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Objective: To systematically evaluate the perioperative effects of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol on anterior cervical spine surgery by means of meta-analysis. Methods: According to the PRISMA guidelines, the article's search on the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang data resource system, VIP, PubMed database and Cochrane library was conducted to identify clinical studies investigating the effects of ERAS protocols on anterior cervical spine surgery. A quantitative meta-analysis was performed for the clinical outcomes extracted from the studies that met inclusion criteria. Results: Of the 21 studies identified from the article search, 10 studies met inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed shorter length of stay (LOS) (MD = –2.16, 95% CI (–2.57, –1.75), P < 0.00001) and higher patient satisfaction for the ERAS protocols (OR = 3.13, 95% CI (1.97, 4.98), P < 0.00001). Furthermore, ERAS programs led to significant decreases in cost (MD = –0.81, 95% CI (–1.08, –0.53), P < 0.00001) and complication rates (OR = 0.15, 95% CI (0.08, 0.27), P < 0.00001), but no difference in 90-day readmission (OR = 0.63, 95% CI (0.30, 1.35), P = 0.24). Conclusions: The data of this study suggest that the implementation of ERAS protocol decreases LOS, cost and complications rates and improve satisfaction for the patients undergoing anterior cervical spine surgery. To support the practice use of ERAS in anterior cervical spine surgery further, controlled trials will be indispensable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the first-order shear deformation theory, a Galerkin meshless method for buckling analysis of skew and circular stiffened plates is proposed. A series of points is used to discretize the stiffened plate to establish the mesh-free model, in which the flat plate and stiffeners are combined by implementing the displacement compatibility conditions between them. The moving least-squares approximation (MLS) is employed to construct the shape functions and the displacement fields. The geometric stiffness matrix of the stiffened plate is derived based on the prestress distribution of the stiffened plate subjected to a partial edge loading. The equations governing the buckling behaviour of the structure are derived according to the principle of minimum potential energy. The stiffeners in the formulation can be set at any location on the flat plate, and the remeshing of the flat plate is naturally avoided when the stiffener location changes. Several numerical examples are calculated by the proposed method and compared with FEM results. The results show that the proposed method is accurate and efficient, and frees researchers from determining a nodal line on the plate along every stiffener. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A through tied-arch bridge with multi-point elastic constraints (MTAB) is proposed based on the truss structure concept to improve the natural vibration characteristics of the conventional through tied-arch bridge (CTAB). Rigid inclined rods are added between the main beam and arch ribs to form an integral truss structure with arch ribs as upper chords, rigid inclined rods as web members, and the main beam as a bottom chord to increase the rigidity of the structure. Through timely system transformation, arch ribs bear all dead loads and the integral truss structure bears all the live loads so that the advantages of arch ribs and web members are maximized. The pulsation test and finite element analysis (FEA) were carried out to verify the superiority of the natural vibration characteristics of the MTAB based on a 50 m span test bridge. Taking a 350 m span arch bridge as an example, the natural vibration characteristics and other mechanical characteristics of the MTAB were studied and compared with that of the CTAB. The results show the MTAB has better mechanical properties and economy, especially natural vibration characteristics and stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic stress leads to many psychiatric disorders, including social and anxiety disorders that are associated with over-activation of neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). However, not all individuals develop psychiatric diseases, many showing considerable resilience against stress exposure. Whether BLA neuronal activity is involved in regulating an individual's vulnerability to stress remains elusive. In this study, using a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS), we divided the mice into susceptible and resilient subgroups based on their social interaction behavior. Using in vivo fiber photometry and in vitro patch-clamp recording, we showed that CSDS persistently (after 20 days of recovery from stress) increased BLA neuronal activity in all the mice regardless of their susceptible or resilient nature, although impaired social interaction behavior was only observed in susceptible mice. Increased anxiety-like behavior, on the other hand, was evident in both groups. Notably, the CSDS-induced increase of BLA neuronal activity correlated well with the heightened anxiety-like but not the social avoidance