Synthesis and characterization of polyvinylpyrrolidone coated cerium oxide nanoparticles.

There is a pressing need for the development of standard and reference nanomaterials for environmental nanoscience and nanotoxicology. To that aim, suspensions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated ceria nanoparticles (NPs) were produced. Four differently sized monodispersed samples were produced by using different PVP chain lengths.

In vitro antiviral activity and underlying molecular mechanisms of dipotassium glycyrrhetate against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

Background: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has caused large economic losses in the swine industry. Currently, there is no effective way to prevent PRRSV infection. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of dipotassium glycyrrhetate (DG), a derivative of glycyrrhetinic acid, on PRRSV infection ability.

α-Glucosidase inhibitory triterpenoids from the stem barks of Uncaria laevigata.

A phytochemical study on the ethanolic extract of the stem barks of Uncaria laevigata leads to the isolation and characterization of 18 triterpenoid compounds. Ten of these are new, including one novel heptanortriterpenoid (1), four ursane triterpenes (2-4, 10), and five oleanane triterpenes (5-9). Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods, especially by 2D-NMR and MS analyses.

Plastome sequences of Lygodium japonicum and Marsilea crenata reveal the genome organization transformation from basal ferns to core leptosporangiates.

Previous studies have shown that core leptosporangiates, the most species-rich group of extant ferns (monilophytes), have a distinct plastid genome (plastome) organization pattern from basal fern lineages. However, the details of genome structure transformation from ancestral ferns to core leptosporangiates remain unclear because of limited plastome data available. Here, we have determined the complete chloroplast genome sequences of Lygodium japonicum (Lygodiaceae), a member of schizaeoid ferns (Schizaeales), and Marsilea crenata (Marsileaceae), a representative of heterosporous ferns (Salviniales).

[Use of flow cytometric sorting to assess the diversity of eukaryotic picophytoplankton of lakes].

A novel approach based on flow cytometric sorting followed by construction of 18S rRNA clone libraries was used to study the diversity of eukaryotic picophytoplankton of lakes. The composition of eukaryotic picophytoplankton community appeared highly variable in three lakes. Eukaryotic picophytoplankton was dominated by Cryptophyta in the Lake Xuanwu, and was mainly composed of Cryptophyta and Chrysophyta in the Lake Zixia.

[Modeling and dynamic simulation of the multimode anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic wastewater treatment process].

Mathematical modeling is a useful tool for professional education, process development, design evaluation, operational optimization and automatic control of the wastewater treatment system, and has been extensively applied in numerous full-scale wastewater treatment plants. The ASM2d model was calibrated by the process data, and used to simulate 15 operational test runs of the multimode anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (AAO) process. After calibration, the model was capable of simulating the sludge concentrations and effluent data in 15 test runs of the multimode AAO system.

Coordination between apoplastic and symplastic detoxification confers plant aluminum resistance.

Whether aluminum toxicity is an apoplastic or symplastic phenomenon is still a matter of debate. Here, we found that three auxin overproducing mutants, yucca, the recessive mutant superroot2, and superroot1 had increased aluminum sensitivity, while a transfer DNA insertion mutant, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolases15 (xth15), showed enhanced aluminum resistance, accompanied by low endogenous indole-3-acetic acid levels, implying that auxin may be involved in plant responses to aluminum stress. We used yucca and xth15 mutants for further study.

Staged management of Budd-Chiari syndrome caused by co-obstruction of the inferior vena cava and main hepatic veins.

Background: Collateralized intra- and extra-hepatic routes in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) were important. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and clinical outcomes of the staged management of BCS based on the degree of compensation provided by intra- or extra-hepatic collateral circulations.

Methods: A total of 103 adult patients with BCS caused by co-obstruction of the inferior vena cava (IVC) and main hepatic veins (MHVs) between March 2001 and October 2009 were enrolled in this study.

Time-dependent movement and distribution of chlorothalonil and chlorpyrifos in tomatoes.

Determining the distribution of pesticides in fruits is essential to eliminate pesticide residues during food processing. In this study, the dynamic distribution of two pesticides, chlorothalonil (CHT) and chlorpyrifos (CHP), were determined in different tomato parts following immersion in pesticide solutions. The concentrations of CHT and CHP in tomato followed an order of cuticle>plasma>pulp.

