Synthesis of Oligomers of β‑l‑Arabinofuranosides of (4<i>R</i>)‑4-Hydroxy‑l‑proline Relevant to the Mugwort Pollen Allergen, Art v 1

An efficient, convergent solution phase synthesis of monomer, dimer, trimer and tetramer of the β-l-arabinofuranosylated hydroxyproline (β-l-Ara<i>f</i>-Hyp) glycocluster is described. This motif constitutes the carbohydrate-specific epitope of Art v 1, the major allergen of mugwort pollen. While a single monomeric unit was proposed at the outset, poor yields for the seemingly trivial steps of end-capping to replace protecting groups with <i>N</i>-terminal acetamides and <i>C</i>-terminal methyl amides led to the introduction of <i>N</i>-terminal, central and <i>C</i>-terminal β-l-Ara<i>f</i>-Hyp building blocks. Dimer <b>2</b> was obtained in 60% yield by coupling of two monomers, followed by hydrogenolysis of benzyl ether protecting groups. Trimer <b>3</b> was obtained in 35% yield via a [2 + 1] coupling and tetramer <b>4</b> in 15% yield via a [2 + 2] fragment condensation. Circular dichroism spectra show that monomer <b>1</b> displays no organized structure, whereas compounds <b>2</b>–<b>4</b> show a strong negative band at 200 nm and a weak positive band at ∼220 mn, as is characteristic of the polyproline II helix

Expression and prognosis analyses of the <i>Tob/BTG</i> antiproliferative (<i>APRO</i>) protein family in <i>human</i> cancers

<div><p>Background</p><p>Despite advances in early diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains the major cause of mortality in the world. The <i>Tob/BTG</i> antiproliferative (<i>APRO</i>) protein family is reported to participate in diverse human diseases. However, there’s little known about their expression and prognostic values in most human cancers.</p><p>Methods</p><p>We performed a detailed cancer vs. normal analysis. The mRNA expression levels of <i>APRO</i> family in various cancers were analyzed via the Oncomine database. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier Plotter and PrognScan databases were used to evaluate the prognostic values.</p><p>Results</p><p>We observed that the mRNA expression levels of <i>TOB1-2</i> and <i>BTG2</i> were decreased in most cancers compared with normal tissues, while <i>BTG3</i> was upregulated in most cancers. In survival analyses based on Kaplan-Meier Plotter, <i>TOB1</i>, <i>BTG1</i> and <i>BTG4</i> showed significant associations with survival outcome of different subtypes of breast cancer. Decreased <i>BTG2</i> was related with poor relapse free survival (RFS) in all subtypes of breast cancer. Especially, besides RFS, reduced <i>BTG2</i> also indicated worse overall survival and distant metastasis free survival in breast cancer patients who were classified as luminal A. Significant prognostic effects of the whole <i>APRO</i> family were also found in lung adenocarcinoma, but not in squamous cell lung carcinoma. In addition, potential correlations between some <i>APRO</i> family members and survival outcomes were also observed in ovarian, colorectal and brain cancer.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Some members of <i>APRO</i> family showed significant expression differences between cancer and normal tissues, and could be prognostic biomarkers for defined cancer types.</p></div

Datasets of <i>APRO</i> family in lung cancer.

<p>Datasets of <i>APRO</i> family in lung cancer.</p

Survival analyses of <i>APRO</i> family in lung adenocarcinoma.

<p>OS, overall survival. Survival analyses of <i>TOB1</i> (a), <i>TOB2</i> (b), <i>BTG1</i> (c), <i>BTG2</i> (d), <i>BTG3</i> (e) and <i>BTG4</i> (f) were obtained from the Kaplan-Meier Plotter database.</p

Datasets of <i>APRO</i> family in colorectal cancer.

<p>Datasets of <i>APRO</i> family in colorectal cancer.</p

Seed Set and Natural Regeneration of <i>Dendrocalamus membranaceus</i> Munro after Mass and Sporadic Flowering in Yunnan, China

<div><p>The flowering periods of woody bamboos, seed set, natural regeneration and death after flowering have been rarely observed and evaluated in the field. <i>Dendrocalamus membranaceus</i> Munro, a tropical woody bamboo mainly distributed in the Yunnan, displayed both sporadic as well as gregarious (mass) flowering and fruited from 2006 to 2013 following severe droughts. The aim of this study is to examine potential differences in seed set and natural regeneration between the two flowering patterns in natural <i>D</i>. <i>membranaceus</i> forests. We investigated and analyzed seed set, seed germination, seedling growth and mortality in both mass and sporadic flowering populations. Observations were made over a period of three years to record changes in bamboo seedling density, height and culm diameter. We observed a low natural seed set ranging from 1.76% to 7.49%, and a relatively high seed germination rate in the nursery from 59.6% to 71.0% for both types of flowering populations. Seeds germinated in 5–7 days after sowing and the germination period lasted 10–15 days. Seed set and germination rates in mass-flowering populations were significantly higher than those of sporadically flowering stands. The seedlings within sporadically flowering populations died within two years. In comparison, seedling mortality in the mass flowering population increased over two periods of observation from 64.92% to 98.89%, yet there was good seedling establishment left over, which showed mean height and mean culm diameter increasing by 1053.25% and 410.71%, respectively, in the second year of observations, and 137.10%, and 217.48%, respectively, in the third year. There are significant differences in seed set, natural regeneration ability and sustainability of bamboo populations between the mass flowering and sporadically flowering populations of <i>D</i>. <i>membranaceus</i>. Sporadic flowering populations failed to produce effective regeneration, while mass flowering populations were able to regenerate successfully. This study provides useful insights for conservation and natural forest management of <i>D</i>. <i>membranaceus</i>. We consider the merits of introducing other genetic provenances towards long-term maintenance of the stand features at sporadically flowering sites; meanwhile, the most economic option for mass flowering stands is to allow natural regeneration to take place through protecting such sites from further disturbance.</p></div

A modified implant and postoperative radiograph of patient 1.

<p>A color photograph (<b>A</b>) showing C1-2 transarticular hooks and C1 laminar hooks implant. Postoperative lateral and anteroposterior view radiographs (<b>B</b>) demonstrating the satisfactory position of implants.</p