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Salvileucalin B (2), having an unprecedented rearranged neoclerodane skeleton, was isolated from the aerial parts of Salvia leucantha Cav. (Labiatae) along with salvileucalin A (1). The absolute structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and vibrational circular dichroism. Compound 2 represents a novel neoclerodane, characterized by a tricyclo[3.2.1.0 (2,7)]octane substructure incorporating the exocyclic C-20 methylene of 1. This molecule exerted cytotoxic activity against A549 and HT-29 cells with IC50 values of 5.23 and 1.88 microg/mL, respectively.

We say that a graph is intrinsically knotted or completely 3-linked if every embedding of the graph into the 3-sphere contains a nontrivial knot or a 3-component link each of whose 2-component sublinks is nonsplittable. We show that a graph obtained from the complete graph on seven vertices by a finite sequence of Y-exchanges and Y -exchanges is a minor-minimal intrinsically knotted or completely 3-linked graph.

The aim of this study was to establish a method for estimating loading capacity for Japanese native horses by gait analysis using an accelerometer. Six mares of Japanese native horses were used. The acceleration of each horse was recorded during walking and trotting along a straight course at a sampling frequency of 200 Hz. Each horse performed 12 tests: one test with a loaded weight of 80 kg (First 80 kg) followed by 10 tests with random loaded weights between 85 kg and 130 kg and a final test with a loaded weight of 80 kg again. The time series of acceleration was subjected to fast Fourier transformation, and the autocorrelation coefficient was calculated. The first two peaks of the autocorrelation were defined as symmetry and regularity of the gait. At trot, symmetries in the 100, 110, and 125 kg tests were significantly lower than that in First 80 kg (P < 0.05, by analysis of covariance and Sidak's test). These results imply that the maximum permissible load weight is less than 100 kg, which is 29% of the body weight of Japanese native horses. Our method is a widely applicable and welfare-friendly method for estimating maximum permissible load weights of horses.

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BackgroundIn areas mesoendemic for malaria transmission, symptomatic individuals play a significant role as reservoirs for malaria infection. Understanding the pathogenesis of symptomatic malaria is important in devising tools for augmenting malaria control. In this study, the effect of TLR9 polymorphisms on susceptibility to symptomatic malaria was investigated among Ghanaian children.MethodsFour hundred and twenty nine (429) healthy Ghanaian children, aged three to eleven years (3–11 years), were enrolled into a cohort study and actively followed up for symptomatic malaria for one year. Four TLR9 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) namely: rs187084 (C-1486 T), rs5743836(C-1237 T), rs352139 (G + 1174A) and rs352140 (G + 2848A) were genotyped by direct sequencing, and their attributable and relative risks for symptomatic malaria determined. TLR9 haplotypes were inferred using the PHASE software and analysed for the risk of symptomatic malaria. A luciferase assay was performed to investigate whether the TLR9 haplotypes influence TLR9 promoter activity.ResultsThe rs352139 GG genotype showed a significantly increased relative risk of 4.8 for symptomatic malaria (P = 0.0024) and a higher mean parasitaemia (P = 0.04). Conversely, the rs352140 GG genotype showed a significantly reduced relative risk of 0.34 (P = 0.048). TLR9 haplotypes analyses showed that TTAG haplotype was significantly associated with reduced relative risk of 0.2 for symptomatic malaria (P = 4×10-6) and a lower mean parasitaemia (0.007), while CTGA haplotype had an increased relative risk of 3.3 (P = 0.005). Functional luciferase reporter gene expression assay revealed that the TTA haplotype had a significantly higher promoter activity than the CCG, CTG and TCG haplotypes.ConclusionsTaken together, these findings indicate a significant association of TLR9 gene polymorphisms with symptomatic malaria among Ghanaian children in Dangme-West district.