Screening and evaluation of bamboo shoots: Comparing the content of trace elements from 100 species.

Hundreds of bamboo shoots have been reported to be edible, but the accumulation of trace elements and hazardous elements in bamboo shoots is poorly understood. Here, 100 bamboo species have been evaluated by screening elements including B, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and As in bamboo shoots using different assessment systems. Bamboo shoots displayed different morphological characteristics, and large differences were found in the concentration of elements. Most bamboo shoots were rich in Fe and Zn and low concentrations of hazardous elements, but the concentration of Cd and Pb exceeded the maximum permissible limits of tuber vegetables in some bamboo species. Different bamboo shoots were ranked differently in the four assessment systems, and the comprehensive evaluation assigned final scores to all 100 bamboo shoots. This study provides valuable recommendations for selecting high-quality bamboo shoots that are rich in trace elements nutrition while minimizing the potential for hazardous element accumulation.

Identification of an acute myeloid leukaemia associated noncoding somatic mutation at 3' end of HOXA cluster.

Noncoding somatic mutations have been demonstrated to play important role in tumourigenesis. Here we show that there exists an acute myeloid leukaemia associated noncoding somatic mutation at 3' terminal of conserved HOXA cluster. The mutation was identified in the bone marrow blasts but not peripheral blood mononuclear cells or buccal cells of two M3 (acute promyelocytic leukaemia, APL) type patients from 45 acute myeloid leukaemia patients. The mutation also existed in a pair of twins one of them developed acute myeloid leukaemia M4 (acute myelomonocytic leukaemia) type. The mutation resides in about 2-kb downstream of HOXA1 gene where a functional retinoic acid response element is located and also bound by histone demethylase KDM3B. Reporter assay showed that the mutation results in the upregulation of transcriptional activity and unresponsiveness to retinoic acid receptor. To sum up, we identified a new acute myeloid leukaemia associated noncoding somatic mutation.

[Effects of a Traditinal Chinese Medicine Compound Regimen on Differentiation and Proliferation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Lines].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of traditional chinese medicine (TCM) compound on myeloid leukemia cells and to explore its anti-leukemic mechanism. METHODS: Myeloid leukemia cell lines were cultured in vitro and treated with TCM compound. The proliferation of the leukemia cells was measured by CCK8 method. The differentiation of the leukemia cells was evaluated by using Wright＇s staining method and by light microscopy, and the expression of differentiation-related surface antigens such as CD11B was measured and by flow cytometry, the apoptosis of the leukemia cells was detected by flow cytometry with using Annexin V staining. RESULTS: Compared with untreated 4 leukemia cell lines HL-60, MOLM-13, MV4-11, AML-M5, the proliferations of 4 leukemia cells treated with different concentrations of TCM compound decreased (P<0.05), and their proliferation inhibition were in a dose-dependent manner (r=0.9236; r=0.7488; r=0.8889; r=0.8119); compared with HL-60 and AML-M5 leukemia cells, the drug-treated 2 leukemia cells displayed obvious differentiated changes; compared with untreated HL-60 leukemia cell line, the expression of surface antigen CD11B increased by 85%±7.13% in HL-60 cells treated IC50 concentration of drug; compared with untreated AML-M5 leukemia cell line, the apoptotic rate of AML-M5 treated with 1.5 and 2 µl doses of TCM compound increased. (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The traditional chinese medicine compound may inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cell lines mainly by inducing leukemia cell differentiation and apoptosis.

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of thioindate-thioantimonates with transition-metal complexes: the first examples of the incorporation of transition metal ions into In-S-Sb frameworks.

