Anthropometric and physical fitness indicators in the combine draft between the finalist and the eliminated player in the national basketball association all-star slam dunk contest.

Little is known about the difference of anthropometry and physical fitness between the finalist and eliminated player in the NBA all star slam dunk contest. This study aimed to compare the difference on anthropometric and physical fitness indicator in the combine draft between finalist and eliminated player in the national basketball association all star slam dunk contest. Draft data of 32 basketball players (N = 32, age in draft year: 20.69±2.28 years old, height without shoes: 196.75±8.68 cm, weight: 96.85±10 kg, body fat percentage: 6.07±1.23%) participating in the 2000-2015 draft and 2003-2023 slam dunk contest was selected from national basketball association database. It was classified into finals group (FG) (N = 16) and elimination group (EG) (N = 16). Independent sample t-test with cohen's d was adopted for evaluating the statistical significance of intergroup difference and its effect size. The result indicates that Finalist group was significant less than elimination group on height without shoes (FG vs EG: 193.43±9.47 cm vs 200.06±6.52 cm, P<0.05), standing reach (FG vs EG: 257.66±12.32 cm vs 268.29±10.03 cm, P<0.05) and weight (FG vs EG: 93.38±7.37 kg vs 100.33±11.25 kg, P<0.05). Conversely, compared to elimination group,finalist group has significant better performance on three quarter court sprint (FG vs EG: 3.15±0.1 s vs 3.26±0.12 s, P<0.05), standing vertical jump (FG vs EG: 84.88±5.13 cm vs 78.83±4.9 cm, P<0.05) and max vertical jump (FG vs EG: 102.39±6.47 cm vs 94.79±8.34 cm, P<0.05). However, effect size analysis indicated that height without shoes,standing reach,weight (cohen's d = 0.73-0.959, 0.7≤cohen's d<1.3, moderate) from the anthropometric indicator and three quarter court sprint, standing vertical jump, and max vertical jump (cohen's d = 0.97-1.21, 0.7≤cohen's d<1.3, moderate) from physical fitness indicator has moderate effect size, whereas effect size of body fat percentage, wingspan and lane agility time (cohen's d = 0.31-0.67, 0.3≤cohen's d<0.7, small) was small. To conclude, specific anthropometric and physical fitness indicator shows clear difference between finals group and elimination group. Height without shoes, standing reach,weight in anthropometry and three quarter court sprint, standing vertical jump, and max vertical jump in physical fitness are key indicator to slam dunk performance. In line with the result in the study, NBA staff can select suitable rookies for slam dunk contest. Similiarly, coach from NBA or other basketball league, who want to improve the player's slam dunk performance, should use specific training programs to develop the slam dunk-related indicator.

Osthole Activates the Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway via α7nAChR Upregulation to Alleviate Inflammatory Responses.

Osthole (also known as Osthol) is the main anti-inflammatory coumarin found in Cnidium monnieri and severs as the exclusive quality-controlled component according the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. However, its underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Osthole treatment significantly inhibited the generation of TNF-α, but not IL-6 in the classical LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage model. In addition, LPS induced the activation of both MAPK and NF-κB signalling pathways, of which the former was dose-dependently restrained by Osthole via suppressing the phosphorylation of JNK and P38 proteins, while the phosphorylation of IκB and P65 proteins remained unaffected. Interestingly, Osthole dose-dependently up-regulated the expression of the key cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway regulator α7nAChR, and the TNF-α inhibition effect of Osthole was also significantly alleviated by the treatment of α7nAChR antagonist methylbetaine. These results demonstrate that Osthole may regulate TNF-α by promoting the expression of α7nAChR, thereby activate the vagus nerve-dependent cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway.

Long non-coding RNA CDKN2B-AS1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via E2F transcription factor 1/G protein subunit alpha Z axis.

