Separation and economic recovery of strontium from Nanyishan oil-field water, China

The mass ratio of Ca to Sr is greater than 10 in Nanyishan oil-field water, which causes significant problems during the economic extraction and recovery of selected trace elements in the oil-field water. The oilfield water was isothermally evaporated and various salts such as Li, K, Mg, Ca, Na, Sr, Rb, Cs, Br, and I were obtained from the solution. The Sr content of each phase was determined by ICP-AES, the Sr distribution rule in this process was obtained, and the best separation stage for Sr was identified, to optimize the separation of Sr from Nanyishan oil-field water

CD28 and 41BB Costimulation Enhances the Effector Function of CD19-Specific Engager T Cells

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Characterization and Functional Analysis of scFv-based Chimeric Antigen Receptors to Redirect T Cells to IL13Rα2-positive Glioma

Immunotherapy with T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) is an attractive approach to improve outcomes for patients with glioblastoma (GBM). IL13Rα2 is expressed at a high frequency in GBM but not in normal brain, making it a promising CAR T-cell therapy target. IL13Rα2-specific CARs generated up to date contain mutated forms of IL13 as an antigen-binding domain. While these CARs target IL13Rα2, they also recognize IL13Rα1, which is broadly expressed. To overcome this limitation, we constructed a panel of IL13Rα2-specific CARs that contain the IL13Rα2-specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv) 47 as an antigen binding domain, short or long spacer regions, a transmembrane domain, and endodomains derived from costimulatory molecules and CD3.ζ (IL13Rα2-CARs). IL13Rα2-CAR T cells recognized IL13Rα2-positive target cells in coculture and cytotoxicity assays with no cross-reactivity to IL13Rα1. However, only IL13Rα2-CAR T cells with a short spacer region produced IL2 in an antigen-dependent fashion. In vivo, T cells expressing IL13Rα2-CARs with short spacer regions and CD28.ζ, 41BB.ζ, and CD28.OX40.ζ endodomains had potent anti-glioma activity conferring a significant survival advantage in comparison to mice that received control T cells. Thus, IL13Rα2-CAR T cells hold the promise to improve current IL13Rα2-targeted immunotherapy approaches for GBM and other IL13Rα2-positive malignancies

High throughput 16SrRNA gene sequencing reveals the correlation between Propionibacterium acnes and sarcoidosis

Sequences of the unique OTUs. (XLS 3616 kb

SinicView: A visualization environment for comparisons of multiple nucleotide sequence alignment tools

BACKGROUND: Deluged by the rate and complexity of completed genomic sequences, the need to align longer sequences becomes more urgent, and many more tools have thus been developed. In the initial stage of genomic sequence analysis, a biologist is usually faced with the questions of how to choose the best tool to align sequences of interest and how to analyze and visualize the alignment results, and then with the question of whether poorly aligned regions produced by the tool are indeed not homologous or are just results due to inappropriate alignment tools or scoring systems used. Although several systematic evaluations of multiple sequence alignment (MSA) programs have been proposed, they may not provide a standard-bearer for most biologists because those poorly aligned regions in these evaluations are never discussed. Thus, a tool that allows cross comparison of the alignment results obtained by different tools simultaneously could help a biologist evaluate their correctness and accuracy. RESULTS: In this paper, we present a versatile alignment visualization system, called SinicView, (for Sequence-aligning INnovative and Interactive Comparison VIEWer), which allows the user to efficiently compare and evaluate assorted nucleotide alignment results obtained by different tools. SinicView calculates similarity of the alignment outputs under a fixed window using the sum-of-pairs method and provides scoring profiles of each set of aligned sequences. The user can visually compare alignment results either in graphic scoring profiles or in plain text format of the aligned nucleotides along with the annotations information. We illustrate the capabilities of our visualization system by comparing alignment results obtained by MLAGAN, MAVID, and MULTIZ, respectively. CONCLUSION: With SinicView, users can use their own data sequences to compare various alignment tools or scoring systems and select the most suitable one to perform alignment in the initial stage of sequence analysis

Neuropeptide Y-mediated sex- and afferent-specific neurotransmissions contribute to sexual dimorphism of baroreflex afferent function

