Multiple Enhancement Effects of Crown Ether in Tröger's Base Polymers on the Performance of Anion Exchange Membranes.

The development of anion exchange membranes (AEMs) is hindered by the trade-off of ionic conductivity, alkaline stability, and mechanical properties. Tröger's base polymers (Tb-polymers) are recognized as promising membrane materials to overcome these obstacles. Herein, the AEMs made from Tb-poly(crown ether)s (Tb-PCEs) show good comprehensive performance.

MicroRNA-379 inhibits laryngeal carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion through directly targeting TCF-4.

The expression pattern, functions, and detailed regulatory mechanisms of miR-379 in laryngeal carcinoma remain unknown. In the present study, we aimed to uncover novel potential miR-379 targets and shed light on its roles in laryngeal carcinoma. The expression level of miR-379 was measured based on the data obtained from the TCGA database and the cell lines.

Potential effects of exploiting the Yunfu pyrite mine (southern China) on soil: evidence from analyzing trace elements in surface soil.

Trace element contamination caused by mining is a serious environmental problem. The potential effects of exploiting the Yunfu pyrite mine (southern China) on soil were investigated by determining trace elements in 56 surface soil samples from the vicinity of the Yunfu pyrite mine. The samples were acid dissolved and measured by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

New dating of the Homo erectus cranium from Lantian (Gongwangling), China.

The Homo erectus cranium from Gongwangling, Lantian County, Shaanxi Province is the oldest fossil hominin specimen from North China. It was found in 1964 in a layer below the Jaramillo subchron and was attributed to loess (L) L15 in the Chinese loess-palaeosol sequence, with an estimated age of ca. 1.

Identification of small non-coding RNAs in the planarian Dugesia japonica via deep sequencing.

Freshwater planarian flatworm possesses an extraordinary ability to regenerate lost body parts after amputation; it is perfect organism model in regeneration and stem cell biology. Recently, small RNAs have been an increasing concern and studied in many aspects, including regeneration and stem cell biology, among others. In the current study, the large-scale cloning and sequencing of sRNAs from the intact and regenerative planarian Dugesia japonica are reported.

Differential expression of microRNA patterns in planarian normal and regenerative tissues.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ~22-nt small non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of specific target genes in many eukaryotes. miRNAs have been shown to play important roles in stem cell maintenance, cell fate determination, and differentiation. Planarians are capable of regenerating entire body plans from tiny fragments; this regenerative capacity is facilitated by a population of pluripotent stem cells known as neoblasts.

Modular design, expression and characterization of novel bifunctional mutants of fibrolase with combined platelet aggregation-inhibition and fibrinolytic activity.

Fibrolase is a non-hemorrhagic zinc metalloproteinase found in southern copperhead snake (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) venom that acts directly on fibrin clots and does not require plasminogen or any other blood-borne intermediate for activity. Chimeras of fibrolase with RGD peptides conferring antiplatelet activity have been synthesized covalently, but we describe a simpler, cheaper and less toxic method, using site-directed mutagensis. Fibrolase variants that constitute the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (Arg-Gly-Asp, RGD) motif were constructed using site-directed mutagenesis.

Transcriptome profiling and digital gene expression by deep-sequencing in normal/regenerative tissues of planarian Dugesia japonica.

Planarians exhibit an extraordinary ability to regenerate lost body parts which is attributed to an abundance of pluripotent somatic stem cells called neoblasts. In this article, we report a transcriptome sequence of a Planaria subspecies Dugesia japonica derived by high-throughput sequencing. In addition, we researched transcriptome changes during different periods of regeneration by using a tag-based digital gene expression (DGE) system.