7,8beta-dihydroponasterone A, a new phytoecdysteroid from the needles of the Japanese Yew, Taxus cuspidata

A new plant ecdysteroid 7,8beta-dihydroponasterone A, together with ponasterone A, were isolated from the methanol extract of the needles of the Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including ¹H NMR, 13C NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY, NOESY, HMQC and HMBC and confirmed by high-resolution FABMS data

Metamaterial slab as a lens, a cloak or something in between

We show that a metamaterial slab with arbitrary values of epsilon and mu behaves as a cloak at a finite frequency for a small object located sufficiently close to it due to the suppression of the object's optical excitations by enhanced reflections. Reflections due to propagating components can partially suppress the excitation while evanescent components can cloak the object completely. In particular, a Veselago slab with epsilon = mu = -1 + i delta, as well as a class of anisotropic negative refractive index slabs, can completely cloak the small object placed within a finite distance from the slab when delta -> 0.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures, including a paper and its auxiliary materia

Quarantine Methods and Prevention of Secondary Outbreak of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009

Quarantine Methods and Secondary Outbreak Preventio

Specific Correlation between the Hegu Point (LI4) and the Orofacial Part: Evidence from an fMRI Study

Acupoint specificity is a foundational concept in acupuncture theory. It is closely related to the function of the acupoint. In this study, we sought to probe the central mechanisms of the specific correlation between LI4 and orofacial part in Bell’s palsy patients. In total, 36 patients with left Bell’s palsy were divided into three groups in random order, and each group received transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) at only one of three acupoints (LI4, ST6, and a sham point). A single-block fMRI design paradigm was applied to separately detect neural activity related to different stages of TEAS (prestimulation resting state, stimulation, and poststimulation resting state). Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired during TEAS. There were extensive neuronal activities in the LI4 and ST6 groups and significant differences between stimulation at real and sham points. Brain regions were activated more by real acupoint TEAS than by sham point TEAS. Brain regions that were activated with LI4 and ST6 were broadly overlapping and adjacent. Our results provide supplementary neuroimaging evidence for the existence of acupoint specificity. These results may confirm the central mechanisms of the specific correlation between the Hegu point and the orofacial part

Biological Properties of Acidic Cosmetic Water from Seawater

This current work was to investigate the biological effects of acidic cosmetic water (ACW) on various biological assays. ACW was isolated from seawater and demonstrated several bio-functions at various concentration ranges. ACW showed a satisfactory effect against Staphylococcus aureus, which reduced 90% of bacterial growth after a 5-second exposure. We used cultured human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to test the properties of ACW in inflammatory cytokine release, and it did not induce inflammatory cytokine release from un-stimulated, normal PBMCs. However, ACW was able to inhibit bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory cytokine TNF-α released from PBMCs, showing an anti-inflammation potential. Furthermore, ACW did not stimulate the rat basophilic leukemia cell (RBL-2H3) related allergy response on de-granulation. Our data presented ACW with a strong anti-oxidative ability in a superoxide anion radical scavenging assay. In mass spectrometry information, magnesium and zinc ions demonstrated bio-functional detections for anti-inflammation as well as other metal ions such as potassium and calcium were observed. ACW also had minor tyrosinase and melanin decreasing activities in human epidermal melanocytes (HEMn-MP) without apparent cytotoxicity. In addition, the cell proliferation assay illustrated anti-growth and anti-migration effects of ACW on human skin melanoma cells (A375.S2) indicating that it exerted the anti-cancer potential against skin cancer. The results obtained from biological assays showed that ACW possessed multiple bioactivities, including anti-microorganism, anti-inflammation, allergy-free, antioxidant, anti-melanin and anticancer properties. To our knowledge, this was the first report presenting these bioactivities on ACW

The LAMOST Survey of Background Quasars in the Vicinity of the Andromeda and Triangulum Galaxies -- II. Results from the Commissioning Observations and the Pilot Surveys

