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The suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is an established negative feedback regulation transcription factor associated with leptin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and growth hormone (GH). However, the regulatory mechanism of SOCS3 on inflammation and apoptosis of adipocyte is still not clear. In this study, we found an increased expression of adipocyte inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 due to leptin treatment. Meanwhile Caspase3, a key executioner of apoptosis, was also elevated in this process. In addition, we observed that SOCS3 could promote inflammation whereas SOCS3 interference reversed this effect in LPS-induced adipocytes inflammatory model. Moreover, the expression of apoptosis-associated genes Bax, cleaved-Caspase9 and cleaved-Caspase3 were elevated along with decreased Bcl-2 expression as detected with Western blot and ELISA assay. The phosphorylation level of JAK2/STAT3 signal was inhibited by SOCS3 along with the elevated expression of IL-6, TNF-α and Caspase3. We also demonstrated that stable knockdown of SOCS3 along with SD1008, a specific inhibitor of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, could significantly inhibit inflammation and apoptosis of adipocyte. Altogether, these results inferred that SOCS3 promotes adipocyte apoptosis by both aggravating inflammation and inhibiting the activity of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that partially bind to the 3' untranslated (3'UTR) regions of target genes in animals and regulate protein production of the target transcripts. MiR-103 has been confirmed to play a critical role in lipid metabolism, however, the target genes and signaling pathway regulated by miR-103 is still unclear. In our experiment, we observed a positive function of miR-103 on the adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte. Furthermore, we proved that this function of miR-103 worked through activating AKT/mTOR signal pathway and impairing target gene MEF2D. By inhibiting and over-expressing the MEF2D gene, we found that MEF2D had a negative role in regulating adipocyte key genes, and this function of MEF2D could be impaired by miR-103. In conclusion, we found that miR-103 can promote 3T3-L1 cells differentiation by targeting MEF2D and activating AKT/mTOR signal pathway. These results will shed a light on further study of microRNAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the European Union (EU), the use of diniconazole-M is no longer authorized. However, residues of diniconazole-M occur in various plant commodities. Methodology/Principal Findings: A selective and simple analytical method for the trace level determination of diniconazole in soil, fruit, vegetables and water samples was developed based on immunoaffinity extraction followed by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the high-erformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The ELISA was based on monoclonal antibodies highly specific to diniconazole and was a fast, cost-effective, and selective screening method for the detection of diniconazole. The results of the ELISA correlated well with gas chromatography (GC) results, with the correlation coefficient of 0.9879 (n = 19). A simple gel permeation chromatography clean-up method was developed to purify extracts from matrices containing high amounts of fat and natural pigments, without the need for a large dilution of the sample. The immunoaffinity column (IAC) capacity was 0.180 mg g-1. The columns could be re-used approximately 20 times with no significant alteration in capacity. The recoveries from complex samples were in the range of 89.2% to 96.1% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.770%-6.11% by ELISA. The results were in good agreement with those obtained by HPLC method. Conclusion/Significance: The IAC extraction procedure coupled with HPLC and ELISA analysis could be also used as alternative effective analytical methods for the determination of diniconazole concentrations in complex samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a harmful mycotoxin and secondary metabolite produced by several species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. It is of vital importance to establish a sensitive method to detect OTA in various grains. Objective: A novel, highly sensitive chemiluminescence immunoassay was developed to determine OTA in wheat, corn, and poultry feed. Methods: The immunomagnetic beads were used as solid phase carriers and separators in the competitive chemiluminescence method. Anti-OTAmonoclonal antibodies coated on themagnetic beads were applied as the capturing antibodies, in which OTA would compete with OTA-alkaline phosphatase in