Heterozygous alleles restore male fertility to cytoplasmic male-sterile radish (Raphanus sativus L.): a case of overdominance.

The practice of hybridization has greatly contributed to the increase in crop productivity. A major component that exploits heterosis in crops is the cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS)/nucleus-controlled fertility restoration (Rf) system. Through positional cloning, it is shown that heterozygous alleles (RsRf3-1/RsRf3-2) encoding pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins are responsible for restoring fertility to cytoplasmic male-sterile radish (Raphanus sativus L.

Is radiative electroweak symmetry breaking consistent with a 125 GeV Higgs mass?

The mechanism of radiative electroweak symmetry breaking occurs through loop corrections, and unlike conventional symmetry breaking where the Higgs mass is a parameter, the radiatively generated Higgs mass is dynamically predicted. Padé approximations and an averaging method are developed to extend the Higgs mass predictions in radiative electroweak symmetry breaking from five- to nine-loop order in the scalar sector of the standard model, resulting in an upper bound on the Higgs mass of 141 GeV. The mass predictions are well described by a geometric series behavior, converging to an asymptotic Higgs mass of 124 GeV consistent with the recent ATLAS and CMS Collaborations observations.

Preoperative pelvic axial rotation: a possible predictor for postoperative coronal decompensation in thoracolumbar/lumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background: The pelvis as the biomechanical foundation of spine, plays an important role in the balance of the stance and gait through the multi-link spinal-pelvic system. If the pelvic axial rotation (PAR) exists in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients, it should theoretically have some effects on the body balance.

Purpose: To explore the probable effects of preoperative PAR on the spinal balance in coronal plane in AIS patients with main thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curve after posterior spinal instrumentation.

Developmental changes in the composition of five anthraquinones from Rheum palmatum as quantified by (1) H-NMR.

Introduction: Rheum palmatum is an important traditional Chinese medicine featuring anthraquinones with several activities. Generally, rhein, emodin, aloe-emodin, physcion and chrysophanol are used as chemical markers for the quality control of rhubarb products.

Objective: To develop a simple protocol for the quantification of rhein, emodin, aloe-emodin, physcion and chrysophanol in R.

128-slice Dual-source Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Image Quality and Radiation Dose of Prospectively Electrocardiogram-triggered Sequential Scan Compared with Retrospectively Electrocardiogram-gated Spiral Scan.

Objective To evaluate the image quality (IQ) and radiation dose of 128-slice dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) coronary angiography using prospectively electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered sequential scan mode compared with ECG-gated spiral scan mode in a population with atrial fibrillation. Methods Thirty-two patients with suspected coronary artery disease and permanent atrial fibrillation referred for a second-generation 128-slice DSCT coronary angiography were included in the prospective study. Of them, 17 patients (sequential group) were randomly selected to use a prospectively ECG-triggered sequential scan, while the other 15 patients (spiral group) used a retrospectively ECG-gated spiral scan.

Transforming growth factor-β1 induces matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in rat vascular smooth muscle cells via ROS-dependent ERK-NF-κB pathways.

Both matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and transforming growth factors-β1 (TGF-β1) are the important factors in the pathogenesis of the aortic aneurysm (AA) and aortic dissection (AD). Recent studies have shown that inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2) or NF-κB pathways is able to suppress aneurysm formation. The median layers of arterial walls are mainly the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), while the pathogenesis of AA and AD is closely related to the changes in the median layer structure.

Association between XRCC1 gene polymorphisms and risk of glioma development: a meta-analysis.

Objective: Previous studies of the association between X-ray cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) gene polymorphisms and the gliomas risk have yielded conflicting results, and thus a meta-analysis was performed to provide a more accurate estimation.

Methods: A computerized literature search of 5 electronic databases was conducted to identify the relevant studies. Fixed or random effect models were selected based on the heterogeneity test.

Gibberellic acid alleviates cadmium toxicity by reducing nitric oxide accumulation and expression of IRT1 in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Gibberellic acid (GA) is involved in not only plant growth and development but also plant responses to abiotic stresses. Here it was found that treating the plants with GA concentrations from 0.1 to 5 μM for 24 h had no obvious effect on root elongation in the absence of cadmium (Cd), whereas in the presence of Cd2+, GA at 5 μM improved root growth, reduced Cd content and lipid peroxidation in the roots, indicating that GA can partially alleviate Cd toxicity.

