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Background: G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are recognized as attractive targets for drug therapy. However, it remains poorly understood how GPCRs, except for a few chemokine receptors, regulate the progression of liver fibrosis. Here, we aimed to reveal the role of GPR65, a proton-sensing receptor, in liver fibrosis and to elucidate the underlying mechanism., Methods: The expression level of GPR65 was evaluated in both human and mouse fibrotic livers. Furthermore, Gpr65-deficient mice were treated with either bile duct ligation (BDL) for 21 d or carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) for 8 weeks to investigate the role of GPR65 in liver fibrosis. A combination of experimental approaches, including Western blotting, quantitative real-time reverse transcription‑polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), confocal microscopy and rescue studies, were used to explore the underlying mechanisms of GPR65's action in liver fibrosis. Additionally, the therapeutic potential of GPR65 inhibitor in the development of liver fibrosis was investigated., Results: We found that hepatic macrophages (HMs)-enriched GPR65 was upregulated in both human and mouse fibrotic livers. Moreover, knockout of Gpr65 significantly alleviated BDL- and CCl 4 -induced liver inflammation, injury and fibrosis in vivo, and mouse bone marrow transplantation (BMT) experiments further demonstrated that the protective effect of Gpr65 knockout is primarily mediated by bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). Additionally, in vitro data demonstrated that Gpr65 silencing and GPR65 antagonist inhibited, while GPR65 overexpression and application of GPR65 endogenous and exogenous agonists enhanced the expression and release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), all of which subsequently promoted the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the damage of hepatocytes (HCs). Mechanistically, GPR65 overexpression, the acidic pH and GPR65 exogenous agonist induced up-regulation of TNF-α and IL-6 via the Gαq-Ca 2+ -JNK/NF-κB pathways, while promoted the expression of TGF-β through the Gαq-Ca 2+ -MLK3-MKK7-JNK pathway. Notably, pharmacological GPR65 inhibition retarded the development of inflammation, HCs injury and fibrosis in vivo., Conclusions: GPR65 is a major regulator that modulates the progression of liver fibrosis. Thus, targeting GPR65 could be an effective therapeutic strategy for the prevention of liver fibrosis., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

A new species Rosafuningensis and its variant R.funingensisf.rosea, both collected from Yunnan Province, China, are, for the first time, documented and illustrated in this study. Morphological analysis in comparison with two related species in the wild, R.gigantea and R.rubus , presents distinguishable features through leaf surfaces, inflorescences and the shape of styles. R.funingensis leaf surfaces are abaxially villous, purple-red, pale green when mature, adaxially glabrous, dark green; inflorescences solitary or 2-5(7) in corymbose cyme; and styles connate into a column or not, exserted., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Ling-Na Zheng, Le Luo, Yu-Wei Tang, Chao Yu, Pei-Feng Lyu, Xue-Sen Liu, Qi-Xiang Zhang, Yu-Yong Yang.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the application value of lung ultrasound in monitoring bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and pulmonary artery pressure in premature infants., Patients and Methods: A total of 98 preterm infants diagnosed with BPD in the Fourth Hospital in Shijiazhuang were recruited, and their disease severity was classified as mild (n=32), moderate (n=33), or severe BPD (n=33) based on gestational age and oxygen concentration. Lung ultrasonography of the children was performed. The correlation between lung ventilation scores and disease severity was statistically analyzed, and the discrete optimization results were documented. The pulmonary hypertension indexes of the three groups of children were compared., Results: Aberrant alterations of the pleural line were observed in all included children, and the B-line rose as the disease progressed. The duration of invasive ventilation, medication, and hospital stay increased with disease exacerbation (p<0.05). The three groups significantly differed in terms of ultrasound pulmonary ventilation scores and clinical severity (p<0.05). Only mild BDP was identified by lung ultrasound on the first day of birth (T1), and severe BDP was detectable during the first and second week (T2-T3) as well as the third and fourth week (T4-T5). Severe BPD was associated with significantly higher levels of pulmonary hypertension indices vs. mild and moderate BPD (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Pulmonary ultrasonography demonstrates great potential to predict pulmonary hypertension in children and assesses the disease severity. Pulmonary ultrasound allows for dynamical real-time observation of the pulmonary lesions in children with pulmonary hypertension, thereby revealing the severity of pulmonary hypertension in premature children.

