Potassium chloride elicits enhancement of bilobalide and Ginkgolides production by Ginkgo biloba cell cultures

This study investigated the ability of potassium chloride (KCl) to elicit the production of bilobalide (BB), ginkgolide A (GA) and ginkgolide B (GB) by Ginkgo biloba cell suspension cultures. The salt stress by KCl treatments increased production of BB, GA and GB in both suspended cells and cultured medium. Especially, treatment of KCl 800 mM of highest concentration was stimulated emission into cultured medium BB, GA and GB compounds accumulated in cells. Although KCl 800 mM severely inhibited cells growth, the maximum content of GA and GB in cells was obtained in the treatment of KCl 800 mM, which was 1.9 and 4.0 times higher than the control. These results thus suggest that salt stress can afford enhanced production of secondary metabolites by plant cell cultures

Treatment Outcomes of Patients With Multidrug-Resistant and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis According to Drug Susceptibility Testing to First- and Second-line Drugs: An Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis

The clinical validity of drug susceptibility testing (DST) for pyrazinamide, ethambutol, and second-line antituberculosis drugs is uncertain. In an individual patient data meta-analysis of 8955 patients with confirmed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, DST results for these drugs were associated with treatment outcome

TERT promoter mutations are highly recurrent in SHH subgroup medulloblastoma

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations were recently shown to drive telomerase activity in various cancer types, including medulloblastoma. However, the clinical and biological implications of TERT mutations in medulloblastoma have not been described. Hence, we sought to describe these mutations and their impact in a subgroup-specific manner. We analyzed the TERT promoter by direct sequencing and genotyping in 466 medulloblastomas. The mutational distributions were determined according to subgroup affiliation, demographics, and clinical, prognostic, and molecular features. Integrated genomics approaches were used to identify specific somatic copy number alterations in TERT promoter-mutated and wild-type tumors. Overall, TERT promoter mutations were identified in 21 % of medulloblastomas. Strikingly, the highest frequencies of TERT mutations were observed in SHH (83 %; 55/66) and WNT (31 %; 4/13) medulloblastomas derived from adult patients. Group 3 and Group 4 harbored this alteration in <5 % of cases and showed no association wit

Convergent genetic and expression data implicate immunity in Alzheimer's disease

Background Late–onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is heritable with 20 genes showing genome wide association in the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP). To identify the biology underlying the disease we extended these genetic data in a pathway analysis. Methods The ALIGATOR and GSEA algorithms were used in the IGAP data to identify associated functional pathways and correlated gene expression networks in human brain. Results ALIGATOR identified an excess of curated biological pathways showing enrichment of association. Enriched areas of biology included the immune response (p = 3.27×10-12 after multiple testing correction for pathways), regulation of endocytosis (p = 1.31×10-11), cholesterol transport (p = 2.96 × 10-9) and proteasome-ubiquitin activity (p = 1.34×10-6). Correlated gene expression analysis identified four significant network modules, all related to the immune response (corrected p 0.002 – 0.05). Conclusions The immune response, regulation of endocytosis, cholesterol transport and protein ubiquitination represent prime targets for AD therapeutics

Parastrombidinopsis shimi n. gen., n. sp (Ciliophora : Choreotrichia) from the coastal waters of Korea: Morphology and small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence

