Biphenyls from aerial parts of Ribes takare

Three new biphenyls, 4,7,8-trimethoxy-2,3-methylenedioxydibenzofuran (1), 7-hydroxy-4,8dimethoxy-2,3-methylenedioxydibenzofuran (2), and 3',5-dimethoxy-3,4-methylenedioxybiphenyl (3), along with eighteen known compounds (4-21) were isolated from the aerial part of Ribes takare D. Don. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Compound 1 and compound 2 showed mild alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. (C) 2013 Guo-You Li and Dong-Mei Fang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved

[[alternative]]A study of the improvement in financial system of private senior high and vocational schools in Taipei City

[[abstract]]The purposes of the study are to inquire current operation of budgeting preparation and execution private senior high and vocational schools in Taipei City, understand how the board of directors of private senior high and vocational schools supervising school's financial operation, analyze Taipei private senior high & vocational schools, financial structure, explore how the educaitonal authority oversee and regulate private high schools, and recommend the improvement in financial system of those schools. Documentation analysis and interview are adopted in this study. Major conclusions are summarized as follows: 1.Budgeting preparation and execution in private schools are generally normal but still have room for improvement. 2.It’s difficult to implement the strict regulations for the reinvestment of private school funds. 3.The supervision of educatioanl authority to the finance of private schools is not good enough. 4.Posting financial statements of private senior high and vocational schools on Internet still hasn’t been completely carried out. 5.There exist flaws for private schools’ financial audit reports. 6.The boards of directors of private schools don’t completely perform their responsibilities. 7.It’s necessary to have flexible tuition policies for private senior high and vocational schools . 8.The quota of tuition and subsidy affect the fairness of educational opportunities and finance principles. 9.Independent private schools can be separate from the subsidized ones. 10.Public schools and private ones are treated differently in terms of donation level. Recommendations are as follows: 1.It still needs more room for budgeting preparation and execution in private schools. 2.The regulations of reinvestment of private school funds should be loosened and a monitoring system should be built. 3.The educatonal authority should support private school financially. 4.Financial statements of all of private senior high and vocational schools should be thoroughly posted on Internet . 5.Private schools should carry out financial audit. 6.The boards of directors of private schools should perform the responsibilities of financial supervision. 7.Private senior high and vocational schools should be allowed to adopt flexible tuition policy. 8.The subsidy quota of tuition for the students in private senior high and vocational schools should be increased. 9.The differentiation of independent private school and subsidized one should be carried out. 10.Donations to both public and private schools should have the same tax deduction.

Instability mechanisms and early warning indicators for mesophilic anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste

In order to elucidate the instability mechanism, screen early warning indicators, and propose control measures, the mesophilic digestion of vegetable waste (VW) was carried out at organic loading rates (OLR) of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g volatile solid (VS)/(L d). The process parameters, including biogas components, volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonia, pH, total alkalinity (TA), bicarbonate alkalinity (BA), and intermediate alkalinity (IA), were monitored every day. Digestion was inhibited at OLR of 1.5 g VS/(L d). The primary causes of instability are a high sugar and negligible ammonia content, in addition to the feed without effluent recirculation, which led to BA loss. The ratios of CH4/CO2, VFA/BA, propionate, n-butyrate and iso-valerate were selected as early warning indicators. In order to maintain the digestion of VW at a high OLR, control measures including effluent recirculation and trace element addition are recommended

C1q-like Factor, a Target of miR-430, Regulates Primordial Germ Cell Development in Early Embryos of Carassius auratus