behavior in mice. These findings provide new insight to our understanding of the role of neuronal activity in the amygdala in mediating stress-related psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red-osier dogwood (ROD) extract contains a lot of polyphenols that have the potential for modulation of gut microbiota. However, little information is available about its prebiotic properties. This study investigated the impact of ROD polyphenol extract on the ileal microbiota with dietary supplementation of ROD polyphenol extract in a pig model. The data indicated that supplementation of ROD polyphenol extract significantly increased class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales and family lactobacillaceae. Within family lactobacillaceae, Lactobacillus was the main responder by increasing from 5.92% to 35.09%. Further analysis showed that ROD polyphenol extract improved two species Lactobacillus delbrueckii and Lactobacillus mucus. The results of this study suggested that ROD polyphenol extract has the potential to play prebiotic role and confer health benefit through modifying gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of suspension bridge is proposed based on the gravity stiffness principle. Compared with a conventional suspension bridge, the proposed bridge adds rigid webs and cross braces. The rigid webs connect the main cable and main girder to form a truss that can improve the bending stiffness of the bridge. The cross braces connect the main cables to form a closed space truss structure that can improve the torsional stiffness of the bridge. The rigid webs and cross braces are installed after the construction of a conventional suspension bridge is completed to resist different loads with different structural forms. A new type of railway suspension bridge with a span of 340 m and a highway suspension bridge with a span of 1020 m were designed and analysed using the finite element method. The stress, deflection of the girders, unbalanced forces of the main towers, and natural frequencies were compared with those of conventional suspension bridges. A stiffness test was carried out on the new type of suspension bridge with a small span, and the results were compared with those for a conventional bridge. The results showed that the new suspension bridge had a better performance than the conventional suspension bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the dramatic improvements in outcomes following alternative donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), interest in the use of alternative donors in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is increasing. We conducted a multicenter prospective study to explore the efficiency and safety of upfront HSCT from a 6–8/8 HLA-matched unrelated donor (MUD) or 6–7/8 HLA-matched related donor (MRD) in acquired SAA patients under 40 years. Between August 2014 and July 2017, 115 patients were enrolled, including 48 (41.7%) patients receiving grafts from an 8/8 MUD, 25 (21.7%) from a 6–7/8 MRD, and 42 (36.5%) from a 6–7/8 MUD. The incidence of grade II–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was higher in the 6–7/8 MUD group than in the 8/8 MUD group (42.9% vs. 12.8%, P=0.001). The corresponding incidence in the 6–7/8 MRD group was comparable to that in the 8/8 MUD group (21.7% vs. 12.8%, P=0.332). There was no significant difference in the incidence of chronic GVHD (24.3%, 13.6%, and 17.9%, P=0.676), graft failure (2.4%, 8.0%, and 6.3%, P=0.551), overall survival (85.7%, 96.0%, and 87.5%, P=0.424), and failure-free survival (83.3%, 88.0%, and 83.3%, P=0.885) among the three groups (6–7/8 MUD, 6–7/8 MRD, and 8/8 MUD). In multivariate analysis, conditioning regimen without low-dose irradiation or busulfan was associated with an inferior failure-free survival (HR=2.973, P=0.042). In conclusion, after an intensified conditioning regimen with additional low-dose irradiation or busulfan, the outcome of HSCT from a 6–7/8 MRD or 6–7/8 MUD is comparable to that from an 8/8 MUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) are widely used in pharmaceutical, food, and textile industries. They have been shown to cause lung, liver, and kidney damage. However, whether an intratracheal instillation of CuONPs would affect the brain and its underlying mechanisms remain poorly studied. In this study, healthy C57BL/6J male mice were equally subdivided into control group, low-dose (30 μg/animal), medium-dose (50 μg/animal), and high-dose (100 μg/animal) CuONPs-treated groups. Mice were subjected to acute exposure of CuONPs via intratracheal instillation. Brain histopathology, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress markers, and mitochondrial function–related protein expression were determined. Our results demonstrated that CuONPs caused a dose-dependent brain damage in mice. Histopathological changes in the brain, elevation of inflammatory factors (Tnf, Il-6), and significant alterations in oxidative stress markers were also observed after treatment with CuONPs. Intriguingly, we did not observe infiltration of macrophage cell. Moreover, Tim23, TFAM, and MFN2 protein expression levels showed the decreasing trend after treatment with