A novel lectin was isolated from the dried fruiting bodies of the wild mushroom Paxillus involutus. Isolation was conducted by anion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Cellulose, Q-Sepharose and gel filtration on Superdex 75 using a fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system. This lectin had a molecular mass of 28 kDa and was composed of four identical subunits, each with a molecular mass of 7 kDa. N-terminal amino acid sequence of the P. involutus lectin was determined to be CTCAVFLNNTTVKS, which showed a low level of similarity to mushroom lectin sequences reported previously. The biochemical properties of this lectin were determined, and the hemagglutinating activity was inhibited by inulin and O-Nitrophenyl-β-D-galacto-pyranoside. Additionally, Ca2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Fe2+, and Al3+ inhibited its hemagglutinating activity, while Cu2+ promoted this activity. This lectin exhibited poor thermostability and was sensitive to HCl, but it had a high tolerance to NaOH exposure. In terms of biological properties, this lectin manifested antiphytovirus activity towards tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) with a 70.61% inhibition at a concentration of 200 µg/mL. This lectin was devoid of inhibitory activities toward pathogenic fungi and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and antiproliferative activities were observed in tumor cell lines including lung cancer A-549 and human colon cancer HCT-8 cells.

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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the aerodynamics characteristics (especially the side force/moment and rolling characteristics), to analyze the impacts generated by different parameters of wrap-around fins (WAFs) and to find the corresponding mechanism. Design/methodology/approach – The paper has adopted three different types of WAFs for the rocket configurations and the sub-regions divided technology to investigate the lateral and rolling characteristics of WAFs, including the fins with variations in span to chord ratio, thickness, leading-edge sweep, curvature radius, fin numbers, setting angles and rotated angles. Simulations have been performed at Mach numbers from 3 to 4 through an angle-of-attack range of about 0° to 10° and at model rolling angles of 45° to 90°. Findings – The paper shows that the WAF configurations can greatly improve the longitudinal stability and enhance the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics for the whole rocket. The total drag of the whole rocket is mainly stemmed from the body, while the drag generated by the WAF account for only about 7.42 per cent. The extra side forces and rolling moments are due largely to the unequal pressure distributions on both sides of the fin (windward or leeward). Maintaining a certain negative setting angle (d) can effectively avoid the coning movement and improve the flight stability at high angles of attack. The size of the span and chord are two main factors in controlling the longitudinal characteristics. For the side force/moment and rolling characteristics, different geometric parameters of the WAFs have played different roles. Originality/value – The paper provides the qualitative and quantitative analysis for different WAFs configurations by investigating the curves of different parameters and contouring of static pressure distributions. Findings can provide some suggestions for the designers for avoiding some significant dynamic problems, such as Magnus instability and roll rate variations during flight.

Due to the impermeability of the blood–brain barrier and the nonselective distribution of drugs in the brain, the therapeutic access to intractable neurological disorders is challenging. In this study, dual brain-targeting polymersomes (POs) functionalized by transferrin and Tet-1 peptide (Tf/Tet-1-POs) promoted the transportation of curcumin into the brain and provided neuroprotection. The modification of the ligands that bind to the surface of POs was revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The cell uptake of a coculture model of mouse brain capillary endothelial cells with neurons showed that the Tf/Tet-1-POs had significant transportation properties and possessed affinity for neurons. The pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the blood–brain barrier permeability–surface efficiency of the Tf/Tet-1-POs was 0.28 mL/h/g and that the brain tissue uptake rate (% ID/g) was 0.08, which were significant compared with the controls ( P <0.05). The curcumin-encapsulated Tf/Tet-1-POs provided neuroprotection and ameliorated cognitive dysfunction in intrahippocampal amyloid-β 1–42 -injected mice. These results suggest that the dual brain-targeting POs are more capable of drug delivery to the brain that can be exploited as a multiple noninvasive vehicle for targeting therapeutics.

Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum is a serious public health threat in the countries where this organism is endemic. Since resistance has been associated with specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in parasite genes, molecular markers are becoming useful surrogates for monitoring the emergence and dispersion of drug resistance. In this study, a multiplex PCR (mPCR) and oligonucleotide microarray method was developed for the detection of these SNPs in genes encoding chloroquine resistance transporter (Pfcrt), multidrug resistance 1 (Pfmdr1), dihydrofolate reductase (Pfdhfr), dihydropteroate synthetase (Pfdhps), and ATPase 6 (PfATPase6) of P. falciparum. The results show that DNA microarray technology, combined with mPCR, is a promising and time-saving tool that supports conventional detection methods, allowing sensitive, accurate, simultaneous analysis of the SNPs associated with drug resistance in P. falciparum.