C1q-like is a significant maternal factor of TNF/C1q super-family, and the abundant protein has been observed in both mature eggs of Carassius auratus and Carassius auratus gibelio, but its biological function in early embryo development has remained unclear. In this study, we firstly revealed a high level of maternal C1q-like transcript existence only in mature eggs of Carassius auratus, whereas no any maternal C1q-like transcript was observed in that of Carassius auratus gibelio. During embryonic development, the C1q-like zygotic expression begins around cardiopalmus stage in embryos of both Carassius auratus and Carassius auratus gibelio. Then, we examined the biological role of C1q-like by morpholino-mediated knockdown in early embryo development. Knockdown of CaOC1q resulted in a significant reduction of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in Carassius auratus, as shown by whole mount in situ hybridization with vasa-specific RNA probe, fluorescence immunostaining of vasa protein, and GFP imaging of the GFP-nanos1-3'UTR mRNA reporter. In vitro and in vivo evidence indicated that a microRNA, miR-430 could repress the C1q-like expression and PGC development. These data suggest that C1q-like should be a direct target of miR-430 and play an essential role in PGC development of Carassius auratus.C1q-like is a significant maternal factor of TNF/C1q super-family, and the abundant protein has been observed in both mature eggs of Carassius auratus and Carassius auratus gibelio, but its biological function in early embryo development has remained unclear. In this study, we firstly revealed a high level of maternal C1q-like transcript existence only in mature eggs of Carassius auratus, whereas no any maternal C1q-like transcript was observed in that of Carassius auratus gibelio. During embryonic development, the C1q-like zygotic expression begins around cardiopalmus stage in embryos of both Carassius auratus and Carassius auratus gibelio. Then, we examined the biological role of C1q-like by morpholino-mediated knockdown in early embryo development. Knockdown of CaOC1q resulted in a significant reduction of primordial germ cells (PGCs) in Carassius auratus, as shown by whole mount in situ hybridization with vasa-specific RNA probe, fluorescence immunostaining of vasa protein, and GFP imaging of the GFP-nanos1-3'UTR mRNA reporter. In vitro and in vivo evidence indicated that a microRNA, miR-430 could repress the C1q-like expression and PGC development. These data suggest that C1q-like should be a direct target of miR-430 and play an essential role in PGC development of Carassius auratus

Analysis of cipadesin limonoids from Cipadessa cinerascens using electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry and quantum chemical calculations

RATIONALE: Limonoids, a class of tetranortriterpenoids, exhibit various biological effects, such as insect antifeedant and growth regulating activities, antimicrobial activity, potent cell adhesion inhibitory effects, antimalarial activity, anticancer activities, and antioxidant activity. The potential application brings the need for reliable, fast and low-cost analysis of this class of compounds. METHODS: Six cipadesin limonoids (1-6), including a pairs of isomers, from leaves and barks of Cipadessa cinerascens were investigated by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) in positive-ion mode. Characteristic processes were further studied by theoretical calculations. RESULTS: 1,3-Hydrogen rearrangement might play a significant role in the cleavage of -O-bridge bond in ring B and further produces some characteristic ions. For [M + Na](+) precursor ions, the product ion at m/z 133 might indicate the structure of ring A and the losses of CO2 and AcOH occur readily. Interestingly, the radical product ion at m/z 460 from [M + Na]+ ions seems to be the characteristic ion for compound 1. A deuterium-labeling experiment supported the processes forming the radical ion. For [M + NH4](+) ions, high-abundance product ions resulting from sequential loss of AcOH can be observed. In addition, a pairs of isomers was unambiguously differentiated based on MS or MS/MS spectra. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, sufficient information obtained from fragmentation experiments of [M + Na](+), [M + NH4](+) or [M + H](+) precursor ions is especially valuable for rapid identification of these limonoids or their metabolites in complex mixtures. The high-abundance radical product ion is of scientific interest. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

19-Oxygenated ent-Kaurane Diterpenoids from Isodon pharicus

Eight new 19-oxygenated ent-kaurane diterpenoids (1-8) were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon pharicus. Their structures were determined by means of extensive spectroscopic techniques including interpretation of 1D and 2D NMR spectra. Selected compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against NB4, A549, PC-3, MCF-7, and SH-SY5Y cell lines