CuONPs. Taken together, these results indicate that pulmonary exposure to CuONPs induces pathological damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the cerebral cortex, suggesting that neurotoxicity caused by pulmonary exposure of CuONPs needs more attention from the public and relevant departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degradation efficiency of fulvic acid (FA) was investigated in the catalytic wet oxidation process (CWPO) by zero-valent copper chitosan activated carbon ball (ZVC/CTS-ACB). Characterization of ZVC/CTS-ACB shows that zero-valent copper was loaded successfully on the chitosan activated carbon. Plackett–Buiman (PB) design and response surface methodology (RSM) were employed to determine the influence factors and the optimum processing parameters. The model was well fitted to the actual data and the correlation coefficients of R2 and R2-adj were 0.9359 and 0.9039, respectively. Under the obtained optimum conditions for FA degradation: temperature = 94 °C and pH 3.8, the average FA removal by three replicate experiments was 93.02%, which has a high consistency to the RSM optimal target response of 93.86%. The comparison of catalytic performance showed that the addition of catalyst ZVC/CTS-ACS could increase the removal rate of FA, color number (CN) and TOC by 93.6%, 83.5% and 81.9% respectively. The high TOC removal rate indicated the good performance of the catalyst to FA mineralization. Additionally, the ICP analysis of copper ion leaching was only 0.08 mg/l after 5 repeated recycles of the catalyst, demonstrating the high stability of ZVC/CTS-ACB that is beneficial for the actual application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvements to the dynamic characteristics and stiffness of composite girder bridges are necessary to expand their applications and capabilities. The natural frequency of a bridge directly reflects the dynamic characteristics of a structure. From the calculation principle for the natural frequency, the natural frequencies of a bridge can be significantly increased if the load increases slightly while the structural stiffness increases significantly. Based on this, a new type of concrete-steel composite truss bridge is proposed. The new bridge has a reasonable new arrangement for the position of the concrete and steel, according to the bending moment law for continuous girders. The mechanical analysis of the new bridge shows that it has the characteristic of adding a small amount of load at a reasonable position, which can significantly improve the stiffness. Therefore, it is possible to achieve the purpose of improving the dynamic characteristics so that they are far better than those of a conventional composite truss bridge. To further study the dynamic characteristics of the new composite truss bridge, the finite element (FE) method was used to analyse the new bridges, and the results are compared with those of conventional composite truss bridges. Furthermore, several parameters that influence the dynamic characteristics of the new composite truss bridge were studied. Finally, the dynamic characteristics of the small-span new bridge were studied by finite element analysis (FEA) and experiment. The results show that the new composite truss bridges with different span arrangements and different second-stage dead loads always have better natural frequencies and stiffness advantages. Therefore, the new composite truss bridge is suitable for girder bridges with strict requirements for their stiffness and dynamic characteristics, especially for super-long span high-speed railway girder bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and sensitive self-powered cathodic photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor is reported for the detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) based on CuO-Cu2O nanowire array grown on Cu mesh (CuO-Cu2O NWA/CM) as electrode. The mixed narrow band gaps of the CuO-Cu2O heterostructure ensured its wide absorption band, effective electron/hole separation, and high photocatalytic activity in the visible region. In addition, nanowires directly grown on the substrate provided high specific surface area and exposed abundant active sites, thus guaranteeing its high photocatalytic efficiency. Therefore, the self-powered sensor exhibited favorable analytical performance with fast response, wide linear ranges of 0.01 to 5 ng/mL and 5 to 100 ng/mL, an acceptable detection limit of 3 pg/mL, and reasonable selectivity and stability. The proposed CuO-Cu2O NWA/CM can be considered a promising visible light-responsive photoactive material for fabrication of PEC aptasensor with high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) have been widely used as food additives in daily life. However, the impact of oral intake of TiO2NPs on the nervous system is largely unknown. In this study, 7-week-old mice were treated with either vehicle or TiO2NPs suspension solution at 150 mg/kg by intragastric administration for 30 days. Our results demonstrated that oral exposure to TiO2NPs resulted in aberrant excitement of enteric neurons, although unapparent pathological changes were observed in gut. We also found the richness and evenness