binding with OTA antibodies. Results: The proposed method exhibited good linearity (R2 - 0.999), adequate OTA recovery rate (83.60-102.50%), and good repeatability. The sensitivity of the proposed method was 2.05 pg/mL. In addition, the method was highly selective and showed no cross-reactions with other mycotoxins (e.g., AFB1, DON, ZEN). The developed method was applied in the analysis of wheat, corn, and two animal feeds successfully. The results obtained by the chemiluminescence method showed a high correlation with those obtained by the HPLC method (correlation coefficient 0.9958). Conclusion: This strategy shows great potential for other toxic and harmful mycotoxin detection. Highlights: A novel highly rapid and sensitive chemiluminescence immunoassay was established for quantitation of OTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis is challenging tuberculosis control worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine to prevent primary infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and tuberculosis disease, hostdirected therapies may offer therapeutic options, particularly for patients with multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis where prognosis is often limited. CD8+ and CD4+ T cells mediate antigen-specific adaptive cellular immune responses. Their use in precision immunotherapy in clinical conditions, especially in treating cancer as well as for prevention of life-threatening viral infections in allogeneic transplant recipients, demonstrated safety and clinical efficacy. We review key achievements in T-cell therapy, including the use of recombinant immune recognition molecules (eg, T-cell receptors and CD19 chimeric antigen receptors), and discuss its potential in the clinical management of patients with drug-resistant and refractory tuberculosis failing conventional therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The ultrasensitive monitoring strategy of zearalenone (ZEN) is essential and desirable for food safety and human health. In the present study, a coupling of gold nanoparticles-DNA barcode and direct competitive immunoassay-based real-time polymerase chain reaction signal amplification (RT-IPCR) for ZEN close to the sensitivity of PCR-like levels is described and evaluated. RESULTS: The RT-IPCR benefited from the use of a DNA barcode and RT-PCR detection strategy, thus resulting in ultrasensitive and simple detection for ZEN. Under the optimal RT-IPCR, the linear range of detection was from 0.5 to 1000 pg mL-1 and the limit of detection was 0.5 pg mL-1, which was 400-fold lower than the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The detection procedure was simplified and the detection time was shortened. The specificity, accuracy and precision of the RT-IPCR confirmed a high performance. ZEN-positive contamination levels were from 0.056 to 152.12 ng g-1 by the RT-IPCR, which was demonstrated to be highly reliable by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. CONCLUSION: The proposed RT-IPCR could be used as an alternative for detecting ZEN with satisfactory ultrasensitivity, simplicity, low cost and high-throughput. The present study could provide a strategy for the ultrasensitive detection of the small molecule with a simple and practical approach, which has significant appeal and application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease associated with oxidative stress, including atherosclerosis, is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. The accelerated proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells are the predominant characteristics of atherogenesis, and endothelial dysfunction is a major risk factor for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Podocalyxin (PODXL), a type I member of the cluster of differentiation 34 family of sialomucins, functions as a pro-adhesive molecule. Emerging evidence has revealed the importance of micro (mi)RNAs in the cardiovascular system. The present study demonstrated that there was an inverse association between miRNA (miR)-125b and PODXL in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs) treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and platelet derived growth factor. Additionally, miR-125b had a suppressive function in cell proliferation and migration, at least partially via targeting PODXL in the HAVSMCs. Furthermore, the data suggested that the functions of miR-125b in arteriosclerosis obliterans may be associated with transgelin, lectin-type oxidized LDL receptor-1, vascular endothelial-cadherin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, interleukin-6 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1. In conclusion, miR-125b was found to be important in arteriosclerosis obliterans by suppressing the expression of PODXL and may serve as a potential therepeutic target for the treatment of arteriosclerosis obliterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Haoyaoerhudong gold deposit in the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) is a large tonnage lower-grade deposit with a reserve of about 148 tons of gold. Gold mineralization is characterized by pyrite and pyrrhotite films and thin veins on the schistosity plane of the Proterozoic black shales. The orebodies, strictly controlled by a near EW-trending shear zone, are stratabound within carbonaceous phyllite and andalusite-garnet schist of the Bilute Formation. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic data show that the ore-forming fluid was derived from a magmatic source and mixed with meteoric water. Sulfur and carbon isotope data indicate that most of the sulfur and carbon came from the black shale strata. Well-defined biotite Ar-Ar plateau age and inverse isochron age show that the deposit formed at ca. 270Ma, which suggests a probable link between Hercynian magmatism and gold mineralization. Studies on regional geology, ore geology, isotope geochemistry, and ore-forming age substantiate a complex evolutionary history of the deposit. The Proterozoic black shales rich in gold, sulfur, and organic matter, which were deposited in the Proterozoic continental margin rifts, comprised the source bed for gold mineralization. EW-ENE-structures, products of Palaeozoic orogenic process, provided pathways and mineralization space for ore-forming fluids. Hercynian tectono-magmatism and subsequent hydrothermal events remobilized gold and drove the ore-forming fluids to dilatational fracture zones. Related to postcollisional magmatic hydrothermal events, the Haoyaoerhudong gold deposit is considered as a special type of orogenic gold deposit formed in the compression-extension transition stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hanjiangite, ideal formula Ba2Ca(V3+Al)[Si32AlO10(OH) 2]F(CO3)2, is a new mineral found in the Shiti barium deposit in the Dabashan region, China. Hanjiangite was collected from lenticular witheriteore bodies and witherite-barite-quartz veins cutting carbonaceous slates. It is found as disseminations in both settings. It occurs as thin, euhedral, tetragonal, tabular crystals, and anhedral grains. Grain size commonly varies from 0.05 to 4 mm and occasionally reaches 15 mm. It is yellow-green or dark green, with one well-developed or perfect cleavage on {001}. Other physical properties are: brittle, transparent to translucent, nonfluorescent, vitreous luster, greenish white streak, hardness 4 in the Mohs scale, splintery fracture, and a measured density of 3.69 g/cm³. Hanjiangite is biaxial (-), α = 1.615, β = 1.655, γ = 1.700 (589 nm), and displays strong pleochroism from pale yellow-green to dark green. It is monoclinic, with unit-cell parameters refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction: a = 5.2050(12), b = 9.033(2), c = 32.077(8) Å, β = 93.49(8)°, V = 1505.4(8) ų, Z = 4, space group C2. The strongest seven lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å(I)(hkl)] are: 15.866(7)(002), 5.340(91 )(006), 4.010(10)(1̅14), 3.209(23) (027), 2.676(100) (1̅1 10), 2.294(29)(1̅37), and 2.008(11)(2̅28). Chemical analysis by a combination of electron microprobe, HF combustion, IR absorption, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and crystal-structure refinement gives SiO219.64, TiO21.12,Al2O3 11.19, MgO 0.54, CaO 4.91,BaO 34.89, V2O3 9.93, Cr2O3 1.75, Na2O 0.20, K2O 0.06, MnO 0.01, FeO 0.02, NiO 0.01, SrO 0.34, Y2O3 0.85, La2O3 0.14, Nd2O3 0.26,F1. 80, Cl 0.04, CO2 10.37, H2O 1.30, F = O -0.76, Cl = O -0.01, sum 98.60 wt%. The empirical formula is (Ba1.98 Na0.06 K0.01)Σ0.05(Ca0.76 Mg0.12 Y0.06 Sr0.03 La0.01 Nd0.01)Σ0.99 per formula unit. A single-crystal X-ray structure determination (sample 2005st-17) was carried out with a Smart APEX CCD system using MoKα (λ = 0.71073 Å) radiation. The structure was solved using direct methods, and refined with the SHELXTL PC (Bruker AXS Inc.) package. Anisotropic refinement using all measured independent data and reflections with I > 2σ(I) resulted in an R1 factor of 0.08 and wR² of 0.20. The crystal structure is composed of alternating T-O-T and Ba2Ca(CO3)2F layers. The Ba2Ca(CO3)2F layer occurs between the T-O-T layers. The T site contains both Si and Al, and the O site both V3+ and Al. The interlayer hosts not only Ba (like in chernykhite) but also Ca atoms and (CO3) groups. While the coordination of the cations in the TOT layer is obvious, the coordinations of Ca and Ba in the interlayer are not straight forward. A hanjiangite has three polytypes, namely 1M-type, 2M-type, and 3T-type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]