Three new thioindate-thioantimonates [Ni(en)(3)][In(2)Sb(2)S(7)] (1, en = ethylenediamine), [(Ni(en)(3))](3)(en)[In(6)Sb(6)S(21)] (2), and [Co(tren)InSbS(4)] (3, tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine) have been solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 contains dimeric [In(2)S(7)] units built of two tetrahedral [InS(4)] units sharing one corner and [SbS(3)] trigonal-pyramids, which are interconnected to form a puckered [In(2)Sb(2)S(7)](n)(2n-) layer with 4-, 5- and 6-heterorings. [Ni(en)(3)](2+) complex cations as structure-directing and charge-balancing agents are located at the interlayer spaces. Compound 2 consists of a 3-D polymeric [In(6)Sb(6)S(21)](n)(6n-) anion, [Ni(en)(3)](2+) cations, free en molecule and a water molecule. The 3-D polymeric [In(6)Sb(6)S(21)](n)(6n-) anion is composed of [In(2)Sb(2)S(8)](n)(4n-) chains and heterometallic [In(2)Sb(2)S(9)] clusters, which are interconnected to give 3-D frameworks with 10-ring helical channels, 14- and 20-ring channels. Compound 3 contains dimeric [In(2)S(6)] units constructed by two tetrahedral [InS(4)] sharing a common edge and [SbS(3)] trigonal-pyramids, which link to form a new [InSbS(4)](n)(2n-) layer with large 10-heterorings. Each [Co(tren)](2+) group is appended within the cavity of the 10-heteroring via one Co-S-Sb bond. 3 represents the first example of the incorporation of transition metal ions into a In-S-Sb framework. Density functional theory calculation for 3 also has been performed, and the optical properties of 1-3 have been characterized by UV-vis spectra.

[Effects of fertilization on soil CO2 flux in Castanea mollissima stand].

In June 2011-June 2012, a fertilization experiment was conducted in a typical Castanea mollissima stand in Lin' an of Zhejiang Province, East China to study the effects of inorganic and organic fertilization on the soil CO2 flux and the relationships between the soil CO2 flux and environmental factors. Four treatments were installed, i. e., no fertilization (CK), inorganic fertilization (IF), organic fertilization (OF), half organic plus half inorganic fertilization (OIF). The soil CO2 emission rate was determined by the method of static closed chamber/GC technique, and the soil temperature, soil moisture content, and soil water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) concentration were determined by routine methods. The soil CO2 emission exhibited a strong seasonal pattern, with the highest rate in July or August and the lowest rate in February. The annual accumulative soil CO2 emission in CK was 27.7 t CO2 x hm(-2) x a(-1), and that in treatments IF, OF, and OIF was 29.5%, 47.0%, and 50.7% higher than the CK, respectively. The soil WSOC concentration in treatment IF (105.1 mg kg(-1)) was significantly higher than that in CK (76.6 mg x kg(-1)), but was obviously lower than that in treatments OF (133.0 mg x kg(-1)) and OIF (121.2 mg x kg(-1)). The temperature sensitivity of respiration (Q10) in treatments CK, IF, OF, and OIF was 1.47, 1.75, 1.49, and 1.57, respectively. The soil CO2 emission rate had significant positive correlations with the soil temperature at the depth of 5 cm and the soil WSOC concentration, but no significant correlation with soil moisture content. The increase of the soil WSOC concentration caused by fertilization was probably one of the reasons for the increase of soil CO2 emission from the C. mollissima stand.

[Comparative observation on efficacy of jieyu pill and maprotiline in treating depression].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy, adverse reaction and safety of Jieyu pill (JYP) in treating depression. METHODS: The randomized controlled trial was conducted in 28 patients in the treated group and 29 patients in the control group treated with maprotiline (Map). The efficacy of treatment was evaluated before treatment and 14, 28 and 42 days after treatment, with Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD), self-rating scale for depression (SDS), self-rating scale for anxiety (SAS) and clinical global impression (CGI), the adverse reaction was assessed by Asberg Rating Scale (ARS). RESULTS: JYP was effective in treating depression, the markedly effective rate being 78.8%, corresponded to that of Map (82.8%, P > 0.05). After treatment, the scores assessed by HAMD, SDS and SAS were all lower than those before treatment (P < 0.01) respectively, but comparison between the two groups showed insignificant difference (P > 0.05). However, scores of ARS were significantly lower in the treated group than that in the control group, and the efficacy index of JYP was significantly higher than that of Map (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: JYP in treating depression shows the efficacy corresponded to that of Map and with less adverse reaction.