Intra-muscular arteries are also affected in Takayasu's arteritis.

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic vasculitis, primarily affecting large vessels, such as the aorta and its main branches. Several reports suggest that the vascular inflammatory process is not always confined to large vessels. Here, a new case of vasculitis in intra-muscular arteries associated with TA is reported.

HBx induces HepG-2 cells autophagy through PI3K/Akt-mTOR pathway.

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is the dominant global cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially hepatitis B virus-X (HBx) plays a major role in this process. HBx protein promotes cell cycle progression, inactivates negative growth regulators, and binds to and inhibits the expression of p53 tumor suppressor gene and other tumor suppressor genes and senescence-related factors. However, the relationship between HBx and autophagy during the HCC development is poorly known.

[Simplified surgical procedure of stented elephant trunk fenestration in acute Stanford type A aortic dissection].

Objective: To study the technical feasibility of simplified total arch replacement via stented elephant trunk fenestration in the treatment of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection.

Methods: A total of 42 consecutive patients with acute type A aortic dissection underwent total aortic arch replacement plus fenestrate stented elephant trunk implantation under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion between August 2008 to February 2011. The aortic arch was accessed longitudinally.

2,2'-Sulfonyl-dipyrazine 4-oxide.

In the title compound, C(8)H(6)N(4)O(3)S, the dihedral angle between the pyrazine rings is 85.04 (1)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are arranged along the a axis and are linked by C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds and pyrazine-pyrazine π-π inter-actions [centroid-centroid distance = 3.

Combined transfection of the three transcriptional factors, PDX-1, NeuroD1, and MafA, causes differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into insulin-producing cells.

Aims: The goal of cell transcription for treatment of diabetes is to generate surrogate β-cells from an appropriate cell line. However, the induced replacement cells have showed less physiological function in producing insulin compared with normal β-cells.

Methods: Here, we report a procedure for induction of insulin-producing cells (IPCs) from bone marrow murine mesenchymal stem cells (BM-mMSCs).

3,3'-Carbonyl-dipyridinium bis-(perchlorate).

In the title molecular salt, C(11)H(10)N(2)O(2+)·2ClO(4) (-), the complete cation is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry. The dihedral angle between the pyridyl rings is 67.07 (7)°.

catena-Poly[[[bis-(acetato-κ(2)O,O')aqua-cadmium]-μ-[(pyridin-3-yl)(pyridin-4-yl)methanone]-κ(2)N:N'] dihydrate].

In the title complex, {[Cd(CH(3)COO)(2)(C(11)H(8)N(2)O)(H(2)O)]·2H(2)O}(n), the Cd(II) ion adopts an O(5)N(2) penta-gonal-bipyramidal coordination geometry with four acetate O atoms and one water O atom at the equatorial sites and two pyridine N atoms at the axial sites. The (pyridin-3-yl)(pyridin-4-yl)methanone ligand acts in a μ(2)-bridging mode, linking the metal atoms, leading to an infinite chain along [-110]. O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the lattice water mol-ecules connect these chains into a three-dimensional network.

Supramolecular framework in catena-poly[[(nitrato-κO)silver(I)]-μ-(R,S)-2-(pyridin-4-ylsulfinyl)pyrimidine-κ3N,O:N'].

In the title complex, [Ag(NO(3))(C(9)H(7)N(3)OS)](n), η(1):η(1):η(1):μ(2)-bridging 2-(pyridin-4-ylsulfinyl)pyrimidine (pypmSO) ligands with opposite chiralities are alternately arranged to link the Ag(I) cations through two N atoms and one sulfinyl O atom of each ligand, leading to an extended zigzag coordination chain structure along the [ ̅201] direction. An FT-IR spectroscopic study shows a decreased stretching frequency for the η(1)-O-bonded S=O group compared with that of the free ligand. The parallel chains are arranged and interconnected via O(S=O)···π(pyridine/pyrimidine) and C-H(pyridine)···O(NO(3)(-)) interactions to furnish a layer almost parallel to the ac plane.