BACKGROUND: A series of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play a crucial role in cancer biology. Some previous studies report that lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 is involved in some human malignancies. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully deciphered. AIM: To decipher the role of CDKN2B-AS1 in the progression of HCC. METHODS: CDKN2B-AS1 expression in HCC was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The malignant phenotypes of Li-7 and SNU-182 cells were detected by the CCK-8 method, EdU method, and flow cytometry, respectively. RNA immunoprecipitation was executed to confirm the interaction between CDKN2B-AS1 and E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1). Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation were performed to verify the binding of E2F1 to the promoter of G protein subunit alpha Z (GNAZ). E2F1 and GNAZ were detected by western blot in HCC cells. RESULTS: In HCC tissues, CDKN2B-AS1 was upregulated. Depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells, and the depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 also induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. CDKN2B-AS1 could interact with E2F1. Depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited the binding of E2F1 to the GNAZ promoter region. Overexpression of E2F1 reversed the biological effects of depletion of CDKN2B-AS1 on the malignant behaviors of HCC cells. CONCLUSION: CDKN2B-AS1 recruits E2F1 to facilitate GNAZ transcription to promote HCC progression.

Chemical constituents from the roots of Dolomiaea souliei.

A new benzofuran-type neolignan (1), two new phenylpropanoids (2 - 3), and one new C21 steroid (4) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the roots of Dolomiaea souliei by chromatographic methods, including silica gel, ODS column chromatography, MPLC, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified as dolosougenin A (1), (S)-3-isopropylpentyl (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) acrylate (2), (S)-3-isopropylpentyl (Z)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) acrylate (3) and dolosoucin A (4) through various spectroscopic techniques including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, IR, UV, HR ESI MS, ORD, and computational ORD methods.

Berberisides A-D: three novel prenylated benzoic acid derivatives and a clerodane glycoside from Berberis tsarica aherndt.

Three undescribed prenylated benzoic acid derivatives berberisides A-C (1-3) and a new clerodane glycoside berberiside D (4) were isolated from Berberis tsarica Aherndt. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS analysis. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of all isolates were studied against lung carcinoma A549, hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Among them, compounds 1 and 4 exhibited anti-proliferative effects against three tumor cell lines with IC50 ranging from 28.97 ± 2.18 to 35.83 ± 0.72 µM.

[Two new triterpeneoids from roots of Dolomiaea souliei].

The present study analyzed the chemical constituents in dried roots of Dolomiaea souliei. Chromatographic methods, such as normal-phase, and reversed-phase column chromatography, TLC, and preparative HPLC, were applied to separate and purify the petroleum ether extract of D. souliei. The structures of the purified constituents were identified by multiple spectroscopic methods including 1 D NMR, 2 D NMR, IR, UV, and HR-ESI-MS. Fourteen triterpenoids were obtained and identified as bauer-8-ene-3,11-dione-7α-ol(1), bauer-8-ene-3-one-7α,11α-diol(2), 3-oxo-11α-hydroxy-urs-12-ene(3), 3-oxour-12-ene-1ß,11α-diol(4), 3ß,11α-dihydroxy-urs-12-ene(5), taraxast-20-ene-3ß,30-diol(6), 28-hydroxy-3-oxo-12-ursene(7), 3ß-hydroxytaraxast-20-ene-30-aldehyde(8), urs-12-ene-2α,3ß,28-triol(9), 20-hydroxylupan-3-one(10), monogynol A(11), obtusalin(12), 3-oxo, 11α-hydroxy-olean-12-ene(13), and isocabralealactone(14). Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new compounds. Compounds 4-10, 12, and 14 were isolated from this genus for the first time. Compounds 3 and 11 were obtained from D. souliei for the first time.

High-Performance Anodic Vulcanization-Pretreated Gated P+-π-M-N+ InAs/GaSb Superlattice Long-Wavelength Infrared Detector.

The InAs/GaSb superlattice infrared detector has been developed with tremendous effort. However, the performance of it, especially long-wavelength infrared detectors (LWIR), is still limited by the electrical performance and optical quantum efficiency (QE). Forcing the active region to be p-type through proper doping can highly improve QE, and the gating technique can be employed to greatly enhance electrical performance. However, the saturation bias voltage is too high. Reducing the saturation bias voltage has broad prospects for the future application of gate voltage control devices. In this paper, we report that the gated P+-π-M-N+ InAs/GaSb superlattice long-wavelength infrared detectors exhibit different π region doping levels that have a reduced minimum saturation bias at - 10 V with a 200-nm SiO2 layer after a simple and effective anodic vulcanization pretreatment. The saturation gate bias voltage is much lower than - 40 V that reported with the same thickness of a 200-nm SiO2 passivation layer and similar structure. The optical and electrical characterization indicates that the electrical and optical performance of the device would be weakened by excessive doping concentration. At 77 K, the 50% cutoff wavelength of the device is about 8 µm, the 100% cutoff wavelength is 10 µm, the maximum quantum efficiency is 62.4%, the maximum of responsivity is 2.26 A/W at 5 µm, and the maximum RA of the device is 1259.4 Ω cm2. Besides, the specific detectivity of Be 780 °C-doped detector without gate electrode exhibits a peak of 5.6 × 1010 cm Hz1/2/W at 5 µm with a 70-mv reverse bias voltage, which is more than three times that of Be 820 °C-doped detector. Moreover, the peak specific detectivity could be further increased to 1.3 × 1011 cm Hz1/2/W at 5 µm with a 10-mv reserve bias voltage that has the bias of - 10 V at the gate electrode.