We present new quasars discovered in the vicinity of the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies with the LAMOST during the 2010 and 2011 observational seasons. Quasar candidates are selected based on the available SDSS, KPNO 4 m telescope, XSTPS optical, and WISE near infrared photometric data. We present 509 new quasars discovered in a stripe of ~135 sq. deg from M31 to M33 along the Giant Stellar Stream in the 2011 pilot survey datasets, and also 17 new quasars discovered in an area of ~100 sq. deg that covers the central region and the southeastern halo of M31 in the 2010 commissioning datasets. These 526 new quasars have i magnitudes ranging from 15.5 to 20.0, redshifts from 0.1 to 3.2. They represent a significant increase of the number of identified quasars in the vicinity of M31 and M33. There are now 26, 62 and 139 known quasars in this region of the sky with i magnitudes brighter than 17.0, 17.5 and 18.0 respectively, of which 5, 20 and 75 are newly-discovered. These bright quasars provide an invaluable collection with which to probe the kinematics and chemistry of the ISM/IGM in the Local Group of galaxies. A total of 93 quasars are now known with locations within 2.5 deg of M31, of which 73 are newly discovered. Tens of quasars are now known to be located behind the Giant Stellar Stream, and hundreds behind the extended halo and its associated substructures of M31. The much enlarged sample of known quasars in the vicinity of M31 and M33 can potentially be utilized to construct a perfect astrometric reference frame to measure the minute PMs of M31 and M33, along with the PMs of substructures associated with the Local Group of galaxies. Those PMs are some of the most fundamental properties of the Local Group.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, AJ accepte

Predictors of futile recanalization in basilar artery occlusion patients undergoing endovascular treatment: a post hoc analysis of the ATTENTION trial

BackgroundFew studies have focused on factors associated with futile recanalization in patients with an acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) that was treated with modern endovascular therapy (EVT). The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with futile recanalization in patients with an acute BAO presented within 12 h.MethodsThis is a post-hoc analysis of the ATTENTION trial (The Trial of Endovascular Treatment of Acute Basilar-Artery Occlusion, ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT 04751708). Demographics, clinical characteristics, acute stroke workflow interval times, and imaging characteristics were compared between the futile recanalization and favorable recanalization groups. The favorable outcome was defined as a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0–3 at 90 days, successful reperfusion was defined as thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) 2b and 3 on the final angiogram, and futile recanalization was defined as failure to achieve a favorable outcome despite successful reperfusion. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify the predictors of futile recanalization.ResultsIn total, 185 patients were included in the final analysis: 89 (48.1%) patients had futile recanalization and 96 (51.9%) patients had favorable recanalization. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.08, p = 0.01) and diabetes mellitus (OR 3.35, 95% CI 1.40 to 8.01, p = 0.007) were independent predictors of futile recanalization.ConclusionFutile recanalization occurred in nearly half of patients with acute BAO following endovascular treatment. Old age and diabetes mellitus were identified as independent predictors of futile recanalization after endovascular therapy for acute BAO

Spatio-temporal analysis of malaria incidence at the village level in a malaria-endemic area in Hainan, China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria incidence in China's Hainan province has dropped significantly, since Malaria Programme of China Global Fund Round 1 was launched. To lay a foundation for further studies to evaluate the efficacy of Malaria Programme and to help with public health planning and resource allocation in the future, the temporal and spatial variations of malaria epidemic are analysed and areas and seasons with a higher risk are identified at a fine geographic scale within a malaria endemic county in Hainan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Malaria cases among the residents in each of 37 villages within hyper-endemic areas of Wanning county in southeast Hainan from 2005 to 2009 were geo-coded at village level based on residence once the patients were diagnosed. Based on data so obtained, purely temporal, purely spatial and space-time scan statistics and geographic information systems (GIS) were employed to identify clusters of time, space and space-time with elevated proportions of malaria cases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Purely temporal scan statistics suggested clusters in 2005,2006 and 2007 and no cluster in 2008 and 2009. Purely spatial clustering analyses pinpointed the most likely cluster as including three villages in 2005 and 2006 respectively, sixteen villages in 2007, nine villages in 2008, and five villages in 2009, and the south area of Nanqiao town as the most likely to have a significantly high occurrence of malaria. The space-time clustering analysis found the most likely cluster as including three villages in the south of Nanqiao town with a time frame from January 2005 to May 2007.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Even in a small traditional malaria endemic area, malaria incidence has a significant spatial and temporal heterogeneity on the finer spatial and temporal scales. The scan statistics enable the description of this spatiotemporal heterogeneity, helping with clarifying the epidemiology of malaria and prioritizing the resource assignment and investigation of malaria on a finer geographical scale in endemic areas.</p

Rapid assessment of knowledge, attitudes, practices, and risk perception related to the prevention and control of Ebola virus disease in three communities of Sierra Leone

Questionnaire on Ebola knowledge, attitudes, practices, and risk perception in three communities of Sierra Leone, 2015. (DOCX 34 kb