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Background and Aim: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is commonly employed in the treatment of epithelial gastrointestinal tumors, but few studies have explored ESD for treatment of duodenal papillary adenomas (PAs). In this study, we aim to evaluate the feasibility of a modified ESD method as an alternative modality in the resection of PAs. Methods: We evaluated potential advantages of modified ESD for resection of sporadic duodenal PAs through retrospective analysis of 10 PAs resected via ESD compared to paired lesions undergoing endoscopic papillectomy (EP). Results: All lesions undergoing ESD were resected en bloc with negative margins, compared to 60% of lesions undergoing EP. Within the experimental group, there was one case each of melena and pancreatitis compared to four bleeds and one case of pancreatitis in the control group. No recurrence was detected within the ESD group after a mean follow‐up time of 11.2 months compared to three recurrences within a mean follow‐up time of 27.7 months. Conclusions: From our preliminary experience, ESD is a promising alternative in the treatment of superficial duodenal PAs; however, further investigation is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Hypertension significantly contributes to stroke. Previous research has indicated a connection between daytime napping and stroke. Research on the connection between daytime napping duration and first stroke in hypertensive individuals is lacking nevertheless. Methods: This research, which ran from 24 August 2013 to 31 December 2022, recruited 11,252 individuals with hypertension and without a history of stroke from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial. To determine the relationship between daytime napping duration and stroke onset in hypertensive individuals, we conducted analyses for threshold effects, multivariate‐adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models, and Kaplan–Meier survival curves. Results: The duration of daytime napping (<75 min) was positively correlated with stroke risk; beyond 75 min, the risk did not increase further. When compared to hypertensive individuals who napped for 1–30 min, daytime napping 31–60 min (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06–1.53) and >60 min (HR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.14–1.65) were substantially related with a greater risk of first stroke. Additionally, this correlation was absent in cases of hemorrhagic stroke, but present in cases of ischemic stroke, specifically for hypertensive individuals who napped for 31–60 min or >60 min (p < 0.05). Kaplan–Meier survival curves displayed that hypertensive individuals who extended daytime napping had an elevated incidence of stroke. Conclusions: Hypertensive individuals who take longer daytime naps (>30 min) are at an elevated risk of stroke onset, particularly ischemic stroke, irrespective of other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudo‐nanophase separation enabled by supramolecular‐interaction‐grafted sidechains proves a promising alternative for constructing high‐performance commercially viable membranes with quick ion transport, excellent chemical stability, and simplified membrane manufacturing. Nonetheless, the concept of pseudo‐nanophase separation is still in nuce, and determinants for controlling pseudo‐nanophase separation remain somewhat opaque. In this contribution, supramolecular sidechain topology is found critical to engineering pseudo‐nanophase separation. Three supramolecular sidechain topological (viz. linear, branched, and cyclic) structures are investigated using experimental and theoretical protocols, and the underlying mechanisms by which supramolecular sidechain topology alters the microstructure and ion‐conducting behaviors of the membranes are proposed. Consequently, the cyclic sidechain‐mediated membrane achieves the highest proton conductivity with an area resistance as low as 0.10 Ω cm2. The resulting membrane endows an acidic aqueous redox flow battery with an energy efficiency of up to 80.7% even at high current densities of 220 mA cm−2, breaking the record set by the pseudo‐nanophase separation strategy constructed membranes and ranking among the highest values ever documented. This study advances the understanding of supramolecular sidechain topology for the design and preparation of high‐performance membranes via pseudo‐nanophase separation engineering for flow batteries and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is a prevalent malignancy worldwide. Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is a crucial enzyme that participates in various biological processes, including cancer progression. This study aims to uncover the biological function of SYK in PTC. SYK expression patterns in PTC were evaluated using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blot. Cell function assays were performed to assess the effects of SYK on PTC. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to identify intriguing microRNA (miRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA). Dual‐Luciferase Reporter or RNA immunoprecipitation assays were used to investigate the correlation among SYK, miR‐377‐3p, and hsa_circ_0006417. SYK was upregulated in PTC. Overexpression of SYK exhibited a positive correlation with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and unfavorable disease‐free survival. Functional assays revealed that SYK exerted tumorigenic effect on PTC cells through mTOR/4E‐BP1 pathway. Mechanistically, hsa_circ_0006417 and miR‐377‐3p regulated SYK expression, offering modulating its tumor‐promoting effects. Collectively, SYK acts as an oncogene in PTC through mTOR/4E‐BP1 pathway, which is regulated by the hsa_circ_0006417/miR‐377‐3p axis, thereby providing a potential alternative for PTC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: The prevalence of antibiotic resistance for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been increasing over the year, making it more difficult for traditional empirical therapy to successfully eradicate H. pylori. Thus, tailored therapy (TT) guided by molecular‐based antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) has been frequently recommended. We conducted a single‐arm meta‐analysis to determine the efficacy of tailored therapy guided by molecular‐based AST. