Two new guaiane-type sesquiterpenes from Curcuma wenyujin.

Two new guaiane-type sesquiterpenes, wenyujinolides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Curcuma wenyujin, together with 10 known compounds. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic methods (IR, ESIMS, HRESIMS, ECD, 1D and 2D NMR) and comparison of their NMR data with literatures. Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for the inhibition of NO production in LPS induced RAW 264.7 macrophages.

The Diversity and Dynamics of Fungi in Dryocosmus kuriphilus Community.

Dryocosmus kuriphilus (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) is a gall wasp that induces insect galls on chestnut trees and results in massive yield losses worldwide. Fungi can cause the necrosis of chestnut trees and the death of gall wasps. The aim of this research was to investigate the potential role of D. kuriphilus in the transmission of fungi. We sequenced the ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer region 1 of fungi in D. kuriphilus adults, associated insect galls and the galled twigs of Castanea mollissima, using high-throughput sequencing. We compared the species richness, α-diversity and community structure of fungi in D. kuriphilus adults, insect galls and the galled twigs. We provide the first evidence that D. kuriphilus adults shared most fungal species with associated insect galls and the galled twigs, and were dominated by Botryosphaeria sp., Aspergillus sp. and Diaporthe sp. We suggest D. kuriphilus adults may be potential vectors of plant pathogens and may facilitate the transmission of fungi between chestnut trees. Furthermore, the fungi may horizontally transmit among D. kuriphilus adults, associated insect galls and the galled twigs.

Construction and analysis for differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs and mRNAs in acute myocardial infarction.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides. Some lncRNAs are related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and can serve as blood-based biomarkers for AMI detection. To identify whether new lncRNAs participate in AMI, the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs was analysed by microarray analysis (Agilent human array) with the limma package in R in two series: five paired peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples and four paired plasma samples from different AMI patients. In PBMCs, a total of 2677 upregulated and 458 downregulated lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed; additionally, 1168 mRNAs were upregulated and 1334 mRNAs were downregulated between the AMI patients and controls. In plasma, we found 41 upregulated and 51 downregulated lncRNAs that were differentially expressed, as well as 9 mRNAs that were upregulated and 9 mRNAs that were downregulated among the two groups. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed using the clusterProfiler package in R, and differentially expressed mRNAs were functionally annotated. The top differentially expressed mRNAs were associated with circadian rhythm, the NF-kB pathway, the p53 pathway and the metabolism pathway. We further performed target gene prediction and coexpression analysis and revealed the interrelationships among the significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs. The expression of four lncRNAs (uc002ddj.1, NR_047662, ENST00000581794.1 and ENST00000509938.1) was validated in the newly diagnosed AMI and control groups by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Our study demonstrated that the clustered expression of lncRNAs between PBMCs and plasma showed tremendous differences. The newly screened lncRNAs may play indispensable roles in the development of AMI, although their biological functions need to be further validated.

Novel abietane diterpenoids from Salvia prionitis.

Two hitherto unknown highly modified abietane diterpenoids, namely salviapritin A (1) and salviapritin B (2), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Salvia prionitis, together with 17 known compounds. Their chemical structures were established by extensive spectroscopic methods (ESIMS, HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR) and by comparison of their NMR data with those of related analogues. Salviapritin A is the first example of a trinorabietane diterpenoid possessing an acenaphthylene skeleton from the Salvia genus. Additionally, a plausible biogenetic pathway for salviapritin B is proposed. [Formula: see text].

New Iboga-Type Indole Alkaloids from Tabernaemontana divaricata.

Two hitherto unknown iboga-type indole alkaloids, namely (3R)-7,19-di-epi-3-methoxytabernoxidine (1) and (3R,19R)-19-hydroxy-3-(2-oxopropyl)voacangine (2), together with eight known alkaloids (3-10), were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Tabernaemontana divaricata. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and circular dichroism spectrum.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity and associated risk factors among adult residents of northwest China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Overweight and obesity have been shown to be related to multiple chronic conditions, leading to a heavy economic burden on society throughout the world. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and determine potential influencing factors among adults in Xinjiang, northwest China. DESIGN: A community-based observational study. SETTING: The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. METHODS: In total, 14 618 adult participants (7799 males; 6819 females) aged over 35 years were recruited from the Cardiovascular Risk Survey conducted in 2010. Data were obtained from face-to-face interviews and physical examinations. The sample was used to estimate the prevalence of overweight (body mass index (BMI) 24-28 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥28 kg/m2) in Xinjiang Province. Influencing factors were analysed based on statistical methods. RESULTS: In Xinjiang Province, the overall prevalence of overweight was 36.5% (male 40.1%; female 33.4%), and the prevalence of obesity was 26.5% (male 27.2%; female 25.8%). The prevalence of both overweight and obesity were higher in women than in men (p<0.001). The main influencing factors for overweight and obesity were sex, age, race, marital status, education level, occupation, smoking, drinking, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study estimated that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult residents of Xinjiang Province, northwest China, was high. These data suggest that efforts related to the prevention and control of overweight and obesity should be a public health priority in northwest China.