The planktonic ciliate parastrombidinopsis shimi n gen., n sp is described from both living cells and quantitative protargol-stained (QPS) preperations and the sequence of the small subunit rDNA (SSU rDNA) is reported. This species is almost oval when the cells are alive; when stained, it is cylindrical for the upper two-fifths, half-bowl shaped for the middle two fifths, and narrow rod-shaped for the lower one-fifth. The ranges (and mean +/- standard deviation, n = 20) of cell length, cell width, and the oral diameter of living cells were 112-221 mu m (168 +/- 39), 88 - 176 mu m (121 +/- 30), and 53 - 110 mu m (80 +/- 14), respectively, while those of the QPS-stained specimens (n = 54) were 88 - 225 mu m (162 +/- 29), 55 - 163 mu m (102 +/- 19), and 53 - 98 mu m (69 +/- 9) respectively. Thirty-six to 48 external oral polykinetids had cilia 25 - 40 mu m long. However, unlike Strombidinopsis species sensu stricto, P. shimi has an external oral polykineted zone that is an open circle. This species in the subclass has two shorter polykinetids associated with the end of the oral polykinetid zone, deep in the oral cavity. Like Strombidiopsis species in the posterior regions with 68 - 105 dikinetids per kinety. Both kinetocomes of each kinetid bore cilia 3 - 10 mu m long parastrombidinopsis shimi had 2 (1 - 4) ovoid macronucleus of 20 - 82 x 15 - 32 mu m. When properly aligned, the sequence of the SSU rDNA of P shimi (GenBank Accession No AJ786648) was approximately 5% different from that of Strobilidium caudatum as a new species in a new genus belonging to the family Strombidinopsidae.N

Determination of heroin and its metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method is described for the simultaneous determination of heroin (3, 6-diacetylmorphine, DAM) and its two active metabolites 6-acetylmorphine and morphine in blood by high-performance liquid chromatography using a normal-phase column and a UV detector at 218 nm. The compounds are stabilized in blood by rapid freezing and recovered by a multistep liquid—liquid extraction. The mobile phase is acetonitrile—methanol (75:25, v/v) buffered to apparent pH 7 with ammonium hydroxide and acetic acid. Using l-α-acetylmethadol as an internal standard, UV detection and a 1-ml biofluid sample, the lower limit of sensitivity is 12.5 ng/ml. Commonly used narcotic analgesics including codeine, propoxyphene, meperidine, methadone and levorphanol do not interfere with the analysis. The method has been applied to blood samples from humans and rats. Extracts of blood from a patient who had received an intravenous dose of 14 mg of DAM contained DAM and both of its active metabolites

A chemically activated graphene-encapsulated LiFePO4 composite for high-performance lithium ion batteries

A composite of modified graphene and LiFePO4 has been developed to improve the speed of charging-discharging and the cycling stability of lithium ion batteries using LiFePO4 as a cathode material. Chemically activated graphene (CA-graphene) has been successfully synthesized via activation by KOH. The as-prepared CA-graphene was mixed with LiFePO4 to prepare the composite. Microscopic observation and nitrogen sorption analysis have revealed the surface morphologies of CA-graphene and the CA-graphene/LiFePO4 composite. Electrochemical properties have also been investigated after assembling coin cells with the CA-graphene/LiFePO 4 composite as a cathode active material. Interestingly, the CA-graphene/LiFePO4 composite has exhibited better electrochemical properties than the conventional graphene/LiFePO4 composite as well as bare LiFePO4, including exceptional speed of charging-discharging and excellent cycle stability. That is because the CA-graphene in the composite provides abundant porous channels for the diffusion of lithium ions. Moreover, it acts as a conducting network for easy charge transfer and as a divider, preventing the aggregation of LiFePO4 particles. Owing to these properties of CA-graphene, LiFePO4 could demonstrate enhanced and stably long-lasting electrochemical performance. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.173821sciescopu

Tumor metastasis to lymph nodes requires YAP-dependent metabolic adaptation

In cancer patients, metastasis of tumors to sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) predicts disease progression and often guides treatment decisions. The mechanisms underlying tumor LN metastasis are poorly understood. By using comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses of primary and LN-metastatic tumors in mice, we found that LN metastasis requires that tumor cells undergo a metabolic shift toward fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Transcriptional coactivator yes-associated protein (YAP) is selectively activated in LN-metastatic tumors, leading to the up-regulation of genes in the FAO signaling pathway. Pharmacological inhibition of FAO or genetic ablation of YAP suppressed LN metastasis in mice. Several bioactive bile acids accumulated to high levels in the metastatic LNs, and these bile acids activated YAP in tumor cells, likely through the nuclear vitamin D receptor. Inhibition of FAO or YAP may merit exploration as a potential therapeutic strategy for mitigating tumor metastasis to LNs. 2017 © The Author