Aim: To make a bibliometric analysis on post-traumatic growth (PTG) after childbirth., Methods: The topic advanced search strategy extracted the information from the Web of Science Core Collection. Descriptive statistics were performed using Excel, and bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer., Results: A total of 362 publications were published in 199 journals were obtained in the WoSCC from 1999 to 2022. Postpartum post-traumatic growth is in a trend of fluctuating growth, and the United States (N = 156) and Bar-Ilan University (N = 22) were the top contributing countries and institutions, respectively. Research hotspots mainly focus on theoretical models of PTG, postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a predictor of PTG, facilitators of PTG, and the relationship between mother-infant attachment and PTG., Conclusion: This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on PTG after childbirth, an area that has received considerable scholarly attention in recent years. However, research on post-traumatic growth after childbirth is lacking, and further research is needed., (© 2023 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Objectives: To investigate the satisfaction of the undergraduate nursing classroom teaching quality based on the Kano model and provide a reference for improving the overall quality of educational services., Methods: A total of 621 sophomores and juniors of nursing at Hubei University of Medicine were selected to conduct questionnaires based on the Kano model using convenient sampling., Results: The 16 items are all a one-dimensional factor. The satisfaction and importance are 0.77 to 0.86 and -0.58 to -0.80, respectively. In the quadrant analysis chart, there are four items in the dominant area, three items for improvement, three in the observation area, and six in the retention area., Conclusion: Analyzing the satisfaction of nursing undergraduates' classroom teaching quality can help us effectively understand the intrinsic needs of students and improve the overall quality of nursing undergraduates' curriculum teaching services., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

To reasonably design and synthesize metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high stability and excellent adsorption/separation performance, the pore configuration and functional sites are very important. Here, we report two structurally similar cluster-based MOFs using a pyridine-modified low-symmetry ligand [H 4 L = 2,6-bis(2',5'-dicarboxyphenyl)pyridine], [(NH 2 Me 2 ) 2 ][Co 5 (L) 2 (OCH 3 ) 2 (μ 3 -OH) 2 ·2DMF]·2DMF·2H 2 O ( 1 ) and [Co 5 (L) 2 (μ 3 -OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 ]·2H 2 O·4DMF ( 2 ). The structures of 1 and 2 are built from Co 5 clusters, which have one-dimensional open channels, but their microporous environments are different due to the different ways in which ligands bind to the metals. Both MOFs have extremely high chemical stabilities over a wide pH range (2-12). The two MOFs have similar adsorption capacities of C 2 H 2 (144.0 cm 3 g -1 for 1 and 141.3 cm 3 g -1 for 2 ), but 1 has a higher C 2 H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of 3.5 under ambient conditions. The difference in gas adsorption and separation between the two MOFs has been compared by a breakthrough experiment and theoretical calculation, and the influence of the microporous environment on the gas adsorption and separation performance of MOFs has been further studied.

An anionic three-dimensional framework {(Me 2 NH 2 ) 2 [Zn 8 (L) 6 (ad) 4 (μ 4 -O)]·10DMF·11H 2 O}(Zn-MOF, L 2- = 4,4'-(3-aminopyridine-2,5-diyl)dibenzoic acid; ad - = adeninate) with a column-layered structure was synthesized. Structural studies show that the Zn-MOF has octahedral cages [Zn 8 (ad) 4 (μ 4 -O)], the adjacent cages are connected by O atoms to form 1D columnar SBUs, and every four SBUs are connected by L 2- to form a square channel 3D framework. Gas adsorption studies show that the BET and Langmuir surface areas of Zn-MOF are 1370.31 and 1478.04 m 2 g -1 , respectively, and the total pore volume for single-point adsorption is 0.528 cm 3 g -1 . The surface of the pores of the Zn-MOF is occupied by open metal sites and uncoordinated carboxyl groups, showing good capture ability for C 2 H 2 and good adsorption selectivity for C 2 H 2 /CH 4 . More importantly, the free (CH 3 ) 2 NH 2 + ions present in the pores of the columnar layered Zn-MOF can cation-exchange with MB, MV, and RhB ions in aqueous solution. Therefore, Zn-MOF can not only effectively adsorb the cationic dyes MB, MV, and RhB, but also exhibit particularly selective sorption towards the mixed anion and cation dyes MB/MO and MV/MO. In addition, a series of fluorescence experiments show that Zn-MOF has good fluorescence properties, exhibiting highly selective and sensitive fluorescence detection and recognition performance for Fe 3+ ions in aqueous solution with a low detection limit.