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed on multiple databases, and studies on molecular‐based TT were included. The eradication rates of TT by intention‐to‐treat (ITT) and per‐protocol (PP) analyses were pooled respectively. Results: A total of 35 studies from 31 literature (4626 patients) were included in the single‐arm meta‐analysis. Overall, the pooled eradication rate of TT was 86.9% (95% CI:84.7%–89.1%) by the ITT analysis, and 91.5% (95% CI:89.8%–93.2%) by PP analysis. The pooled eradication rates of first‐line TT and rescue TT were 86.6% and 85.1% by ITT analysis and 92.0% and 87.9% by PP analysis, respectively. When tailored rescue therapy was based on the genotypic resistance to at least four antibiotics, the pooled eradication rates reached 89.4% by ITT analysis and 92.1% by PP analysis. For genotype‐susceptive strains, the pooled eradication rate of TT with targeted antibiotics was 93.1% (95% CI:91.3%–94.9%), among which the pooled eradication rate of tailored bismuth quadruple therapy was the highest (94.3%). Besides, the eradication rate of 7‐day TT or tailored triple therapy without bismuth for genotype‐susceptive strains could both reach more than 93.0%. Conclusion: Tailored therapy guided by molecular‐based AST can achieve somewhat ideal therapeutic outcomes. TT with a 7‐day duration or without bismuth for genotype‐susceptible strains can achieve good eradication efficacy. The effectiveness of TT can be improved to some extent by expanding the coverage of AST or by adding bismuth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was focused on the effects of ovary acquisition season, embryo transfer season, and conditions of surrogate sows on cloning efficiency, with the objective of improving the production of cloned pigs. The statistical analysis documented that cloning efficiency was highest when ovary extraction and embryo transfer occurred in the spring, and lowest when such operations occurred in the autumn. This was evidenced by the higher number of recovered oocytes (3.2 ± 0.47 vs. 2.5 ± 0.51), rate of mature oocytes (57.4 ± 0.07% vs. 48.9 ± 0.06%), rate of developed cloned blastocysts (35.7 ± 0.12% vs. 34.4 ± 0.07%), pregnancy rate of surrogate sows (73.5% vs. 33.3%), delivery rate (67.6% vs. 16.7%), litter size (6.9 ± 2.3 vs. 2.3 ± 2.5), and the number of alive newborns (5.7 ± 2.2 vs. 1.3 ± 1.2). Cloning efficiency was little affected by the ovulatory status of the surrogate sow prior to embryo transfer. The length of pregnancy, the parity, and the length of labor of the surrogate sow significantly affected the efficiency of generating pigs cloned from somatic cells. Specifically, when length of pregnancy ranged from 111 to 117 days, surrogate sows with shorter gestation period had larger litter size (8.9 ± 2.8) and a higher number of stillbirths per litter (2.1 ± 2.0). Moreover, statistical analysis indicated that selecting sows with 2–4 parities as surrogates led to increased litter size (7.7 ± 3.0) and the number of alive newborns (6.4 ± 3.1). In comparison with naturally breeding sows, the surrogate sows spent more time giving birth and suffered higher rates of stillbirth. The data obtained in this study provide valuable insights for improving the production efficiency of somatic cell cloned pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioma is one of the most aggressive malignant diseases for human health. It is difficult to resect completely due to their invasiveness. The targeted delivery, as a noninvasive approach, is a major strategy for the development of treatments for brain tumors. Lactoferrin (Lf) receptors are over‐expressed in both brain endothelial cells and glioma cells. Macromolecular Lf modified nanoparticles have been shown to enhance the brain targeting. Muscone is a "guide" drug that have been demonstrated to promote liposomes into the brain by modification. To further enhance the brain‐targeting efficacy of Lf modified carriers, we designed that Lf and muscone dual‐modified liposomes cross blood–brain barrier (BBB) and target to brain for enhanced docetaxel (DTX) brain delivery. The results showed that we successfully prepared Lf and muscone dual‐modified liposomes (Lf‐LP‐Mu‐DTX), the number of Lf molecules connected to the surface of per liposome was 28. Lf‐LP‐Mu‐DTX increased uptake in both U87‐MG cells and hCMEC/D3 cells, enhanced penetration of U87‐MG tumor spheroid and in vitro BBB model, had better in vitro and in vivo anti‐tumor effects. In conclusion, "guide" of muscone modification enhanced brain‐targeting efficacy of Lf modified liposomes, Lf and muscone dual‐modified docetaxel loaded liposomes present a potential brain‐targeting drug delivery system for use in the future treatment of gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Thermochemical conversion technology (pyrolysis/gasification) has been extensively employed for biomass, fossil fuels, and MSW feedstock to transform them into valuable products (gas, oil, and char). Since the practical application of waste tire derived char (WTC) faces uncertainty, the exploitation of WTC's high‐value application would significantly impact the overall economy of the waste tire pyrolysis process. Therefore, in this study, WTC was utilized as a support material for developing Ni‐Fe‐based catalysts (Ni‐WTC, Fe‐WTC, and Ni‐Fe‐WTC). The catalyst performance for wet MSW catalytic conversion was studied in a fixed‐bed reactor. The results affirmed that the application of catalysts considerably boosted the H2 concentration (29.26% to 38.24%‐42.15%), dry gas yield (0.73 to 1.04‐1.16 Nm3/kg MSW), and H2 yield (212 to 396‐487 mL/g MSW). Meanwhile, the tar content reduced significantly from 9.11% (without catalyst) to 2.15%, (Ni‐WTC), 2.83% (Fe‐WTC), and 2.47% (Ni‐Fe‐WTC). The tar analysis indicated that the chemical composition significantly transformed with the application of catalysts. This work successfully suggested that WTCs can be used as an effective and inexpensive support material for developing Ni‐based catalysts that can offer greater opportunity toward tar and hydrocarbons catalytic cracking and reforming during MSW conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneous electro‐Fenton (EF) process is a promising wastewater treatment technology for the onsite production of H2O2 and avoidance of iron sludge. However, the preparation of the cathode catalysts remains a challenge. Not only must the catalyst surface possesses active sites for both 2e− oxygen reduction reaction and heterogeneous Fenton reaction, preventing active metals from continuous leaching is also crucial to maintain its catalytic activity. Herein, a heterogeneous catalyst (rGO@FexP/C) with a vacuumized package‐like structure, where carbon‐supported iron phosphides (FexP/C) are tightly covered within interconnected reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets, is successfully prepared. The concentration of iron that dissolved from rGO@FexP/C after the reaction is only 3.37% of bare FexP/C (14.6 mg L−1), while rGO@FexP/C achieves better performance towards sulfamethoxazole (10 mg L−1) degradation than FexP/C. Investigation on rGO@FexP/C with different thicknesses of outer rGO layer and diverse morphologic structures demonstrate that the unique structure of rGO@FexP/C played a decisive role in the simultaneously enhanced activity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focused on the separation of the active ingredients of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walpers) and evaluated the antioxidative capability of these components with effects on improving glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin‐resistant HepG2 cells. DPPH free radical scavenging and reducing power assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of maca extracts. An insulin‐resistant HepG2 cell model induced by glucose, fructose, oleic acid, and palmitic acid was adopted to investigate the effects of maca extracts on regulating glucose and lipid metabolism in this study. LC‐MS/MS was then used for determination of the maca n‐butanol (NBT) subfraction. The results showed that maca ethanol extract and subfractions of this extract exhibited certain antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, the NBT subfraction reversed the disorders in glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin‐resistant HepG2 cells and significantly increased the mRNA expression of phosphoinositide 3‐kinases (PI3K) and AKT in insulin‐resistant HepG2 cells in a dose‐dependent manner. In addition, the LC‐MS/MS results showed that the NBT subfraction contained many