of gut microbiota were remarkably decreased and the gut microbial community compositions were significantly changed in the TiO2NP-treated group as compared with vehicle controls. Interestingly, oral exposure to TiO2NPs was capable to induce the inhibitory effects on locomotor activity, but it did not lead to significant change on the spatial learning and memory ability. We further revealed the mechanism that TiO2NPs could specifically cause locomotor dysfunction by elevating the excitement of enteric neuron, which might spread to brain via gut-brain communication by vagal pathway. However, inflammation response, enteric neurotransmitter 5-HT and major gut peptides might not be involved in this pathological process. Together, these findings provide valuable insights into the novel mechanism of TiO2NP-induced neurotoxicity. Understanding the microbiota–gut–brain axis will provide the foundation for potential therapeutic or prevention approaches against TiO2NP-induced gut and brain-related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is a common disease in women, which impairs the quality of life in patients. Recently, accumulating evidences reported that miRNAs play an essential role in diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. However, the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs has not been fully explored. The expression of miR-17-5p and VEGFA was detected using qRT-PCR. The protein level of VEGFA was measured via Western blot. Cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 assay. Cell migration and invasion were measured via transwell assay. The relationship of miR-17-5p and VEGFA were verified via luciferase reporter assay. Then miR-17-5p was remarkably down-regulated in endometriosis tissues, serums and cells, and overexpression of miR-17-5p inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in endometriosis. Results showed that VEGFA was significantly up-regulated in endometriosis tissues and cells and acted as a target of miR-17-5p. Moreover, miR-17-5p negatively regulated VEGFA expression in endometriosis. Otherwise, up-regulation of VEGFA improved cell proliferative, migrated and invasive ability in ECSCs with transfection of miR-17-5p mimics group. Our data showed miR-17-5p inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion in endometriosis by directly repressing VEGFA expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Without using any template or surfactant, glassy carbon (GC) electrodes modified with Ag nanomaterial were fabricated by electrodeposition from an aqueous solution of AgNO3. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize the morphology and substance composition of the as-prepared Ag nanomaterials. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the modified electrode including its electrocatalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Results demonstrated that the Ag nanoparticles could be morphology-controllable synthesized by adjusting the concentration of AgNO3, and the electrochemical activities of the modified electrode enhanced with the concentration of AgNO3. The as-prepared Ag dendrites coated GC electrodes exhibited favorable electrocatalytic activity toward reduction of H2O2. The sensing of H2O2 was carried out with amperometry, where from the limit of detection and linear calibration range is deduced as 0.5 μM and 0.005-12 mM, respectively, and it showed good anti-interferant ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genetic variants in the excision repair cross-complimentary group 2 (ERCC2) gene may affect individual susceptibility to cancer by modulating the capability of DNA damage repair. However, the current studies concerning the association of ERCC2 rs13181 polymorphism with ovarian cancer risk provided inconsistent evidence.Methods: This study was to quantitatively summarize the evidence from the individual studies electronically retrieved by a meta-analysis.Results: Totally, nine eligible case-control studies with 1333 cases and 2691 controls were included for the concerned association. Overall, a significant association between ERCC2 gene rs13181 polymorphism and increased risk of ovarian cancer was revealed (CC+AC vs. AA: OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.11-1.86; CC vs. AA: OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.14-3.97). Similarly, in the subgroup analyses, such association was also evident in non-Caucasian population and hospital-based studies. Noteworthily, the recombined analysis with a significant decrease in between-heterogeneity represented a significant association of the variant with increased risk of ovarian cancer after excluding the individual study not in agreement with HWE.Conclusion: The present study suggests that the ERCC2 gene rs13181 polymorphism might be associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fads3 is the third member of the fatty acid desaturase gene cluster; with at least eight evolutionarily conserved alternative transcripts (AT), having no clearly established function as are known for FADS2 and FADS1. Here we present identification of a novel Fads3 transcript in mice ( Fads3AT9), characterize Fads3AT9 expression in mouse tissues and evaluate