Objectives: To explore the influencing factors of the horizontal distance of bodies in the high falling scene and the feasibility of inferring the falling mode based on it., Methods: A total of 614 high falling deaths and 15 cases of corpse dumping from high altitudes were collected. The relationship between the horizontal distance and the falling height, as well as the sex, age and manner of death (suicide, accident and corpse dumping) were observed., Results: The horizontal distance increased with the increase of falling height, and the difference among the height groups was statistically significant. The horizontal distance decreased with the increase of the age of the deceased, in each height group, the difference between the group over 60 years old and other age groups was statistically significant ( P <0.05). The horizontal distance of male deceased was (1.99±0.27) m, which was greater than that of female deceased (1.88±0.19) m, and the difference was statistically significant in partial height groups ( P <0.05). Roof falls had a greater horizontal movement distance than window falls. Except for the >20-30 m group, there was no significant difference in horizontal distance between suicide high falls and accidental high falls in other height groups., Conclusions: The horizontal distance is affected by the falling height, the sex and age of the victim, and the spatial characteristics of the falling starting point.

Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is an emerging method for the analysis of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in single cells. However, two main obstacles, low analytical throughput and lack of commercial reference materials, need to be overcome. In this work, we demonstrated the principles of a new approach termed "single-cell isotope dilution analysis" (SCIDA) to remove the two obstacles. For a proof of concept, macrophage cells were chosen as a model to study the uptake of silver NPs (AgNPs) at a single-cell level. Single cells exposed to AgNPs were placed in an array by a microfluidic technique; each cell in the array was precisely dispensed with a known picoliter droplet of an enriched isotope solution with a commercial inkjet printer; accurate quantification of AgNPs in single cells was done by using isotope dilution LA-ICP-MS. The average Ag mass of 1100 single cells, 396 ± 219 fg Ag per cell, was in good accord with the average of the population of cells determined by solution ICP-MS analysis. The detection limit was 0.2 fg Ag per cell. The SCIDA approach is expected to be widely applied for the study of cell-NP interactions and biological effects of NPs at the single-cell level.

Lidocaine, a typical local anesthetic, has been shown to directly induce neurotoxicity in clinical settings. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is an alpha-2-adrenoreceptor agonist that has been used as anxiolytic, sedative, and analgesic agent which has recently found to protect against lidocaine-induced neurotoxicity. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1)/forkhead box O3 (FOXO3a) signaling is critical for maintaining neuronal function and regulation of the apoptotic pathway. In the present study, we designed in vitro and in vivo models to investigate the potential effects of lidocaine and DEX on SIRT1 and FOXO3a and to verify whether SIRT1/FOXO3a-mediated regulation of apoptosis is involved in DEX-induced neuroprotective effects against lidocaine. We found that in both PC12 cells and brains of mice, lidocaine decreased SIRT1 level through promoting the degradation of SIRT1 protein. Lidocaine also increased FOXO3a protein level and increased the acetylation of SIRT1 through inhibiting SIRT1. Upregulation of SIRT1 or downregulation of FOXO3a significantly inhibited lidocaine-induced changes in both cell viability and apoptosis. DEX significantly inhibited the lidocaine-induced decrease of SIRT1 protein level and increase of FOXO3a protein level and acetylation of FOXO3a. Downregulation of SIRT1 or upregulation of FOXO3a suppressed DEX-induced neuroprotective effects against lidocaine. The data suggest that SIRT1/FOXO3a is a potential novel target for alleviating lidocaine-induced neurotoxicity and provide more theoretical support for the use of DEX as an effective adjunct to alleviate chronic neurotoxicity induced by lidocaine.

Through use of an irregular pentacarboxylate ligand, 2,2'-(pyridine-2,6-diyl)diterephthalic acid (H 4 L), two Cu(II)-based metal-organic frameworks, {[(Me 2 NH 2 ) 0.5 ][Cu 0.75 (L) 0.5 (DMA) 0.375 ]·H 2 O} n ( 1 ) and {[Cu 4 (L) 2 (H 2 O) 4 ]·4DMF·8H 2 O} n ( 2 ), have been synthesized. A structural analysis demonstrates that 1 is a 2D layer and 2 shows a 3D framework, which exhibit hopeful possibilities for the selective separations of C 2 H 2 /CH 4 and CO 2 /CH 4 . To enhance the adsorption properties, 5-amino-1 H -tetrazole (HAT) has been introduced in the synthesis system, and a new framework, {[Cu 4 (L) 2 (ATZ) 2 (H 2 O)]·5DMF·5H 2 O} n ( 3 ), has been obtained. 3 is a 3D framework. Especially, 3 is constructed from multiple SBUs and displays an unusual (3,4,6)-connected topology. Furthermore, especially 3 performs better than 1 and 2 in terms of uptake capacity as well as adsorption selectivity, which might be ascribed to the more proper pore space of 3 .

