis of mental retardation (MR), both genetic and environmental factors (particularly iodine deficiency) appear to play a critical role. Transthyretin (TTR) transports between 20% and 30% of serum thyroxine in normal individuals and it is the main T(4)-binding protein in CSF. Variability in the TTR gene may influence risk for iodine-deficiency-based MR.

[Mutation detection of COL1A1 gene in a pedigree with osteogenesis imperfecta].

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is heritable bone fragility,which is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait clinical presentation. Clinical symptom, in general, is dominantly inherited OI with blue sclerae, hearing loss and mild-moderate skeletal deformity. Genetic loci of OI have been mapped to17q21.

[Transmission disequilibrium test of polymorphisms of serotonin transporter gene and schizophrenia based on family trios].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between two polymorphisms (Intronic VNTR and 5-HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene and schizophrenia.

Methods: A set of 314 schizophrenic trio samples collected from Shanghai, Xi'an and Jilin regions of China independently was subjected to analysis of the polymorphisms by transmission/disequilibrium test(TDT).

Results: No significantly preferential transmission of any allele was detected from both polymorphisms investigated.

A gene locus responsible for dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria (DSH) maps to chromosome 6q24.2-q25.2.

Dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria (DSH) is a hereditary skin disease characterized by the presence of hyperpigmented and hypopigmented macules on extremities and face. The gene, or even its chromosomal location, for DSH has not yet been identified. In this study, two Chinese families with DSH were identified and subjected to a genomewide screen for linkage analysis.