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In this study, first-principles calculations of the crystal structure and the elastic properties of osmium have been carried out using the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory method. The calculated values are in very good agreement with experimental data as well as with some of the existing model calculations. The pressure dependence of the elastic constants, the aggregate elastic moduli (B, G, E), the Poisson's ratio, the Lame constant, the compressibility, the longitudinal wave and transverse wave velocities, the Debye temperature and the elastic anisotropy have been investigated. Moreover, the temperature and pressure dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient is estimated from the Debye approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relationship of plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and hematoma expansion (HE) in acute hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage (AHCH) (HE-in-AHCH). Patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage, confirmed by head computed tomography (CT) within 12 h of onset, were prospectively collected. Venous blood was sampled within 4 h of the confirmation to determine the serum MMP-9 concentration. The blood pressure and National Institute of Health Stroke Score of the patients were recorded on hospital admission. CT re-scanning was performed within 42–54 h of the first head CT examination or immediately after worsening of the patients’ consciousness disorder. The relationship between MMP-9 level and HE was analyzed. A total of 186 patients were included. Of these patients, 41 had HE (22.0%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, in addition to the short interval between onset and the first CT examination, and the irregularity of hematoma shape, increasing MMP-9 level was an independent risk factor for HE-in-AHCH (OR value = 15.65, 95% CI: 5.30–46.15). Moreover, increasing plasma MMP-9 level was identified as an independent risk factor in patients with HE-in-AHCH. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cu2O–reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite was synthesized by a simple one-pot solvothermal method. The morphology and properties of Cu2O/RGO nanocomposites were characterized by scanning electron microscope, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of the as-prepared nanocomposites were investigated by photodegrading Rhodamine B under visible light. Results show that Cu2O/RGO nanocomposites exhibited a remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency compared with pure Cu2O nanoparticles and commercial P25. Moreover, we found that the content of graphene oxide introduced into composite material was a crucial factor for its improved photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Near infrared spectroscopy in combination with appropriate chemometric methods is an effective technique for quantitative analysis of parameters of interest for the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, the artificial neural network (ANN) was applied to monitor critical parameters (compression force, tablet hardness, mean particle size, and active pharmaceutical ingredient concentration of tablets) in the process of naproxen pharmaceutical preparation. The performance of ANN was compared to linear methods (partial least squares regression (PLS) and synergy interval partial squares (siPLS)). The ANN models for compression force, tablet hardness, mean particle size, and active pharmaceutical ingredient concentration of tablets yielded the low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) values of 0.936 KN, 0.302 kg, 4.49 mg, and 2.14 µm, respectively. The predictive ability of the PLS model was improved by siPLS with selection of spectral regions and the best performance among all calibration methods was showed by the nonlinear method (ANN). Effective models were built by using these approaches using near infrared spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation neuropathy is one of the severe complications of radiotherapy. Entrapment neuropathy, caused by surrounding soft tissue fibrosis induced by radiation, plays a key role in the onset of this neuropathy. Meanwhile, the pathophysiology of the direct effect of radiation on the peripheral nerve is not yet fully understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the direct effects of radiation on rat sciatic nerves that are isolated from surrounding soft tissue. In the radiation group (R group), only the exposed sciatic nerve was irradiated with 90 Gy X-radiation. In the sham group (S group), the surgical procedures were completed without radiation. The sciatic functional index (SFI) result demonstrated no statistical differences between the R group and S group. However, even though the surrounding soft tissue was not irradiated, the macroscopic and histological findings of the R group at 24 weeks after radiation showed scar formation around the radiated nerve. These findings on radiation neuropathy indicate that neurohumoral factors derived from the radiated nerve itself may cause fibrosis. The electromyographic and histological examination showed axonal degeneration in the R group. Furthermore, the axon diameter and axon packing density in the R group demonstrated the axonal degeneration, even though it was 0.5 cm more proximal to the radiated portion than the axon packing density in the S group. This appearance was assumed to be 'dying-back' neuropathy. It is believed that this study is a first step toward identifying an accurate pathophysiology for intractable radiation-induced peripheral neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. To investigate the effects of a single dose of metformin (MF) on endothelium-dependent vasodilatation and serum antioxidant and free fatty acid levels in patients with primary hypertension (PH) after an acute glucose load. Materials and methods. Patients with untreated PH were randomized to a no-metformin group (PH, n = 34) and a metformin group (PH+ MF, n = 28) who received a single dose of 500 mg metformin before testing. Healthy volunteers ( n = 31) served as a control group. Brachial artery endothelium-dependent flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) was determined at 0, 1, 2 and 3 h after glucose load. Levels of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), anti-superoxide anion free radical (AntiO2) and free fatty acids (FFA) were measured. Results. The FMD in the PH group decreased significantly 1 h after glucose load (PH: 10.9 ± 2.9% vs 13.67 ± 3.42% before glucose load). Metformin inhibited the effects of glucose load on FMD. At 1 h after acute glucose load, the concentrations of SOD, T-AOC and AntiO2 in the PH group decreased significantly compared with their fasting levels, and metformin inhibited the acute glucose load-induced decline in SOD and T-AOC levels. Conclusions. Metformin can prevent transient endothelial dysfunction caused by acute glucose load in patients with PH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the physicochemical properties and structural features of six lignin preparations separated with a total dissolution of ball-milled wood in dimethyl sulfoxide and lithium chloride (DMSO/LiCl) followed by extraction with ethanol/water were investigated. These isolated lignin fractions were characterized using wet chemical analysis, FT-IR, and 1H and13C-NMR techniques. Experimental results showed that separated lignin preparations were relatively free of associated polysaccharides. These lignin fractions were classified as guaiacyl-syringyl lignin type: mainly composed of guaiacyl units with noticeable amounts of syringyl units and fewer p-hydroxyphenyl units. The molar ratio of non-condensed guaiacyl units to syringyl units (G/S) decreased as the ratio of LiCl to poplar weight increased. The results also showed that these lignin preparations consisted mainly of β-O-4 ether bonds combined with small quantities of β-β' and β-5 carbon-carbon linkages. Furthermore, considerable amounts of esterified p-hydroxybenzoic acids and minor amounts of esterified p-coumaric acid were also detected in these lignin fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Apelin is a bioactive peptide manifesting a potent vasodilatory property. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to investigate for the first time whether circulating apelin differed significantly between hypertensive patients and normotensive controls.Methods: Both PubMed and Embase were searched for eligible articles. Eligibility evaluation and data collection were done independently by two investigators. Weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated under random-effects model by STATA.Results: Ten studies were synthesized finally, including 1610 patients and 1105 controls. Overall analysis revealed that circulating apelin was significantly lowered in patients than in controls (WMD = −39.85 pg/mL, 95% CI: −65.56 to −14.15; P = 0.002), with significant heterogeneity (I2= 89.4%). By race, patients had lower circulating apelin than controls in Caucasian populations (WMD = −79.82 pg/mL, 95% CI: −105.80 to −53.85; P < 0.001), without heterogeneity (I2=0.0%), while no significance was observed in Chinese and African-Americans. Further grouping studies by source of controls found a significant reduction in circulating apelin in studies with hospital-based controls (WMD = −96.28 pg/mL, 95% CI: −129.67 to −62.88; P < 0.001) (I2= 49.4%), but not in studies with population-based controls.Conclusions: Via a meta-analysis of 10 studies and on 2715 subjects, our findings demonstrated that lowered circulating apelin was significantly associated with an increased risk for hypertension, especially in Caucasian populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This meta-analysis of randomized parallel controlled trials was designed to compare the efficacy of atenolol with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) in changing pulse wave velocity (PWV), peripheral blood pressure and heart rate (HR) among patients with essential hypertension.Methods: This study was conducted according to the PRISMA guideline. Data collection was independently completed by two investigators. Statistical analyses were completed by Stata software (v12.0).Results: Eight clinical trials were meta-analyzed in this study. Overall changes in PWV (weighted mean difference or WMD = 0.068, 95% confidence interval or CI: −0.487 to –0.623, P = 0.811) and peripheral systolic blood pressure (PSBP) (WMD = −1.281 mmHg, 95% CI: −6.936 to 4.375, P = 0.657) did not differ significantly between atenolol and ACEIs treatment. Relative to ACEIs, atenolol had a more favorable impact on peripheral diastolic blood pressure (PDBP) (WMD = −1.912 mmHg, 95% CI: −3.732 to −0.091, P = 0.040) and HR (WMD = −9.23 bpm, 95% CI: −12.53 to −5.93, P < 0.001). In stratified analyses, particularly by follow-up period, atenolol was observed to be superior over ACEIs within early 3-month treatment in PSBP (WMD = −4.097 mmHg, 95% CI: −6.589 to −1.605, P = 0.001), PDBP (WMD = −6.802 mmHg, 95% CI: −8.517 to −5.087, P < 0.001) and HR (WMD = −14.242 bpm, 95% CI: −16.427 to −12.058, P = 0.028), without heterogeneity (I2= 0.0%). There were low probabilities of publication bias for all comparisons.Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that atenolol and ACEIs were equally effective in reducing PWV and PSBP, while atenolol was superior over ACEIs in improving PDBP and HR, especially within short-term treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corynebacterium glutamicum(C. glutamicum) is a highly promising alternative prokaryotic host for recombinant protein expression, as it possesses several significant advantages overEscherichia coli (E. coli), the currently leading bacterial protein expression system. During the past decades, several experimental techniques and vector components for genetic manipulation ofC. glutamicumhave been developed and validated, including strong promoters for tightly regulating target gene expression, various types of plasmid vectors, protein secretion systems and methods of genetically modifying the host strain genome to improve protein production potential. This review critically discusses current progress in establishingC. glutamicumas a host for recombinant protein expression, and examines, in depth, some successful case studies of actual application of this expression system. The established “expression tool box” for developing novel constructs based onC. glutamicumas a host are also evaluated. Finally, the existing issues and solutions in process development withC. glutamicumas a host are specifically addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We reported a green and simple method for biosynthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) usingCorymbia citriodoraleaf extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. SEM, EDX, XRD, UV–VIS spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and TGA have been used for characterizing the biosynthesized ZnO NPs. The results indicating the ZnO NPs synthesized byC. citriodoraleaf extract have high purity and the average size is 64 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the ZnO NPs has been investigated by degradation methylene blue under visible light irradiation. Due to the smaller size, the biosynthesized ZnO NPs showed an excellent photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study employed near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to analyze content uniformity, moisture content, compression force, tablet hardness, average particle size, and particle-size distribution. The content uniformity, moisture content, compression force, tablet hardness, and average particle size models yielded high correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.99582, 0.99725, 0.99620, 0.96294, and 0.98421, respectively, whereas the particle size distribution models showed good predictive ability. Conventional criteria such as R2, root-mean-square error of calibration, and the root-mean-square error of prediction were used to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the model. To ensure the accuracy and predictability of the content model for low-dose tablets, additional validation and reliability evaluations were performed using 70%, 80%, 100%, 120%, and 130% drug concentrations as well as 90% and 110% active content formulations. Near-infrared spectroscopy with multivariate modeling is a rapid, nondestructive technique for the characterization of the manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pilot study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination in the treatment of patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Eligible patients were those with metastatic NPC who had been treated with radiotherapy and cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy. Cisplatin was given intravenously at the fixed dose of 30 mg/m² on days 1-3. Gemcitabine was intravenously administered over 30 mm infusion with the dose escalated from 800 to 1200 mg/m² on days 1 and 8. The 3-week schedule defined a cycle of treatment. Fifteen patients were enrolled and assessed for the worst toxicities. For a total of 83 cycles, Grade 3-4 toxicity was 46.7% for neutropenia, 40.0% for thrombocytopenia, and 20.0% for anemia. Grade 3 nonhematologic toxicity was 13.3%. Fourteen patients were assessable for response. The overall response rate was 92.9%, with complete response in three patients (21.4%). Median survival was 10.2 months. Seven patients had lived more than one year, and two patients had lived more than 2 years. The recommended dose of gemcitabine was 1000 mg/m² on days 1 and 8 in each cycle. In conclusion, the present combination is well tolerated and highly active in the treatment of advanced NPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breaking of immune tolerance against angiogenesis-associated molecules should be a useful approach for cancer therapy by active immunity. We used chicken integrin β[sub 3] as a model antigen to explore the feasibility of immunogene therapy of the tumors with a vaccine based on a single xenogeneic homologous gene, targeting the molecules associated with angiogenesis. To test this concept we constructed a plasmid DNA encoding the ligand-binding domain of chicken integrin β[sub 3] (P-BD-C) and control vectors. We found that immunogene therapy of tumors with a vaccine based on the ligand-binding domain of chicken integrin β[sub 3] (P-BD-C) was effective in both protective and therapeutic anti-tumor immunity in several tumor models in mice. Autoantibodies against integrin β[sub 3] in sera of mice immunized with the ligand-binding domain of chicken integrin β[sub 3] could be found by Western blot analysis and ELISA assay. The purified immunoglobulins were effective in the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation in vitro, and in anti-tumor activity as well as in the inhibition of angiogenesis by adoptive transfer in vivo. The anti-tumor activity and the production of integrin β[sub 3]-specific autoantibodies (manifested by significantly elevated Ig G1 and Ig G2b) could be abrogated by the depletion of CD4[sup +] T lymphocytes. These observations may provide a vaccine strategy for cancer therapy through the induction of the autoimmunity against the molecules associated with tumor growth in a cross-reaction with a single xenogeneic homologous gene and may be of importance in the further exploration of the applications of other xenogeneic homologous genes identified in human and other animal genome sequence projects in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]