Ptehoosines A and B: Two new sesamin-type sesquilignans with antiangiogenic activity from Pterocephalus hookeri (C.B. Clarke) Höeck.

Two undescribed sesamin-type sesquilignans ptehoosines A (1) and B (2), together with 4 known lignans (3-6), were isolated from Pterocephalus hookeri (C.B. Clarke) Höeck which was widely used as traditional Tibetan medicine for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Their structures were determined by HR-ESI-MS, NMR analysis and CD experiment. The in vitro antiangiogenic effect of all isolated compounds against human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Among them, compound 1 exhibited significant proliferative inhibition on HUVECs with IC50 value of 32.82 ± 0.99 µM. Further in vitro study indicated 1 could arrest cell cycle at G0/G1 phase and reduce the migration of HUVECs. In vivo experiment exhibited 1 could inhibit tail vessels plexus in zebrafish. The above finding suggested that 1 was a promising lead compound against RA by inhibiting of angiogenesis.

A Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Hospital Mortality in Patients With Postoperative Sepsis.

Introduction: The incidence of postoperative sepsis is continually increased, while few studies have specifically focused on the risk factors and clinical outcomes associated with the development of sepsis after surgical procedures. The present study aimed to develop a mathematical model for predicting the in-hospital mortality among patients with postoperative sepsis. Materials and Methods: Surgical patients in Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database who simultaneously fulfilled Sepsis 3.0 and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria at ICU admission were incorporated. We employed both extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and stepwise logistic regression model to predict the in-hospital mortality among patients with postoperative sepsis. Consequently, the model performance was assessed from the angles of discrimination and calibration. Results: We included 3,713 patients who fulfilled our inclusion criteria, in which 397 (10.7%) patients died during hospitalization, and 3,316 (89.3%) patients survived through discharge. Fluid-electrolyte disturbance, coagulopathy, renal replacement therapy (RRT), urine output, and cardiovascular surgery were important features related to the in-hospital mortality. The XGBoost model had a better performance in both discriminatory ability (c-statistics, 0.835 vs. 0.737 and 0.621, respectively; AUPRC, 0.418 vs. 0.280 and 0.237, respectively) and goodness of fit (visualized by calibration curve) compared to the stepwise logistic regression model and baseline model. Conclusion: XGBoost model has a better performance in predicting hospital mortality among patients with postoperative sepsis in comparison to the stepwise logistic regression model. Machine learning-based algorithm might have significant application in the development of early warning system for septic patients following major operations.

Efficacy of surgery for the treatment of astrocytoma: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study will assess the efficacy of surgery for the treatment of patients with astrocytoma. METHODS: We will undertake searches for randomized controlled trials from the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. We will search all these databases from their inception to the March 1, 2020. No language limitation and publication status will be imposed in this study. Two authors will independently carry out study selection, data extraction, and study quality assessment. We will invite another author to solve any divergences between 2 authors. We will use RevMan 5.3 software to conduct statistical analysis. RESULTS: This study will present synthesis of most recent evidence of surgery for the treatment of patients with astrocytoma. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study will provide helpful reference for the efficacy and complications of surgery for the treatment of patients with astrocytoma to the clinicians and future researchers. STUDY REGISTRATION: INPLASY202040194.

Development of amphiphile 4-armed PEO-based Ti4+ complex for highly selective enrichment of phosphopeptides.