active ingredients. Overall, this study suggests that the NBT subfraction of the ethanol extract rich in glucosinolates modulates insulin resistance via PI3K/AKT activation in insulin‐resistant HepG2 cells and might exert potentially beneficial effects in improving or treating glucose and lipid metabolic disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumor microenvironment significantly affects tumor progression, and tumor cells can also remodel the tumor microenvironment through complex interaction. Inflammasomes are innate immune system receptors/sensors that regulate an inflammatory response mainly mediated by the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain‐like receptors in macrophages, which can also influence the formation, progression and therapeutic response of cancer. However, the effects of tumor‐derived factors in the microenvironment on inflammasomes have rarely been reported. In this study, we found that lactate, as the main metabolite of tumor cells could specifically activate the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain‐containing protein 3 inflammasome through increasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in THP‐1‐derived macrophages. Furthermore, we showed that transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), a cytokine accumulated in the tumor microenvironment, could be induced by lactate treatment in tumor cells, and in turn inhibit inflammasome activation induced by lactate and other canonical ligands in macrophages. In addition, TGF‐β might induce autophagy of macrophages in a SMAD‐dependent manner, leading to ROS clearance and eventually inhibiting the activation of inflammasomes. Collectively, these results indicated that in the tumor microenvironment, tumor‐derived lactate could act as a danger signal alerting innate immunity, but nevertheless tumor cells produced more TGF‐β to avoid immune surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There were more robust IgA, IgG, and IgM responses in severe patients, more rapid but less robust IgA and IgG responses in asymptomatic and mild patients. To investigate whether the serological assay of different antibody isotypes could improve the early diagnostic power of COVID-19 patients, the seroconversion rates of single or combined antibody isotypes and the detection of viral RNA in the first month after disease onset were analyzed irrespective of disease severity. This study provides a comprehensive dynamic analysis of different antibody isotypes against SARS-CoV-2 and their relation to disease severity or early COVID-19 diagnosis in a large patient cohort over a 6-month follow-up period, which will benefit the early diagnosis and assessment of disease severity for COVID-19. To understand the correlation between antibody responses and disease severity, the levels of viral-specific IgA, IgG, and IgM were analyzed in four groups, and their kinetics are shown in Figures 1A-C and 2A-C. All three antibody isotypes (IgA, IgG, and IgM) peaked 1 month after disease onset (Figure 1A-C). [Extracted from the article]

Human‐induced global change dramatically alters individual aspects of river biodiversity, such as taxonomic, phylogenetic or functional diversity, and is predicted to lead to losses of associated ecosystem functions. Understanding these losses and dependencies are critical to human well‐being. Until now, however, most studies have only looked either at individual organismal groups or single functions, and little is known on the effect of human activities on multitrophic biodiversity and on ecosystem multifunctionality in riverine ecosystem. Here we profiled biodiversity from bacteria to invertebrates based on environmental DNA (hereafter, 'eDNA') samples across a major river catchment in China, and analysed their dependencies with multiple ecosystem functions, especially linked to C/N/P‐cycling. Firstly, we found a spatial cross‐taxon congruence pattern of communities' structure in the network of the Shaying river, which was related to strong environmental filtering due to human land use. Secondly, human land use explained the decline of multitrophic and multifaceted biodiversity and ecosystem functions, but increased functional redundancy in the riverine ecosystem. Thirdly, biodiversity and ecosystem function relationships at an integrative level showed a concave‐up (non‐saturating) shape. Finally, structural equation modeling suggested that land use affects ecosystem functions through biodiversity‐mediated pathways, including biodiversity loss and altered community interdependence in multitrophic groups. Our study highlights the value of a complete and inclusive assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem functions for an integrated land‐use management of riverine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic oxidation of toxic organic pollutants in water urgently requires improved efficiency for practical application. Here a wrapping‐pyrolysis strategy is exploited to convert CoP nanowires‐threaded ZIF‐8 into CoP nanoparticles‐confined nitrogen‐doped yolk‐shell porous carbon polyhedra, featuring high‐density active sites, and high adsorbability, dispersibility and conductivity (4‐High). The nanoreactor efficiently activates peroxymonosulfate for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation over a wide pH range and in saline solutions. The apparent kinetic rate constant (18.96 min−1) is the highest reported to date and exceeds those of reported catalysts by 1–2 orders of magnitude. Experimental and theoretical evidence reveals that the catalysis occurs at the Co4P4@graphitic nitrogen‐doped graphene site to produce surface‐bound SO4•− and induce direct electron abstraction for BPA degradation. The high catalytic activity is attributed to the unique yolk‐shell structure which concentrates catalytic and adsorptive sites within a confined space, as well as to the porous carbon polyhedron with high dispersibility and conductivity for fast mass and electron transport. Moreover, a fluidized‐bed catalytic unit is constructed and enables continuous zero discharge of BPA and easy nanocatalyst recycling. This work will guide "4‐High" catalyst design to improve future deep water purification technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The present study examined the role of PPARβ/δ in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods. The effect of PPARβ/δ on HCC development was analyzed using PPARβ/δ-overexpressed liver cancer cells and PPARβ/δ-knockout mouse models. Results. PPARβ/δ(-/-) mice were susceptible to diethylnitrosamine- (DEN-) induced HCC (87.5% vs. 37.5%, p < 0.05). In addition, PPARβ/δ-overexpressed HepG2 cells had reduced proliferation, migration, and invasion capabilities accompanied by increased apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Moreover, differential gene expression profiling uncovered that the levels of serine/threonine-protein kinase (SGK-1) mRNA and its encoded protein were reduced in PPARβ/δ-overexpressed HepG2 cells. Consistently, elevated SGK-1 levels were found in PPARβ/δ(-/-) mouse livers as well as PPARβ/δ-knockdown human SMMC-7721 HCC cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays followed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays further revealed the binding of PPARβ/δ to the SGK-1 regulatory region in HepG2 cells. Conclusions. Due to the known tumor-promoting effect of SGK1, the present data suggest that PPARβ/δ-deactivated SGK1 is a novel pathway for