The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a dominant manager to inhibit oxidative and inflammatory damage. Fenretinide (Fen) is a novel agent, showing significant role in regulating oxidative stress and inflammatory response. However, its effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced brain injury are still unclear. In the present study, we explored the regulatory role of Fen in LPS-triggered neuroinflammation, and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results here indicated that Fen treatment markedly improved Nrf2 expression and nuclear translocation in mouse brain endothelial cell line bEnd.3 cells, and promoted Nrf2-antioxidant responsive element (ARE) transcription activity, as well as its down-streaming signals, which was Nrf2-dependent. Fen also exhibited cytoprotective role in LPS-stimulated bEnd.3 cells through improving anti-oxidant capacity and inhibiting inflammation by the blockage of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. Mouse model with brain injury induced by LPS, Fen administration markedly attenuated the behavior impairments, blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and the histological changes in hippocampus samples. Additionally, Fen attenuated oxidative stress and blunted inflammation in hippocampus of LPS-challenged mice. Therefore, results in the study highlighted the protective role of Fen against LPS-elicited brain injury., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All the authors see no any potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Objective: To explore the specific mechanism of sevoflurane in alleviating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) in rats through the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway., Materials and Methods: A total of 60 male specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (n=20), model group (n=20), and sevoflurane group (n=20). In the sevoflurane group, sevoflurane (2.5%) was inhaled for 60 min at 24 h before the blockage of cerebral blood supply. The CIRI model was established using the suture method in the model group and sevoflurane group, while the right common carotid artery and external carotid artery were separated and ligated only, without suture placement, in the sham group. At 24 h after reperfusion, the neurological deficit score in each group was calculated, the water content in brain tissues in each group was detected based on dry-wet weight ratio, the infarction volume of brain tissues in each group was detected via 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, and the apoptosis rate of brain cells in each group was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Moreover, the protein levels of JNK, p-JNK, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and the Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) in brain tissues were determined using Western blotting, and the gene expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 in brain tissues were determined through fluorescence quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR)., Results: It was found that the water content in brain tissues and the cerebral infarction volume were significantly increased in the model group compared with those in the sham group (p<0.01, p<0.01), while they were notably decreased in the sevoflurane group compared with those in the model group (p<0.05, p<0.01). The neurological deficit score was significantly higher in the model group than that in the sham group (p<0.01), while it was remarkably lower in the sevoflurane group than that in the model group (p<0.01). According to the results of the TUNEL assay, the model group had an evidently higher apoptosis rate of brain cells than the sham group (p<0.01), while the sevoflurane group had a lower apoptosis rate of brain cells than the model group (p<0.05). Besides, the results of Western blotting revealed that the model group exhibited remarkably increased protein levels of JNK, p-JNK, and Bax (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.01) and a remarkably decreased protein level of Bcl-2 (p<0.01) compared with the sham group. Sevoflurane group had decreased protein levels of JNK, p-JNK, and Bax (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.01) and an increased protein level of Bcl-2 (p<0.05) in comparison with the model group. In addition, the gene expression of Bcl-2 significantly declined (p<0.01), and that of Bax remarkably rose (p<0.01) in the model group compared with those in the sham group, while the contrary is the case in the sevoflurane group compared with those in the model group (p<0.05, p<0.01)., Conclusions: Sevoflurane can regulate the protein and gene expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 and reduce apoptosis in CIRI by regulating the JNK signaling pathway, thereby exerting a protective effect on brain tissues and improving the symptoms of neurological deficit.