Protein phosphorylation is a reversible and important post-translational modification. Identification of phosphopeptides without enrichment is difficult for the low-abundance of phosphopeptides in real complex biological samples. Therefore, the effective and selective concentration of phosphopeptides prior to proteomic identification by mass spectrometer is necessary. In this study, we synthesized a novel titanium-based immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography material for highly selective enrichment of phosphopeptides. To improve material hydrophilia to the maximum extent, titanium ions were immobilized on the 4-armed Poly(ethylene oxide)(4µ-PEO-Ti4+), a totally soluble polymer with large molecular weight (20000 g/mol). The 4µ-PEO-Ti4+ was used to enrich phosphopeptides from tryptic digests of standard proteins and real complex biological samples, followed by MALDI-TOF MS analysis. In enrichment of phosphopeptides from 4 pmol ß-casein, the 4µ-PEO-Ti4+ performed the best property with starting material of 99-132 µg, loading buffer of 50% ACN/5% TFA (v/v), elution buffer of 10% NH3·H2O (v/v) and elution time of 30 min. The 4µ-PEO-Ti4+ has a superior detection sensitivity as low as 2 fmol for phosphopeptides. The high selectivity of 4µ-PEO-Ti4+ allows a deep enrichment of phosphopeptides of ß-casein from a mixture with BSA of 1000-fold abundant. The 4µ-PEO-Ti4+ shows great stability and endurability and can be recycled up to at least 5 times. In addition, 4µ-PEO-Ti4+ could detect 10 and 15 phosphopeptides from non-fat milk and nonenzymatic human saliva, respectively. In total, 4µ-PEO-Ti4+ is a novel excellent material which shows great sensitive and selective enrichment of low-abundance phosphopeptides in real complex biological samples.

Integrated Metabolomics and Proteomics Analysis Revealed Second Messenger System Disturbance in Hippocampus of Chronic Social Defeat Stress Rat.

Depression is a common and disabling mental disorder characterized by high disability and mortality, but its physiopathology remains unclear. In this study, we combined a non-targeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomic approach and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based proteomic analysis to elucidate metabolite and protein alterations in the hippocampus of rat after chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), an extensively used animal model of depression. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) was conducted to integrate underlying relationships among differentially expressed metabolites and proteins. Twenty-five significantly different expressed metabolites and 234 differentially expressed proteins were identified between CSDS and control groups. IPA canonical pathways and network analyses revealed that intracellular second messenger/signal transduction cascades were most significantly altered in the hippocampus of CSDS rats, including cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), phosphoinositol, tyrosine kinase, and arachidonic acid systems. These results provide a better understanding of biological mechanisms underlying depression, and may help identify potential targets for novel antidepressants.

The hepatoprotective effects of Sedum sarmentosum extract and its isolated major constituent through Nrf2 activation and NF-κB inhibition.

BACKGROUND: Sedum sarmentosum, which is recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, has been applied clinically to treat liver and gallbladder diseases. PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the hepatoprotective effect of S. sarmentosum less polar extract (SSE) against ANIT-induced liver injury in rats, and the protective activity and mechanism of one major constituent isolated from this extract on D-GalN-induced human hepatic QSG7701 cell damage. METHODS: Rats were divided into groups and then administrated intragastrically with SSE at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg for 7 days. They were modeled in the experiments with ANIT (70 mg/kg) to induce liver injury after the sixth day administration. The levels of serum biochemical markers ALT, AST, ALP, GGT/γ-GT, DBiL, TBiL, ALB, TP, and bile flow rate, as well as the histopathology of the liver tissue were used as indices of liver damage and measured. The inflammatory response and oxidative stress were thought to be key contributors to ANIT-induced liver injury in rats. Therefore, the inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4) and oxidative stress (ROS, SOD, GSH-PX) were measured in the serum and liver homogenates, respectively. Next, phytochemical research was performed to produce the main component, and the isolated compound was evaluated for its hepatoprotective activity against QSG7701 cell injured by D-GalN through the measurement of cell viabilities, ALT, AST, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, ROS, GSH-PX and SOD productions. Furthermore, the protein expression of the Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways were analyzed by western blotting. RESULTS: SSE had an obvious effect on the decreases of ALT, AST, ALP, GGT/γ-GT, DBiL and TBiL levels, the increases of ALB and TP levels in serum, and the ANIT-induced deceleration in bile flow for liver injury. Meanwhile, SSE pretreatment alleviated ANIT-induced liver pathological injuries exhibited by HE stain of the liver. Moreover, SSE significantly suppressed levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ, and elevated level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 in serum. SSE also attenuated oxidative stress by reducing ROS level and by enhancing antioxidative enzymes (SOD and GSH-PX) activities after ANIT administration in liver tissue. Further, the major compound shown in HPLC was isolated from SSE. Its structure was identified by the spectroscopic data analysis and comparison with literature values. The principal constituent had potent protective effect on D-GalN-induced QSG7701 cells damage in a dose dependent manner with survival rates of 58.2% and 69.5% at 10 µM and 20 µM, respectively. Its cytoprotective effect was associated with the reduction of ALT, AST, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6 and ROS levels, and the elevation of GSH-PX and SOD productions in QSG7701 cells induced by D-GalN. Western blotting showed that this compound enhanced the expression of Nrf2, HO1, NQO1 and GCLC, and inhibited D-GalN-induced IκBα and NF-κB p65 phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS: Current study showed that SSE treatment exerted a protective effect on ANIT-induced liver injury. The main compound δ-amyrone isolated from the extract was characterized as the effective component with hepatoprotective activity by promoting Nrf2 antioxidant defense and suppressing NF-κB inflammatory response.