correlations with metabolite profiles. Total RNA obtained from mouse tissues is reverse-transcribed into cDNA and used as template for PCR reactions. Tissue fatty acids were extracted and quantified by gas chromatography. Sequencing analysis revealed complete absence of exon 2 resulting in an open reading frame of 1239 bp, encoding a putative protein of 412 aa with loss of 37 aa compared to classical Fads3 ( Fads3CS). FADS3AT9 retains all the conserved regions characteristic of front end desaturase (cytochrome b5 domain and three histidine repeats). Both Fads3CS and Fads3AT9 are ubiquitously expressed in 11 mouse tissues. Fads3AT9 abundance was greater than Fads3CS in pancreas, liver, spleen, brown adipose tissue and thymus. Fads3CS expression is low in pancreas while Fads3AT9 is over ten-fold greater abundance. The eicosanoid precursor fatty acid 20:4n − 6, the immediate desaturation product of the Fads1 coded Δ5-desaturase, was highest in pancreas where Fads3CS is low. Changes in expression patterns and fatty acid profiles suggest that Fads3AT9 may play a role in the regulation and/or biosynthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between non-disclosure of sexual orientation to parents and sexual risk behaviors among gay and bisexual men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. A total of 295 eligible participants (gay n = 179, bisexual n = 116) were recruited from MSM venues and MSM organizations in Anhui Province, China. Overall, 16.6 % of participants chose to disclose their sexual orientation to parents. Fewer bisexual participants chose to disclose their sexual orientation than gay participants (9.5 vs. 21.2 %, p < 0.01). A multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that non-disclosers were more likely than disclosers to report having one or more female sex partners among gay and bisexual MSM (AOR = 2.91), non-disclosure of sexual orientation to parents was positively associated with the number of female sex partners (AOR = 3.40) and with engagement in unprotected anal intercourse with men (AOR = 2.49) among gay MSM, in the past 6 months. Our findings indicated that HIV/AIDS intervention programs should promote the disclosure of sexual orientation and should design interventions specific to gay and bisexual MSM separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilizing based on soil test and crop nitrogen (N) demand is the key to optimize yields and minimize fertilizer cost. In 2008, a field experiment with different N rates was conducted with early rice near Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, in southern China. Canopy normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with an active sensor and plant N uptake (PNU) were collected at key fertilization stages; and the sufficiency index (SI) was calculated as the ratio of under-fertilized and well-fertilized NDVI. Rice PNU and yield were positively correlated with NDVI and SI at the tillering and panicle initiation stages. Canopy SI improved the PNU and yield estimations when the relationship was validated with a different dataset. A spectrally-determined N topdressing model (SDNT) was established and used in combination with a target yield strategy and split-fertilization scheme. An allocation coefficient for plant N requirement to accommodate the potential for high yield and soil N supply was introduced. Optimum nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) at different growth stages was incorporated into the model. The model was validated with data from a 2009 plot experiment and three production fields in 2010. The difference of recommended N rate and yield between SDNT and the current yield curve recommendation method was 2.1 and −0.7 % at high planting density and −2.4 and −4.8 % at low planting density, respectively. Compared with farmers' N management, the SDNT strategy resulted in similar or higher yield with reduced N rates, higher NUE and higher net profit in both 2009 and 2010. Because canopy NDVI can be obtained while sidedressing N fertilizer in a single field pass, the potential of SDNT to accommodate within-field spatial and temporal variability in N availability should improve N management in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propofol exhibits neuroprotective effects against hypoxic–ischemic brain injury, but the underlying mechanisms are still not clear. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a considerable role in the induction of innate immune and inflammatory responses. The purposes of this study are to investigate the effect of propofol on the oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD)/reoxygenation (OGD/R) BV2 microglia and to explore the role of TLR4/myeloid differentiation protein 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway in the neuroprotective effects of propofol. BV2 microglia were placed into an airtight chamber and in glucose-free medium for OGD/reoxygenation. Cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide assay. TLR4 and its downstream signaling molecules, MyD88 and NF-κB expressions were detected by Western blotting. Level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in culture medium was determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. BV2 microglia apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. We found that pretreatment with propofol significantly alleviated the hypoxic injury in BV2 microglia. Propofol inhibited upregulation of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB expressions in BV2 microglia exposed to OGD/reoxygenation. Propofol pretreatment also significantly reduced the production of TNF-α and apoptosis in OGD/reoxygenation BV2 microglia. The results indicated that TLR4 and its downstream MyD88-dependent signaling pathway contributed to neuroprotection of propofol to microglia exposed to OGD/reoxygenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) contributes to ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury. This study aimed to determine its precise role in this pathogenic state and the related signaling pathway. Methods: Ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury models were generated in TLR4 mice (C3H/HeJ: point mutation; C57BL/10ScNJ: gene deletion), their respective TLR4 wild-type counterparts, and heterozygous TLR4 mice. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) was injected intraperitoneally 1 h or 30 min before ethanol administration. At 1 h post-ethanol treatment, gastric or serum specimens were evaluated. Results: Ethanol intra-gastric administration induced significant gastric mucosal injury in all mice, but the damaged area was larger in TLR4 mice. LPS preconditioning and up-regulated TLR4 expression led to significantly larger areas of gastric mucosal damage. Upon ethanol administration, TLR4, and not TLR4, mice showed significant increases in TLR4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), cytoplasmic high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), and nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65). PDTC pretreatment significantly attenuated the ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damaged areas, inhibited nuclear NF-κB p65 expression, and suppressed HMGB1 translocation out of the nucleus. In addition, PDTC pretreatment reduced ethanol-stimulated expression of the inflammatory modulators, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), in serum. Conclusions: Both deficient and excessive expression of TLR4 promotes ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury. The underlying mechanism involves the MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and the HMGB1, TLR4 activator ligand. The increased expression of HMGB1 may lead to increased secretion and binding to TLR4, further stimulating the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and aggravating the ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical and simple synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted oxazoles was developed via a TBHP (tert-butyl hydroperoxide)/I-mediated domino strategy. The reaction proceeds in series, giving rise to the formation of an intermolecular C-N bond and an intramolecular C-O bond, which yield oxazole derivatives simultaneously. The reaction gave the desired products from readily available substrates under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) and its significance has been demonstrated in some cancer cells in recent clinical studies. However, the role of tumor MCP-1 and CCR2 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of MCP-1 and CCR2 expression in NSCLC cells. The relationship between MCP-1 and CCR2 expression in NSCLC cancer cells was examined by immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens from 134 patients. Sixty-five of these patients had follow-up records. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression model were used to assess overall survival according to the presence or absence of MCP-1 and CCR2 expression in tumor cells. MCP-1 was detected in cancer cells of 107 NSCLC (79.9 %) and CCR2 was detected in cancer cells of 39 NSCLC (29.1 %). MCP-1 expression was correlated with sex, smoking habits, histology, and tumor size. Presence of MCP-1 in tumor cells was associated with better overall survival ( P = 0.018). By multivariate analysis, MCP-1 expression in cancer cells showed an independent prognostic factor for overall survival ( P = 0.002, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.256, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 0.106-0.616). There was no significant relationship between CCR2 expression in tumor cells and clinical and pathological characteristics. Also, no significant positive correlation between MCP-1 and CCR2 expression was revealed by Spearman correlation analysis. Our data indicate that MCP-1 is overexpressed in NSCLC cells. Its expression in cancer cells is associated with better survival in NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to assess the toxicity and immunological response induced by the intra-dermal (i.d.) administration of MUC1-peptide-pulsed dendritic cells (DCs) in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Patients with recurrent lesions or metastasis after surgery, and immunohistochemistry positive for MUC1 were treated in cohorts that received 3-6 × 10 DCs i.d. for three or four vaccines. Each vaccine was composed of autologus DCs pulsed with MUC1-peptide. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that harvested 2 weeks after the second immunization were compared with PBMCs obtained before treatment for immunological response. Serial ELISPOT assays of PBMCs for antitumor reactivity were performed. Three patients received all four vaccines, and four patients received three vaccines. These patients were evaluable for toxicity and immunological monitoring. There were no grade 3 or 4 toxicities associated with the vaccines or major evidence of autoimmunity. Interferon-γ and granzyme B ELISPOT assay reactivity increased significantly in 2 of 7 patients ( P < 0.05). The administration of MUC1-peptide-pulsed DCs is non-toxic and capable of inducing immunological response to tumor antigen MUC1 in advanced pancreatic cancer patients. Additional studies are necessary to improve tumor rejection responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PIG3 (p53-inducible gene 3), originally identified as one of a set of genes induced by p53 before the onset of apoptosis, was assumed to contribute to early cellular response to DNA damage. Here, we studied the relation between p53 status and the increased expression of PIG3 by ionizing radiation (IR), and the related clues regarding the involvement of PIG3 in the cellular response to IR-induced DNA damage signaling. We demonstrated that the pentanucleotide microsatellite sequence was responsible for the p53-dependent induction of PIG3 transcription after irradiation, while sequence upstream of PIG3 promoter could maintain the basal level of expression which was not inducible by irradiation. The interaction of PIG3 and the KRAB-ZFP-associated protein 1 (KAP1), a DNA damage response protein, was revealed. PIG3 nucleus foci were formed 15 min after γ-ray irradiation, and which were found to partially colocalize with the phospho-KAP-1 foci as well as γ-H2AX foci. Although the lac operator tagged EGFP based reporter system revealed that PIG3 does not remodel chromatin in large scale in the cells under normal growing condition, it indeed prompted the chromatin relaxation in the cellular response to DNA damage signaling. All these data suggest that PIG3 is involved in IR-induced DNA damage response, and which maybe partially attribute to its interaction with KAP1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  A cotton (G. hirsutum L.) dehydration responsive element binding protein gene, GhDREB, which encodes a 153 amino acid protein containing a conserved AP2/EREBP domain, was isolated from the cDNA library of cotton cv. Simian 3 by a yeast one-hybrid system. RNA blot analysis showed that the GhDREB gene was induced in cotton seedlings by drought, high salt and cold stresses. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) indicated that the GhDREB protein bound specifically to the DRE core element (A/GCCGAC) in vitro. Two expression vectors containing the GhDREB gene with either of the Ubiqutin or rd29A promoters were constructed and transferred into wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by bombardment. Fifty-eight Ubi::GhDREB and 17 rd29A::GhDREB T0 plants of Yangmai (36 plants) and Lumai (39 plants) were identified by PCR analysis, respectively. Southern blot and RT-PCR analyses showed that two or three copies of the GhDREB were integrated into the Yangmai 10 genome and were expressed at the transcriptional level, and three or four copies were integrated into the Lumai 23 genome. Functional analysis indicated that the transgenic plants had improved tolerance to drought, high salt, and freezing stresses through accumulating higher levels of soluble sugar and chlorophyll in leaves after stress treatments. No phenotype differences were observed between transgenic plants and their non-transgenic controls. These results indicated that GhDREB might be useful in improving wheat stress tolerance through genetic engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  ERF transcription factors play important roles in regulating gene expression under abiotic and biotic stresses. The first member of the ERF gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was isolated by screening a drought-induced cDNA library and designated as T. aestivum ethylene-responsive factor 1 (TaERF1), which encoded a putative protein of 355 amino acids with a conserved DNA-binding domain and a conserved N-terminal motif (MCGGAIL). The TaERF1 gene was located on chromosome 7A. Protein interaction assays indicated that TaERF1, with a putative phosphorylation site (TPDITS) in the C-terminal region, was a potential phosphorylation substrate for TaMAPK1 protein kinase. Deletion of the N-terminal motif enhanced the interaction of TaERF1 with TaMAPK1. The predicted TaERF1 protein contained three putative nuclear localization signals (NLSs), and three NLSs modulated synergistically the activity of subcellular localization. As a trans-acting factor, TaERF1 was capable of binding to the GCC-box and CRT/DRE elements in vitro, and of trans-activating reporter gene expression in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) leaves. Transcription of the TaERF1 gene was induced not only by drought, salinity and low-temperature stresses and exogenous