Background: Recent evidence indicates that malignant ascites may be associated with the high malignancy and poor prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) with peritoneal metastasis (PM), but no robust consensus has been reached until now., Aim: To evaluate the prognostic significance of malignant ascites in GC patients with PM., Methods: Two independent authors conducted database searches. The searches were performed in the EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases, and the terms used to search included stomach neoplasms, GC, ascites, peritoneal effusion, survival, and survival analysis. Outcomes included overall survival and hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Three pairs of comparisons for measuring survival were made: (1) Patients with ascites vs those without ascites; (2) Patients with massive ascites vs those with mild to moderate ascites; and (3) Patients with massive ascites vs those with no to moderate ascites., Results: Fourteen articles including fifteen studies were considered in the final analysis. Among them, nine studies assessed the difference in prognosis between patients with and without malignant ascites. A pooled HR of 1.63 (95%CI: 1.47-1.82, P < 0.00001) indicated that GC patients with malignant ascites had a relatively poor prognosis compared to patients without ascites. We also found that the prognosis of GC patients with malignant ascites was related to the volume of ascites in the six other studies., Conclusion: GC patients with malignant ascites tend to have a worse prognosis, and the volume of ascites has an impact on GC outcomes., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors deny any conflicts of interest., (©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chemical composition in fingermarks could provide useful information for forensic studies and applications. Here, we evaluate the feasibility of analysis and imaging of fingermarks via elements by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and commercial X-ray fluorescence (XRF). As a proof of concept, we chose four brands of sunscreens to make fingermarks on different substrates, including plastic film, glass, paper, and silicon wafer. We obtained an evident image of fingermarks via zinc and titanium by XRF methods. In addition, the ratios of element concentrations in sunscreen fingermarks were obtained, which were in accordance with the results obtained by acid digestion and ICP-OES analysis. In comparison, commercial XRF offers the most advantages in terms of non-destructive detection, easy accessibility, fast element images, and broad applicability. The possibility to acquire fingermark images simultaneously with element information opens up new avenues for forensic science. Graphical abstract.

Aim: Argonaute2 (AGO2) protein is the active part of RNA-induced silencing complex, cleaving the target mRNA strand complementary to their bound siRNA. An increasing number of miRNAs has been identified as essential to angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study we investigated how AGO2 affected HCC angiogenesis., Methods: Human HCC cell lines HepG2, Hep3B, Huh7, SMMC-7721, Bel-7404, MHCC97-H and LM-3, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were tested. The expression of AGO2 in HCC cells was knocked down with siRNA and restored using recombinant adenovirus expressing Ago2. The levels of relevant mRNAs and proteins were examined using RT-PCR, Western blot and EILSA. Nude mice were implanted with Huh7 or SMMC-7721 cells, and tumor volumes were measured. After the mice were euthanized, the xenograft tumors were used for immunohistological analysis., Results: In 6 HCC cell lines, AGO2 protein expression was significantly correlated with VEGF expression (r=+0.79), and with VEGF secretion (r=+0.852). Knockdown of Ago2 in Huh7 cells and SMMC-7721 cells substantially decreased VEGF expression, whereas the restoration of AGO2 reversed both VEGF expression and secretion. Furthermore, knockdown of Ago2 significantly up-regulated the expression of PTEN (a tumor suppressor involved in the inhibition of HCC angiogenesis), and vice versa. Moreover, the specific PTEN inhibitor bisperoxovanadate (7, 14, 28 nmol/L) dose-dependently restored the expression of VEGF and the capacity of HCC cells to induce HUVECs to form capillary tubule structures. In the xenograft nude mice, knockdown of Ago2 markedly suppressed the tumor growth and decreased PTEN expression and CD31-positive microvascular in the xenograft tumors., Conclusion: A direct relationship exists between the miRNA processing machinery AGO2 and HCC angiogenesis that is mediated by the AGO2/PTEN/VEGF signaling pathway. The results suggest the high value of Ago2 knockdown in anti-angiogenesis therapy for HCC.

Many carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients have symptoms in both the median and ulnar digits more frequently than in the median digits alone. This is possibly because of close anatomical contiguity of the carpal tunnel and Guyon's canal, and the high pressure may also affect the latter, causing indirect compression of ulnar nerve fibers. Thus, we evaluated the functional status of the ulnar nerve in patients with CTS in order to investigate the relationship between ulnar nerve impairment and sensory symptoms of the ulnar territory. Electrophysiological studies were conducted in CTS patients and healthy controls. CTS patients were divided into the mild/moderate group and severe group; they were further divided into the symptomatic and asymptomatic subgroups according to the sensory symptom of the fifth digit region. The findings suggest that CTS patients could have coexisting ulnar nerve wrist entrapments that might exacerbate the severity of CTS. Sensory impairment in the ulnar territory was observed more frequently in the mild/moderate stage of CTS, which is associated with ulnar nerve involvement. These findings also suggest that damage to the ulnar nerve fibers caused by compression forces in Guyon's canal may underlie the ulnar spread of symptoms in CTS.

Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug in cancer treatment, whereas Gd@C82(OH)22 is a new nanomaterial anti-tumor agent. In this study, we determined intracellular Gd@C82(OH)22 and cisplatin after treatment of Hela and 16HBE cells by single cell inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SC-ICP-MS), which could provide quantitative information at a single-cell level. The cell digestion method validated the accuracy of the SC-ICP-MS. The concentrations of Gd@C82(OH)22 and cisplatin in cells at different exposure times and doses were studied. The SC-ICP-MS is a promising complement to available methods for single cell analysis and is anticipated to be applied further to biomedical research.

Single cell analysis has become an important field of research in recent years reflecting the heterogeneity of cellular responses in biological systems. Here, we demonstrate a new method, based on laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), which can quantify in situ gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in single cells. Dried residues of picoliter droplets ejected by a commercial inkjet printer were used to simulate matrix-matched calibration standards. The gold mass in single cells exposed to 100 nM NIST Au NPs (Reference material 8012, 30 nm) for 4 h showed a log-normal distribution, ranging from 1.7 to 72 fg Au per cell, which approximately corresponds to 9 to 370 Au NPs per cell. The average result from 70 single cells (15 ± 13 fg Au per cell) was in good agreement with the result from an aqua regia digest solution of 1.2 × 10(6) cells (18 ± 1 fg Au per cell). The limit of quantification was 1.7 fg Au. This paper demonstrates the great potential of LA-ICPMS for single cell analysis and the beneficial study of biological responses to metal drugs or NPs at the single cell level.

The aim of the present study was to determine the roles of the chemotactic factor, chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), and its receptor, chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2), in the hippocampus of rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. In total, 24 Sprague-Dawley rats, weighting 250-300 g, were randomly divided into three groups (n=8): Sham-operated (C group), cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R group) and propofol-intervention (P group) groups. The rats were sacrificed at 6 h after the ischemia/reperfusion surgery, and the brains were obtained to isolate the hippocampus. The mRNA expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2 in the hippocampus were analyzed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, while the protein expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2 were determined by western blot analysis. The expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2 in the procerebrum were markedly elevated in the I/R and P groups at 6 h after the ischemia/reperfusion surgery when compared with the C group (P<0.05). In addition, the mRNA expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2 decreased significantly in the P group as compared with that in the I/R group (P<0.05). Therefore, CCL2 and CCR2 may be involved in the mechanisms underlying cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, and propofol may protect the brain through regulating the expression of CCL2 and CCR2.

A new method for path transverse wind velocity survey was introduced by analyzing time lagged covariance function of different separation sub-apertures of Hartmann wavefront sensor. A theoretical formula was logically deduced for the light propagation path transverse wind velocity profile. According to the difference of path weighting function for different sub apertures spacing, how to select reasonable path weighting functions was analyzed. Using a Hartmann wavefront sensor, the experiment for measuring path transverse velocity profile along 1 000 m horizontal propagating path was carried out for the first time to our knowledge. The experiment results were as follows. Path transverse averaged velocity from sensor had a good consistency with transverse velocity from the wind anemometer sited near the path receiving end. As the path was divided into two sections, the path transverse velocity of the first section had also a good consistency with that of the second one. Because of different specific underlaying surface of light path, the former was greater than the later over all experiment period. The averaged values were 1.273 and 0.952 m x s(-1) respectively. The path transverse velocity of second section and path transverse averaged velocity had the same trend of decrease and increase with time. The correlation coefficients reached 0.86.

The impact of the gut microbiota on human health is widely perceived as the most exciting advancement in biomedicine. The gut microbiota has been known to play a crucial role in defining states of human health and diseases, and thus becomes a potential new territory for drug targeting. Herein, graphene oxide (GO) interaction with five common human gut bacteria, B. adolescentis, L. acidophilus, E. coli, E. faecalis, and S. aureus, was studied. It was shown that, in bacterial media, GO sheets were able to form effective, anaerobic membrane scaffolds that enhanced the antagonistic activity of B. adolescentis against the pathogens E. coli andS. aureus. Data obtained using bacterial growth measurements, colony counting and 16S rRNA gene sequencing consistently indicated that GO sheets promoted proliferation of gut bacteria, particularly for B. adolescentis. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy images, and membrane potential measurements showed that cell membranes maintained their integrity and that no observable variations in cell morphology were induced after interaction with GO sheets, indicating good biocompatibility of GO. These results suggest the possibility of using GO sheets as efficient drug carriers in therapeutic applications to treat diseases related to the gut microbiota.