Expression profiles and potential functions of long non-coding RNA in stable angina pectoris patients from Uyghur population of China.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nt that are involved in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). To determine whether lncRNAs are involved in stable angina pectoris (SAP), we analysed the expression profile of lncRNAs and mRNAs on a genome-wide scale in SAP of Uyghur population. Five pairs of SAP patients and healthy controls were screened by an Agilent microarray (human lncRNA + mRNA Array V4.0). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the lncRNA expression levels in 50 SAP and 50 controls. Data analyses were performed using R and Bioconductor. A total of 1871 up- and 231 down-regulated lncRNAs were identified to be differentially expressed in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Microarray analysis results identified the lncRNAs NR_037652.1, ENST00000607654.1, ENST00000589524.1 and uc004bhb.3, which were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Among screened lncRNAs, the annotation result of their co-expressed mRNAs showed that the most significantly related pathways were the NF-κB signalling pathway, apoptosis and the p53 signalling pathway, while the main significantly related diseases were the cholesterol, calcium and coronary disease. Our study indicated that clusters of lncRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between SAP patients and matched controls. These lncRNAs may play a significant role in SAP development and could serve as biomarkers and potential targets for the future treatment of SAP.

Aristolane-type Sesquiterpenoids from Nardostachys chinensis and Revised Structure of Aristolanhydride.

Four hitherto unknown aristolane-type sesquiterpenes, including one novel 8,9-secoaristolane, namely secoaristolenedioic acid (1), two aristolone derivatives, namely 1α,2ß-dihydroxyaristolone (2), 9-epidebilon (3), and one rare aristolane-chalcone hybrid, namely 3'-hydroxynardoaristolone A (4) were isolated from the ethanol extract of the roots and rhizomes of Nardostachys chinensis. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. In addition, the structure of aristolanhydride, recently isolated from the same species, was corrected by reanalysis of the published NMR data.

Prenylated 2-Phenoxychromones and Flavonoids from Epimedium brevicornum and Revised Structures of Epimedonins A and B.

Six hitherto unknown prenylated 2-phenoxychromones, epimedonin G (1), 7-O-methylepimedonin G (2), and epimedonins H-K (3-6), and two new prenylflavonoids, epimedonin L (7) and 3″-O-desmethylspinorhamnoside (8), were isolated from an ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Epimedium brevicornum. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation. Compound 7 exhibited cytotoxic activity when evaluated against four human cancer cell lines (HL-60, A-549, MCF-7, and SW-480), with IC50 values of <10 µM. In addition, the structures of epimedonins A and B (9a, 10a), recently isolated from E. koreanum, were corrected by reanalysis of the published NMR data.

Polysubstituted Isoflavonoids from Spatholobus suberectus, Flemingia macrophylla, and Cudrania cochinchinensis.

Four hitherto unknown polysubstituted isoflavonoids, including three isoflavans: 7,4'-dihydroxy-8,2',3'-trimethoxyisoflavan (1), 7,2',4'-trihydroxy-8,3'-dimethoxyisoflavan (2), and 7,2',4'-trihydroxy-5-methoxyisoflavan (3), and one prenylated isoflavone cudraisoflavone M (4) were isolated from the ethanol extracts of Spatholobus suberectus (for 1 and 2), Flemingia macrophylla (for 3), and Cudrania cochinchinensis (for 4), respectively. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1 and 4 exhibited weak cytotoxic activity against five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW-480).

Prenylated Coumarins from Heracleum stenopterum, Peucedanum praeruptorum, Clausena lansium, and Murraya paniculata.

Four hitherto unknown prenylated coumarins, namely 6″-O-ß-D-apiofuranosylapterin (1), 4'-O-isobutyroylpeguangxienin (2), 6-(3-methyl-2-oxobutyroyl)-7-methoxycoumarin (3), and 6-hydroxycoumurrayin (4), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Heracleum stenopterum, Peucedanum praeruptorum, Clausena lansium, and Murraya paniculata, respectively. Their chemical structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compound 2 exhibited in vitro cytotoxic activity against five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW-480) with IC50 values ranging from 15.9 to 23.2 µM.

Derrisisoflavones H-K and One Isoflavan Derivative from Derris robusta.

Four hitherto unknown prenylated isoflavonoids, named derrisisoflavones H-K (1-4) and one new isoflavan, namely 6-hydroxyisosativan (5), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Derris robusta. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic studies. To our knowledge, derrisisoflavones J (3) and K (4) are the first examples of hydroxyethylated isoflavonoid.