ABA, ethylene and salicylic acid, but also by infection with Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici. Furthermore, overexpression of TaERF1 activated stress-related genes, including PR and COR/RD genes, under normal growth conditions, and improved pathogen and abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic plants. These results suggested that the TaERF1 gene encodes a GCC-box and CRT/DRE element binding factor that might be involved in multiple stress signal transduction pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel amperometric choline biosensor has been fabricated with choline oxidase (ChOx) immobilized by the sol-gel method on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) modified platinum electrode to improve the sensitivity and the anti-interferential property of the sensor. By analyzing the electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrode by MWCNT, it was found that MWCNT could not only improve the current response to H2O2 but also decrease the electrocatalytic potential. The effects of experimental variables such as the buffer solutions, pH and the amount of loading enzyme were investigated for the optimum analytical performance. This sensor shows sensitive determination of choline with a linear range from 5.0 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−4 mol/L when the operating pH and potential are 7.2 and 0.15 V, respectively. The detection limit of choline was 5.0 × 10−7 mol/L. Selectivity for choline was 9.48 μA·(mmol/L)−1. The biosensor exhibits excellent anti-interferential property and good stability, retaining 85% of its original current value even after a month. It has been applied to the determination of choline in human serum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general distribution of monogenean parasites of aquatic vertebrates inhabiting Chinese inland waters is summarised. Five hundred and seventy-two out of a total of 581 species of monogeneans were discovered on fish, while only nine species were found on Amphibia and Reptilia. Most dactylogyrids and diplozoids parasitise cyprinids, while ancyrocephalids occur on silurids and cyprinids, and gyrodactylids are found mainly on cyprinids and cobitids. Analyses of host-specificity and host-diversity suggests that the family Ancyrocephalidae should be divided into several families parallel with the Dactylogyridae. Of 12 subfamilies of the Cyprinidae, only the Gobiobotinae was found to be free of infection with monogeneans, and the genus Dactylogyrus has more species than any other monogenean genus associated with every cyprinid subfamily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fluorometric turn-on assay is described for ascorbic acid (AA). It is based on the controlled release of polyallylamine-stabilized gold nanoclusters (polyallylamine-AuNCs) from MnO2 nanosheets. In an aqueous solution of near-neutral pH value, the positively charged capped AuNCs are adsorbed on the surface of the negatively charged MnO2 nanosheets. The adsorption leads to the quenching of the fluorescence of the AuNCs. However, in the presence of AA, MnO2 is reduced to Mn2+. This causes the destruction of the MnO2 nanosheets. As a result, the fluorescence of the polyallylamine-AuNCs at 615 nm is recovered. This method for determination of AA is inexpensive, sensitive, and selective. It works in the 0.01 to 200 μM concentration range and has a 3.2 nM detection limit (for S/N = 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is described for photoelectrochemical determination of the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). It employs an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode modified a CdS quantum dots@graphene (CdS@GR) composite and hexagonal cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets. The CdS@GR nanocomposite was synthesized by assembling the CdS quantum dots onto a GO film to receive a basic photocurrent response of the ITO. This is further improved by covering it with CoOOH nanosheets. Secondly, 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid (AAP) is added as a substrate for ALP. Its hydrolysis yields ascorbic acid which reduces CoOOH to form cobalt(II) ion. As a result, the CoOOH nanosheets decompose. This is accompanied by a reduction of the photocurrent. The effect was used to design a selective and sensitive assay of determination of the activity of ALP. Under the optimized experimental conditions, response is linear in the 10 to 300 U·L−1ALP activity range. The detection limit is 1.5 U·L−1 at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3.Indium tin oxide (ITO) was coted with CdS@graphene and CoOOH to obtain a material with superior photoelectrochemical properties. The detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was accomplished by using 2-phospho-L-ascorbic acid (AAP) which is hydrolyzed by ALP to release ascorbic acid (AA) which reduces CoOOH to Co2+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the retraction of the article "Crucial role of interleukin-7 in T helper type 17 survival and expansion in autoimmune disease" by Xuebin Liu, Stewart Leung, Chunxia Wang and colleagues in the 2010 issue of the journal "Nature Medicine".