In order to assess cytotoxicity of quantum dots (QDs), new reliable analytical techniques that can provide comparative information at a single-cell level are required. In this study, a single cell ICP-MS (SC-ICP-MS) method was established to determine intracellular QDs in single cells after exposure. Uptake kinetics of QDs into cells was studied using the established method. The results were compared and validated by flow cytometry and cell digestion methods. In contrast to other methods, SC-ICP-MS can directly detect QDs and their degradation products via elements, and thus is a promising complement to available methods for single cell analysis and is expected to be a critical tool in the future., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present study aimed to compare the impact of the aging process on event-, time-, and activity-based prospective memory (PM) and to explore the aging patterns of PM-related cognitive functions. Seventy-five participants were recruited and divided into three age groups: young (20-24 years old), young-old (60-70 years old), and older-old (greater than 70 years old). A computerized PM test and a set of tests capturing executive functions, retrospective memory, and working memory were administered to all participants. Significant age effects were only found for event-based PM and time-based PM. However, event-based PM was noted to decline gradually, whereas time-based PM was noted to deteriorate abruptly with age. For older, but not young participants, performance on the time-based PM tasks was significantly improved under a more lenient scoring criterion which had an increased response time window. Measures of executive functions and retrospective memory were significantly associated with PM, but these relations disappeared after controlling for age and education. Working memory was found to be the most important contributor to the effect of age on PM. These findings suggest a differential aging process for event-, time-, and activity-based PM., (© 2013 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

Objective: To evaluate the effect of different paradigms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the treatment of schizophrenia through assessing cognitive function and psychotic symptoms., Methods: Eighty patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to four groups, which were sham intervention group, theta burst stimulation (TBS) group, 10 Hz group and 20 Hz group. All the subjects were exposed to 5 daily treatments at 80% of motor threshold over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with a total stimuli of 1 200 per day, while being maintained on their former antipsychotic treatment. Visual spatial working memory test and verbal fluency test were applied to evaluate the cognitive function, while Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the psychotic symptoms., Results: 20 Hz of rTMS could improve the visual spatial working memory of schizophrenia patients (t=-2.469,P=0.024). Only patients in TBS group showed significant improvement of verbal fluency test after rTMS treatment (t=-4.538,P=0.000). The negative symptoms were alleviated significantly both in TBS and 10 Hz groups (TBS: t=5.373,P=0.000; 10 Hz: t=2.272,P=0.036). General psychopathology symptoms were improved significantly both in 10 Hz and 20 Hz groups (10 Hz:t=2.725,P=0.014;20 Hz:t=3.632,P=0.002)., Conclusion: The effects of rTMS on the cognitive function and psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia vary according to the changes in stimulus parameters, suggesting that rTMS could provide a new way for the individual therapy of schizophrenia.

