Enhancing intracellular NADPH bioavailability through improving pentose phosphate pathway flux and its application in biocatalysis asymmetric reduction reaction.

The intracellular NAD(P)H insufficiency is the key factor which limits the reduced product (such as chiral alcohols) synthesis by whole cell biocatalysis or microbial cell factory. In this paper, we reported a novel solution to increase NADPH supply through strengthening the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) flux with overexpression of extra zwf (gene for glucose 6-phosphatedehydrogenase) and glk (gene for glucokinase) by recombinant Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)/pETDuet-1-glk-zwf and pET28a-bccr containing a carbonyl reductase gene bccr. The amount of intracellular NADPH was significantly increased from 150.

Copper-Catalyzed Cascade 1,4-Addition/Annulation/Hydrolysis of Propargylamines with 2-Hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-diones: Direct Formation of 12-Phenacyl-11-benzo[]xanthenes.

A novel and versatile approach to construct 12-phenacyl-11-benzo[]xanthene-6,11(12)-dione derivatives through copper-catalyzed cascade reaction of propargylamines with 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-diones has been developed. The procedure is proposed to go through a sequence of 1,4-conjugate addition, intramolecular nucleophilic addition/dehydration, and hydrolysis of alkyne followed by an enol-ketone tautomerization. The reaction provides a new and highly efficient method for the synthesis of 12-phenacyl-11-benzo[]xanthene-6,11(12)-diones by formation of three new bonds and one heterocycle from readily available starting materials in good to high yields (70-88%) with broad functional group compatibility in a single step.

Synthesis of 4-styrylcoumarins via FeCl-promoted cascade reactions of propargylamines with β-keto esters.

A versatile and highly regioselective FeCl3-promoted tandem cyclization reaction of in situ generated alkynyl o-quinone methides (o-AQMs) with β-keto esters has been developed on the basis of the mode involving an intermolecular 1,4-conjugate addition/alkyne-allene isomerization/intramolecular transesterification/isomerization cascade. Using this method, a variety of diversely substituted 4-styryl-2H-chromen-2-ones were prepared with good efficiency and exclusive site-selectivity.

Evidence and evolution of magnetic polaron in HgCrSe investigated by electron spin resonance.

The evidence and evolution of magnetic polarons (MPs) in HgCrSe have been studied by electron spin resonance (ESR), magnetism and conductivity measurements in a temperature range of 5-300 K. A single paramagnetic resonance line is observed in the high-temperature range while multiple resonance lines appear in the low-temperature range. As temperature decreases, the peak-to-peak linewidth ΔH shows a minimum at T   ≈  210 K, with the activation energy fitted by small polaron hopping model consistent with the bottleneck mechanism, providing an evidence for existence of small MPs above T .

Ligand-binding characterization of simulated β-adrenergic-like octopamine receptor in Schistocerca gregaria via progressive structure simulation.

It is important to design insecticides having both low drug resistance and less undesirable toxicity for desert locust control. Specific GPCRs of Schistocerca gregaria, especially β-adrenergic-like octopamine receptor (SgOctβR), can be considered as its potential effective insecticide targets. However, either the unavailability of SgOctβR's structure or the inadequate capability of its sequence lead the development of insecticide for Schistocerca gregaria meets its plateau.

Role of quantitative hepatitis B core antibody levels in predicting significant liver inflammation in chronic hepatitis B patients with normal or near-normal alanine aminotransferase levels.

Aim: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels are not free from significant hepatic lesions. Recently, there has been an improved understanding of the clinical significance of quantitative hepatitis B core antibody levels (qAnti-HBc) during CHB management. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the utility of qAnti-HBc in identifying significant liver inflammation in CHB patients.

Electrochemical-reaction-induced synaptic plasticity in MoO-based solid state electrochemical cells.

Solid state electrochemical cells with synaptic functions have important applications in building smart-terminal networks. Here, the essential synaptic functions including potentiation and depression of synaptic weight, transition from short- to long-term plasticity, spike-rate-dependent plasticity, and spike-timing-dependent plasticity behavior were successfully realized in an Ag/MoO/fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) cell with continual resistance switching. The synaptic plasticity underlying these functions was controlled by tuning the excitatory post-synaptic current (EPSC) decay, which is determined by the applied voltage pulse number, width, frequency, and intervals between the pre- and post-spikes.