An Engineered Arginase FC Protein Inhibits Tumor Growth In Vitro and In Vivo

Arginine is a semiessential amino acid required for the growth of melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, and the enzymatic removal of arginine by pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI) or arginase is being tested clinically. Here, we report a genetically engineered arginase FC fusion protein exhibiting a prolonged half-life and enhanced efficacy. The use of this enzyme to treat different tumor lines both inhibited cell proliferation and impaired cellular migration in vitro and in vivo. Our data reinforce the hypothesis that nutritional depletion is a key strategy for cancer treatment

Gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: The United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China

The current study investigates gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Directly assessed individual behavioral regulation (Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders, HTKS), teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation (Child Behavior Rating Scale, CBRS) and a battery of school readiness assessments (mathematics, vocabulary, and early literacy) were used with 814 young children (ages 3-6 years). Results showed that girls in the United States had significantly higher individual behavioral regulation than boys, but there were no significant gender differences in any Asian societies. In contrast, teachers in Taiwan, South Korea, as well as the United States rated girls as significantly higher than boys on classroom behavioral regulation. In addition, for both genders, individual and classroom behavioral regulation were related to many aspects of school readiness in all societies for girls and boys. Universal and culturally specific findings and their implications are discussed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Emotional reactions to scandals: When does moral character make a difference?

A scandal can evoke public outrage when it is widely publicized and involves an individual who is perceived to have a high level of cultural representativeness. Two experiments showed that when the scandalous target's moral character was highlighted, emotional responses towards the target were least negative when the scandal was widely circulated and when the target was seen as a representative of his culture. These results suggest that when a cultural symbol is implicated in a widely-circulated scandal, the negative emotions directed towards the scandalous individual can be alleviated when the public remains confident in his or her commitment to morality

Thermally and Magnetically Dual- Responsive Mesoporous Silica Nanospheres: Preparation, Characterization, and Properties for the Controlled Release of Sophoridine

Novel thermally and magnetically dual-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles [magnetic mesoporous silica nanospheres (M-MSNs)-poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm)] were developed with magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles as the core, mesoporous silica nanoparticles as the sandwiched layer, and thermally responsive polymers (PNIPAAm) as the outer shell. M-MSN-PNIPAAm was initially used to control the release of sophoridine. The characteristics of M-MSN-PNIPAAm were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and vibrating specimen magnetometry analyses. The results indicate that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were incorporated into the M-MSNs, and PNIPAAm was grafted onto the surface of the M-MSNs via precipitation polymerization. The obtained M-MSN-PNIPAAm possessed superparamagnetic characteristics with a high surface area (292.44 m(2)/g), large pore volume (0.246 mL/g), and large mesoporous pore size (2.18 nm). Sophoridine was used as a drug model to investigate the loading and release properties at different temperatures. The results demonstrate that the PNIPAAm layers on the surface of M-MSN-PNIPAAm effectively regulated the uptake and release of sophoridine. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40477.Novel thermally and magnetically dual-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles [magnetic mesoporous silica nanospheres (M-MSNs)-poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm)] were developed with magnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles as the core, mesoporous silica nanoparticles as the sandwiched layer, and thermally responsive polymers (PNIPAAm) as the outer shell. M-MSN-PNIPAAm was initially used to control the release of sophoridine. The characteristics of M-MSN-PNIPAAm were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and vibrating specimen magnetometry analyses. The results indicate that the Fe3O4 nanoparticles were incorporated into the M-MSNs, and PNIPAAm was grafted onto the surface of the M-MSNs via precipitation polymerization. The obtained M-MSN-PNIPAAm possessed superparamagnetic characteristics with a high surface area (292.44 m(2)/g), large pore volume (0.246 mL/g), and large mesoporous pore size (2.18 nm). Sophoridine was used as a drug model to investigate the loading and release properties at different temperatures. The results demonstrate that the PNIPAAm layers on the surface of M-MSN-PNIPAAm effectively regulated the uptake and release of sophoridine. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40477