inhibiting liver carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs have been proved in regulating tumourigenesis, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, up to date, the role of PCAT6 in HCC is rare to be reported. In current study, bioinformatics analysis and quantitative real‐time PCR were applied to examine the expression of PCAT6 in HCC. The role of PCAT6 in cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and metastasis were detected in both gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies by cell biological assays. Bioinformatics analysis was employed to investigate the PCAT6‐related genes and pathways in HCC. And we found that PCAT6 was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and correlated with poor overall survival and disease‐free survival in HCC patients. Furthermore, elevated PCAT6 promoted cell proliferation, inhibited cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis while deficiency of PCAT6 impaired cell proliferation, caused cell cycle arrest and induced cell apoptosis of HCC. Moreover, as for bioinformatics analysis, a total of 389 PCAT6‐related genes were found in both HCC tissue and cell lines, and these promising target genes were highly enriched in various key pathways, such as Wnt, HIF‐1 signalling pathway, and metabolic pathways. Additionally, among these genes, DCAF13, SNRPB2, RPS8, and FKBP1A were revealed to be overexpressed in HCC and predicted poor prognosis. Taken together, our findings illustrate that PCAT6 contributes to HCC progression and might be a potential target for HCC therapy. Bioinformatics analysis may present a new way for assessing the underlying mechanism of PCAT6 in HCC. Significance of the Study: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common and malignant tumours all over the world. In this study, we observed that PCAT6 was upregulated in HCC and correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. PCAT6 could promote cell proliferation, inhibit cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis of HCC, suggesting PCAT6 exerts tumorigenic role in HCC. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis revealed a total of 389 PCAT6‐related genes in both HCC tissue and cell lines, and these promising target genes were highly enriched in various key pathways, such as Wnt, HIF‐1 signalling pathway, and metabolic pathways. These finding provided evidence that PACT6 may be identified as a strategy to treat HCC in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) has been recognized as an oncogene in numerous cancers and overexpression of SNHG6 was found to promote colorectal cancer (CRC). Hence, we performed a meta‐analysis to examine the clinical importance of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG6. Moreover, comprehensive identification of RNA‐binding proteins‐mass spectrometry (ChIRP‐MS) was conducted to explore the carcinogenic mechanism of lncRNA SNHG6 in CRC. Fourteen studies conducted on 1,139 patients were included in this meta‐analysis. We also constructed the protein–protein interactive (PPI) network in string based on the ChIRP‐MS results and cytoscape was used to identify core modules in the PPI network, which were then analyzed using the bioinformatics websites, cancer single‐cell state atlas (CancerSEA) and G:profilter. The clinical outcomes of the meta‐analysis indicated that higher expression of SNHG6 was related with a poorer survival outcome (overall survival: hazard ratio (HR) = 1.92; 95% confidence interval [Cl]: 1.48, 2.49; p <.0001; disease‐free survival: HR = 1.84; 95% Cl: 1.02, 3.34; p =.044), higher tumor stage (odds ratio [OR] = 3.35; 95% Cl: 2.57, 4.37; p <.0001), distant metastasis (OR = 1.83; 95% Cl: 1.11, 2.99; p =.017) and lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.33; 95% Cl: 0.93, 1.89; p =.119). The ChIRP‐MS results showed that core Module 1 of the PPI was significant in ribosomes and core Module 2 was mainly related to spliceosomes and messenger RNA processing. In conclusion, a higher expression of SNHG6 was found to be associated with a poorer survival outcome, high tumor stage, and distant metastasis in various solid tumors. SNHG6 was also found to be able to affect the processes of transcription and translation to promote CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung fibrosis is a progressive fatal lung disorder with significantly high mortality rates. Bleomycin (BLM) is one of the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of several carcinomas. The most severe adverse effect of BLM is lung toxicity; therefore, BLM has been repeatedly reported to be considered amongst the most widely used agents for the induction of experimental lung fibrosis. In the current study, rutin has been investigated for its ability to ameliorate BLM‐induced pulmonary fibrosis. BLM was instilled intratracheally and rutin was administered orally (50 and 100 mg/kg) for 3 weeks. Rutin significantly decreased lung/body weight index, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid lactate dehydrogenase activity, total cell count, macrophages, and lymphocyte counts. Rutin significantly decreased lung malondialdehyde content, increased lung glutathione content, superoxide dismutase activity, serum total antioxidant capacity, and decreased lung nitric oxide content. Moreover, rutin reduced expressions of transforming growth factor beta 1 and other fibrosis‐related biomarkers (Col I, Col III, and α‐SMA). In addition, rutin significantly ameliorated histological changes and prevented collagen deposition with the paralleled decrease in lung hydroxyproline content. In conclusion, rutin can be proposed to be a potential therapeutic agent for the management of lung fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyrolysis is an appealing technique to convert oil sludge into valuable products such as gaseous and liquid fuels, however, there is lack of research on the use of solid residue after sludge pyrolysis. This work investigated the possibility of recycling solid residue as bed material for the pyrolysis process. The thermogravimetric analysis of the raw sludge in both the pyrolysis condition and combustion condition found that part of the heavy organic compounds in the oil sludge was difficult to recover by pyrolysis, though could be combusted easily in the presence of oxygen. Therefore, by leaving the heavy compound in the solid residue, the solid residue can be self‐heated by combustion and cycled to the pyrolysis process to enhance heat transfer and catalysis. A series of pyrolysis residues at varies temperatures and holding times were collected after pyrolyzing oil sludge in this study. To examine whether there is sufficient potential heat remaining in the pyrolytic residue, the residue was further investigated by FTIR, proximate, ultimate analysis, and TGA in air to study the combustion characteristics and combustion kinetics. Higher pyrolysis temperature and longer pyrolysis time resulted in more ash and fixed carbon in the residue, though less volatile matter. Residue pyrolyzed at a lower temperature was easier to combust and showed lower combustion activation energy, though the recovery of organic fuel was not significant. Pyrolysis time had very minor effect on the solid residue combustion behaviour. It is more appropriate to control the residue property by governing the pyrolysis temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work presents a new extraction material, namely, Q‐100, based on hypercrosslinked