[A new napthalenone from roots of Rumex nepalensis].

A new napthalenone, rumexone A (1), was isolated from the roots of Rumex nepalensis. The structure of 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR spectra and MS data. Its cytotoxic effect was evaluated using four clinically relevant human cancer cell lines, gastric carcinoma SGC7901, breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231, lung carcinoma A549, and hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2.

Two new compounds from a marine-derived Streptomyces sp.

Two new long-chain unsaturated compounds, (2E, 6E)-10-methoxy-3,7-dimethyl-10-oxodeca-2,6-dienoic acid (1) and (2E, 6E)-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,6-dienedioic acid (2), together with seven known compounds were isolated from a marine-derived Streptomyces sp. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1 and 2 were investigated for their antibacterial activities.

Guaianolide sesquiterpenoids from Ainsliaea yunnanensis.

Six previously undescribed C17-guaianolides, a previously undescribed guaianolide alkaloid, and two previously undescribed guaianolides as well as 10 known guaianolides were obtained from an ethanol extract of Ainsliaea yunnanensis Franch. The chemical structures of all previously reported sesquiterpenoids were determined by extensive NMR spectroscopic analysis in combination with a modified Mosher's method. All isolates were in vitro screened for inhibitory effect against nitric oxide release in RAW 264.7 macrophages stimulated by LPS. Zaluzanin C remarkably inhibited the production of nitric oxide with an IC50 value of 6.54 µM.

Renchangianins F and G: two new sesquiterpenoids from Kadsura renchangiana.

Phytochemical investigation on the stems of Kadsura renchangiana led to the isolation of two new sesquiterpenoids, renchangianins F and G (1 and 2). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR techniques. The in vitro cytotoxic activities of the isolates were studied against HepG2, A549, and LN229 cancer cell lines.

A new diphenyl ether derivative from Mirabilis himalaica.

One new compound, himalain A (1), together with 12 known compounds were isolated from Mirabilis himalaica. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR techniques, and the absolute configuration of the 1,2-diol moiety in 1 was defined through Riguera's method. All isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxic and antibacterial activities.

Isolation, structure elucidation, and induction of hepatoma cell apoptosis of abietane diterpenoids from Abies faxoniana.

Two new abietane diterpenoids (1-2) and 13 known compounds (3-15) were characterized from the branches and leaves of Abies faxoniana. The chemical structures of the new diterpenoids (1-2) were determined through the analysis of various 1D/2D NMR techniques. Compound 3 is 151,617-trinor-abietane diterpenoid conjugated with a three-membered epoxide ring. The isolated diterpenoids were tested for their cytotoxicities. Among them, compound 3 exhibited the strongest antiproliferative effect against human hepatoma cell SMMC7721 with an IC50 value of 12.5 µM. To elucidate the preliminary mechanism responsible for compound 3-induced inhibition of cell proliferation, we investigated the effects of compound 3 on apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and reactive oxygen species generation in SMMC7721 cells. The results showed that compound 3 induced cell apoptosis and excessive ROS production, but did not change the cell cycle distribution in SMMC7721 cells.