Tropomyosin, a myofibrillar protein, was described as the major allergen in crustaceans. The objective of this study was to screen and identify the linear IgE epitopes of tropomyosin in Penaeus monodon. Three immunoinformatics tools were used to predict the potential epitopes and the resultant epitopes were confirmed by dot-blot inhibition with sera from shrimp allergic subjects. As the result, 10 peptides were predicted and assembled by solid-phase synthesis. Eight epitopes were identified by dot-blot inhibition test, among which peptide 4 and 8 had not been reported by previous researches. Moreover, peptide 6 and 10 had IgE binding capability with all sera, while peptide 5, 8 and 9 could bind with 80% of the sera. Amino acid analysis demonstrated that Y, E, R, F and S presented more frequently in epitopes. Although further research should be done, it seems that immunoinformatics-driven epitope prediction can benefit epitope identification with high accuracy and efficiency., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vascular hyporeactivity, which occurs in the terminal stage of hemorrhagic shock, is believed to be critical for treating hemorrhagic shock. The present study was designed to examine whether the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) was involved in the development of vascular hyporeactivity in rats suffering from hemorrhagic shock., Methods: Sixteen animals were randomly divided into two groups (n = 8 in each group): sham-operated (Sham) and hemorrhagic shock (HS) groups. Hemorrhagic shock was induced by bleeding. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) was reduced to and stabilized at (25 +/- 5) mmHg for 2 hours. The vascular reactivity was determined by the response of MAP to norepinephrine (NE). In later experiments another twelve animals were used in which the changes of CB1R mRNA and protein in aorta and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting. In addition, we investigated the effects of a CB1R antagonist on the vascular hyporeactivity and survival rates in rats with hemorrhagic shock. Survival rates were analyzed by the Fisher's exact probability test. The MAP response was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)., Results: Vascular hyporeactivity developed in all animals suffering from hemorrhagic shock. The expression of CB1R mRNA and protein in aorta and 2 - 3 branches of the SMA were significantly increased in the HS group after the development of vascular hyporeactivity when compared to those in Sham group. When SR141716A or AM251 was administered, the MAP response to NE was (41.75 +/- 4.08) mmHg or (44.78 +/- 1.80) mmHg respectively, which was higher than that in saline groups with (4.31 +/- 0.36) mmHg (P < 0.01). We also showed an increased 4-hour survival rate in the SR141716A or AM251-treated group with 20% or 30%, but with a statistically significant difference present between the AM251-treated and saline groups (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: CB1R is involved in vascular hyporeactivity resulting from hemorrhagic shock in rats, and CB1R antagonist may be useful in treating patients with traumatic, hemorrhagic shock who need field-rescue or initial treatment.

Background: Sepsis is a leading cause of death in the intensive care units. The late inflammatory cytokine, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), plays a critical role in sepsis. In the present study, we investigated the association between the serum HMGB1 levels and the severity of organ injury in the lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis in rats., Methods: To produce an animal model of sepsis with different degree of organ injury, animals were treated with three different doses of lipopolysaccharide (4, 8 and 16 mg/kg), and the animals in control group were treated with the same volume of the vehicle (saline). The levels of serum HMGB1 were measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 and 48 hours after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or vehicle injection, meanwhile the biochemical and histopathological indicators for the severity of organ injury were assessed., Results: The level of HMGB1 had a positive, high correlation with the abnormal changes of serum cardiac troponin I, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, as well as the pathologic scores of heart, lung, liver and kidney., Conclusions: The level of serum HMGB1 is highly correlated with the severity of sepsis in rats, suggesting that HMGB1 could serve as a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis and management of sepsis.

In the rat, single-prolonged stress (SPS) model produces a core symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the enhanced fear response to the traumatic cue (conditioned fear response). This investigative tool is typically used for PTSD studies. However, whether SPS can produce another core symptom of PTSD, hyperarousal (the sensitized fear response in animal models), has not been evaluated. It is also not clear whether SPS can enhance both conditioned and sensitized fear responses after different incubation times. In this study, a single inescapable electric foot shock was given to rats immediately after SPS procedures (SPS&S). After different incubation times (1, 7 or 14 days), the conditioned or sensitized fear response was measured by re-exposing the stressed rats to the shock context or a neutral tone in a novel environment. Additionally, paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) was administered after SPS&S for 14 days to test its potential preventive effect on PTSD-like symptoms. We observed that conditioned fear persisted and sensitized fear increased with ongoing incubation times after SPS&S. Early rapid intervention with paroxetine after SPS&S ameliorated PTSD-like symptoms in both fear responses and anxiety behaviors. Our data suggests that this modified SPS&S model may be both novel and predictably mimic the clinical characteristics of PTSD better than other investigative paradigms.

Research was investigated about bioflocculants (BFs) used for turbidity removal from kaolin clay solution and raw water based on jar tests. The results show that the elimination efficiency to turbidity from kaolin clay solution by BFs is 84%, over 5-19 mg/L, which is lower than 93% for Al2(SO4)3 and 94% for Fe2(SO4)3. From the variation of Zeta potential and pH, it was demonstrated that coagulation with BFs was governed by bridging flocculation. It was also observed that the addition of a small amount of inorganic salts (Fe or Al) could substantially enhance the coagulation efficiency. It appeared likely that the combined applications of inorganic salts and BFs resulted in an enhancement of charge neutralization and bridging flocculation. The case study shows that the combination of Fe and BFs can effectively eliminate turbidity from raw water at low dosage and neutral pH (by 94.6%). For biodegradable nature of produced sludge and reducing the health risk related to aluminum accumulation, BFs are considered to be a new type of environmental-friendly flocculants.