BACKGROUND: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuropeptide-Y (NPY)-mediated gender-difference in blood pressure (BP) regulation are largely unknown. METHODS: Baroreceptor sensitivity (BRS) was evaluated by measuring the response of BP to phenylephrine/nitroprusside. Serum NPY concentration was determined using ELISA. The mRNA and protein expression of NPY receptors were assessed in tissue and single-cell by RT-PCR, immunoblot, and immunohistochemistry. NPY was injected into the nodose while arterial pressure was monitored. Electrophysiological recordings were performed on nodose neurons from rats by patch-clamp technique. RESULTS: The BRS was higher in female than male and ovariectomized rats, while serum NPY concentration was similar among groups. The sex-difference was detected in Y1R, not Y2R protein expression, however, both were upregulated upon ovariectomy and canceled by estrogen replacement. Immunostaining confirmed Y1R and Y2R expression in myelinated and unmyelinated afferents. Single-cell PCR demonstrated that Y1R expression/distribution was identical between A- and C-types, whereas, expressed level of Y2R was ~15 and ~7 folds higher in Ah- and C-types than A-types despite similar distribution. Activation of Y1R in nodose elevated BP, while activation of Y2R did the opposite. Activation of Y1R did not alter action potential duration (APD) of A-types, but activation of Y2R- and Y1R/Y2R in Ah- and C-types frequency-dependently prolonged APD. N-type ICa was reduced in A-, Ah- and C-types when either Y1R, Y2R, or both were activated. The sex-difference in Y1R expression was also observed in NTS. CONCLUSIONS: Sex- and afferent-specific expression of Neuropeptide-Y receptors in baroreflex afferent pathway may contribute to sexual-dimorphic neurocontrol of BP regulation

A unique NH-spacer for N-benzamidothiourea based anion sensors. Substituent effect on anion sensing of the ICT dual fluorescent N-(p-dimethylaminobenzamido)-N '-arylthioureas

A series of N-(p-dimethylaminobenzamido)-N'-(substituted-phenyl)thioureas (substituent = p-CH3, H, p-Cl, p-Br, m-Br, m-NO2, and p-NO2) were designed as anion sensors in order to better understand the -NH-spacer via a substituent effect investigation. In these molecules the dual fluorescent intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) fluorophore p-dimethylaminobenzamide as the signal reporter was linked to the anion-binding site, the thiourea moiety, via an N-N single bond. Correlation of the NMR signals of the aromatic and -NH protons with substituents in these molecules indicated that the N-N single bond stopped the ground-state electronic communication between the signal reporter and the anion-binding site. Dual fluorescence was observed in highly polar solvents such as acetonitrile with the former five derivatives. The fact that the CT emission wavelength and the CT to LE emission intensity ratio of the sensors were independent of the substituent existing in the anion-binding moiety suggested that the substituent electronic effect could not be communicated to the CT fluorophore in the excited-state either. Yet in acetonitrile both the CT dual fluorescence and the absorption of the sensors were found to be highly sensitive toward anions. A conformation change around the N-N bond in the sensor molecules was suggested to occur upon anion binding that established the electronic communication between the signal reporter and the anion-binding site. The anion binding constants of the N-(p-dimethylaminobenzamido)thiourea sensors were found higher than those of the corresponding traditional N-phenylthiourea counterparts and the substituent effect on the anion binding constant was much higher than that in the latter. "-NH-" was shown to be a unique spacer that affords N-benzamidothiourea allosteric anion sensors

Synergy between Proteasome Inhibitors and Imatinib Mesylate in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Resistance developed by leukemic cells, unsatisfactory efficacy on patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) at accelerated and blastic phases, and potential cardiotoxity, have been limitations for imatinib mesylate (IM) in treating CML. Whether low dose IM in combination with agents of distinct but related mechanisms could be one of the strategies to overcome these concerns warrants careful investigation.We tested the therapeutic efficacies as well as adverse effects of low dose IM in combination with proteasome inhibitor, Bortezomib (BOR) or proteasome inhibitor I (PSI), in two CML murine models, and investigated possible mechanisms of action on CML cells. Our results demonstrated that low dose IM in combination with BOR exerted satisfactory efficacy in prolongation of life span and inhibition of tumor growth in mice, and did not cause cardiotoxicity or body weight loss. Consistently, BOR and PSI enhanced IM-induced inhibition of long-term clonogenic activity and short-term cell growth of CML stem/progenitor cells, and potentiated IM-caused inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis of BCR-ABL+ cells. IM/BOR and IM/PSI inhibited Bcl-2, increased cytoplasmic cytochrome C, and activated caspases. While exerting suppressive effects on BCR-ABL, E2F1, and β-catenin, IM/BOR and IM/PSI inhibited proteasomal degradation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), leading to a re-activation of this important negative regulator of BCR-ABL. In addition, both combination therapties inhibited Bruton's tyrosine kinase via suppression of NFκB.These data suggest that combined use of tyrosine kinase inhibitor and proteasome inhibitor might be helpful for optimizing CML treatment