magnetic particles, which was tested in dispersive solid‐phase extraction for a group of sweeteners from environmental samples. The hypercrosslinked Q‐100 magnetic particles had the advantage of suitable pore size distribution and high surface area, and showed good retention behavior toward sweeteners. Different dispersive solid‐phase extraction parameters such as amount of magnetic particles or extraction time were optimized. Under optimum conditions, Q‐100 showed suitable apparent recovery, ranging in the case of river water sample from 21 to 88% for all the sweeteners, except for alitame (12%). The validated method based on dispersive solid‐phase extraction using Q‐100 followed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry provided good linearity and limits of quantification between 0.01 and 0.1 μg/L. The method was applied to analyze samples from river water and effluent wastewater, and four sweeteners (acesulfame, saccharin, cyclamate, and sucralose) were found in both types of sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Calcyclin‐binding protein or Siah‐1‐interacting protein (CacyBP/SIP) has been reported to be up‐regulated and plays an important role in promoting cell proliferation in human glioma. However, the effect of CacyBP/SIP on glioma cell motility is still unclear. Here, to our surprise, CacyBP/SIP was found to inhibit the migration and invasion of glioma cells U251 and U87. Silencing of CacyBP/SIP significantly promoted the migration and invasion behaviors of glioma cells. On the contrary, overexpression of CacyBP/SIP obviously suppressed them. Further investigation indicated that silencing of CacyBP/SIP significantly reduced the interaction between Siah1 and cytoplasmic p27, which in turn attenuated the ubiquitination and degradation of cytoplasmic p27. In contrast, overexpression of CacyBP/SIP promoted the interaction between Siah1 and cytoplasmic p27, which in turn increased the ubiquitination and degradation of cytoplasmic p27. Importantly, the degradation of p27 could be blocked by Siah1 knockdown. Finally, we found that CacyBP/SIP was reversely related to cytoplasmic p27 in human normal brain tissues and glioma tissues. Taken together, these results suggest that CacyBP/SIP plays an important role in inhibiting glioma cell migration and invasion through promoting the degradation of cytoplasmic p27. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Laparoscopic resection (LAP) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of small gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have been reported by large amount of literature. However, the management of small GISTs remains controversial. This study evaluated the efficacy of ESD and LAP for small gastric GISTs and provided long-term outcomes of the two methods. Methods A total of 126 patients who underwent ESD or LAP for small gastric GISTs between 2009 and 2016 were retrospectively collected from medical records in our hospital, and we made telephone follow-up about recurrence rate. The parameters measured for each procedure type include clinicopathological characteristics, recurrence rate, and surgical outcomes. Results Among the 126 patients, 75 (59.52%) received ESD, and 51(40.48%) received LAP. The clinicopathological characteristics of the patients were well balanced. There was also no significant difference in follow-up time (3.34 ± 1.53 years in ESD group and 3.41 ± 1.37 years in LAP group, P = 0.19). However, we observed significant difference about operating time, estimated blood loss, and hospital stay between ESD group and LAP group (63.59 ± 34.41 min vs 79.12 ± 43.47 min, P = 0.04; 8.53 ± 15.89 mL vs 17.16 ± 18.90 mL, P = 0.01; 6.60 ± 2.70 days vs 10.37 ± 3.50 days, P < 0.001, respectively). The recurrence rate of ESD and LAP group was 2.67% and 1.96%, respectively, P = 0.41. Kaplan-Meier curves for disease-free survival also showed no statistically significant difference ( P = 0.72). Conclusions Endoscopic submucosal dissection is a preferable technique for resection of small gastric stromal tumors in the long-term outcomes compared with LAP. However, long-term randomized controlled trials are further needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When venture capital has been invested into venture companies, venture capitalists and venture entrepreneurs form a principal-agent relationship. Take into account the fact that the venture entrepreneur’s effort is a long process, because the effort is not the same at different stage. Therefore, efforts variables are seen as the multistage dynamic variable, and venture investment principal-agent model with venture entrepreneurs having multistage efforts is constructed on the basis of the classic principal-agent theory in the paper. Further, in the later stage effort of venture entrepreneurs is affected by the size of prestage benefit with venture capitalists and venture entrepreneurs; thus the fairness preference model is improved, and venture investment principal-agent model with venture entrepreneurs having multistage efforts is constructed on the basis of fairness preference theory. Both theoretical derivation and simulation have demonstrated that, under the condition of information asymmetry, if the fairness preference of venture entrepreneurs holds, then (1) venture capitalists provide venture entrepreneurs with level higher than that without fairness preference, (2) in every single stage venture entrepreneurs make efforts higher than those without fairness preference, and (3) in two periods both venture investors and venture entrepreneurs gain total real gains higher than those in two periods without fair preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) is still controversial. Here we performed a retrospective study to explore this issue. Methods. A total of 502 inpatients with Rome III confirmed IBS-D and known H. pylori status from 8 hospitals were enrolled. H. pylori-positive patients, hospitalized in the recent year, were followed up to evaluate the effects of H. pylori eradication on IBS-D clinical course. Results. Of the 502 IBS-D patients, 206 were H. pylori-positive, with an infection rate that has no significant difference with that of the general population in Guangdong province (p=0.348). For patients followed up, no significant differences were noted as to overall symptoms (p=0.562), abdominal pain/discomfort (p=0.777), bloating (p=0.736), stool frequency (p=0.835), or stool characteristics (p=0.928) between the H. pylori-eradicated group and the control group. The results were the same in long-term follow-up patients except the improvement of bloating, which showed that the bloating score in the H. pylori-eradicated group was significantly lower (p=0.047). Conclusions. No significant correlation between H. pylori infection and IBS-D was noted. Overall, IBS-D patients may not benefit from H. pylori eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Fluoride above a permissible level in drinking water has serious health effects on human beings. In this study, magnetic anion exchange resin, NDMP, was used to remove fluoride under different conditions and its defluoridation performance was compared with that of commercial D201 resin. RESULTS NDMP had favourable adsorption capacity for fluoride at pH 5.0 to 9.0. Coexisting anions generated competition adsorption towards fluoride and the different competition influence ordering followed the sequence SO42− > Cl− > NO3− > HCO3−. The existence of HA did not have a negative effect on fluoride adsorption under 40 mg L−1 of HA solution. The pseudo-first-order kinetic model fitted better for fluoride adsorption by both resins. The adsorption process was fitted better by the Langmuir model with a maximum fluoride adsorption capacity (13.5 mg g−1), indicating that the interaction between fluoride and NDMP resin was a homogeneous process. The negative values of Δ G° and Δ H° revealed that the adsorption was a spontaneous and exothermic reaction. Regenerated NDMP recovers adsorption performance without any loss. CONCLUSIONS High adsorption and regeneration performance suggest that NDMP can be used as an effective and reusable defluoridation adsorbent. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND High concentrations of nitrates in drinking water can lead to various types of cancers and to risks of contracting diseases. Two magnetic anion-exchange resins ( MD217 and MD218) were synthesized to remove nitrate quickly from aqueous solution. RESULTS Results show that nitrate adsorption onto the resins fitted both pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The equilibrium adsorption time for both resins was ∼10 min with the adsorption behaviour following the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. MD218 showed high adsorption capacity and higher selectivity for nitrate in the presence of dissolved organic matter ( DOM). MD217 showed higher selectivity in the presence of competing anions such as SO42− in aqueous solution. Among the DOMs examined, humic acid affected nitrate removal the most, which can be explained well by a mechanism based on electrostatic interaction. CONCLUSIONS Utilization of the resins in purification of water samples showed that both could be used for the treatment of ion-containing polluted ground and surface waters. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Nitrate is a potential harmful contaminant to humans, and widely detected in ground and surfacewater. The aim of this study was to accelerate nitrate reduction using chelating resin-supported Fe/Ni nanoparticles. RESULTS: The results of X-ray diffraction indicated that the presence of Ni can prevent the oxidation of nanoscale Fe0 particles by O2. The nitrate removal efficiency (98.3%) and the rate constant (Kobs =0.0166 mg-1 L min-1) using supported Fe/Ni nanoparticles were increased greatly compared with those using supported Fe nanoparticles (21.3% and 7.93 × 10-4 mg-1 L min-1, respectively). The co-existing Cl- caused a slight increase in nitrate reduction by the supported Fe nanoparticles, but SO42-, PO43-, HCO3- and humic acid caused obvious inhibition of NO3- removal. Due to Ni catalysis, however, the effects of these co-existing anions and humic acid on nitrate reduction by supported Fe/Ni nanoparticles could be ignored, except HCO3-. Moreover, the Fe/Ni nanoparticles showed good performance for nitrate reduction in drinking water. CONCLUSION: The supported Fe/Ni nanoparticles were more reactive than Fe nanoparticles. The co-existing anions and humic acid showed less effect on nitrate reduction. The supported Fe/Ni nanoparticles have a potential application for nitrate reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: It is essential to develop a novel evaluation system for the quality of individual colonoscopy and provide guidelines on whether and when to follow up the patient after the initial colonoscopy. This study aimed to establish and validate a scoring system for the quality of individual colonoscopy in terms of the adenoma miss rate (AMR). Methods: Patients undergoing two consecutive colonoscopies within 90 days between 2009 and 2011 from different levels of hospitals in China were enrolled into this study. Potential risk factors for adenoma miss at the individual colonoscopy in a cohort of patients were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses. Corresponding scores for the procedure-related factors were generated based on their weights, and a scoring system was established and then validated by correlating the system with AMR. Results: A total of 2093 patients were enrolled. Procedure-related factors at the individual colonoscopy (including bowel preparation and imaging methods), doctor experience, retroflexion, and withdrawal time were identified to be independent risk factors, and each of these factors was scored from 0 to 3. Then, a novel scoring system for the quality of individual colonoscopy (ranging from 0 to 9) was established, which was closely correlated with the AMRs in the establishment (adjusted R2 = 0.845) and validation databases (adjusted R2 = 0.733). Conclusions: The developed and validated evaluation system, consisting of procedure-related independent factors, successfully assesses the quality of individual colonoscopy in terms of AMRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Endoscopic polypectomy is believed to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, and it has become a standard practice for the removal of gastrointestinal polyps. However, for patients with implanted cardiac devices, endoscopic polypectomy is thought to be relatively contraindicated. Aside from two case reports from around 10 years ago, few studies have evaluated the safety of endoscopic polypectomy for this population. In this study, polypectomy was performed in 14 consecutive pacemaker patients to determine the safety of endoscopic polypectomy using high-frequency current in patients with implanted cardiac devices. Methods Fourteen patients with gastrointestinal polyps and implanted cardiac devices were evaluated, and endoscopic polypectomy was performed. Continuous monitoring of heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and electrocardiographic tracing was conducted. A trained cardiologist was present during the procedures. At the end of the procedures, the cardiac devices were reinterrogated to check for any changes. Results Our results showed that a total of 61 procedures in 14 patients were all successfully completed, and no abnormalities were identified during continuous monitoring. There were no statistically significant differences in the preoperation, intraoperation and postoperation data. None of the patients suffered any arrhythmias or functional disruption to their cardiac devices. Conclusions Endoscopic polypectomy using high-frequency current appears to be safe when performed in patients with pacemakers. However, larger multicentre studies are needed to confirm the safety of this procedure in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semivolatile organic compounds are a category of organic micropollutants including phthalate esters, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and so on, which are commonly analyzed by solid-phase extraction followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. In this work, a highly sensitive and feasible method of magnetic solid-phase extraction combined with gas chromatography with mass spectrometry was established for the determination of semivolatile organic compounds in water. The novel method was based on a permanent magnetic resin with uniform particle size and high surface area (1154.3 m2/g). The results demonstrated that the extraction efficiency of the resin was superior to that of a C18 cartridge. The method was proved to be of satisfactory recoveries (75-115.7%) and limits of detection and quantification (0.063-6.524 and 0.212-21.745 μg/L, respectively). The method was applied to the analysis of semivolatile organic compounds in the