Pterocarpadiols A-D, Rare 6a,11b-Dihydroxypterocarpans from Derris robusta.

Four hitherto unknown 6a,11b-dihydroxypterocarpans, namely pterocarpadiols A-D (1-4), were isolated from the ethanol extract of the twigs and leaves of Derris robusta. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Pterocarpadiols A-D are a kind of very rare 6a,11b-dihydroxypterocarpans, and their presence as markers may be helpful in chemotaxonomical classification.

[Molecular characteristics of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from Chinese children].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates from Chinese children in seven cities. METHOD: A total of 134 MRSA isolates were collected from nine hospitals. Multilocus sequence typing and spa typing were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec (SCCmec) type was analyzed by multiplex PCR. The Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl) gene was also detected. RESULT: Most MRSA strains were isolated from pneumonia and skin and soft tissue infection (SSTIs) patients, accounting for 82.1%. Overall, 16 sequence types (STs) were obtained, and CC59 (51.7%) was found to be the most prevalent, which included ST 59 and ST 338, followed by ST239 (16.4%). SCCmec types II, III, IV, and V were also identified in the current study. SCCmec type IV was the most predominant type at 50.0%, followed by SCCmec type V at 23.9% and III at 23.9%. SCCmec subtypes IVa, IVc, and IVg were found among SCCmec type IV strains, whereas IVa was the main subtype at 77.6%. Twenty-six spa types were also identified, among which the predominant type was t437 (47.8%). The prevalence of pvl genes and the SCCmec type of strain was relevant, and the pvl gene positive rate was higher in SCCmec type IV and V-type strains than in SCCmec type II and III strains (58.6% vs. 14.3%, P < 0.05); there was a significant difference between them. In the strains isolated from pneumonia and SSTIs, ST59-MRSA-IVa(t437) was the predominant clone. There were five clones detected from the strains isolated from septicemia, with ST59-MRSA-IVa(t437) and ST59-MRSA-V(t437) as the main clones (57.1%). Various predominant clones existed in different regions. ST59-MRSA-IVa(t437) was the prevalent clone in the Guangzhou, Beijing, Chongqing, and Shenzhen areas, whereas ST239-MRSA-III(t037) was the prevalent clone in the Shanghai area. Fifty percent of the isolates from the Wenzhou area belonged to ST910-MRSA-V(t318), whereas three clinical strains isolated from the Shenyang region belonged to three different types. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that MRSA isolates from Chinese children are largely associated with the ST59-MRSA-IV(t437) and ST239-MRSA-III(t037) clones. These two may belong to community-acquired MRSA and hospital-acquired ones, respectively. Different prevalent clones were detected in different diseases and different regions. Therefore, there is a need to conduct further research on clinical isolates, which can guide the choice of antibiotic treatment and the examination of MRSA prevalence.

New terpenoids from Isodon sculponeata.

Two new ent-kaurane diterpene derivatives, sculponeatins N (1) and O (2), and a new A-ring contracted oleanane triterpenoid, sculponeatic acid (5), were isolated from the plant Isodon sculponeata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. This is the first report of natural occurrence of an A-ring contracted oleanane triterpenoid.

Studies on the chemical constituents of Ilex pubescens.

Three new compounds, ilexisochromane (1), ilex acid A (2), and ilex acid B (3), were isolated from the roots of Ilex pubescens. Their structures were elucidated using the combination of 1- and 2-D NMR and mass spectrometry analyses.

Using support vector machine to predict eco-environment burden: a case study of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

OBJECTIVE: The human socio-economic development depends on the planet's natural capital. Humans have had a considerable impact on the earth, such as resources depression and environment deterioration. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of socio-economic development on the ecological environment of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, during the general planning period 2006-2020. METHODS: Support vector machine (SVM) model was constructed to simulate the process of eco-economic system of Wuhan. Socio-economic factors of urban total ecological footprint (TEF) were selected by partial least squares (PLS) and leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV). Historical data of socio-economic factors as inputs, and corresponding historical data of TEF as target outputs, were presented to identify and validate the SVM model. When predicted input data after 2005 were presented to trained model as generalization sets, TEFs of 2005, 2006,..., till 2020 were simulated as output in succession. RESULTS: Up to 2020, the district would have suffered an accumulative TEF of 28.374 million gha, which was over 1.5 times that of 2004 and nearly 3 times that of 1988. The per capita EF would be up to 3.019 gha in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The simulation indicated that although the increase rate of GDP would be restricted in a lower level during the general planning period, urban ecological environment burden could not respond to the socio-economic circumstances promptly. SVM provides tools for dynamic assessment of regional eco-environment. However, there still exist limitations and disadvantages in the model. We believe that the next logical step in deriving better dynamic models of ecosystem is to integrate SVM and other algorithms or technologies.