Moisture effects on the electrochemical reaction and resistance switching at Ag/molybdenum oxide interfaces.

An important potential application of solid state electrochemical reactions is in redox-based resistive switching memory devices. Based on the fundamental switching mechanisms, the memory has been classified into two modes, electrochemical metallization memory (ECM) and valence change memory (VCM). In this work, we have investigated a solid state electrochemical cell with a simple Ag/MoO3-x/fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) sandwich structure, which shows a normal ECM switching mode after an electroforming process.

Precore/basal core promoter mutants quantification throughout phases of hepatitis B virus infection by Simpleprobe.

Aim: To investigate precore/basal core promoter (PC/BCP) mutants throughout hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and to determine their relationship to hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) titers.

Methods: We enrolled 191 patients in various stages of HBV infection at the Huashan Hospital and the Taizhou Municipal Hospital from 2010 to 2012. None of the patients received antiviral therapy.

Synthesis and characterization of bisoxazolines- and pybox-copper(II) complexes and their application in the coupling of α-carbonyls with functionalized amines.

Binuclear complexes [{(DMOX)CuCl}2(μ-Cl)2] (1), mononuclear complexes [(DMOX)CuBr2] (2) (DMOX = 4,5-dihydro-2-(4,5-dihydro-4,4-dimethyloxazol-2-yl)-4,4-dimethyloxazole) and the pybox Cu(II) complex [(Dm-Pybox)CuBr2] (3) (Dm-Pybox = 2,6-bis[4',4'-dimethyloxazolin-2'-yl]pyridine) were obtained by reactions of CuX2 (X = Cl, Br) with DMOX and Dm-Pybox ligands, respectively. The molecular structures of 1, 2 and 3 have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The complexes 2 and 3 are efficient in catalyzing α-amination of ketones and esters through α-bromo carbonyl intermediate.

Field- and temperature-induced evolution of the magnetocaloric effect in Ba0.3Sr1.7Co2Fe12O22 single crystals with heliconical magnetism.

The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) associated with the spin transitions of alternating longitudinal conical (ALC)-mixed conical (MC) and MC-ferrimagnetic (FIM) states in a Ba0.3Sr1.7Co2Fe12O22 single crystal has been investigated.

Conjugation of sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine to doxorubicin can improve the efficacy of photodynamic cancer therapy.

Sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPcS), a widely used photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy of cancer, was conjugated to doxorubicin (Dox), a chemotherapy drug, through electrostatic binding. The fluorescence resonance energy transfer from Dox to AlPcS showed the formation of AlPcS-Dox conjugates, as the fluorescence intensity of conjugated Dox was decreased and that of the AlPcS moiety was enhanced. This AlPcS-Dox conjugation was further confirmed by electrophoresis.

Serum uric acid in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Few studies investigated serum uric acid levels in patients with acute Stelevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The study was to assess the clinical value of serum uric acid levels in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: Totally 502 consecutive patients with STEMI were retrospectively studied from January 2005 to December 2010.

Spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion and loss of hepatitis B virus DNA after acute flare due to development of drug resistant mutants during entecavir monotherapy.

Aims: Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection under entecavir (ETV) treatment develop resistant mutants with viral rebound. Here, we report an interesting case of spontaneous loss of HBV-DNA and seroconversion following an acute flare after the development of ETV-resistant mutants. This patient received ETV after lamivudine breakthrough.

[The rate of hepatitis B virus resistance to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) and the evolution of hepatitis B virus in lamivudine-resistant chronic hepatitis B patients with ADV monotherapy].

Objective: To study the resistant rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) to ADV and the dynamic evolution of HBV in lamivudine (Lam)-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: Twenty-three Lam-resistant CHB patients were assigned to a 10mg/d ADV monotherapy for 68-116 weeks. The baseline and different time point blood samples after ADV monotherapy were analyzed for ADV-resistant mutations using direct sequencing of PCR products; the evolution of HBV mutations was examined by clonal analysis of serial samples from one patient infected with ADV-associated resistant HBV strains.