midstream Huai River. It was observed that polychlorinated biphenyls exceeded current water standards. To further illustrate the potential effects on human health, health risk assessment was conducted based on the obtained data. The existence of health risk was proved, with hexachlorobenzene and 2,2',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl as the major causes. The method possesses the characteristics of high efficiency and rapid analysis, offering a good prospect of applications in large quantities of practical water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel magnetic solid phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography method was established to analyze polyaromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water samples. The extraction conditions, including the amount of extraction agent, extraction time, pH and the surface structure of the magnetic extraction agent, were optimized. The results showed that the amount of extraction agent and extraction time significantly influenced the extraction performance. The increase in the specific surface area, the enlargement of pore size, and the reduction of particle size could enhance the extraction performance of the magnetic microsphere. The optimized magnetic extraction agent possessed a high surface area of 1311 m2/g, a large pore size of 6-9 nm, and a small particle size of 6-9 μm. The limit of detection for phenanthrene and benzo[g,h,i]perylene in the developed analysis method was 3.2 and 10.5 ng/L, respectively. When applied to river water samples, the spiked recovery of phenanthrene and benzo[g,h,i]perylene ranged from 89.5-98.6% and 82.9-89.1%, respectively. Phenanthrene was detected over a concentration range of 89-117 ng/L in three water samples withdrawn from the midstream of the Huai River, and benzo[g,h,i]perylene was below the detection limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To study the efficacy and safety of subantimicrobial dose (SD) doxycycline(50 mg/d) in patients with active and moderate-to-severe Graves’ orbitopathy (GO). Methods. Thirteen patients with active and moderate-to-severe GO received once daily oral doxycycline (50 mg/d) for 12 wk. Treatment response at 24 wk was used as the primary outcome, measured by a composite of improvement in Clinical Activity Score (CAS), diplopia, motility, soft tissue swelling, proptosis, and eyelid aperture. Secondary outcome was the change of quality of life score (QoL, including visual functioning subscale and appearance subscale). Adverse events were also recorded. Results. Overall improvement was noted in eight out of 13 patients (61.5%, 95% CI 31.6%–86.1%). Both CAS and soft tissue swelling significantly ameliorated in eight patients at 24 wk. Five patients (38.5%) had improvement in ocular motility of ≥8 degrees. Eyelid aperture (46.2%) also decreased remarkably. For QoL, a significant improvement in appearance subscale (P=0.008) was noted during the study, whereas no difference was observed in visual functioning subscale (P=0.21). Two patients reported mild stomachache at 12 wk. Conclusions. SD doxycycline appears to be effective and safe for the treatment of active and moderate-to-severe GO. It might serve as a new promising therapeutic strategy for GO. This trial is registered with NCT01727973. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has been identified previously as a cause of respiratory outbreaks in adults, including the elderly. The objective of this study was to document respiratory outbreaks that were caused by hMPV in Ontario, Canada and to identify the various circulating genotypes during April 2009-February 2012. The majority of the outbreaks that were part of this study were in adults (>65 years). Total nucleic acid extraction was done on 123 residual anonymized clinical specimens from 51 different respiratory outbreaks. Specimens were subjected to PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing targeting the F and G genes of hMPV. Phylogenetic analysis was performed to identify genotypes. HMPV accounted for 195 (8.5%) of 2,292 respiratory outbreaks. Genotype A2b was most prevalent, detected in 28 (54.9%) of 51 typed hMPV-positive outbreaks. The genotype A2b2 that was described recently was also identified. In earlier reports, subtype A1 was reported in Canada which was absent in the specimens typed in this study. This shift in genotype may be significant in terms of disease severity, and for any future vaccine considerations. Regular testing for hMPV should be done as part of outbreak investigation. J. Med. Virol. 87:269-274, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The direct effect of antigenic site mutations in influenza viruses on antigenic drift and vaccine effectiveness is poorly understood. Objective To investigate the genetic and antigenic characteristics of human influenza A (H3N2) viruses circulating in Ontario during the early 2010-2011 winter season. Study design We sequenced the hemagglutinin ( HA) and neuraminidase ( NA) genes from 41 A(H3N2) viruses detected in nasopharyngeal specimens. Strain typing was performed by hemagglutination inhibition ( HI) assay. Molecular and phylogenetic tree analyses were conducted. Results HA and NA genes showed high similarity to the 2010-2011 vaccine strain, A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus (97·7-98·5% and 98·7-99·5% amino acid ( AA) identity, respectively). Compared to A/Perth/16/2009 strain, HA gene mutations were documented at 28 different AA positions across all five H3 antigenic sites, with a range of 5-11 mutations in individual viruses. Thirty-six (88%) viruses had 8 AA substitutions in common; none of these had reduced HI titer. Among Ontario isolates, 11 antigenic site AAs were positively selected with an increase in glycosylation sites. Conclusion The presence of antigenic site mutations with high frequency among 2010-2011 influenza H3N2 isolates confirms ongoing adaptive H3N2 evolution. These may represent early phylogenetic changes that could cause antigenic drift with further mutations. Clinical relevance of antigenic site mutations not causing drift in HI assays is unknown and requires further investigation. In addition, viral sequencing information will assist with vaccine strain planning and may facilitate early detection of vaccine escape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Yellow-seeded Brassica napus is preferred by breeders for economic reasons, and seed coat is the most obvious comparable character between yellow and black rapeseed. RESULTS Owing to an incomplete understanding of chemical components in yellow rapeseed coat, here we optimized a technique based on attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared ( FT-IR) microspectroscopy to screen differences in chemical compositions of Brassica napus, Sinapis alba and four progeny lines with different yellow seed color derived from somatic hybrids between B. napus and S. alba. Nuclear magnetic resonance ( NMR) analysis of seed coat from B. napus and S. alba represented two specific peaks representing components of lignin in B. napus, which were absent in the progenies. Also, the intensity of peaks related to fiber were stronger in B. napus than S. alba and yellow seed lines, indicating the differences of fiber and lignin contents in yellow-seeded lines and parent lines. Differences in the lipid, protein and carbohydrate features were identified between B. napus and S. alba, some of which were specifically inherited in progenies of the somatic hybrids. CONCLUSION FT-IR spectrometry and NMR provide a rapid, direct bioanalytical technique for exploring the changes in molecular chemistry within the canola seed coat and for selecting rapeseed materials with high quality, which can be further used for breeding or nutrition of human and animals. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeders have focused on yellow-seeded Brassica napus (rapeseed) for its better quality compared with the black-seeded variety. Moreover, flavonoids have been associated with this kind of rapeseed. In this study, we applied lipid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MSn) to compare flavonoids in developing seeds of natural black-seeded B. napus and yellow-seeded introgression lines selected from progenies of B. napus-Sinapis alba somatic hybrids. Aside from the most abundant phenolic compounds (sinapine and sinapic acid) and 1, 2-disinapoylglucose, 16 different flavonoids were identified and quantified, including (-)-epicatechin, five monocharged oligomers of (-)-epicatechin ([DP 2]−, [DP 3]−, [DP 4] [DP 2]−B2 and [DP 2]−B5), quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin-dihexoside, kaempferol-sinapoyl-trihexoside, isorhamnetin-sinapoyl-trihexoside, isorhamnetin-hexoside-sulfate, and isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside. Most of the flavonoids accumulated with seed development, whereas some rapidly decreased during maturation. The content of these flavonoids were lower in the yellow-seeded materials than in the black seeds. In addition, variations of insoluble procyanidin oligomers and soluble phenolic acids were observed among both rapeseed varieties. Transcriptome changes of genes participating in the flavonoid pathway were discovered by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. Consistent with flavonoid changes identified by high performance liquid chromatography analysis, the expression of most genes in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway was also downregulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binding between pyrene and four fulvic acid factions sequentially eluted by 0.01 M HCl (F1), 0.01 M HCl + 20% methanol (F2), 0.01 M HCl + 40% methanol (F3), and 0.01 M HCl + 100% methanol (F4) was measured by fluorescence quenching. The influences of the functional groups of the fractions under different pH conditions on the binding behavior are discussed. The results showed that the binding coefficient (log K) of pyrene for F1 to F4 increased from 4.19 to 5.3. Log K was positively correlated with the aromaticity of fulvic acid fractions but negatively correlated with the ratio of (O + N)/C and the ratio of UV absorption at 250 nm and 365 nm ( E/ E ). As an indicator of polarity around the pyrene molecule, the ratio of intensity of pyrene at 374 nm and 384 nm ( I/ I) decreased with the increase of fulvic acid fraction concentrations. All fractions decreased in ability to quench as the pH increased. For a given pH value, the quenching ability followed the order of F1 < F2 < F3 < F4. The differences in the effects of pH on the quenching ability of fulvic acid fractions could be attributed mainly to the conformation of the fulvic acid fractions. Hydrophobic effect and the interactions of π-electrons from the aromatic regions of the fulvic acid and pyrene played dominant roles in the binding process. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011; 30:1079-1085. © 2011 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) is critical for Wnt signaling and cell migration. The current study examined Apc expression during lung development, injury, and repair. Apc was first detectable in smooth muscle layers in early lung morphogenesis, and was highly expressed in ciliated and neuroendocrine cells in the advanced stages. No Apc immunoreactivity was detected in Clara or basal cells, which function as stem/progenitor cell in adult lung. In ciliated cells, Apc is associated mainly with apical cytoplasmic domain. In response to naphthalene-induced injury, Apcpositive cells underwent squamous metaplasia, accompanied by changes in Apc subcellular distribution. In conclusion, both spatial and temporal expression of Apc is dynamically regulated during lung development and injury repair. Differential expression of Apc in progenitor vs. nonprogenitor cells suggests a functional role in cell-type specification. Subcellular localization changes of Apc in response to naphthalene injury suggest a role in cell shape and cell migration. Developmental Dynamics 239:2288-2297, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the preparation and characterization of a series of spherical activated carbons (SAC) with tailored pore structure derived from divinyl benzene-based polymer through carbon dioxide activation. The researchers also investigated the preparation conditions affecting the yield and textural properties of SAC. Nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microcopy (SEM), and aqueous adsorption assays were used in the study.

Familial prion diseases are due to dominantly inherited, germline mutations in the PRNP gene that encodes the prion protein (PrP). The cellular mechanism underlying the pathogenic effect of these mutations remains uncertain. To investigate whether pathogenic mutations impair a normal, physiological activity of PrP, we have crossed Tg(PG14) mice, which express PrP with an octapeptide insertion associated with an inherited prion dementia, with Tg(PrPΔ32–134) mice. Tg(PrPΔ32–134) mice, which express an N-terminally truncated form of PrP, spontaneously develop a neurodegenerative phenotype that is stoichiometrically reversed by coexpression of wild-type PrP. We find that, at equivalent expression levels, PG14 PrP is significantly less efficient than wild-type PrP in suppressing the development of clinical symptoms and neuropathology in Tg(PrPΔ32–134) mice. Thus, our results suggest that some features of the neurological illness associated with inherited PrP mutations may be attributable to a loss of PrP neuroprotective function. This mechanism stands in contrast to the toxic gain-of-function mechanisms that are usually invoked to explain the pathogenesis of dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify sequence domains important for the neurotoxic and neuroprotective activities of the prion protein (PrP), we have engineered transgenic mice that express a form of murine PrP deleted for a conserved block of 21 amino acids (residues 105–125) in the unstructured, N-terminal tail of the protein. These mice spontaneously developed a severe neurodegenerative illness that was lethal within 1 week of birth in the absence of endogenous PrP. This phenotype was reversed in a dose-dependent fashion by coexpression of wild-type PrP, with five-fold overexpression delaying death beyond 1 year. The phenotype of Tg(PrPΔ105–125) mice is reminiscent of, but much more severe than, those described in mice that express PrP harboring larger deletions of the N-terminus, and in mice that ectopically express Doppel, a PrP paralog, in the CNS. The dramatically increased toxicity of PrPΔ105–125 is most consistent with a model in which this protein has greatly enhanced affinity for a hypothetical receptor that serves to transduce the toxic signal. We speculate that altered binding interactions involving the 105–125 region of PrP may also play a role in generating neurotoxic signals during prion infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]